The hours that followed the Board of Trustees’ announcement of Mung Chiang as Northwestern’s 18th president Monday were packed with meetings for the president-elect.
But first, he made a pit stop to meet students — and grab a scoop of ice cream.
Accompanied by a group of University leaders that included Vice President for Student Affairs Susan Davis, Chiang greeted diners at Allison Dining Commons around noon Monday, shortly after the Board’s announcement.
Chiang’s entrance didn’t initially incite much fanfare amid the lunch rush. He lined up in the entrance queue alongside other students and started introducing himself to those nearby.
As he made more introductions, students realized who he was, and phone cameras started to turn his way.
By the time Chiang made his way to the table serving ice cream, which had been set up for his visit to the dining hall, he was surrounded by a horde of students, all seeking face time with their next president.
One of the first groups Chiang spoke to included Communication sophomore Maria DiBello, Weinberg sophomore Sonny Noble and Weinberg sophomore Samuel Meltzer.
“We just said that Allison is the best dining hall and that we were excited to have him as a fellow Wildcat,” Meltzer said.
DiBello said the president-elect had a “firm handshake.” Chiang also initiated the selfie he took with the group, she said.
The photo was one of many Chiang took with students during his brief visit.
“It feels exciting that it’s like the first day, and I’ve already met him,” DiBello said. “He has man-of-the-people type vibes.”
Chiang donned a purple NU Under Armour polo that he said was “brand new” for the occasion. Noble said he told the president-elect that the color looked good on him.
For Noble, it was exciting to have a relatively younger incoming president. Chiang is 49 years old.
“With a lot of old blood and a lot of bygones and different rough patches that Northwestern has been through in the last couple of years, I think fresh blood is exactly what this campus needs,” Noble said.
Eventually, Chiang reached the ice cream table, where he received a scoop of vanilla with chocolate chips. Afterward, he grabbed a slice of pepperoni pizza.
The visit to Allison, he said, was to help him get to know campus better.
“I call myself an incoming freshman,” Chiang told The Daily over pizza. “This is my orientation.”
Chiang spent less than half an hour in the dining hall. But before he left, he shook hands with a few more students — and took a few more photos.
“My name is Mung,” he told them. “Great to be a freshman here.”
NU community members who didn’t meet Chiang in person Monday could still find out about his love of ice cream through introductory videos posted on the president-elect’s website.
Among the viewers was former NU President Morton Schapiro.
“I don’t know him personally, but he seems like a great selection, a great choice,” Schapiro told The Daily on Monday. “I watched the videos. And I laughed about ice cream.”
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Dining and Cooking