Red & White Day to Celebrate Dickinson Athletics This Saturday
daylong April 9 extravaganza will feature Red Devils matchups and activities for the campus community and accepted students
by Tony Moore
It’s likely that Dickinson has had athletics programs longer than most colleges in the U.S. have existed, with the first teams up and running around 155 years ago. And to celebrate the decades of Dickinson athletics behind us and the decades still to come, a new tradition was launched back in 2014: Red & White Day.
Red & White Day is a full-campus athletics extravaganza, featuring Red Devils games all afternoon, an all-campus picnic, a tailgate event, halftime giveaways and more. (And wearing red and white is a part of the fun, so head on over to the HUB April 5-9 for 20% off all clothing, or hit the bookstore online for your Red Devil and Dickinson gear.) With all of this as the backdrop, the day is at heart about the importance of athletics to the Dickinson experience.
“Creating positive energy on campus relating to school spirit and contributing to a strong sense of community are byproducts of successful Division III athletics programs,” says Joel Quattrone, director of athletics. “Red & White Day is a great opportunity for us to showcase how our athletics programs can influence both of these areas.”
Red & White Day—held this year on Saturday, April 9—coincides with the annual Accepted Student Open House, a chance for admitted high school students to come to campus and explore further what Dickinson has in store as their new home away from home. With various tours, faculty and student panels, an academic mixer and a study-abroad forum, to name just a few highlights of the two-day event, students and their parents will find new worlds to explore across campus.
The open house also features lunch at the all-campus picnic, at the heart of Red & White Day at Biddle Field during the women’s lacrosse game. The full Red & White Day athletics schedule is as follows:
- Noon: women’s lacrosse vs. Ursinus, Biddle Field (charity fundraiser game)
- 3 p.m.: men’s lacrosse vs. Ursinus, Biddle Field (and celebration of 70th anniversary of Dickinson lacrosse)
- Noon and 3:30 p.m.: baseball vs. Johns Hopkins, Dickinson Park (doubleheader)
- 1 and 3 p.m.: softball vs. Haverford, Dickinson Park (doubleheader)
- 1 p.m.: women’s tennis vs. Muhlenberg, tennis courts adjacent to Biddle Field
Red & White Day also serves as a celebration of the 70th anniversary of the men’s lacrosse program at Dickinson, with a reception and dinner with the current team, parents, alumni and coaches as well as a event for the David W. Webster ’88 Men’s Lacrosse Fund, which donors recently established to support the advancement of Dickinson’s men’s lacrosse program and honor Webster, the program's head coach.
Beyond athletics, here are some highlights from Saturday's lineup of events:
- The All-College Picnic will be held from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Biddle Field for all current students, prospective students and families.
- A shuttle will run between Biddle Field and Dickinson Park from 11:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. for all fans going back and forth from the two venues.
- In several competitions, all students are invited to compete as part of the red team and white team. In a nod back to the college’s historic class wars, sophomores and seniors will wear red, while first-years and juniors will wear white, and each class will compete for victory. Student Senate President Shea Player ’22 will serve as emcee for the event. The red and white teams will face off in halftime competitions at both lacrosse games. The first is a tug-of-war tournament at around 1 p.m., during the halftime of the women’s game. The second is a jersey relay during the halftime of the men’s game, at around 4 p.m. Other class competitions will happen during the games and over social media. The winning class will be awarded a spring picnic at a future home athletics contest.
- At Dickinson Park, desserts will be served starting at 2 p.m. Playa Bowls, Leo's and Rita's will be providing free samples.
- Across Belvedere Street, adjacent to Biddle Field, student clubs and organizations have planned a campuswide tailgate, featuring cornhole and other games.
“I look forward to a great gameday atmosphere, where the entire campus community finds enjoyment in attending our contests,” says Quattrone. “See everyone at the games!”
TAKE THE NEXT STEPS
Published March 30, 2022