On Oct. 7, the campus came together to celebrate a New Paltz Spirit Day: Blue Day!
With midterms on the mind, the day was an open event to rally school spirit and add a bit of fun to a stressful time. Participation was easy. Students just had to wear blue!
Optional events were set up all around campus during the day so people could stop in when they had time to participate. Fall break came around the next week, so Blue Day was one of the last impressions on students before most of the campus headed home for a long weekend.
It was a simple event that lit the campus up with school spirit and camaraderie, even just for one day. The campus wide event happens yearly, and was started in 2019. There is also an Orange Day in the spring semester.
“Blue Day is a spirit day where everyone comes together for a fun-filled day of activities and events! Wear blue and show off your New Paltz spirit,” says the official flyer, found on the Instagram page for the Center for Student Engagement, @newpaltzcse.
There were lots of different activities for students and faculty to engage in. There was free cotton candy and cookies given out for a sweet treat, and well as stickers and temporary tattoos to celebrate the day. There was a bookmark making activity held in the SUB, where the bookmarks were returned and donated to New Paltz school children. Trivia games were held, as well as a painting activity.
“For Blue Day, I wore blue and enjoyed the pervasive atmosphere of school spirit on campus. I had a midterm the next day, but it ended up being a nice stress reliever,” says first-year Sky Rolnick. “The activities were fun, lighthearted and engaging. I’m looking forward to Orange Day in the spring semester.”
Perhaps the most exciting event was the scavenger hunt. Tons of students ran around searching for clues. Students were laughing and running around in groups for the hunt.
With stress levels high right before break, it was a great experience for the campus to run around with friends, exploring the campus and showing school spirit.
“It was so nice to see other people around campus who decided to participate in wearing blue,” first-year Skyler Fountain said. “It really helped add a feeling of connection for me, with friends and strangers alike.”
That feeling of connection is exactly what Blue Day is all about. There is something so special about a school coming together and showing spirit. New Paltz has engaging events like this year round, but something as simple as wearing a blue shirt really stands out.
Being in college can be isolating and stressful, but looking around campus and seeing your peers wearing a certain color helps students feel connected. The turnout was great for Blue Day and we are looking forward to Orange Day! Get your school spirit and colors ready for next semester’s event.
