Alumni bid farewell to Birmingham-Southern College

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. ( WIAT ) — On Thursday night, Birmingham-Southern College celebrated 168 years and said goodbye to the hilltop.

Many alumni say the closing of BSC feels more like a wake than a celebration.

“It’s kind of overwhelming sadness coming here for the first time really since I’ve graduated,” Jenny Letsch, BSC class of 1996, said. “The campus itself has changed, but to know that future generations can’t have the foundation that I have now as an adult really makes me sad.”

“Black is one of the school colors but you will be seeing people wearing a lot of black for multiple reasons,” Will Royer, BSC class of 2020, said. “It does feel like a funeral.”

“This is the chance to say goodbye but it’s also the time to celebrate what we all had the opportunity to experience and just feel blessed to have and the people that we got to know and hopefully get to see some of those people tonight again,” Terri Allan, BSC class of 1996, said.

While there is still anger over the decision to close the school, alumni are thankful for the opportunity to see old friends and reconnect.

“This place is a sacred place for me. How could I not be here?” Kevin Curry Whitehead, BSC class of 1989, said. “As hard as it’s going to be and how I am already tearing up, I’m here to mourn what we’re losing but also to celebrate all the incredible gifts Birmingham-Southern gave those of us who were fortunate enough to attend.”

BSC has been a small but mighty liberal arts college in the state, giving many alumni and students a sense of family. From friendships to marriages, BSC brought many people connections to last a lifetime.

“We wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for Birmingham-Southern,” Ellen Potts, BSC class of 1988, said. “We met the week before our freshman year at concert choir camp and set each other up with all of our good friends until we finally decided to date each other our junior year.”

“We’re both AOPi’s and that’s what started our journey. I think if we were not sorority sisters, we probably would not have forged such a strong friendship,” Letsch said about Allan. “Some 30-something-odd years later and we are still sisters.”

Not only are alumni thankful for the connections their alma mater brings, but they’re also thankful for the education they received.

“I hope to carry on just a love of learning for the rest of my life and anybody whose life I may be fortunate enough to touch or impact,” Royer said.

“Birmingham-Southern has been the place that taught me that faith and science could exist together,” Whitehead said. “They taught me not what to think but how to think.”

Thursday night, some BSC alumni were awarded for the work they’ve done and how they’ve represented the institution since graduating.

“To be recognized a distinguished alumni of Birmingham-Southern is probably the highest honor of my life, one of the highest honors of my life,” Danny Potts, BSC class of 1988, said. “It indicates to me that someone thinks that maybe some of the time I embody the ideals that Birmingham-Southern tries to instill in its students.”

BSC’s final commencement will be Friday morning and the doors will officially close for good May 31.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to CBS 42.