GARDNER-WEBB UNIVERSITY
^otwr.a), 2006 gf- . - www.gwupiiot.com Volume 10 No. 4|
Serving the Gardner-Webb University community for more than 60 years
Photo by RacheTLloyd
Beverly Shea, left, and Cliff Barrows, right, flanl Wiii Graham during the crusade at Sims Le
gion Park in Gastonia Oct. 10. This was Graham’s first crusade in the United States.
Next Graham steps up
Billy’s grandson picks Gastonia as site for first U.S. crusade
By Meredith White
Special to The Pilot
Excitement filled the air as fans packed into the
baseball stadium at Sims Legion Park in Gastonia the
evening of Oct. 10. Peoples of all ages, nationalities
and status sat side by side in the stands.
“American Idol 3” contestant George Huff spurred
the crowd to a high level of excitement, asking it to
scream for five seconds like its members had never
screamed before.
Gray-haired ladies, businessmen and teenage
girls roared. But it wasn’t for Huff, who had been
eliminated fi'om “American Idol” after he made it to
the top five.
“Let me hear you scream for Jesus!” Huff said as
he pumped up the crowd in between songs.
The roar was for Jesus by way of Will Graham
- Billy Graham’s grandson - who made his U.S. cru
sade debut at the Greater Gaston Celebration Oct. 9-
11.
“I came because it was an inaugural event,” soph
omore Stefanie Friend. “He’s going to be big some
time.”
With his characteristic Graham accent and fea
tures, the similarities in preaching tactics and looks
could not go uimoticed as he addressed the crowd.
“I want to talk to you about a very important
question tonight,” he said.
The question came from Mark 8:27-31, where Je
sus asks Peter, “Who do people say I am?” and “Who
do you say I am?”
Graham’s answer was simple: “Jesus is the Son of
God. Jesus is the Savior of the world.”
He challenged the crowd members to decide for
themselves who Jesus Christ is. He invited them to
accept the gift of salvation and come to Jesus Christ
by faith.
“Jesus Christ came to save you tonight,” Graham
said. “All you have to do is receive him.”
At the end of his message, he invited those who
wanted to receive Jesus as their savior to join him
at the front. Nearly a hundred people poured down
from the stands to meet with counselors.
“Every time there is a big crusade, with Billy
Graham or Franklin Graham, people come down,”
Gardner-Webb senior Stephanie Kay said. “To me,
it almost seems like, it’s going to happen. It’s inevi
table.
“There’s always someone who needs to hear the
gospel. They just happen to come to the crusade at
the right time of their life.”
Many Gardner-Webb students are familiar with
Billy and Franklin Graham and their influence.
Senior Andrew Bartholomew went to the cru
sade’s final night. In July, he went to a Graham festi
val in Baltimore where Franklin and Billy spoke. He
saw some similarities between Will and his grandfa
ther. George Beverly Shea and Cliff Barrows, who
always accompany Billy Graham at his crusades,
sang in Gastonia with Will.
“I enjoyed hearing Beverly Shea and Cliff Bar
rows sing,” Bartholomew said. “They sang at the
crusade in Baltimore, too.”
While some came to see Billy Graham’s grandson
or hear musicians like Nicole C. Mullen, Tree63 and
Anthony Evans, it was obvious, with the overwhelm
ing response to the altar call, there are locals who
need to hear the gospel.
“Even though we live in the Bible Belt, there are
people who need to make the decision,” Kay said.
“As Christians we still need to be a witness.”
Graham, assistant director of the Billy Graham
Training Center in Asheville, began leading inter
national events with the Billy Graham Evangelistic
Association in October 2004. He has preached in
Canada and India.
by Rachel Lloyd
Wiii Graham prays Oct. 9 before his father
Franklin, rear, introduces him.
Graham interview chance of lifetime for GW student
This Edition
In campus news;
Homecoming weekend is coming
up on Oct. 27-28. Spirit week will
also take place Oct. 25-27, with
activities each day.
How does the campus radio sta
tion, WGWG 88.3 FM, work?
See the story on page 7.
GWU addresses the question,
“Why does this campus not have
an infirmary facility?”
Alcohol Awareness Week brings a
special Dimensions to the LYCC.
See what happened on page 2.
Guest writer Paxton Tallent
provides insight to GWU’s Dover
Library. See the story on page 7.
In community news:
October is Crime Prevention
Month. What does Boiling
Springs Police have plarmed for
the month?
Open Mic night gives students
something to do every Tuesday at
Broad River Coffee Company.
Area children receive a direct link
to GWU athletics, thanks to a
new program. See the photo story
on page 3.
Opinion/editorial:
Jacob and Jack debate the issues.
This issue’s topic is the upcoming
midterm elections.
In spoils:
GWU Linebacker Mario E.
Brown gamers two national
defensive awards, and a second
straight conference award, for
his record-setting performance
against Southeastern Louisiana.
The GWU Men’s and Women’s
Soccer teams are both having
good seasons. Check out a report
on page 8.
Weekend
Weather
Saturday Sunday
Oct. 21 Oct. 22
67/46 67/44
Mostly Chance of
Sunny Showers
Source: NOAA
Index
iNewN..
page 2-3,7
' Photo Features, .pages 4-5
k)p/I-d
. page 6
A&E
. .. .page 2
Sports
page 8
Online
www.gwupiIot.com
By Meredith White
Special to the Pilot
I had never thought about skip
ping a midterm exam, but I did
Oct. 12, and with a completely
clear conscience!
Why? Because the opportunity
of a lifetime happened to be at
the same time, and I couldn’t turn
down a chance to interview Will
Graham, Billy Graham’s grand
son.
I accompanied Dr. Bob Carey,
communication studies depart
ment chair, to Charlotte to inter
view Will after his three-day cru
sade in Gastonia, Oct. 9-11.
Dr. Carey was interviewing
Will for the Baptist Press Service,
and he knew I had attended the cru
sade and written a stoiy about it for
The Pilot. At the crusade I met Erik
Ogren, media relations director for
the Billy Graham Evangelistic As
sociation, who allowed me to come
along with Dr. Carey.
That Thursday morning was
just any ordinary Thursday morn
ing, until 1 looked at my phone
and saw I had a new voicemail.
Erik Ogren had called around 9:25
to ask if I could accompany Dr.
Carey to interview Will Graham.
He said Dr. Carey was planning to
leave the campus around 10:00 to
head to Charlotte to the Graham
facility.
I looked down at my watch; it
read 9:55. Oh my. Thursdays are
my busy days and my mind raced
See INTERVIEW page 2
Will Graham
a humble man
By Meredith White
Special to the Pilot
The first thing that strikes you
about Will Graham is his simple,
humble attitude.
Wearing a polo shirt and jeans,
he is not there to impress or show
he is the center of attention. He
could have done that easily, since
his Charlotte office is in a high-se-
curity building, one full of people
who respect the Graham name.
Will Graham is genuine and
humorous.
And glad to answer the inevi
table questions about his heritage
and the legacy of preaching by
his grandfather, Billy, and fathtir,
Franklin. In fact, that preaching
experience can come in handy in
unexpected ways, as Graham dis
covered during his Gastonia cru
sade Oct. 9-11.
He recounted a story about the
last night of the crusade. As he was
sitting in the tent before he spoke,
he noticed looming clouds. He be
gan thinking about what to do if
there was lightening or a storm.
Should he
have an in
vitation for
people to
come for
ward to ac
cept Christ
or tell ev
eryone to
leave?
Graham
leaned over
to his dad,
an experi
enced evan
gelist him
self.
“Dad,
give me
some prac
tical advice.
What should I do, how should I
handle it?” the younger Graham
asked.
Instead of responding to his
question about lightening, Gra
ham said his dad kept reminding
him about all the people he needed
to thank.
“He said, ‘Son, listen to me.
You need to thank Uncle Bev,
Uncle Cliff, thank them for com
ing,’ ” Graham said, laughing as
he imitated his father.
So, he asked again what to do
if there was lightening and his dad
responded again with people he
needed to thank - this time, all the
ushers and police.
When he asked about the light
ening for the third time, he said his
dad replied, “Oh, those aren’t rain
clouds, it won’t do anything.”
As it turned out, Franklin Gra
ham was right: Rain did not fall
until just after the crusade ended
- similar to his father’s Charlotte
crusade in 1996 when the rain
held off while Billy preached.
“Franklin Graham the weather
man,” his son joked.
Amid all the laughter, Graham
did speak seriously of his calling
as an evangelist, his role in the
Billy Graham Evangelistic Asso
ciation and his relationship with
his father and grandfather.
Graham said there was no pres
sure to grow up as William Frank
lin Graham IV and to take up the
‘family business.’
“Dad never put any pressure
on us,” he said. “If anything. Dad
would try to talk you out of it. In
the sense of, because he wants to
make sure this is what you really
See GRAHAM page 2
Graham
said there
was no
pressure
to grow up
as William
Franklin
Graham
IV and to
take up
the ‘family
business. ’