CHRISTMAS S ome engagements outshone others, and that was literally the case with sophomore Caleb Rudder and junior Sarah Robbins, who got engaged on Nov. 26, 2018, at Harding's annual Christmas lighting ceremony. Rudder and Robbins started dating in high school and made long distance work while Rudder attended school elsewhere before transferring to Harding in spring of his sophomore year. Rudder and Robbins discussed the logistics of getting engaged and married before their senior year at Harding, but Rudder, in the hopes of tricking Robbins, convinced her that the engagement would occur later than when they had originally planned. "I knew I wanted to do it at the lighting ceremony, and we worked a sys rem to get both of our parents here for the lighting ceremony because they had never seen it before," Rudder said. "As more of our friends heard and knew what was happening, they were walking with us, and we ended up having like 15 to 20 people behind us. Sarah still had no idea what was happening, and thought it was so funny that chis many people wanted to walk with us to see the lights." Because it was so crowded, they eventually made their way to the First Ladies' Garden where Rudder popped the question. Robbins said she Sophomore Caleb Rudder proposed to junior Sarah Robbins during Harding's 13th annual lighting ceremony. started crying tears of joy and could not remember everything Rudder said during the proposal. "When we got to the First Ladies' Garden, he started saying so many nice things to me, and I just thought, 'wow, this is sweet, bur let's keep moving' because I wanted to see more of the lights," Robbins said. "Then, he got down on one knee, and there were instant tears. After that, Dr. [Bruce] Mclarty walked up and found out what happened and asked to take a picture with us, which just added on to everything, making it really so special for us." Senior Claire Keisling was a friend of both Robbins and Rudder and said that keeping this secret from Robbins was one of the hardest things she ever had to do. "You could tell by her change of expression and tears that she had absolutely no idea it was coming, bur once he proposed, she emphatically said yes and was crying tears of joy," Keisling said. "Their goal to keep Christ at the center of their relationship is one that I truly admire, and I can truly say I could not be more excited for two of my closest friends to begin to plan their future with one another." story by Anna Carr Sophomore Caleb Rudder proposes to junior Sarah Robbins on Nov. 26, 2018, in the First Ladies' Garden during the 13th annual campus lighting ceremony. Rudder and Robbins started dating in high school and worked through a long-distance relationship until Rudder to transfered to Harding. I photo courtesy of Sarah Robbins 137 I JUNIORS
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