Open House Draws Hundreds to College of Veterinary Medicine During Purdue Springfest

Friday, April 19, 2024

Sunny skies and warm temperatures helped draw crowds of visitors to Lynn Hall for the annual College of Veterinary Medicine Open House, which was held Saturday, April 13 in conjunction with Purdue University’s 2024 Spring Fest. Visitors of all ages enjoyed a wide variety of activities, demonstrations, displays and interactive learning opportunities. The Open House is organized by students to showcase the college’s programs, people and facilities. Held from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., the Open House included tours of the new David and Bonnie Brunner Small Animal Hospital, a petting zoo, police K9 demonstrations, and opportunities to get up close and personal with the college’s Canine Educators.

Veterinary student Kennedy Smith of the DVM Class of 2026 leads a tour through the Small Animal Hospital.

Other annual Open House favorites included the Food Animal Club tent where burgers and hot dogs were served, and the Graduation Day photo booth, where young attendees who collected all the necessary Open House stamps on their Graduation Day Card got to don a white coat and stethoscope for their “graduation picture!” Another popular attraction was the Veterinary Nursing room that featured face painting and a bandaging station where future veterinary nurses could try their hand at bandaging the leg on a dog manikin. Visitors also were able to view a display of winning 4-H Veterinary Science posters and projects from around the state that were showcased at the Indiana State Fair, and meet the 4-H members who created them.

Congratulations to all of the PVM students who helped put on this year’s Open House, along with the assistance and support of faculty and staff. And a special thank you to Open House student co-chairs Lisa Miller of the DVM Class of 2025 and Sara Helming of the DVM Class of 2026.

Other events held on campus last Saturday as part of Spring Fest included Purdue Aviation Day at the Purdue University Airport, which included aerial demonstrations that brought the stunning A-10 Thunderbolt II demonstration team right over Lynn Hall. Additionally campus visitors were able to see other classic Spring Fest events such as the Bug Bowl featuring the Cockroach Colosseum and the Horticulture show. All Spring Fest events were free and open to the public.

In tandem with Spring Fest, Purdue also hosted the 16th annual Purdue Challenge 5k run/walk, supporting the Purdue University Institute for Cancer Research.

Following the Open House, after student volunteers took care of putting everything away and getting the building back to normal for classes on Monday, members of the DVM Class of 2025 along with family, friends, loved ones, and faculty and staff headed to the Purdue Memorial Union ballrooms for the annual White Coat Ceremony, which will be covered in next week’s Vet Gazette.