The Installation of Dr. Marty Marriott

Gold or glue?

Dr. Marty Marriott (left) contemplated this question Thursday night while finishing his address to the Maranatha family during the ceremony officially installing him as the Colleges fifth president. He looked down at the presidential medallion hanging from his neck (quite the bling, according to Dr. Doug Jackson, Chairman of the Board of Trustees). He looked at a bottle of glue in his right hand, a gift from the student body to encourage him to stick around.

I would just say that Id rather have Gorilla Glue, with all of its symbolism, than 100 blings, Marriott told the crowd of approximately 1,000 in the Maranatha Gymnasium.

That remark brought loud applause, concluding an evening that reflected what appears to be a genuine degree of affection the Marriotts have earned from the college faculty, employees, and students since arriving on campus in early January. Both Marriott and wife Miriam can often be found eating with students in the Dining Complex or engaging them in conversation in the hallways—certainly a more comfortable setting for them than Thursdays formal events.

I am very, very conscious of what this office can do to somebody, Marriott said. Pray for me, that I will not change.

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Education

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• Maranatha