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Sarah Reddan ’09 (Monroe Township, N.J.) is pursuing a degree in history. She served as a member of the planning committee for the Marquis de Lafayette’s 250th birthday party. The College has dedicated a web site to the yearlong celebration, which provides information and updates. The following is a firsthand account of Reddan’s experiences during the party Sept. 6.
After months of planning, all of the ideas of Lafayette’s 250th Birthday Committee finally became a reality on Sept. 6. As part of the committee, which consisted of both students and faulty, we met once a week last semester to discuss preparations for the event. We talked about decorations, had a meeting with Dining Services to discuss the menu, researched carriage companies, and worked on many other details for the big day.
The celebration took place on the Quad and the invitation was open to the entire campus. The event began with the band playing on the steps of Skillman Library with groups of students contra dancing. Workers in period dress served the students and faculty Colonial food such as beef stew, seafood stew, cornbread, ham, and vegetables. After a hearty dinner, everyone lined up in the dessert tent for a fabulous selection of French pastries, puddings, ice cream, and cakes.
The Marquis de Lafayette then appeared upon the steps of the library and made a speech to the entire campus. His birthday cake was cut and then he rode in a horse drawn carriage to the other side of the Quad where students lined up for carriage rides around the campus. During this time, there were also life size cut-outs of Lafayette and his wife, Adrienne, placed on the Quad for students to take pictures with.
It was wonderful to see how the committee’s work had taken shape and became an unforgettable event for everyone who attended. The food was great, the atmosphere was fun, and the weather was nice. I was surprised how much planning is actually needed to run a huge event such as this, but I learned a lot and it was worth it to see how much fun everyone was having. As I was leaving, I overheard some students saying that this was awesome and we should celebrate Lafayette’s birthday every year, which put a smile on my face and was a perfect end to my evening.