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Save the Date!
Homecoming 2017: October 20 & 21
Details are coming!
If these walls could talk...
We'll be celebrating the stories of 70 years of Childs Hall during a special Fundraiser Dinner April 12 in The Founders. Doors open at 6 p.m. and the dinner starts at 6:30 p.m. Click here for details and to reserve your tickets.
Ampitheater dedication is April 12
A matching gift has been received to create the lighting, sound and support infrastructure for the new amphitheater, and with it the opportunity for the facility to have a name. A dedication service will take place at 11 a.m. April 12 for the Clyde Dupin Celebration Amphitheater.
Evangelist Dr. Clyde Dupin has a long history with SWU and to celebrate the completion of this facility with his name on it is a joy and honor for our campus. When complete, this project will support music, preaching, activities, movies, speaking engagements, outdoor classes, homecoming events and even community events. It will be an amazing addition to campus and our community.
Southern Wesleyan University will again host Area 14 Special Olympics on Wednesday, April 5 at the Joe R. Gilbert Track and Field, located at the Central campus. This will be Area 14’s 39th year hosting Spring Games. The Spring Games gives school aged children across five districts the opportunity to showcase their track and field talents. Volunteers are needed! To sign up, go to swu.edu/special-olympics-volunteer.
Grandparents Day was a time for making family connections while getting a taste of campus life, sharing meals with grandchildren, taking a bus tour of the historic campus, and enjoying a musical production. Left: Barbara Thick of Andersonenjoys lunch with her grandchildren Kathryn Brickle and Aaron Brickle, both SWU students. Right: Leah Moyer (right) of SWU's Advancement Office, right, guides grandparents and family members into the University Dining Commons following the bus tour, courtesy of Clemson Area Transit. Moyer is advancement creative event and scholarship director.
Military Appreciation at SWU
Veterans and currently serving military were honored March 11 just prior to the SWU baseball game vs. Pfeiffer. Pictured in front of the Warriors Baseball Team are, from left: Dr.Todd Voss, SWU President; Dr. Jim Mahony, who served as a captain in the U.S. Navy; Dr. Don Schaupp, who served as a major in the U.S. Air Force; Dr. Bob Nash, who served as a sergeant major in the U.S. Army and Robert Pittman, who served as a lance corporal in the U.S. Marine Corps and is the husband of Donna Pittman, SWU's senior records counselor and VA benefits administrator. Mahony, Schaupp and Nash are retired SWU faculty members. Col. Brad Fipps (U.S. Army), professor of Religion, gave the invocation; and throwing out the first pitch was Drew Carson, a senior and member of the U.S. Marine Corps. Singing The National Anthem were students Charity Speed, a PFC in the Marine Corps Reserve; and Katie Cook, a military dependent. The Daniel High School ROTC presented the colors and the Clemson University Army ROTC also took part in the event.
Special chapel to pray for living and learning community
Left: Dr. Joe Brockinton, vice president for student life, addresses students inside Southern Wesleyan University’s newest residence hall, currently under construction along Wesleyan Drive. Right: Student Jenna Griffin of Pooler, Ga., writes a Bible verse on one of the wall studs. The new residence hall will open to students this August. Read more>>
SWU's Religion Division moves into an exciting new era
Dr. Mike Tapper, left, was named as new Division of Religion chair, bringing a wealth of pastoral ministry and higher education experience to SWU. Mark Wilson, right, was named as assistant professor of multiplication, discipleship and renewal. Read more>>
Law Enforcement Appreciation
Mark Gowan, left, a SWU Criminal Justice major, greets Pickens County Sheriff Rick Clark as SWU President Todd Voss (seated right) looks on. Clark and many law enforcement officials were invited to the Central campus for a Law Enforcement Appreciation Breakfast March 16. The event was organized to honor the law enforcement community.
SWU's Advancement Office organized the Law Enforcement Appreciation Breakfast with valuable assistance from SWU's Criminal Justice program, Conference Services, Marketing Office and Pioneer College Caterers.
SWU Fine Arts Series
Spring Fine Arts offerings continue with the Music Majors Formal Recital at 4:30 p.m. April 7; Music Majors Honors Recital at 7:30 p.m. April 11; SWU Wind Ensemble Concert at 3 p.m. Sunday, April 23; and An Opera in Disguise: Verdi's Requiem, 7:30 p.m. April 28 at Boulevard Baptist Church, 700 Boulevard in Anderson. NOTE: This is a ticketed event – call the GAMAC Office at (864) 231-6174 to reserve your ticket (Adults $20/Children $10)
Technical Sgt. Nikki Hill ('09), a SWU Music graduate, will perform along with the United States Air Force Concert Band Friday, March 31 at 7:30 p.m. at the South Carolina School of the Arts at Anderson University, Henderson Auditorium, 316 Boulevard in Anderson. "I am thrilled to perform with the band in Georgia and South Carolina," says Hill. "Having the opportunity to come home and perform for family and friends in the place where it all started brings me great joy." For details, contact Master Sgt. Matthew Irish.
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Alumni News
Congratulations!
Thomas Crane (’11) celebrated 33 years of marriage with Judy Crane on a cruise in the Bahamas, on March 3. He says, “a key to a happy long marriage is always have fun together.”
Thomas is a BSBA graduate.
Charleston graduate Tameka Crook (’15) is now working for Charleston County DSS. This past January, Crook enrolled at University of New England in their MSW program.
Atavia Gadson (’16) is supported employment specialist for Babcock Center. She is a Columbia BSBM graduate. Babcock Center is a private, non-profit organization in West Columbia that provides loving homes with caring and dedicated staff, vocational training and work opportunities for over 800 people with life-long disabilities.
Steve Gilstrap (’08), a physical education graduate, was recently named a winner of WYFF-TV’s Golden Apple Award. He teaches physical education at Chastain Road Elementary in Liberty. See the video>>
Mark Sears ('12) will graduate from Via College of Osteopathic Medicine in Spartanburg in May. He will do an internal medicine residency at the Merit Health Wesley Medical Center in Hattiesburg, Miss., starting at the end of June. Mark also published this article in the American Journal of Medical Sciences. He is the son of Bob Sears, former SWU director of library services, and Roberta Sears, administrative assistant for the School of Education.
Nathan Stegenga will be leading the Peak 7 Bower Adventure Course, a 54-day adventure program for high school students. He says "I'm honored to continue serving for this outstanding ministry and stoked for all the learning, growing, hard work, and fun in the coming months!" Stegenga is the first SWU student ever chosen to enter the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS).
Human Services graduate Carley Teat ('16) was interviewed by several media outlets about her 2015 kidney donation to Bret Reiff. ABC's Good Morning America featured her and Bret in a National Kidney Month feature. She was also interviewed by Fox Carolina News and HIS Radio this month. View the GMA feature here.
Dr. Karen Watts (’74) recently received the 2016 John and Susan Roueche Excellence Award. Presented by the League for Innovation in the Community College, the award recognized Watts for her outstanding contributions to teaching, leadership and learning. Watts serves as the division director for Social Sciences and Human Services and is the director for the Child Development Program at Snead State Community College in Boaz, Ala. Her husband, Dr. Jonathan Watts (’74), chairs the Humanities and Fine Arts Division at Snead State.
Anderson Area Chamber of Commerce named Amy Whitney (’07) as Ambassador of the Month for January and February. She is a member of BB&T’s Sterling Performance Club, an honor awarded to the top five percent revenue generators in the bank. In addition to graduating from SWU, she graduated from the BB&T Banking School at Wake Forest University.
Whitney, who is currently a vice president with BB&T, began her career as a teller in 2002 and over the years has received several promotions, including managing several BB&T office locations in the Upstate.
Family members of Rev. Jim ('58) and Lois Wiggins organized a celebration honoring their 80th birthdays on March 19 (Jim's birthday) at Trinity Wesleyan Church in Central. Lois will celebrate her birthday June 8. The Wigginses have devoted years of service to SWU, The Wesleyan Church and area schools and have served as missionaries in Sierra Leone.
TyreCheck promoted Sentao "Charlie" Zhou ('16) to technical support lead for Asia. He will assist the company to establish a Chinese headquarter in Shanghai. A native of China, Zhou has been working in TyreCheck's U.S. office in Greenville.
Alumni Walk bricks are $125. Proceeds support SWU's Promise Fund, which helps to increase fund scholarships and financial aid, invest in state-of-the-art classroom equipment, expand our campus ministries and enhance other student activities. Click here to order your brick!
Career Opportunities
If you are a graduate seeking a career change, SWU's Career Services office offers exciting new resources to help you. Read more>>
CareerBeam is a comprehensive, 24/7, user-friendly, self-paced program that helps you determine what you want in your career and offers the steps to achieve it. You can clarify your career goals, develop a career profile through self assessments, develop a professional resume and cover letter, prepare for interviews, develop a network and research companies and industries. Check out this new, FREE online tool to help you in your career development. It is available for ALL Southern Wesleyan University students and alumni.
SWU employment opportunities
SWU is currently seeking full- and part-time employees. Here are some of the openings:
SWU Athletics jumped in alongside many other departments around campus to step up and help out during Day of Service March 14. From mentorship to cleaning athletic gear to picking up trash, many of Southern Wesleyan's athletic teams volunteered to serve their community during the designated Day of Service. Read more>>
March 27, 28 - Women's Golf at Cherokee Valley Invitational March 28, 3 p.m. - Baseball at Mars Hill March 28, 5 p.m. / 7 p.m. - Softball at Lander March 31, at 1 p.m. – Men’s and Women’s Tennis at Pfeiffer March 31, 2 p.m. / 4 p.m. - Softball at King (Tenn.) March 31 3:30 p.m. - Baseball at King (Tenn.) April 3, 4 - Women's Golf at UWG Wolf Invitational April 4 - Baseball at Brevard, 3 p.m. April 7, 8 - Men's and Women's Track & Field at Susan Rouse Invitational, Gilbert Track & Field April 7, 3 p.m./5 p.m. - Softball at Pfeiffer April 7, 6 p.m. - Baseball vs. Mount Olive, Connor Field April 8, 1 p.m./3 p.m. - Softball at Belmont Abbey April 8, 1 p.m./4 p.m. - Baseball vs. Mount Olive, Connor Field April 10, 3 p.m. - Men's and Women's Tennis at Erskine April 11, 3 p.m./5 p.m. - Softball at Point U. April 11, 6 p.m. - Baseball vs. Toccoa Falls, Connor Field April 12, 2:30 p.m. - Men's and Women's Tennis vs. Emmanuel, Cox Tennis Complex April 14, 10 a.m. - Women's Tennis at Western Carolina April 14, 1 p.m. - Women's Tennis vs. Tusculum, Cullowhee, N.C. April 14, 5 p.m. - Baseball at Barton April 15 - Men's and Women's Track and Field at Phoenix Invitational Aprill 15, 12 p.m./3 p.m. - Baseball at Barton<
Shopping through AmazonSmile can benefit SWU students and programs, thanks to a wonderful partnership with the online retailer. Click here for details or, if you're already registered, click on the graphic at left to start shopping.
Order online with promo code swualumni and receive a $50 discount and Herff Jones will send a gift to SWU in your honor. Go to the Herff Jones website.
