With 70 pizzas, six tubs of ice cream and 10 sheet cakes, students celebrated the University’s 120th birthday in the Brickyard Wednesday afternoon.

Although Founder’s Day was March 7, student festivities began yesterday.

“Since every year, that date falls during students’ spring break,” Brantley West, Founder’s Day chair and senior in computer science, said. “We always celebrate a week after.”

Sarah Worden, a junior in chemical engineering, said she recognized the importance of the event.

“Without Founder’s Day, I wouldn’t be here,” she said.

For Worden, coming to N.C. State was “in the family.”

Worden said she is one in a long line of family members to attend the University, including her grandfather, uncle and older sister.

“It is better for students to learn about [University] history, so the legacy lives on,” she said.

Others said they attended the festivities for the free food.

Aaron Sizelove, a freshman in electrical engineering, said while he came for the food, it’s important for students to know about the University’s background.

He said students should know information such as “the reasons for the foundation of the school, what the goals and purposes have traditionally been in our school over time and how those values are being communicated for the future.”

Camila Alvarado, a freshman in First Year College, said she didn’t know much of NCSU’s history when she arrived at Founder’s Day. But, she said she would be willing to learn more at additional events similar to Wednesday’s celebration.

Alvarado said she agreed — it’s important for students to know about their school’s past.

“[It’s important to know] when it started and different events in its history for minorities,” she said.

Students had the opportunity to use their knowledge of the University’s history to win T-shirts at the event.

Organizers such as Matt Johnson, a 2001 alumnus and director of the grassroots campaign for the Alumni Association, fired off 250 trivia questions to students about events and students from the past.

Johnson said he was surprised when students could not answer questions such as, “who was the first basketball player to have their jersey retired?” but said he was equally surprised by some of the answers they did know.

According to Johnson, the University’s history seems to be slipping away in some aspects, but said he is encouraged by efforts such as Student Government’s traditions committee.

“It’s tough — when you have a university that’s grown from a first class of 23 students to 31,000 students — to keep traditions,” he said.

Johnson said traditions such as the Alma Matter should be passed down before students begin their first semesters at the University.

“We ought to have a two-hour history lesson of N.C. State at orientation,” he said.

West said the goal of the event, which Students Today Alumni Tomorrow of the Alumni Association, Student Government and local vendors sponsored, was to provide students with knowledge of this history along with their cake and ice cream.

“We hope they’ll take away a plate of food and have learned a little bit of the history of N.C. State,” West said.