SMC's Centennial Class Moves In

08/21/09 — Freshmen Move-In Day a Flurry of Activity, Sophomores Arrive Monday

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

SPARTANBURG, SC - There was sea of boxes, furniture being moved, hugs from parents, and smiles of excitement as Spartanburg Methodist College's newest freshmen class moved into their new homes away from home on Friday.

More than 350 freshmen are estimated to have moved in to SMC's seven residence halls as the College welcomed them onto campus and kicked off a flurry of welcome back activities prior to the start of classes next week.

"No day is more of a juxtaposition on a college campus as Freshman Move-In Day: you experience the excitement and anticipation of a brand new chapter in the students' life while at the same time experiencing the trepidation and sadness of parents saying 'see you later' to their child. Parents may be thinking 'from this point on, my child will only be visiting me ...' while the child may be thinking 'I'm really excited to experience what's next..'," comments SMC President Dr. Colleen Keith.

This year's freshman class holds a special distinction - they will be graduating as the College celebrates its 100th anniversary in 2011.

"For those of us at SMC, we get excited on this day because it's the start of a new opportunity to get to know a very bright group of young people and to walk with them on their journey into their adult life. And for this particular Class of 2011, we are especially excited to journey with them as we get ready to celebrate 100 years of values-centered education that offers students a true competitive advantage in our centennial year, 2011," adds Dr. Keith.

The freshmen will participate Saturday in the College's 9th annual Freshmen Day of Service, during which they will work at service projects at 18 different sites throughout the Spartanburg community.

As of Friday, College officials are estimating this year's Freshman class and total student body enrollment will both be larger than last year's numbers.

SMC enrolled 751 full-time students in the 2008-2009 academic year.

"We won't know our final numbers until right before the Labor Day week-end, but as of right now we're estimating an increased number of students when compared with the Fall of 2008. That's a testament to the recruiting efforts of our admissions staff, the quality of education we have to offer here at  SMC and our belief that we offer the best first two years of college in South Carolina," says Dan Philbeck, Vice-President of Enrollment Management.

"These increasing numbers provides proof that we are holding true to our mission to provide a values oriented liberal arts education in the Christian tradition," he adds.

Sophomores will move into their residence halls on Monday, Aug. 24. Fall semester classes start on Wednesday, Aug. 26.

Spartanburg Methodist College is in its 99th year of providing quality education to students in a Christian environment.  More than 90 percent of SMC graduates continue their education at other institutions of higher learning.

For more information, contact Brian Fulkerson, Director of Public Information, at (864) 587-4254.

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