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Southeastern’s Centennial Year Recap
By: Brock Sanders
After a century of academic excellence, 16 months of countless events, and a visit from a prestigious alumna last semester, Southeastern Louisiana University’s Centennial Year has officially come to a close. With the ribbon cutting of the new Centennial Monument, “Aion,” the university will formally enter its second century, an achievement made possible by the support of Southeastern alumni, students and the surrounding community.
Although Southeastern’s story began in 1925 with a vision from its first president, Linus A. Sims, the Centennial Year officially launched in October 2024 to celebrate the university’s 99th birthday. The kickoff was marked by confetti popping in the Student Union Breezeway and the unveiling of a Centennial Painting by artist Becky Fos.
“The Centennial Launch encapsulates what Southeastern students are all about,” said Southeastern President Dr. William S. Wainwright.
Following the launch, local alumni raised a glass to the occasion with Lion Legacy Lager, a beer worth 100 years and brewed by Hammond-based Gnarly Barley Brewing Company. The debut of the commemorative beer was met with a celebration at Gnarly Barley.
“It’s humbling that some product that we make, whether how big or small it is, means that much to such a large organization for us to be able to do something like this,” Zac and Cari Caramonta said.
As the semester continued and colder weather approached, Southeastern honored yet another Fall graduating class. On December 14, 2024, the university celebrated its 100th commencement ceremony. That same day, Southeastern surpassed a major milestone, exceeding 100,000 all-time graduates.
The new year brought with it a spectacle rarely seen in South Louisiana: snow. A Centennial snowfall dusted the branches of Friendship Oak as students and faculty explored a campus slowly growing in renovations and progress. While the snow lingered longer than most Hammond residents expected, eventually, more students than ever returned to classes in droves.
Spring 2025 enrollment set a new university record, making Southeastern’s 100th year even more historic. The university recorded its highest spring enrollment to date, a fitting milestone to tack onto an already historic Centennial celebration.
Later in the semester, a long-standing partnership between Southeastern and North Oaks Health System reached a major milestone with the groundbreaking of the North Oaks Health System Academic and Athletic Complex. Located adjacent to Strawberry Stadium, the new facility represents a significant investment in student-athlete health, academics, and community partnerships.
During the summer months, the Student Union also received an artistic touch-up. Becky Fos’s Centennial mural found a permanent home on the building’s all-glass exterior, facing the now-renovated D Vickers Hall.
“Such a monumental year, I am beyond humbled and honored to be the one to create art for it,” Fos shared on social media following the unveiling.
As students settled into the semester, Southeastern celebrated its most significant birthday yet. On September 16, 2025, Dr. Wainwright and Student Government Association President Maria Nechaeva addressed students, faculty, alumni, and community members before launching streamers to commemorate Southeastern’s official 100th birthday.
Student Government Association President Maria Nechaeva and Southeastern President Dr. Wainwright invited the family of Linus A. Sims, the first president of Southeastern, to help kick off the 100-year birthday party.
In October, Southeastern welcomed alumni from across the country, premiered a century-spanning documentary, and grandly celebrated Homecoming.
Robin Roberts, a 1983 Southeastern alumna and co-anchor of Good Morning America, returned to campus on October 16, 2025. As she approached D Vickers Hall, a building she passed countless times as a student, she was greeted by a new addition, her family name displayed prominently on the Broadcast Media Center. Although the new renovations and extension to the old building debuted on the first day of Fall 2025 classes, Southeastern saved the ribbon-cutting celebration for Homecoming week.
The Robin Roberts Broadcast Media Center, an extension of renovations that began in 2023, includes three professional studios, a fully operational Southeastern Radio station, and multiple recording bays.
“What’s most important is not the name on the side of the building,” Roberts said. “It’s what’s inside this building, hope, dreams, and making those dreams come true.”
Following Homecoming Throwback Thursday, a community-wide bar crawl hosted by the Alumni Office, Southeastern premiered the Centennial Documentary, chronicling the university’s journey from a single classroom at Hammond High School to a 365-acre campus serving more than 15,000 students.
The Centennial Homecoming concluded with the annual Homecoming Parade, the presentation of the Homecoming Court, a concert by The Chee Weez, and the kickoff between the Southeastern Lions and the Northwestern State Demons at Strawberry Stadium.
As cooler weather returned to Hammond, Southeastern marked the release of the Centennial Book, produced by the Office of Marketing and Communications. The book documents the university’s 100-year evolution alongside the Centennial Documentary.
Coinciding with the book’s release, Southeastern opened its 75th anniversary time capsule, allowing the community to view artifacts featured in both the publication and documentary.
As December arrived, the semester concluded not only with academic milestones but with moments of reflection and tradition, including the First Lady’s Tree Lighting in December and the announcement of Friendship Grove, a garden created from saplings of the iconic Friendship Oak.
From 1925 to 2000, the 75th anniversary time capsule held precious artifacts of Southeastern’s history. The contents of the capsule can still be viewed at the Alumni Visitor Center.
The annual First Lady Tree Lighting is a tradition started in 2023 that marks the end of a successful semester at Southeastern. Honoring our First Lady, Misty Wainwright, the celebrations include a gingerbread contest, food trucks and all sorts of yearly surprises.
The Centennial Year concluded with more than confetti and celebrations. It marked the close of a chapter that began with a few desks in a single classroom and evolved into a thriving university proud to declare 100 years of impact.
Yet every ending signals a new beginning.
With the dedication of the Centennial Monument, Southeastern Louisiana University turns the page, opening a new volume defined by progress, excellence, and a second century of opportunity.