Newspapers / Gardner-Webb University Student Newspaper / Dec. 6, 1985, edition 1 / Page 5
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BULLDOG CLASSIFIEDS THE PUDT, Decanber 6, 1985, page 5 Calling All ^fethodists! Sharon United I^thodist Qiurch of Shelby, Nortii Carolina is starting a Sunday School class for young couples and college age individuals. The class will be taught by Harvey and Lynda Whisnant, who look forward to their project enthusiastically. Ihe class will stress Bible study, but will be geared toverd the questions and problaiis experienced by young adults. The class will start Sunday, December 8 at 9:45 a.m. A van fran Sharon will be in front of the C.I.D. at 9:30 a.m. to transport those interested in attending. If you have any questions please contact Roberta Borcon (Campus Box 41) or Shirley Pyron in the Business Office. Why not ccsie out and get involved in a great na\T spiritual adventure! Final Exam Schedule Fall ’85 I^y the blessings of the season be yours. The Pilot Staff Armstrong Continued fron page 1 Life in the neighborhood wasn't all fun and games, however. The kids in his neigliborhood, including those in his family, used to tease him about his handicap, calling him ' 'no eyes.'' It wouldn't erid there. "If I'd say that I wanted to watch television, tiiey would say, 'don't you mean listen?' " Doug not denied much of anything in childhood, not even punishment. "I used to whip him vten he misbehaved," ^ys his mother. ''What he never knew though was that I'd go in the otiier room and cry after I'd done it.'' Doug's mather is one person who is not surprised by her son's success. ''He was al\«ys smart and a real go-getter.'' According to Dovg, his mother was the one who kept him on the ball \\ten he started feeling sorry for himself. ''She would tell me that I had to help myself. That I had to make things happen, not just sit around and vait for things to happen.'' Another important persoi and motivator in Doug's life was fey Stewart, his coach since the third grade. ' 'Ray knew Viten to give me a pat on the back or a kick in the rear,'' says Doig. "He's like a second father to me. I would bring my problaiB to him and he would help me solve than.'' Another strong influence in Doug's life is religion. ' 'I joined the church (>fethodist) and tos 8:0(^ 11:00 10.00 13:00 Monday 9:00 HVF 13:15 TT December 9 Qasses Qasses Tuesday 10:00 mp 8:00 TT Decanber 10 Qasses Classes Wednesday 11:00 mF 12:00 December 11 Classes Classes Thursday 11:50 TT 14:40 TT December 12 Classes Classes Friday 15:25 m 16:05 Decanber 13 Qasses Qasses 14:00- 16:00 8:00 ^WF Classes 13:00 mF Classes 10:25 IT Qasses 14:00 m Qasses ^ /\ baptised when I was ten," he says. ''Hiere's a purpose to my blindness. People are always telling me that I inspire than to do better. God is using my handicap to help other people.'' This way of thinking was demonstrated when a wanan member of Doug's church (St. Peter's in Il:Gdiee) commented on his blindness and prayed for him to regain his sight. According to his mother, Doug told the wanan that, ' 'Riglrit now I don't want to see. God is using me just the way I am.'' Members of the Gardner-l^febb canmunity know just how special he is. Almost everyone who has cone into contact with Doug can only say good things about him. "He's really nice to tlie other blind students,''says Donald Ball, cne of eight other blind or visually impaired students on canpus. "He's especially good to the new blind students, he helps them adjust to college life." Carol Ann Smith, a sophonore Canmunication Studies major, says, "I really like Doug. He's a doll." Doug is also happy with his social life at Gardner-Ufebb. ''The students pretty well accept me,'' he says proudly. ' 'They see me as a student v>ho happens to be blind rather than as a blind student.'' Like most other students Doug worries about his grades. "I'm hoping for all A's this semester." All A's would be something like par for the course for a young man who wants to go to law scliool. "I'd like to go to Vfeke Forest or Duke or naybe the University of Arkansas at Little Rock and study ccxnputer law,'' he says, ''then eventually go into politics and maybe be the first blind and black President.'' His mother laighs when told about Doug's Presidential aspirations but believes that he would make a good lawyer. His drive to succeed places Doug apart fran nest people. According to Kilpatrick, Doug is ''highly motivated fran within. He's extreirely competitive.'' This writer can testify to the above statement as on occasion he serves as a running mate to Doug. At first apprehensive and not wonting to pusli Doug too hard, he soon found out that he was running all out and Doug was matching him stride for stride. In the end this writer found himself running much harder and faster that expected. It became very difficult to give anything less than 100 percent with Doug at my side. According to Doug, ' 'Blindness is a great motivator for me. Were I able to see I might not have been steered toward many of the opportunities that I was.'' Qi tackling the challenges of college and law school and politics, the sophonore has this to say. ' 'If you have a goal that you think to be almost impossible but you continually strive for that goal, you always end up progressing.'' To be fair, this graduate of the Arkansas School for the Blind does possess some residual vision. On good days his eyesight is 5/300. In otlier words, when we see something frcm five feet away, he sees the same thing as though it were a football field away. His eyesight, however, can be assisted, though not in the usual way. Last year in a science class he was able to discern objects viewed through a microscope. And, he insists that he can tel.1 whether or not a girl is good-looking wiien tie is talking to one, which is frequently. ' 'I can see best just after the sun's gone down, when it's light but there's no glare.'' This residual vision does not, however, enable Doug to read. His reading gets done either in braille or tlirough listening to recordings. As a professor I know that neans he has to spend at least twice as much time on an assignment as a sighted student. Yet he naintains an A average. If Ibug is a standout among the general population, he is a superstar among the visually-handicapped. While in high school he won two national wrestling and two national track championships in competition for the blind. He also set U.S. records for the blind at 800 meters (2:16), 1500 meters (4:38) and 5000 (16:51) at the International Games for the Disabled. He's an inspiration to us all. A colleague told me that that was too much of a cliche. That may be, but it's also the truth. Davis Studio Portrait Package Special 2 — 8 X 10 6-5x7 30 — Wallet Sizes ALL for only $16.95 434-7898 Boiling Springs
Gardner-Webb University Student Newspaper
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Dec. 6, 1985, edition 1
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