CULLOWHEE – Western Carolina University will wrap up the yearlong celebration of the 125th anniversary of its founding on Friday, Dec. 5, with a closing ceremony titled, fittingly enough, the “It’s a Wrap Party.”
The free event will be highlighted by a cross-campus parade led by WCU’s Pride of the Mountains Marching Band, which will have just returned from participating in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
Members of the campus and surrounding communities are encouraged to wear their own sports uniforms, letter jackets or other purple-and-gold apparel and join the band in the on-campus march. The “It’s a Wrap” parade is scheduled to begin at 4 p.m. at Scott Residence Hall and end at the Liston B. Ramsey Regional Activity Center.
“Those who wish to attend the event but do not want to march can simply grab a seat in the Ramsey Center and wait for the band to arrive, when they will be treated to selections from the band’s performance in New York City,” said Christy Ashe, co-chair of a committee planning the event.
The “It’s a Wrap Party” also will include remarks from WCU Chancellor David O. Belcher to bring the 125th anniversary year to a close, along with prizes, giveaways, refreshments and special recognition of alumni and students. The doors to the Ramsey Center will open at 3 p.m.
The yearlong celebration began in January as hundreds of people crowded into the Grandroom of the A.K. Hinds University Center for a kickoff event highlighted by a fashion show of clothing from throughout WCU history, modeled by students, faculty, staff and community members.
The official 125th anniversary bash was held Aug. 26, the month in which the school that became WCU was founded in 1889. The event, attended by thousands, included a picnic on the University Center lawn, a concert on the Central Plaza and old-fashioned games.
The majority of the year’s celebration was designed around traditional highlights of WCU’s annual calendar, such as spring commencement ceremonies, Mountain Heritage Day, the Spring Literary Festival, Homecoming and alumni receptions across the state and the Southeast.
Info: wcuevents@wcu.edu
– WCU
