FC’s rich history was celebrated on 1913 Day. A day meant to put a lens on that time, as Dean of Fine Arts Robert Jensen would describe, and send students back to that first day here on campus.
On September 25 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. the Quad overflowed with music playing from our school orchestra that set the mood for students.
Students had the option to play catch with our 1913 baseball team. They were in character and many students even had the chance to interact with them.
Students were also able to explore the vintage cars displayed on the Quad. There was information posted on some of the cars for students to read about, but for others actual owners where available for questions. Many photography students were seen taking pictures of these vehicles,
Printmaking professor Nancy Rennie was dressed in period clothing for the event. She got involved in the event since printing goes back to the time period. Students were invited to get their picture taken in 1913 period clothing and many lined up to take pictures with their friends in between classes.
Members of the senior acting group OAP Players from Cal State Fullerton participated in portraying women from the Woman’s Suffrage Movement. They dressed in period clothing and staged a protest against inequality in the workforce. They also protested for women’s right to vote.
“What do we want? Votes for women!” the actors exclaimed. “When do we want it? Now! Now! Now!”
The group developed their own characters based on actual people who lived in that period and had been preparing for over a year.
Actors from the OAP Players and other actors also participated in a staged speech to students welcoming them to the first day of classes. They introduced them to the first professors on campus, and the plaque commemorating the centennial was also recognized during this performance.
When asked why they decided to participate in the event the actor who played the character George Amerige said, “because it’s fun. Beacause we can.”
After the welcoming ceremony, the famous Henry Ford, portrayed by a student, was introduced. He spoke about his plan to implement a new system called the assembly line that he would use in his factory. There was then a staged protest about poor working conditions and a speech from actors of the Women’s Suffrage Movement.
This lead to a performance by the students of our Fine Arts Department. They performed a sneak peak into an upcoming musical “Ragtime” which will be held from October 17 to October 27 in the campus theater. Pre-sale tickets for this show are available for $12.50.
The song which was sung for this performance again tied into the 1913 theme and was about woman lives being lived through and for their husbands.
Jensen talked about the detail of the costumes and how the corsets around the actor’s waists gave students a feeling of how they were constrained socially.
After this performance, actors from the event stayed around to interact with students in character. Many took advantage of the learning experience. But educational or not, the fun was everywhere as Fullerton College stepped into the past.
