Shirley Plakidas Union Romanticist By Brenda Macon Photo by W. Randall Macon
In 1967,
when the LSU Union was only three years old, Shirley Plakidas arrived on campus as the new program adviser. A recent graduate of the University of Nebraska, Plakidas got busy with events and activities from her very first day. She coordinated with student organizations and committees that, for example, showed five movies a week at one point in the old Colonnade Theater, which was located below the main theater in the original building. From her early days at Nebraska, Plakidas knew she wanted to make a career working with these types of student organizations. Though she was a zoology major, she found her true calling when she became involved in union activities on the Lincoln, Nebraska, campus. She worked on the program board while she was a student and became, in her words, a “union romanticist.” When an opening was announced at LSU, she jumped at the chance – not only to work in union programming but also to escape the harsh winters of the Midwest. She has since overseen almost every aspect of the LSU Student Union. She has seen trends come and go, including Shirley Plakidas those weekly movies. “The evolution in programming has been in response to changing needs in the student population,” Plakidas comments. “Technology has had a profound effect on the kinds of programs we offer.” From reel-to-reel movies to the latest social networking media, however, one aspect of programming remains the same: providing LSU students with the types of events and activities they need to make their experience at the University one they will remember and value. Through the years, with this goal in mind, Plakidas has maintained her passion for making LSU students feel comfortable on campus. Working with students during the renovation project has affirmed her feeling that the Union holds a special place in campus life. “Students consider this [the LSU Student Union] to be their home away from home,” Plakidas explains. “Even during construction, students were involved in all aspects of the process. They recognize their stake in this facility, and we often heard from students who asked, ‘What are you doing to MY Union?’” Now, forty-four years after her arrival, Plakidas has her roots firmly in Louisiana. She met and married her husband, Sandy, after she settled in Baton Rouge, and the couple raised their family here. Their two sons, Tony and Kostas, are both graduates of LSU, as are their wives, Paulette and Alyson. Plakidas retired in September this year, and she plans to relax, pursue long-delayed hobbies, and spend a lot of time with grandchildren Sophie and Charlie. The LSU community has indeed been fortunate to have this transplanted Midwesterner in our midst for the last four decades, and we wish her all the best in her well-deserved retirement.
LSU Alumni Magazine | Fall 2011
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