After ending its 100th session, Student Government (SG) hosted a celebration via Zoom on April 8 to celebrate one century of SG. Alumni from previous sessions of SG dating back to the 1950s were invited, with almost 100 attendees total.
The virtual celebration included a timeline of significant events in the history of SG, a series of breakout sessions for alumni to reconnect with those in their decade of graduation and meet others who shared similar leadership positions and many personal anecdotes from attendees about their memories of SG at NC State. Chancellor Randy Woodson was in attendance, as well as SG alumni James B. Hunt Jr., the former governor of North Carolina, and Tom Stafford, the former vice chancellor of student affairs.
Stafford, who served as vice chancellor at NC State until 2012 before retiring, kicked off the celebration by addressing everyone in the meeting.
“NC State’s Student Government, happy 100th birthday,” Stafford said. “This is an incredible milestone, and I want to thank the current Student Government leaders for the work they’ve done to organize this event.”
Stafford also initiated a moment of silence to recognize alumni of SG that had passed. Attendees shared the names of some of those alumni, including Andrew Payne, Don Abernathy, Robert Zimmer and Jenny Chang.
Michael Anthony, who served as student body president during the 2002-2003 academic year, shared the story of a “read-in” protest during his tenure in which approximately 400 students refused to leave D.H. Hill Jr. Library upon closing time, followed by a march at 1 a.m. to Chancellor Marye Ann Fox’s house.
“We marched up the street, and the police came out and pushed us onto the sidewalk and told us to stay off the street,” Anthony said. “What was magical was that it was just an opportunity for students to show that they were excited about something very academic. It was the library.”
Before the end of the celebration, Hunt shared words about his appreciation and respect for the University.
“I want to thank all of you for what you’ve done to make the University what it is, and to make North Carolina what it is,” Hunt said. “I’m proud to hear today about the leadership of our student governments through the years and our wonderful student officers, some of which I’m looking at right now through the screen. We want to be the kind of university that is fair, open and excellent, and help make North Carolina the best state in America.”
Outgoing Student Body President Melanie Flowers, a fourth-year studying communication, and incoming Student Body President McKenzy Heavlin, a third-year studying electrical engineering, closed out the celebration by thanking the alumni in attendance and announcing their plans to co-chair the in-person celebration for spring 2022.
