The Office of Student Affairs hosted an event concluding McKinley Health Center’s 100th anniversary celebration on Thursday. The event consisted of speeches and the showcase of a 1924 time capsule.
“One hundred years for us started in the fall of ’24, and this event concludes our year-long festivities that we have had,” said Awais Vaid, executive director of McKinley.
Both Vaid and Danita M. Brown Young, vice chancellor for student affairs, gave speeches during the event. Their remarks centered around the impact McKinley has made over the past 100 years.
“We think about (how) McKinley Health Center has seen every student on this campus since 1924, I mean, how powerful is that?” Young said.
Providing compassionate, comprehensive and accessible care was a central theme of the day.
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“When you need it, we are there,” Vaid said. “Yes, we hope you never need us, but the fact (is) that we are here if you ever need us, and we’ll provide compassionate care to you as well.”
Young echoed this sentiment and emphasized McKinley’s commitment to addressing a diverse set of student needs.
“When you think about the comprehensive healthcare that (McKinley has) done for our students, and you’re talking about physical health and mental health, all that support, they really take their time to listen to the students,” Young said.
McKinley has added new services and programs over the past few years to expand the scope of care offered.
In 2023, McKinley launched the pilot program for Self-Care Stations, placing vending machines across campus that give students access to over-the-counter medications at no cost without having to travel to the center.
In Spring 2024, it added a clinical massage service to its Rehab and Sports Therapy services.
In addition to reflecting on the recent changes at McKinley, Vaid and Young encouraged eventgoers to check out a time capsule from 1924 that was recently discovered at McKinley.
The contents of the time capsule were reflective of 1924. Everything inside — besides some dollar bills and coins — was print media.
“The thing that struck me most is it was a lot of paper, but that also speaks that 100 years back, paper and newspaper was the medium for everything, for all communication,” Vaid said.
Various historical documents from the time capsule were on display, including a May 9, 1924, copy of The Champaign News-Gazette, a May 10, 1924, copy of The Daily Illini and a 1924 edition of The Illio.
The time capsule also included various labor union bylaws, working rules and wage scales from the period.
Vaid said the Mechanical Science & Engineering MakerWorks Lab constructed a new time capsule to be opened 100 years from now, just as the original was.
“We want to make sure that we capture this time so that people, 100 years later, can recollect and remind ourselves how the times were this time,” Vaid said.
For more information on the 100 years of history, and what’s planned for the future, visit McKinley’s 100 year celebration website.
