M
ETHODIST
C
OLLEGE
Pride
Fayetteville, NC
Vol. XXXVI, No. 5
Monday, December 7, 1998
Alcohol on Campus Dominates Open Forum
By Cindy Hawkins
Editor
Amid the constant smack of billiard balls
in the Student Union, the 1998 Student
Government Association strained to have
their voices heard in their first open forum
this year. In what president Eddie Price
dubbed a “sad turnout,” less than 15 stu
dents and faculty members showed up for
the forum.
After brief introductions of the 1998
officers. Price commented that the SG A has
been doing “quite a bit of work this semes
ter to benefit the students.” He mentioned
a recent retreat during which the group set
up target areas that they hoped to achieve
this year. The target areas included trying
to install a debit card system, setting up a
security committee to create a communi
cation link between students and public
safety, a self-study committee of the SGA,
a spirit committee to enhance school spirit,
and a fitness committee to enhance fitness
opportunities on campus.
Price opened the floor for discussion
explaining that the open forum was “an
opportunity for all the students of Meth
odist College to come out and voice their
concerns and questions about all and any
affairs that are going on on campus.”
The first issue, introduced by student
Suzanne Graves, concerned Methodist Col
lege being a “dry” campus. Price answered
that while the foundations of the Method
ist church influence Methodist College’s
nonalcoholic campus policy and would
make it very difficult to change that policy,
that “if a significant movement was made,
then there would probably be some sup
port from the SGA.”
Lea Metz addressed the negative side
of alcohol on campus by pointing out the
dangers of binge drinking and the effect that
overindulgence would have on class atten
dance. Metz also raised the issue of under
age drinking and the fact that the majority
of the students living on campus are under
the age of 21.
Other issues addressed were paving the
parking area behind the PAC building, ac
quiring new billiard tables and equipment,
revision of the visitation policy, and start
ing student movements to form fraternities.
In a brief interview after the forum,
Price expressed his hope that the newly-
formed security committee would bridge
the gap between students and public safety.
“Because parking in front of the dorms
has gone to security and resident advisors
can no longer give tickets for parking, pub
lic safety hasn’t been really very proactive
on people that are parking in visitor spots
and people that are parking in resident stu
dents’ spots.”
In This Issue
Commuters Shortchanged, Page 3
Conflict of Interest? Pages 4 & 5
The Girl or God? Page 6
Crime Stoppers, Page 9
Circuit Players Connect, Page 11
Final Questions That Suck, Page 13
Sports, Pages 14 & 15
What’s Up With That? Page 16
I
SGA holds the first open forum of 1998.
PGA Sanctions Golf
Management Program
The Professional Golfer’s Association
of America has added Methodist College’s
Professional Golf Management Program to
its list of PGA-sanctioned programs.
In a Nov. 12 announcement issued from
its headquarters in Palm Beach Gardens,
Fla., the PGA announced that Methodist’s
13-year-old PGM program and programs
at three other institutions will be included
in the PGA’s 600-hour Golf Professional
Training Program (GPTP) starting in the
fall of 1999. The four-year college program
teaches students about the golf industry and
management through classroom studies, in
ternship programs and player development.
The PGA announcement states that
Methodist College and the three other in
stitutions with newly-sanctioned programs,
“offer an excellent academic environment
for students interested in pursuing a career
in the golf industry.” Will Mann, PGA of
America President, said the PGA felt that
the accreditation of four new programs
would increase the talent pool of aspiring
PGA Professionals and elevate the stan
dards of the PGA to a new level.
Jerry Hogge, director of Methodist’s
PGM program since 1987, was delighted
by the PGA announcement. “Heretofore,
only four institutions of higher learning —
Ferris State, Mississippi State, New Mexico
State and Penn State had PGA-sanctioned
golf management programs” he noted, “We
are now part of an elite group and we de
serve to be there.”
“We are very proud of our PGM pro
gram, our golf course and practice facili
ties, and the staff that has worked tirelessly
to achieve this recognition, said Dr. Elton
Hendricks, president of Methodist College.
“We believe the PGA and our PGM gradu
ates will enjoy substantial benefits from this
new association.”
Methodist’s PGM program is a business
administration or marketing major with a
concentration in professional golf manage
ment. It already has the largest enrollment
of any academic program at the college —
301 students. Since 1989, the program has
graduated 229 students. Methodist’s PGM
alumni now work and teach at some of
America’s finest golf clubs, including
Pinehurst, Chevy Chase, Seminole, and
Oakmont. Several also work for Titleist
Corporation.