The PilotlMay 2
Dear Eddie...
Hello, dear friends. This is the last
meeting we shall have this semester. It s
unfortunate, isn't it? What will you do all
summer without my glorious advice? I
suppose your letters in the fall will answer
that one.
Speaking of letters, someone felt sorry
for me and sent me a real one. I guess she
didn't like the ones I made up. Oh well.
Dear Eddie,
Thanks a million for not wimping out
to these cry baby students who have it in
for you. Keep it up! I love to read your
responses and usually crack up laughing. I
salute you!
Now, bottle that energy for a while
then let it explode against those individuals
who don't give commuter students the
respect they deserve. I’m sure they will be
eternally grateful for your support.
Your Pal,
Edwina
Oh, boy. I appreciate the letter — but,
again, it violates a couple of those rules of
mine. First, if you have a letter, please use
the box number provided. I hate to think that
I write that dumb sentence in every issue just
for people to ignore.
Second, TYPE your letter. It will
convince me you're serious.
Third, be sparing with those exclamation
marks! Our paper's official AP Style requires
that exclamation points be used only to
"express a high degree of surprise, incredulity
or other strong emotion"!!!!!
That said. I'll move on to the contents of
the letter.
As a future commuter, I am disheartened
to hear of the battles you say I must face with
resident students next year.
If there is such a division between
commuter and resident students, why have I
never heard of it before your letter?
And why do you seemingly encourage
this division by demanding that resident
students respect commuters? Why not just
say, "Students, respect other students."?
I would say that there is a lack of respect
among students in general here at Gardner-
Webb, and it will not be resolved by
furthering the divisions between these
students.
I understand that there are differences
between commuters and residents. But those
differences don't give either group the right to
receive special treatment.
Rather, we should celebrate our diff
erences and use them to foster an enlightened
spirit of "oneness" among students at
Gardner-Webb. In English, that means share
your toys and play nicely.
And as for me having to "bottle that
energy," I can't; my therapist says I should be
free with my emotions. If I were in the habit
of bottling my emotions, do you really think I
would write this column?
I know you're going to miss me dearly,
so if you would like to write to me over the
summer, please do: Campus Box 265.
Have a warm and fuzzy summer. Until
the fall, adieu!
Page 2
A letter to the editor...
Is Gardner-Webb religious or Christian?
As I reach the end of my senior year, I
can look back at my four years at Gardner-
Webb University with thankfulness for the
excellent education I've received, the
friendships I've made and the opportunities
for growth I've experienced.
However, I would like to leave a
challenge for the Gardner-Webb family; Let's
make our campus home less religious and
more Christian!
Now that may seem a strange statement
to make, so allow me to explain. One of the
supposed "outstanding" qualities of GWU is
the reputation it has as a Christian school; yet
it has been my personal experience that many
students are so busy being religious that they
forget to be Christian.
This is not a new problem. Indeed, Jesus
himself faced it. A Christian is devoted to
being"Christ-like." Jesus was focused on the
needs and hurts of each person - not the
legalistic (devoted to being religious) views of
the Pharisees, who emphasized minor details
and ignored the "weightier matters of the
law," such as "justice and mercy and faith"
(Matthew 23:23).
In fact, that whole chapter of Matthew is
Jesus characterizing the Pharisees as being far
too concerned about "outward appearances.
It is these outward appearances of some
of my fellow Chrisitan students that have
made me concerned about the mistake of
being religious instead of Christian.
In some of my history and science
classes, there have been such heated
discussions about religion that I could see the
frustration of my professors as they tried not
to lose valuable class time.
The emphasis some students put on types
of clothing, the ability to out-talk everyone
else and the tendency to form cliques are
major turnoffs to classmates.
Instead of "putting on a big show" about
how religious one might be, the challenge I
mentioned at the beginning of my letter really
has two parts.
First, I would ask that each of us
remember 1 Samuel 16:7 which says, ...for
the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man
looketh on the outward appearance, but the
Lord looketh on the heart." Are our hearts
tuned in to being Christ-like?
The second part of my challenge comes
from John 13:34-35 when Jesus said, "A new
commandment I give unto you, that you love
one another; as I have loved you, that ye also
love one another. By this shall all men know
that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to
another."
That amazing love of Christ reached out
to everyone he met — no matter what sins they
had committed! And Jesus loved each human
(yes, you and me) so much that he gave his
life for ransom.
So, can we unite this campus in love to
get away from individual religious zeal about
minor differences in our beliefs? Can we
follow Christ’s example of love toward our
fellow students to the extent that we will be
known as a Christ-like student body?
Let's not just make speeches about how
religious we are — let's live Christ-like lives!
John Wall
Class of 1997
as
OOPS! In the April 18 edition of The Pilot, we printed a letter from
newly-elected SGA President Brian Burgess, It contained a typographical error
in the second sentence of the fourth paragraph. Here's how the sentence should
'Consequently, each student’s participation must not stop at elections/^