Gardncr-wcbb University
T^ilot
Friday, Febuary 16, 2001
The Official Campus Newspaper
Volume 4 No. 6
RHA wins School of the Year
An Inside
Look
Page 2
SGA Town Hall Meeting
Missionary teaches classes
Page 3
GWU Grad Programs
Chicago a cappella
Page 4
The Valentine’s Virus
Longer hours in Bost
Page 5
Arts & Entertainment:
“The Wedding Planner”
dc Talk
Page 6
Men’s Basketball
Swimming
Page 7
Women’s Basketball
Baseball
Track
Page 8
Silers Bald
Shane Kohns
Pilot co-editor
So you think Gardner-
Webb is a small, private school
that could never compete with
mammoth institutions such as
UNC and NC State? Well,
think again, because even
before the Bulldog athletic
teams challenge the best of the
ACC, Gardner-Webb's
Residence Hall Association
(RHA) is proving the critics
wrong." •
At the North Carolina
Association of Residence Halls
(NCARH) annual conference
held last weekend at Appalachian
State University (ASU), Gardner-
Webb's RHA chapter took home
the coveted title of School of the
Year, beating out UNC, ASU
and NC State.
“School of the Year is the
highest award at the NCARH
level,” said GWU sophomore
Antwan Campbell, who serves
as the National
Communications Coordinator
for GWU’s RHA.
“This recognition really
proves that Gardner-Webb
belongs with the best colleges
in North Carolina.”
NCARH consists of 16 col
leges and universities from
across the state, and is affiliated
with NACURH, the National
Association of Colleges and
University Residence Halls.
“NACURH is the largest
student-led organization in the
U.S. In the South Atlantic
Region, the NCARH is the
biggest and most active
region,” said Summer Jeffeoat,
president of Gardner-Webb's
RHA. “So, to be School of the
Year in North Carolina is
important because of the size of
the region and the schools we
were up against.”
To be eligible for the
School of the Year voting each
RHA chapter submits a bid
explaining their accomplish
ments throughout the year on
their individual campus.
“A bid basically consists
of: programs, conferences
attended, awards, summary of
budget, and letters of recom
mendation,” explained
Jeffeoat.
UNC, NC State and ASU
also submitted bids for School
of the Year, and what makes
GWU's School of the Year
selection even more remark
able was the level of competi
tion. Gardner-Webb's RHA
chapter has an annual budget of
approximately $7,000 and
involves about 20-25 students
and advisors. By contrast, NC
State's RHA budget exceeds
$76,000, and UNC's RHA dele
gation consists of over 150 peo
ple.
“[Other schools] have big
ger budgets, larger students
bases, and longer tenures in
NCARH,” said Jeffeoat, “so
this award really demonstrates
the hard work and dedication of
our chapter.”
The School of the Year bid
was also Gardner-Webb's first
ever entry for a state-wide
award.
“This was our first confer
ence bid,” said Campbell.
“Acheiving this kind of success
on our first try is definitely
remarkable.”
Despite the tremendous
state and regional success,
RHA members feel that stu
dents on campus do not under
stand the purpose and function
of the RHA.
According to the Student
Handbook, the Gardner-Webb
RHA is comprised of all stu
dents on campus, with each res
idence hall providing a repre
sentative to communicate
building needs as well as coor
dinate student activities.
Some of the duties of RHA
include: working directly with
the Student Activities office to
organize Homecoming events
See School page 2
GWU hosts Gospel Fest
Photo by Joy Marinelli
Hamal Strayhorn and Keisha McClain sing during a fall concert.
Glynnece "Gigi" Campbell
Special to the Pilot
On Saturday, February 17,
the Gardner-Webb University
E. Jerome Scott Gospel Choir
will host Gospel Fest 2001.
In addition to GWU’s own
choir. Gospel Fest 2001 will
feature performances by UNC-
Charlotte and Appalachian
State University, as well as two
touring gospel acts. Simply
Praise and the Palmer Grove
Praise Team.
However, performance is
not what makes this program
unique. According to Hamal
Strayhorn, chaplain of the E.
Jerome Scott choir, “this is a
great opportunity to minister to
the students of Gardner-Webb
University and win souls for
Christ. It's not about perform
ing, it's about giving Christ the
glory through our God-given
talents.”
Gospel Fest is just one way
that the choir continues to use
their God-given talents to
honor the memory of E.
Jerome Scott.
Scott was the Dean of
Student Development and also
Strayhorn as “a combination of
separate performances with a
group effort to win souls for
Christ” is Scott’s commemora
tive celebration service, and
another way the choir gives
honor to his memory.
Although the members of
“It's not about performing, it's
about giving Christ the glory
through our God-given talents.’
Hamal Strayhorn, Gospel Choir Chaplain
the advisor of the choir for
many years. After he passed
away, the choir was renamed
the E. Jerome Scott Gospel
Choir in honor of all the help
and dedication he gave to the
choir.
Gospel Fest, described by
the current choir did not know
Scott personally, they continue
to sing in the name of Jesus,
showing the dedication that
Scott would have expected.
The 2001 Gospel Fest will
be held in Blanton Auditorium
in Hamrick Hall at 7:00 p.m.