May 21 to begin college's 40-year anniversary
Lordy, lordy, look who’s 40. Laramie County Community College is fast approaching its 40th birthday.
On May 21, 1968, the voters of Laramie County approved the creation of LCCC. From May 21, 2008, to May 21, 2009, LCCC will celebrate its birthday year with students, employees and the community.
The LCCC public relations department and a 40th anniversary committee are still working on details for the yearlong celebration.
As of now, the location for the May 21 birthday bash has yet to be determined. However, according to Lisa Murphy, director of public relations, “something will be done on that day” this May.
In addition to the May birthday celebration, LCCC will host a community day in honor of its 40th anniversary. All students, employees and community members are invited to attend and participate in the day’s festivities.
Full details for the community day are currently being developed and will continue to be ironed out throughout the summer.
On Sept. 6, LCCC will be transformed into “Superday at LCCC,” Murphy said.
The tentative schedule includes a 5K run/walk and a band to kick off the day. T-shirts and water bottles along with other trinkets will be given to participants as well as volunteers.
Following the run/walk, a free lunch will be provided along with entertainment. Bands and other civic groups in town will be scheduled to rotate every 30 minutes to an hour, depending on how many groups participate, Murphy said.
Tours of the campus will be available throughout the day, and the college is planning to have Cheyenne trolley or buggy rides to transport people around the campus. The last time LCCC hosted a community day thousands of people attended. Murphy said she hopes this community day will be as successful as those in the past.
The tours will allow the Cheyenne community to see all the campus, especially its growth. Many community members may have yet to see the new Residence Hall or the development of the new health sciences building. According to Murphy, “this is a great opportunity to thank the Cheyenne community for its support over the last 40 years.”
As people tour the campus, they will be offered a punch card for each event they have attended throughout the day. Events can be anything from a car show by the automotive department to a horse show in the arena.
According to Murphy, in past years, the science department conducted science demonstrations with willing participants. Murphy is currently talking to all departments trying to involve as many departments as possible.
At the end of the day and after the last tour is given, the punch cards will be collected, and participants will be eligible for a drawing. Murphy is asking local businesses to donate items for a drawing. “We want big prizes to give away,” Murphy said.
Murphy is hopeful the drawing will be a little extra incentive for students to participate in their college’s 40th birthday celebration.
To add a little color to the campus, two of LCCC’s large, decorated boots will be on display. A beautiful water feature will be constructed during the summer to display the first boot directly in front of the Administration Building. The second boot is still being designed, and its location on campus has yet to be determined. The boot will be revealed at the Sept. 6 celebration.
During the summer, LCCC will remodel the arcade between the Administration Building and the Center for Conferences and Institutes. New carpet, heating and display cases will be added to the arcade so the college will be able to exhibit archives.
During the summer, Murphy and LCCC President Darrel Hammon will visit local civic groups, showing a 10-minute video that gives a tour of the campus and outlines where the college has been and where it’s going. The video is currently in its finishing stages.