Students rally in support Monday after VP announced his plans to resign last week

STEPHANIE PAULINO, MANAGING EDITOR:
Being known as “Rally Ron” by students on campus, the outgoing vice president of student affairs, Ronald Herron, couldn’t have guessed that his own rally of excited students and staff awaited him on campus Monday afternoon.
“I didn’t know you were so happy to see me go,” joked Herron about his surprise, which celebrated his five years overseeing student affairs.
Ben McNamee, president of the Student Government Association and Denise Bentley-Drobish, director of Student Life pulled Herron out of the Presidential Dialogue meeting to show him “an emergency” outside of the Student Center.
“On our way downstairs, he mentioned Relay for Life,” said McNamee. “He goes to our events. He deserved one for himself.”
Students waited just beyond the Dunkin Donuts doors with posters, noisemakers and whistles, honoring Herron, who announced his retirement, effective July 1.
Bryan Deliz-Perez, president of the Black Student Union, called Herron a “big inspiration” and said the administrator was one of the reasons he became a student leader.
“If it weren’t for his support of student life in general there would be no Southern,” said Deliz-Perez.
Herron, who has spent four decades working in higher education, described the outpouring of support as “sweet, tender and touching.”
“The students are the reason I came here,”said Herron.