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By Rex Barber
Johnson City Press
MILLIGAN COLLEGE — Sometimes a mental break is all you need to finish a project, or a semester of college.
Undergraduate students at Milligan College were likely thrilled Tuesday morning when informed it was in fact Terrific Tuesday, an annual holiday where classes are cancelled and games are held to relieve a bit of the stress that accompanies final exams.
Kelly DeVault, a Milligan senior who helped plan the event, said “Greetings From Coney Island” was the theme this year.
Activities included a zip line across Derthick Lawn, an animal exhibit, laser tag and a “Gladiator Knock Out” event on the lawn of the Gregory Center for the Liberal Arts. Another highlight of the day was the traditional waterslide near Buffalo Creek.
“This is one of the activities on campus that most of the student body participates in, so it’s a great day for you to come out and see people you don’t normally see, interact with people who are in different majors than you, hang out with your friends,” DeVault said.
Milligan President Bill Greer said this annual Milligan holiday dates back to 1969. Greer said to relieve some of the stress being experienced by students back then, a “Wonderful Wednesday” was declared with games and picnics. That tradition has continued since then, not always on Wednesday though.
“It has a long history,” Greer said. “Part of the beauty of it is that they (students) don’t know when it’s coming until the day it gets here.”
Greer participated in the activities along with the students, even ascending the three-story zip line ladder and riding down to the ground.
Arguably, the quintessential “Terrific Tuesday” or “Wonderful Wednesday” event is the waterslide near the creek. Tuesday’s 80 degree temperatures made this event extremely popular, as students lined up to plunge down soap-covered tarps being constantly sprayed with water from a nearby hydrant.
“It’s great,” Greer said of the annual holiday. “It kind of gets you ready for that final stretch, but more than anything it’s just a great community builder.”
Greer said this year, as a way to involve alumni in what he said was one of their greatest memories of their time at Milligan, he wrote a “doctor’s” note excusing them from work for the day. Thousands of people re-posted that note on Facebook, Greer said.
“We’re hoping that alumni all over the country are enjoying a day off thanks to Terrific Tuesday this year,” he said with a laugh.