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‘SOUTHERN VOICES
As a soon-to-be graduate of
Birmingham-Southern College, I’ve
reached a point where every aspect
of my day-to-day life has become
sentimental.
Not a day goes by where I don’t see
a familiar face or hear a kind voice
that reminds me of the precious time
I’ve had here. Even the smell of the
ginkgo trees in the spring reminds
me of the countless hours I spent in
Stephens Science Center my first year
when I thought I wanted to study
biology. While every aspect of my life
seems to evoke an emotional effect, the
strongest trigger is seeing Gen. Charles
Krulak’s smiling face. If you asked
me, I would swear that it was only
yesterday that I met him for the first
time on my college tour.
It was that college tour that made
me fall in love with this amazing
community. As a high school senior,
I had my heart set on a giant state
school where I would have no doubt
become another obnoxious SEC
football fan. But, like any good parent,
my mother made me explore other
options. I could not deny that the
Hilltop was beautiful and everyone
was as nice as they could be; however,
that wasn’t what led me to choose
this remarkable institution. My tour
guide knew every person we passed by
name—classmates and professors alike.
Assuming that this was a brilliant
plot arranged by the Admission Office,
I began to study other students passing
by and discovered the phenomenon
was the same. They all knew each
other and were all connected in some
inexplicable way. As we finished
our tour in the Admission Welcome
Center, a petite man approached me
and began to explain that he was an
incoming first-year student as well.
Out of curiosity and utter confusion, I
asked him why he chose Birmingham-
Southern above all other options. His
response was, “There’s just something
about the people here.” He was right.
Gen. Krulak has taken this unique
characteristic of our college and
made it something spectacular. His
commitment to BSC shows the
student body what it means to be a
part of something bigger than your
average undergraduate education.
Birmingham-Southern is a
community
of exceptionally hardworking,
dedicated, and honorable people. As
a community, we understand that the
only way to achieve our goals is by
helping one another. From our sports
teams to the arts, from SGA to Greek
life and everything in between, the
BSC sense of community is evident in
everything that we do. You can also
see this dedication to community
in our everyday interactions. The
General’s constant evoking of the
Marine Corps mantra, “No man
(or woman) left behind,” shows
we recognize how important this
community actually is.
I finally realized what it is that keeps
this community so united and is most
likely the characteristic the General
A sentimental journey
by Sumner Pilcher, senior business major from Leesburg, Ga.
and I saw on our first tour of the
school—honor. Being a military man,
this idea of honor is not something he
takes lightly. As an average student, it
took me a while to understand what it
means here at Birmingham-Southern.
In the real world, honor is treating
yourself and others with respect. But
on this campus, it is so much more
than that. Honor is earning your
degree and not having it handed to
you; it’s knowing that the person
sitting beside you is keeping you
accountable for your actions, just as
you would do for your best friend. I
know this because I have been lucky to
be a part of the Student Government
Association, and more importantly,
to be a part of selecting peers to
represent the student body on the
Honor Council. Although the process
took seven long hours, I am able to see
how precious it is. It’s more than just
promising not to lie, steal, or cheat.
Honor is having respect for yourself,
your peers, and your professors, and
holding yourself to a higher standard.
Honor is what holds BSC together and
it is what the General and I hold so
dear to our hearts.
As a graduating senior who will
soon be walking across the stage with
our commander-in-chief, I am certain
that I will be especially sentimental.
Gen. Krulak has taken this small liberal
arts college and showed its inhabitants
how unique and significant our home
away from home is. Although we are
all sad to see him go, we are also eager
to meet the next president, who will
lead this institution to new heights.
Whether focusing on academics,
financials, or philanthropy, I find
comfort in the knowledge that the
college will choose a new leader
based on his or her commitment to
community. For it is this dedication
to community that puts Birmingham-
Southern College above and
beyond the rest; it is the General’s
understanding and enhancement of
honor that makes him so special to all
of us.