The shy smile on George McCleave's face spoke volumes about how the Brightmoor Nursing Home resident felt about the Christmas tree he was given by Catawba College students. The tree was a final project for the students' Operations Management class, a product that different teams had assembled using specialized tools and seven different raw materials, including coat hangers.

Catawba College students are saving money by buying and selling used books and the College bookstore is committed to help continue that trend by securing as many used books as possible. Students were able to buy more than 50% of their textbooks used for the Fall 2008 semester and through used books sales and buyback dollars saved more than $244,000 during the 07-08 fiscal year.

A new Business Mentor Program launched by Catawba College's Ketner School of Business will pair junior and senior business majors with successful business leaders who are members of the Business Advisory Board, alumni or friends of the college. The program will provide an essential link between the classroom and business reality, according to Professor Pam Thompson, chair of the Ketner School of Business.

"I'm telling you, I really go deep with Catawba," says Randy Southard of Stokesdale, a 1974 College alumnus, and as he explains, one realizes how truthful his statement is. Southard describes himself as "just a little wet behind the ears kid from Stokesdale" who ended up as a student at Catawba thanks to two people with ties to the institution, both of whom were named Ron.

Through a gift from the estate of the Katharine Weisiger Osborne, a Catawba College Trustee who died on April 3, 2008, a new First Family Scholarship has been established at the College. The Katharine W. Osborne First Family Endowed Scholarship will assist future students of high academic quality in attending Catawba.

Through the Independent College Fund of North Carolina, Charlotte-based Clariant Corporation – the U.S. headquarters of one of the world's leading makers of specialty chemicals – has awarded three $2,000 scholarships for the 2008-2009 academic year to students planning for careers teaching math or science.

The English Department of Catawba College is sponsoring a reading by South Carolina authors Phebe Davidson and Debra Daniel. The event, which is free to the public, will be held on Tuesday, November 11, at 7:30 p.m. in Tom Smith Auditorium, Ketner Hall.

Dr. Sanford Silverburg, professor of political science at Catawba College, offered two lectures at the Chautauqua Andrews Valley Experience (AVE!) in Andrews, N.C. on October 13th and 14th.

The late Ruby Miller Sanchez of Chicago, Illinois, formerly of Spencer, N.C., was a 1947 alumnus of Catawba College. Through a gift from his estate, her husband, the late Jose R. Sanchez, memorialized her at the institution by establishing the Ruby Miller Sanchez Endowed Scholarship. Monies from his estate also funded the purchase of choir robes and the costs of an annual choir tour at Catawba.

Delivered by Dr. Lou Ann Kasias during the Pinning Ceremony for Students Admitted to the Teacher Education Program. My comments tonight will be directed in tribute to Dr. Shirley Lambert Haworth, former chairperson of the Department of Teacher Education at Catawba College. Shirley, we welcome you back to Catawba College.