Following the May 14 Baccalaureate Service, Catawba's 2010 graduating class processed by candlelight in the traditional Marshal's Walk. After each graduate lit his or her candle from the lighted candles carried by faculty members, they made their way from the Omwake-Dearborn Chapel, along Oliver's Way, to the exterior of the Robertson College-Community Center.
Once gathered there, the graduates heard brief remarks from the outgoing student body president, Kevin Flebbe of Vineland, N.J.; the incoming student body president Kendra Joyner of Petersburg, Va.; the senior class president Lindsey Jackson of Dana, N.C.; and College Marshal, Professor David Pulliam.
Joyner called the Catawba College community "a place where you know everyone." She said the Class of 2010 had mentored and inspired her and her classmates.
"The Class of 2010 has cut a path….for us to follow," she continued and concluded by thanking the Class for "the imprints you've eternally left."
Jackson spoke about the difficulty of condensing four years of collegiate experiences into two minutes. She reminded her classmates "your memories from the last four years are priceless."
Flebbe talked about the future spread out before the graduates. "The future is kind of in a way like the dark, because it's scary," he said. Despite the fear of the unknown, Flebbe urged his peers to "use the skills and talents that Catawba has developed within us, and follow our hearts to not just find a job, but also to leave our mark on the world."
College Marshal Pulliam's remarks centered on the symbolism of the lighted candles. He urged the graduates to shine their light in the world.
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