On January 14th, the faculty, staff, and students of Alice Lloyd College gathered in the Campbell Arts Center (CAC) Auditorium for opening convocation. President Stepp welcomed the students and gave updates on the plethora of campus projects. He stated, “We are continuing to build state-of-the-art facilities for our students.”
The Campus Center is near completion and the College will soon host a dedication ceremony for the building. The new facility will house a gymnasium along with a dining area that will serve stadium food such as pizzas, quesadillas, smoothies and more. There will be a lounge area where student services can host activities like movies or games. In addition to the completion of the campus center, the College has plans for completing a new women’s dormitory, installing new flooring and seating in CAC, and improving faculty housing. Academically, the College is working to add two new majors: Communications Studies and Social Work. The improvement of campus facilities and the addition of new classes and majors will all benefit the students and the ALC Community. President Stepp told the students, “Our goal is to give you the best facilities and a marketable degree at the lowest price possible.”
After the President’s remarks, keynote speaker, Dr. Charles Petty, took the stage. Dr. Petty is a native of Arkansas and has held many professions from a counselor to visiting professor in addition to working for a large corporation in Texas and North Carolina and serving on the North Carolina Governor’s Staff. However, since 1985, Dr. Petty claims that all he does is, “Eat and speak!” Currently, he is the president of Family Success Unlimited. Also, Dr. Petty was given the honor of being inducted into the Speaker Hall of Fame by the National Speakers Association.
Dr. Petty comedically spoke to the ALC audience about numerous strategies and facts about life. He bluntly stated that life is not fair for anyone, but later advised for the students to work hard, take care of their bodies, emotions, relationships, and spirits as well as advising that knowledge is power. His words invoked waves of laughter throughout the crowd as well as thoughtful reflections of the needs that must be met before one can live a purpose-filled life. His light-humored motivation was a great start to the new year and semester, and all who attended left with a new perspective on how to better obtain the purpose for their lives.