December 16, 2005

29th Annual St. Andrew’s Day celebrated at EVC

It’s not often that you see County Supervisor Pete McHugh in a yellow plaid kilt or Evergreen Valley College’s new President, David Wain Coon, dressed in a kilt reminiscent of the Scottish Highlands.

(From left) SJ/ECCD Custodial Manager Bruce Gordon, EVC President David Wain Coon and 3rd District County Supervisor Pete McHugh celebrate St. Andrew’s Day with Andrew McFarlin, a retired EVC engineering instructor who began the Andrew’s Day celebrations at EVC 29 years ago.

Yet their attire set the mood for EVC’s 29th Annual St. Andrew’s Day Celebration on Nov. 23. As one of the many annual diversity events held at EVC, the St. Andrew’s Day event celebrates Celtic cultural influences in the United States.

Andrew McFarlin, a retired Engineering instructor who had been a faculty member at EVC since its own founding, began the annual celebration.

Festivities started at 11:30 a.m. with the stirring sound of bagpipes and drums accompanying the Opening Procession as it snaked through the college campus. Leading the procession was founder Andrew McFarlin followed by a Color Guard from The Scottish American Military Society. The Bagpipe and Drum corps that followed was composed of members of the Los Gatos-Monte Sereno Pipe and Drum Band. 

EVC’s new President, David Wain Coon, welcomed the crowd of participants and provided an introduction to St. Andrew and the history of the celebration. “We are delighted this event has become college tradition,” Coon stated.

Entertainment followed including: Bagpiper – Ryan MacConnell, Highland Dancers – Lauren & Madeline Cooper, Audrey, Evelyn & Jeanette Rumsby, Catherine MacDougal. Singer – Tommy Anderson, The EVC Choir, and musical group – The Celtic Blacklist.

Over the years the EVC tradition of celebrating St. Andrew’s Day has grown from a few people gathered round a lone bagpiper to the popular event it has become today. Big plans are under way for next year’s 30th annual event, and EVC hopes the entire community will attend.