Last month, NC State Libraries opened a new exhibit, “Leading the Pack: Student Leaders at NC State,” in the D.H. Hill Library. The exhibit highlights the history of student accomplishments on campus and beyond.
“The Exhibit really showcases the importance of student involvement and leadership,” said Rusty Mau, the current student body president.
Leading the Pack features pictures, documents and artifacts from NC State’s history. The exhibit gives a timeline showing the changes that took place on campus throughout the years. Showcased are Kevin Howell, the first African-American student body president at NC State, as well as Cathy Sterling, the first woman to serve as student body president.
“Every student leader has challenges that they face,” Mau said. “I look to draw from the past experiences of leaders at NC State.”
The exhibit not only focuses on the student’s work at State, but also what each has gone on to accomplish. James B. Hunt, a past student body president at NCSU, is showcased for his time as governor of the state of North Carolina.
“I appreciate that State took the time to recognize student leaders’ accomplishments, not only on campus, but beyond.” said Will Quick, who served as student body president from 2006-2007.
Quick also serves as the current president of the Friends of the Library at NCSU and has seen the project evolve through the years.
“NC State gave me so much,” Quick said. “I enjoy giving back to the school by being involved.”
The exhibit was the brainchild of Susan Nutter, the director of libraries at NCSU. She began work in 2008 in what is an ongoing project to document the history of student leaders and involvement at NC State.
To obtain the information and documents, the Student Leadership Initiative sorted through over 100 years’ worth of archived files. The group’s mission is to chronicle the impact of student leaders throughout the university’s history.
The largest part of the project is a website featuring video interviews with many past leaders at NCSU as well as biographical essays and images. According to its website, the Student Leadership Initiative launched in 2010 and has managed to document many leaders. Gregory Raschke, the associate director for collections and scholarly communications, helped to bring it to life.
“NC State produces remarkable leaders, and this initiative tells the story of the university,” Raschke said.
Although many will immediately think of someone in student government as a leader on campus, the exhibit and website seek to highlight other leaders as well.
“There’s such a rich diversity of leaders from NC State,” Raschke said. “Activists, lawyers, architects and more are all part of it.”
The website will continue to be an ongoing effort to document the history of leadership at NC State. Their videos feature interviews with leaders that go as far back as William B. Aycock, the 1935 student body president, all talking about their time on campus and current world events of the time.
The exhibit can be seen during regular hours at the D.H. Hill Library and will be on display until spring 2015. The website can be accessed at lib.ncsu.edu/student-leaders and is an ongoing documentation process.
