CHASS Dean Jeffery Braden was the first of many speakers to take the podium at Chancellor Jim Woodward’s welcoming ceremony Tuesday afternoon in Talley Student Center, and took his speaking opportunity as a chance to set the tone for the rest of the informal gathering. Braden, who served as interim dean before being named to the permanent position, said he empathized with Woodward’s situation as an interim chancellor.”I have a sense of what you are experiencing and, as a former interim, I know the kinds of questions that you must be asking yourself,” Braden said. “I can imagine the very first question that must have crossed your mind upon taking the position; ‘What was I thinking?’ “As the crowd of about 200 laughed along with Braden and Woodward, it was apparent the University was taking the chancellor’s welcoming ceremony as an opportunity to begin looking ahead to brighter days after a month of scandal and controversy that led to the resignation of the top two University officials.Though rain forced the ceremony inside, Student Body President Jim Ceresnak said it had no correlation with the state of the University.”Don’t let the rain fool you,” Ceresnak said. “Because the sun is shining bright on N.C. State.”The ceremony, which welcomed back Woodward, a former professor, was about much more than the new chancellor according to Board of Trustees Chairman Bob Jordan.”This is not just about Jim Woodward,” Jordan said. “This is about the time that Jim Woodward is coming.”Jordan said Woodward’s term as chancellor will be one of openness and transparency, and vowed changes would be made to promote outright honesty among the University’s administration”As a member of the Board of Trustees, I can assure you that there are going to be changes made.” Jordan said, although he continued to suggest no wrongdoing had occurred on the part of James Oblinger or Larry Nielsen, who both resigned amidst controversy surrounding the hiring of Mary Easley. “I still have not discovered anything that indicated anybody was doing something for their own benefit. We got caught up in something we couldn’t help.”Ceresnak said Woodward’s arrival on campus was an unforeseen blessing, especially since the former chancellor at UNC-Charlotte had been retired and had no inclinations to return to higher education.”We are extremely lucky to have lured him out of retirement to lead our fine institution as we charge ahead into the future,” Ceresnak said, adding that the University should learn from the trials of the past. “There is no question we have suffered through some hard times over the past weeks, yet it is important not to forget what brought these hard times upon us. We must learn from the mistakes we’ve made.”While Ceresnak, Jordan, and Braden alluded to Woodward’s pedigree as an experienced leader, when Woodward stepped behind the podium, he said he regretted his biggest critic was not in attendance.”I really regret my wife was not here to have heard all of those nice things,” Woodward said before giving light-hearted messages of hope first to students and then to the faculty.The only somber moment in the ceremony came when a student who had given blood fell during Woodward’s message, but Woodward returned the focus of the crowd to the future by showing a picture of his cairn terrier puppy.”This is your new mascot,” Woodward said. “This looks like a baby wolf, well I can’t claim it is because that would be violating my commitment to honesty and openness.”Woodward instructed Ceresnak to make plans to name his puppy, Mattie Pearl Woodward, the University’s unofficial mascot. While no plans are currently in place, Ceresnak said he’ll be looking into it.Students at the ceremony were content with a forward-thinking approach to the University’s administrative woes, including Peter Barnes, a sophomore in natural resources policy administation.”I think it’s imperative N.C. State moves forward from this,” Barnes said. “If we don’t it’s just going to keep dragging us down to where we’ve been before.”Arialle Crabtree, a sophomore in applied sociology, said she likes the concept of moving on, but was also excited to see the specific plans Woodward has for the University.”It’s a good idea to try to keep people looking forward and keeping the past behind us,” Crabtree said. “I’m excited to see what he has ready for State.”Jordan said he has heard from many among the University community that it’s time to move beyond the Easley controversy.”People are happy that we’re moving on,” Jordan said. “We’re trying to get out of the newspapers.”