LYNN’S ANNUAL FOUNDERS DAY RETURNS
Lynn’s annual Founders Day festivities kicked off yesterday, a celebration of the university’s progress since its inception as Marymount College in 1962.
To honor its tremendous growth in the last 27 years after the college was renamed in 1991, the Lynn family came together via numerous activities across campus.
The festivities began at 9 a.m. with breakfast in the Elmore Dining Commons with President Kevin Ross. Following breakfast, the annual canoe challenge began at noon on the Freiburger Residence Hall lawn.
“Every year, I look forward to Founders Day, being one of my favorite events on campus,” said Justin Vaca, junior. “This is my third year at Lynn and it seems like the festivities improve every year. My favorite part is always the food; they provide options that you don’t often see in the [Elmore] Dining Commons.”
Students and faculty chose to either participate in the canoe race or watch with anticipation on the sidelines. In addition to the race, numerous prizes were awarded to participants. These included the best costume, the most entertaining and the honorable “Golden Paddle” award.
“Although the Center for Student Involvement (CSI) was not running the event itself, we were assisting in many of the activities,” said Adler Marchand, CSI coordinator. “The production of Founders Day is always a team effort throughout all the departments.”
The Founders Day family picnic and festival began at 5 p.m. on the Schmidt and Green Center lawns. University employees and their families joined the student body for this part of the celebration with food, live music and activities. Attendees also enjoyed the student golf cart parade and learned the winners of the canoe challenge.
“I have gone to Founders Day every year since I was a freshman. It is bittersweet that this was my last time attending this event, but I love how each year it brings the entire campus together,” said Ulsadat Notrez, senior.
As yesterday’s occasion demonstrated, Lynn has grown immensely over the past 56 years. Originally a women’s junior college as Marymount, the institution now has students from more than 90 countries. Also the sports programs continue to make the Lynn community proud with 24 national championships across the 19 teams.
Whether students chose to celebrate Lynn’s history by learning at the Great Beginnings breakfast with President Ross, battling for bragging rights in a canoe or by enjoying a wealth of baked goods at the picnic, there is little doubt that Founders Day was once again one of the most exciting days of the year.
