Weber State University students showed their school pride by wearing purple, singing “Happy Birthday” to WSU, and eating cake at the school’s 125th birthday party on Tuesday.
“. . . My favorite part is the 125 square feet of cake,” said WSU President Charles Wight. “It’s amazing. It was in the shape of a campus map. So the students are helping us to enjoy this wonderful celebration, but in part it is an opportunity for us to look back at the past and also forward to the future, to make sure that students’ futures are bright at Weber State.”
Students gathered in the Shepherd Union Atrium to count down to the balloon drop. There was an energized countdown to the drop as students showed their school pride in chants and smiles.
“The only thing I have been able to attend because of classes is the balloon drop, and that was pretty exciting. I got here at like a minute before it happened, so I got to see the festivities,” said Arrakis Rasmussen, senior and interior design major. “Pretty much everyone I have seen is wearing purple — that’s pretty awesome — and showing school pride.”
The celebration gave different groups and organizations an opportunity to participate. Leading up to the balloon drop, WSU mascot Waldo the Wildcat threw out WSU T-shirts to an excited crowd, which included students, alumni and even some children.
“Honestly, my favorite part of this event was right before the balloon drop, looking out toward to the union and seeing it full of people here to celebrate Weber,” said Brady Harris, student senate president. “I think it’s so great that so many old students came back here, because Weber State is kind of a hidden gem. It’s a good way to grow school pride, and as we do stuff like this, we get proud we go to Weber.”
Student body president David Wilson and WSU alumni presented facts about the school in the time before the balloon drop so that the students and staff could learn more about their university.
“I had no idea it was 125 years old; I thought it was a lot younger, because it looks like a newer campus. Then I went into the Lind Lecture Hall and it seemed more historical,” said Sabrina Mian, freshman and nursing major. “Since Weber has been here a while, they know what they are talking about. A lot of people go here, so you know it’s a good school.”
The campus cake was divided and served to many students and faculty shortly after the balloon drop.
Wilson said big events like this one help boost student pride at WSU and allow them to show how much they care for their university.
“I think it has been a very positive reaction,” he said. “Even when I got up on the stage, I was surprised to see how many people there were. People have been very excited about it. I think every event like this that is focused on Weber State and what is good about Weber State helps overall to increase that knowledge and education about what we do as an institution, then it increased the pride.”
