Woodson and Whickutt Wow Wolfpack

NC State has a new icon on campus. Forget the Strolling Professor. Meet the Strumming Chancellor.

Randy Woodson took the stage at Reynolds Coliseum yesterday afternoon, shucked his suit jacket and led nearly 5,000 cheering, screaming Wolfpack fans in a rousing, lyrical celebration of 125 years of tradition and transformation.

Flanked by members of the wildly enthusiastic and unapologetically partisan band, Old Man Whickutt, Woodson delivered a stirring rendition of the university fight song. Who doesn’t think this group should start touring?

125 Years in the Making

Monday’s party marked the official campus birthday party for NC State, which was voted into existence by the state legislature on March 7, 1887 when it approved a bill written by educator Charles Dabney to create the North Carolina College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts.

It was, as the university home page declared, a party 125 years in the making. And the crowd wasn’t disappointed.

In addition to Woodson and Whickutt, the party featured an appearance by members of the men’s basketball team, screenings of video contest winners and birthday cupcakes. Emcee Korn Bascombe kept the event lively and loud.

If you missed the action (or just want to relive the magic), check out some of the photos from the event.