Weekend events celebrate 100 years inMcCook

McCook Community College celebrated its 100^th year anniversary Sept. 18-19 with a variety of events on the main campus, East Campus as well as several locations around McCook.

More than 100 faculty, staff and community members were a part of both the Friday night “Meet and Greet” as well as the Saturday alumni banquet. Both events were held at MCC’s East Campus.

On Saturday more than 100 current MCC students combined with the McCook College Foundation to fill a float and the “Blue Goose” with graduates of the 1950s. The Blue Goose is an extended-length Checker airport limousine that was a fixture at MCC in the 1970s and 1980s. It hauled students to sporting events, field trips and became a staple in area parades. It is now privately owned but loaned by Joe and Kevin Bellamy of Elwood for the weekend,

After the parade, each of the main buildings on campus were staffed for a campus-wide open house which also included reunions of the 1980s Livestock Judging team and sponsors, and a reunion of the Child Development Center in Walsh-Brady Hall. An artist reception was held in the Wrightstone Fine Arts Building for the conclusion of the month-long MCC Alumni Art Exhibition “Artistic Journeys” featuring the works of 54 alumni. There were 28 alumni who returned for this event.

Also the MCC athletic teams were a part of the weekend with the baseball team playing a scrimmage game, the softball team on hand for a “meet and greet” at the Peter and Dolores Graff Events Center and the basketball teams having a fan-fest.

Saturday’s final event “MCC Reflections” was the banquet held in the Main Ballroom of East Campus. MCC Vice President Kelley Rippen emceed the event which featured a large contingent of alumni as well as current and former faculty and staff.

Among the alumni, Lee-Ellen Creasman, 94, represented the oldest class returning to the banquet. The 1951 graduate from Sidney returned for MCC’s-100 celebration because “the college has been such a force in the lives of my family.” Her mother Virena Welborn Creasman was part of the first class at MCC and nine of Virena’s siblings also attended.

Numerous alumni, faculty and staff from both McCook Junior College and McCook Community College, shared a wide-range of memories – both humorous and poignant – with many sharing the significance of the college and staff who shaped their career and their lives.

MCC is planning several more reunion-type events throughout its 100th year. Details will be released at a later date. See the MCC Facebook Page for a photo album for the weekend.