27th Banana Day Will be a Bunch of Banana Fun at West Chester University on April 19!: Pre-Final Stress Buster Is a WCU Tradition
West Chester University students will go absolutely bananas on Banana Day — an annual rite of spring that acts as a pre-final stress buster for all Golden Rams and, at the same time, a zany salute to the nutritious fruit. On April 19, 11 am – 3 p.m., Banana Day will happen all over campus with some students even peeling around corners in banana and gorilla costumes! The most visual banana fun will happen at 12 p.m. on the Academic Quad (located between University Avenue and West Rosedale Avenue) as students compete in the traditional Banana Toss, Banana Volleyball, Peel the Banana with Chopsticks, Banana Blast, Banana Cornhole, and more. Lots of banana fun will also be doled out in Sykes Student Union (located at 110 W. Rosedale Avenue) with the golden banana scavenger hunt, banana photo booth, and a bunch more. Students will even climb the giant rock wall in the Campus Rec Center (located at 275 North Campus Drive). WCU’s campus is bound by 700 South High Street, Sharpless Street, South New Street, and West Rosedale Avenue (see link to campus map here: https://www.wcupa.edu/campusMap/).
With Aramark’s signature Banana Buffet and the Chilly Banana food truck’s vegan banana ice cream, it’s going to be completely bananas on campus. Thousands of leftover banana peels will not go to waste; a host of composting features will be incorporated into Banana Day, too.
Organized by the University’s Student Activities Council each year, 20 cases of bananas will be used during the 27th annual Banana Day. Why does everyone at WCU go bananas over Banana Day each year? It’s all about the t-shirt… The Banana Day t-shirt is a top-secret design-in-the-making every year and is not revealed until the morning of Banana Day. As a very limited edition, the specially-designed t-shirt is coveted and given only to the winners of banana games — until they last.
A great stress-reducer for West Chester University students prior to final semester exams, Banana Day was founded in 1996 by WCU alumnus Rodolfo “Rudy” Tellez, who organized the distribution of thousands of bananas across campus to celebrate West Chester University spirit.
“Each year, Banana Day gets even better,” says Elaina Maahs, vice president of traditions on the University’s Student Activities Council. “With 23 student co-sponsors, we are excited to feature a variety of student organization tables, Miss WCU, and a performance by the Swing Dance Team on the Residential Quad. Banana Day at West Chester University is literally the best day of the year!”
