The World Needs Visionaries
Shantavia O. Edmonds to be Crowned Miss Claflin University
The coronation of Shantavia O. Edmonds  as Miss Claflin University for the 2018-2019 academic year will be held in the Ministers' Hall on Friday, November 2 at 7 p.m. The event is free and open to the public. 

Shantavia is a junior biochemistry major and a member of the Alice Carson Tisdale Honors College. As a student at Claflin University, Shantavia has lived by the Claflin motto, "The World Needs Visionaries," by being an active leader on and off campus. She is a member of the honors council and serves as the secretary of Claflin's Young Democrats of America. She also served as the sophomore class chaplain (2017-2018) and Miss University Honors (2017-2018). As an active member in the community, she was a tutor for Jerusalem Baptist Church and was Miss Garden City Teen (2015-2016).  

During her matriculation, Shantavia received a pharmacy technician position at CVS pharmacy in Orangeburg, South Carolina, conducted research at the University of Virginia; and is currently doing research at the University of South Carolina at the College of Nursing. 

Shantavia is from Rowesville, South Carolina, and is the daughter of James and Joyce Edmonds. She has three older siblings, Devaughn, Jasmine, and Dorshae.  

Shantavia believes in a quote stated by Lecia Rivers, "You cannot lead the people if you do not love them, and you cannot save them if you do not serve them." 

As Miss Claflin University 2018-2019, she was elected on the platform to save lives in the Orangeburg community, South Carolina, and globally. Her platform, EIGHT Organ Donation is an acronym for Every Individual Gets Hope Through Organ Donation. Shantavia believes that her platform will allow her to touch thousands of people who need a hero (organ donor), educate her peers about the importance of giving the gift of life; as well as, give hope to others through her father's story, who received a double lung transplant in 2014. 

After graduating from Claflin University, she plans to attend pharmacy school to earn a doctor of pharmacy degree and a master's degree in business administration. She believes the impossible is possible; therefore, she plans to continue to strive for excellence and exemplify the "Claflin Confidence."

Make Your Plans for Homecoming 2018

Claflin University is looking forward to celebrating 150 years of academic excellence and visionary leadership during Homecoming Week and ReUnion Weekend on November 11-18. Click here for the official schedule of events.
 
Many events are planned for your enjoyment and participation. We will also celebrate reunion for the classes of   1943, 1948, 1953, 1958, 1963, 1968, 1973, 1978, 1983, 1988, 1993,  1998, 2003, 2008, and 2013. Celebrate your class with a memory that last forever. Click  here to view a schedule events for Homecoming 2018.
 
Stay tuned next week for a special edition of @Claflin outlining our events.
Silicon Valley Investors Visit Claflin University to Discuss Technology Innovation and Entrepreneurism at HBCUs
SC Congressman James Clyburn makes a point during panel discussion about entrepreneurship at Claflin University.

On October 17, a delegation of elected officials and venture capitalists traveled by bus to Claflin University's Ministers' Hall to learn how historically black colleges (HBCUs) are preparing students to become the next generation of entrepreneurs and technology professionals. 
 
South Carolina Congressman James Clyburn (D-6th District); Ohio Congressman Tim Ryan (D-13th District); and California Congressman Ro Khanna (D-17th District) were the chief organizers of the "Comeback Cities Tour South," which visited cities throughout the region and HBCU campuses in North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia.

According to Michael Morley, a native of Youngstown, Ohio, and a senior advisor to Congressman Ryan, the idea of the tour evolved from a previous project when Morley coordinated a similar trip to cities in the Midwest. 
 
"The venture capitalists were so excited about what they saw and experienced, they wanted to do it again in another region of the country," Morley said. "Congressman Clyburn suggested they visit cities in his district in South Carolina. He also encouraged Ryan to visit HBCUs to find out more about these institutions and meet some of the talented students on their campuses."
 
"We greatly appreciate Congressman Clyburn and Congressman Ryan spearheading the delegation's visit to Claflin," said Dr. Karl S. Wright, the University's provost. "It is very significant that these investors and elected officials now realize the entrepreneurial capacity of Claflin and other HBCUs. The combined efforts of our administrators, faculty, students, and alumni could be the catalyst this region needs for sustainable economic growth."
 
Morley pointed out that most of the venture capitalists in the group were from California's Silicon Valley and others were from New York and Chicago, IL. He said one of the primary purposes of the trip was to bring potential investors from the West Coast to meet with HBCU administrators and students, elected officials, and representatives of local businesses to discuss investment opportunities and the possible strategies for creating jobs in this region.
 
"Our focus is on meeting with entrepreneurs or aspiring entrepreneurs who have a relationship with HBCUs," said Roy Bahat, head of Bloomberg Beta, an early-stage venture firm backed by Bloomberg L.P., based in San Francisco, Calif. "We met some incredibly promising recent graduates who might be good candidates for some of the companies we work with. Technology has become a global profession and our conversations with Claflin students are the same we hear on an elevator in San Francisco. Literally it's the same language and the same way of thinking. We are learning that people have different life experiences and we need to take that into account when creating connections with Silicon Valley and schools like Claflin," Bahat said.
 
"HBCUs are extraordinary institutions with rich traditions and history. Our goal, as investors, is to look everywhere for viable investments. HBCUs have been overlooked for too long so we see this as a great opportunity."
 
The tour organizers believe that HBCUs are valuable economic components in their communities which results in more jobs, stronger growth and more vibrant cities and towns. South Carolina's eight HBCU's have a combined economic impact of $463 million on the state's economy and they have a direct or indirect impact on almost 5,000 jobs statewide. A recent landmark study, HBCUs Make America Strong: The Positive Economic Impact of Historically Black Colleges and Universities, broadly quantifies the economic impact of HBCUs on the nation's economy and their respective regions. The report, which was commissioned by UNCF's Frederick D. Patterson Research Institute, placed the economic impact of HBCUs at $14.8 billion annually, which is equivalent to a ranking in the top 200 on the Fortune 500 list of America's largest corporations. The report also concluded that HBCUs generate 134,090 jobs in total for their local and regional economies. According to the report, Claflin, generates $79 million and provides 835 jobs to contribute to the total economic impact of the local and regional economies. This estimate includes direct spending by Claflin from faculty, staff, academic programs and operations, and by students attending the institution.
 
"Tim Ryan and I are very good friends and we spend a lot of evenings together," said Congressman Clyburn. "Several years ago when the steel mills closed, Youngstown, Ohio went through a debilitating economic depression.

Congressman Ryan addressed the problem by starting the 'Comeback Cities Tour' for the purpose of bringing venture capitalist from California, New York, and other places to take a look at rural communities. That's why we brought this group to Orangeburg, and we're taking the tour to Charlotte, Columbia, and Atlanta so they can see some of the HBCUs in those cities. I am convinced a lot is going to come out of this tour and the conversations they are having on these HBCU campuses."
Faculty News
Congratulations to Dr. Tara Saracina, interim  dean and associate professor of accounting in the School of Business, and Dr. Harpal Grewal, professor of economics, for recently being recognized at the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs Region 3 annual meeting. Their presentation won "Runner Up" in the Best Paper category.
Alumni News
Cocoa High School recently honored legendary Brevard educator and community leader Dick Blake, '55, by renaming its sports stadium after him. Blake served as a Rockledge (Florida) city councilman for 40 years, from 1976 to 2016, while also leading Cocoa High as principal for 23 years.


Kenita D. Pitts, '13, is running for Seat 8 for the Orangeburg County School Board. Her vision is to see every child succeed academically and socially in Orangeburg County. 

Panther Pride
Ticket Sales for the CIAA Tournament Now Open

The Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA®), the nation's first African-American athletic conference, will host the 2019 CIAA Men's and Women's Basketball Tournament in Charlotte, NC, on  February 25 through March 2, 2019. Ranked 3rd among the most attended and anticipated NCAA events, the CIAA Basketball Tournament currently draws over 150,000 fans.
 
Ticket sales for the 2019 tournament opened Thursday, November 1, at  Ticketmaster.com. Claflin fans purchasing tickets through Ticketmaster should use the promo code CLAFLIN19 to ensure the university will receive its scholarship credit.
 
Claflin University will begin selling tournament tickets on campus after November 9. MORE


Claflin Defeats Saint Augustine's to Snap Losing Streak

The Lady Panthers of Claflin University snapped a 13-match losing streak on Thursday, November 1, defeating Saint Augustine's University, 3-1, (16-25, 25-22, 25-19, 25-23) in a Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) Southern Division volleyball contest.
 
The Lady Panthers will close out the regular season at home on Saturday, November 3, against Saint Augustine's for Senior Day. The contest gets underway at 2 p.m. with the senior presentations taking place prior to first serve inside the Tullis Arena on the Claflin campus.

November 2, 2018
In This Issue
Calendar of Events
Connect with Us
@Claflin is published by the Office of Communications & Marketing 
President: Dr. Henry N. Tisdale, '65
Vice President for Institutional Advancement: Rev. Whittaker V. Middleton, '73
Assistant Vice President for Communications & Marketing: George Johnson Jr.
Public Relations Director: J. Craig Cotton
Public Relations/Social Media Coordinator: Charnita Mack
Web Communications Manager: Colin Myers, '07
Sports Information Director: Romanda Noble-Watson
Photographers: Cecil Williams, '60, Geoff Henderson and Colin Myers, '07
Student Interns: Cody Dallas and Annchester Williams