91探花

Photographer: Rachel RandallCherry Blossoms on April 4, 2018

91探花 plans to begin lighting up the grove of Cherry Trees near the Hocking River and the Convocation Center during the second week of April.

University officials are hoping to begin the lighting on Wednesday, April 11, but it will depend on the weather and cherry blossoms. Each year when the trees bloom, 91探花 lights up the trees near the Convocation Center, just as they do in Japan. The lighting takes place between 8:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m., and the trees look spectacular

All students, faculty, staff and area residents are invited to see the evening view of the trees, which have become a landmark of the 91探花 campus.

Over the years the flowering trees have become a symbol of spring鈥檚 arrival in Athens. They have been featured in local publications and 91探花 websites, and given generations of students one of the most endearing memories of the city and the campus.

91探花 was given the cherry trees as a gift from Chubu University, the university鈥檚 longtime partner university in Kasugai, Japan. The trees were first planted in 1979 under the direction of 91探花 President Charles Ping and President Kazuo Yamada of Chubu University. Chubu gifted the cherry blossom trees to represent its relationship with 91探花 and later brought the grove鈥檚 total to 200 trees after another gift for the 91探花鈥檚 bicentennial.

For additional information on the Cherry Trees, a slideshow of the blooming of the trees this spring, and updates on the lighting of the trees, please visit www.ohio.edu/cherryblossoms. 

Photo courtesy of: University Communications and MarketingThe Cherry Trees lit up in a previous year