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The Savannah Tribune • Wednesday, November 25, 2009 - 3
SOCIAL AND COMMUNITY NEWS
Brown Delivers Opening Prayer for
U.S. House of Representatives
Savannah State Enrollment hits
Record High of 3,820 Students
Speaker Pelosi, Rev. Matthew Southall Brown, Sr., House Chaplain Daniel Coughlin,
and Congressman John Barrow
Savannah State
University’s (SSU) total
enrollment figure for fall
2009 is 3,820 students, rep
resenting the largest enroll
ment in the university’s his
tory. Total enrollment
increased from fall 2008 to
fall 2009 by 10.6 percent, or
approximately 365 students.
The record-high num
ber exceeds the projected
enrollment of 3,600 students.
According to the fall
2009 Semester Enrollment
Report, Savannah State is
one of 10 University System
of Georgia institutions that
experienced double-digit
enrollment growth from fall
2008 to fall 2009.
“We know the strug
gling economy is a factor in
the enrollment increase,”
said Irvin Clark, Ed.D., vice
president for Student Affairs,
which includes the Office of
Admissions and
Recruitment. “But our
aggressive recruitment
strategies, quality housing
options and aesthetic campus
improvements also con
tributed to the growth.”
Savannah State can
house approximately 2,250
students in two apartment-
style complexes - University
Village and University
Commons - as well as the
freshman suites and three
traditional residence halls.
While the majority of stu
dents enrolled at SSU come
from the Savannah-Chatham
area, a large number hail
from metro Atlanta followed
by Macon and Augusta.
Established in 1890,
Savannah State University is
on the move to become the
best value-added university
in the nation.
The university’s
approximately 3,800 stu
dents are enrolled in 23
undergraduate degree majors
and five graduate programs
in three colleges: Liberal
Arts and Social Sciences,
Business Administration and
Sciences and Technology.
Rev. Matthew Southall
Brown, Sr., pastor emeritus
of St. John Baptist Church
was at the U.S. Capitol to
deliver the opening prayer
for the U.S. House of
Representatives as Guest
Chaplain on Wednesday,
Nov. 18.
Born and raised in
Savannah, Rev. Matthew
Southall Brown, Sr., served
his country with valor in
World War II. At a time when
the armed forces were still
segregated, he was one of the
2,221 black soldiers who
volunteered for infantry duty
during the Battle of the
Bulge.
After being honorably
discharged, Rev. Brown
returned to his native
Savannah to attend college
under the G.I. Bill of Rights.
He later took over the
ministry at Savannah's his
toric St. John Baptist Chinch,
"the Mighty Fortress." Over
the next 35 years, Rev.
Brown led his congregation,
becoming not only a strong
voice in the pulpit, but a
major leader in the fight for
equality during the Civil
Rights Movement in
Savannah.
Currently, he serves as a
member of the Savannah
Board of Ethics, having been
nominated by Mayor Otis
Johnson and the Savannah
City Council.
"I'm humbled and hon
ored to be able to welcome
Rev. Matthew Southall
Brown, Sr., to Washington
today," said Barrow. "A
devoted father, grandfather,
great-grandfather and hus
band, Rev. Brown has dedi
cated his life to service, not
only to his family, but to his
church, his community, and
his country. He's spent his
life giving back to others,
inspiring his congregation,
and helping people find
strength in times of adversity
and hope in times of
tragedy."
The guest chaplain pro
gram is sponsored by the
Office of the Chaplain of the
House of Representatives.
Guest chaplains must be rec
ommended by current mem
bers of Congress, and each
member of Congress is
allowed to recommend only
one religious leader per
Congress.
Opening the House of
Representatives in prayer is a
tradition that began in 1789
with the first Continental
Congress. For more informa
tion about the Office of the
Chaplain, visit http://chap-
lain.house.gov.
New members join
Step Up Savannah’s
Board of Directors
Six new members were
voted in by the board of direc
tors at a recent Step Up
Savannah board meeting.
The new members
replace those who served one-
year terms in Step Up’s first
year as non-profit corporation.
New members will serve three
year terms as called for in the
organization’s by-laws. Board
members also voted in offi
cers for the new year.
New board members
include:Bemetta Anderson,
Hudson Hill Neighborhood
Association Leon Burton,
Curtis V. Cooper Primary
Health Care Elder Willie
Ferrell, Royal Church of
Christ Alethea Frazier Raynor,
African American Male
Achievement, Inc. The Rev.
James Nelson, Holy Spirit
Lutheran Church John Wills,
Consumer Credit Counseling
Services.
2010 Step Up Savannah
officers: Sr. Pat Baber, St.
Mary’s Community Center,
board chair; Robert James,
Carver State Bank, vice chair;
William Oakley, Goodwill
Industries, secretary/treasurer.
Jim Stevenson, community
volunteer, is immediate past-
chair.
Current members
include: Maria Elena
Bowden,Yvonnia Brown,
Earline Wesley Davis,
Micheal Elliott, Deborah
Goldwire, Stephanie Gray,
Cathy Hill, Bill Hubbard,
Robert James, Mayor Otis
Johnson, Cherith Jones,
County Chairman Pete
Liakakis, Thomas Lockamy,
William Oakley, Pamela
Oglesby, Millie Rivers, Gregg
Schroeder, Rochelle Small-
Toney, Jim Stevenson,
Tyrone Ware, Charles Wilhite,
Rick Winger
Step Up Savannah, Inc.
incorporated as a non-profit in
2009 and continues its work
through action teams focused
on workforce development
and adult education, wealth
building and work supports.
It also oversees
Chatham County’s
Construction Apprentice
Program, and partners with
the City to run the “Bank On
Savannah” campaign.
For more information,
visit Step Up’s Web site:
www.stepupsavannah.org.
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