2019–2020 Highlight Reel
Although the last few months haven’t been what we expected, this past school year brought lots of other great memories and experiences. Let’s take a quick look back at some fun things that happened during the 2019–2020 school year at UW-Eau Claire.
UW Meets EC — September
The annual walking tour between campus and downtown Eau Claire takes place in the fall to familiarize students, especially freshman, to the downtown area. Booths, a cappella groups, and Blu the mascot congregate around Phoenix Park for an evening of fun and free stuff! Plus students often make new friends that they will cherish forever.
FREAQWEEK/HOMECOMING — October
This year FREAQWEEK fell on the same week as Homecoming, so we had a full schedule of events to celebrate in October. Football games, films, and the annual parade made for a memorable and warm fall celebration.
Geekcon — November
Geekcon had a great turnout this year with a wide variety of gamers in a friendly competition with their unique passions. It offered a safe and lighthearted space for community members to come together with similar interests. Which game is your favorite? I bet they have a bracket for it!
2019 African Dinner — November
The African Dinner in early November paid tribute to the heritage of many students at UWEC. This year’s gathering with food, music, and inspirational speakers showed the pride we have in our African students and their heritage.
BMB in Concert — November
The Blugold Marching Band is a crowd favorite, and they finished off their season in concert at the Pablo Center playing their best tunes. With close to 500 members, the BMB crammed on stage and in the balconies to perform ballads and dance hits that got the crowd moving. We can’t help but want to dance just thinking of it!
Gatsby’s Gala — November
Gatsby’s Gala is a precious tradition for many. A blast to the past for just one night can be so fun when it’s in the presence of the Eau Claire Jazz Band and everyone is dressed in 20's themed costumes. It’s like Halloween all over again! A LITTLE PARTY NEVER KILLED NOBODY!
Cabaret: Game Over — February
This year’s Cabaret production was themed “Game Over” with references to Mario, Pac Man, and Dance Dance Revolution. All the singing and dancing is contagious, but the brief acting segments keep you engaged with the story. Clapping and chanting from the audience is a fun way to support your pals on stage, and it’s worth it because the performers put months of practice into learning music and choreography for the show.
Latinx Cultural Center Open House — February
UW-Eau Claire opened a new student resource called the Latinx Cultural Center. The space will be for students and the greater Latinx community to come together and support each other. While there is still work remaining to complete the space, students, faculty, and staff members were able to gather for an open house before the pandemic set in.
Black History Month Harambee Celebration—February
Near the end of February, a celebration was held to close out Black History Month. At the event, outstanding students were recognized and campus gathered to have dinner together and take in special Black History Month performances.
Fire Ball — February
The annual Fire Ball hosted by the Gender and Sexuality Resource Center is an annual drag ball extravaganza. It is headlined by drag superstars from RuPaul’s Drag Race and 100% of the proceeds fund Gender and Sexuality Resource Center programming. This year’s theme was “Pride is a Riot.”
Theater Production: James and the Giant Peach — March
The James and the Giant Peach theater production got cut short due to the pandemic, but performers finished off their season with a classic story. We can’t wait to see what they have up their sleeve next. In the meantime, check out a behind-the-scenes look at how Blugold designers and musicians collaborated on James and the Giant Peach.
Fast forward: Graduation 2020—May
While the rest of the spring semester ended in a strange way, we still celebrated the Class of 2020 from afar. We enjoyed seeing #UWECGrad photos surface on social media and look forward to celebrating graduates at the rescheduled commencement ceremony on Friday, Oct. 2, 2020.
