Spring break took students near and far
Photo by Doug Knotts
Winners at the LOTS conference are pictured with Dr. June Hobbs, director of
undergraduate research, and Dr. Tamara Cox, co-coordinator of the LOTS confer
ence. Student winners are from left: Grady Knotts, Andrew VanCamp, MatUljal-
ters, Hannah Kidd (honorable mention), Katie Garahan, Meredith White, N^pe
Pippen and Jennifer Cheek (honorabpe mention). Molly Leedom from Mars Hill
College is not pictured.
Saturday no day of rest for these scholars
By Meredith White
Special to The Pilot
While many students were
still sleeping on the morning
of Feb. 23, some students
got up early, dressed up and
came to Ritch Banuqet Hall
for the Life of the Scholar
conference.
Former biology profes
sor Dr. Les Brown began the
LOTS conference as a one
time event in 1996 to foster
discussion outside the class
room.
“It came out of the idea
that scholarship should be
pervasive on the campus,”
Brown said. “It should be
inside and outside the class
room and in all venues like
film, music and art.”
The event morphed from
a one-time event into an an
nual conference. This year
the conference took a new
step of inviting students from
other colleges to participate.
More than 35 students
and professors from Gard
ner-Webb University, Camp
bell University and Mars Hill
College presented research
from a variety of fields. Top
ics ranged from Chaucer to
grey tree frogs to music in
the Book of Psalms.
During breakfast, students
and professors listened to Dr.
Ben Leslie, GWU provost,
and Dr. June Hobbs, director
of undergraduate research,
speak about the importance
of such research.
“Independent research
makes students learn to be
more independent,” Leslie
said with a smile.
Research projects teach
students how to continue
learning outside the class
room under the advisement
of a mentor in their field of
c
study, he added.
This year marked the
creation of an official under
graduate research program
with a director position.
Hobbs, chair of the English
department, is the inaugural
director.
Hobbs said undergradu
ate research not only rewards
students because they get
to learn by working in their
field with a mentor, but it
benefits the professor and the
university as well.
Hobbs recognized Brown,
referring to him as the “father
ofLOTS.”
The program actually
started out as YOTS - Year
of the Scholar.
After attending a work
shop with other GW profes
sors called Writing Across
the Curriculum, Brown
thought, “Why can’t we do
other things across the cur
riculum?”
The Year of the Scholar
program developed out of
Brown’s idea and existed for
three years under the YOTS
name.
When the program
continued on, organizers
changed the name to Life of
the Scholar.
“Of all the things I was in
volved with at Gardner-Webb
for 40 years, this is what I’m
most proud of,” Brown said.
“It is such a vital part of the
Photo by Doug
Knotts
Dr. Les
Brown,
known as
the Father
of LOTS,
talks with
Dr. Gayle
Price before
a session.
university and
I am thrilled to see it con
tinue.”
Since Brown retired. Dr.
Tamara Cox has coordinated
the conference. This year,
Hobbs joined as co-coordi
nator.
At this year’s coi^rence,
several students ^Bented
information regarding their
undergraduate research proj
ects, while others presented
“A” work from classes.
Three rounds of one-hour
sessions in Lindsay Hall fea
tured student research. Two
to four students presentetfin
each session.
After student preseiia-
tions, the conference contin
ued with a faculty shovycase
in Ritch Banquet Hall at 240
p.m. Dr. Matt Theado, Dr.
Shea Stuart, and IM®atid
Carscaddon presentSr from
Gardner-Webb.
Professors Richard MclC-
ee and Joann Nilson Tar-
talone presented from Camp
bell University.
All attendees walked
away with their brains stuffed
with new knowledge, but
some students walked away
with thicker wallets.
Three professors judged
student presenters in each
session. The winners re
ceived $50 awards and hon
orable mention recipients
received $25.
Here’s where and how
some Gardner-Webb Uni
versity students spent spring
break:
James K. Polk, fresh
man Communication Studies
major: “I had a great spring
break; it was very nice and
rejuvenating. I went home to
visit my sick uncle who was
in the hospital.
“I also visited my old
high school that I used to at
tend. Being a past track star at
that school, I went back and
helped the track coach with
the new athletes. I scared
them a little bit but overall it
was fun.
“I also went out and
bought some new shoes,
clothes and an MP3 player.
I visited my aunt and we
• jfched the UNC and Duke
me together. That was very
exciting.”
Lisa Mahjoubian, a senior
psychology major: “I went
on a mission trip to Russia
with Dr. Stepp through Cam
pus Ministries. There were
12 GWU students that went,
plus Dr. Stepp’s daughter.
We had the opportunity to
play with the kids, share the
gospel, and pour out the love
of Christ to the people in
Russia.
“My favorite part about
my Spring break was Katiya,
who is a 7-year-old little girl.
She touched my heart. She
was brought up by a single
mother who sells clothes for
a living. This spring break
was the best spring break
ever. And I cannot wait to go
back to Russia.”
Brandie Barker, a senior
music education major: “My
spring break was exhausting
and I had too much home
work to do. I have 3 kids,
plus I am married, so it be
comes difficult at times to
balance school and a family
life all at the same time.
“I did not rest during my
break at all. The good thing
about my break was that I
got to teach general music at
Crest Middle School. It was
fun and exciting.”
Matt Goins, a senior bi
ology major: “I went home
and spent time with my fam
ily during my spring break.
I worked at Cleveland Re
gional Medical Center and
worked with elderly patients.
And then I took time to relax
and prepare for my upcom
ing graduation.”
Annette Simmons, who
works in Suttle Wellness
Center: “My spring break
was fabulous. I went to New
Orleans to do mission work,
with 20 wonderful people.
“We painted houses, hung
sheet rock and did some yard
work. We were provided with
plenty of food to eat and nice
sleeping quarters.
“We saw houses that we
had worked on in the past
couple of years. It was great
to know that these houses
are occupied again and that
the gracious, giving people
of GWU had a small part in
the city beginning to thrive
again.
“Overall, we had a great
time and bonded as a group.
We hope people in the com
munities remember what
wonderful Christian school
GWU is.”
Spring break mission trips benefit both sides
By MiChaela Bryson
Pilot stajf writer
Spring break is a time
of sun, sand and relaxation
with friends and family for
most students, but for some
Gardner-Webb University
students it involved some
thing a little more generous
- mission trips.
Laura Agajanian spent
her spring break working
with Neal Paine in Guate
mala, Central America.
“We went to work at
:hildren’s home called
fuaviva and we did physi
cal labor around the home,”
she said. “I painted inside the
girls’ dormitory and touched
up the outside of the girls’
dormitory and the boys’ dor
mitory.
“Before I left I prayed a
lot and we had a ton of meet
ings to prepare.”
Agajanian had previous
experience in overseas mis
sion work.
“I expected it would be
• ilar to my Mexico mis-
i trip I had gone on when
I was in junior high,” she
said. “I expected like the
landscape to be similar and
the people to be similar but
I didn’t really know what a
children’s home looked like,
so I was kind of unsure about
that.
“In some ways it was
similar; the food was similar
and of course they still spoke
Spanish, but the landscape
was different. We were in a
more mountainous area and
there were more trees.”
Agajanian was struck by
the Guatemalans the group
worked with.
“The hospitality and their
beautiful smiles, they were
ready to help with whatever
we needed. That really stood
out to me. If you looked at
the children they just grinned
at you, and they just loved
you even though they didn’t
know you that well and they
just wanted to play with you,
and that really stuck with
me.”
The trip had a great im
pact on Agajanian.
“I think God taught me
a lot on this mission trip,
just like to trust him in ev
ery single thing I do and that
he needs to be my primary
focus,” she said. “I feel like
when I come back here I’m
focusing more on myself, but
when you get in that kind of
situation you learn to have a
servants’ heart, and I think
that’s what God is teaching
me.”
Senior Rachel McNelis
went to Russia for her spring
break mission trip. Like many
others here this was not her
first. She has been to Canada
and Malaysia as well.
“We worked with an or
ganization that worked with
social orphans, kids that live
with their parents, but their
parents are alcoholics and
drug addicts,” she explained.
“We spent the week just
kind of loving on them, and
doing Bible school games
and activities, and stuff like
that.”
“It was an amazing trip.
I learned a lot about myself
and about God. When we
left, some of the girls we
had formed a relationship
with told us ‘Bye, we’ll see
you tomorrow,’ and we were
touched by that because we
wouldn’t see them that next
day.”
Brown lecture covers right-to-die issues
Christian author finds freedom in ‘Hokey Pokey’
By Christopher Shaver
Pilot stajf writer
Matthew Paul Turner has
written about 15 books in
the past five years, most of
which challenge status quo
Christianity through titles
such as “Provocative Faith”
and “What You Didn’t Learn
from Your Parents about
Sex.”
Turner’s latest book,
“Hokey Pokey,” brings his
sarcastic wit to the table
along with personal stories
and interviews to find what
God’s calling means for in
dividuals.
This book is for college
students and others who are
still searching for some sort
of purpose. Although the ti
tle sounds a little hokey, the
content shows Turner knows
what he’s talking about.
Turner carries an edge with
him that you may be able to
see with other authors such
as Donald Miller.
One of the most appeal
ing things is that Turner rec
ognizes he’s not a theologian,
but a storyteller who doesn’t
have a set formula for “living
your best life now.”
“Hokey Pokey” shows
that Turner understands the.
power of true stories over
fiction, and he uses this to his
advantage. He gets to the root
issue of the book through the
story of how he learned the
Hokey Pokey.
Turner grew up a funda
mentalist Christian going to
a private Christian school
that preached dancing of any
sort was “sexual” and should
be banned. However, he en
countered a rogue substitute
teacher who taught the class
the Hokey Pokey.
Turner said this was one
of the first times he felt free.
He delves deeper into
what God’s calling i:^«)ugh
more stories from l^rpast,
and through insight he has
learned through his journey.
Turner shows that Christian
ity has made God’s calling
more of a career and not as
much about a lifestyle.
It is here where he calls
the subculture out and shows
how living free is living
God’s calling for humanity.
“Hokey Pokey” will be
available starting April 1 at
any Bames & Noble or Ama
zon.com. For more informa
tion on Turner, go to www.
jesusneedsnewpr.blogspot.
com.
By Lauren Taylor
Special to The Pilot
Whether to “pull the
plug” on a person living only
through medical life sup
port is a polarizing topic in
side and outside the medical
field. Lois Shepherd, expert
in bioethics and law, offered
insight into, divisive issue to
Gardner-Webb students and
faculty March 12.
She came from Florida
State University, where
she teaches law, to lecture
in Blanton Auditorium as
apart of the Joyce-Compton
Brown Series. Shepherd re
ceived her law degree from
• le University in 1987.
Shepherd has spent much
of her law career studying
the Terri Schiavo case and
has written articles about it.
Schiavo suffered severe
brain injury in 1990 and was
in a permanent vegetative
state. Her husband wanted
her removed from life sup
port, which he said was con
sistent with statements she
had made before becoming
incapacitated.
Schiavo’s parents did not
agree, and there was a pro
tracted legal battle between
the two sides. It ignited a
debate in the United States
about euthanasia. After nu
merous court decisions,
Schiavo’s feeding tube was
removed in March 2005 and
she died two weeks later.
Shepherd discussed the
controversial practice of phy
sician’s aid in dying. The title
of her lecture, “If That Ever
Happens To Me,” addressed
three main points about peo
ple in permanent vegetative
states of consciousness and
the legal fallout that often
arises as a result.
The first point involved
the statement, “If I ever be
come dependent on others
for my toileting, I don’t want
to live.”
Shepherd said Ameri
cans have been conditioned
to think that incontinence is
linked with dignity. She went
on to say that depending on
someone for intimate care'
should not be considered un
dignified.
Shepherd’s second point
rebutted the notion that pull
ing a feeding tube from some
one in a permanent vegeta
tive state was “starving them
to death.” She cited medical
instances in which this was
contrary to what actually
happens when a patient’s
feeding tube was pulled.
Shepherd told the stories
of people whose feeding
mbes were actually causing
them pain and suffering.
She said that end-of-life
decisions are not always
simple, often getting fami
lies involved in lawsuits with
hospitals. That brought her to
her third point.
This was a discussion of
whether one should have a
living will, just in case a de
cision of whether to continue
living comes down to a feed
ing or breathing tube.
Shepherd asked those
who had living wills to raise
their hands, and out of an
audience of 55, only four
people did.
She reviewed the prob
lems that courts have inter
preting the documents and
asserted that families’ rights
were often breeched in favor
of hospitals.
After a period of engaged
question and answer. Shep
herd exhorted the audience
to think more deeply about
end of life decisions.
“Let’s see these issues in
all their complexity...instead
of looking for easy answers.”
She went on to say that
there is rarely a “right” an
swer in these instances. In
stead, the best answer should
be sought out over all.
Cats considered problem by some at GWU
Continued from page 1
“Someone must also be
committed to providing food,
water and shelter for the cats.
This is considered the most
humane solution.
The problem with the
TNR method is that the cats
must be re-trapped within a
year’s time to receive anoth
er rabies shot, which is good
for another three years.
“Our county is in a rabies
epidemic. The shot is only
good for one year. It is hard
to re-trap a feral cat. It is a
tricky issue right now,” said to a local vet who would eu-
Mebane. thanize them.
The other two options “I’d I® ®very
would be letting Animal Con- animal on God’s green earth,
trol have the cats or allowing That why I do what 1 do”,
school security to ^kpow Mebane. “Ideally, TNR
traps from the Huma^R)ci- u concept, but being
ety and then taking the cats in this county, it is a concern.
It is a major risk and liabil
ity.”
Dixon agrees that there is
no simple solution to the cat
issue.
“It is a dilemma,” said
Dixon. “I can assure it will
be a consistent method ap
proved by the Humane So
ciety.”
Not all students are con
cerned about the cats.
Student Tara Milligan
said, “I feel like the skunks
are a bigger problem than the
cats!”
i 1
1
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