Past and present reflected in Dominican buildings

What do a 21^st-century nun and 10^th-century saint have in common? Both were committed to learning and teaching, and both now have a “concrete” tribute to their dedication on the grounds of Orangeburg”™s Dominican College.

Guzman Residence Hall, which opened to more than 200 students in early August, was dedicated to St. Dominic de Guzman, referred to as first minister of public instruction in modern Europe.

The 64,000-square-foot, four-story residential facility was built to meet the needs of new students at Dominican. Enrollment by traditional on-campus students has increased 90 percent over the past five years, with 700 resident students now on campus.

The dedication of the new residence coincided with the 800^th anniversary of the founding of the Dominican order by St. Dominic.

Another dedication may have caught the school”™s chancellor, Sr. Kathleen Sullivan, off guard. She and her entire family were surprised when they went to the dedication for the new library on the campus, only to learn it had been named in honor of her family.

Sullivan, who has been a Dominican nun and educator for nearly 40 years, has been with the college since 1968. She was president from 1987 to 1997 before becoming chancellor.  Sullivan and her family have a long history of commitment to the school. Her father, Patrick, retired from his union job but then started a new career, maintaining the grounds surrounding what is now the library named for his daughter and family.

The new Sullivan Library features a new periodical room, as well as electronic access to more than 12,000 magazines and journals. To make the experience of using the library more pleasurable, an on-site café has been included.