MC hosts Scottish Heritage Day Oct. 31

Oct. 20, 2009
Contact: Annie Standridge, Communications Assistant
865.981.8085; annie.standridge@my.maryvillecollege.edu

Instead of costumes and masks, Maryville College officials are hoping football fans will come to the Oct. 31 home game decked out in tartans and plaids.

The College is hosting its first-ever Scottish Heritage Day on Halloween during the pigskin match-up between the Scots and the Pride of Greensboro College. Kickoff is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. at Honaker Field.

During halftime, the Knoxville Pipes and Drums will perform. Sam Newton, a freshman at Maryville College and student bagpiper, is a member of the band. Halftime activities also include a demonstration of “Tossing the Sheaf,” which is a traditional Scottish agricultural sport.

The Gatlinburg Scottish Festival and Games (GSFG) Board of Directors will also be recognized during halftime. The GSFG is a partner organization of Maryville College, according to Vandy Kemp, the College’s vice president and dean of students and a member of the GSFG board.

“The purpose of Scottish Heritage Day is to enhance our institutional Scottish identity and to provide individual fans with an opportunity to celebrate their Scottish roots and pride,” she explained.

Kemp is working through the GSFG to create a scholarship program for student bagpipers. She is also interested in developing a pipe band on campus.

Maryville College was founded in 1819 by the Rev. Isaac Anderson, a Presbyterian minister whose ancestors had emigrated to Rockbridge County, Va., from County Down in the North of Ireland. Many of the College’s early professors, students and benefactors were of Scots-Irish lineage.

All game attendees are encouraged to dress in Scottish attire such as kilts, tartans and plaids. Cost to attend is the price of a football ticket – $8 for adults and $5 for students. Children ages 6 and younger are admitted for free

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For more information on Scottish Heritage Day, contact Sheree O’Connor at 865.981.8213 or sheree.oconnor@maryvillecollege.edu.

Maryville College is ideally situated in Maryville, Tenn., between the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and Knoxville, the state's third largest city. Founded in 1819, it is the 12th oldest institution of higher learning in the South and maintains an affiliation with the Presbyterian Church (USA). Known for its academic rigor and its focus on the liberal arts, Maryville is where students come to stretch their minds, stretch themselves and learn how to make a difference in the world. Total enrollment for the fall 2009 semester is 1,103.