Events in Student Affairs
The University Community Hour is held every Friday during the fall and spring semesters from 12:30 p.m. to 1:45 p.m. It provides an opportunity for students, staff, and faculty to attend campuswide gatherings and special events. The purpose of these events is to foster community building at Case, so students do not attend classes during this timeframe.
The Farm Harvest Festival at Squire Valleevue Farm is a celebration of the new Farm Food Program at Case Western Reserve. In addition to hayrides, a farm maze and more, visitors can learn about our new home-grown initiative at the farm. The festival provides a glimpse of the planting and harvesting of food that supplies Bon Appétit and all our cafés on campus.
What once began at the University Farm has been moved to the Case campus in 2009. Our annual Halloween tradition brings the entire Case community together for food, costume contests, pumpkin carving, live music, and children's activities. Participants also help donate non-perishable food items that are given to local Cleveland area families for the Thanksgiving holiday.
Homecoming is a campuswide celebration that brings together alumni and students, faculty, and staff. It's a university tradition that blends the old with the new. A series of events take place throughout the week, with most events scheduled for Homecoming Weekend. In 2009, events featured a parade, football game, alumni gatherings, Homecoming dance, expo, and 5K race.
The Hudson Relays race is a tradition that dates back to 1910. It began as a 26-mile race that extended from the campus of Western Reserve Academy in Hudson to Adelbert Hall. Teams participating in the race included undergraduate students from each class. It became a 26-mile relay in 1990 and is now run on a closed course around University Circle.
International Education Week is a weeklong series of events that take place at various locations on the Case campus. Events include lectures, career-related workshops, cultural celebrations, and more. The traditional Thanksgiving Dinner also occurs at the end of IEW when students, friends, and family come together to share an evening of traditional food and fun.
Finals week is one tradition you can't escape, but we make it fun by serving up breakast in Leutner and Fribley Commons. It's an annual event that includes late-night fun, music, and giveaways. Student Affairs staff and faculty serve it up right, and the selection of goodies includes everything from homemade waffles and sundaes, to scrambled eggs and candy bars.
The annual Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration centers around one of America's greatest champions of social justice and equality. Each January, events include the Student Luncheon and Symposium, Spring Service Fair, Convocation and more. Past events have included art exhibitions, speeches, lunches, panel discussions, one-person performances, plays and films.
Relay For Life is the spring flagship event of the American Cancer Society. It is held on the Case campus and provides an opportunity for students, faculty, and staff to raise money for the fight against cancer. The 18-hour overnight event features theme laps, pizza parties, entertainment, and more. All of the money raised during the event goes directly to cancer research and cancer support programs.
Senior Week is held every spring for graduating seniors. The weeklong event includes a variety of activities off campus, including bowling and billiards, a cruise on Lake Erie, visits to local restaurants and pubs, plus movies and other excursions. Events are organized by the Senior Week committee, which is led by class officers and made up of students from the graduating class.
Every spring, the Second Year Celebration recognizes second-year undergraduate students and their "halfway point" at Case. The event pays tribute to student accomplishments and allows students the opportunity to reflect halfway through their journey. Students celebrate who they are and develop a unique vision for their lives.
One of our most popular events on campus, the Thwing Study Over offers students a break from all of the books, papers and last-minute assignments. The event is held at night during the spring and fall semesters just before finals week. Students converge on Thwing Center for free food, massages, entertainment, giveaways, and group study sessions.
For 20 years, the Unity Banquet has been held during the spring semester to recognize the academic success and leadership of dozens of multicultural students with grade point averages of 3.5 and above. The event is designed to raise scholarship money for students attending Case and has featured such notable speakers as Angela Davis, Nikki Giovanni, Kirk Franklin, and Spike Lee.
Unity Week is a time when students, staff, and faculty come together in the spring to recognize and celebrate the diversity of Case and the Cleveland community. The weeklong celebration usually involves lectures, service projects, themed events, programs for women, and religious discussions. Our annual Unity Banquet and Scholarship Dinner is also held during this time.