Students crowded into The Bookie for free music, ice cream and silly photographs to celebrate the bookstore’s 100th birthday on Friday, April 25.

In addition to the band, free Ferdinand’s ice cream sandwiches, and pictures at the photo booth, ASWSU President Taylor Hennessey gave a speech about how The Bookie first became a part of WSU.

From 1912 to 1913, the idea of a student-owned bookstore took root and began to grow, Hennessey said. A $2,000 initiative voted through by the students led to the opening of The Bookie in the first semester of the 1914 term, and the bookstore’s total income for its first year amounted to $2,385, he said.

As a WSU student and third generation Cougar, Hennessey said he has grown up with the bookstore.

“I’ve been coming to The Bookie since I could walk,” he said. “Some of the first things I owned as a Coug came from The Bookie.”

For Hennessey, The Bookie is valuable because of its location, service and commitment to giving back to the students.

“(The Bookie) embodies Cougar spirit,” he said.

The event was tremendously successful, said Lindsey Elhart, vice chairman of The Bookie board and undergraduate student. Elhart said that marketing through social media and word of mouth was a priority in preparation for the event, which has been in the works since last October.

The event also offered free Starbucks coffee and T-shirts to the community. The organizers of the event focused of perks that would benefit the students, said Richie Liu, the Chairman of The Bookie board.

“We knew the photo booth would be popular, we knew the (Ferdinand’s) Grabbers would be very popular,” Liu said. “Eight hundred T-shirts were gone within about 25 minutes.”

Barry Johnston, the associate vice president for finance at WSU, highlighted the importance of student involvement in the management of the bookstore.

Five of the nine directors of The Bookie are students, Johnston said, adding that he is “always grateful for the participation of the students.”

Johnston also emphasized the important role The Bookie plays in the lives of WSU students.

Robert Rosenman, the chair of the Faculty Senate, also spoke at the centennial celebration.

“(The Bookie) is the only student-owned bookstore in the U.S.,” Rosenman said.

He added that it is also one of the oldest businesses in Pullman.

As one of the central places on campus, The Bookie is a “place for faculty, students, and community to interact,” Rosenman said.

Appreciation for students was a common thread throughout the three speeches.

“(The Bookie) has existed for 100 years and still exists for the students,” Johnston said.