Eastfield opened its doors on Sept. 14, 1970, and plans were in the works for 50th anniversary celebrations that would have started in April and gone all the way through November. But COVID-19 changed that. Et Cetera reporter Jasmine Rodgers spoke with Sharon Cook, campus spokesperson and head of the 50th Anniversary Committee, to find out which, if any, of these events will be rescheduled. Here is an excerpt of their phone interview, which has been edited for clarity and brevity. A list of the activities that were originally planned is below.
There were some events planned in celebration of Eastfield’s 50th anniversary. Were all of these canceled?
They were postponed. One or two of the events might be able to be saved, particularly the Harvester Golf Tournament. If given the OK by the committee, it will happen in the spring. It will be modified to fit the social distancing model, … and it is likely that we would be able to do the 5K run in the spring. Nothing will be done as a replacement for the [Nov. 12 gala] event at this point. The point was to be all together, the students and staff alike. Without the students, the celebration wouldn’t be the same.
What has been the feedback from faculty and staff about the cancelations?
They are all very understanding. They know that there was nothing that could be done regarding the celebration.
DCCCD has recently changed its name to Dallas College. Is this change going to affect Eastfield’s 50th anniversary celebrations?
Not necessarily. It would just be like “this was the past, now let’s go forward in the next 50 years.”
Anything else you want the students of Eastfield to know or reassure them about the celebrations?
We will probably come out with an email that will further explain the committee’s work. But right now, everything is dependent on the current pandemic and the upcoming flu season. We want to celebrate, but we want to make sure we are doing it safely.
Calendar of events as they were originally planned:
Founders Day: Apr. 3
Mesquite Rodeo Parade with an Eastfield float: Apr. 4
Harvester Run: May 30
Eastfield night at the rodeo: summer
Harvester Golf Tournament: Oct. 2
50th Anniversary Gala: Nov. 12
