'Pop' goes the farewell announcement: Mitch Daniels Boulevard
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WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. − "MitchFest" – the days-long farewell to the Purdue president – was kicked off Friday with the large pop of a balloon wall to announce the new name of State Street: Mitch Daniels Boulevard.
Music, Purdue Pete, the Boilermaker Special and the World's Largest Drum welcomed hundreds of Purdue students and West Lafayette citizens, including West Lafayette Mayor John Dennis, to MitchFest with a Street Fest where this announcement was made.
Michael Berghoff, chairman of the Board of Trustees, introduced Daniels and Dennis to the stage, where national accolades earned by Purdue throughout the Daniels Decade were cited. The announcement came to its capstone when a wall of balloons hiding a large sign popped to show Purdue Pete holding the new street sign where State Street had been labeled.
After this announcement, the students were encouraged to enter the event tent where Daniels was available for selfies and to meet the students.
MitchFest will continue 6 p.m. Monday, Dec. 5, in Stewart Center’s Fowler Hall, where the symposium, "Freedom of Inquiry and the Advancement of Knowledge,” will occur.
The festival will end with the final Presidential Lecture Series event of Daniels' term with former U.S. President Bush speaking with Daniels at 6 p.m. Tuesday in Elliott Hall of Music. This event is now sold out.
Margaret Christopherson is a reporter for the Journal & Courier. Email her at mchristopherson@jconline.com and follow her on Twitter @MargaretJC2.
This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: 'Pop' goes the farewell announcement: Mitch Daniels Boulevard
