Spirit of Suffrage Movement Captured During Women's Equality Day

My sincere thanks to Dr. Larry Dooley, Chair of Columbus State University's Department of Theatre, and six great theater majors (Natalie Brock, Allison Bennett, Brandon Mitchell, Rylee Bunton, Tate LeClair, and Devin Shaw) for their wonderful performance during Women's Equality Day at Ft. Benning. Commanding General Miller and his team orchestrated a fantastic event, keynoted by City of Columbus Deputy City Manager Lisa Goodwin. The students captured the spirit of the suffrage movement in period costume and set a wonderful tone for the event. What a fitting follow-up to great speeches by Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg (author of Lean In) and Spanx founder Sara Blakely at our Jim Blanchard Leadership Forum. Today's event was one more reflection of Columbus State University reaching into this wonderful community.

Students and Faculty Shine During CSU's Day of Service

I am so very proud of our Columbus State University family for the fantastic turnout at the 6th Annual Day of Service. Led by colleague Anne Vogler Brown (enthusiastically joined by her husband, Kevin), more than 500 students, faculty and staff worked across the region at 22 non-profits in Georgia and Alabama reinforcing Columbus State's core value of true servant leadership.

There was a wonderful turnout from our student-athletes in softball, men's and women's basketball, volleyball, golf, baseball, cheer, our Mascot Cody, and their coaches. Also, our VP for Business and Finance, Tom Helton; our VP for Student Affairs, Gina Sheeks; our AVP for University Relations, John Lester; our incoming Managing Director of the Cunningham Center, Ed Helton; our Director of Intercollegiate Athletics, Todd Reeser; and many, many others participated in the event.

My wife Lauren and I joined Columbus State's Director of Financial Literacy, Ginny Rae Turner, and her husband Brad at a battered women's shelter in Phenix City, Alabama. The center must open by October, and our students worked wonders preparing rooms for occupancy.

Later in the day, we all joined in a terrific cookout and shared stories of the day's adventures and fellowship. Special thanks to Potiphar Alexander, Director of Transportation, for assuring all ended up in the right place and eventually back on campus. This event has matured greatly over the years, and the involvement by our entire campus community is reflective of a caring culture.

Smooth Move on CSU Move-In Day

Kudos to Residential Life staff led by Jonathan Lucia, Steve Morse and team in Logistics, and so many others for a smooth early a.m. start to move-in day at our stunning River Park housing complex. It was nice to see Dean Richard and Tammy Baxter volunteering, and Professors John Finley and Kim Gill (right, with Cody), our faculty-in-residence on hand as well. 

This can be a stressful day for students and their families, but no institution handles this better than Columbus State University.