St. Andrews athletics will discontinue tennis programs in 2008/09
From: Staff Reports
LAURINBURG, N.C.—St. Andrews Pres
byterian College will discontinue men’s and
women’s tennis following the 2007-08 athletics
season, announced Dr. Brian Mand, Director of
Athletics.
“We will discontinue the tennis pro
grams at the conclusion of the spring season
partially due to a lack of on-campus facilities,”
said Mand. “This will allow us to concentrate
our resources on the other 18 intercollegiate
athletics programs and our growing number
of student-athletes.” St. Andrews athletics has
grown tremendously both in terms of number
of sports and overall number of athletes. Over
the past five years, the department has added
seven new sports women’s lacrosse, women’s
golf, wrestling, men’s and women’s track &
field, and men’s and women’s swimming. This
growth has brought the total number of student-
athletes participating in athletics at St. Andrews
to almost 300.
The continual reevaluation of the pro
gram was heightened after the head tennis
coach position became vacant this past summer,
and the search for the appropriate candidate
to lead both programs was unsuccessful. The
Knights tennis teams will play out their upcom
ing 2008 Conference Carolinas schedule. Eliza
beth Hernandez, Interim Head Tennis Coach,
will continue to direct the team. “The players on
both the men’s and women’s teams have made a
potentially difficult role for me an enjoyable ex
perience. I have much respect for the members
of our tennis teams and look forward to seeing
their continued accomplishments in the work
force and in the classroom,” said Hernandez.
The decision to discontinue the ten
nis programs will not affect the department’s
coaching staff and only a limited number of stu
dent-athletes. All members of both squads have
been notified of the college’s decision. Hernan
dez will continue to ^ork in her full-time role
as Associate Athletics Director and Director of
NCAA compliance.
Currently, there are 14 players in the
tennis program, with four being seniors. In
addition, four tennis players are dual sport
athletes competing on other Knights teams. Of
the remaining six underclassmen, three receive
tennis scholarships and will have the option to
stay at SAPC and continue to receive scholar
ship aid until the completion of their eligibility
or be released to transfer to another institution
to continue playing tennis.
Since joining the NCAA D-II ranks, the
St, Andrews tennis teams have practiced and
played all home matches at the Scotland Coun
try Tennis Complex - located about two miles
from campus - that is shared with the Laurin-
burg community and Scotland High School.
Paul Baldasare, President of the College
said, “We will continue to hold a keen interest
in bringing tennis back to our campus. As our
resources allow and as our donors respond, we
are hopeful that this sport will return after we
are able to build up-to-date tennis facilities.”
EDITORIALS
Hating Christ at Christmas
By; Matthew Peak
The Christmas season has come upon us
again and each year, there is the expected mad
rush to department stores and traveling across
states for holiday visits. Retailers count their
profits, hosts count the number of chairs they
will need and people take Alka-seltzer to deal
with the credit c^d debts. ' '
Something else happens as well. The
country’s left step.out and directly challenge
the religious nature of Christmas in public and
in schools. Instead of saying “Merry Christ
mas,” people are called to task and asked to
say “Happy Holiday.” Snowmen and Santa are
welcomed, but a babe in a manger is not. The
left claims that Christian symbols of the holiday
produce in atheists, Jews, Muslims and others
a feeling of being “excluded,” and a victim of
public discrimination.
There is something deeper going on
here. Why would the name of Jesus Christ,
with Christ being the root of the word Christ
mas, and a babe in a manger leave such an of
fensive taste in the mouths of organizations like
the ACLU? Looking at the traditional biblical
quote for the season is taken from the King
James Version of the Bible; it does not seem
that any sort of threat could be tonjured.
“Fear not; for, behold, I bring you good
tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
For unto you a baby is bom this day in the city
of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.
And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find
the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying
in a manger And suddenly there was with the
angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising
God, and saying. Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace, good will toward men”
(Luke 2; 10-14).
Blithe Spirit by Noel Coward was a
recent production here at St. Andrews. It was
performed by the Highland Players on Novem
ber 15-18. The performers were; Nathanial
Jones, Andrew Maginn, Greta Friesen, Laura
McDowell, Emily Thigpin, Marie Hamilton,
and Jen Rash.
Blithe Spirit is a play about a writer who
is researching psychics for his new book. The
psychic performs a seance with the writer, his
wife, and his two friends. Little does the writer
know, that his dead wife was summoned and
comes back to haunt him and his second wife.
Noel Coward’s, Blithe Spirit was a hilar
ious play to watch, with the actors performing
As harmless as this passage is, atheists
and pagans come out in droves and say, “We are
offended, we are being excluded.” They want
Christmas to become just a Winter Holiday.
This is not about equality or diversity or some
lofty goal to ensure that no one feels excluded.
Such a sterile answer would be easy to deal
with.
This is about Christ Himself
One of the most audacious claims that
Jesus made was that He was God in the flesh.
“Your father Abraham rejoiced to see
my day; and he saw it, and was glad. Then said
the Jews unto him, Thou art not yet fifty years
old, and hast thou seen Abraham? Jesus said
unto them. Verily, verily, I say unto you. Before
Abraham was, I am. Then took they up stones
to cast at him” (John 8.56-58).
When Jesus was talking to His disciples,
one of them made a simple request.
Philip said, “Philip saith unto him. Lord,
show us the Father, and it sufficeth us. Jesus
saith unto him. Have I been so long time with
you, and yet hast thou not known Me, Philip?
he that hath seen Me hath seen the Father”
(John 14:8-9),
If I were to walk around and say, “If
you’ve seen me, you’ve seen the Father,”
people would know that I was claiming to be
God in the flesh and would rightly lock me up
in a mental health institute.
This is why other religions are heartily
welcomed and embraced. They are safe belief
systems. Mohammed was a mere human. In
pagan religions, gods are ultimately a spiritual
creation by mere humans. In atheism, there
simply is no deity at all, there are only humans.
In Christianity, though, there is one God and
Blithe Spirit
A review by: Alicia Toke
I
each role perfectly. The characters were played
so that each one of them was believable. The
audience could truly connect with the charac
ters, and that is impart to the wonderful acting
abilities of the Highland Players. I can not wait
for the next play that will be coming in January,
that God came into this world and became a hu
man and that idea is anathema to people.
If God was capable of becommg a hu
man, suffering and dying for us and then resur
recting, it would mean that He was capable of
interfering in the affairs of humans. It would
mean that He rules this world as its creator and
Lord^and King, The very thought that humans
do not rule themselves pricks the pride and
enflames defiance.
To see baby Jesus in a manger is more
than just seeing a really special person who is
going to grow up and do some really great tasks
for people. To see the babe in the manger is to
come face to face with God, who is not only
affecting our world, but is intimately close to
each and every person. His infinite authority
over our finite lives is the very thing that people
want to flee from when they want to snuff out
Christ from Christmas.
The fact cannot be changed that God has
come into our world to show us Himself face to
face. For those who love Him, this is exciting.
For those who loath Him, there is historical
revision, theological redefinition, postmodernist
ambiguity and outright rejection of belief
This Christmas, 1 will do more than just
open presents, decorate trees and sing carols, I
will celebrate the incredible fact that my Cre
ator cared enough for me to show Himself face
to face and allows me to talk to Him as one
talks to a friend.
For those who do not want to look upon
the face of God, I feel for them. It will be a
lonely Christmas,
Blithe Spirit Photo courtesy of Rooney Coffinan