(left to
right) Sue Kahrs, Dr. Thomas Gorry, Leslie Black;
the Outdoor Classroom
Erskine
Seniors Present Class of 2000 Gift May 5
The Erskine College Class of 2000 dedicated the
senior class gift, an outdoor classroom complete with
podium, benches and trees, in a brief ceremony at the
classroom site May 5.
The classroom was given by the seniors “in
honor of our classmates” and a serviceberry tree
was donated in honor of Joe Black, a member of the
class of 1969 and this year's Erskine College
commencement speaker.
An outdoor podium, built by Erskine facilities
director Junior McClain, was given in memory of Mrs.
Odette Nahas Gorry, teacher, literacy volunteer and
wife of Erskine sociology professor Dr. Thomas Gorry.
A cedar of Lebanon was also planted at the classroom
site in memory of Mrs. Gorry, who was of Lebanese
descent.
Addressing the students, faculty, staff members
and guests in attendance were senior class president
Leslie Black and vice president Sue Kahrs. Erskine
president Dr. John Carson praised the students for
their work on the class gift project and Erskine
chaplain Dr. Jay West offered the dedicatory prayer.
Black and Kahrs thanked everyone involved in the
class gift project. “We wanted some of the
seniors to have an opportunity to experience this
outdoor classroom before we leave the campus,”
said Black.
“We would like to thank everyone for coming
today,” said Kahrs. “The senior class voted
on several options and decided on the outdoor
classroom as our gift. We would like to thank the
administration for their support and Dr. Gorry for
his great donation. Junior McClain was responsible
for the benches and podium, and we would like to
thank him for that.
“Mrs. Eva Pratt, class of 1962, donated the
azaleas in the back, and Dr. Ritland and the rest of
the biology department were helpful in design. Senior
biology majors Jason Burkhart and Patrick Brown were
our liasons between the biology department and class,
and we would like to thank them and the other
seniors.”
President Carson, after commending the seniors for
their gift and thanking those among faculty, staff
and alumni who helped construct the outdoor
classroom, announced to the seniors that the Alumni
Association has donated an Erskine College tag
designed for the front of their cars for each
graduating senior.
(left to
right) Professor Susan Patterson, Dr. Thomas Gorry
