Homecoming combined visitors, sports action and more

We enjoyed a wonderful Homecoming 2011 weekend at Columbus State!

Saturday was an exceptional day at our university. The mathematics faculty, led this year by Dr. Brian Muse, orchestrated a wonderful mathematics competition for high school students from throughout the region. By 9 a.m., hundreds of anxious students and faculty coaches had gathered in venerable Stanley Hall for a grueling day of competition. Mathematics professors were everywhere in support of this long-term event, and Dean David Lanoue greeted the students with sage words of advice!

CSU's commitment to STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) areas is unwavering, and I personally encouraged all of these students to look to CSU for our rigorous and demanding alternatives in these fields.

At 10 a.m., Kristin Williams and her great team of admissions recruiters helped shepherd hundreds of high school students and their friends and families for a our first-ever Visitation Day in the new Student Recreation Center. Our "takeaway" is that the rec center is too small to host the event but perfect for event registration. We learn every time! The weather was great, and students spent the better part of a day on our main and RiverPark campuses exploring their many options.

Cougar athletics were in full force this weekend with basketball, baseball, softball and tennis. At RiverPark, professor Andrew Zohn hosted the Schwob School of Music's 12th annual Guitar Symposium. Students and visitors attending his own concert Saturday night with the Newman & Oltman Guitar Duo greeted Zohn with thunderous applause at Legacy Hall.

Carson McCullers would have enjoyed her birthday celebration

Last Thursday, February 17, 2011 was a banner day for CSU. That evening, our Carson McCullers Center for Writers and Musicians launched an extraordinary, interdisciplinary conference and 94th birthday celebration for Carson McCullers. Scholars gathered from around the world for dialogue, discussion and debate about this great writer and native of Columbus. Our colleague, professor Cathy Fussell, director of the center, hosted a grand welcome reception at The Rankin, and then opening ceremonies were held at the Springer Opera House. How fascinating that the conference began with a recording of Carson, made in 1958, the year CSU was founded. The event ran all weekend, culminating in a 94th birthday party, "Supper at the Sad Cafe (On A Good Night)," in Carson's honor, featuring foods referenced in McCullers' work. Thanks go to the Columbus Cultural Arts Alliance, Midtown, Inc. and the Southern Literary Trail along with CSU for the wonderful support of an exceptional program.

Weekend celebrates diversity, athletics and world-class faculty

What a weekend! Last night, I had the extraordinary opportunity to attend a unique concert performed by a number of our faculty in the Schwob School of Music: professors Michelle Debruyn, Zoran Jakovcic Alex Kobrin, Alex Pershounin, Sergiu Schwartz and Wendy Warner.

Legacy Hall was near capacity, and the students, faculty, staff and community supporters in the audience were enthralled. These are world-class faculty who have helped build a truly exceptional learning environment for our students. They selflessly practice and perform as enthusiastically for our community as they do for global audiences. What a treat!

I traveled to Milledgeville and, unfortunately, watched our men's and women's basketball teams lose heartbreakers on Saturday. Athletically, I thought the weekend was salvaged by great performances by our undefeated Cougar women's tennis team, and great victories in softball and baseball as well. Spring sports are in full swing, and I am thrilled to see the enormous levels of participation in intramural and club sports enhanced by our new Student Recreation Center.

Bernice King, youngest daughter of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., spoke at our Inaugural Legacy Celebration Banquet on Friday night. She captivated the hundreds in attendance for almost an hour, helping CSU celebrate diversity and inclusiveness in a wonderful manner in the recreation center's multipurpose room.

Theatre, science, softball, tennis all part of busy weekend

What a weekend on the Columbus State University campuses! At our downtown, waterfront RiverPark Campus, 3,500 raucous (but focused) high school students participated in the Georgia Thespian Conference. Opening ceremonies at the RiverCenter's Bill Heard Theatre were followed by competition, tryouts and performances at CSU's Theatre on the Park, Springer Opera House and other stunning venues. The sunny weather was great this year (compared to great snow in 2010), and a great time was had by all. We hope we can continue to host this grand event for many years to come. The Science Olympiad was on main campus, directed by Dr. Bill Frazier and a score of our great faculty and students, supported by Jill Carroll. The middle school participants, their coach-teachers and parents were incredibly engaged and challenged. This is a stellar opportunity for these young people to visit Columbus State and interact with our exceptional faculty and students. A softball tournament, NCAA tennis matches and more also contributed to the exceptionally busy, engaging weekend at CSU. I offer special thanks to Steve Morse and our crack logistics team, as well as Chief  Rus Drew and other University Police, for their exceptional handling of all these great activities.

Schwob School of Music faculty give virtuoso performances

Some say the week was all about the Packers and the Steelers. I say, at Columbus State University, the week is about Schwartz and Kobrin. These are two of our many faculty MVP's! Last night, Lauren and I had the distinct honor and privilege of attending a Schwob School of Music concert featuring these two virtuosos: Professor Schwartz, the violinist, the William B. and Sue Marie Turner Distinguished Chair in Music, and Professor Kobrin, the pianist, the L. Rexford Whiddon Distinguished Chair in Piano. An enthralled crowd at Legacy Hall heard a magnificent program including Beethoven, Tchaikovsky and Strauss. Le Soleil calls Professor Schwartz one of the best violinists of his generation, and Professor Kobrin is a winner of several international piano competitions, including the Van Cliburn. The music was magical and to have these great faculty teaching our exceptional students is truly what a connected, engaged university is all about.