Story by Mercer Akeson Design by Taylor Perez SWEECY DAY When was the last time you slowed down and appreciated where you are in life? Now we all know student life isn’t always easy. It can be overwhelming at times. On the other hand, it can also be exciting, vibrant, and so much fun. Sweecy Day is about slowing down, celebrating yourself, and living in the moment. We only have a few years in this stage of our lives, and it would be a shame if we didn’t celebrate it. History of Sweecy Day The Sweecy Day tradition began in 1947. The name Sweecy comes from the acronym CWSC, which stood for Central Washington State College, Central’s previous name. The day started with a clean-up of campus and the community and ended as one big party. Loaded with fun activities, Sweecy Day had a talent show, pancake breakfast, movie showings, a dance with the coronation of royalty, and so much more. In true Ellensburg fashion, they couldn’t forget our roots: chariot races with energetic crowds and a small-scale rodeo complete with wild steer riding and greased pig chases. While the event was immediately successful and remained throughout the 1950’s and 1960’s, it was met with pushbacks in the 1970’s. School administrators feared the event was getting too big and out of control. Both students and community members used Sweecy Day as an excuse to party a little bit too hard. The on- campus ragers destroyed the grounds which they had worked hard to beautify the morning before.
Finally, after many debates between the student council and faculty on whether to keep the event alive, Sweecy Day was discontinued in the late 1970’s, and has been until its revival last year. Taking Back Sweecy Day Our Student Senate deserves credit: they’ve taken an event which used to mean so much to our community and brought it into the new age. At its roots, Sweecy Day is a day to appreciate campus and come together as students. Sometimes, we lose sight of how much freedom we have to do good and feel good. We get stuck in the repetition of every day: wake up, class, work, homework, bed. We sometimes forget to step out of our routine and breathe in some fresh air. Hopefully, Sweecy Day can be just that for you. The day invites us to remember our history and think about how we can improve student life for the present and future.
What to expect at Sweecy Day 2024
While the day was not intended to be named as a combination of Sweet and Spicy, the recent adaptation of the day is just that. It features both work and fun. The schedule will be announced early Spring, but you can expect a tree planting, Wildcat Farm cleanup, live music, a food festival, and a casino night complete with prizes and refreshments.
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