I HEART COFC

Wild Times around The Cistern 

After working for the NBA in Miami, attending the College during the Goudelock era, and now returning to The Lowcountry to LIVE the LIFE…my expectations were high for this season.

As we all know, Charleston is the ultimate city for growth and opportunity. You have access to a high class education, top notch entertainment, five star food, and endless days catching rays at the beach. These are all amazing options, but they are not to be outdone by COUGAR NATION!

Some attend universities where the level of happiness during the semester, revolves around your football team’s record. At The College, the world is at your fingertips, and the athletics have become icing on the cake. While closing out a long week in the books, you can find yourself among your classmates, at one of the most electrifying atmospheres in the southeast.

Before we embarked on this epic journey, otherwise know as the regular season, I had a chance to meet with our Marketing Director, Jessica Rodgers. She had a clear plan set for our students/ fans to have the best experience possible inside the TD Arena. DJ Natty Heavy and I spoke about crowd interactions, while all of my conversations with Coach Grant were exciting…and promising.

Our first few games were a success, and the buzz was clearly alive in the downtown area. The win streak at home lit a fire within our student body, and encouraged alumni to get involved as well. Cold beverages kept flowing, Home Team BBQ was on deck, and everyone wanted a half-court shot, for a year of FREE Kickin Chicken. With action like this on the peninsula, how could you refuse?!

The energy spread into our final home game vs. the Elon Phoenix. I was on the edge of my seat, with the possibility of closing it out, in front of our loyal fan base. It was a tight one, but with a theme night incorporated, and the crowd on their feet, our team prevailed to become CAA Regular Season Champions.

Now that the confidence was boosted, and our dominance was solidified, there was one more task at hand. If we can pull this off, College of Charleston will be dancing…in March, for the first time since 1999. Basketball alumni around the world will rejoice, and if I have anything to say about it, we’re all rejoicing with them!

North Charleston Coliseum has hosted the likes of Phish, Cirque Du Soliel, Florida Georgia Line, and not to be forgotten, the WWE. While all of these are amazing shows, it was now time to lay the hardwood, and get down to business. Our home court advantage would provide the perfect atmosphere to host the CAA Championships.

After handling Drexel in the first round, the Cougars defeated W&M despite their skilled set of 3 point shooters and inside dominance. We cleaned house, and it was time to rally the troops for one last shot at the title. Students and alumni across the country made plans to attend what would become a crowd influenced matchup.

On Tuesday night, just before dawn…I met with Dylan Johnson ’16 and Trevor Dovey ’14 in Park Circle. We weighed in on our current situation, with hopes that our fellow classmates would feel our sense of camaraderie. This win could put us over the top, and get the College its much deserved chance to dance.

Tip-off came with the quickness, and ushers had to be on top of their game due to the masses in attendance. I couldn’t help but look into the upper deck, and notice a mob of students ready for battle. The band was rocking, the buckets were dropping, and the crowd was pouring with emotion. We got off to a solid start, but it all seemed too good to be true. Northeastern began mopping the floor with our clearly disconnected team…

At the half, I met Alex DiBiase ’15 on the balcony, and we discussed our situation with a group of current students. A half time speech of our own surfaced, and even though a 17 point deficit seemed nearly impossible to overcome, this was our last moment to spark a new flame into the arena. I looked around our tight knit circle and felt the warmth knowing we were all in this together.

Boom! The second half began and we were off to the races. Our team slowly created a new level of chemistry, and the point differential led us to a last second effort to tie it up. Overtime was electric, and the fans proved their worth while cheering their hearts out… “CO-UG-ARS!”

Clearly there was a boost of enthusiasm, because before I knew it, the clock was winding down, and the Lowcountry rose to a victory of 83-76 in epic fashion. It was a sea of smiles during the celebration, but that’s a guarantee, for all those who “Hail To Thee.” College of Charleston, Hail All Hail!

Congratulations to anyone that made the decision to attend the College Of Charleston. School spirit isn’t always about win or lose, but ongoing support, and the path you choose.

Stephen Pond ’13

Host/MC ESPN, X Games, NBA, Red Bull, Next Glass, California Roots

MURRAY MADNESS

Our Unofficial Second Mascot

You know him. You love him. And what’s better? Bill loves us too!

Actor Bill Murray dances with the College of Charleston mascot during a timeout during an NCAA college basketball game between Charleston and Clemson on Wednesday, Dec. 22, 2010, in Charleston, S.C. (AP Photo/The Post and Courier, Wade Spees) ** MAGS OUT **

Whether you know him as a ghostbuster, the loveable greens-keeper Carl Spackler, the award-winning documentarian Steve Zissou or one of numerous characters on Saturday Night Live, in Charleston we know him as our neighbor and friend. As a local, Bill Murray is often spotted around town – and many people even have a story about him.

One of the oft-told stories goes like this: Bill Murray walked up to your table at lunch, took a French fry off your plate, ate it and said, “No one will ever believe you.” My story goes like this: I was a post-grad living in Charleston enjoying an after-work glass of wine at Bin 152 on King Street, when Bill Murray picked up a woman, threw her over his shoulder and walked out of the neighborhood bar. An odd sight indeed.

What I appreciate most about Mr. Murray is that he continues to be involved in Charleston. He’s not only a part owner of the Charleston Riverdogs, our minor-league baseball team – he also carries the title of the team’s “director of fun.” He’s willing to hop into music videos being filmed in downtown. He’s happy to join a couple’s engagement photos at the Old Exchange on Broad Street. He’s even bought and then gave away all the tickets to a show at the Charleston Music Hall.

But most importantly, he loves College of Charleston basketball.

I’ll never forget meeting him when I was a sophomore watching a CofC basketball game in the old Johnson Center on George Street. It’s not unusual to see him at a game, though. You could almost say he’s a regular. And he’s definitely a big fan.

If we had to characterize the roller coaster of emotions that every Charleston basketball fan felt Tuesday evening, it could be summed up in watching the legend himself cheer teary eyed at the 13-point comeback and ultimate W presented by our men in maroon.

It’s incredible to see the passion and joy he shows for a school he has nothing but love for, simply because it’s Charleston’s college. Its hometown school. Its hometown team.

And after 19 years of waiting, I fully expect to see Mr. Murray dancing with us every step of the way.

Bill Murray taking in #MarchMadness! 👀🙌pic.twitter.com/TiNNT4HLz2

— NCAA March Madness (@marchmadness) March 7, 2018

NEWS FROM THE BRICKS

The Return of March Matchness

As Cougar Nation rallies around a phenomenal men’s basketball season, the College of Charleston’s Annual Giving Office prepares for a full-court-press of its own.

On March 1, 2018, the College restarts its March Matchness fundraising campaign. Playing off one of CofC’s celebrated athletic teams, March Matchness takes place throughout the month of March, reaching out to both alumni and families to support the College and its future through its annual giving funds.

To do so, March Matchness is rallying the CofC community to give to either the College of Charleston Fund or the Parents’ Fund. Together, these funds make a direct impact on student scholarships and student programming, as well as faculty and alumni networking opportunities. By doing so, they enhance the College of Charleston experience today and in the years to come. To donate, visit the March Matchness giving page.

“The Cougars are on a roll this season,” says Laurie Soenen, the College’s director, Annual Giving Programs, referring to men’s basketball’s winning streak that has the team poised to go to the NCAA for the first time since 1999. “What better way to show your Cougar spirit than to walk the walk by supporting all Cougars?”

Alumnus and parent Johnnie Baxley ’92 has created even more incentive to show your Cougar spirit with a matching gift challenge.

“If enough alumni and parents pledge to make a gift to either the CofC or the Parents’ Fund by midnight on March 31st, I will personally match these gifts with a $10,000 donation,” says Baxley.

That’s worth cheering for.

Join in and make your gift now! Visit giving.cofc.edu/MarchMatchness

From The College Today, written by Maura Hogan. 

CofC ATHLETICS FEATURE

CHARLESTON SWEEPS GEORGIA

MT. PLEASANT, S.C. — Luke Manzo (Marietta, Ga.) delivered a go-ahead, two-out, two-run single in the eighth, and Carter Love (Charlotte, N.C.) tossed four shutout innings to earn the win, as the College of Charleston baseball team rallied for a 6-4 win over Georgia on Sunday to complete the first series sweep against a Power Five school in program history.

The victory pushes the College of Charleston’s (10-2) win streak to seven games, and ties the Cougars for the second-best 12-game start to a season in program history. Charleston plated six runs on 10 hits – four of them for extra bases – while scoring four of its six runs with two outs. Georgia (7-4) pushed across four runs on six base knocks.

Joey Mundy (Huntington, W.Va.) paced the offense with a 3-for-4 effort, scoring two runs and driving in another, as Tommy Richter (Wayne, Pa.) and K.J. Bryant each collected a double as part of a two-hit day. Riley Knudsen (Cabot, Ark.) launched a game-tying two-run home run to right in the fifth.

Mundy and Manzo provided the key hits in the eighth, with Mundy driving in Richter to tie the game before Manzo singled home Mundy and Bryant to give the Cougars the 6-4 lead – their first of the day.

Jakob Frishmuth (Myrtle Beach, S.C.) last five innings, allowing four runs on five hits and striking out five in a no-decision. Love entered in the sixth and shut the door with four scoreless innings, surrendering just one hit and striking out two to earn his second win of the season. The senior right-hander has now posted 14 consecutive scoreless innings to start the campaign, and is tied for second on the program’s all-time appearances list with 78.

Cam Shepherd led the way for Georgia with one run and two RBIs in a 2-for-4 effort. Keegan McGovern went 1-for-3 with a run scored and one RBI, as Aaron Schunk also drove in a run. Chase Adkins pitched four and one-third innings, allowing three runs on five hits and striking out three.

Ryan Webb surrendered three runs on four hits and struck out five in three and one-third to take the loss; Zac Kristofak recorded a strikeout to end the eighth after giving up the go-ahead single to Manzo.

Catch up on this story and others at CofCSports.com.

I HEART COFC

The Fall 2017 edition of this newsletter shared with you the story and details of a storm of Lowcountry lore, Hugo. While some people across the nation may remember Hugo, its only locals that remember the Winter storm that came soon after. It was in December of 1989 that the last major, considerable snowfall hit Charleston, just in time to give the Lowcountry its first White Christmas in one hundred years.

So to have a storm like Irma cause the disruption that it did in Charleston, it was almost  expected what would come next only a few months later.

For those few days at the beginning of January, even though our normal routine was disrupted, the College was closed, and flights were delayed and cancelled, our collegiate home became a Winter wonderland that made for the perfect Instagram posts and videos of students skiing down Meeting Street and having snowball fights in Marion Square.

Throughout all the excitement, the College continued to impact so much of the world around us, here at home and beyond. And the best way to keep you up-to-date of what’s going on around our historic campus, here’s a sneak peek into The College Today:

• CofC Looks Back on 2017
• Decoding One Alumna’s Tales of Cryptography in World War II
• Spring Arts Calendar Has Something for Everyone
• MFA Student Joins National Conversation on Women’s Rights
• College to Host ‘The First 365: Analyzing the First Year of the Trump Administration’
• CofC Alum Matt Czuchry Debuts New Role on ‘The Resident’
• Meet CofC’s 2018 Athletics Hall of Fame Inductees

FAMILY WEEKEND 2018

We can’t wait to host you here in Charleston!

Learn more and register for the Weekend here.

NEWS FROM THE BRICKS

Students Invention is Not Just for Kicks

It’s unlikely you’ve ever encountered anyone as animated as Eli Dent. With a megawatt smile and a penchant for punctuating sentences with hand gestures, this marketing major seems equal parts motivational speaker and cartoon character.

But don’t let outward appearances mislead you. Dent is a serious entrepreneur. In the brief time he’s been at the College (he transferred here as a junior), Dent has participated in ICAT (Interdisciplinary Center for Applied Technology) and NGAL (Network Globally Act Locally), both of which are entrepreneurial-focused academic programs where student teams create products and businesses to support them. He also helped create TIDES (Technology, Innovative Design and Entrepreneurship Studio) – a makerspace on campus where any student can give life to his/her creative ideas. And last spring, Dent won the School of Business competition for Entrepreneur of the Year based on a 60-second pitch for his product, the SideKik.

A small rubber disc with colorful feathers attached, the SideKik is Dent’s adaptation of jianzi, a hugely popular pastime in China. It’s both a juggling toy and a training apparatus for soccer players, which makes sense because soccer – outside of entrepreneurism – is Dent’s other principal passion. He’s been playing since he was 4 years old and played midfield on the College’s men’s soccer team.

“Soccer has definitely been the biggest driving force in my life up to this point,” says the senior from Charleston, S.C. “It provides a lot of structure for me. I have weight training in the morning and practice in the afternoon, and, of course, I have classes and my SideKik business.”

Recently, Dent succeeded in getting SideKik placed in 47 retail stores across the nation. “That’s huge for us,” he says. “It’s what I regard as serious market traction.” 

The “us” he refers to is SideKik’s marketing-management team, which includes fellow student Rett Stevens, who is assisting with marketing, and two alumni, Donnie Exelbierd ’04 and Arianna Weber ’17, who are advising Dent on business development and supply chain management.

It’s a busy and exciting time.

“There are moments when I have a 20-minute gap between classes and I realize that I can rush back and ship the next order of products,” says Dent. “It’s a frenzied lifestyle sometimes, but it’s always fun.”

And when SideKik wasn’t initially scoring many customer reviews online, Dent, ever the problem solver, convinced his ICAT team to develop an app to facilitate feedback and reviews for businesses engaged in e-commerce. Thus, Txtra was born. The app, which was deemed a finalist by judges at last spring’s ICAT Demo Day, provides an efficient way for consumers to offer product and service reviews online. And this fall, Txtra launched in Shopify’s e-commerce platform.

Have these successes gone to Dent’s head? It doesn’t seem so.

True success, he says, will be achieved when SideKik is on the shelves at gift shops in every professional soccer stadium in the U.S. In the meantime, he’s got classes to attend, matches to play and other products to develop. A true entrepreneur never slows down.

Posted from The College Today, by Dan Dickison.

CAMPUS HISTORY AND TRADITION

The COMET, College of Charleston Yearbook, 1922.

Pierrine St. Clair Smith-Byrd ’22 and the College Ring

The design for our ring is based on the original College of Charleston ring design, which was thought to be lost for many decades.  In 1995, the Alumni Association was considering new ring designs when it received a bequest from the estate of two alumni.  Inside the package were two gold rings, identical except one was sized for a woman’s hand.

The woman’s ring belonged to the very first female graduate of the College of Charleston, Pierrine Smith ‘22.  When she graduated, there was no women’s ring, so her fiancé, George Byrd ’21, had a miniature of his ring made for her.  They were happily married for many years and left their rings to their alma mater.  This charming story inspired the Alumni Association to adopt the original College of Charleston ring design for both men and women. 

The signet-style ring features the seal of the College of Charleston, derived from the City of Charleston’s seal, which was adopted in 1783.  It features the Latin phrases Sapientia Ipsa Libertas (Wisdom Itself Is Liberty) and Ædes Mores Juraque Curat (She Cares for Her Temples, Customs and Rights). The seated woman holding the scepter is a personification of Charleston and evokes an image of the city deriving its livelihood from the sea and prepared to defend itself.  She is shown presenting a laurel wreath to a young man holding a diploma in front of a classroom building. The date 1770 refers to the year of the College’s founding.

Content provided by the Alumni Association, with minor edits.

I HEART COFC

September 22, 1989 continues to be a day etched into the memories of those who call the Lowcountry home. Shortly after midnight, the Category 4 storm known as Hugo made landfall destroying over 3,000 homes in South Carolina alone. Due to its devastation in the Caribbean and Eastern United States, the name was retired by NOAA and the National Hurricane Center.

Hurricane Hugo, 22 September 1989.

These storms aren’t uncommon- and luckily the College has survived much more than just hurricanes. You can add earthquakes, fire, war, and students to the list. President McConnell has shared with the campus community that safety continues to be the highest priority of the administration. The Emergency Management Team works with local, state, and federal agencies to ensure they can provide the safest outcome for our students, faculty, and staff.

It’s not every year that we get to kick-off the school year with a full solar eclipse and then a few weeks later a major storm. Regardless, of those two big events- there’s been a lot of other neat stuff happening on campus. So to keep you up to date of what’s going on around our historic campus, here’s a sneak peek into The College Today:

• CofC Student Kick-Off the Academic Year with a Solar Eclipse
• CofC Earns High Marks from the Princeton Review
• International BBC Program Coming to Cistern Yard
• Jewish Student Union Holds Kick-Off Cookout
• Alum Addresses Education Gaps in South Africa
• CofC Professor’s Book Examines American War Fiction
• English Major’s Work Published in S.C. Anthology

FROM THE PARENT LISTSERV

Sometimes our Parent Listserv can get a little hairy but there are also jewels of wisdom that come from the many family members who are willing to share their own experiences and offer advice. Many of those come from our favorite Director of Orientation, Stephanie Auwaerter. This quarter, Stephanie shares an excerpt from Helping Your First-Year College Student Succeed: A Guide for Parents. I’m sure that many of our family members can attest to the accuracy of this “Rhythm of College Life”.

Like Clockwork: The Rhythm of College Life

Certain times in the academic year tend to be universally challenging for students. Parents who understand the ups and downs of the first college year are better able to help their students negotiate the challenges of transition to college life. Below are some typical examples of what they will face throughout the first year.

August/September
• Excitement
• Testing newfound freedom
• Frequent calls and visits home
• Homesickness and loneliness
• Anxiety about roommates, professors, classes
• First exams

October
• Roommate problems begin to arise
• Students question: “Do I fit in here?”
• First test grades returned
• Midterm exams
• Love relationships from home remain strong
• Consequences of decision-making experienced

November
• Midterm grades returned
• Roommate challenges become clearer
• Many exams and papers due before Thanksgiving
• Excitement and/or anxiety regarding going home for Thanksgiving
• First series of campus-wide illnesses (cold, flu, strep, etc.)

December
• Anxiety over preparation for finals
• Excitement and/or anxiety regarding going home for holidays
• Sadness about leaving new friendship and/or love relationships
• Roommate challenges continue

January
• “Fresh Start” mentality sets in with new term
• Satisfaction and/or disappointment with fall term grades
• Homesickness
• Loneliness for love relationship back home
• Relief at being away from home and back at school

February
• Feelings of claustrophobia and depression set in with winter
• Potential increase in alcohol and other substance abuse
• Challenges with love relationship back home
• Valentine’s Day brings out loneliness, isolation

March
• Anxiety regarding finding roommate(s) for next year
• Excitement and/or disappointment regarding spring break plans
• Midterm exam stress
• Concern over summer employment
• Concern over winter weight gain

April
• Excitement with arrival of spring
• Concern over declaring major
• End-of-semester pressure
• Final exam anxiety

May
• Apprehension about returning home for summer
• Sadness over leaving new friends and/or love relationships at school
• Realization of how college influences life decisions

In addition to these more predictable stressors, students may experience
the following concerns throughout the academic year:

• Missing family birthday and holiday celebrations
• Missing participation in family traditions
• Wanting involvement with family maintained, but expecting their desire for complete freedom to be respected (Blimling, 1999)

Reprinted with permission. Mullendore, R.H., and Hatch, C. Helping Your First-Year College Student Succeed: A Guide for Parents. Columbia, S.C.: University of South Carolina, National Resource Center for The First-Year Experience & Students in Transition, 2000.

NEWS FROM THE BRICKS

Students’ App Improves Access to Experiential Learning

When Michael Gude started searching for an internship in finance in August of 2016, he was optimistic that he would find plenty of opportunities to consider for the following summer. Fast-forward to the spring of 2017, and the finance major was feeling a little less enthused. It had been a long hunt for the right internship, and he was still waiting to hear whether he would be able to take advantage of one of the two internships he had found.

(L-R) Hassam Solano-Morel ’17 and Michael Gude

“It took far too long and far too much time to find the right opportunity for me,” says Gude, noting his internship search finally ended in April when he committed to an investments internship with Sompo International in New York City. “It’s such a painful, stressful process. It took my mind off school work and campus involvement. It’s something that needs to be addressed.”

Gude, a rising senior, and Hassam Solano-Morel ’17, who graduated in May with a degree in computer science, are gearing up to launch a solution that aims to streamline students’ search for internships and better connect them with businesses searching for student talent.

Gude and Solano-Morel have developed a new app called Experiential Learning Analytics Powered (ELAP for short) as part of their work in the College’s ICAT (Interdisciplinary Center for Applied Technology) spring 2017 cohort. The ICAT program offers students the opportunity to solve real-world problems in the market place through technological, entrepreneurial and creative activities.

“The current problem is that when a student goes to try to find these opportunities they’re spending hours on end just trying to find a good website or typing in the right key words to find these opportunities and that just takes too long,” says Solano-Morel.

What makes ELAP different from a traditional Google search is its use of machine learning for natural language understanding (think AI), which allows the app to extract meaning from a short paragraph highlighting students’ interests, previous work or internship experience, what he or she is studying, and what kind of experience they’re looking for. The app then takes that information and combs its database for potential matches.

“It’s not your traditional key word search,” says Solano-Morel. “It’s really searching by the meaning of what you’re telling it.”

Gude adds, “It’s really tailoring the fit. It goes way beyond a Google search. You’re going deeper into what the person is saying.”

ELAP is a great demonstration of what the ICAT program helps students achieve, says Chris Starr, associate professor of information management and director of the ICAT program. Although Solano-Morel’s and Gude’s ELAP app came in fourth during ICAT’s annual Demo Day pitch competition in April, Starr says the app has a lot of potential, particularly in the world of higher education.

“We need to move experiential learning from the margins where just a few people have these experiences to the middle where it is driving students’ learning and skills,” says Starr.

An app like ELAP, says Starr, can improve students’ access to meaningful, real-world activities whether that’s publishing research with a professor, studying historic preservation in Europe or getting a competitive internship at a financial firm.

“It’s the difference between going to work at Boeing and observing the workers working at Boeing,” he says.

Solano-Morel and Gude have begun beta tests of the ELAP platform and are working toward having the app available for CofC students before the end of the fall semester. They plan to eventually expand the app to connect students with research and study abroad opportunities as well. And the ambitious budding entrepreneurs hope to one day see their app implemented at colleges and universities across the country.

“Students can do great in the classroom, but the skills they need are out there in the world and we want to help them gain those skills before they get out into the job market,” Solano-Morel says.

Posted from The College Today, article by Amanda Kerr.

CAMPUS HISTORY AND TRADITION

Towell Library

To see evidence of the College’s growth since its founding in 1770, you need to look no further than the series of libraries that served as the academic refuge for the dedicated student. In fact, the College’s collection was founded prior to the institution. The original volumes were bequeathed to the College in 1748 and stored at the Charleston Library Society, creating the first part of the College’s collections.

It wasn’t until 1853 that the need for a campus library became evident when another local benefactor, Lingard A. Fampton, offered his collection to the growing school bringing the total number of volumes to around 5,000. The College secured funding from both CofC and state coffers and built the library for a whopping $8000.

The construction of the library, along with the Gate Lodge, would complete the modern Cistern Yard. The uniqueness of the buildings can also be viewed in the different architectural features of each. Designed in the classical revival of the time by George Walker, the building also highlights Italianate details. Like many institutional buildings in the city, the construction of the library is of stuccoed brick that requires significant preservation in a humid climate.

The library served its original purpose for over one hundred years before being moved into the newly built Robert Scott Small Library in 1972 under the presidency of Ted Stern. The original library took on the name Towell Library in honor of Edward Emerson Towell, Class of 1934, who earned his PhD in Chemistry at UNC-Chapel Hill, returned to teach at the College in 1943 until his retirement in 1976. Towell also served as the Dean of Men and an acting college president.

After the library’s volumes moved to Robert Scott Small, Towell became a learning resource center before becoming the Office of Admissions in 1987. Towell served as the initial welcome to the campus for students during the College’s largest period of growth during the 1990s. When Admissions moved to its current location to Craig Hall in 2010, Towell has served as swing space for professor’s offices, Boeing training groups, and hosted special events. This Fall, Alumni Affairs will move to the space and use it as a welcome center for all guests and returning alumni.

Fun Facts:

• Legend has it that during the first few days of the Civil War, classes remained in session at the College. During that time, a stray cannonball came crashing through the roof of Towell and landed on the desk of a professor teaching class in the basement. The professor made sure everyone was safe and continued to teach class.
• You’ll notice the black medallions lining the top of the building. Those are evidence of earthquake rods that hold the building together in the event of another earthquake like that of 1886, devastating much of the city.
• The oldest bricks on the College of Charleston campus are found on the Southeast corner of the building. The foundation for the library is actually Revolutionary War barracks that were built there in the 1760s.

I HEART COFC

The end of Spring term is always filled with new and exciting projects, events, and opportunities for our undergraduates, faculty/staff, and alumni. Yes, the entire CofC community is able to share with the world the uniqueness of our campus and the personal attention to the student experience.

The most prominent news of the day has centered around the full solar eclipse that will cross over the North American continent on Convocation Day, August 21. Folks from around the country will be flocking to Charleston, the last city in North America to have the eclipse pass over.

Undergraduates and faculty alike will be participating in this once-in-a-lifetime event. Even NASA will be stationed on campus at Rivers Green offering live reporting as the eclipse makes its was from Washington state to our little Holy City.

In addition to the excitement surrounding the eclipse, check out some more cool stuff happening at the College:

• CofC Student Rolls Out Bike Based Coffee Delivery
• Dialogue on Race Continues After Church Tragedy
• Eclipse Outreach Grant Brings College Community to Light
• CofC Senior Opens Contemporary Art Gallery In His Home
• CofC Alum is Contestant on Fox’s ‘Master Chef’
• Memorial Day Uncovered: Charleston’s “Martyrs of the Race Course”

CONGRATS CLASS OF 2017

NEWS FROM THE BRICKS

In case you’re completely in the dark about the total solar eclipse that will be visible across a massive swath of the continental United States on Aug. 21, 2017, consider this your fair warning: This event will be huge and historic, especially for population centers along the eclipse path, which includes the College of Charleston campus.

“We will experience it around 1:10 p.m. as it starts going into partial eclipse with totality in Charleston at about 2:40 in the afternoon,” says Associate Professor of Geology Cass Runyon. “It will be traveling across the U.S. at about 1,000 miles per hour.”In fact, most of the Lowcountry (which includes Charleston, Berkeley and Dorchester counties) is within the so-called “path of totality” that will go completely dark from anywhere between one and a half to two and half minutes, depending on location, as the shadow of the eclipse travels eastward.

RELATED: Braille Book Sheds Light on the Upcoming Solar Eclipse

Although portions of the U.S. experienced total solar eclipses in 1970 and 1979, they were visible from only a limited number of states. The eclipse on March 7, 1970, was seen along much of the Eastern seaboard and plunged Charleston into darkness for about one minute and 44 seconds.
While a total solar eclipse is visible from some place on earth about every 18 months, it’s estimated that a total solar eclipse is visible from a specific point on earth only once every 375 years, making this summer’s solar spectacle a once-in-a-lifetime event.But a total solar eclipse has not gone coast to coast since June 8, 1918. Fast forward 99 years to this summer and you have all the makings of a major international event right in the College’s backyard.

Considering Charleston’s status as an international tourism destination and the fact that Charleston is the last major city along the path of the eclipse, Jon Hakkila, CofC professor of physics and astronomy, expects Charleston to see a major influx of visitors for the eclipse, particularly as people opt to turn their viewing experiences into vacations.

“The viewing band runs all the way from Oregon to South Carolina – coast to coast,” says Hakkila. “Everybody in the (Charleston area) is going to see it. You can’t miss it – it’s very rare.”

Indeed, hotel bookings are up and area organizations, governments and institutions are planning special viewing and educational events. Local school districts have even adjusted their academic calendars to accommodate the eclipse.

The College’s annual convocation, where new students are officially welcomed into the College, also happens to fall on the same day as the eclipse.

Convocation will take place as scheduled from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. This means that students in the incoming Class of 2021 will have the very special distinction of launching their academic journey on the same day as the historic eclipse. Talk about an unforgettable first day of college!

The Division of Student Affairs is planning a special viewing event for the campus community on Rivers Green from 1:45 p.m. to 3:45 p.m. on Aug. 21. A variety of activities, displays and refreshments will be available to help celebrate the momentous occasion. In addition, the College will be providing custom-designed CofC eclipse viewing glasses to members of campus to ensure everyone protects their eyes while viewing the sun as it transitions.

CofC professors from the Department of Physics and Astronomy and the Department of Geology and Environmental Geosciences are in high demand for the eclipse. In addition to serving as narrators and experts at a number eclipse events, faculty members will also be conducting research on various aspects of the eclipse.

Check back with The College Today all summer as we share stories about how our faculty, staff and students are planning for the big day.

CAMPUS HISTORY AND TRADITION

The Wilson-Sottile House

By Erin Perkins, for The College Today.

Passing by the pale yellow facade of the Sottile House, one can’t help but to be awestruck by the unique features of the Victorian mansion. Carved oak doors, Tiffany-style stained glass windows, and a two-story veranda make for a picturesque postcard (or Instagram post) of the College of Charleston campus.

But did you know this stunning work of architecture was once a residence for female undergraduates?

RELATED: CofC’s First Alumna Was a Campus Dynamo

Built in 1890 by wealthy merchant Sam Wilson, the house is billed as one of the finest examples of Victorian architecture in Charleston. Sold to Albert Sottile in 1912, the home stayed in the Sottile family until it was acquired by the College in 1964 and converted into a residence for female undergrads.

To give a glimpse of the climate of the campus in 1964, read this passage from Nan Morrison’s A History of the College of Charleston:

The traditional way of life at the College of Charleston still retained old mores and customs, as seen in the experience of residential women accepted in fall 1963 who would not be accommodated at 4 Green Street. These women were housed on the third floor of the gym and were required to eat at Craig Union cafeteria, which was several blocks away. In the mornings they put on the skirts and blouses or demure dresses they would wear all day because they were told “ladies do not wear pants on campus even at breakfast.” On the weekends they packed fifteen girls into Peggy Bridge’s grandmother’s car and went to the beach, or they went to Freida’s for pizza burgers, to the pool hall on George Street, or to LaBrasca’s, where they knew that, if they sat downstairs and ordered tea on Sunday, they would be served a mixed drink in a beer stein.

Between the stained glass windows, marble mantels, gold leaf moldings, mahogany china cabinets, and crystal chandeliers, Sottile House had to be one of the most handsome residence halls in the country. There are tales that the students would remove a crystal from the chandeliers upon moving out, and they had to be constantly replaced.

As handsome as the interiors are, the gardens must be mentioned as well. The yard is surrounded by an ornate wrought iron fence and is home to the rose garden of Pi Kappa Phi, which was founded at CofC, and a row of Pierrine Byrd roses, named after the College’s first female graduate.

Today Sottile House serves as offices for the College’s Division of Institutional Advancement.

I HEART COFC

It’s hard to believe that it was only 1967 that College of Charleston, at the time a private university of only a few hundred students, integrated welcoming several black students from the Charleston area.

Avery Normal Institute

Among those students was Eddie Ganaway ’71, a Charleston native who grew up just West of the Navy Yards of the city’s neck. A lover of history and a devout academic, Eddie became the College’s first black graduate earning his bachelor’s degree in 1971.

Throughout February, the College looked back at its history as it relates to African American students and faculty; in addition to the progress of today’s ever-diversifying student body:

• Remembering Eddie Ganaway, CofC’s First Black Graduate
• Avery Research Center Houses Badges from Charleston’s Past
• Looking Back at the Avery Normal Institute
• Collegiate Curls Builds Student Support Network
• CofC’s First Black Profressors Paved the Way for a More Diverse Faculty

A LETTER TO OUR PARENTS

*This letter was sent to all undergraduate parents of the College of Charleston. If you did not receive it, please email Seaton Brown ’09 at brownms@cofc.edu to update your information.

Dear Parents,

Porter’s Lodge with the message, “Know Thyself”.

Two hundred forty-seven years ago the long life of the College was just beginning. Fifteen years after its initial founding in 1770, College of Charleston chartered with the mission to provide the “proper education of youth” that “…is essential to the happiness and prosperity of every community.”

From the moment our students walk through the gates of Porter’s Lodge to when they cross the Cistern for the first time- their memories connect them to an experience greater than their own, a mutual experience that has connected students for over two centuries.

For us personally we know that our children, Christopher and Brittany, have been taught by some of the nation’s finest and most captivating professors, developed long-lasting friendships, engaged in a thriving community, and now have access to a vast network of alumni and friends of the College who wish to support and share in their successes.

It’s these qualities that make the College so special and why we’re here to ask you to celebrate our 232nd Chartering Day by joining us in giving back to the College of Charleston Parents’ Fund.

When 232 parents support the Parents’ Fund this spring, we will donate an additional $25,000.

The Parents’ Fund is a strategic priority of the College, President McConnell, and your Parent Advisory Council (PAC) members. We want our parents and alumni to support the College each and every year. The fund supports our campus by contributing to scholarships, faculty recruitment and retention, and our student-centered programs. By supporting the Parents’ Fund you are a key philanthropist on our campus.

Please accept our challenge and visit go.cofc.edu/parentsfund to make your gift today. If you have any questions, contact Seaton Brown ’09, Assistant Director for Parent Giving Programs at brownms@cofc.edu or 843.953.3667. Thank you for supporting our students, faculty, and alumni.

Thank you and Go Cougars!

Sincerely,
Chris and Terri Walker (P ’15, P ’18)
Parent Advisory Council, Admissions Committee Chairs

NEWS FROM THE BRICKS

Posted from The College Today. Article by Amanda Kerr.

The international scientific journal Nature has published research co-authored by a College of Charleston computer science professor that offers a groundbreaking new method for predicting whether a child is at risk of developing autism.

In coordination with a team at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, assistant professor Brent Munsell has developed a computational model that uses MRI scans to detect abnormal brain overgrowth in infants which correlates to a higher risk for autism. Nature published the findings of the study Wednesday. The new technology offers doctors for the first time a tangible way to diagnose the neurodevelopmental disorder in infancy, rather than relying solely on behavioral cues as a child grows.

“Typically an autism diagnosis is made when a child is 24 months of age,” says Munsell. “With this new model, we can predict if a child is likely to have autism before age two and if it looks like he or she is at high risk, they can start treatments and therapies sooner.”

The cutting-edge technology is part of the Infant Brain Imaging Study (IBIS), a consortium of eight universities across the United States and Canada researching early brain development and autism.

Munsell, in collaboration with professors at the University of North Carolina and New York University, created the new computational model at the College’s Machine Learning and Medical Image Analysis Lab. The project is one of several research initiatives Munsell oversees at the high-tech computer lab, many of which focus on new technologies aimed at better diagnosing neurological conditions. In October Munsell along with researchers in the departments of psychiatry and radiology at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill and the School of Software at Tsinghua University in Beijing, China, attended the Medical Image Computing and Computer Assisted Intervention Society’s annual conference in Greece where they presented a new method for analyzing neuroimaging data that assesses impaired brain function.

Creating new techniques to improve the detection of neurological disorders, particularly those afflicting children, is personal for Munsell, whose three-year-old daughter Maddy has been diagnosed with a very rare neurological disorder called Alternating Hemiplegia of Childhood.

“Everything I do is for her,” he says.

The new method associated with the IBIS study utilizes refined computational parameters that can detect subtle size increases within specific areas of the brain. These minuscule overgrowth patterns can be indicative of autism.

“It was basically like finding a needle in a haystack,” says Munsell. “To date nobody has really found this with good accuracy before.”

Munsell used the new model to assess the MRI scans of 318 infants with a family history of autism and 117 infants with no family history of autism at six months of age and again at 12 months. Based on increases in brain size, the technique correctly predicted the diagnosis of autism in infants with 94 percent accuracy.

And that’s a big deal, says Munsell, because for the first time it offers doctors a quantitative way to evaluate a child for autism. Previously physicians had no definitive biological way to diagnose the condition. Instead, they have had to rely on a diagnostic test comprised of a series of questions that assessed a child’s behavior at or after the age of two.

With so many significant clinical implications for the new model, the College of Charleston is working with the University of North Carolina to patent the research for further development of the technology.

“This has the potential to help physicians make better decisions for their patients and provide better information sooner to the parents of children at risk for autism,” Munsell says. “That’s why this is so important.”

CAMPUS HISTORY AND TRADITION

Graduates sit on the Cistern stage, preparing to receive their degrees.

The White Dinner Jackets and Dresses

Seeing undergrads sitting on the Cistern stage, decked out in brilliant white jackets and dresses, evokes more than just a little Southern charm. And it’s a tradition that is today is matched by no other college in South Carolina and perhaps the rest of the country.
According to Morrison’s book, the attire frustrated some members of the faculty, who argued that the graduation garb emphasized the social, economic and gender differences between students rather than their academic achievements.But students graduating in suits wasn’t so uncommon in the College’s earlier years. According to Nan Morrison’s A History of College of Charleston 1936-2008,  traditional caps and gowns came late to most southern schools, namely because of poverty. Photos from many CofC commencements in the 19th and early 20th centuries show students wearing formal suits, including the Class of 1904 (pictured at right) which graduated in black blazers and light trousers.

But students disagreed. An editor of the College’s year book, the Meteor, wrote in 1937: ” The College has a very definite and strong feeling of its own. Evidences of this spirit are found in such traditions as… the lack of cap and gowns at graduation.”

President Harrison Randolph, the College’s longest-serving chief administrator and for whom Randolph Hall is named, explained his reasoning for CofC’s attire in a letter to a New York University faculty member ahead of the 1938 commencement.

“I ought to say that we never use academic costume,” Randolph wrote in the letter housed at the Special Collections of the Addlestone Library. “Being inclined to democratic simplicity, the College has always used at academic ceremonies the attire that would be worn at any other serious occasion. Accordingly for the exercises, in the afternoon any form of day-time attire would be suitable.”

But why white? Fashion etiquette — and Charleston’s sultry springtime climate — may offer an explanation.

For one, modern Spring Commencements at the College have been held in May or June. This means commencement almost always fell after Easter, when it was deemed acceptable by the upper echelons of 19th and 20th century society to wear white.

And as any CofC grad will tell you — Charleston is already hot by May or June. And because white reflects sunlight, it makes for a better midday outfit than any other color.

Randolph, in that same letter to the NYU faculty member, referenced the heat that should be expected on commencement day.

“As the weather is apt to be warm many of those on the rostrum wear white thin suits which are so usual to our warm climate,” he wrote.

As the years went by, the white dinner jackets and dresses crossed over from practical convenience to celebrated tradition, and by 1970, an administrator writing to potential guests bragged about how the College was one of the “few institutions left” where men and women opt for white jackets and dresses over academic attire.

Today, every undergrad who graduates in the spring wears white. In the winter, students follow the “no white after Labor Day” etiquette that has become verboten in America and wear black tuxedos and dresses. (Randolph also mentioned in his letters that evening commencements would require students to wear formal evening suits).

I HEART COFC

There’s always something going on around campus and luckily we have The College Today to give us a quick update of what’s happening on the bricks.

James L. Petigru (SC Attorney General 1822-1830) is best known for the phrase, “South Carolina is too small to be a republic and too big to be an insane asylum”. Even since its earliest colonial days, South Carolina has been a political hot bed. Today, our students and alumni are involved in every aspect of political life: from the campaign trail to the White House and some social activism along the way.

Here’s a look at how politics has had a recent impact on the College:

• President Obama’s Indelible Moments at CofC
• CofC Grad Earns Role In Trump Administration
• Student Gets First-Person View of Inauguration
• Grad a Key Player in Women’s March on Washington
• CofC Alum Keeps Michelle Obama on Schedule

FROM THE PARENT LISTSERV

The Winter doldrums have come and settled on campus with colder weather and gloomy days lining the weather app on your smartphone. And while Charleston is always beautiful, chillier days aren’t quite as fun when your students are walking from Maybank Hall to the Education Center bundled up trying to escape the arctic blast of St. Philip Street.

Some of our wonderful parents have offered ideas of little “pick-me-ups” to bring a smile to their student’s face. Something small, easy and lets your student know you’re thinking of them. What better way to share a little love than with something sweet?

With all the recommendations from the Listserv it got a little confusing but thanks to our friend Becky Rizvi (P ‘18) in Silver Spring, Maryland we have all those suggestions compiled for your reference. Below are recommendations from that list- thanks Becky!

PIE Charleston http://www.piecharleston.com

“You should add P.I.E. on Warren Street right across from the Warren St dorms.  If you look on her website under services she lists birthday cakes and she made my daughter a gluten less, soy free, nut free birthday cake last spring. I prepaid over the phone (live in New Hampshire) and one of my daughter’s roommates picked it up.”

Cheryl’s Cookies http://www.cheryls.com/cheryls-cookie-greeting

“I will throw this out too, I found Cheryl’s Cookies on THIS list and have now used it several times. They do a fun little ‘cookie card’ that is only $5 including the shipping – just a fun little something to surprise your student!  Our daughter has loved the cookies!”

Dulce Sweet Teas and Treats

phone: 843-737-1704 email: DulceTruck@gmail.com

“I’ve recently discovered a wonderful baker of cakes, cheesecakes, cupcakes, breakfast pastries, etc. She may deliver as she sells her products from a food truck. I highly recommend her cheesecakes. They are phenomenal! (I’m a huge foodie and used to bake cheesecakes to order and catered). Her teas and iced lattes are also delicious!”

Christen Reese, (843) 853-0436

“Her name is Christen Reese and I believe she works out of her house. She bakes and delivers the world’s most delicious, decadent homemade cakes to your student on campus and surrounding areas. and she makes hand-crafted, extraordinary chocolate cakes, so I’m told.  All different sizes, 4”, 8”, etc.  She is even walking it over to my daughter’s apartment.”

Sugar Babies Baked Goods  http://www.sugarbabiesbakedgoods.com/

Amy Langstone,  (843) 425-6522

“I have the best person for you. Amy Langstone makes incredible custom cakes/cupcakes at the best prices and will deliver downtown. She is a true artist! And the cakes are awesome.”

From Stephanie Auwaerter, Director of Orientation: 

Deliveries can be made to the front desk but the front desk is not able to call the students to let them know a delivery is there for them.  It the past, I believe families have hinted to the student that they should check at the front desk for a delivery or the florist delivery driver has called the student to have them meet them at a specific place and time for delivery.  The residence hall front desks are not responsible for any lost or stolen deliveries. 

*Please note: all comments are directly from emails shared with the Parents Listserv and are not official endorsements of the College of Charleston. Minor edits have been made to content.

NEWS FROM THE BRICKS

Posted from The College Today. Article by Darren Price.

It’s the best thing in Cougars basketball this side of Selection Saturday.

That’s right – it’s homecoming week at the College of Charleston, and like in years past, there’s plenty of big events around campus ahead of Colonial Athletic Association games for both the men’s and women’s teams this weekend.

This year’s events are anchored by the College’s Spirit Cup Challenge, a friendly contest aimed at finding the residence hall, fraternity, sorority, club or organization with the most pep. And it wouldn’t be a proper homecoming without a king and queen – both of which will be crowned during the men’s game against Elon on Saturday, Feb. 4, at TD Arena.

Here’s a rundown of some of the events:

Monday, Jan. 30: Spirit Cup participants will participate in an air hockey tournament in the Stern Student Center game room at 7 p.m.

Tuesday, Jan. 31: There will be a pep rally and dinner at Liberty Street Fresh Food Company at 5 p.m. The first 100 students without a meal plan will get in free and will be treated to ribs, Buffalo wings, Italian subs, a nacho bar, cotton candy and more game-day favorites. There will also be a DJ, games, prizes and special appearances by Clyde the Cougar and the CofC cheerleaders.

Wednesday, Feb. 1.: The first day of February is all about service. Spirit Cup participants will be trying to collect the most boxes of cereal for a local food bank and filling out cards for the Lowcountry’s senior citizens.

Thursday, Feb. 2: Thursday is chock full of events, including:

• Homecoming banner judging. The banners will also be on display throughout the day in the atrium of the Thaddeus Street. Jr. Education Center.
• Homecoming queen and king voting. Students can vote for the week’s royals online via OrgSync through noon on Saturday.
• Grocery Bingo. Students will get the chance to re-stock their pantry in one night at the Willard A. Silcox Physical Education and Health Center at 9:30 p.m.

Friday, Feb. 3: The women’s basketball team (6-13) takes on the Drexel Dragons (14-4) at TD Arena at 7 p.m. Homecoming king and queen candidates will also take the court at halftime.

Saturday, Feb. 4: Saturday marks the lion’s share of homecoming events, including:

• The yearly Homecoming Tailgate in the Cistern Yard. Spirit Cup participants will have two hours before the tailgate to decorate their tables and will be judged during the event, which is open to the public from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Expect fun games, food and Cougar spirit.
• The men’s basketball team (16-6) returns from a three-game road trip for a 5 p.m. tipoff against the Elon Phoenix (12-9) at TD Arena. The winners of the 2017 Spirit Cup and homecoming king and queen will be named during half-time.
• Homecoming festivities close with the National Pan-Hellenic Council Step Show at 8 p.m. at College of Charleston’s Sottile Theatre. The event is ticketed.

CAMPUS HISTORY AND TRADITION

Editor’s Note: It is my hope that this new series will give you the opportunity to learn more about what makes College of Charleston such a special place. The College has an important role in the culture and history of Charleston, South Carolina, and the nation. Its history is rich with stories that show the true spirit of its people.

Two hundred forty-seven years ago this month, Lieutenant Governor William Bull recommended the establishment of provincial colleges throughout the state. And with that single declaration, the school that would one day be known as College of Charleston finds its founding date of January 30, 1770. However, progress slowed on the College’s formal establishment throughout the American revolution. The almost twenty year ordeal in the colonies required the attention of its leaders to pursue the nation’s formidable founding rather than education. Fifteen years later, March 19, 1785 the founding charter for the College was written describing that, “the proper education of youth is essential to the happiness and prosperity of every community” (South Carolina Act No. 1274).

With its founding, College of Charleston became the thirteenth oldest college in the nation. Considered today to be one of the country’s “colonial colleges” founded before the American Revolution. However, the history of the College can actually date back much further in the young colony’s history. As early as 1748, there was discussion of establishing a “free school” for the men of the Lowcountry in and around Charleston. In fact, it was in that year that the College’s library was first established with small collections donated from local citizens. Members of the newly-founded Charleston Library Society began to set aside collections that would one day serve as the initial donations for the library at the young Charleston college. Learn more about one of those unique donations here.

So who were our founders exactly? They are truly a “who’s who” of early America…

Three signers of the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Heyward Jr., Arthur Middleton, Edward Rutledge; and three framers of the US Constitution, Charles Pinckney, Charles Cotesworth Pinckney, John Rutledge. Not to mention future governors of South Carolina, Diplomats and Ambassadors, Presidential Candidates, and a Supreme Court Justice.

The United States would look quite different today than to the College’s early founders. However, I’m sure the names on this list would be proud of the work, activism, and leadership of the College’s students, alumni, and faculty have taken in their communities both locally and nationally.