Spotlighting the Class of 2020

Dear Students, Faculty, and Staff,

Right now, hundreds of JSU students and their families should be getting ready for spring commencement this weekend. While we have scheduled ceremonies for later this summer, I understand this has been a disappointing end of the final semester of college for these graduates. The Class of 2020 has endured both a natural disaster and a global pandemic while completing their degrees. They are survivors, and I know they will go out and make a big difference in this world. 
 
To let our graduates know how proud we are of them, we have arranged for a special treat. For the first time since an EF-3 tornado struck campus on March 19, 2018, the roof of the 13-story Houston Cole Library will be lit Gamecock Red in honor of the graduating class. The lights will be turned on each night, from Thursday, April 30, to Sunday, May 3, in honor of what would have been graduation weekend.
 
While the lights will have to be turned back off at the end of the weekend, we hope to have them back on permanently when repairs are completed at the end of summer. We can all thank our Physical Plant staff for making this tribute to the Class of 2020 possible amid ongoing repairs to the Library.  
 
Additionally, I would like to invite everyone to join me, along with the Alumni Relations staff, in raising a glass to our graduates during a Virtual Toast on Friday, May 1, at 4 p.m. Tune in to the JSU Alumni Association Facebook or Instagram pages as we welcome these graduates into a family of more than 64,000 alumni. 
 
Congratulations, Class of 2020!
 
Sincerely, 
 
Dr. Don C. Killingsworth, Jr. 
Acting President