The Anchor, Volume 133.01: September 18, 2019

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Hope inaugurates ll^Tpreside WHAT'S INSIDE?

VOICES

LIFESTYLE

M a t t h e w Scogin’s inaugural address Molly Douma For only the fourteenth time since H o p e College w a s founded 150 years ago, H o p e s c a m p u s celebrated the inauguration of a n e w president. In his address to a packed D i m n e n t Memorial Chapel a n d the audience viewing fro m multiple live stream locations around campus, Matt Scogin shared a few revolutionary goals for his term. O n e of these goals, prefaced by Scogin as “a big ambition, so large that it probably sounds crazy and unachievable,” is to raise e n o u g h scholarship m o n e y for H o p e s e n d o w m e n t so that H o p e can one day be a tuitionfree institution. “Th e opportunity to be transformed by H o p e should not be dependent o n a family’s net worth or what zip code a student grows u p in,” said Scogin. “Being transformed by H o p e should not c o m e with a price tag.” This goal, as well as the rest of Scogin’s passionate a n d unifying speech, clearly got the attention of H o p e ’s students. “His speech gave m e chills,“ said Garett Shrode, a sophomore. “It almost brought m e to tears, I’m not even kidding.

H e m a d e m e super excited for the future of Hope. I think w e ’re going in a really g o o d direction.” This kind of reaction is one mirrored by Greg Hendrick, a senior, w h o said, “I w a s just waiting the whole hour a n d a half to hear h i m speak. I think it’s great that he doesn’t wan t finances to be a barrier to this liberal arts education.” This approval a n d anticipation is also m atched by s o p h o m o r e Sarah Pelyhes: “I a m b e y o n d hopeful, overly excited, a n d filled with pride about Scogin being our n e w president. Listening to his speech painted a picture of H o p e that m a k e s m e enthusiastic for the generations of students to c o m e a n d step foot on this campus.” O n e of Scogin’s intents as he paves the w a y for H o p e ’s n e w agenda is to pursue a m o r e land a n d respectful w a y to handle controversial conversations. “H o w can w e be a place where w e disagree without being divided?” Scogin asked in an interview with The A n c h o r a w e e k before he gave the address. “H o p e is full of smart people w h o love G o d a n d think

about the world. If w e can’t figure this out, then I’m not sure there’s a lot of hop e for a n y b o d y to figure this out.” According to Shrode, Scogin has done a successful job thus far of instilling this desire for respect and reconciliation. “[Scogin] m a d e m e feel a sense of unity that I haven’t felt in a really long time,” said Shrode. Pelyhes agrees with this potential, saying “I admire the fervor, humility and ambition Scogin has already presented o n c a m p u s and hop e to see that passion translated into thoroughly developing global citizens w h o are able to build unity in the midst of diversity.” This sense of hop e and unity seems to be m o v i n g H o p e and its people in the right direction. A positive a n d ambitious outlook is wha t this world always needs m o r e of, a n d one which Scogin has fully embraced. To end with the words of our n e w president himself: “W e m a y disagree on s o m e things, but w e share -a handful of big convictions that unite us. I can’t think of a better position from which to transform the world.”


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