BUIES CREEK — Campbell University will hold its first Founders Week Feb. 2-6 to celebrate its origins and achievements since J.A. Campbell founded the school in 1887.
Historically, Campbell has held a Founders Day event early in the spring semester during Connections, an undergraduate course. That event is being expanded to a full week to provide students with more opportunities to learn about the university’s rich heritage and to engage alumni in activities, said Sarah Swain, chair of the Founders Week planning committee and director of annual giving.
“The vision of Dr. J.A. Campbell is thriving at Campbell University,” she said. “We hope Founders Week will instill a deeper appreciation for him and the university’s origins within our campus community.”
The week will include nearly a dozen events that showcase Founding President J.A. Campbell and highlight Campbell University’s history, such as a museum-like exhibition “A Blast from the Past” that displays artifacts from the archives, meals served at Marshbanks that replicate what students ate in earlier days, and a Scavenger Hunt tied to university trivia.
The first major event open to all students, faculty, staff, alumni, and friends will be the Founders Week Game on Tuesday, Feb. 3, when the Fighting Camels men’s basketball team hosts Presbyterian in Gore Arena, at 7 p.m. That evening an actor portraying J.A. Campbell will be on hand to pose for photos with fans, and a booth will be set up where attendees can take photos with cardboard cutouts of all four of the university’s presidents and share why they are Campbell Proud. There’ll also be a look-a-like contest, with a cash prize of $250 awarded during halftime to the student who most resembles J.A. Campbell.
The following day, on Wednesday, Feb. 4, the university will hold its inaugural #CampbellDay, a day-long social media campaign to celebrate Campbell University in a collective effort and a giving campaign to attract at least 100 donors to support student scholarships. To coincide with #CampbellDay and help share the university’s story, organizers have started the Thunderclap campaign How #CampbellProud Are You?, which students, faculty, staff, alumni, and friends are encouraged to join. (Head here to join the campaign on Thunderclap, which allows supporters to promote Campbell across their social media sites in one place.)
Capping off Founders Week on Friday, Feb. 6, will be the unveiling of a 7-foot bronze statue of Founding President J.A. Campbell in front of Kivett Hall, the oldest building on campus. Featured speakers for the brief ceremony planned to begin at 3 p.m. will include current President Jerry M. Wallace and Tom Campbell, the great-grandson of J.A. Campbell and the grandson of the university’s second president, Leslie Hartwell Campbell. Nearly two-dozen other members of the Campbell family are expected to attend.
“Our campus takes great pride in our university, and Founders Week represents the culmination of 128 years’ worth of hard work and commitment to Campbell students and their education,” said Swain, adding she anticipates Founders Week will become an annual spring event, just as Homecoming and Welcome Week are fall events.
Below are the details of Founders Week events open to all students, faculty, staff, alumni, and friends, except where noted. Organizers include Alumni Relations, Athletics, Campus Activities Board, Lundy-Fetterman Museum, the Office of Annual Giving, University Archives, Student Life, the Student Alumni Association, and the Student Government Association.
Tuesday, Feb. 3
Founders Week Heritage Game
The Campbell men’s basketball team will host Presbyterian at 7 p.m. in Gore Arena. First 1,887 attendees in the door receive a collector’s edition Gaylord bobblehead. Doors open at 6 p.m.
While at the game, keep an eye out for our photo booth where you can take selfies with cardboard cutouts of all four of Campbell’s presidents. And don’t be surprised — or alarmed — if you spot founding president “J.A. Campbell” moseying around during the game. Be sure to get a selfie with him, too. He’ll post a few, too, on the Twitter and Instagram accounts @JACampbell1887.
J.A. Campbell Look-A-Like Contest
Attend the men’s basketball game wearing your best pin-striped suit, pocket watch, round glasses, black hat, and handlebar mustache, and enter our look-a-like contest for chance to win a $250 cash prize. Winner will be announced and recognized during halftime. (Students, If you don’t have a mustache, no worries. We’ll be handing out 600 of them in the Student Section.)
Wednesday, Feb. 4
It’s #CampbellDay!
There’s a National Hugging Day, National Plum Pudding Day, and even National Organize Your Home Office Day. So why not a national #CampbellDay? Join us on #CampbellDay in a collective effort to show pride for our university and to celebrate its founding and accomplishments. Do 1, 2, or even all 3 of these things on this day:
Wear orange.
Share why you’re #CampbellProud on social media.
Make a gift of at least $18.87 to support student scholarships.
Connections featuring Lt. John Arroyo ’13*
Don’t miss this CUW. The featured speaker will be Lt. John Arroyo, a 2013 Campbell graduate who suffered a gunshot wound to the neck during the shootings at the Ford Hood military installation in April 2014. Lt. Arroyo, one of the most dedicated ROTC cadets in the university’s history, returns to Buies Creek to share his testimony. After his talk, one Campbell student will be recognized with the first Founders Week Presidential Award, which honors one undergraduate student who embodies Campbell pride and carries on the vision of Founding President J.A. Campbell through leadership and service.
As you wait for Connections to begin, snap a picture of “Campbell” as he mingles with the crowd. Don’t forget to tag him, @JACampbell1887, in your social media posts. (*Open only to Connections students.)
Founders Week Scavenger Hunt
This is the time to show what you really know about our university’s history. At 9 a.m., CAB will kick off the Founders Week Scavenger Hunt on its Twitter and Facebook feeds. Throughout the day, until 4 p.m., CAB will post historical facts about buildings on campus and trivia questions about the university, and students will reply with the correct answers or take photos with buildings that are the correct answers. A grand prize will be awarded to the winner of the entire Scavenger Hunt. (We’ll go on and give you one trivia question: In what year did J.A. Campbell open Buies Creek Academy? Hint: It’s part of our new Twitter and Instagram accounts that highlight the university’s history: @JACampbell1887.)
Thursday, Feb. 5
What They Ate
What have students, faculty, and staff eaten on campus throughout the university’s 128 years, and what foods were among their favorites? Our chefs are preparing a special menu that will include popular foods from each era of our existence. Items such as oyster stew, “Divinity Fudge,” and salted pork could be on the lunch and dinner menu in Marshbanks. Show up to find out.
Blast from the Past
Before or after a meal, stop by the President’s Dining Room in Marshanks. There, you’ll find the “Blast from the Past” exhibit that takes you through the university’s earliest years, with a special focus on student life. Come flip through old yearbooks and see artifacts from our early years, like Founding President J.A. Campbell’s diaries and his wife Cornelia Campbell’s school bell. Students, faculty, and staff will also have another opportunity to get a selfie with a cardboard cutout of founding President J.A. Campbell. The exhibit will be open from 11 a.m. to 2p.m. and 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
Where’s “J.A. Campbell”?
“J.A. Campbell” makes his final return to campus for Founders Week 2015. Throughout the day, he’ll be stopping by Marshbanks, dropping in on classes, and walking the campus. If you see him, don’t hesitate to approach him and ask for a selfie. We’ll also be posting a few of his own to the Instagram and Twitter accounts @JACampbell1887.
Friday, Feb. 6
J.A. Campbell Statue Unveiling
You may have noticed the tent at the corner of Kivett Hall. There, beginning at 3 p.m., we’ll be unveiling a full-size statue of Founding President J.A. Campbell. The short unveiling ceremony will include comments from current Campbell President Jerry M. Wallace and Tom Campbell, the great-grandson of J.A. Campbell and grandson of our second president, Leslie Hartwell Campbell. Birthday cupcakes and hot beverages will be served beginning at 2:30 p.m. T-shirts will be given to the first 400 students who attend (with distribution following the ceremony). T-shirt tickets will be given out in front of Taylor Hall beginning at 2:45 p.m.
#CampbellDay, statue unveiling highlight inaugural Founders Week Feb. 2-6