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5 reasons to mark your calendar for IU Bicentennial celebrations

Jul 16, 2019

When Indiana University turns 200 years old, you start the celebrations early – six months early.

IU kicked off its bicentennial at the start of July for a year of honoring the university with parties, symposiums, festivals and more across the state. While the list of events is ever-growing, here are five reasons to mark your calendar now:

Description of the following video:

Video Transcript

Indiana University Honoring the IU Bicentennial

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7HS2XHhI5vc

[Music]

[The Indiana University trident appears.]

[Words appear: 200 years. Indiana University. Honoring the Bicentennial]

[Video: Students walk across the IU campus, participate in Dance Marathon, attend an outdoor concert, and stand up at commencement. The public attends a sculpture unveiling at Luddy Hall. Women’s and men’s basketball players dance and work the crowd.]

[Words appear: IU knows how to celebrate]

[Video: Little 500 bicycle race. Students gather in Dunn Meadow for the Student Involvement Fair]

[Words appear: We’ve been at it for … ]

[Video: A crowd gathers around Showalter Fountain for CultureFest. Archival footage of a crowd celebrating an NCAA win for the Hoosiers.]

[Video: Numbers graphically count up to 200.]

[Words appear: 200 years and we’re still going strong]

[Video: A student dances in front of a crowd gathered in the lobby of the Herman B Wells Library. A professor gives a lecture in a large classroom. Archival footage of a women’s tricycle race. The men’s basketball team celebrates an NCAA victory. Students hug Jawz, the IUPUI mascot. Students participate in the IUPUI regatta. Color Run participants are covered in colorful powder.]

[Words appear: 200 Festival Sept. 26-29, 2019]

[Words appear: IU’s 200th Anniversary Jan. 20, 2020]

[Video: A band plays for a crowd at CultureFest. The Marching Hundred participate in a parade.]

[Words appear: Bicentennial Alumni Reunion June 1-6, 2020]

[Video: Jubilant fans attend an athletic event]

[Words appear: Bicentennial Celebration June 6, 2020]

[Video: The IU trident appears.]

[Words appear: 200.IU.edu]

Kick off the festivities

IU campuses will soon be bustling with students as the fall semester gets underway. And the 200 Festival will continue that momentum of the bicentennial from Sept. 19 to 29. A multiday event, the festival includes faculty research days on the Bloomington, IUPUI, Kokomo, South Bend and Southeast campuses. Additional events include the annual IUPUI Regatta on Sept. 21 and a Bicentennial Ceremony on Sept. 28 in Bloomington.

Travel the state

From September 2019 to August 2020, a traveling exhibit, “All for You,” will tour the state, stopping in all 92 counties. Hop on the big red bus for virtual-reality displays, videos, historic images and more showing IU’s impact on the state. Here’s how to book the bus.

Then, put your IU knowledge to the test during the bicentennial race. The multiday event slated for 2020 (dates are still TBA), racers will participate in mental and physical challenges on each campus to honor the history and campus culture of IU.

Nominate a historical marker

Modeled after the state’s historical marker program, IU created its own historical markers to honor the people, places, events and organizations that had an impact not just on the university but on the state, nation and world. Marker dedication events are being scheduled starting with events at IU East, IU Kokomo and IU Southeast in September and continuing to other campuses through the spring.

Nominations are still being collected, and deadlines are Jan. 10, 2020, and Jan. 15, 2021.

Bicentennial banners on the Bloomington campus
Bicentennial banners on IU campuses celebrate the university’s 200th anniversary.Photo by Chaz Mottinger

Expand educational conversations

The Bicentennial Lecture Series expands on universitywide conversations about issues in arts and literature, business, geopolitics, sustainability, civility and more. Look for lectures on your campus.

At least two symposiums are also scheduled for IU’s bicentennial year: the International Education at the Crossroads from Oct 25 to 27 on the Bloomington campus and Beyond Boundaries: Indiana Academies Symposium on April 3 and 4 at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis.

Happy 200th birthday, IU

IU officially marks 200 years on Jan. 20, and campuses across the state will mark the occasion.

Events for each campus will be announced soon, but here’s a peek at what’s happening in Bloomington: The new IU Bloomington history mural panels in Wright Quad and the new “Lux et Veritas” paintings in Presidents Hall will be dedicated. There will also be the ceremonial first ringing of the bells in the newly renovated Arthur R. Metz Bicentennial Grand Carillon.

Media Contact

IU Newsroom

MJ Slaby

Internal Communications Specialist, IUPUI

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