Bryan Betts

Speaking before an audience of 100 students, faculty, and staff at the Younts Conference Center earlier this month, sophomore A.J. Calhoun opened Furman’s inaugural TEDx event with a bold statement about the university’s direction.

Debate over the Cultural Life Program reached a fever pitch last spring after a provocative CLP event foregrounded what some faculty saw as problems serious enough to consider suspending the nearly 40-year-old program.

Last month, the Faculty Senate unanimously approved revisions to the Asian Studies major that, among other changes, gives students the option to forgo language study.

Construction on the dining hall parking lot is adding parking spots and creating space for delivery trucks to circle around and back up to the dining hall’s loading dock.

Furman University and Christ Church Episcopal School (CCES) have formed a partnership that will provide scholarships for Christ Church graduating seniors to attend Furman and a tuition discount for Furman faculty and staff to send their children to Christ Church. Several Furman professors and students fear the partnership will decrease diversity and further the university’s reputation as being elitist.

The Student Government Association (SGA) has purchased a new organization management software to replace the conferencing feature within FirstClass. Called OrgSync, the online software will help student groups promote themselves, plan events and communicate with members by utilizing a Web 2.0, user-driven interface similar to Facebook and other social media sites.

Furman was quiet when Jeffrey Kyeremeh arrived. It was Tuesday, August 16, three days before the rest of the freshman class was scheduled to move in, and hardly anyone was around but hall staff and the marching band.

A new political organization will soon be joining the likes of College Democrats, College Republicans, and CSBT. Provisionally called PSAC, Progressive Student Alliance for Change, the still fledgling organization hopes to move campus discourse in a decidedly leftward direction.