Students look forward to Warmack’s leadership

Claflin held its Matriculation Day Convocation on Sept. 18 after the ceremony was postponed from Sept. 5 because of the threat of Hurricane Dorian. (Panther photo by Tasha Skinner)

Faculty and students gathered at the Jonas T. Kennedy Health and Wellness Complex for Matriculation Day on Sept. 18 to welcome the freshman class and Claflin’s new president.

Dr. Dwaun J. Warmack, the ninth Claflin president, said in the keynote address that he plans to build on the achievements and traditions of the university. Judging by his Matriculation Day address, students see the new president as a great fit to lead the university.

“I feel like the speech was well needed and that he got an attachment to all the students that were there,” Marcus Hamilton said.

Students look forward to new ideas and events that Warmack may bring to Claflin.

“He spoke about fundraising to get a new student center for our Claflin students. I feel like that’s a great idea, a well-needed and secure area for all of us to learn better, get involved with each other better and being able to be social with one another,” Eric Caldwell Jr. said.

Among the many ideas Warmack has are plans to take Claflin from number nine to number one in national rankings of colleges and universities. His intentions are to not only to make Claflin the best HBCU, but the best school in the country.

Warmack shared his personal story to give students more confidence in their college careers and their choice of matriculating at Claflin.

“It was an inspirational story about how he started out by believing he was not college material, to graduating college and now being the president of an HBCU. He proved that anything is possible,” Malik James said.