@Claflin: President Tisdale Featured on NPR, Lettie Pate Whitehead Visit, Read Across America and more

The World Needs Visionaries

President Henry N. Tisdale to be featured in South Carolina National Public Radio Series

Claflin President Henry N. Tisdale will be featured in a South Carolina National Public Radio (NPR) Series that focuses on the legacy and impact of Claflin and other HBCUs in the state of South Carolina. The discussions will include the roles HBCUs played in the 1960s Civil Rights movement and showcase how Claflin and other SC HBCUs continue to impact society and culture.

The recent interview with S.C. NPR reporter Thelisha Eaddy will air on Friday, February 22, at 1 p.m. EST on the stations listed below:

Aiken/Augusta: 89.1 FM (WLJK)
Beaufort/Hilton Head: 89.9 (WJWJ)
Conway/Myrtle Beach: 90.1 FM (WHMC)
Rock Hill/Charlotte: 88.9 FM (WNSC)
Sumter/Columbia: 88.1 (WRJA)
Charleston: 89.3 WSCI HD2 FM

Lettie Pate Whitehead Foundation Official Visits Claflin University

Carrie Conway, senior program officer for the Lettie Pate Whitehead Foundation visited Claflin University on Thursday, February 21. Conway met with President Henry N. Tisdale, and administrators from the offices of institutional advancement, financial aid, and admissions and the university's Lettie Pate Whitehead Scholars.

Named for and inspired by the late philanthropist and businesswoman Lettie Pate Whitehead Evans, the foundation provides support for the education of female students, as well as care of elderly women in nine Southeastern states. The Lettie Pate Whitehead Foundation scholarship program awards funds to Christian women with a financial need at 200 colleges, universities and secondary schools. According to the foundation, it has awarded more than $760 million in grants since its inception.

Since 1990, Claflin University has received nearly $2 million in scholarships from the Lettie Pate Whitehead Foundation. "We're very grateful for the Lettie Pate Whitehead Foundation and its support of Claflin students," said Rev. Whittaker Middleton, vice president of institutional advancement. "We see the value in what this foundation's scholarship program has done for some of our students, and we look forward to continuing a great relationship with them."

Claflin Hopes to Increase Awareness and Expand Reputation at Inaugural CIAA Tournament Appearance

When Claflin University President Henry N. Tisdale announced that the University's athletic program was moving to the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA), it signaled the beginning of a new era of intercollegiate athletics at South Carolina's oldest historically black college/university (HBCU) and the first in the state to admit students regardless of gender, race, religion or ethnic origin. For the past decade, Claflin was a member of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC). The move was made only months after the men's basketball captured its first-ever SIAC Tournament title and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Division II Basketball Tournament.

However, Tisdale had more than winning championships on his mind when Claflin was officially admitted into the CIAA on July 1, 2019.

"We want to expand Claflin's brand in Charlotte and other parts of North Carolina," Tisdale said. "We also want to increase our enrollment of students from Maryland, Virginia, and the Metropolitan Washington, D.C. area. The CIAA's footprint and outreach are very strong in these areas. We viewed this as one of the major benefits of becoming a conference member."

Michael Zeigler, Claflin's director of admissions, said his staff will participate in two recruiting fairs - the CIAA's Middle School Education Day (Tuesday, February 26) and a High School Education Day (Wednesday, February 27). Mark Roberts, associate executive director of Professional & Continuing Studies, will represent Claflin at the CIAA Career Expo (Thursday, February 28) which is geared for those who are interested in masters degrees. All three events will be held at the Charlotte Convention Center.

"These events will give us an opportunity to distribute literature and promote Claflin to high school and middle school students from Charlotte and some of the surrounding cities," Zeigler said. "Claflin is a very attractive option to many college-bound students in those areas. We are not too far from home and we have outstanding academic programs and a world-class faculty. We are hopeful we will make an early impression on the middle school students so that they will think about us in the future."

The tournament annually attracts more than 130,000 visitors to Charlotte. In addition to Claflin, the 11 schools that comprise the CIAA are: Bowie State University, Chowan University, Elizabeth City State University, Fayetteville State University, Johnson C. Smith University, Lincoln University, Livingstone College, Saint Augustine's University, Shaw University, Virginia State University and Virginia Union University.

"We also expect to attract attention from some of the high school and middle school students who know a little, but they want to learn more about Claflin," Zeigler said. "We have received a lot of national recognition recently. The CIAA Tournament is a very prestigious event that will provide the University even more exposure."

The CIAA Basketball Tournament will take place on Monday, February 25, 2019, through March 2, 2019, at the Bojangles Arena and the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, N.C.

Claflin to Host Read Across America Day Event

Claflin University will host Read Across America Day for elementary students on Friday, March 1, 2019, from 11 a.m.-noon at the Jonas T. Kennedy Health and Wellness Complex. Hundreds of students from Orangeburg Consolidated School Districts 4 and 5, Calhoun County Public Schools, and local child development centers are scheduled to participate in the celebration.

The National Education Association's Read Across America Day is a nationwide reading event that takes place annually in honor of Dr. Seuss's birthday to encourage students to improve their literacy skills. Claflin University's program will include the reading of Dr. Seuss' famous books that address hunger, homelessness, and the character word of the month: dependability. Grades one through three are invited to attend this event.

For more information about Read Across America Day, please contact Jabian Cooper, program coordinator for service learning and community service, at jcopper@claflin.edu or (803) 535-5466 or visit www.readacrossamerica.org.

Claflin to Host 13th Annual First Lady's Hats and Gloves Scholarship Tea

The 13th Annual First Lady's Hats and Gloves Scholarship Tea will be held on Tuesday, March 19, 2019, at 6 p.m. in the Tullis Arena of the Jonas T. Kennedy Health and Wellness Complex . Aligning with the 2019 Women's History Month theme, this year's tea is themed "Visionary Women: Champions of Peace and Nonviolence."

Each year, the tea's committee chooses a woman (or women) to honor with the Visionary Leadership Award. The 2019 Visionary Leadership Award honorees have made history by being a part of the largest number of African-American women ever to serve in the S.C. House of Representatives. The honorees are Wendy C. Brawley, Gilda Cobb-Hunter, Chandra E. Dillard, Rosalyn D. Henderson-Myers, Patricia Moore Henegan, Annie E. McDaniel, Anne Parks, Leola C. Robinson and Krystle N. Simmons. These visionary women will be honored for their dedication and service to South Carolina and their ability to work in the House to bring positive and peaceful change to their respective districts and in the state.

Vendor booths will be open before the program begins. Entertainment will be provided by the Claflin University Concert Choir and the Claflin Jazz Ensemble. Men are also invited to attend.

All proceeds from the event will benefit the Alice Carson Tisdale Scholarship, which is presented to female students during the tea. The students are chosen based on need and academic success.

For more information or to apply for the 2019 scholarship, email Dr. Peggy S. Ratliff at pratliff@claflin.edu, Mrs. Sadie D. Jarvis at sjarvis@claflin.edu, or Dr. Verlie A. Tisdale at vtisdale@claflin.edu.

To purchase tickets, contact Ms. Charnita Mack at charmack@clafilin.edu. Tickets can also be purchased online by clicking here.

Vote for Miss Claflin to be Miss CIAA

Vote for Miss Claflin, Shantavia O. Edmonds, to be the next Miss CIAA. Sponsored by Food Lion, the online voting for Miss CIAA began Monday, February 4, and will continue until Friday, March 1. The college/university queen with the most votes will receive $2,500 from Food Lion for the food pantry in the local school's city/town.

Click here to vote for Miss Claflin! You may vote an unlimited amount of times.

Faculty News

Tanika L. Beard is the new registrar at Claflin University. She joins the Claflin family from her most recent position as registrar at Newberry College in Newberry, S.C. She also served as the registrar and transcript and records coordinator at Paine College in Augusta, Ga., and the graduation coordinator at Voorhees College in Denmark, S.C. Beard has a bachelors degree in business administration management from Paine College and an associate of arts degree in occupational technology-paralegal studies from Aiken Technical College.

Alumni News

The Greater SC Coastal Alumni Chapters of Claflin University (which consists of Berkeley, Charleston, Colleton & Dorchester counties) will host the 45th Claflin University International Alumni Convention on April 25-28, in North Charleston, S.C. This year's planning committee is pleased to welcome attendees to Charleston, the "birthplace" of Claflin University, where the theme for the Convention is "Visionaries: From the Lowcountry to a Hilltop High."

Click here to register for the convention and to see the full schedule. Early bird registration is now open until March 25.

Claflin University's School of Business honored four, distinguished alumni during their "2019 Business Week" on Thursday, February 14:

Angelo Hornsby, '16, creator of the Body Barrier Recovery Performance Wear to aid muscle tissue therapy. Today, the athletic wear is up and operational.

Kel'sea Smith, '15, owner of Road to Royalty, a non-profit, self-improvement program designed to build confidence in girls between the ages of nine to twelve years. The program involves the betterment of the mental, physical, emotional, and social state of those involved.

Carolyn Snell, '83, is assistant to the vice president for Student Development and Services and director of the Career Development Center at Claflin University. Snell has advised, mentored and coached thousands of students over her career and believes that institutions of higher education must be committed to students in helping them achieve their career goals in life. (Not pictured)

Jarvis White, '07, owner of The JWhite Corporation, which consults with young entrepreneurs in helping with personal branding and marketing.

Award-winning artist and educator Bretta Reed Staley, '77, was invited to exhibit her artwork in a national art exhibition in Norfolk, Va. Her painting, titled "Revelation of Ezekiel the Prophet" is a part of the exhibit "Soulful: A National Exhibition of African American Artists." The exhibit is being shown at the D'Art Center until Thursday, February 28. (Photo courtesy of the Times and Democrat).

Congratulations to Dr. Leo F. Twiggs, '56, who will be awarded the Georgia Museum of Art's 2019 Larry D. and Brenda A. Thompson Award for his remarkable career and artistic achievement on Friday, February 22, at the Georgia Museum of Art during its annual Black History Month dinner celebration. The Larry D. and Brenda A. Thompson Award honors a significant living African American visual artist whose contributions are deemed notable not only to the state of Georgia but also nationally.

Panther Pride

Have You Purchased Your CIAA Tournament Tickets?

The Claflin University Panthers will make their inaugural appearance in the CIAA Basketball Tournament which begins Monday, February 25, 2019, through March 2, 2019, at the Bojangles Arena and the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, N.C. The tournament is widely-acclaimed as one of the nation's top sports, cultural, and entertainment attractions. Men's and women's basketball teams representing all 12-member institutions will compete for the tournament title and a berth to the NCAA Division II Championships. Let's cheer the Panthers on to a CIAA Tournament Championship!

The Panthers will need your support at the games!

Tickets are on sale Monday-Friday from 8:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. at the Claflin University cashier's window on the 2nd Floor of Tingley Hall. Please contact the CU Athletics Department at (803) 535-5504 or email pcramer@claflin.edu for additional information.

Tickets can also be purchased from the Athletics Department online by clicking here.

Ticket packages available for the tournament as of Thursday, February 21, are as follows:

General Admission - $200.00 each (only 94 tickets available)

Claflin Host Rival Benedict on Thursday

Claflin will host its rival, Benedict College, in the regular-season basketball game finale in the Tullis Arena on Thursday, February 28.

The women's game will begin at 5:30 p.m. followed by the men's matchup approximately 20 minutes after the senior presentation.

After the Benedict games, both Claflin teams will turn their attention to the upcoming CIAA Tournament in Charlotte, N.C. This year's 24-game bracket will begin at the Bojangles' Coliseum on Monday, February 25, and conclude with the semi-finals and finals at the Spectrum Center on Friday, March 1, and Saturday, March 2.

Lady Panthers Beat Livingstone

The Lady Panthers beat Livingstone College 67-57 in a CIAA Southern Division basketball contest on Monday, February 18, in Tullis Arena. With the win, Claflin evened its overall record at 13-13 and finished its first regular season in the CIAA at 9-9. MORE

Claflin Falls to Livingstone at Home

The Blue Bears of Livingstone College ended the Claflin University five-game winning streak, defeating the Panthers 77-62, in a CIAA Southern Division matchup on Monday, February 18, in the Tullis Arena. MORE

Claflin Goes 0-5 in Bearcat/Fleet Invitational

The Claflin University softball team had a combined 24 hits over five games as they went 0-5 in the Bearcat/Fleet Invitational on February 15-16. The tournament was co-hosted by Erskine College and Lander University in Due West, SC and Greenwood, S.C. MORE

Claflin Sweeps Bluefield State in Baseball

The Claflin University offense generated 10 runs in the first three innings , as the Panthers claimed a 10-2 win over Bluefield State College on Sunday, February 17, at Historic Mirmow Field.

Claflin will return to action on February 26, in a double header at home against Lincoln University. MORE

Ninth Inning Rally Lifts Claflin Past Bluefield State

The Claflin University Panthers pushed across two runs in bottom of the ninth inning in posting a 7-6 come-from-behind win over Bluefield State College on Saturday, February 16, at Historic Mirmow Field. MORE

Claflin Opens Three-Game Series with Win over Bluefield State

Claflin University baseball team defeated Bluefield State College (WV) 8-1 on Friday, February 15, in the opening game of a three-game series at Historic Mirmow Field in Orangeburg, S.C. MORE

Cato and Thomas Earn CIAA Softball Weekly Honors

Claflin University softball player Kayla Cato was named the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association Softball Player and Defensive Player of the Week while teammate Shaniya Thomas earned Pitcher of the Week honors. The honors were announced by the league office on Wednesday, February 14. MORE

Claflin Knocks Off 14th-Ranked Morehouse

The Claflin University men's basketball team pulled off a big upset on Wednesday, February 13, knocking off 14th -ranked Morehouse College Maroon Tigers 72-61 for their fifth straight win. MORE