Page A2
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
The Pilot
News
Prof hopes lecture Series inspires students
By Christopher Shaver
Pilot staff reporter
The annual Joyce Compton
Brown Lecture Series began
Tuesday night with a presen
tation by Dr. Jim Lawrence,
a communications professor,
about church-state relationships
and the Constitution.
The lecture was titled “Jef
ferson Died for Our Sins: Redis
covering the Writings of Thom
as Jefferson as a Counter to the
Myth of the Christian Nation.”
“I’m using Jefferson as; an
example to show that the Con
stitution was a secular docu
ment and it only mentions God
in one place - and that’s a prohi
bition that you’re not supposed
to consider someone’s religious
beliefs to hold public office,”
Lawrence said.
“I’m just trying to puncture
a lot of the common misconcep
tions about the way the country
was founded.”
Although Lawrence knew the
material could be controversial,
he said he felt like he needed to
dispel misconceptions of Amer
ica being a “Christian nation.”
He provided part of the lecture
at the Oxford Roundtable at Ox
ford University in 2007.
Dr. Matt Theado, English
professor and lecture-series
organizer, said the lineup of
speakers for the five-part series
will challenge students to think
'We 're hoping to develop an
atmosphere of exciting thinking
at Gardner-Webb.'
Dr. Matt Theado
outside the box and hear another
point of view.
“One reason I was inter
ested in this was because when 1
was a college student, I attended
hundreds of class sessions and a
few lectures,” Theado said. “I
remember all the lectures.”
Theado said the lectures are
critical in students’ lives because
they allow students to hear peo
ple outside of the classroom.
“I think what will stick with
you and inspire is going to hear
some smart people that have
been doing some good work
outside of what you just hear in
the classroom,” Theado said.
“We try to have a wide va
riety of topics that will inspire.
Not just the topic will inspire
though. The fact that it’s a
scholar doing good sharp work
should inspire.
“The intent is not to be edgy
or controversial, but opening up
students’ minds to more com
plex ways of thinking through
various perspectives,” Theado
said.
“We’re hoping to develop an
atmosphere of exciting thinking
at Gardner-Webb.”
Former English profes
sor Dr. Joyce Compton Brown
started the lecture series in the
1990s. After she retired in 2005,
colleagues continued her legacy
and named the series after her.
Other lecturers this spring
include GWU’s Dr. Don Berry,
Dale Koontz, Thomas Raine
Crowe and Sheri Reynoltjs. The
topics will range from “Health
and Wellness from a Muslim
Perepctive” to Reynolds’ book,
“The Rapture of Canaan.”
“The whole thing shouldn’t
last more than an hour,” Theado
said. “We want to have a nice
introduction, an intriguing pre
sentation and then questions and
answers.
“We have a little reception,
too. Any students that come get
free food.”
Quiz Bowl team graciously lets UNC-A win
By Michelle Alwerdt
Pilot staff writer
The Gardner-Webb
team competed against
those from six different
schools at the Big South
Quiz Bowl Conference
Tournament Feb. 7, fin
ishing in fourth place.
The Gardner Webb
Quiz Bowl team consisted
of Philip Barringer, Ste
ven Miller, James With
row, Lanny Newton and
captain Megan Looper.
Dr. Thomas Jones, a sci
ence professor, was the
faculty advisor.
“It’s like the college
version of ‘Jeopardy,’ ”
said Withrow.
The day began at 8
a.m. with registration in
the Hamrick building.
The matches began at 9
and lasted until about 3
p.m, with a lunch break.
There was an awards cer
emony after the competi
tion ended.
The Big South Con
ference play consisted of
six match periods each
18 minutes long with
nine-minute halves. Three
matches took place during
each of the six periods.
Two schools with four-
member teams competed
in each match.
Dr. Matt Theado of
the GWU English depart
ment, served as moderator
for the competition.
The Gardner-Webb
team began preparing for
this event during the fall
semester, with open meet
ings where interested stu
dents would play rounds
and leam the format.
The students who at
tended regularly then vot
ed on whom should be on
the final team.
“We made sure to vote
for people with different
strengths. That way each
subject area was covered,”
said Withrow.
Barringer believed that
goal was accomplished.
“It was a well-bal
anced team; we definitely
got a long very well,” said
Barringer.
Beginning this semes
ter, the group met every
Tuesday and Thursday to
prepare.
“We were definitely
ready. We could have prac
ticed more but it wouldn’t
have really made a dif
ference; its about being
familiar with the format,”
said Barringer.
While there wasn’t a
lot of time to interact with
the other schools, the team
expressed its like of the
University of North Caro
lina in Asheville team,
which won first place.
“They were reallv nice
and cool,” said Ba^^er.
Said Withrow.^^ven
though they beat us they
were still our favorite
tSWI.’’Although the Gard
ner-Webb team placed
fourth, the members were
content with the experi
ence.
“I’m not disappointed,
but I’m not really happy
either. It was a good ex
perience, competitive and
fun,” said Barringer.
Withrow said, ”It was
great. I hope to do it in the
future.”
While the students are
done practicing this year,
they are already planning
for the next competition.
“We are looking for a
math and science person
for next year,” said With
row.
Some of the matches
were taped and can be
seen on bigsouthsports.
com.
hoose the “leader-
icademics” bar on
Thenu, and then follow
the links for Big South
EDGE.
|.^J
k
Photo by Casey Caldwell
Miss GWU, Rachel Goans, happily wears her
crown at the pageant Jan. 30. With her are run
ners up Stacie Worrell and Kalyn Kramer.
Miss GWU winner after
entering first pageant
By Jessica Mobley
Pilot staff writer
Sports
Bulldogs faltering down the stretch
By Blake DuDonis
Pilot editor in chief
In the long awaited
return of sharpshooter
Grayson Flittner, the Run-
nin’ Bulldogs fell to High
Point University 61-57
Saturday night.
Gardner-Webb entered
the game in fifth place in
Big South standings and
needing a win at home
to gain some momentum.
Unfortunately, the Bull
dogs could find very little
offense from its stars.
Senior Aaron Linn led
the way for Gardner-Webb
with 21 points, making
him the only Bulldog who
hit double digits in the
scoring column. .
The first half saw Gard
ner-Webb passing the ball
to High Point more than
anything, coughing up the
ball 11 times in the first
half, while having only
three assists.
Along with giving up
possessions, the Bulldogs
also passed up free points
from the charity stripe as
the team went just 7-of-14
from the ffee-throw line
in the first half
Flittner was visibly
favoring his right knee,
which had kept him out
the previous four games.
In a very surprising move
by the Gardner-Webb
coaching staff, Flittner not
only played, but started.
It became obvious,
though, that the Flittner
on the court was not the
Flittner that all Bulldog
fans have come to know.
He went O-for-7 from
the field, and just 2-of-4
from the free throw line,
unable to create any lift
off of that injured knee.
Flittner’s inability to
. jump was seen especially
on a fast break layup that
was easily blocked from
behind by a High Point
player, as Flittner did not
even leave the floor on the
Track & field continues successful season
By Blake DuDonis
Pilot editor in chief
Participating in the
Tiger Paw Invitational at
Clemson University Fri
day and Saturday, Gard
ner-Webb’s track and field
team turned in several im
pressive performances.
For the men, newcom
er Jason Wenzel cruised
in the 800 meter run, fin
ishing in a personal best
1:55.36, which put him in
fourth-place.
Wenzel, a transfer
from Indiana-Wesleyan,
topped his sixth place per
formance from GWU’s
last meet, has been show
ing improvement in every
race in his first season at
the Division One level.
Another top 10 per
formance by the men was
put in the books by ju
nior Paul Steinke in the
400 meter dash. Steinke
strolled across the line in
a time of 50.56, a personal
best, and good enough for
ninth place.
Johnathan Rucker, a
sophomore, is another
Bulldog who has consis
tently improved in every
meet this season. This
time, Rucker set a new
personal best in the 60
shot.
Gardner-Webb got a
break in the waning mo
ments of the game as High
Point missed thre^^ots
from the free thr(^*ne.
Linn hit a three to pull the
Dawgs’ within one point,
57-56, with just over 17
seconds left in the game.
The Bulldogs fouled
High Point player Joseph
Appiah, who missed the
second of two free throws
allowing Gardner-Webb
to tie up the game or take
the lead.
Flittner found himself
with the ball and drove
down the lane, almost hit
ting an acrobatic shot, but
earned two free throws
nonetheless.
After making the first,
the second free throw from
the Indian native was off
the mark, and Gardner-
Webb lost its last chance
at a win.
Other than Linn, there
were very few brid^aots
^1
meter hurdles, finishing in
a time of 8.48.
On the women’s side,
Caryn Daane turned in a
sixth-place performance
in the shot put. Daane’s
toss of 12.64 meters is a
new personal best.
Other notable finishes
were Dina Nshisso’s 400
meter dash timeof 1:05.97,
also a personal best, and
Elisabeth Sarvyer’s per
sonal best 2:29.97 in the
800 meter run.
Gardner-Webb’s next
meet will be the Big South
Conferenee • Champion
ship at Clerhson from Feb
26-27.
for Gardner-Webb. Joshua
Henley had just six points
but pulled down 14 re
bounds.
The loss is the third in
for Gardner-Webb
and brings them to 11-14
(7-8 Big South) on the
season, and drops them to
sixth place in the confer
ence.
The Bulldogs will host
Winthrop at home tonight
needing a win to stay
ahead of the Eagles in the
standings. Tipoff is set for
7 p.m.
Rachel Goans was
crowned Miss GWU at
the fifth annual pageant
Jan. 30 in Dover Theater.
In addition to the crown
and title, Goans received a
bouquet of flowers and a
check that she said she’ll
use to pay for school.
It was Goans’ first for
ay into the world of beau
ty pageants, although the
contest was judged based
on personal presentation,
maturity, poise and public
speaking.
“It was my very first
pageant. 1 and a few oth
er contestants thought it
would be nice to go out
for it; for me it was a new
step into getting out of my
shyness.”
The senior Spanish
major from Greensboro
performed a hip-hop
dance for the talent por
tion of the contest.
This year, for the first
time; a former Miss GWU
helped judge the pageant.
It was Amy Elliot, the
winner of the 2008 con
test.
The top five contes
tants were Stacie Worrell,
Kalyn Kramer, Goans,
Rebecca Webb and Whit
ney Stroup.
Worrell was named
first runner-up, and Kram
er was second runner-up.
Stroup was selected a
most photogenic.
The crown and check
weren’t the only things
that Goans gained from
the pageant.
“What I will take away
with this experience is
that God always has your
back.
“Even when I messed
up in the past, he says that
he will never leave me nor
forsake me."
The contest is spon
sored by the Office of Stu
dent Activities.
Look
familiar?
Don’t forget, the Metro-
lina Career Fair is Feb. 26
at the Charlotte Conven
tion Center. The event runs
from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Approximately 75 organi
zations will be there.
Contact Career Servid^in
Washburn Hall for more
information.
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