The University turns 150 years old in 2010, and the year-long birthday party kicks off today. ‘LSU 150: The Year Ahead,’ the launch event for the University’s sesquicentennial, or 150th anniversary, will be held at 12:15 p.m. today’ at Memorial Tower. The launch event will feature Chancellor Michael Martin and Student Government president Stuart Watkins as speakers and a performance by an ensemble from the School of Music. There will also be a large birthday cake for the University, which will be served at stations in the Quad and Student Union following the ceremony.
The launch is the first of several events and programs planned to celebrate the University’s anniversary. The goals of the sesquicentennial festivities are to reflect on the past, celebrate the University’s contributions to the community and commit to keeping LSU a top-tier university, said Aaron Looney, editor at University Relations. Herb Vincent, associate vice chancellor for University Relations, said the sesquicentennial is not only about what the last 150 years meant for the University, but what they meant for the state. ‘If you consider all the great graduates who have come out of LSU and impacted Louisiana from a cultural and economic standpoint, LSU has been a tremendous resource for the last century and a half for Louisiana,’ Vincent said.
As the University celebrates, a group of University instructors will be protesting the on-going budget cuts near the flag pole on the Parade Ground. Attendees are urged to wear funeral attire or black armbands, according to a Facebook group created for the protest. — Contact Ryan Buxton at [email protected]