Page A2
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
The Pilot
News
Parties primed
for N.C. primaries
By Christopher Shaver
Pilot stajf writer
The North Carolina pri
maries are about to start and
Cleveland County’s political
parties are ready for the May
6 presidential primary con
tests.
“It’s been kind of exciting
because this is the first time
in many years we’ve been
able to affect the outcome
in a primary,” said Jennifer
Helton, the Cleveland Coun
ty Democrat’s head chair.
She said the party has
been trying to get the public
to register to vote, as well as
pushed for early voting these
past few weeks. Helton said
there has been an increase as
to how many younger vot
ers have registered under the
Democratic ticket.
“The Democratic Party
has always been the party
of the people,” Helton said.
“I think younger voters see
this, and they are tired of the
eight years we’ve had with
President Bush. They want
change.”
Republicans are still hop
ing others will vote as well.
although their candidate has
already been decided.
“That doesn’t mean we
shouldn’t vote for the gover
nor and lieutenant governor,”
Wayne King, the Cleveland
County Republican Chair
man, said. “I hope Republi
cans and Democrats vote, be
cause that will set the frame
for the debates.”
King said the party has
been raising money to get
ready for the general presi
dential election next month.
He said he believes the Re
publicans have the upper
hand since they have already
voted for John McCain.
“This helps us start talk
ing about issues that Ameri
cans are passionate about,”
King said. Although both
parties disagree on a large
spectrum of things political
ly, they both know the main
issues to be covered through
this next election will be
based around the economy
and war in Iraq. “Some say
the debates between senators
Clinton and Obama have hurt
the party. I disagree,” Helton
said. “I believe this is just de
mocracy at its purest.”
Photo by Tyler Kucifer
From left, Brianna Bleymaier, Ashley Burton, Tacy Beckett and Same Dowell bring the Martins and the Smiths
to life in Eugene Ionesco’s “The Bald Soprano” on stage at GWU.
Cast, crew do great things with a play about nothing
Bryan first to assume
assistant provost post
By Rebecca Clark
Pilot editor
Dr. Doug Bryan, profes
sor of religious education
and chair of religious studies
and philosophy at Gardner-
Webb University, is the in
augural assistant provost for
academic services.
“I’m very excited and
humbled by the opportunity,”
Bryan said of the new posi
tion.
Dr. James Dire, associate
provost of arts and sciences,
said that some of the academ
ic services on campus former
ly under his supervision will
now revert to Bryan’s office:
the Noel Program, the Writ
ing Center and the Learning
Assistance Program.
Other responsibilities
Bryan will assume include
overseeing student advise
ment across all programs,
training faculty advisors, and
ongoing assessment of the
advising program.
He will continue to carry a
small teaching load, as well.
Dr. Ben Leslie, provost
and senor vice-president, said
one of the goals in creating
the position was to maximize
the effectiveness of faculty
advisors and the advisement
program, according to a press
release from the Office of
University and Media Rela
tions.
“We are delighted to have
the exceptional quality of
creative leadership and expe
rience that Dr. Bryan brings
to this position,” Leslie said.
Before coming to teach
at GWU, Bryan spent 16 1/2
years teaching at Howard
Payne University, where he
also earned one of two bach
elor’s degrees.
Dr. Bryan received his
master’s, graduate specialist
degree, and his doctorate from
Southwestern Baptist Theo
logical Seminary in Texas.
Bryan will begin in his
new position July 1.
Amy Elliott
Special to the Pilot
The posters that were
hung up all over campus
tagged “The Bald Soprano”
as “an outrageously fiinny
one-act play about absolute
ly nothing!”
At first I was skeptical
about how this 1950 play
by Eugene Ionesco would
appeal to the audience if it
had no plot. However, we
live in the age of “Seinfeld,”
a popular ’90s television
sitcom pitched as “a show
about nothing.” “Seinfeld”
continues to be quoted and
watched by many college
students today, so I assumed
that the audience would be
able to appreciate the pro
duction. The Gardner-Webb
theater section presented the
show, which was directed by
Scot Lahaie, in the Mill April
15-19.
The play revolved around
two British couples, the
Smiths and the Martins.
They are later joined by the
maid, Mary, and a fireman,
Mary’s one-time lover. All of
the action takes place in the
Smiths’ living room (a won-
derfijlly detailed and quaint
living room constructed by
Chris Keene, technical direc
tor of theater) where the two
couples make nonsensical
banter.
At one point, the Martins
believe they are strangers
that have just met, but then
realize they are actually mar
ried. If this all sounds con-
fiasing, it was. It truly was a
play about... nothing.
The shining point of the
production was the actors.
They did a phenomenal job
acting with the material they
were given. The lead char
acters, Mr. and Mrs. Smith,
starred junior Traci Beckett
and fi'eshmen Sam Dowell,
who together really stole the
show.
Beckett’s body language
and facial expressions really
brought Mrs. Smith’s overtly
sexual character to life in the
most hilarious way.
Dowell, making his
Gardner-Webb theater de
but, played an excellent Mr.
Smith, with a perfect voice
pitch and accent, and a co
medic timing that rivals the
best I have seen on the Gard
ner-Webb stage.
Mr. and Mrs. Martin were
played by Brianna Bleymaier
and Ashley Burton. It should
be noted that Bleymaier was
the understudy and did a fan
tastic job with the part of Mr.
Martin. Burton’s dry humor
was amusing and had me
chuckling.
Mary Goforth and Chad
Mann also had parts as the
maid and fireman, respec
tively. They both compli
mented the rest of the hilari
ous cast.
So, while the script was
not my cup of tea, I was very
delighted by the performanc
es of my fellow students. Io
nesco would be proud.
Join this group to get some real Chinese food
By Leanna Mobley
Special to The Pilot
Gardner-Webb University
is planning its first-ever trip
to China, one of the largest
and fastest growing econo
mies in the world.
The trip, planned for July
18-24, 2009, will encompass
business, science and cul
ture. Participants will see a
total solar eclipse, tour major
manufacturing facilities and
experience China’s history
and culture first-hand.
Any student, faculty, staff
member or Iriend of Gard
ner-Webb is qualified to join
the tour group.
Dr. James Dire, associate
provost for arts and sciences,
and Dr. Anthony Negbene-
bor, dean of the School of
Business, discussed plan
ning a trip to China for sev
eral years. They decided to
time the trip during the solar
eclipse July 22, Dire said.
The length of the to
tal blackout period of this
eclipse will be 5.5 minutes,
he said, making it the longest
one of the 20th and 21st cen
turies.
“No one living today
has seen a longer total solar
eclipse,” said Dire, who is an
astronomer, explaining the
significance of such a spec
tacle. “No one alive during
this one will witness a longer
one before they die.”
China is the most popu
lated country in the world
and is rich in culture and tra
dition.
“China has a fascinating
history going back thousands
of years...they have a unique
culture that we want to expe
rience first hand,” said Dire.
Two major stops will be
the cities of Shanghai and
Hangzhou. The group will
visit a museum, the beach
and get its share of real Chi
nese food. An optional ex
tended trip will be offered
for those who want to go to
Beijing and the Great Wall.
If you are interested, sign
up with Dr. Helen Tichenor,
director of International Pro
grams. Her office is located
in Suttle Hall.
A deposit for the trip will
be due by Sept. 1.
Earth-friendliness needs GWU students’ support
Continued from page 1
He is formally petitioning
the top university adminis
trators to make good on their
talk of becoming more eco-
fiiendly—even if it costs the
university.
Recycling ventures often
come at a loss, and it takes
effort to make get them roll
ing, English said. But it’s
worth it because it’s the right
thing to do.
“It’s not just about a for-
profit venture...we’re keep
ing landfills Irom filling up.”
Yet most green ventures
would actually save the uni
versity money. Painting the
roofs white would cut down
on cooling, and motion-sens-
ing lights would slash the
energy bill. The initial cost
would pay off tenfold.
His proposal involves
a comprehensive way to
save the land and put more
“green” in the bank as well.
It can be siunmed up into a
couple of main points: no net
tree or green space loss (chop
a tree down, put another in
the ground); and any new
buildings should have ener
gy-saving sensitivities.
“It’s getting to a point
where the bare minimum
isn’t going to be enough,”
said English.
He said that things such
as trading university vehi
cles in for bio-diesel-fueled
transportation, and getting
more faculty members to use
paperless quizzes and assign
ments would be a great start.
Though a cooperative fac
ulty would be beneficial, the
students have to tabe a stand.
English characterizes our
student population as lack
ing knowledge and initiative
when it comes to the envi
ronment, regardless of the
fact that this generation has
had more “earth talk” than
any of those before it.
Student Chris Baber
agrees.
“There seems to be a uni
versal apathy that has spread
across campus,” he says.
Even if a recycling bin
was next to the garbage can,
some students would still
chuck a plastic bottle in the
trash.
“Making the campus
green and environmentally
fi'iendly is not only the right
thing to do, it is almost guar
anteed to bring students here
and keep them here,” Baber
said. “It is our duty, not just
as Christians, but as people
to take care of the world cre
ated for us.”
In a class that English
teaches called “The Envi
ronment,” ecology students
research global warming and
ways to stop it. Matt Jones is
One of the students digging
for earth-friendly answers.
He has researched bio-diesel
fiiel options under the leader
ship of Dr. Stefica Eddins and
is optimistic about the uni
versity’s ability to change.
“I have spoken person
ally to Dr. Bonner about his
commitment to sustainability
and as far as I know, a whole
lot more goes on behind the
scenes i concerning environ
mental action than we are al
ways aware of,” Jones said.
“For instance, the physi
cal plant replaces all the
bumed-out light bulbs with
energy efficient ones. A lot
of the carpet that is starting
to be used on campus is pro
duced in an environmentally
sound fashion.”
Jones does, however, see
where there needs to be more
initiative. Even still, there is
a lot to be said about baby
steps.
“I’m really hopefiil for
the prospects of Gardner-
Webb’s sustainability com
mitment.”
Going tobacco-free was a
bold step here in the Tobacco
Road region, and the vast ma
jority accepted it. There are
even motion-sensitive lights
in the new Noel building.
But there’s room for more.
Students can take a stand and
choose greener pastures.
Williams College, in Wil-
liamstown, Mass., sponsored
an Earth Day competition
called “doing it in the dark”
in April 2006. On-campus
residents were challenged
to turn off the lights, implug
their computers and phone
chargers when not in use,
and do their regular activities
with the lights dimmed.
Students responded,
slashing their consumption
44 percent from the competi
tion the year before.
Things won’t change at
Gardner-Webb until students
do. A strong enough commit
ment could trickle into the
community causing a whole
new perspective to spring
into action.
It starts when students
give the “grepn” light.
Love; Can it last beyond graduation?
By Brittany Wasko
Daily Kent Stater (Kent
State U.)
(U-WIRE) KENT, Ohio -
Although couples have seen
each other through the stress
of group projects, papers, in
ternships and finals, there’s
still one more obstacle to
tackle: What happens to the
relationship after gradua
tion?
Travis Schermer, teach
ing fellow at the Counseling
and Human Development
Center in White Hall, said
it’s important for people in
relationships nearing gradu
ation to talk to one another
ahead of time.
“Talking about it before
hand is a way of exploring
both partners’ needs before
the stress of those outside
factors become so much that
it impacts the relationship,”
he said.
“This is a scary time
- it’s a huge transition to go
through.”
Ending a relationship be
cause of career differences,
sacrificing a job opportunity
to follow the other person
or even compromising on a
middle ground to maintain
the relationship are just a
few options for couples fac
ing graduation.
Schermer said both peo
ple should know their own
priorities, which will affect
the final decisions.
“I think that everyone has
that difference in terms of
what’s important,” he said.
“Some people are going to
be more willing to sacrifice
that relationship in order to
make their career work.
“It’s how they identify
what’s important to them.”
Schermer also said it’s
common for graduated stu
dents to move back home
while searching for a job,
causing a temporary geo
graphical split for some cou
ples.
“You see a lot of people
going home for that sup
port before they take that
next step to find that job - to
their career really,” he said.
“And if they’re in two dif
ferent places, it’s that much
harder.”
If staying together is im
portant to a couple, Schermer
said both partners will take
the steps to find a way to
make it work.
“Hopefully they’re talk
ing to each other about their
career plans,” he said.
“And if they want to stay
together - that they’re mak
ing those career plans kind
of coincide and kind of work
together so they can take that
next step together.”
Barbara Hugenberg, as
sistant professor and basic
course coordinator for the
School of Communication
Studies, said that students
who are graduating should
be honest while making de
cisions regarding the rela
tionship and their separate
careers.
“Be very honest with the
self, even if it takes you down
avenues that you don’t like
thinl^ing about,” she said.
“Go there, because these are
big decisions.”
Hugenberg also said it’s
important for couples who
want to stay together after
graduation to not get com
pletely caught up in the idea
of being in love.
“We have to be very care-
fiil that it isn’t an infatuation
or an extended version of an
infatuation, which is kind of
blinded by the light of the
person’s youth and beauty,”
she said.
“Or blinded by our own
desire to be in a permanent
commitment.”
Having to choose a ca
reer over the relationship can
be difficult for anyone, she
said.
Hugenberg said a rela
tionship is worth maintaining
after graduation if it boosts
one’s self-esteem.
“You have someone in
your life who is committed
to you, who likes you re
gardless of the mistakes you
make, loves you no matter
what you have on that day,”
she said.
“Those kinds of relation
ships help us with our confi
dence.”
Like Schermer, Hugen
berg also said communica
tion is necessary for all cou
ples, especially when making
life-changing decisions after
graduation.
“Take your time,” she
said. “Think about it very
carefijlly. Talk openly and
honestly.
“Communication really
is the key to this.”