CHAMBERSBURG – Wilson College upholds a tradition that unites generations of students through color and friendly competition. Each graduating class is assigned a color based on their graduation year, with students in odd years known as “Odds” and those in even years as “Evens.” Odds wear black and red, while Evens sport blue and green. These colors appear in the dinks – hats – given to freshmen during Sarah Wilson Week, as well as on class banners.
Long before the current Odds versus Evens rivalry, Wilson’s classes sought to establish distinctive identities. In the 1890s, the Defenders and the Invincibles, two basketball teams, inspired class divisions, culminating in a championship game on Thanksgiving. By the early 1900s, classes were identified by their chosen flower rather than color.
Today, one of the most enduring traditions is the Color Wars. Students participate in various competitions, such as gathering the most of their class colors or attempting to steal the opposing side’s class flag. These events are a highlight of Sarah Wilson Week, fostering camaraderie and spirited rivalry.
The Color Ceremony, which began in 1905, is now a staple of Sarah Wilson Week. Historically, freshmen clad in white formed a “W” on the hockey field, where the senior class president presented them with their class colors. Now, seniors carry candles and march from South Hall to present colors to the freshman class waiting by Laird Hall, continuing a tradition that has united Wilson students for more than a century.
