TTiePlfet
Friday, September 27,2002
News
Pape 1
Alumni and parents speak out about recent GW news
Emily Killian
Pilot copy editor
Alumni and parents have
not been silent about the recent
situation with the honor code
violation.
The ofTice of Alumni and
Parent Relations has fielded
phone calls and emails from a
total of approximately 200 par
ents and alumni, and completed
a plan for disseminating infor
mation and the results of the
lawyer investigation and subse
quent trustees’ vote to gradu
ates.
The opinions have varied
greatly, said Steve Varley,
assistant vice president for
alumni and parent relations,
although he said that he had not
heard a lot of moderate
responses.
For Varley, his responses
have stayed to one end of the
spectrum or the other, and there
have been relatively few peo
ple who have been in. between
the two ends, because he feels
that extremists tend to speak up
more than moderates.
"Many parents and alumni
trust the board of trustees," said
Varley. "The attitude is for
Gardner-Webb, not for Dr.
White or the faculty. They
[parents and alumni] want to
wait and see what the investi
gators conclude."
Varley feels like more
recent graduates have opinions
similar to those of current stu
dents, while bider graduates
tend to withhold judgment.
During a regularly sched
uled Family Weekend meeting
on Sept. 14 with approximately
50 parents, Varley felt they
"want the faculty to get back to
teaching, instead of debating
the fate of Dr. White."
Parents also cited exam
ples of when their children
were given special exceptions
to academic rules, such as
waiving the rule regarding pre
requisites, said Varley. Also
present at the meeting were
Donnie Clary, Drew Van Horn
and the president of the par
ents’ board.
The Office of Alumni and
Parent Relations has two year
ly meetings of advisory boards
composed of parents and alum
ni. The results of the advisory
board discussions are shared
with the members of the board
of trustees.
"They [the advisory
boards] are not governing
boards," said Varley. "They
only give feedback."
These same advisory
boards are chosen based on ref
erences from other members on
the boards, and are directly
related to community and
church involvement, as well as
to involvement with Gardner-
Webb, said Varley, although
recently all parents of freshmen
have been invited to be on the
parents’ advisory board.
However, the Office of
Alumni and Parent Relations is
not planning to present any
information regarding the
boards to the trustees before
their meeting, said Varley. The
advisory boards have opted not
to have a special meeting
called, and will instead meet
sometime after the trustees’
meeting.
Several graduates, includ-
Basically the
alumni are saying
that they are
saddened and
shocked. They think
that White has lost
his moral authority
and don *t think that
he can lead, ”
— Andy Polk
ing Matt and Michelle Norman,
as well as former SGA presi
dent Andy Polk, have started
compiling email responses to
the recent events concerning
the investigation on campus.
Other alumni have written let
ters to the editors of the Shelby
Star and the Charlotte
Observer. Polk has spoken to
approximately 85 to 100 alum
ni.
Both the Norman’s and
Polk’s responses have varied
somewhat from those Varley
has received.
"Basically alumni are say
ing that they are saddened and
shocked. They think that
White has lost his moral
authority and don’t think that
he can lead," said Polk. "They
think it’s time for new direc
tion, and are upset because of
the division on campus and
because of the conflicts of
interest present in the Board of
_ Trustees."
Alumni Matt and
Michelle Norman of Cary,
N.C. have been in contact
with other alumni since the
NCAA investigation began
on Sept. 17.
Michelle Norman, who
served as an admissions
counselor for Gardner-Webb
from 1996 to 1999, said
every alumnus she has been
- in contact with has sided
with the faculty and with Gil
Blackburn, vice president
and dean of academic affairs,
who has stood up vocally for
his beliefs regarding the
honor code.
The Normans, along
with several other alumni, have
written a letter to Tommy
Hardin, chair of the Board of
Trustees, about their feelings
towards the allegations against
White and the general unrest
on campus.
"Based upon the accounts
we have reviewed in the press
as well as information we have
received directly from those on
the front line of this issue, it
appears that the conduct of Dr.
White goes beyond an honest
mistake and should not be tol
erated by the University or the
board of trustees," said
Norman in the letter, which
was published in the Shelby
Star on Sept. 25.
"While the University has
built more buildings, built a
lake, increased its student body
size, and moved to NCAA
Division I, many of us have
been concerned that there has
been an insufficient focus on
academics and the devotion
toward Christian values."
Norman feels that sal
vaging the moral integrity of
the school is a must.
"We are not an academic
powerhouse. Neither are we an
athletic powerhouse. All we
have is our integrity. If we
compromise that, we compro
mise everything," said
Michelle Norman.
She also said that more
alumni are supporting the let
ter, but they did not sign
because of business or personal
reasons.
Alumnus Charles Philbeck,
of Shelby, believes that Dr.
White has done a lot of good
for the university; however, he
has doubts about the board’s
investigation.
"I think they [NCAA] will
come to their own conclusions
and they will have final say as
far as athletics are concerned,"
said Philbeck "I worry about
the trustee investigation being
biased because they supported
White before they hired inves
tigators."
Although worried about
the situation, Philbeck has hope
for GWU.
"I’m still proud of
Gardner-Webb University. It
will always have a special
place in my heart," said
Philbeck. "The school has a
bright future ahead of it."
Students come out to support football team at pep
Emily Killian
Pilot copy editor
Students did the wave.
Cheerleaders per
formed.
Coaches roused the
crowd.
This was definitely not
your usual Friday the 13th.
Everything that hap
pened during the pep rally
was done to encourage the
almost 250 students pre
sent to support the Runnin’
Bulldogs football team for_
their second home game
against East Tennessee
State University on Sept.
14.
Both athletes and non
athletes alike attended the
rally, held on Sept. 13 in
Bost Gymnasium.
Many teams, including
football and baseball, were
told about the rally during
practice. Flyers were post
ed inside the DCC to
spread the word to non-ath-
letes.
Students present were
urged to “support each
other” by coaches, who
addressed the students, and
who seemed excited about
the rally.
“The most important
thing you can do is pray,”
said Brian Fetzer, head
track/field and cross coun
try' coach, who led students
in a prayer for wisdom,
understanding, forgiveness
and for the ability to make
right decisions, in light of
the current situation on
campus.
The Gardner-
Webb cheer
leaders perform
for students at
the Sept. 13 pep
rally.
Photo by Scott
Holstein