For newly-installed chancellor Randy Woodson, the color of ice cream is not as important as the taste.

 ”I just couldn’t go with the red and white [ice cream],” Woodson said in his address to a large Brickyard crowd Wednesday. “I had to do something that tasted good.”

 His remarks were met with laughter and applause from the crowd.

 The debut of the newest “Chancellor’s Choice” ice cream flavor marked the third such flavor in school history, according to Kelley Brackett, public communications specialist for University Dining.

 According to Brackett, Woodson decided to be a “bit more bold” in his flavor choice, veering away from the traditional red and white ice cream established by former chancellors Marye Anne Fox and James Oblinger.

 The sundae — deemed the largest ever created on campus — was a collaborative effort between the Department of Food Science, University Dining, Student Government, Chancellor’s Installation Committee and Waste Reduction & Recycling, according to Kristen Baughman, University Dining intern and a senior in extension education.

The sundae was so big that it had to be assembled the day before the event, according to Baughman. A forklift team transported a 70-plus gallon sundae from Schaub Hall on a refrigerated truck to the Brickyard stage. The sundae was then topped with chopped peanuts, chocolate syrup, strawberries, sprinkles, whipped cream and a giant cherry constructed by University Dining Executive Chef Bill Brizzolara.

For Woodson, this event was certainly a momentous occasion.

“I couldn’t be more pleased to have an ice cream named after me; it’s the biggest thing in my life,” Woodson said half-jokingly.

According to Woodson, the selection was an easy one.

“When the food sciences folks approached me about choosing the new Chancellor’s Choice flavor, it wasn’t a difficult decision at all,” Woodson said. “What’s not to like about a combination of vanilla ice cream, chocolate and peanut butter?”

According to Carl Hollifield, business manager for the Department of Food Science, no guidelines were imposed on the chancellor’s flavor selection.

“It’s great! Dig in!” Woodson told the crowd after eating the inaugural scoop of the new flavor.

With an event of such large scale, concerns arose about waste disposal. According to Baughman, the event was environmentally friendly. All of the supplies — including bowls, spoons and napkins — were biodegradable. There were also six compost stations set up around the Brickyard for students to dispose of their trash.

The theme of the installation events — “Locally Responsive, Globally Engaged” — remained intact at this event, with the products used at the event coming from area manufacturers.

“Local products that were featured at this event include whipped topping donated by Alamance Foods and chopped peanuts from Mackey’s Ferry Peanuts,” Brackett said.

The chancellor also completed a walk-through of the N.C. State Farmer’s Market prior to the event.

For some students, this event was more compelling than the installation ceremony.

“I did not attend the installation ceremony,” said Ashton Lowry, a freshman in psychology. “But I was really excited about the new ice cream flavor.”

Other students, like Sarah Guess, a sophomore in biomedical engineering, were excited to see a more personal side of the new chancellor.

“It showed the chancellor’s kid side,” Guess said. “We can relate to him because he still loves ice cream.”

Although Howling Cow, which makes the University’s ice cream, did have to make a few changes to accommodate the new flavor, the core process remained intact, according to Brackett.

“We had to order different ingredients to make the flavor, but it will not change anything about how Howling Cow produces ice cream,” Brackett said.

“Howling Cow is made on campus in Schaub Hall,” Brackett said. “Their recipes start with fresh milk and cream from a few miles down the road.”

According to Hollifield, the ice cream truly is a creation of the University.

“Students work on all aspects of milk and ice cream production, from the farm to the ice cream store,” Hollifield said.

Woodson hopes this ice cream will be a part of his legacy.

“I hope when people reflect on my tenure, they remember raising the endowment, doing good things for student success, managing a difficult economy,” Woodson said. “And that the ice cream flavor sure was good, too.”