Though this fall semester is rapidly coming to a close, there are already events on the books for next semester to mark on your calendars.
Feb. 5 will be the inaugural Founder’s Day celebration at Bucknell. On Feb. 5, 1846, the University of Lewisburg signed a charter to become an official university. 2026 will commemorate one hundred and eighty years of that landmark event. At 4:30 p.m. on Feb. 5 next semester, the Bucknell Spirit & Traditions Committee will hold a “Mr. Beast type competition,” in the words of advisor Brent Papson, Assistant Dean of Student Life, where students will gather outside the KLARC and compete to see who can keep one hand on the campus bison statue for “the longest continuous amount of time.” As of now, the grand prize is planned to be $400 cash to the last participant standing.
The celebrations on the day will also include some photo opportunities to acknowledge the anniversary. Student bands will also have an opportunity to sign up to perform; each band that signs up will have about fifteen minutes to perform. There will be a maximum of ten bands. Keep an eye out for the sign-up form at the start of next semester!
That same weekend, on Feb. 6-7, will be the annual Lewisburg Ice Festival. After a frosty 5k at 10:00 a.m, a parade will assemble at 2:00 p.m. at Market St. and South Front St. The annual Polar Bear Plunge will take place at 2:30 p.m., co-sponsored by Bucknell— where the participant with the most Bucknell spirit will win an Orange & Blue plunger trophy. Beginning at 4:00 p.m. that same day, the Ice Fest Block Party will close down parts of downtown. Food trucks, s’mores, and a chili cook-off are set to cover the food offerings for the evening; Bull Run will offer drinks, and student performers will provide the event’s entertainment.
At 7:00 p.m., the Campus Theatre will have a movie showing (free for students!) of an Olympics-related film, in honor of the Winter Olympics being held this season. A selection of Bucknell a cappella groups will open the screening.
Prior to these February events, Martin Luther King Jr. week will be held the week of Jan. 19. The event lineup will begin that day in the Bertrand Library Special Collections Area as the “Black Legacy at Bucknell” exhibit is unveiled at 8:00 a.m. Events will continue through Jan. 30, ending with the Friday Learning Series’ MLK Week Community Lunch at 12 p.m. in the Macdonald Commons. More details about these events and the others during the week can be found on Bucknell’s website.
