gardner-Webb university
January 21, 2009
Volume 12 No. .8
Serving the Gardner-Webb University community for more than 60 years
This Edition!
■ In campus news-
Dr. Hambright is back
at work and feeling
fine. See p.2
Food in the library? It’s
true. See p.2
Celebration Week is on
the way. See page 2.
The School of Educa
tion will have new
leaders when the se
mester ends. See p.3
plis!'
‘*4
■ Opinion/editorial'
New editor Blake
DuDonis shares his
thoughts after Dr. Dan
Goodman's memorial
service. See p.4
Diana Palka sees a
nation filled with hope
now that Obama is in
office. See p.4
College students helped
get Obama into the
Oyal Office. See p.4
■ In sports-
The women’s basket
ball team tastes victory
in Porter Arena. See p.3
The men’s hoopsters
are on a hot streak and
bound for conference
glory. See p.3
The Blue Devils
couldn’t scare the life
outof theGWU swim
teams. See p.3
Jan. 21
High 42
Jan. 22
High 53
Photo by Jordan Tubbs
This was the scene Tuesday when Barack Obama took the oath of office to become 44th president of the United States.
GWU students see Obama take helm
.. .. .. ■, • j iiidt r«r»rsn
By Michelle Alwerdt
and Christopher Shaver
Pilot tstaff writers
Tuesday the United States inaugurated
a new leader, President Barrack H. Obama,
into office.
Excited about new leadership, more than
two million people crowded into downtown
Washington, D.C., to watch the historic
event - the swearing in of the first African
American president in United States his
tory.
Nine Gardner-Webb students went to the
inauguration through the Washington Cen
ter for internships and academic seminars.
They navigated through the bustling
Washington Metro system at 4 a.m. and ar-
; rived at the national Mall - which was lined
1 by 5,000 PortaPotties - by 5:30 a.m. After,
I that it was a matter wading through ticket
i and security checks on the crowded Mall.
1 “It was never really a dull crowd,” Mi
chelle Alwerdt, a freshman said. “We were
doing the wave. There was a lot of enthusi
asm eveh"af 5:30.’
Alwerdt said the predominantly black
crowd, which included a substantial num
ber of whites, was interactive. People start
ed praying along to the Lord s Prayer when
The Rev. Rick Warren gave the invocation.
The crowd also booed when former-Presi-
dent George W. Bush came out onto the
platform, and it cheered for Obama, she
said.
Jordan Tubbs, a senior, said the experi
ence was overwhelming.
“It was very chaotic,” Tubbs said. “It
was crazy with all the people there. I’m
glad that I was part of it.”
Although Alwerdt said Obama was the
size of an ant from her vantage point, she
did not need to look at the JumboTrons that
were strategically placed throughout the
Mall.
Obama took the oath and made his
speech just after noon.
“I -was in shock,” Alwerdt said. ‘"All two
million of us who were crowded in there
were completely silent.”
Tubbs also said it was incredible to
see two million people being quiet to hear
Obama speak. “They were very respectful
of what he had to say.”
“There was one black lady in front of
me who started crying during his speech,”
Alwerdt said. “People around her told her
not to cry. She kept repeating that they were
tears of happiness.”
The students will head back to Gardner-
Webb today on a Greyhound Bus.
The Feb. 4 issue of The Pilot will
contain more stories and photos
about the students’ experieneces
during the weeklong Washington
Center program and the inauguration.
GWU mourns passing
of Dr. Daniel Goodman
Divinity School students share
their memories of a ‘good man’
Weather
Wednesday Thursday
Low 24
Low 30
sunny
sunny
Source: The 'Weather Channel
Index
News,.j
page 2,4
Sports
page 3
Op/Ed
page 4
By Blake DuDonis
Pilot editor in chief
Gardner-Webb University’s
Dr. Daniel E. Goodman, a pro
fessor in the School of Divin
ity, died unexpectedly Jan. 13.
Goodman was 40 years old.
The cause of Goodman’s
death is unknown at this time.
An autopsy is being performed
by the coroner.
A memorial service was held
in Goodman’s honor Thurs
day at Boiling Springs Baptist
Church. The church was filled
to capacity as friends and loved
ones from all over the country
came to say their farewells.
Several of Goodman’s for
mer students and colleagues
spoke at the service, sharing
memories and telling stories that
brought tears but also laughter, a
welcome emotion for the Good
man family.
A father of two sons, Daniel
and Dylan, Goodman was a loy
al, loving and caring individual
who put his family before him
self.
“Dan was our rock,” said his
wife, Barbara Goodman. “He
was devoted in every way and 1
hope that one day my sons will
be the kind of fathers that Dan
was to them... Dan was my best
friend.”
Goodman, a graduate of
Palm Beach Atlantic Universi
ty, had been on staff since 2003
when he was hired as the associ
ate professor of New Testament.
Goodman did much research on
the New Testament and on the
relationships between Chris
tians and Jews.
Goodman was awarded
many honors, including the
Theological Scholars Grant, an
award given to only 10 theo
logical school professors na
tionwide.
In 2006, the Gardner-Webb
Board of Trustees named Good
man the Bob D. Sheppard Chair
of New Testament Interpre
tation. Goodman, true to his
character, accepted the position
hurribly.
Beyond all of the honors
bestowed upon him by other
scholars, Goodman was known
for things that went far beyond
the classroom. This was evident
at his memorial service.
■‘Don't you be afraid, for
I am with you. Don t he dis
mayed, for I am your God. I will
strengthen you. Yes, I will help
you. Yes, I will uphold you with
the right hand cf my righteous
ness. Isaiah 41:10,
By Christopher Shaver
Pilot staff writer
Dr. Daniel Goodman joined
Gardner-Webb’s School of Di
vinity faculty in 2003, after
leaving Palm Beach Atlantic
University.
While at PBA, he was name
Professor of the Year twice.
Some divinity school students
shared their thoughts about
Goodman:
Matthew Thomas
M.Div -Biblical Studies
“1 met Dr. Goodman the fall
of 2003 when he first came to
Gardner Webb. He came and
did a presentation in an honors
seminar I was taking on the his
torical Jesus.
I thought he was incredibly'
enthusiastic, humorous and he
loved what he taught. He had
a real ease about him in front
of students that made students
want to ask questions.
“He had a way of describ
ing things that were a little over
the top. For instance he always
talked about pizza pie instead of
pizza.
“He hated cell phones. He
called himself a Luddite be
cause he didn’t like technology.
He never owned a cell phone.
“The only times he would let
class out early were if the Pitts
burgh Steelers were playing or
if one of his sons had something
going on.”
Trevar Simmons
M.Div./M.A. English
“I first met Dr. Goodman
in the fall of 2002 at a break-'
fast for the Honors Program at
Palm Beach Atlantic University,
although I am using the word
“meet” liberally.
“All the Honors professors
were introduced during that
breakfast. I didn’t get to know
Dr. Goodman until the spring of
2007, when I took his Romans
class here at Gardner-Webb,
“When I saw Dr. Goodman
see me, I felt a special kind of
feeling - sometimes his whole
countenance would change and
other times he would briefly
stop listening to his conversa
tion partner so he could ac
knowledge my presence. ’
“He reinforced this feeling
by accenting the second syl
lable of my first name, a name
he thought more appropriate for
what he saw in me.
“He could see the special
ness in a person that even that
person could not see. So many
of us will miss seeing him and
seeing him see us, but I pray we
all learn to see what he saw and
embrace it.”
See STUDENTS p: 2