Celebrating Mary Lyon's 200th Birthday Is a Piece of Cake

The 200th anniversary of Mary Lyon's birth is nearly here, and the campus community is planning several events to celebrate on February 27 and 28 (her actual birthdate).

>>> In response to campus plans for her 200th, Mary Lyon would surely have said, "Let them eat cake."

A large decorated Mary Lyon birthday cake will be served to the entire campus community in Blanchard Campus Center on Thursday, February 27. Stop by any time between 10 am and 4 pm to celebrate Lyon's accomplishments with a piece of cake.
Candlelight "gracious dinners" with salmon and steak and special decorations will be served in student residence halls on Friday, February 28. For dessert, there will be both "Deacon Porter's Hat" (a spicy molasses-based steamed pudding traditionally served annually for Lyon's birthday) and special birthday cake.
Mary Lyon birthday buttons will be distributed to all students, bearing the slogan, "Go forward. Attempt great things. Accomplish great things."
Commemorative Mary Lyon cups are expected to be given away to students.
The student winner of the Mary Lyon essay contest will be announced by February 28. There's still time to enter; essays of two to five pages may be sent to the Student Government Association (SGA) at post office box 3204. According to SGA president Chandra Dunn, essays should address the theme "What Mary Lyon means to me and how I see Mary Lyon's values espoused today at Mount Holyoke."