March 9, 2012 marked 121 years since North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University’s establishment. Although the actual date occurred at the tail end of spring break, many Aggies still took the time out to wish dear A&T a “happy birthday.”

Some Aggies took it beyond a simple tweet of Facebook status. Member of the alumni association, Velma Speight-Buford explains, “We make sure we get out to all of our Alumni chapters are notified to plan their celebrations in their own way. I celebrate the day always by doing something that’s significant for A&T. For example, this year I decided to sponsor two students for the urban education institute sponsored by the school of education that is coming up.”

Junior professional theater major Danielle Smart said she spent the day making A&T’s anniversary known. “I was actually at an OSL conference so I spent the day screaming Aggie Pride at the top of my lungs. My pride was at another level.”

Speight-Buford believes that all Aggies, current students and alum, should take March 9 seriously. “The day should be significant to students because its your history and a person without a past is a person without a future,” she explained. “Just like you want to know about your African American history, the same should be about A&T.”

Speight-Buford is a 1953 graduate of N.C. A&T. She has also sat on the board of trustee’s, served as director of alumni affairs, and is currently on the alumni association board. Speight-Buford feels like Aggies today don’t value A&T’s history the way alum used to. “When I was at A&T there was a history class where we learned all about it. I’m appalled that students today don’t even know the alma matter,” she said.

Some A&T student’s do see the importance of the anniversary and think the university should do more on that day.

“I think we should have an ‘Aggie Pride Day’ where we get everyone on campus to wear their Aggie nalia,” said Mr. A&T Jordan Barnes. “We could possibly have field day activities that incorporate the history of our university.”

Smart also feels that the university could and should do more to commemorate the day. “As a university we could put it in the student’s face, make it more known. A simple banner or some fliers, do little things, its the little things that count. SGA officers could have also done something to make it known,” she said.

In an effort to change that Speight-Buford has been working on getting an updated version of A&T’s history published. The one and only history edition about the university was written by past A&T President Warmuth T. Gibbs and ends in the 1960’s.

“We’re the only ones around here whose history is not up to date. UNCG has two published history books,” said Speight-Buford.

Chancellor Harold Martin also recognizes the importance of updating A&T’s published history. According to Speight-Buford, he has made the writing and publishing of the second edition a priority. “It’s a process that takes a lot of time and money,” said Speight-Buford, “but the history committee is determined to have a pictorial history of A&T completed before our 125th anniversary.”

• Sylvia Obell, Managing Editor