SFCC students return to campus

Lizzy Clements had help shopping for school supplies on her first day as a State Fair Community College student: her mom, Cathy Clements, a writing instructor at the college.

Fall classes started Monday at the college, where Lizzy was one of 3,212 students enrolled in fall classes.

Mother and daughter bought art supplies Monday at the busy school bookstore.

The two admitted to having first-day jitters, but in different ways.

“I have nervous startup issues, just like the students do,” said Cathy Clements. “I’m nervous on the first day, and then I get it out of the way.”

Her daughter said she wasn’t initially worried about entering college.

“I wasn’t nervous about coming, but I am now,” she said.

Clements went to two classes that morning, and was scheduled for 16 credit hours this semester, including one online course.

“It’s very stressful and very different than high school, more than I thought it would be. But it could shape up to be fun,” she said. She graduated from Smith-Cotton High School in May.

The first day of class was old hat for Lilia Chernioglo, 28, who entered her third year Monday.

The Hughesville resident attended two classes Monday morning, and stopped by the bookstore around noon.
“It’s OK. I’m not really excited about buying expensive books,” she said.

There were a few things Chernioglo said she found exciting about the coming year, such as “finally graduating.” The pre-pharmacy student was also eager to see the new Heckart Science and Allied Health Center, where she will have class.

“That’s been an exciting project for us and we’ve been watching it being built this last year,” she said.

She has not been inside the new building yet.

“I am excited, because the labs should be much better than what we had,” she said.

The first day of the fall semester is the busiest day of the year for the bookstore, said Polly Grapes, director of textbook operations.
This year, things were going smoothly.

“(It’s) not as crazy as I thought it would be,” she said. Four cashiers helped move people through the lines quickly.

Students didn’t just buy books, Grapes said. Students bought “lots of everything. We have sold a ton of clothes,” she said.

Students registered for five percent more credit hours for the fall semester than last year.