Celebrating 75
HCC set to mark 75th anniversary
Holyoke Community College will mark its 75th anniversary on Thursday, May 5, with events that celebrate its past, present, and future as the Commonwealth's oldest community college.
Festivities begin as early as 9 a.m. with special programming from the college radio station, continue throughout the day with student presentations, program tours and exhibitions, open houses, demonstrations, alumni panels, food, music, and dancing, and culminate with a community reception from 5 to 7 p.m. at the HCC MGM Culinary Arts Institute in downtown Holyoke.All events are free and open to the public.
HCC was founded in September 1946 as Holyoke Graduate School, later changing its name to Holyoke Junior College, and finally Holyoke Community College.
"Our 75th anniversary enables us to celebrate our remarkable past, and provides us an opportunity to define our bright future," said President Christina Royal. "HCC was built and rebuilt by innovative and resilient individuals, who we are proud to honor as part of our history. That history has laid the foundation for who we are today, and it inspires us to advance excellence, increase equity, and foster innovation for years to come. Our celebration is for our community – past and present – and for the future of HCC."
Events will take place all around campus and online from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., before concluding at the HCC MGM Culinary Arts Institute at 164 Race St., for the community reception, where guests will enjoy food prepared by HCC Culinary Arts students and chefs from MGM Springfield, beverages from White Lion Brewing and Arcpoint Brewing; live music performed by HCC music students and faculty; demonstrations of workforce training programs; and brief remarks from current students and HCC alumni.
Community members are encouraged to RSVP at hcc.edu/75th-event although walk-ins are also welcome.
75th Anniversary Schedule of Events:
Conducting a Nobel Prize-Winning Physics Experiment, 10:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m., Frost 365: HCC physics students recreate the Millikan Oil Drop Experiment, first conducted in 1909, later winning the Nobel Prize in 1923.
Ceramics Wheel-Throwing Demonstration, 10:30 a.m. - noon, room 325, Fine & Performing Arts building: HCC arts students and faculty work the wheel.
Free Cupcakes in the Courtyard, 11:30 - 2 p.m., HCC Courtyard, from The Cupcake Bake, mobile cupcake truck.
El Centro and Student Engagement Music, Food and Fun, 12:30 - 2 p.m., second floor, Campus Center: appetizers from Sabor Latino Restaurant in Chicopee; Salsa and Bachata dancing led by Holyoke dance instructor Kenneth Roche.
Memorial Tree Dedication Honoring late HCC philosophy professor Don Hanover, 1:30-2:30 p.m., Campus Garden outside second floor of Campus Center.
Signs with Friends, 1:30 -2:30 p.m., second floor lobby, Campus Center: Visit with members of HCC's ASL Club and Deaf Studies Department to learn how to communicate a few words and concepts in a new way.
Veterinary and Animal Science Department Open House, second floor, Marieb Science Building: Bring in your pet for a free nail trimming, tour the veterinary lab, and learn about HCC's academic programs.
All Day Events:
Music and Memories, 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. WCCH 103.5, Donahue 103: radio station tours; HCC students and alumni invited on the air to share stories of their HCC experiences; DJs will devote each hour of the day to a different musical decade.
Education Department Open House, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m., Donahue 154-156: transcript reviews for early educators; tours of new Education Department suite including Itsy Bitsy Learning lab model classroom and teacher resource room; free raffles for teaching materials including STEM kits, sensory items, books and more.
Theater Department Open House, 10 a.m. - 3 p.m., Leslie Phillips Theater, Fine & Performing Arts Building. Get a peek behind the curtain and see the "room where it happens," featuring music and images from the Theater Department's Spring 2022 production of William Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream."
Visual Arts Exhibitions, 9 a.m. - 4 p.m., FPA building third floor, Campus Center, Media Arts Center student artwork and photography from HCC alum and instructor Christopher Lizon '96.
Panel Discussions (Please click here to sign up for these Zoom events):
It's an Honor: Pathways to Changing Our Communities, 10-11 a.m., Zoom (and Center for Excellence, room 265): Alumni discuss their experiences in HCC's Honors and Pathways programs.
Service Learning from our Students' Perspective, 1:30-2:15 p.m., Zoom (and Campus Center 103): HCC students talk about making a difference in the community.
STEM Cohorts for Research and Engagement, 1:30-2:25 p.m., Zoom (and Center for Excellence, room 265): HCC STEM students and faculty talk about their work in the STEM Scholars program.
