By Katelin Gabrielle Jones

"Ye Pow'rs wha mak mankind your care,
And dish them out their bill o'fare,
Auld Scotland wants nae skinking ware
That jaups in luggies;
But, if ye wish her gratefu' prayer,
Gie her a Haggis!"

-- Excerpt from "Address To A Haggis" by Robert Burns


To commemorate the works of the great Scottish poet Robert Burns (1759-1796) and to bring a little United Kingdom tradition to campus, Hilary Robinson, the Marcia and Stanley Dean of the College of Fine Arts, hosted a “Burns Night” celebration in late January complete with traditional food, drink, poetry and music.

Celebrated in Scotland and around the United Kingdom, the annual Burns Night is a tribute to his life, works and spirit. Burns is recognized as Scotland’s national poet and pioneer of the country’s Romantic Movement. The celebration, usually held on or around his birthday (January 25), includes time-honored traditions, such as Scottish foods, Scotch whiskey, wearing tartan plaid and the recitation of Burns’ works, including such poems as "A Red, Red Rose" and "To a Louse."

Burns Night celebrations began in Ayreshire, Scotland, at the end of the 18th century. His friends began the celebration, which was initially held on the anniversary of his death (July 21). Burns Nights are most common in Scotland, where it is treated as a bigger holiday than Saint Andrew’s Day, the official national holiday. Russia is also renowned for its Burns Nights celebrations, which are nationally televised from the Kremlin.


The Burns Night celebration in the College of Fine Arts (CFA) included the traditional dish Haggis, a dish of sheep’s lungs, heart and liver mixed with oatmeal and a few spices then stuffed in a sheep’s stomach. After boiling the stomach, Haggis is brought to the table by pipers amid toasts with Scotch whiskey. Led by piper Patrick Regan (A’96), Matthew Gray, assistant professor in the School of Drama, Greg Blackford and Eric Sloss, associate director of Media Relations for CFA, delivered the Haggis to the table. Regan finished the procession with a poem before completing the ceremonial cutting of the Haggis with Robinson.

Besides Haggis, guests feasted on Scottish, Irish and American cheese, neep, tatties, and poached salmon filet with dill cream. For those not daring enough to try the real Haggis, vegetarian Haggis was served. To toast, the guests drank a variety of Scotch whiskey, including 10-year Talisker, Laphroaig, Bruichladdich and an 18-year-old Glenfiddich among others. Throughout the celebration, Burns’ poems were recited and traditional music added to the merriment.


Guests at the Burns Night celebration included: Allisdair Gillies, bagpipe faculty in the School of Music; Kenneth Dunn, dean of the Tepper School of Business; Gloriana St. Clair, dean of University Libraries; John Lehoczky, dean of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences; Volker Hartkopf, director of the Center for Building Performance and Diagnostics; Patti Pavlus, assistant dean of CFA; Elizabeth Fox, assistant dean of Research at CFA; Elizabeth Bradley, head of the School of Drama; Marilyn Thomas, acting head of the School of Music; Patricia Maurides, director of the Bachelor of Humanities and Arts (BHA) and Bachelor of Science and Arts (BSA) programs; CFA faculty members Barbra and Cletus Anderson; Dan Martin, associate dean of the Heinz School; Margaret Myers, associate director of the STUDIO for Creative Inquiry; Dan Boyarski, head of the School of Design; Susanne Slavick, head of the School of Art; and Ari Blackford, assistant Director of the BHA/BSA program.


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College of Fine Arts
Hilary Robinson