An interview with my good friend and your Senior Class (of 2020) President

“Am I loud enough–check 1, 2,1, 2—I know I am,” Curniesha Williams ‘20 laughs as she tests the audio of the recording device.  

Williams, Senior Class President, has never had an issue commanding the room.  The seniors may remember Williams’ screeching technique at basketball games to distract an opponent about to attempt a free throw at the foul line; she has truly been a vocal member of our class from the very beginning.  

An ardent supporter of all sports teams at Wofford, a Campus Union representative for 3 years, a student tutor and mentor (a student arrived mid-interview for tutoring, in fact), Williams has been a class leader since our first semester.  Now with Vice President Alec Konrad, Secretary Braden Tuttle, and Treasurer Connor Kreese–whom she dubs “the boys”–the class officers are charged with inventing and implementing the senior class gift. It was first announced at the Class of 2020 Reception on Friday of Family Weekend. 

“We knew we wanted a physical project…it was important to leave a physical mark,” Williams prefaces her retelling of how she and the boys reached a final decision on what exactly the Class of 2020 might leave for posterity.  She explained that they considered a range of ideas from a new Wofford sign, a space for students behind the Verandah lot to utilize during football games, or even a plaque remembering the Honor Graduates, who is announced at each commencement ceremony. 

In July of this past summer, the four officers sent an annotated list of 10 ideas (of equal preference) to the President’s Office.  At the beginning of October, the officers received notice that one idea was approved by the college. The idea which is now the class gift? An extended patio behind Phase V of the Michael S. Brown Village Center with new sidewalks connecting that space to the walkways leading to the rest of the Senior Village and a central feature fire pit that will commemorate the Class of 2020.  

Once the idea was approved by the Physical Plant as well, contractors employed by Wofford developed sketches of the patio to be discussed with the class officers.  Konrad, a resident from West Virginia, used images of similar concepts from the Great State of West Virginia to revise the sketches in accordance with the visions of Williams, Konrad, Tuttle, and Kreese.  

After the conceptualization phase, the officers took the final sketch to the Office of Marketing and Communications.  That required another round of revision and back and forth. After all, “marketing oversees everything of this great land of sprinklers and mulch,” Williams said.  The timeline for the project is yet to be determined. The city of Spartanburg is currently reviewing the plans, as well.  

I asked Williams what she would like the senior class to know.  “I would like them to know that the senior gift is quite expensive,” Williams adds.  “The goal is to raise $32,000. About 73% of that will come from dorm deposits. We will have events where you’re allowed to donate your deposit–you’ll have to sign forms.”

Seniors can elect to give a partial amount of the deposit, like $50 or $100, but the officers urge all class members to donate the entire amount.  A refunded deposit is hard to track down, according to students from previous classes, or apartments are not approved for the full refund amount so most graduates found they never saw the deposit anyways.  

“This class is amazing, and that is not even cliche.  Y’all really made me feel at home here. I’m super excited to have events throughout the year and have fun in the spring together.  I want people to look back on this and think ‘Wow that was the best time of my life’ and use that to be excited about class reunions and staying in touch with people,” Williams admits.  

On another note Williams needs the senior class to know, there will be a service project. “We are going to serve the Spartanburg community by doing a food and diaper drive,” she says. 

The donated items will be given to children transplanted from border detention centers now living in Arcadia.  It sounds like Williams, Konrad, Tuttle, and Kreese are not just about real, tangible class gifts but real, tangible change, as well.  

Imagining beyond this year and gifts to the community and the college, Williams hopes that “we have s’mores at our 5 year reunion” to christen the fire pit of the 2020 patio–coming to you soon behind Phase V.