Published Wednesday, May 14, 2008 12:07 PM
Updated Wednesday, May 14, 2008 12:08 PM
Grads say goodbye to CSU
Charleston Southern University held its Commencement ceremony May 3 as 300 undergraduate and graduate students received their degrees.
Thousands of proud parents, friends and relatives packed the North Charleston Coliseum to witness the occasion, including Johnny E. Ward of Moncks Corner, chairman of the board of trustees. “I have two grandchildren here today who are graduating,” Ward said. “I don’t know if there is anyone here today that is any prouder than I am.”
For graduate Sarah Croft, commencement was “a bittersweet experience. I learned so much at CSU and was really able to grow as a person thanks to my classes and experiences as a student. Going out into the real world can be scary, but I have faith that God will lead me in the right direction just as He led me to the right major my freshman year,” she said.
Dr. George C. Greene, III, chairman of the Charleston-based Water Missions International, was commencement speaker.
In his address, Greene cited a conversation that a young lawyer had with Jesus found in Mark 12. When asked what the greatest commandment was, Jesus responded, “to love the Lord your God with all your heart, and all your soul, and all your mind, and all your strength. The second command is the same; you shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
“I want to suggest to you that this is the key to a life of significance – to love your neighbor as yourself,” he said. “And note that this is not a suggestion or a recommendation. It’s a commandment – straight from God.”
With more than 100 years of combined service, four professors were honored as emeriti faculty during the ceremony. Those honored were Carol Jean Drowota, professor emerita of English; Linda Salter Gooding, professor emerita of history; Wendell Thomas Guerry, professor emeritus of religion, and Anne Leigh Hawkes, professor emerita of foundation studies and English. In addition to the emeriti faculty, the Distinguished Professor Award was granted to A. Kennerley Bonnette, distinguished professor of chemistry.
A highlight of the ceremony was the commissioning of three graduates into the U.S. Air Force: Daniel Beirne received his bachelor’s of technology degree and is awaiting assignment; Derek Combee received his bachelor’s of arts degree and begins pilot training next year; and Marcus Pivec received his master’s of business administration degree and begins navigator training next month.