A New Era for Capers

by Chelsea Harper

With a giant pair of golden scissors, retired U.S. Marine Corps Gen. Glenn M. Walters, president of the college, and Provost and Dean Sally Selden, Ph.D., cut the ceremonial dark blue ribbon in front of the newly rebuilt Capers Hall on September 9, accompanied by other college dignitaries. The crowd applauds, and The Citadel’s new 97,500-square-foot humanities building quickly begins to fill with guests.

For nearly 70 years, countless cadets and students passed through the hallways of the original Capers. When the building was constructed in the early 1950s, there were nearly 1,500 cadets enrolled, a majority of whom had classes in the building. During Capers Hall’s original construction, the building was part of a $700,000 college-wide expansion. Now, as the campus is in another era of revitalization, The Citadel has more than 2,100 cadets enrolled and more than 1,000 graduate, evening undergraduate and day students, almost all of whom will attend at least one class in Capers Hall.

At a cost of $67 million, the new Capers Hall now boasts many educational and technological improvements, such as a 250-seat auditorium, art gallery, digital media classroom, legal studies classroom, psychology interview rooms and more. In addition to these learning spaces, there are new offices, conference rooms, collaboration spaces and lounge areas for cadets, students, faculty and staff to use.

Capers Hall, as it has for the last several decades, will continue to serve countless Citadel cadets and students as they make their way through each hallway and classroom. But now, the building has spaces that are better suited to fit the advanced learning and teaching needs of the 21st century. The Citadel is committed to creating and maintaining safe and secure campus facilities to advance student learning, innovation and campus operations, an achievement that is shown clearly through its newest academic building.

To learn more about Capers Hall, visit citadel.edu/capers.


Cadet Allan Jacobs, a senior from Summerville, stands with a group of friends in the Class of 1979 Courtyard. Jacobs, a senior majoring in political science, also serves as the Mike Company commander. The courtyard leads directly to the new auditorium’s doors and acts as an entryway into Capers Hall. With its iconic red-and-white checkerboard pattern in the concrete, the courtyard also connects the new building to the barracks on campus, where all cadets live during their time at The Citadel.

Cadets diligently take notes and participate in the class discussion as Professor Platte Moring lectures on Supreme Court cases in the new Law and Legal Studies classroom. This space, which serves as more than just a regular classroom, is designed as a mock courtroom, providing a hands-on learning opportunity for cadets and students to become fully immersed in their coursework.
In a forensic photography class, cadets take an initial step into the complex world of crime scene documentation. Cadet Jessica Newton smiles as she listens to her professor explain the cardinal rules of the field. Meanwhile, her classmate Cadet Emily Hickey snaps a photo of her fellow cadets taking pictures. After being introduced to the Nikon DSLR camera, which they use on loan throughout the semester for assignments, the cadets practice photographing fake evidence planted around the room. This class combines traditional photographic crime scene documentation with cutting- edge technology, like 3D interactive capture and drone surveillance.
Cadet Jeffrey Ashlock delivers remarks in his role as a member of a mock U.S. National Security Council. Ashlock and his fellow classmates are part of a class that is held inside the Capers Hall training SCIF, which stands for Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility. It’s a fitting classroom space for the topics they discuss. Sitting among the cadets at the table is Political Science Professor Sarah Tenney Sharman, who specializes in international political economy and international organization. The students contemplate Ashlock’s words as they think though complex world issues. Throughout the semester, cadets’ roles will change as they address new case studies while continuously developing skills in problem solving, communications, critical thinking and analytical thinking.
In a freshman seminar, cadets smile among themselves as they delve into the evolving understanding of U.S. Latino identities. Cadet Jessie Spade presents a Dominican joyero mask to her classmates while explaining the intricate ties that link Carnival festival celebrations, the history of slavery in the Dominican Republic and the Caribbean, and the enduring spirit of Black resistance in the Americas. Fellow classmate Cadet Bailey Drobnyk tilts her head for a closer look at the mask, gaining a deeper understanding of Latin American cultural artifacts. Part of this class includes cadet presentations on topics related to Latin American culture, reinforced by artifacts they design.
Capers Hall, as it has for the last several decades, will continue to serve countless Citadel cadets and students as they make their way through each hallway and classroom. But now, the building has spaces that are better suited to fit the advanced learning and teaching needs of the 21st century. The Citadel is committed to creating and maintaining safe and secure campus facilities to advance student learning, innovation and campus operations, an achievement that is shown clearly through its newest academic building.