NC State Student Centers has received the Student Union/Campus Activities Program of the Year award from ACUI Region III for the Talley 10 Year Anniversary Celebration. The honor recognizes programs that strengthen campus community or support student development. The celebration met both goals by offering a series of intentional experiences focused on engagement history and student connection.
A Celebration Inspired by Community
The anniversary celebration marked ten years since the renovation of Talley Student Center and its transformation into Talley Student Union. The planning committee aimed to recognize this milestone, highlight Talley’s history and services and create meaningful opportunities for students to connect with the Wolfpack community.
Gabby O’Rourke, Kyle Levine and Chris Downey
Partnerships with Coca-Cola, Rave! Catering, NC State Dining and key campus stakeholders including Banks C. Talley III (son of Banks C Talley Jr.) and Dr. Thomas H. Stafford Jr. helped strengthen the celebration and honor Talley’s legacy.
A Week of Engagement and Learning
Each day of the week featured a theme activities and a commemorative sticker for participants. The celebration supported student learning outcomes that emphasized resource awareness historical understanding community building and a stronger sense of belonging.
Program highlights included:
- Open House Monday introduced students to the services and departments located within Talley and encouraged involvement.
- History Trivia Tuesday connected students with Talley’s past through interactive trivia and historical displays.
- Center Stage Wednesday offered hands-on experiences with Student Centers operations that showed how the building functions and highlighted leadership opportunities.
- Stafford Commons Celebration Thursday invited students to gather outdoors for food music games and a community memory book that captured reflections on Talley’s impact.
- Happy Birthday Talley Friday closed the week with cupcakes music giveaways and a photo booth with Mr. and Ms. Wuf.
More than 2000 students participated throughout the week with an average of 400 students each day. The strong turnout demonstrated Talley’s continued role as a central gathering place for students.
Extending the Celebration
Campus media played an important role in documenting the milestone. NC State’s Technician produced a special edition featuring the history of Talley and coverage of the anniversary events. Agromeck yearbook staff also collected photos and reflections to preserve the celebration as part of NC State’s story.
A Meaningful Milestone for Student Centers
The Talley 10 Year Anniversary Celebration honored the history of the student union while strengthening student engagement and campus pride. The ACUI Region III award recognizes the commitment of Student Centers staff and the impact of intentional programming that supports student development.