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Cal Poly & Its Lawn Culture

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Cal Poly chapter.

Have you ever seen movies about college life that showed students playing Frisbee on the lawn or catching some Z’s outside before class? Well, those films were not too far off of what Cal Poly looks like on a daily basis.

Lawn culture is vibrant and kicking on this campus. Cal Poly has the ultimate weather for lying out in the grass. Not too many people are complaining about our sunny, 75-degree winter.

Cal Poly lawn-goes often have their preferred greenery. The more populated ones include Dexter Lawn, O’Neill Green and Centennial Green. You can find people lying and playing all over the grass at nearly anytime of day. There are also hidden gems around campus for a more intimate place to hangout or study.

There is something to be said about just being outside, listening to some tunes and watching the birds fly through the sky. Lying on the lawn is a perfect way to de-stress from your day. It’s also a great way to have alone time while still being in the company of your peers.

Additionally, the various lawns around campus are some of the only places to find dogs. And usually, the owners will let you play with their friendly canines.

The lawn is a great place to meet new friends. “It’s a fun place to come out and dance and meet people. I’ve practically met all my friends on this lawn,” said freshman Ruthie Matassarin.

Matassarin is practically a resident of Dexter Lawn where you can find hula hoopers, acro-yogis and drum circle musicians on most afternoons. Dexter is a community on its own. It is a meeting place for many clubs and friends because of its convenient location in the middle of campus.

Freshman Caroline Ambrose enjoys taking a break behind the business building. “O’Neill Green is the perfect napping ground,” said Ambrose.

Centennial Green is a nice place to chill for a few minutes between classes. It even has a few picnic tables in case you want to get some last minute work done before heading into Baker.

Each lawn has its own personality. Some are calm and study-focused while others are practically a party outside in the middle of the day.

All types of interesting people inhabit the various green spaces around campus, creating sub-cultures at each lawn that attract different people. If you haven’t yet, now is the perfect time to find your lawn at Cal Poly!

Katy Barnard is a Graphic Communications student at Cal Poly SLO. Her passions include photography, design and music. Katy loves going on adventures, hanging out with friends and laughing around the dinner table with her family. She is very excited to share her thoughts with the world through Her Campus Cal Poly!
Gina was formerly the Beauty & Culture Editor at Her Campus, where she oversaw content and strategy for the site's key verticals. She was also the person behind @HerCampusBeauty, and all those other glowy selfies you faved. She got her start in digital media as a Campus Correspondent at HC Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, where she graduated in 2017 with degrees in English and Theater. Now, Gina is an LA-based writer and editor, and you can regularly find her wearing a face mask in bed and scrolling through TikTok.