Editor’s Note: This article was updated Feb. 18 to clarify the change to the alma mater.

On Feb. 18, NC State’s board of trustees updated NC State’s alma mater, changing the word “Dixie” to “Southern” after students, faculty and staff voiced concerns about the use of the original word being against NC State values, according to an email from the University. The board’s vote was unanimous, according to Chancellor Randy Woodson, with the song now beginning “Where the Southern winds so softly blow.” 

“Traditions remain an important part of NC State,” Woodson said in the email. “Those traditions must reflect who we are today and what we hope to achieve. As an institution of higher learning founded on a land-grant mission, we have a responsibility to continually educate ourselves and those who pass through our doors to unite against intolerance, model inclusivity, and advance the dignity and power of diversity.”

The Alma Mater was reviewed last year by a task force from the Alumni Association’s board of directors who came up with the geographical reference as a replacement for the original word, Woodson said.