ODESSA, Texas — Odessa College invites the community to join us in celebrating 80 years of history, tradition and shared spirit and the official reveal of OC's redesigned jackrabbit sculpture, “Many Pieces: One Spirit,” a symbol representing the college’s next chapter.

The celebration, from 5 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 26, at the Rudy Acosta Pavilion on the OC main campus, will feature family-friendly yard games and jumpers, performances by the award-winning OC Blues dance team and the OHS student band, food, and music and entertainment by DJ Manuel.

“As we celebrate 80 years of service to our students and our communities, we are reminded that Odessa College is more than buildings, programs and milestones,” said Odessa College President Dr. Gregory D. Williams. “It is the people who have been part of this journey and the spirit they have carried forward. ‘Many Pieces: One Spirit’ honors our history while representing the many people and experiences that will help shape the future of Odessa College.”

A jury composed of campus and community leaders reviewed the redesign proposals, with the highest-rated proposal submitted by artist Yennifer Cano Rojas. Her reimagining of the Odessa College jackrabbit, “Many Pieces: One Spirit,” reflects both the college’s history and its future. Cano Rojas is a Colombian visual artist and art educator who now calls Odessa home. She teaches visual arts at Ector Prep Middle School.

The 80th Anniversary Celebration marks both a milestone and a beginning –– honoring the foundation built over eight decades while embracing the opportunities ahead for Odessa College and the communities it serves.

About the Odessa College jackrabbit: In 2004, through the Jackrabbit Jamboree, local artists transformed six-foot jackrabbit sculptures into works of public art, each one telling a story about the place, people, and community it represented. Odessa College became a part of that tradition with its own jackrabbit, Symphony De Bunnie, originally designed by artist Wesley Haynie and purchased by Janet Wood. Now, the original begins its next chapter as Many Pieces: One Spirit.