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Summer 2003 Volume 6 Number 3 |
Home » MSC Today Magazine » Summer 2003 » A New Beginning
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A New Beginning Hundreds Attend Dedication of Macon State College's Warner Robins Campus
Just one year after work began on the most talked-about building project in Houston County, Macon State College threw open the doors of the Warner Robins Campus at a dedication that drew hundreds of people eager to see for themselves the freshly painted classrooms, newly wired computer labs and multimedia auditorium. “This is a historic day for Houston County and Macon State College, a day we have been looking forward to for a long time,” President David A. Bell told the crowd of about 500 at the June 27 dedication and ribbon-cutting ceremony. “This campus represents the unlimited potential of Macon State College to serve Houston County and Robins Air Force Base, not only educationally, but economically and culturally.” Joining Bell on the platform, set up under a huge white tent in front of the Academic Services Building, were several state and local leaders whose individual efforts or organizations made the new campus a reality: Rep. Larry Walker of Perry; Warner Robins Mayor Donald S. Walker; Regent Mansfield Jennings Jr. of Hawkinsville; Rep. Larry O’Neal of Warner Robins; and Mike Hale, executive director of the new campus. (Read more about Hale)
“The influence of this campus on Houston County will be felt long after everyone here has left the face of this earth,” he said. “This is a great day in a great county.” Larry O’Neal, a longtime advocate for the project, appeared on behalf of Gov. Sonny Perdue. He noted that Macon State’s strength in information technology, one of the degree programs to be offered at the new campus, would help Georgia maintain its economic competitiveness. He said it was especially fitting that the former Thomas School, the oldest public building in Warner Robins, was renovated to become Thomas Hall on the Warner Robins Campus. “Once again, this majestic campus is a cornerstone of quality education,” O’Neal said.
Bell told the crowd that in his more than 30 years working in higher education, he has never witnessed a more effective team effort. “This has been a stunningly successful partnership between a proud community and a strong public college,” he said. “Just imagine where that power of cooperation will take us from here,” Bell said. “The walls of these buildings are complete and the learning process is about to begin. This process will transcend the physical limits of the campus and create a community of learning with endless possibilities and promise.”
“I think they should see if students’ GPAs go up after the campus opens,” said Kathy Brown of Warner Robins, an Air Force veteran majoring in psychology. “The room colors are attractive, there’s more space – the psychological impact on students is going to be interesting.” Another student, Carol R. “Beckie” Williams, technically lives in Bibb County, but she considers herself part of the Warner Robins community. She works at the Base as an information technology specialist and lives a mere stone’s throw from the Houston County line. “I’m in the flight path of the planes on Base,” she said. So for her, Macon State’s new Warner Robins Campus couldn’t be more accessible.
Air Force Staff Sgt. Tonya Angel, a business major, said she looks forward to the convenience of the new campus. “It’s great for me because I live right down the street,” she said. “The campus looks great. It’s going to be really beneficial to Warner Robins.”
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