Presbyterian College walked from grief to hope last Thursday morning as it reopened following fall break and amidst the devastation brought by Hurricane Helene.
What was lost on campus was 39 trees; however, no building was seriously and permanently damaged, and no one was injured. Campus Services coordinated tree cutting, limbs grinding, and electrical lines re-stringing, and the campus is moving into a phase of its “new normal.”
Homecoming is this coming weekend, Oct. 17-20.
The Oct. 10 Re-opening Convocation was a moving ceremony. It started at the iconic PC sign on Vance Plaza, where countless generations of graduates have stood for their commencement day photos. It moved to Neville Hall, standing strong against the storm and chaos around it, for the ringing of the college’s bell. It moved from there to the pond, where congregants were reminded that in the Christian tradition, water is a very significant symbol.
At Neville there was a reading of Psalm 46, “God is our refuge and strength …”
Leading the ceremony was The Rev. Buz Wilcoxon, the Marianne and E.G. Lassiter Chaplain and Dean of Spiritual Life, who led the group in acknowledging grief.
He said we are not going to stay there, but we are going to start there.
Participants were invited to walk from the sign to Neville and share with each other one word symbolizing grief.
Finally, at the Celtic Cross, the message transitioned into hope, and the travelers were asked to speak into existence one word symbolizing the hope of PC and the greater Clinton community going forward. After the initial shock of the campus being damaged by a hurricane, faculty and students have begun looking for ways to send aid to Western North Carolina.
Entire communities there were wiped out by flooding.
Some of that assistance also may be directed to Florida to combat the damage of Hurricane Milton.
Entire communities there were wiped out by tornadoes.
Wilcoxon brought greetings from PC President Dr. Anita Gustafson who, in keeping with the theme of getting back to work, was attending a meeting of all presidents of independent and private colleges in South Carolina. On Oct. 3, she filmed a video message that is viewable on the college’s Facebook page.
