From the Homecoming Carnival, to Sliding and Shagging, to eating donuts in front of Old Main, there is always something going on at Wofford. 

For the first 54 days of the academic calendar, clubs, Greek organizations, student groups and other programs come together to host events for the Wofford student body. 

A tradition at Wofford College, the “First 54” is a schedule of events that lasts through the first 54 days of the academic calendar. Events, often hosted by different organizations, are used to help get students involved in life on campus. 

The First 54 of the 2021-2022 academic year kicked off on Aug. 31, and continued until Oct. 23, one day after the mark of the semester’s mid-term point. The “54” comes from the year 1854, when Wofford was founded. 

Over the years, the First 54 has been used primarily as a way to get first year students engaged in campus life, while also extending the invitation to upperclassmen to kick start another year at Wofford. 

“I participated in the carnival, the interest fair, homecoming events, parents weekend and sliding and shagging,” said Dalton Perry ‘25. Perry and many other freshmen were thrilled by the number of events on campus. 

One of the great things about the First 54, according to Perry, was that students got to see all kinds of different organizations. “I had a lot of friends who were previously involved in organizations and got me involved,” said Perry.

One particular event that Perry mentioned was the annual interest fair, where students get to see all of the student organizations on display. It takes place each year at the start of the fall semester. 

“Going to the interest fair has been a big part of how I have been able to learn more about different organizations,” said Megan Santos ‘23. 

Santos is an executive member of the Wofford Asian American and Pacific Islanders organization on campus, and also a member of Campus Union, but enjoys extending her support to organizations that she is not a member of.

However,  not everyone on campus enjoyed the First 54 as much as Perry and Santos remarked: one student from the class of 2025 who wished to remain anonymous said, “Overall I think the first 54 days were more of a gimmick than anything.” 

“I didn’t understand what the point was and couldn’t find any information on what all the First 54 entailed,” the student said. 

“I think Wofford does a great job of integrating students into the culture of the school,” Perry said. “Wofford’s focus on connecting with students and their individual passions and interests is really valuable and unlike any other school I’ve seen before,.”

“I think that across the years I’ve been here, Wofford has definitely done better at acclimating new students,” Santos said. “I think Orientation Staff has helped a lot of students build relationships in a fun way.”

Whether effective or not, the First 54 is a Wofford tradition, along with many of the events that take place during it.