Approximately 3,000 people turned out to the RBC Center Monday night for free T-shirts, club and organizations information and Convocation speaker Mitch Albom.
“It’s certainly the most [turnout] we’ve had and that’s because of the speaker and the summer reading,” Deb Luckadoo, Talley Student Center activities director, said, adding that Albom’s book, Tuesdays With Morrie, was on the required reading list for CALS, CHASS and First Year College. “All of the colleges promoted the publication. It was well supported.”
Student Body President Will Quick agreed.
“It was one of the biggest crowds I’ve seen in four years,” he said. “It was probably overall one of the best speeches I’ve heard about what it means to be a student.”
Albom spoke about his book and about his experiences in relation to college students, emphasizing the importance of forming long-lasting relationships and giving.
Speeches were also made by various University staff.
“N.C. State is a great university because of its people,” Chancellor James Oblinger said. “I want to tell you that you are a talented group of students that we are very pleased chose to come to N.C. State.”
Sara Yasin, senator and senior in College of Textiles, announced some of the speakers at the convocation and said she was happy with the results of this year’s convocation.
“It was better than it was in the past because [the organizers] listened more to what the students wanted down from the bags to the speaker to the way things were set up – they listened to what the students had to say.” Yasin said. “People stayed because they wanted to.”
Yasin said people were excited and so it was easy to feed off of that.
“Sidney Lowe was amazing and so was Kay Yow. They seemed really passionate about welcoming students and inviting them to come out to the games,” Yasin said.
Jewel Watson, junior in textile and apparel management, said she was required to come because she is a resident advisor but that she enjoyed Albom’s speech.
“He did a really good job,” Watson said. “I’ve never read the book, so he did a really good job of relating the book to those of us who had never read it. The whole thing was pretty good.”
Albom apologized for wearing blue to the convocation, but put on a red NCSU T-shirt at the end of his speech. He spoke of a teacher he met in college who had a profound impact on his life.
“I get asked every now and then [to speak at colleges] and I always particularly like to talk to freshman because my story kind of began as a freshman,” Albom said. “What I learned [was to] look for Morrie. Morrie found me.”
Kishea Phillips, freshman in communication, said she enjoyed the speech.
What she thought about the speech: “Wonderful. It was very inspirational.”
“My favorite part was when Mr. Albom talked about how Morrie taught him about life even though he was dying,” she said.
After the speech, students and administration stood together on the court to form “NCSU” while holding Wolfpack signs.
Jannov Rusli, freshman in paper science engineering and chemical engineering, said that was his favorite part “because it’s fun and this is my first time doing it. It feels great and everybody in here is welcoming,” he said.
Other students were thinking about the start of classes.
“[I’m nervous about] the first day of classes. I don’t know what to expect,” Kathryn Martin, freshman in chemistry, said. “I’ve had IB (international baccalaureate) classes and they say they prepare you, so we’ll see.”
Albom offered plenty of advice for the students, but emphasized good relationships as the way to cheat death.
“[F]ind… people you can make relationships with,” he said. “Learn from them. You’ll learn something from them that you can pass on to other people.”
