Thanksgiving (Group 1)

FSU’s campus during Thanksgiving is usually pretty quiet – students and staff are visiting their families over the break or maybe getting an early start studying for finals. However, at FSCW, Thanksgiving was a week filled with events such as presentations, demonstrations, a dance, and the most iconic event, the annual Odd-Even basketball game.

Although, this was not always the case. Prior to 1912, campus residents celebrated the day in Tallahassee, either in the Dining Hall with other students or at the homes of local friends. With the campus quiet and in an attempt to encourage school spirit, the administration held their first-ever Thanksgiving basketball game, the event that started it all. The game consisted of the even-year members (post-graduates, juniors, and freshmen) on one team with odd-year members (seniors, sophomores, and sub-freshmen) on the other.

Keep in mind that during this time, the administration at FSCW deemed competitive sports as not ladylike. Therefore, when the Thanksgiving basketball game began, it became the most exciting event of the fall semester, and with it began the intense rivalry between the Odds and Evens. The rivalry was taken so seriously that even during the 1918 flu pandemic, events continued and the Flambeau reported "Nothing short of a German invasion could keep the Odds and Evens from their annual war". As time progressed, volleyball was added to the list of events along with dances and student productions referred to as Demonstrations. By now each side developed their own songs, cheers, and even had their own honorary societies – Spirogira (Odd) and Esteren (Even). 

As the years went on, more traditions would begin to arise. A staple during Thanksgiving week was an event referred to as Color Rush. The event began at the beginning of the week when selected students would race around the school and "capture" buildings by attaching their team colors to the highest point (transitioning to the front doors in later years due to safety concerns). Just like the Thanksgiving basketball game, this event's teams were comprised of the Odd classes against the Even classes. The Odd's class colors were red, white, and purple, while Even's class colors were green and gold.

A typical Color Rush day began with the rising bell, at which point these selected students would dash from their rooms to tag the Administration building, the Education building, and the dormitories at designated target points. Even classes decorated the Dining Hall in even-numbered years, and the Odd classes decorated the honors building in odd-numbered years.

Finally, after the day of sports came to an end, the Thanksgiving meal would follow. Admission at the time was about $1 and the event included an elaborate meal, a toast to the winning teams along with performances such as quartettes and sing-alongs. This introduction of the Thanksgiving basketball game and event-filled week actually led to what we now know as Homecoming week.