Claflin University employees, students, and other residents of the campus community will find Magnolia Street much safer to travel, due to  the completion of the Magnolia Street - Zan Street Intersection Improvement Project. A ribbon-cutting ceremony featuring University administrators, elected officials, representatives of state and local agencies, and community leaders was held on Friday, January 24, to signal the end of the $5.8 million project.

 

"This project has made the streets safer for pedestrians, vehicular traffic, students and faculty at Claflin, and residents throughout Orangeburg," said Barnwell Fishburne, commissioner of the South Carolina Department of Transportation.

"On behalf of the Claflin Family, I thank everyone who made this project possible," said Claflin President Dr. Dwaun J. Warmack. "I did some research on the number of accidents and tragedies that have happened here. This project creates a safer place for our students, faculty and staff to cross Magnolia Street as they transition to other parts of the community. We look forward to continuing to work with our partners in this project to make this crosswalk a beautiful area for everyone who visits Orangeburg."

According to the South Carolina Department of Transportation, at least 35 vehicle-on-vehicle collisions have occurred at the intersection resulting in numerous injuries, since 2011. At least nine vehicle-train collisions in the past 10 years. One vehicle-train fatality and two injuries were also reported.

 

The project improves safety at the intersection located diagonally across from Claflin's front gate and one of its secondary parking lots. Funds for the project were allocated from federal earmarks, the Lower Savannah Council of Governments, and the Orangeburg County Transportation Committee.

The project eliminated railroad crossings at Zan Street and Peasley Street with a new route from Boulevard Street to Magnolia Street. New traffic signals, turning lanes and sidewalks were also installed in that area.

 

"When you experience the tremors from the trains passing through, the noise of the automobiles, and when you watch school children running back and forth across these two streets and the railroad tracks; you know what the problems are," said Congressman James E. Clyburn,  the Majority Whip and the third-ranking  Democrat in the United States House of Representatives.  "Our job, after being elected, is to make the greatness of America accessible and affordable for all. In education, healthcare, housing, safety measures, and economic development programs. Making sure that safety in this community is accessible and affordable for all - that's what this project is about."

 

Tickets are on sale now on 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.

 

Ticket packages for the tournament are as follows:

Courtside Tickets - $375 each 

Center Court - $250 each 

General Admission - $200 each 

 

The host hotel for Claflin University is the Doubletree Hilton Hotel Charlotte, N.C. Please click here to reserve your hotel accommodations. You may also call the hotel at (704) 347-0070 and use the group code - CLA. The deadline for hotel reservations is January 31, 2020. 

 

Please contact Tammy McCottry (803-535-5665/ tmccottry@claflin.edu) or Zelda M. Lee (803-535-5348/ zelee@claflin.edu) if you need additional assistance.

On January 30-31, 2020, Claflin University will host the 28th Annual Granville Hicks Leadership Academy for Laity and Clergy. Themed "The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness" this event equips laity and clergy for ministry and leadership within the church. The academy will take place in the James and Dorothy Z. Elmore Chapel.

 

The Granville Hicks Leadership Academy honors the Rev. Dr. Granville A. Hicks, a 1957 Claflin graduate who has been recognized for his leadership as a pastor and district superintendent in the South Carolina Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church. Hicks was instrumental in creating programs to improve race relations, education and leadership development at the conference. It began as a lecture series before evolving into a leadership academy that emphasizes connections between the academy, Claflin University, and The United Methodist Church. The event empowers attendees with biblical knowledge, intellectual growth and theological reflection.

 

For more information, click here.