Westminster Switches Lights on the Columns to Blue in Honor of Class of 2020

Westminster College turned the lights that shine on its iconic Columns to blue last week in honor of the Class of 2020. President Fletch Lamkin announced in a letter to the Westminster community on April 9 that Commencement 2020 will be moved from May 9, 2020, to the tentative date of Aug. 8, 2020, as a result of the ongoing COVID-19 crisis.

“You have been on the minds of everyone in administration and on the Board of Trustees at Westminster College these last few weeks since COVID-19 disrupted life as we know it,” Lamkin wrote.

On March 23, the College switched for the remainder of the semester to an online format using Digital Blue iPads that were issued to each student and faculty member last fall.

Blue has been Westminster’s signature color since the earliest years of the College’s establishment. Founded in 1851, Westminster’s mascot has long been the Blue Jay. In his letter, Lamkin said the blue lights at the Columns will shine through the official end of the semester on May 7.

Lamkin ended his letter with words of reassurance for the senior class. “I personally want to encourage you to look forward to better days ahead,” Lamkin wrote. “I hope to see each and every one of you on our beautiful campus, receiving your diplomas and walking through the Columns when this pandemic is over. And finally, I assure you that your graduation will be one for the history books and worthy of a monumental celebration.”