SALISBURY — Catawba College kicked off the official start of the 172nd academic year at the opening convocation Tuesday in the Omwake-Dearborn Chapel.

Catawba welcomed more than 450 new students for the fall semester with classes beginning Wednesday.

Dr. Kenneth W. Clapp, Class of 1970, offered the invocation followed by Dr. David P. Nelson, Catawba College president, and Dr. Constance Rogers-Lowery, provost, installing this year’s junior marshals.

Convocation attendees were also introduced to new student government officers including Miracle Etim-Andy, president; Diamond Mosley, vice president, Leigh Ann Matulis, secretary; Leon Heiermann, treasurer; and Abigail Hemric, senator at large.

Members of the campus community heard brief remarks from Etim-Andy, ’23, student government association president; Robert B. Arnold, Jr. ’71, Catawba’s board of trustees chair; Dr. Luke Dollar, faculty senate vice-chair; and Johnathon Boles ’16, staff council chair.

Nelson offered the convocation address inviting the students to explore their vocation.

“So often when asking questions of vocation, we tend to think toward some potential future that may be ahead of us,” he said. “I want to call you to pay attention to two callings that are yours at present. Two callings are a part of the vocation of everyone in our learning community: the calling to learn and the calling to love. You’re in a unique place and time in life where you can explore the world and discover your place in it.”

He ended the address with “My hope for all of us this academic year is that we will demonstrate a love of wisdom, and that we will learn the wisdom of love.”

The address was followed by Etim-Andy leading the audience in reciting Catawba’s honor code.

The campus community joined together for a picnic at Stanback Plaza. The event was a zero/near zero waste event featuring locally sourced and sustainable food.