What is in a name? The question was asked centuries ago by Juliet in Shakespeare’s revered literary classic Romeo and Juliet. Some might say the answer is a matter of perspective. Like beauty – it is in the eye of the beholder.
When Claflin President Dr. Dwaun J. Warmack announced recently that the theater would be renamed the Nissan of Orangeburg Movie Theater — the news was greeted with enthusiastic applause and jubilant cheers by the students, faculty, alumni, and area residents who attended the campus/community unveiling celebration. The event was held near the movie theater entrance on the first floor of the Center for Student Life – the 80,000-squarefoot ultra-modern facility that opened in March 2024. The movie theater offers moviegoers stadium-style seating with 172 cozy high-back rockers, Dolby surround sound, and futuristic laser projection on a visually captivating 30-foot screen.
“I just want to begin by thanking Nissan of Orangeburg, specifically Marcus Johnson and the Johnson Automotive Group,” Warmack said. “This is my sixth year at Claflin and collectively, we’ve raised significant funds during this time. But when no one else believed in me, Marcus gave me my first gift. My first quarter of a million dollars came from you and Nissan of Orangeburg.
Thank you for believing before anyone else believed.”
Warmack was referencing Johnson’s $250,000 gift in 2022 to fund upgrades to athletic facilities, including a new video scoreboard in the Jonas T. Kennedy Health and Wellness Complex. As president and CEO of The Johnson
Claflin University President Dr. Dwaun J. Warmack (left) and Marcus Johnson (right) from Nissan of Orangeburg celebrate the renaming of Claflin’s theater.
Automotive Group, Johnson also offers internships and management training programs to prepare Claflin students for executive leadership in the global workforce of the 21st century.
“I pitched Marcus the idea of naming the movie theater for the Johnson Automotive Group,” Warmack said. “But that’s not what he wanted.”
Instead, Johnson chose his dealership — Nissan of Orangeburg for the naming opportunity because the dealership is committed to the community and believes in the work happening throughout Orangeburg.
“We absolutely are a partnership,” Johnson said. “When we bought Nissan of Orangeburg four or five years ago, to be honest, we didn’t know Claflin was here. When I rode down the street and saw the campus, I returned to the store and asked the guys if they knew an HBCU (Historically Black College/University) was right up the street. They responded, “Yes, Claflin but we are not doing anything with them.” I asked why not and scheduled a meeting with Dr. Warmack and his leadership team. I was blown away
