Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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Sorensen reflects on progress, struggles during freshman year PHOTOS BY CANDI HAUGLUM/THE GAMECOCK Top: Thursday marks the one-year anniversary of Andrew Sorensen’s election as USC’s 27th president. Above left: Sorensen helps Maxcy residents move in. Above right: Sorensen plays a trumpet solo at a football game. BY KEVIN FELLNER THE UAMECOCK Thursday marks the first anniversary of the Board of Trustees’ unanimous vote to make Andrew Sorensen USC’s 27th president, and since then, USC has un dergone many changes. The university is hoping to break ground on the first phase of a 5-million square-foot research campus before the end of2003. Interest in the university from prospective students is at an all-time high, and more bow ties are being sported by members of the Board of Trustees at its quarterly meetings. Sorensen says his greatest accomplish ments so far have been establishing good relationships with students, as well as with state and local government officials. “Students who see me on campus will invariably say, ‘Hello, Dr. Sorensen,’ and the fact that they recognize me is very gratifying,” he said, adding that students have introduced them selves in places such as the airport as well. The challenge this year, Sorensen says, has been dealing with $41 million in reduced state appropriations since his first offi cial day in office last July. Since his arrival, Sorensen has officiated at commencement and awards ceremonies, attended dozens of performing-arts events that featured students, and made appearances at community events such as the American Heart Association’s Heart Walk. And on top of that, he has held meetings with the governor and Congress members, attended a reception at the White House, and taken the entire Board of Trustees to New Orleans for a weekend. “The whole sort of fabric of stu dent life in cultural experiences as well as athletic has been very enjoyable,” he said. ouiciiocii i/Uiiamcio 1110 u auor tion to Columbia from Tuscaloosa, Ala., easier than he had expected. “My wife and I feel that South Carolinians are just wonderfully hospitable people,” he said. “There’s a sort of stereotype about this type of Southern hospitality, but having not grown up in the South, my wife and I believe it.” During the fall semester, Sorensen said he was determined to get to know people from all cor ners of South Carolina and from all walks of life. Thus the Bow Tie Bus Tour was born. A dozen day trips on a 14-seat minibus took him to all of South Carolina’s 46 counties, stopping at high schools, corporate head quarters, luncheons and alumni residences to get acquainted. “I wanted to visit people all over the state,” he said in Rock Hill on the tour’s third leg in October. “I want to listen to South Carolinians all over the state. I want to hear what they say. I want to hear what they would like to see from the University of South Carolina.” At high schools, he would try to persuade students to come to USC and answer their questions about the university. He’d then give stu dents T-shirts with bow ties print ed below the collar in honor of the tour. At other events, he’d entertain his audiences with funny stories about his experiences as univer sity president, such as when he asked a group of elementary school students whether they knew where USC is located and one girl answered, “Yes sir, it’s right across the street from Rr»i art aloe ” He’s now engaged in the Bow Tie Sky Tour, which has him trav eling as far as New York and California to talk to potential donors and corporations interest ed in investing in USC’s research ventures. “People have to believe that I’m sincere,” he said about his fund raising approach. “And, general ly speaking, people tell me that’s an impression that I create. I hope I do because I am sincere in what I tell people.” Sorensen’s staff is already scheduling the next bus tour for spring 2004. Sorensen said he would have more time for it then because, during football season, he entertains visitors who come to see the games. Sorensen said the biggest dif ference between USC and the University of Alabama has been his jurisdiction over more than one campus. “I can’t think just about Columbia here,” he said. “I have to think about all the seven other institutions and 11 campuses. I visit them on a regular basis and keep them in my sort of thoughts in vision, in aspirations and sen sitivity.” Sorensen said he doesn’t mind that his peers or subordinates of ten compare him to a politician or traveling salesmen. “In some respects, what I do is sell the university to people who don’t know about it, and it’s a req uisite for every salesman to be lieve in the product he’s selling. I’ve got a terrific product. I’ve got the education that the University of South Carolina provides... and I’m proud of it,” he said. Sorensen’s staff members often talk about how he never appears to tire from his job. People wm tell you 1 ao nave a lot of energy,” he said, but he is planning a summer vacation with his family in Alaska in June. Sorensen has been invited to speak at a handful of international conferences this fall. He says that during the next 12 months, he is most excited about continuing to push his ideas for the university’s growth and add initiatives that conform to the university’s chang ing layout. “The response to my vision for the university has been, quite frankly, more positive and widespread than I ever dreamed it would be,” he said. “And I don’t mean to imply that everybody that hears it says, ‘Oh terrific. That’s ex actly what I want to do.’ But the re sponse is usually so enthusiastic.” Comments on this story?E-mail gamecockudesk@hotmail.com _ „ T— urday Downtown I CSWNTOWN^WV# ^ 'j^ftUykdt | Join us for breakfast and lunch this Saturday, enjoy live entertainment while shopping for local duce, fresh flowers, fine art and handmade crafts. 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