Moving in day at Lander

Freshmen get first taste of life as Bearcats

August 14, 2006

By MEGAN VARNER
Index-Journal senior staff writer

For nearly three months, the residence halls at Lander University have been quiet and empty, patiently waiting for their next chance to be a home for hundreds of students attending the Greenwood college.
And on Sunday morning, the first waves of students began arriving at Lander’s student housing facilities, bringing truckloads of furniture and clothing with them, and breathing life back into the once dormant dormitories.
Nearly 550 freshmen were expected to move into student housing on Sunday, and throughout the day, students, parents and volunteers could be seen hauling duffel bags, televisions, computers and beds up the stairs and into rooms all across campus.
About 11:45 a.m. in Centennial Hall, freshmen and suitemates Brittany Mappus and Heather Hyder were on their first mission as Lander students.
The Batesburg residents were trying to find pins and equipment to assemble Mappus’ loft bed.
“I’m excited and anxious,” Mappus said of the day. “It hasn’t been too stressful.”
Mappus’ 16-year-old sister Haley, who came along to help with the move, laughed and added, “That’s because she’s not the one moving anything.”
As she watched her family assemble her bed in her nearly bare room, Mappus said she brought two truckloads of belongings to fit into her room and suite, which, luckily, was on the first floor.
“It’s great being on the first floor,” she said. “I’m glad I don’t have to go up and down all the time.”
One room over, Hyder had almost completed unpacking her belongings, though she admitted she had a lot of help from her mom, dad and boyfriend — who ended up taking a nap in her lofted bed.
“I’ve been excited about this, but I’ve been more nervous,” Hyder said. “As soon as we pulled into the parking lot, my stomach started hurting.”
She said having Mappus close by would be a great help to get over the freshman nervousness.
“I know that if I need something, I can go to her,” she said. “But I’m looking forward to meeting new people and I’m looking forward to my classes.”
And Hyder’s mother, Sharon, said she was looking forward to having her dining room back at home. For months, the room has been a makeshift storage area for Hyder’s college supplies. “We started planning and buying stuff in January,” Sharon said. “I wasn’t going to wait until the last minute and buy everything.”
Sharon said she was pleased with Centennial Hall’s suite-style set up, with each student having their own bedroom and sharing a common living space.
“I like everyone having an individual bedroom so they can study — which I hope she does a lot of,” Sharon said.
LaPorsha Drennon, a freshman from Abbeville, said she was a little concerned about not having her own bedroom in the Lide student apartment facilities.
“I’m used to having my own room with my own stuff,” she said, as she scanned her third-floor room for places to put her belongings. “It’s hot and it has been frustrating ... but I’m excited. I’m ready to start school.”
Zach Helms, the lead resident assistant in the Williamston student housing area, said the day had been busy and fun.
“It has been hectic, but everybody is always really positive about the work (of moving in),” he said, adding that about 80 people were expected to move into the Williamston area by the end of the day.
“Usually everybody shows up at 9 a.m., but today it has been more staggered,” he said. “I have enjoyed that, for sure.”
Blakley Ball, a freshman from Greenville, said she had been “counting down the days” until move-in day.
“I’m looking forward to just getting settled in and meeting people,” Ball said.
Though Ball said the one item she couldn’t leave at home was her teddy bear, Lander peer mentor Stacy Platt, a senior at the school, said cell phones were the item everyone else seemed to bring.
“I haven’t seen one person yet that doesn’t have one,” Platt said, though she added that every freshman has one or two items that they simply can’t live without.
“It helps them get over their homesickness,” Platt said. “It’s about making this space their own, and Lander wants them to do that.”
And sophomore suitemates Joshua Bevill and Seth Addison, of North Augusta, did just that with their fourth-floor Centennial Hall suite. The two were able to move in a little early, which helped them avoid the crowds.
“There are so many people, and the elevators don’t work. You have to take the stairs, and that’s lot of exercise, especially for the guys (who are on the higher floors),” Bevill said.
So, while others waited in lines at the elevators or lost their breath climbing the stairs with armloads of stuff, Addison and Bevill said their Sunday was chaos-free.
“Now there’s nothing to do but watch TV and walk around,” Addison said, adding that, for the guys in the suite, a few necessary appliances would make the waiting period go by a lot quicker.
“The refrigerator and the TV — those are the musts,” Addison said.

Megan Varner covers general assignments in Greenwood and the Lakelands. She can be reached at 223-1811, ext. 3308, or: mvarner@indexjournal.com

Opinion

What we wear tells story of textiles in the state

August 14, 2006

The answer to our textile problems - at least one of them - is walking around all over South Carolina every day. It’s not all that difficult to figure out, Just look at the tags in the clothing on our backs ..... and feet.
Consider the average dress of an average businessman in Greenwood ..... from the feet up. Don’t even consider shoes and belts (Brazil, Italy, and other nations) for example. Just check clothing. There could be numerous variations, of course, but one list could be:
-Socks ..... Korea.
-T-shirt ..... Canada.
-Boxer shorts ..... Indonesia.
-Trousers ..... Dominican Republic.
-Jacket ..... Macedonia.
-Shirt ..... Honduras.
-Neck tie ..... Made in the U. S. A. but with fabric imported from all over the world.
Some wear suits, of course, complete with vests. They are made in Mexico and a lot of other countries.
This could be repeated several times. Only the names would change. After World War II the U. S. helped war-torn countries rebuild. Some might be wondering if we won that war but lost the peace.

Obituaries

Sara Hall

ABBEVILLE — Sara Phillips Hall, 73, of 332 Nation Road, wife of Charles W. Hall Sr., died Sunday, Aug. 13, 2006 at her home.
Visitation is today at the home of a son, Charles W. Hall Jr., 326 Nation Road.
Services will be announced by The Chandler-Jackson Funeral Home.

Gladys Holloway

NINETY SIX — Gladys Holloway, 77, of 128 Joseph Road, died Sunday, Aug. 13, 2006 at her home.
Services will be announced by Percival-Tompkins Funeral Home.

Solomon Holloway Jr.

COLUMBIA — Solomon Holloway Jr., 73, of 1732 Morninghill Drive, died Sunday, Aug. 13, 2006 in Greenwood.
Born in Greenwood County, he was a son of the late Oscar “Pete” Holloway and Alice Martin Holloway. He was a member of Old Mount Zion Baptist Church, Epworth, retired from the U.S. Government and an U.S. veteran of the Korean conflict.
Survivors include a son, Antonio Holloway of Alaska; two daughters, Linda Pendermon of Greenwood and Stacey Holloway of Charlotte, N.C.; a brother, Bennie Lee Holloway of Greenwood; seven sisters, Florence Holloway of the home, Anna G. Bell of Mount Ranier, Md., Dorothy Davis, Julia Stewart, Mamie Goode and Emmie Jones, all of Greenwood and Mary Davis of Columbia; five grandchildren; four great-grandchildren.
The family is at the home of his sisters, Dorothy Davis, 106 Cadillac Court, Greenwood and Julia Stewart, 239 McKellar Drive, Greenwood.
Services will be announced by Robinson and Son Mortuary Inc., Greenwood.
Online condolences may be sent to the family at robson@nctv.com

Marie Talbert

FOUNTAIN INN — Marie Witt Talbert, 97, former resident of 216 Gracemont Dr., widow of William B. Talbert, Sr., died August 13, 2006 at Fountain Side Assisted Living in Fountain Inn.
Born in Greenwood County, May 25, 1909, she was a daughter of the late J. S. and Mae Quattlebaum Witt. She was a graduate of Greenwood High School and was a member of Main Street United Methodist Church.
Surviving are two sons, Bill Talbert and wife, Jane of Piedmont and Jim Talbert and wife, Liane of Charlotte, NC; five grandchildren, Oliver Talbert of Chesapeake, VA, Mike Talbert of Charlotte, NC, Roy Talbert of Irmo, Ann T. Waters of Piedmont and Martha T. Hinson of Colorado Springs, CO; nine great-grandchildren.
Graveside services will be conducted at 11:30 a.m. Tuesday at Edgewood Cemetery with Rev. James Dennis officiating. Pallbearers will be John Witt, Ray Witt, Roy Talbert, Mike Talbert, Oliver Talbert and Allen Waters.
The body is at Blyth Funeral Home where the family will receive friends from 10 to 11 Tuesday morning.
The families are at their respective homes.
In lieu of flowers the family requests that memorials be made to Lutheran Hospice, PO Box 1353, Greer, SC 29652.
The family wishes to express their gratitude to the staff of Fountain Side for the love and care they extended to Miss Marie.
For online condolences please visit www.blythfuneralhome.com.
Blyth Funeral Home & Cremation Services is assisting the Talbert family.
PAID OBITUARY

Harvey Tucker Jr.

PLUM BRANCH — Harvey Tucker Jr., of 205 Dordon Creek Road, husband of Lizzie B. Jennings Tucker, died Saturday, Aug. 12, 2006 at Self Regional Medical Center after a sudden illness.
Born in Fort Meade, Fla., he was a son of the late Harvey Tucker Sr. and Inez Johnson Tucker. He was a member of Mount Lebanon Baptist Church, Parksville, the Trustee Board, Sunday school teacher for the A Class, Male Choir and the Brotherhood. He was a retired from Kemet Industries and was a bus driver for McCormick Senior Center, a Commissioner of Piedmont Technical College and a U.S. Army veteran of the Vietnam War.
Survivors include his wife of the home; a son, Allen Tucker of Fort Meade; his stepmother, Lillie Bell Tucker of Lakeland, Fla.; seven sisters, Elizabeth Dunlap, Mariam Smith and Phyllis Drowdy, all of Rochester, N.Y., Julia McClound of Lakeland, Patricia Primus of Arcadia, Fla., Gucelia Gilcene of Bowling Green, Fla. and Lillian Tucker of Fort Meade; four brothers, James E. Tucker of Texas, the Rev. Daniel Tucker, Stanley Tucker and Leroy Tucker, all of Fort Meade; a granddaughter.
The family is at the home.
Services will be announced by Walker Funeral Home.

Samuel Mark Watson

Samuel Mark Watson, 63, of 123 New Market St., husband of Jannye Hamilton Watson, died Friday, Aug. 11, 2006 at Self Regional Medical Center.
Born in Greenwood County, he was a son of the late Timothy Watson Sr. and Bertha Mae Anderson Watson. He was a 1962 graduate of Brewer High School, a former mason, a member of Little Zion AME Church, the Steward Board, Sunday school class No. 3, Men on the Move for Christ and lead singer for Greenwood Circuit Male Chorus.
Survivors include his wife of the home; three sons, Samuel Erwin Calhoun of Maryland, Tracey Arnold Stevens of Ware Shoals and the Rev. Darryl Kenneth Hamilton of Richmond, Va.; three brothers, AllFred Watson of Hodges, Timothy Watson Jr. of Greenwood and Joseph Watson of Columbia; a sister, Earther Watson Williams of Greenwood; three grandchildren.
The family is at the home.
Robinson and Son Mortuary Inc. is in charge.
Online condolences may be sent to the family at robson@nctv.com.

Kirk Allan Wilson

ABBEVILLE — Kirk Allan Wilson, 42, of 109-B Greenville St. died Saturday, Aug. 12, 2006 at his home.
Services will be announced by Harris Funeral Home.