Thursday, Aug. 19, 2010

Keeping up with the Convo

As I've chronicled many times in this column, I went to a small college in Alabama that you never heard of.

That's my standard line when somebody asks me about my post-high school education.

It's easier than trying to explain - and it's true.

So, at my small college, we didn't have a big arena, field house, or anything approaching Cameron Indoor Stadium filled with crazed hoop fans.

But we did have a multi-purpose facility that served the small campus well. It was an all-in-one kind of building that housed the college's gym (no inter-collegiate basketball squad at the time I matriculated, but it has since been revived), Olympic-sized swimming pool, athletic offices and classrooms, recreation areas, bookstore, locker rooms, weight rooms and dance studios in the basement, and hangout/grille kind of area for those too young or not interested in the local bar scene.

So it wasn't the place you'd attract a big-time rock band or edgy comedian to come perform, as is common on many large college and university campuses.

Why am I waxing nostalgic yet again?

Because, my friends, it is that magical time of year again when college students come back to campus for their pursuit of academic excellence - and let's face it, to have some fun, too.

And Coastal Carolina University students, who began fall semester classes yesterday, will soon have an all-in-one facility much like the one I mentioned at my tiny you-never-heard-of-it-college in that state over there on the other side of Georgia.

Only it will be much, much bigger, state-of-the-art, and a most probable source of rooster pride. And who knows, perhaps it will draw a famous rock band or comedian to the Conway campus.

As CCU students began fall semester classes this week they'll notice the buzz and hum of construction on the former intramural field adjacent to the Santee Residence Hall as crews work on what many believe to be the missing piece to campus life: A $35 million student/convocation center that will be the home to CCU's basketball program (and other indoor sports), a new book store, recreation facilities, and future site of various events, such as graduation ceremonies and concerts.

We've kept up with CCU's attempts to replace its cracker-box Kimbel Arena (a necessity if Coach Cliff Ellis' Chanticleer basketball team is ever going to grow into a consistent national power), and the failed YR2T Arena in previous issues, so I consider this convocation center the latest wrinkle as the growing university tries to address various needs in one fell swoop.

Is this project on track? Will it allow the school's indoor sports to grow and prosper, in the way an arena would? What kind of travelling shows and concerts can it draw?

We dispatched correspondent Aliana Ramos to find out what kind of convo the new convo center is sparking, and what kind of buzz it's creating on CCU's campus, and you can read her report on page 14.

And speaking of new performance-related/culture-enhancing facilities in the area, we've also got an update on page 17 of the recently re-christened Myrtle Beach Performing Arts Center (formerly the Rivoli Performing Arts Center) that's planned as an expansion of the Myrtle Beach Convention Center.

And then there were three

You may have noticed that a couple of our more high profile Surgeons and Surgettes are not in this week's "Meet the Team" feature on page 4.

Photographer Scott Smallin was laid off in cost-cutting measure by Surge's parent company a couple of weeks ago and Sales Manager Heather Eberlin left on her own volition last week to pursue travels. I had no hand in either decision, so don't send me any nasty letters.

We will miss both of them as they were part of the original Surge crew of nine that was assembled during the summer of '06, a number that has now dwindled down to three (me, Art Director Abby Sink, and Marketing and Promotions Manager Diana Fromal).

There is a new face on that page, however, as we recently welcomed Account Executive Summer Mueller.

As always, we'll miss our former colleagues who were integral in our successes, but will keep on keeping on until the ink runs out, the press is shut down and the powers-that-be pull the plug.