GSSM to the Max

The Hartsville based South Carolina Governors School for Science and Mathematics unveiled their newly constructed, newly named buildings during a ceremony this afternoon inside their new gymnasium.

IMPRESSIVE

This high school is one of the top high schools in the nation and the vision, drive and energy that is powering this institution is moving it toward the next level of being one of the most forward-thinking, high-achieving high schools in the world.

They joked a little during the presentation that maybe it is time to think of renaming Hartsville --- SMARTSville for smart people that represent so many of the areas that make our community so unique as a small city in the U.S.

Of course, part of the SMARTS is represented by the junior and senior students from around South Carolina who do the final two years of their high school work at GSSM. I was talking to one proud parent of an alumn whose son is finishing UGA in three years. His son's girl friend, also a Govvie, is finishing Vanderbilt undergrad in three years. Both are getting ready for graduate school.

The new name they are giving the Governor's School is E=MCsquared. The new name symbolizes Roger Milliken -- as the M. He donated the land on which the GSSM campus is situated. The C-squared = Campbell, former Governor Carroll Campbell, and Coker, Charlie Coker, former chairman, president and leader of Sonoco who joined forces to make the idea of this two-year accelerated, residential high school a reality in South Carolina and Hartsville.

The other major "Champions" of the school who were recognized with parts of the Campus in their name are Senator Gerald Malloy who worked hard to get funds from the state appropriations for the growth of the school; Representative Jay Lucas who provided that same type of leadership in the House of Representatives. The Activities building is named for Senator Malloy and the Academic wing is named for Representative Lucas. The female student living quarters are named for Representative Dennie Nielsen, a Darlington County representative who also worked for this funding. The male residential wing is named for Dr. James Daniels, former president of Coker College, where the Governor's School resided during its first few years.

It was an invigorating afternoon at the GSSM celebration and those of us who play host to this great school in our Hartsville community need to be proud they are with us and understand how this institution brings distinction of a cutting-edge variety to our cosmopolitan small city.