The university celebrated its 92nd birthday with cupcakes, cake, a photo booth and a poster of 92 things to do before graduation. Jonathan Rhodes/The Lion's Roar.
The Campus Activities Board helped students to celebrate the 92nd birthday of the university in the Student Union Breezeway. A cupcake display and birthday cake were placed in front of the University Bookstore along with a photo booth and a poster for students to list 92 things that they want to do before they graduate.
CAB President McKenzie Tolson helped to put on the event and took pride in celebrating this chapter of the university’s history.
“It feels really cool,” said Tolson. “Sometimes as a student, you feel kind of small being in a really big place but being able to see this and see how far the school has come and celebrate the university and all of the opportunities it gives us is pretty awesome.”
President John L. Crain was at the start of the celebration to cut the cake. Crain believes the growth of the university is what makes this birthday celebration special.
“It started out as just a small local two-year college,” said Crain. “Really, just local people that were involved in creating the school were here at first and now, of course, we’re the third largest public university in the state and have students from really all over the world. You look around, a lot of things have changed in terms of physical buildings, but really, I think the university is a lot like what people say about a church. It’s the people, not the buildings. If you really think about what has changed the most, it’s the people.”
Miss Southeastern 2017 Kristyn Gary was present after the cutting of the cake. The atmosphere of the university is what makes it special to Gary and other students.
“I think Southeastern is so different from other universities in that it has such a feeling of family, and it is a community, really,” said Gary.
Students continue to show their pride in their university and not only celebrate for this year but for many years to come.
“I’ve enjoyed celebrating how far the school has come, how things have changed and that it is growing every single day,” said sophomore general management major Jasmine Smith.