Work hard, play hard is embodied by the students in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, especially during CALS week.

The College of Agriculture and Life Science students work hard every year to host CALS Week. The week-long celebration includes events such as Mr. CALS, free food every day on Central Campus and a concert, with Dustin Lynch slotted as this year’s performer.

CALS Week also plays host to the quiz bowl, and the week ends with outdoor activities on Central Campus.

This week is a chance to celebrate every department in in the college, giving them an opportunity to show off the program to the university.

College of Agriculture and Life Science students dedicate large amounts of time into making this event special not only for the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, but for all of the other ISU students as well.

“CALS week is a celebration of our college. The students, faculty and general public can get involved and see all that our college has to offer,” said Cameron Jodlowski, junior in agricultural and life sciences education and co-chair of the CALS Student Council.

The hard work doesn’t just show during CALS Week. Students from the college work and participate year-round in clubs such as Agricultural Communicators of Tomorrow, the Agricultural Entrepreneurship Initiative and the Governor’s Agriculture Council.

They also get hands-on experience working with animals and research. The students are passionate about their work and CALS Week gives them a chance to share that passion with other students, Jodlowski said.

An integral part of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and the CALS Week celebration is food. And CALS Week presents plenty of it for free.

Free food is offered in the afternoon Monday through Thursday, and breakfast is offered Friday.

“Let’s be honest, college students love free food. I love seeing everyone get excited about CALS and being able to see all of the students connect,” Jodlowski said.

You can see the lines form after classes, and while students are waiting in line, they get a chance to connect with other students and talk about CALS, Jodlowski said.

The events that take place during CALS week showcase different aspects of the college. Mr. CALS, the male beauty pageant, is hosted by the Sigma Alpha sorority. Attendees could bring in canned food for a discounted ticket during the competition Monday night.

All proceeds and canned food items are donated to Food at First in Ames, which is a local food pantry and free meal program.

“Mr. Cals raised more than $2,000 for charity last year, and this year’s goal is to raise more.” said Jennifer Elliott, senior in agricultural and life sciences education and president of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Student Council.

Mr. CALS raised more than $4,000 this year, $1,500 of which came directly from ticket sales. 

Mr. Cals isn’t the only event that donates to charity and captures the compassion of the students and staff. Hunger Fight also takes place during CALS Week and is hosted by the ISU Block and Bridle club.

Block and Bridle partners with Meals From the Heartland, a meal packing organization in West Des Moines that delivers meals to malnourished families in the United States and around the world. The club welcomes all volunteers to help them with packing. A total of 60,000 meals were packaged last year, and the goal this year is to package 100,000 meals.

“One mission of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences is figuring out ways to feed the growing population of people and help minimize world hunger,” said Katie Schrodt, junior in agricultural and life sciences education and CALS Week co-chair.

But CALS Week isn’t all work and no play.

The CALS Student Council puts together a concert at the the Jeff and Deb Hansen Agriculture Student Learning Center during CALS Week. The council was able to bring in rising country star Dustin Lynch for this year’s show.

The CALS Student Council is in charge of setting up and taking down the stage for the concert every year. The setup and teardown is a lot of work and takes some time, but taking down the stage and cleaning up is senior Jennifer Elliott’s favorite part of the week.

“We’re always up until around [2 a.m.] taking down the stage. Everyone is running on a tired high, but I love it. You get to see everyone on council working together, we play music and make the best of the situation.” Elliott said.

The hard work of CALS students from past years is also acknowledged during CALS Week, and their successes are celebrated.

ISU alumnus Danny O’Neill will present his lecture, “How Baling Hay Prepared Me to Become the ‘Coffee Bean Baron'” on Wednesday night in 127 Curtis Hall. O’Neill is now the owner of The Roasterie Coffee, Inc., which is sold at various locations around campus. O’Neill’s lecture intends to show students how hard work and dedication pays off.

After a long week of hard work and activities, the CALS Student Council ends the celebration with a fun day full of games. Students can compete in wiffle ball and lawn games on Central Campus on Friday as a fun way to end CALS Week while connecting with students both in and outside of CALS.

“I’m excited for wiffle ball because if we’ve made it that far [without any major problems], then you know we are doing good,” said De’Airius Salibi, sophomore in food science and CALS Week co-chair.

The CALS Student Council showcases every aspect of its college and celebrates its students and what they have to offer in just one week. CALS Week allows the student organizations to meet new potential members and show people what the College of Agriculture and Life Science is all about.