clarion.brevard.edu
Volume 82, Issue 29 Web Edition SERVING BREVARD COLLEGE SINCE 1935
Photos from the
2017 Athletic
Banquet on Page 4!
May 3, 2017
Meet your Class of 2017
Graduation speakers
Kate Brandhuber & Tiela Smith
By Jordon Morgan
Arts & Life Editor
+ Asa Gray
staff writer
This Saturday, May 6, Kate Brandhuber and
Tiela Smith are the two guest speakers from the
student body set to bring their own unique voices
to the end of the 2017 class’ academic career at
Brevard College.
Brandhuber is graduating with a Bachelor of
Arts in Business and Organizational Leadership
along with a minor in Environmental Studies.
Along with her challenging work in academ
ics, Kate has also been an avid member of BC
Greens, IWIL, and SGA. She is proud of all
the environmental progress that she has helped
contribute to, saying, “Eve had the privilege to
work towards sustainable initiatives on campus.”
“Being a graduation speaker puts you into the
shoes of all your peers, faculty and staff. You’re
also thinking of the proud families and friends
in the audience, and you want to send everyone
off with something they can use for the rest of
their lives. I’m so excited to speak,” Brandhuber
explains.
She gives credit to one professor at Brevard
College whom she says has “really helped to
fine tune” her writing skills. Her credit goes to
Dr. Ralph Hamlett who she says has helped her
to learn a lot of the necessary skills it takes to
grow as a writer. She feels that the skills she has
mastered have prepared her for the upcoming
ceremony, which is now only days away.
Kate is very grateful for the entire Brevard
community for how far she has come as she
prepares to soon start the next chapter of her
life. She says, “At the end of the day, 1 simply
feel like the luckiest woman alive to be chosen
to speak at my own graduation. 1 never thought 1
could go this far, but 1 wouldn’t be here without
the love and support of my community.”
The second graduation speaker, Tiela Smith,
is herself graduating with a degree in criminal
justice. Smith says that when it came to her
becoming a guest speaker, the position was
“open to anyone to run,” explaining that it was a
quasi-election process that was based on student
votes as well as recommendations from faculty.
Smith didn’t elaborate on what she would be
saying at the ceremony, only that the title of
her speech is “The Butterflies Fly Away.” The
speech itself was difficult to write at first, and
those who are hearing the speech should expect
a lot of metaphorical talk.
As expected. Smith is “definitely nervous.”
Not necessarily about the speech, but just about
making sure everyone who needs to be included
in her speech actually is.
Set to speak likely after Kate Brandhuber gives
her speech. Smith says she has “more broad
coverage” and the addition of the graduation
being streamed live certainly is an interesting
wrinkle to the situation.
The Clarion gives it’s sincerest congratulations
to the two guest speakers as well as the entire
graduating class of 2017.
Cole claims D1 Title
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CHAMPIONSh|iPS
Sophomore Janelle Cole has claimed the colleges first individual national title. Find an article on the
achievement inside this issue.