ALETHEIA
Volume XXVn, Number 14
Montreat-Anderson College
Febmary 18,1994
Cafeteria
Diners
"Kiss"ed Off
By Joyce Downs
Anger broke out among many
individuals last week when secular ra
dio station 99.9 KISS FM visited the
campus.
The local radio station, who was
sponsoring a Spring Break vacation to
Daytona Beach, Florida, was given per
mission to set up in Howerton Dining
Hall during dinner.
Students who objected to the
station’s presence on campus aigued
that the college’s image was at stake. ”I
think that the school is being hypocriti
cal to offer such a secular contest that
violates the rules [the college] set up for
males and females," voiced HonorCouit
Chair Kim TrapnelL
A sqiKttnorc who chose to remain
ancxiymous stressed that the presence of
KISS FM "is disturtang the type of image
that the school is putting fbitii"
However, not everyone was dis
turbed by the incident Sophomore
Krista Schroeder accentuated, "If the
school’s integrity is high enough, letting
a secular radio station come on campus
won’t hurt it"
Winner of the giveaway, senior
Karen Campbell, had no objections to
the station’s visit She strongly be
lieved, "It was a lot of free publicity for
the school."
Second in a Six Week Series of Religious Issues...
Did You Hear, Did You Hear?
By Danieil Hartness
Students across campus ex
pressed concern at the damage that has
been done due to gossip.
According to the general consen-
susof those attending M-AC there seems
to be an outstanding source of informa
tion gathered daily through the "campus
rumor mill".
New mformation circulates from
one side of the campus to the other, in a
matter of hours. This information is
defined as gossip.
Gossip, accordingtoWebstei'sDic-
tionaiy, means idle talk about others
regardless of facts.
Freshman Zola Griffin concurred
with Webster, "People.. .make a lot of
assumptions, and then spread it around
campus." M-A Hall resident Sherri
Rodgers added, "It’s worse here at M-
AC, a Christian school, than it was at
my public high school."
Although the majority of people
feel that the gossip on campus is con
tinuous, basketball player Jennifer
Watring defended, "It is not as bad as
you would think it would be, going to
a school this size."
Bible Professor and Ch^lain Ed
Bonner emphasized that there is nothing
more serious, in terms of hurting other’s
feelings, than through rumors and gos
sip.
Freshman Lisa McMurry ex
pressed her idea of what could be done to
combat the problem by suggesting that
the issue be addressed during a Chapel.
However, Bonner explained that
an issue as big as gossip could not be
handled effectively during Chapel. He
suggested that smaller groups, such as
Vespers or FCA, might be better
equipped for addressing this situation.
Bonner recalled that he discussed
the concern of gossip last year, and
earlier this semester during Vespers,
when there was a big stir of drug use on
campus.
Howerton resident Lee Thomas
voiced that it really wouldn’t matter if
the issue were to be addressed during
Chapel, because until the students de
cide individually not to participate in
gossip, there will always be aproblem.
Approximately forty people,
ranging in sex, age, race, and leader
ship status, were asked to give sugges
tions on how to put an end to gossip on
campus. None of the students inter
viewed could suggest any ways to im
prove the situation.
Bonner, however, offered ways
in which gossip could be combatted.
Using tlie principle found in Matthew
18:15, he suggested that when a per
son hears a rumor, he should never
assume that it is true, but should go to
that person to see if the rumor has any
validity.
According to Bonner, the best
way to deal with gossip is to simply
say "No, I will not be a party to this."
Day-time 99.9 KISS FM Disk
Jockey Nikki Thomas, who represented
the station during the giveaway, ex
pressed, "We wanted to give everyone a
chance within our listening area to par
ticipate. We’ve been going to each and
every college, not just M-AC."
In response to aU the controversy
her visit stirred on campus, Thomas
added, "I can’t understand it I didn’t do
anything. I’m sorry. Did I dress too
provocatively?"
Associate for Student Activities
Cary Willcox reminded the campus that
last fall, KISS FM advertised Harvest
Fest for M-AC. Willcox, who gave the
station permission to be on campus, be
lieved that accepting the station’s offer
would only give the college more expo
sure to the surrounding community.
Willcox added, "We want to get our
message out to people, but [our audience]
doesn’t always have to be Christians."
Willcox stressed that he would al
low a Christian radio station equal op
portunity to come out and visit the cam
pus at the station’s request.
Spiritual Emphasis Grows with "Seeds to Sow"
Dr. Richard Allen Farmer Feeds Congregation
By Sean Anderson
The spiritual Emphasis week
was held last Tuesday, Wednesday,
and Thursday of this week in Gaither
Chapel at 10am and 7pm on Tuesday
and Wednesday, and 10am on Thurs
day. The theme of the week was
"Seeds to Sow." Dr. Richard Allen
Farmer spoke in reference to the seed
of the spirit and expounded on Jesus’
use of seeds as analogies in the
parables found in the Bible.
Farmer, a resident of Dallas,
Texas, gave a series of sermons on
the "I will" speeches of Jesus, which
are the speeches in which Jesus ex
plained what he will do, for example,
"I am leaving, but I will come back
for you." Farmer hoped his message
would give students a better sense of
spirituality, by giving them what it
says in the gospels.
The goal of the week was to
bi nd up the broken-hearted, give sight
to the blind, free the captive and show
the good news of Jesus Christ for
both Christians and non-Christians,
because, "we are all needy," empha
sized Chaplain Ed Bonner.
Farmer explained why he chose
to speak at M-AC, "I have a passion
for preaching, and I love the process
of preaching from the study time till
the end of the sennon. I have seen a
good response from the students."
Howerton resident Phil Lomac
agreed with Bonner’s interpretation of
the goal of the week and proclaimed,
"I really got fed spiritually. It was
better than last year, because the
speaker used powerful words, and it
was easier to comprehend."
Farmer, who was bom in the
Bronx, New York, is the President
of Richard Allen Farmer Minis
tries located in Dallas. He first
began piano lessons at the age of
11, and has been playing ever since.
He is also a minister-at-large by
sharing God’s word.
Freshman Dale Howell com
mended, "I feel that Dr. Farmer did
a great job of keeping the students
informed in his message."
Freshman Brad McGuirt ex
claimed, "Dr. Farmer captivated the
audience with his wonderfiil piano
playing and his inspiring lessons."
New Student Chris Sorenson de
clared, "The main thing that I learned
was that it furthered my companion
ship with God and that I need to touch
up on my prayer,"
» Following Spiritual Emphasis
Week, there will be a 21 day follow
up, starting today. According to Bon
ner, behavioral psychologists say it
takes 21 days to fonn a good habit.
The 21 day challenge allows one
to sign up for three different levels.
Level one is a seeker level, which
allows one to find themselves with
Jesus. Level two is a challenge which
builds on level one and encourages the
participant to make a spiritual goal and
act on it in the next 21 days. Level
three challenges one to serve the needs
of others. This 21 day process will be
based on the 21 chapters of John.
Offensive Acts Invoke Angry Reaction
Observers Find King of Hearts Lacking
By Kerle Peterson
Jonathan Woody, who was the victor of the King of Hearts Pageant a
week ago, accepted his crown with great humility. Student Activities Chair
Rena Sawyer attributed Woody’s win to his "excellent talent performance
and his response in the question and answer category."
Although the pageant entertained the crowd, many stvidents left G,aither
offended. According to a spectator who wished to remain anonymous, a few
of the contestants went too far in their acts and one contestant even made
comments of a sexual nature.
Other audience members who attended the pageant were apprehensive
to make comments on the question of indecency. They further added tliait
they enjoyed the majority of the pageant, but that there were a few things tliat.
upset them and were imnecessary.
Anonymous freshman and junior spectators suggested that in the
future, if the event is going to contain material that is offensive, it should be
held in a place other than the house of God.
Sawyer commented, "The pageant went well, but some of the sponta
neous remarks were made under pressure and out of nervousness."
Co-Director of the contest Jennifer "Bull" Stinnett mentioned that the
pageant was "better than last year." Stinnett wished to remind the students
that every event will have some flaws and these flaws are to be expected.
Senior Tracey Morrison mentioned that the show could have been
better if all the acts had been screened by student activities.
Although Senior Becky Brown enjoyed the show as a whole, she
expressed that a couple of the acts "went one step too far", aind she didn’t like
the fact that Jeff Reardon’s act was cut short by Chaplain ISd Bonner.