Emily Anderson
Contributing Writer
On Dec. 18, 1866, The College of Wooster was born. Now, 150 years later, the community gathers to celebrate the past, present and future of the institution.
The 150th anniversary celebration starts on Friday and is an opportunity to engage with each other not only as students, faculty, staff and alumni, but as members of this college community.
At 1 p.m. on Friday afternoon, there will be an all-campus photo taken on the south side of Kauke Hall with all students, faculty, staff, members of the Board of Trustees and the Alumni Board.
If marking your place in Wooster history isn’t enough of a draw to you, come out for a free t-shirt. Following the picture, an exhibit will open in Andrews Library. This exhibit, organized by students, will showcase the history of the College. If you cannot make it to the exhibit, a timeline of Wooster’s last 150 years is currently available on the school website.
Later in the afternoon, President Sarah Bolton will be joined by previous college presidents Georgia Nugent, Grant Cornwell, Stan Hales and Henry Copeland in Gault recital hall for a panel entitled “Presidential Perspectives.” These panelists will talk about Wooster’s liberal arts philosophy and how it applies to higher education as well as the College’s “place in American Higher Education,” according to the program for the event.
Following this discussion, there will be three alumni panels held in Kauke. These panel topics include “Tackling Complex Problems: A Liberal Arts Approach,” “Heart & Soul: What Makes a Human Tick?” and “Straight Lines & Wrong Turns: How I Got Here (and How Wooster Helped).” These accomplished alumni join us from class years ranging from the class of ’61 to the class of ’14.
After the panels conclude, the campus will gather again in Lowry for an all-campus dinner before moving to Papp stadium for our Sesquicentennial Celebration concert put on by our very own Scot Band. Directly after the concert, there will be a fireworks show in the stadium, so come out if you want to see the lights.
Later in the evening, there will be a concert on the Lowry Patio put on by the Wooster Activities Committee. Performing will be VV Lightbody, Homme — a duo some might remember from last year’s small concert in the Pit — and Group, featuring class of 2011 alum Taylor Lamborn. Finally, to close out the night, there will be a dance party in the UG starting at 11 p.m.
The 150th celebration doesn’t stop there. On Saturday, President Bolton will be inaugurated in McGaw Chapel, followed by a reception in Freedlander and a concert in Gault Recital Hall. In the morning, there will be another panel titled “Community and A Liberal Arts Education,” moderated by President Bolton herself.
With a weekend full of exciting activities, there’s no reason not to take full advantage of everything that’s going on. Come out and join our college community in making this 150th anniversary memorable.