Senior Salute: Aly Halter – What I’ve Learned at Catawba College

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By Aly Halter, Editor
May 2, 2010
Filed under Pioneer Staff, Spotlights, Top Stories

Students attend college to earn degrees (well . . .  most students do).  Obviously, I was seeking a classroom education in coming to Salisbury, North Carolina to attend Catawba.  What I would take away from my four years here, I had no idea.

1.  Our little Catawba has so many perks. Your friends may boast about all their big school has to offer.  But . . . did Cheerwine start in their town?  Do all of their professors know them personally?  Did they land an awesome internship opportunity?  Do they get to park within a 7 minute walk of their dorm?  Can they wake up 10 minutes before class and make it in time?  I think not (a special thanks definitely goes to Dr. Moreland for providing me with the opportunity to intern with Roush Fenway Racing my sophomore year)!

2. If you provide T-shirts and great free food, they will come. As I have learned time and time again as chair of Wigwam Productions, Catawba students looove their Krispy Kreme doughnuts, Dippin’ Dots and free T-shirts.  I have loved watching the excitement on students’ faces as they attend our events, and I will really miss planning and facilitating them all with such a great group.  Erin Kidd and Brandon Coble are going to do a great job with Wigwam next year, so get excited!

3. There ARE substitutes for Wawa. All my fellow northerners can empathize: life is just missing something when there is no Wawa for miles.  However, Salisbury has its little sweet treats I’ll really miss when I leave.  I’ll be craving Frostbites and Palms gelato for a while after I leave this place!

4. Societies are just as great as sororities . . .  maybe better! As a proud Delphinian Society girl since my freshman year at Catawba, I can honestly say I have had some wonderful times bonding with my sisters.  We have had so much fun having our spa nights, taking our Scarowinds trips, organizing our annual Luaus, bringing Chunky Junk to Catawba, and just spending time together.  I will really miss the Delphi girls when I graduate, but I know the sisterhood will be left in good hands.

5. Tokyo Express is the gem of the ‘Bury. I’m not ashamed to say I was a regular my freshman year (umm . . . probably twice a week), and I will really miss the inexpensive deliciousness that is Tokyo Express.  Props go out to that lady who fills my water diligently, too.

6. Making hot dogs and popcorn for the masses several times a week CAN be a blast. Most people who come to Catawba baseball games will have a hot dog or two.  Maybe a bag of popcorn, and maybe a Snicker’s bar with a Cheerwine.  I got to be on the other side of that concession stand window for my college years, and although we all smelled like popcorn and hot dog juice more times than not, I loved every minute of it.  I’ll really miss watching some of my best friends hit home runs while serving chili dogs with some of my other best friends (and here’s a fun fact – I met my boyfriend while serving chili dogs at a Catawba baseball game!)

7. A winning season does not determine a great team. My time with the Catawba field hockey team was some of my

earliest fond memories of Catawba.  Bonding with such a small group of girls through our long road trips, loong practices, and on the field was a great way to start my years at Catawba.  I still miss the Catawba field hockey team, and I will never forget the fun times we had.  And hey, we WERE undefeated at home!

8. Cookout milkshakes make everything better. Whether it’s exam time (our favorite time to indulge!), a late-night hunger kick, or a long roadtrip, Cookout milkshakes are a perfect answer to the equation.  With the 48 flavors and endless combinations, there are soooo many recipes for a delicious treat.  A few of my favorites are double oreo, mint oreo, and peanut butter banana fudge.  YUMMM!

9. Half your friends will transfer, but those who stay with you all four years will end up your very best friends. It’s no exaggeration to say that 75% of the friends I made my freshman year no longer attend Catawba.  However, I look around to my friends who have hung around here with me, and I can’t help but feel a special bond with them from the four years we have spent together at Catawba.

10. The staff and faculty will become another family. I am fully convinced I had the best work study in all of Catawba.  I got to work with the nurses!  Since my freshman year, Nurses Kathi and Candy have taken me into their arms as an extra child, and I could not imagine my life at Catawba without them.  They have become my Catawba “mommies,” along with Jan Gillean, my advisor of Wigwam.  Along with my great professors (special mention goes to Ms. Wittum, Dr. Moreland, Dr. Peevy, and Dr. V-A), I will really miss everyone when I leave Catawba!

There are so many things I will never forget about Catawba.  I have had so many great, unforgettable opportunities:

I was able to run a newspaper, I had a starting position on the field hockey field, I was chairperson of an event planning committee, I had a great internship in the NASCAR field, I got to sing the national anthem at a football game, and my amazing fellow students crowned me Homecoming Queen.  Catawba will always have a special place in my heart, and I’m already excited to come visit as an alum.