On April 17, West Chester University hosted its annual Banana Day.
Many students came after class to enjoy the nice weather, banana themed events and food.
Katie Peltier, sophomore: “I had so much fun at Banana Day! I enjoyed the cup pong game at Sykes, and I got banana ice cream at the food truck for free. The only negative part was that all the lines were really long for everything, but I was jamming to ‘Old Town Road’ at the WCUR station while I was waiting. Overall, I had a great time with my friends!”
Andres Penaloza, freshman: “This was my first Banana Day at West Chester. My friend and I played trivia at Sykes to win t-shirts. We got some free bananas. Then, we walked around and hung out with a guy dressed in a banana suit. In my high school we had a visit from West Chester and she told me about Banana Day, and I thought it sounded really interesting.”
Julia Otto, junior: “This is my third year participating and my third year winning a t-shirt. I won it in the water pong game, surprisingly. Definitely the highlight of my week. I just wish I got to try the vegan ice cream!”
Sarah Witalec, junior: “I won a t-shirt in Sykes from playing water pong. I ate banana french toast, banana and chocolate crepes, and banana oatmeal bake. Then, I sat on the academic quad and watched people play games.”
Cole Hepburn, a sophomore, wore a banana suit all day — even to class and to his desk shift in Schmidt Hall.
The Chilly Banana food truck came to campus serving banana ice cream. This “guilt-free dessert truck” gave out free ice cream and free toppings outside of Sykes all morning.
Sykes served a variety of free banana-themed food, including banana Nutella crepes, banana oatmeal bake and banana french toast. On the residential quad, students were served strawberry banana smoothies. On the academic quad, students gave out free bananas.
Because of all the free bananas handed out, the Sustainability Advisory Council promoted compost bins on both the North and South campuses. With every t-shirt given out, a note was included, reminding students to compost.
This year, there was also music. A steel drum band was in the academic quad, playing variations on different latin and jazz songs. Julia Otto enjoyed the band, stating, “The drums were jammin’! It was a super cool vibe for Banana Day.” The West Chester University symphony orchestra also played around 5 P.M.
Banana Day started in 1996. It was founded by a student named Rudy Tellez who wanted to promote West Chester school spirit by handing out thousands of bananas. Since then, the yearly event has taken off. Games are held at the residential quad, the academic quad and at Sykes. Most of the games are banana-themed, such as the banana toss. Students must win one of the games in order to win a t-shirt.
The t-shirt designs are kept secret each year, and are only revealed once the Banana Day games begin. This year’s t-shirt design is a lavender color, with a sheep that says “baaaa-nanas!” Student organizations can sponsor the event, but it is run by the Student Activities Council.
Alexis Lincoln is a third-year student majoring in English writing and minoring in journalism. AL892562@wcupa.edu