Technician
tuesday april
3
2012
Raleigh, North Carolina
technicianonline.com
N.C. State celebrates its birthday
TOP: Hundreds of members of the NC State student body flow in and around Reynolds Coliseum for the 125th Birthday Celebration of the University. BOTTOM LEFT: Andy Walsh, the student body president elect, stands on stage at the 125th birthday celebration of NC State. Walsh holds up a raffle prize, a free NC State parking pass for an entire year. BOTTOM RIGHT: Student Government had special wolf cupcakes made for the student body to celebrate the universities 125th birthday.
Students celebrate 125th Anniversary with howlin’ party in Reynolds. Story By elise heglar | photos By charlie harless
Y
esterday afternoon, the festivities for the University’s 125th anniversary in Reynolds Coliseum continued with a birthday party. The venue was decorated especially for the party; balloons and streamers could be seen everywhere and tables were set up for people to eat the free cupcakes and ice cream. The doors to Reynolds were opened to students at 1 p.m. Free anniversary T-shirts, “tradition” scarves and signs reading “Wolfpack Way” were available to be picked up by party attendees who arrived early on. In the first half hour of the event, volunteers also handed out beads, paper fans with a portrait of the University’s first chancellor and giant foam fingers. The event began with a dance competition hosted by Kornelius Bascombe, senior in sociology, who has made a name for
himself outside of the University as a winning host in national TV competitions. The dance competition was informal, with students showing off their moves in hopes of being chosen as the best. Mr. and Mrs. Wuf got involved in the competition as well, dancing around Reynolds with the crowd. “It was really cool that they held the party in Reynolds, since it’s a place with a lot of N.C. State history,” John Alcorn, senior in business administration, said.
Chancellor Randy Woodson got in on the celebration as well, visiting the stage long enough to play “Dueling Banjos” and show off his guitar skills. There was also live music at the event; Old Man Whickutt, a band featuring two University alums, played a “Packology” tribute they created to honor N.C. State’s 1983 men’s basketball champions along with some other songs. David Sterling, senior in communications, said while he enjoyed the celebration as a whole, he did not appreciate the band. One of the songs they played during the celebration, “When Jesus Comes Back,” talks about UNC-Chapel Hill students being left behind in the event of rapture. “I really didn’t like the band; it was a bad representation of our school. [Their song] was supposed
Memorial Bell Tower finally has bells New bells introduced after nearly 100 years of envisioning a functioning Bell Tower on campus Will Brooks Deputy News Editor
In an unveiling ceremony for the new Bell Tower bells Monday night, Chancellor Randy Woodson, along with several main organizers for the Bell Tower effort, spoke of both the University and the tower’s history, present and future. Matt Robins, who played a role in arranging for the bells, told the story of the project’s creation. “[Original organizers] wanted something that
didn’t blend in so well with the ‘state penitentiary’ buildings on the campus in 1919,” Robins said. “It was to be finished in a year, just in time for graduation in 1922. Once finished, it would have been the largest carillon tower on the face of the earth.” Big dreams fell short soon after the original stones were put in place, and the tower stood incomplete for over a decade. “The Great Depression brought these lofty innovations to a halt,” Robins said. “Funding completely evaporated.” After years of students walking past an incomplete tower, the construction was complete--except for the bells. “The clock’s numbers were donated by the class of 1938 and the
Honors Society; the class of 1939 donated the first-ever f loodlights,” Robins said. “Imagine seeing the tower being lit up for the first time at night.” As the students of 1939 saw the tower at night for the first time, current students will hear the Bell Tower ring for the first time, with three bells already purchased and ready to be placed and two others awaiting funding. “What a time to be a part of the Wolfpack nation,” Robins said. “We have the first set of bells that will be set in the tower.” John Tucker, senior class presibelltower continued page 3
to be funny but they were just too serious about it,” Sterling said. Head football coach Tom O’Brian, the present and soon-to-be student body presidents and the men’s basketball team also made appearances. Cutouts of N.C. State football players and cheerleaders were available in both adult and child sizes for photo opportunities, and two photo booths were available so students could get shots of themselves with their friends. Although the birthday party was relatively successful, those who arrived later on were unable to avail themselves of the free merchandise. The massive crush of people trying to leave at the end of the party also made it difficult for many to get the cupcakes or ice cream. Alcorn said he enjoyed the event, but wished there had been
more food and opportunities for merchandise available for students who attended. “I thought it was lame because they advertised free food and merchandise, and there was just cake and ice cream and these wristbands they gave out to people,” Alcorn said. Thomas Stafford, vice-chancellor of Student Affairs, had a very different opinion of the event. “It was wonderful. We had a tremendous crowd at the Coliseum; I don’t know exact numbers, but it was definitely packed in here,” Stafford said. One of Stafford’s favorite parts of the event was the video contest. In the previous anniversary celebration held in the Brickyard, students
party continued page 3
Facebook co-founder gives 2012 Harrelson Lecture Chris Hughes spoke at annual Harrelson Lecture, returning to campus in honor of 125th birthday Sarah Dashow Staff Writer
On Monday, students were offered a personal glimpse into the world of social networking and digital media. At the annual Harrelson Lecture this year, the speaker was Chris Hughes, co-founder of Facebook and editor in chief of The New
The new iPad
With the stunning Retina display, 5MP iSight camera and ultrafast 4G LTE
Republic magazine. The Harrelson Lecture is the legacy of chancellor John Harrelson, who left a portion of his estate to the University. “When [Harrelson] passed away, he left in his will that part of his estate be used at the University to do two things: improve the art collection around campus and to annually hold a distinguished lecture that is for students, faculty, staff, and the whole public,” Cathy Crossland, chairperson of the facebook continued page 6