Rain postponed the event, but it did not stop the campus community from giving Chico State President Paul Zingg a proper, and enthusiastic, farewell for his 13 years of support and leadership.

Faculty, staff, students and community members joined in wishing Zingg the best in his retirement after the spring 2016 semester.

Ice cream, peanuts and cracker jacks were served, to honor Zingg’s love of baseball. Board games, and a life-size connect 4 game made for some friendly competition. Community members even had an opportunity to leave Zingg notes for a scrapbook.

Sarah Deforest, from the College of Agriculture attended the event and believes Zingg presided over a time of changes, campus infrastructure, and new levels of donor support.

To reflect on the president’s accomplishments, a slideshow was played of the campus before Zingg’s presidency and where it is now.

At the party’s climax, Zingg spoke on his years serving in higher education, and what an honor it has been to be a part of the Chico story. “Sharing values with the campus community was, without a doubt, what I’ve valued most here,” he said. “It was a great ride.”

Michelle Zhu can be reached at [email protected] or @mmichellezhuu on Twitter.