The Pendulum
Thursday, October 4,1984
People
Chaplain sees position as 'spirit booster
By Vicky Jiggetts
Student Affairs Editor
Chaplain Richard McBride
describes his position at Elon
College as “a boost in my own
spirit.” He says, “With the
boost in my spirit, the world is
full of color for me.”
This summer McBride re
placed Chaplain Bill Sharpe,
who was a member of the col
lege faculty for 12 years.
McBride, a native of Fiel-
dale, Va., said that he enjoys
working with a variety of stu
dents here at Elon. “When you
encounter people from diffe
rent backgrounds, somehow
you can add to your own way of
seeing the world, and that can
be an advantage,” said
McBride. “We have to open
ourselves up to new people and
God in a different way.”
He said that he has to remain
alert to people in every group,
as well as those who are not in
any particular group. “I have to
keep myself open and suppor
tive all around campus, and
find ways to reach people,”
said McBride. “There’s a large
group of Baptists, there are
Catholics, and the largest
group of all is those who have
no particular religious prefer
ence. Every student experi
ences some type of stress and
strain about themselves and
their beliefs.”
He said, “I think that I have a
job that relates to the issues
that everyone is encountering.
I would like to have programs
to help people decide what to
do with their lives, such as
alcohol awareness and Tues
day Chapel Services.
“I’m not on anyone’s re
quired list. This means some
times not getting involved with
people who may need my help.
You have to personally choose
to seek help from the chaplain.
Personal values are worth
while when you voluntarily
choose them, and they aren’t
forced on you.”
Although many students
here are not involved in reli
gious groups, McBride said
that they may realize that this
is a good time to consider the
serious study of religion.
“Some of the most profound
questions on religion are asked
by people who don’t realize
that they are asking about reli
gion,” said McBride. He added
that the most religious ques
tions relate to ideas about ev
eryday life. “I just have to hope
that they will recognize me as
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and
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pounding.
Every second couiits.
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Red Cross will
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about life-saving.
Call us.
We’ll help.
Will you?
American
an authentic person to whom
they can relate about sports,
music, or anything else. I don’t
want to wear my religion on my
sleeve, and I want people to see
me as a real person,” he said.
McBride said that his job is
an “open” one, and “I like it
because definition of the job
can change from time to time.”
In 1969 McBride was a campus
minister during the Vietnam
War, and he retains an interest
in social issues.
“At the moment, we’re under
a global concern, the nuclear
war threat,” said McBride.
“Here at Elon, I wonder why
there isn’t a great (student)
awareness of that.”
McBride attended the Uni
versity of Virginia, and started
in the school of engineering.
He changed his major to En
glish, received a teaching cer
tificate, and taught for three
years in Albemarle County
High School. He said, “While
doing that, I served as a lay pas
tor for two country churches,
and I wasn’t ordained at the
time.” He later attended Union
Theological Seminary in New
York City.
His field work was in a Bap
tist church in Harlem. He re
called, “It turned out that they
were my Southern neighbors,
because they had moved to
New York from the South. I was
there from 1966 to 1969. Lucky
for me, I was getting a chance to
see the point of view of the peo
ple in the churches.
“During those civil rights
years, I was lucky to be in touch
with black people, and to see
how they felt. That was good for
a person as myself, who in the
past, had minimal contact with
blacks.”
^PaiLnq Cninsiz
J\£.itoLixarLt
LUNCH SPECIAL
Mon.-Fri. $A75/
/ per person
Includes: Soup, Egg Roll, Fried Rice and Iced Tea
^ DAILY LUNCH BUFFET
11:30 - 2:00 $085/
1# / per person
4^ DINNER BUFFET Thurs.-Sat.
5:30 - 9:00 $ft25/
/ per person
SUNDAY LUNCH BUFFET
12:00 - 2:30
per person
Sun.- Thurs. 11:30-9:30, FrI. 11:30-10:30
Sat. 4:30 -10:30
Church St. & Chapel Hill Rd.
229-9818
Richard McBride
Elon College
Homecoming Dance
at Best Western Hotel
Friday, Oct. Sth
8:00 -1:00
I Jam to Johnny White & the
^lite Band (Top-40 & Funk
A
Tickets will be sold todai) and Fridaij
in the student center. Thei) will also
be on sale at the door. Tickets are
$1 for a couple and $14 for a single.
— Open to all students!! —
No alcohol will be permitted in the dance.