LSU celebrated the 60th anniversary of the Student Union on Wednesday with a time capsule dedication ceremony and performances by local bands.
Students gathered on the Parade Ground for food, t-shirts and music, and heard speakers explain the significance of the building. Members of LSU organizations took the stage for the dedication portion of the celebration to present their contributions to the time capsule.
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Items included unclaimed phones from the Union’s lost and found, LSU cheerleading pom-poms and confetti from the ribbon cutting of the restored Huey P. Long Field House.
The time capsule is set to be buried behind the Union in May this year and opened in 2074. It will be the fifth time capsule on LSU’s campus. The others are set to be opened in 2050, 2067, 2076 and 2160.
Shirley Plakidas, former director of the Student Union, spoke about the beginnings of the building and its programs. When she came to LSU in 1967 from the University of Nebraska, the building was only 3 years old. At the time, Plakidas served as the program adviser of the Union and organized countless events with speaker panels, performing arts and travel programs.
During her time traveling to other schools for conferences, Plakidas couldn’t help but notice there was something special about LSU’s Student Union.
“This one always stood out as a model of construction and accessibility for students,” she said.
Plakidas collaborated closely with students during her time at LSU; she constantly looked for ways to adapt the Union so students could get the most use and enjoyment out of it. After listening to student requests, the 16 bowling lanes in the building were replaced with the Live Oak Lounge.
After seeing University of Kentucky students sitting in the hallways of their student union just to find an outlet, she ensured there would be electrical outlets by every table in the new lounge.
“The Union has not only provided literally thousands of programs and events, planned by students for students, but also has been the place where students can do the things that they love to do,” Plakidas said.
Even though the student body and the Union have both changed since Plakidas’ retirement in 2011, its importance has not. Margot Hsu Carroll, assistant vice president of LSU Auxiliary Services, spoke to the crowd about the continued focus on students when it comes to the services and purpose of the building.
“After 60 years, the core mission of the Student Union remains the same: to serve the needs and support LSU students in a safe and welcoming space,” Carroll said.
Carroll said the Union is constantly trying to evolve with the changing student population. Student feedback is one of the best ways Auxiliary Services can do that.
“We definitely want to keep changing; we definitely want feedback,” Carroll said. “Events like this give us an opportunity to talk about the mission of the building, but also encourage people to keep giving us feedback.”
New additions to the Union like lactation spaces, a meditation and prayer space, and a food pantry for all students are just a few ways the building is adapting to the needs of modern-day students. Upcoming dining additions include bubble tea and a new vendor called Golden Vegan.
Carroll said Auxiliary Services is looking into possibly bringing back board games for students to check out and maybe even giving students the option to put “sit with me” cards on their table to encourage more socialization.
While most people come to the Union to eat or collect their packages from the UPS Store, LSU Student Body President Anna Catherine Strong highlighted the other resources offered to students in the building.
Strong spoke about the Olinde Career Center and the new Student Success One Stop, where students can go for anything from assistance with resumes to help finding out what classes to take. She also said The Tailored Tiger, a Student Government initiative to help pair students with professional attire, is coming soon to the Union.
“The LSU Student Union is a space that promotes camaraderie, student connection and involvement,” Strong said. “Having a space that fosters togetherness empowers students and shows them that they have a place where they can feel supported.”
Lillian Brown, an LSU cheerleader and kinesiology freshman, performed with other members of LSU cheerleading for the celebration. Brown said if she could put anything in the time capsule, it would be her cheer shoes.
Brown said she hopes when future Tigers open the time capsule, they can look back on how successful our generation of LSU athletes was with players like Jayden Daniels and LSU National Championship-winning teams like baseball, women’s basketball and the Tiger Girls.
Trace Johnson, a construction management senior, works at the front desk at the Union and said the only thing he would put in the time capsule would be Lil Baby’s “My Turn,” released in 2019.
Johnson looked back fondly on his time at LSU and on the Parade Ground during his freshman year, remembering how he teamed up with strangers for a kickball tournament during Welcome Week.
“Two of them are still my best friends to this day,” Johnson said.
Working at the Union has brought Johnson closer to campus and helped him gain knowledge of all aspects of LSU. As a front desk worker, he said interacting with people throughout his day allows him to meet and talk to people ranging from students taking a break in between classes to prospective high schoolers touring with their parents.
“It’s a place you can call home,” Johnson said. “The people here, they love you, and they want you to succeed. It’s a support system here. It’s a family.”
Johnson’s one wish for a change in the Union would be a McDonald’s comeback.
Microbiology sophomore Jayden Bates said he would put a picture of his grandfather who passed away in 2013 in the time capsule. Much like Johnson, Bates said LSU has become a place he can call home.
“Him coming to a place I truly love, where I made my own home away from home, taking him down here with me, even though he is already here would be perfect,” Bates said.
If LSU is home, then the Union is its living room on campus. Whether you go there to eat, study, sleep or laugh, it’s been a campus staple for 60 years.
“Seeing the many thousands of students who come through the building daily is a testament to the significance of the Student Union as a space that really is the heart of campus,” Carroll said.
