Dr. Tony Frank, president of Colorado State University, is set to make the annual Fall Address at the Oval Wednesday, Aug. 31. Frank’s remarks will begin at 11:30 a.m., when he will speak about the the past year at CSU as well as goals for the upcoming year. The address will be immediately followed by the University Picnic, a free dining event that celebrates tradition and CSU spirit.

The event will close the Oval to all traffic and parking, which will temporarily alter the Around the Horn bus loop.

In addition, only Braiden, Corbett and Parmelee dining centers will be open during lunch for their normal hours, as Housing and Dining encourages student to attend the Fall Address and University Picnic. Departments have been encouraged to arrange schedules for students who wish to attend, as the event falls at a time when most students have class.

The picnic will be the debut of a partnership between Housing and Dining Services and the CSU Horticulture Center. The Horticulture Center will produce the lettuce that will be served at the picnic, said Tonie Miyamoto, director of communications and sustainability for Housing and Dining Services.

The first University Picnic occurred in September of 1997 after the historic Spring Creek Flood. That event was a thank-you to the community for their support, and it has continued as a gathering for the campus community each year since in conjunction with the President’s Fall Address.