We’re in the home stretch!
You know it’s April when our events calendar is jam-packed with happenings, performances and programs. Just last week we hosted hundreds of high schoolers for the 49th Model U.N. conference, celebrated the long-awaited re-opening of Byrnes, welcomed 1,267 admitted students and family members for Winthrop Day, thanked our scholarship donors with a special dinner in their honor, and so much more. Now, as we prepare to finish out the semester, our music students and faculty are in the midst of holding a multitude of recitals and performances, our undergraduate researchers are gearing up for another sure-to-be impressive SOURCE showcase on Friday, spring sports are in the thick of their seasons, and student affairs awards are just around the corner. We’re now officially counting down until Commencement. Let me take just a few minutes to fill you in on a few important updates:
24 Hours of Giving
Bleed Garnet, Give Gold, our annual 24-hour giving event, will kick off at noon on
April 22 and run through noon on April 23. To show our support, I’m declaring Tuesday, April 22, as Garnet and Gold Tuesday! Please wear Winthrop gear or garnet and gold on this day. This is also an opportunity
to show our Winthrop pride – to Bleed Garnet by celebrating everything we love about
Winthrop and to Give Gold by supporting current and future students. Every gift makes
a difference no matter the size. Explore this year's projects and causes to support. There are some fun and unique challenge opportunities that unlock additional
gifts, and this year’s goal is 1,000 donors. New this year is the Eagle Float Frenzy:
Race for Gold. Join me on April 22 at 11 a.m. at the West Center pool to cheer on
college and divisional representatives who have agreed to race one another on eagle
floats from one end of the pool to the other. Winners will receive $5,000 toward their
college or division. It’s sure to be a fun and wild time!
Faculty/Staff/Retirees Ceremony
Please join me on Tuesday, April 29, at 9:30 a.m. in Richardson Ballroom to officially recognize the achievements of our retirees, service award recipients, and winners of the special awards we present at this always popular event. What a way to begin to close out the spring semester. Let’s celebrate our colleagues and have some fun!
Upcoming Board Meeting
The next meeting of the Winthrop Board of Trustees will be April 30-May 1. Be on the lookout for the meeting agenda which will be e-mailed
to the campus community closer to those dates.
May Commencements
I look forward to celebrating the hard work and accomplishments of our newest graduates
on Thursday, May 8, at 7 p.m. for Graduate Commencement and on Saturday, May 10, at
10 a.m. and 3 p.m. for Undergraduate Commencement. All events will be held at the
Winthrop Coliseum. The 10 a.m. ceremony will celebrate visual and performing arts
plus arts and sciences graduates. Award-winning actress Shanola Hampton ’98 will deliver the Commencement address and receive an honorary doctorate. (More information
will be coming about a special public event featuring Shanola on Friday, May 9, at
5 p.m.) The 3 p.m. Commencement ceremony on Saturday will recognize business and education
graduates. Warren Norman, one of four managing partners with the Warren Norman Company,
will address the graduates. We’ll also recognize our spring faculty award winners
and the recipients of the President’s Award for Academic Excellence.
As always, thank you for all that you do for Winthrop. I look forward to seeing you at some of these events!
Edward Serna
President
