Old Town New World

Recently, before performing alongside MOA and Mandako, all members of the band GASP sat down with us to talk about making music. They talk about what brought this band together and what motivates them. They also explain, to the best of their abilities, what pushes them to create music. Why do they commit so much of their time and energy to something that will most likely not return that effort monetarily?

The concert that night took place at Rock Hill’s Courtroom venue, an integral part of GASP and the local music scene. The band also talks about the Rock Hill scene and why places like this are important.

In this very special episode of Old Town New World, the late Marshall Dickson Whitesides tells the story of his journey from a family farm in South Carolina to the WWII Battlefront in France and Germany. A well-respected business owner and beloved family man, Marshall tells us about his adventures and occasional misadventures on the frontlines. His war career was one fraught with danger and populated by rich characters. We hope you truly enjoy hearing it.

Critic, Podcast Host, and Gameshow-Winner Mark Blankenship talks about the power of narrative. He explains how a pop culture obsession led him to criticism and creativity. We share our own relationships with stories and unpack what makes us all love them. Mark also talks about the deep pop culture knowledge that got him on Jeopardy and a winning turn on Name that Tune. He’ll also talk about his childhood experience, what landed him in NYC, and eventually Rock Hill, SC.

Mark was born in Chattanooga, Tennessee. He earned a BA from Emory University where he served as the theater, film and music critic of The Emory Wheel. He also studied theater at Oxford University and holds a Master of Fine Arts in Dramaturgy and Dramatic Criticism.

Mark attended Yale School of Drama where he began writing for Variety, The Village Voice, and American Theatre.

He has lived in Park Slope, Brooklyn since 2005. His writing credits include numerous pieces for The New York Times, Variety, New York Daily News, The Village Voice, The Advocate, Time Out New York, The Huffington Post, NPR and American Theatre. He regularly appears as panelist/expert commentator for CBC News: Sunday and CNN.com.

Mark and Sarah D. Bunting started the Mark and Sarah Talk About Songs podcast in March 2016, where they engage in deep and hilarious discussions about songs chosen by the hosts or the fans.

He lives between Brooklyn and Rock Hill with his husband, Andrew.

Clinton College President Dr. Lester McCorn walks through the story of Historically Black Colleges & Universities and the civil rights movement in America. He talks about his personal experience with education at some of the most important HBCUs, through his work as a Pastor all over the country, an author, civil rights figure, and finally, President of Clinton College. Dr. McCorn also talks about the hope he finds in the future among the students at Rock Hill’s only HBCU, Clinton College.  

President McCorn is an alumnus of Morehouse College, Yale Divinity School and Chicago Theological Seminary. He holds the Doctor of Ministry (D.Min.) from United Theological Seminary, where he was a Gardner C. Taylor Fellow in social justice and prophetic leadership and Adjunct Professor/Doctoral Mentor. He is currently a candidate for the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Ethical and Creative Leadership, with a specialization in Martin Luther King Jr. Studies and Social Change, and a certificate in Educational Leadership at Union Institute and University in Cincinnati, Ohio. He was named one of “The 10 Most Dominant HBCU Presidents of 2019” by the HBCU Campaign Fund. Before being appointed President of the Clinton College in 2017, Dr. McCorn was a pastor at Churches in Boston, Chicago, Atlanta and Baltimore. 

Rev. Dr. Lester A. McCorn and his wife Mrs. Charlene M. McCorn are proud parents of William Elijah Benjamin, Maliaka Kenyetta, and John-Charles Wesley.

Data scientist, international policy advisor on economic growth, and social entrepreneur Belén Sánchez Hidalgo talks about her passion to bring diversity to AI. While working as a consultant at The World Bank, Belén became anxious about the potential risks of Artificial Intelligence and decided to do something about it. She left her career in public policy to become a data scientist at DataRobot. Here, she became inspired to educate women on AI development and created WaiCAMP, an initiative that closes the AI gender gap in Latin America through pragmatic education. 

Originally from Ecuador, where she graduated from Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador with various financial degrees, Belén went on to study Enterprise Development at Leipzig University and obtain a Master in Public Administration from The Harvard Kennedy School.

Senior Pastor and President of Freedom Temple Ministries, Bishop Herbert C. Crump, Jr. talks about his journey from The United States Army to being head of the first minority congregation to own large property on Main Street Rock Hill. Pastor Crump talks about his work with Clinton college, exciting progress there, and the importance of having an accessible option for higher education. He explains his personal philosophy about people in leadership roles supporting incoming, younger leaders.

Born in Mount Vernon, NY, Pastor Crump went from military service to being a youth minister in Charleston, moved on to various pastor roles before starting a new ministry in Winthrop Auditorium in 2000.

Pastor Crump is happily married to Lady Dawn R. Crump, with son Joshua, daughter Jenesis, and pup Ace.

Former SC representative and house majority leader Gary Simrill joins us to talk about his new role at Winthrop University. He tells us what drives him and about lessons he learned from both success and failure. We discuss the turmoil in modern politics and its impact on the individual. Gary reveals a personal history in which it’s easy to see why he’s such a highly regarded leader. 

Gary was born in Rock Hill and graduated from Winthrop University in 1991 with a BS in Business. He went on to a thirty-year career in politics before joining the team at Winthrop as special assistant to the president for community engagement. He and wife, Mary have three children. He was the primary sponsor of the 2017 Infrastructure and Economic Development Act.