Brian Jones, features editor
As Berry gears up for Mountain Day, its biggest tradition of the year, it is necessary to look back at what has made this event so special. Mountain Day serves as the school’s homecoming, dating back 112 years.
Cecily Crow (94C) serves as Director of Alumni Relations. Day to day, Crow and her team work on organizing a large portion of Alumni events during Mountain Day weekend. More specifically, the department focuses most intently on getting alumni together. Crow said that every year, classes from all generations come together for a weekend full of reconnection, starting with Friday, the beginning of Mountain Day Weekend.
“We focus on what we call our milestone reunions,” Crow said. “So, the 50th, 40th, 25th and 10th year class reunions. We work with them to plan events on Friday night specific to their classes.”
Crow said the fun doesn’t stop on Friday for alumni, with events spread throughout the weekend. Crow said one of those events includes a brunch for specific numbered classes. For example, the class of 2016 and 1971 will celebrate their 10th and 55th anniversary this year and so on.
“Saturday, we host a brunch for those four groups up on Mountain Campus,” Crow said. “Then Saturday afternoon, we hold a big reunion event over at Oak Hill.”
Dating back to the early years of the Berry Industrial School for Boys and Martha Berry School for Girls, the tradition of Mountain Day was born. Some may think the weekend started as a huge, involved event, like it is now. Contrary to this, the story begins with Martha Berry and her students, which initialized as a birthday party.
“In 1914, Martha Berry said, ‘I haven’t had a birthday party since I was 16 years old, so, you know what? We’re going to have a birthday party for me’,” Crow said. “It was also a way to give students a day off from classes and work.”
This party occurred on Oct. 7, 1914, which is Martha Berry’s actual birth date.
“She said, ‘All right, we’re going to go have a picnic’,” Crow said. “So, [Berry] walked several miles up to the Mountain Campus.”
Crow said this historic celebration is unique and students approach it with great care.
“There was a 32-pound cake made for Martha Berry, taken up on a wagon which had 17 candles on it,” Crow said. “[The candles] designated the number of years since she had had a proper birthday party. And so, they had a picnic and celebration and played games and whatnot. That was the first official Martha Berry birthday party, which soon after was called Mountain Day.”
In 2014, Berry Archives released a tentative document outlining the history of Mountain Day, celebrating 100 years of the tradition. The document was spearheaded by Archives Student Supervisor Amber Slyter (14C) and Archivist Michael O’ Malley. The six-page snapshot handled this rich history with dilligence.
Mountain Day, at its core, always has been a birthday celebration for Martha Berry. 66 years later, Berry students, faculty and staff fully expanded on Martha’ Berrys vision in 1970.
“I would say later in the 50’s, [Berry] started adding more alumni-type events,” Crow said. “The 70’s is when it really became a much bigger weekend, because [the Krannert Center Activities Board] KCAB was formed in the early 70’s, creating the Mountain Day Olympics.”
When Croft made it to Berry two years ago, she hit the ground running, working on Mountain Day Weekend.
“I started immediately,” Croft said. “Mountain Day is one of the most important days of the year. It’s like our homecoming for so many alumni, so it’s all-hands-on-deck for this department.”
The focus then shifted her answer into why she was drawn to Mounain Day in the first place, noting the event’s hallmark.
“To me, the most significant thing [about Mountain Day] is the Grand March.” Croft said.
The archives document said that Martha Berry took control of the Grand March in 1923, where she had students perform a marching drill formation, setting the standard of what the march is all about: unity.
To Croft, the Grand March instills a symbol of unity within the weekend’s traditions, a central point to reflect on why this tradition is so singular.
“The Grand March and the penny basket, to me, are all about belonging,” Croft said. “Students from all walks of life come to Berry and have their own individual past, but during the Grand March, they all come together. [They]progress up the hill and back down again. They separate and rejoin.”
Croft said Mountain Day unites all generations of Berry students and Alumni.
“It’s really a symbol of connection and belonging,” Croft said. “No matter whether you’re an alumnus, an alum sitting in the audience, observing from the hill, or a student participating in the march, it’s all about that sense of belonging that generations of students have participated in over time.”
Croft said the penny basket continues Martha Berry’s vision of philanthropy.
“The penny basket, where students contribute pennies equal to their age, is symbolic of how everyone can give something,” Croft said. “Martha Berry’s vision and mission is about service, and not to be served, but to serve. Everyone can contribute something, even if it’s a small gift. The size does not matter, because collectively, all of it adds up to a significant amount and can make amazing things happen for students.”
Recently, the U.S. mint halted their production of pennies nationwide. That, however, will only slightly change how donations will be accepted, opening the criteria up to all types of coin.
“Whether it’s nickels, dimes, dollars, quarters, whatever it is, represents that gifts of all size matter, and collectively add up to make a big impact, helping to support our students and making sure that the Berry experience is available for students down the road.”
Croft said that the national reduction of pennies doesn’t effect the curtious act of giving.
“It’s the same premise; I don’t expect it to go away. Pennies may not be around. They’re becoming scarcer, but I really believe that there’ll be another way for students to feel that connection of philanthropy.”
Crow shared a similar opinion to Croft’s, saying effects of inflation won’t tamper the initial intent of the penny basket.
“We’re trying to change the wording to coins,” Crow said. “So that way, if people want to bring pennies, great. If they want to bring quarters, they want to bring dollars. That’s fine.”
Crow said the penny crisis isn’t as bug of a deal as one might think, as this tradition’s purpose doesn’t lie in monetary value.
“I think it’s more so the act of giving a little bit back to Berry, and the money goes to a Save a Student Scholarship. In essence, you’re giving back to Berry to help a peer.”
To the current student that might feel apprehensive about participating in the march, Crow believes that getting out of your comfort zone is the best decision you could make.
“I say, why not. Why would you want to miss out on that?,” A student may wonder the relevance of it all, and ‘why would I want to do that now?’ At the end of the day, it’s about that shared experience, and again, I reflect on the generations of students who’ve done it before. It’s about celebrating who Berry is, what we stand for and where we’re going.”
Mountain Day dates back 112 years. 112 vital and purposeful marches, 112 groups of students contributing to future students and 112 alma maters sung. This tradition has stood the test of time through the universal values Martha Berry saw in Berry over a century ago. As Berry continues to evolve, may Mountain Day still be at the heart of what makes Berry a beacon of hope.
“What strikes me, ultimately, is three words: belonging, participation and vision.” Croft said. “In the future, [we must have] belonging and being a part of something larger than ourselves, participating, wh