Randolph-Macon College Graduates Follow the “Red Brick Road”
2007 Graduates Begin New Tradition; Virginia Secretary of Natural Resources Gives Commencement Address
This year’s 223 Randolph-Macon College seniors followed the “Red Brick Road” as they graduated on Saturday, June 2, 2007, at the Frank E. Brown Fountain Plaza. The first to begin this tradition at R-MC, each student walked across 223 new bricks lining the sidewalk near the fountain – each brick imprinted with the name of a graduating senior.
In addition, R-MC graduate, Class of 1986, and the Secretary of Natural Resources for the Commonwealth of Virginia, L. Preston Bryant Jr., delivered the 2007 commencement address, “Being Given Much Demands Much.” Secretary Bryant was appointed to his post by Governor Timothy M. Kaine and was sworn into office on Jan. 15, 2006. He is the governor’s principal environmental advisor and oversees more than 2,200 employees and a budget of nearly $565 million. Secretary Bryant’s responsibilities include oversight of all state programs regulating air, water, land conservation, state parks, historic preservation, wildlife management and marine resources.
Also during the ceremony, John William Snow, the 73rd U.S. Secretary of the Treasury and the current chairman of Cerberus Capital Management, L.P., was awarded an honorary degree. Dr. Snow began at Cerberus, one of the world's leading private investment firms, in October 2006 and under his leadership, the company most recently purchased the Chrysler organization for $7.4 billion. In 2003, Dr. Snow was nominated by President George W. Bush to become the 73rd Secretary of the Treasury in 2003. Prior to becoming Secretary of the Treasury, Dr. Snow was chairman and chief executive officer of CSX Corporation, the global transportation company.
This year’s commencement ceremony also was punctuated by a moving speech that focused on friends and family from graduate Samantha Comarnitsky, this year’s senior class speaker. In addition, the senior class began a new senior gift tradition – the Class of 2007 chose to give money to the “The Fountain Fund,” which will serve as a resource to beautify the area around the Fountain Plaza, a stunning feature anchoring the center of Randolph-Macon’s campus. A bench with a plaque bearing the inscription “Class of 2007” will be placed in the Fountain Plaza to symbolize and commemorate this special gift to R-MC, and it is the hope of this year’s senior class that the Randolph-Macon community will enjoy this bench and special gift for years to come.