The time when the price of stamps will go up again is unknown, but it will be in the near future. To some, the rising stamp price is a nuisance; others realize that it is a necessity.

According to usps.com, the United States Post Office is an independent federal agency. The organization operates without tax dollars. It relies solely on the profit it makes through its shipping and other services.

With the growth of Internet services, more and more people are tending to send things via e-mail rather than snail mail.

Shannon Duncan, senior history, said, “I don’t really mail things, but if I did I wouldn’t enjoy the [rising] prices.”

Matt Sprinkle, junior youth ministry, opposes this view. He said, “It doesn’t really bother me.”

Some people think that as stamp prices continue to rise, people will stop using snail mail. Michelle Higdon, sophomore history, said, “That is crazy. They cost enough already. Just one more reason people will stop sending things [by] snail mail.”

Postal worker P.R. Horvat, however, said that it is crazy for people to complain about a penny or two every couple of years.

She said, “There is no charge for the carriers to go to the houses. That’s why prices are so cheap. Compared to UPS, our prices are very reasonable. Everything costs money.”

According to UPS.com, the cost to ship a letter is more than the price the United States Post Office charges to ship a letter. UPS charges for delivery to the home.

The United States Post Office is not expected to lose business as the price of stamps rise gradually. Packages will continue to need to be shipped. The next price rise is expected to occur closer to summer. Even with price changes, people will still find the use of the postal system a necessity.

As the spring semester comes to a close, the theatre department is preparing to perform one final play before the summer break. Besides being the last play of the semester, there is another ending that comes with the North Greenville University production of The Importance of Being Earnest. It will be the final play held inside Turner Chapel. The new playhouse, Billings Theatre, is set to open by the fall semester.

Billings Theatre will give the theatre department new life and opportunities.

Dale Savidge, chair department of theatre, listed one of those options as being able to paint the stage and scenery.

Turner Chapel puts limitations on the theatre department in the small amount of room they are given to put their props and set pieces. Those limitations influence the simplicity of the sets in the present plays. A lot of hard work goes into creativity within the boundaries of Turner Chapel.

“Research, research, research,” said Assistant Professor of Design Marlaina Seay when asked about the creative process put into developing the sets.“It’s all in the details. If the details are off, your show is off.”

Sets have to be scaled down to their barest elements to fit into the parameters given to the department.

“It looks simple, but actors have to do a lot more,” said Becca Kosobucki, junior theatre, when asked about the obstacles that come with the limited sets.

The guidelines used in creating and designing the sets are determined by the budget resources.

A lot of time and effort is put into each performance. Every detail is scrutinized down to the placement of the birdcage, how far to open the curtains, what color flower to place on the costume and how big the candy bowl should be. Getting to opening day is a meticulous process that demands a great deal from all participants.

Every weeknight except Thursdays is used to practice performance and design. The weekend rehearsal comes right before opening night.

Bethany Sarazen, senior theatre, when asked about her challenging role said it was “really fun to leave on this note.”

.NGU’s production of Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest,  will open Thursday, April 22 at 7:30 p.m. in Turner Chapel. It will play for three consecutive nights, April 22-24.

Thursday, April 8, Poetry Night once again opened its mike to dozens of artists. Poets and performers took the stage in Hayes Ministry Center to present their creations.

Brandon Seabrook Nelson entertains the audience with his djembe playing at Poetry Night. Photo Credit: The Skyliner Kari Weaver

Many students read their poetry, and all were moving to the audience in different ways.

Some singers and songwriters were also present and came forth to share their own works of art. Some of these artists were James Eaton and Kami Cross, Tim and Betsy Hendrix, and Rachael Gallman and Troy Drinkard.

Also showing its talent was the North Greenville Improv team, Start Wearing Purple. The crowd applauded and laughed along with the team as they played games such as Blockbuster, POW and Interruption.

“It’s always a great experience performing for poetry night,” team captain Karla Neves, senior theatre, said. “The crowd is always interactive and ready for fun.”

Another of the performing acts was Jonathan Kirk, junior interdisciplinary studies. Kirk dazzled the audience with his passion for magic and comedy.

“He always surprises me with all the tricks up his sleeves,” Andrew Turner, junior theatre, said.

One former student, Matt Martinez, presented a short story and a little bit of improv with another former student, Colton Guffey.

Brandon Nelson, senior studio art, also brought forth some of his artwork and discussed why he painted or drew it and the significance in his life.

Poetry Night is held every semester. Do not miss the next Poetry Night coming up. There will be more fun, art, songs, poems and lots of coffee.

On April 10, a chilly Saturday morning, I awoke when half of me would have rather remained under the covers. Sitting behind my frost-covered windows, I thought about how long it had been since I was last up this early on a Saturday. The reason for my early arrival into the day was the North Greenville 5K run/walk. It was going to be the first one that I had ever been involved in. I have a Dad and cousin that have run in marathons, but other than that, my family tree falls short of runner leaves. Since 2008, I have taken running seriously as my exercise of choice. By now I felt that I was ready to step up my involvement with the cardiovascular- improving action.

John Cuyar finishes his run at the first annual North Greenville 5k run/walk. Photo Credit: Nick Hinson

Packet pick-up for the 9 a.m. run/walk was conducted between 7:45 and 8:30  a.m. in front of the Yount’s Athletic Complex. After stating my name, I was handed my racing bib with the number 161 on it. The largest number I heard was 191. Next, I received a bag that contained my $25 gift certificate to participating Table 301 restaurants ,along with some athletic ads. Taking a cup of water, I stood off to the side to hydrate and mentally prepare myself as the rest of the participants and supporters gathered behind the starting line.

Before the participants lined up, prayer was held and a spokeswoman from the United Way said a few words. The United Way, an organization that is in the business of making long-term positive changes, wanted people to know what the money given to their organization would be used for. One of their major concerns at the moment is raising the graduation rate within schools. The last person to speak gave a course description to assist anyone who would be inclined to run in the wrong direction.

With my headphones securely positioned in my ears, I took a place at the starting line. The rising sun had yet to take away the coolness of the morning that would make it easy to bear the weather while exerting the muscles needed to carry me across the finishing point. At the blast of the air horn, the group was in motion.

Making a circle around the front of the football stadium, we then ran down toward S.C. Highway253 before taking a left and running back toward campus. On the way to campus, I crossed the one-mile marker. I was feeling fine. Reaching campus, we proceeded to run an oddly shaped figure eight that started at the cafeteria, went down past the chapel, up by the gym and then back down by the chapel. The last stretch was running down S.C. Highway 414 to the sidewalk in front of the Yount’s Athletic Complex, where the clock and finish line was waiting on me.

It was the large hill going toward the gym that took my energy, but I never stopped running. My biggest concern was to keep running. My goal awaited me, along with the Chick-Fil-A cow waving his hoof, and I was proud to reach it. Fruit and bagel pieces were provided from Einstein Bros Bagels, and Chick-Fil-A provided chicken and chicken and biscuits. Gift certificates were given to the top three male and female runners, and various prizes were randomly raffled off. With my breath caught up, a full belly and a smile on my face, I left behind my new experience with my t-shirt documenting the event draped over my shoulder. Until the second annual event, I will continue to practice reaching those goals.

Christine Haltiwanger, instructor of health promotion and wellness, said that thus far, NGU has raised hundreds of dollars that directly benefit the United Way of Greenville County. The function of Greenville’s United Way is to meet the needs of its community in two distinct ways: helping people in need right now and helping to eliminate future needs.

To meet the current needs of people in Greenville, the United Way has recruited hundreds of diligent volunteers who take part in implementing 92 local programs provided by 50 partner agencies. A few of these programs and agencies are: The Center for Developmental Services, A Child’s Haven, Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Upstate, YMCA of Greenville, Cancer Society of Greenville County, American Red Cross and Mental Health America, Greenville Chapter. These programs address a wide range of needs that promote a strong community.

In establishing a healthy community, the United Way of Greenville also hopes to ensure that future needs are greatly prevented. The statistics in relation to those who are hurting in Greenville County are staggering. According to www.united waygc.org, one in five families does not earn enough money to meet the basic needs of the household, around 25 percent of students entering the ninth grade will not graduate in four years and three out of 10 children will not receive a high quality early childhood education.

The focus of the Greenville United Way over the next 10 years is to make sure that a much higher percentage of children are ready to succeed when they enter the first grade.

Also, it is teaming up with the Alliance for Quality Education to raise the number of youth who graduate high school from 73.3 percent to 85 percent. United Way also believes that a large factor in a household’s ability to provide basic needs is the percentage of the family’s income that goes toward housing expenses. Currently, 32,000 households spend more than 40 percent of their income on housing expenses. The United Way says it is striving to see that number drop to less than 22,000 households.

It’s not too late to join the cause of helping the United Way of Greenville reach our community. Keep your eyes and ears open for more opportunities to get involved in fundraising events at NGU.

“I’m always late to class,” Kim Wooten, senior business administration, said . “Depending on where my classes are, it takes me about 10 to 20 minutes longer than most people to get to class.”

Wooten is a student at North Greenville University who needs to have handicapped accessibility to maneuver her electric wheelchair around campus.

Wooten revealed how the simple things like leveling ramps, installing automatic handicapped accessible doors and equipping all bathrooms with a handicapped atmosphere would greatly assist her and others’ ability to get around campus.

Although Wooten’s daily routines at NGU can be difficult, she said, “Overall my experience at NGU has been amazing. I am well accepted and I’m treated normal in the classroom by most professors. I have a wonderful group of girls to help me, which I love dearly.”

No matter how pleasant her experience has been at NGU, Wooten still feels getting around campus is hazardous, inconvenient and even “scary.” Wooten remembered a story about an NGU student Sarah Meekins who was trapped in the Administration Building elevator. Meekins was alone and was missing for about an hour. Finally, someone informed campus security of the student going into the elevator and never coming out of it. Thankfully, maintenance came and repaired the elevator, relieving Meekins from being trapped. Because of this, Wooten explained, she is sometimes worried about getting around the school.

Not only do Wooten and others want to enjoy their time at NGU, but they also want to feel safe. In the future, Wooten hopes the school will better recognize the needs of every student and make the necessary changes to make the already wonderful university even better.

According to Michelle Lovins, vice president of NGU business affairs, money is being raised and arrangements are being made to renovate the Craine Science Building for handicap accessibility. Other than that building, every NGU facility meets the necessary standards for Adult Public Assistance Standards.

Lovins also affirmed that the school does take into consideration those who need handicapped accessibility, but it is difficult to accommodate their needs on such an unlevel campus.

Lovins said that the NGU business office appreciates any help that students can give to the other students who need handicapped accessibility. Contact student services for opportunities to assist any student that is having difficulty getting around the campus.

Every year the staff of the Mountain Laurel searches through numerous submissions to find the best art that North Greenville University has to offer. More than150 student submissions were received this year, and 60 were chosen to fill up the 70-page publication.

The Mountain Laurel has been in publication since the 1960s. Over the years, it has gone from the mass communication department’s responsibility to the English department, where it currently resides. The publication is to give a reflection of a Christian worldview and to encourage others with their artistic talent, be it written or visual. The English department works hard each year in the development of an outlet for creative expression.
Christopher “Gia” Gianakas, senior interdisciplinary studies major and editor of the Mountain Laurel, when asked about negative, shocking material being submitted said, “I’m equally shocked by the good quality that comes in. We want to meet that person and get them on the staff.”

On March 24, he Mountain Laurel held a preview event for this year’s publication.
Surrounded by the Zimbabwe decor of the Leopard Forest Coffee Company, students stood in front of the audience to give a live preview of their artwork that was to be included in this year’s Mountain Laurel. Although a couple of students were nervous, the portrayal of their hearts was a distraction for their shaky hands. Pictures and paintings were presented and poems and short stories were read aloud to an attentive audience.
The preview event for the Mountain Laurel is in its second year. The intention is to make it an annual event.

The publication release date is scheduled for the last week in April. To support hard work and artistic representation, the English department is raising funds by selling Mountain Laurel buttons. Hopefully by reading the artwork that fills the booklet, others will be inspired to create art of their own. Every year the bar should be raised for the representation of Christian creativity.

Make sure you assist in the inspiration by picking up your copy of the Mountain Laurel when it becomes available. If you know the featured artists and are moved by their work, make sure that you give them positive feedback and let them know that their art has been noticed. Our support for each other will only push us to give more of our feelings for the glorification of the Lord.

Eleven concerts in six days: the North Greenville University concert choir has been busy this past week and a half.

From March 19 through March 24, the 50 members of the choir travelled all over South Carolina on their annual spring tour. From Gaffney to Mt. Pleasant, the choir presented its program to receptive audiences in several churches, retirement centers and Christian schools.

Barry Combs, director of choral activities and church music program coordinator at NGU, conducted the choir. Combs said there are two primary goals when going on choir tour. First of all, the choir goes on tour to make church congregations and other groups across the state aware of NGU. The second purpose is to allow the students the opportunity to increase the performance of their repertoire. When the choir sings its music at more than just one concert, it improves.

Combs commented, “Their quality and precision increase.”

He believes that the concert choir reached both of its goals successfully.

Combs believes that the choir had a tremendous impact through going on tour, particularly touching audiences at churches and retirement centers. Combs commented that people spoke to him as well as to the choir members saying how appreciative they were of the choir’s coming to visit. Audience members were also appreciative of the type of music sung by the choir.

“Choral music—they don’t hear it as much as they used to,” said Combs.

When asked about fun memories from the trip, Combs admitted, “Every year is different.”
This year, Combs said that the choir had a lot of fun as a group. He particularly enjoyed becoming better acquainted with the students.

For Hanna Herrell, freshman church music, the most memorable part of choir tour was not actually performing.

“I loved the bus rides. The bus rides were the best because I got to know everyone better,” Herrell said.

“Overall, it was a really wonderful experience,” said Combs neatly summing up his thoughts about choir tour.

Many North Greenville students may be wondering where all the senior education majors have gone this spring semester. The answer lies in the fact that senior education majors are busy completing 60 days of consecutive student teaching to complete requirements for graduating from the teacher education program at NGU.

The 60 days of student teaching NGU education majors are required to complete are in accordance with South Carolina standards. Education majors are evaluated throughout their student teaching to ensure that they are completing their requirements adequately.

Education majors are placed in schools within Greenville, Spartanburg and Pickens county districts. They adhere to the schedules of the schools where they are student teaching. This means that education majors who are student teaching do not have the same spring break as the rest of NGU students.

Student teaching is the culmination of everything education majors have been taught during their college career. Throughout the course of the teacher education program, education majors are involved in observing, teaching and planning lessons for the classrooms of students within their area of concentration.

Spring semester of their senior year, however, their involvement in the classroom is their sole focus. Through spending five days a week in the same classroom, education students have a chance to experience what it is really like to be a teacher. Although the teacher education program does everything possible to ensure that students are ready for their field experiences, education majors admit that nothing can truly prepare them for the reality of being in charge of a classroom.

When asked if she felt prepared for her student teaching, Ashley Sullens, senior early childhood education, said, “In many ways, yes, I feel prepared, but honestly—no groups of kids are the same, no teacher, no school, and so you’re basically learning something new every day. A phrase that every education professor preached resonates through my mind constantly: ‘Be flexible.’”

Other education majors also agree that while NGU’s teacher education program has definitely prepared them well, nothing substitutes for hands-on experience in a classroom for an extended period of time.

Jessica Tooley, senior elementary education, commented, “Student teaching is way beyond my expectations. There is a lot of behind-the-scenes work, such as grading papers, talking to parents, planning and writing lesson plans that I had not expected. The students, however, are wonderful and make up for all the other stuff I have to do.”

Students within the teacher education program all seem to have something in common—a love for God and a love for children. Surprisingly, several education majors started out in other fields.

Taylor Thompson, senior early childhood, said, “I came to NGU as an intercultural studies major but changed to early childhood because I wanted to teach overseas as a missionary.”

Sullens admits that she does not know exactly what God wants to do with her life. She is open to His call and she knows that she wants to reach children with God’s love.

Danielle Russell, senior early childhood education, also sees teaching as a great opportunity to share God’s love.

“In today’s world, we need more Christian teachers that want the best for every child,” said Russell.

Emily Chappell, senior secondary English language arts, commented, “I have a heart for teenagers and a passion for English.  I hope to be able to positively influence and minister to my students, even those who do not enjoy English.”

Education majors agree that student teaching has been full of interesting experiences. From students throwing up to pitching temper tantrums, the life of a student teacher is far from boring.

As Thompson summed up student teaching, “My class is full of interesting experiences, and I love it.”

So the next time some education majors seem to be missing, remember that they are hard at work doing their student teaching. Say a prayer for them and for the students they are impacting.

Staff Writer

Last weekend the public joined North Greenville University’s theatre department during their production of Pilgrim’s Progress.

The production was showed on Friday, February 26 and Saturday, February 27, at 7:30 p.m. in Turner Chapel.

“I think this show was a risk,” Karla Neves, senior theatre, commented. “It was not what our theatre department normally does.  Even though it is ‘Christian’ material, there are a lot of elements to this show that are challenging in its nature.  My hope is that every person looking at this show was able to look at themselves in their walk with Christ.  I am proud of everyone involved and their accomplishment.”

Pilgrim’s Progress was written by John Bunyan and adapted by Tom Key.

Pilgrim’s Progress catalogs the journey of Christian, a man who is seeking his salvation on a pilgrimage to heaven. Bunyan wrote the allegory while imprisoned in 1675. Told as a dream, this 17th century religious drama comes alive in a contemporary adaption by Key, the acclaimed author of Cotton Patch Gospel.

In this story, there are many various parts to be played.  In the production put on by North Greenville, the characters are played by Addi Musen, freshman theatre; Nathan Baker, junior theatre; Jessica Berryhill, freshman psychology; Jamie Costa, sophomore outdoor leadership; Will Daniel, freshman theatre; Lindsay Furrow, sophomore theatre; and Thomas Sieberhagen, freshman theatre.

David Schneider directed this production. Schneider holds a Master of Fine Arts degree in theatre from Southern Illinois University and a Master of Arts degree in drama from Bob Jones University.

An associate with the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society, his directing work includes Gianni Schicchi for the Marjorie Lawrence Opera Theater, A Midsummer Night’s Dream for the SIUC Department of Theater and his own original work, The Free and the Brave, at Bob Jones University.

He is a member of the Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi and Christians in Theatre Arts and has participated in workshops with Joe Calarco, Nathan Allen and John Dillon. Schneider taught a Stanislavkian acting system, voice for the actor and Laban movement analysis, and an introductory theatre class at SIU from 2006 to 2009. He also served as interim drama director at the Tipton Christian Academy in Iowa in 2003.

He has been seen on stage as Jason in Medea, Rosencrantz in Hamlet, Philly Cullen in Playboy of the Western World and Arsene in The Swan. Other acting credits include Henry V, Pygmalion, The Winter’s Tale, new plays, and original one-person shows such as Ben-Hur and The Life of Paul presented at churches and schools in South Carolina, Iowa, Indiana, Illinois and Pennsylvania.

Staff Writer

Running into people who have almost three full-time jobs is rare. Most people are content with one. However, there are those few that never settle for the minimum but tackle many challenges at once.

One of those people is a magnificent cello player, Brenda Leonard. She is currently working at three different colleges, finishing up her doctorate and trying to save time for her husband, Alan, and her son, Tim.

Leonard and her family live in Boiling Springs, S.C., where her husband is a priest at St. Margaret’s Episcopal Church. Leonard teaches a high school Sunday school at the church as well.

Teaching at the church and taking care of the family is just the tip of the iceberg, though. Leonard is also an adjunct cello faculty member at North Greenville University, Clemson University and Anderson University. Leonard got her jobs at Clemson and Anderson in the fall of 2008 and her job at North Greenville in January of 2009. She has seven private cello students at North Greenville, five at Clemson and two at Anderson. Besides private lessons, Leonard also leads string ensembles and quartets and teaches music theory and fundamentals of music at North Greenville.

Besides the college jobs, she also occasionally plays for the Greenville Symphony, Spartanburg Philharmonic, Greater Anderson Musical Arts Consortium (GAMAC) and the Asheville Symphony.

But the story does not end there. On top of family, teaching and orchestra, Leonard is also in the process of completing her Doctorate of Musical Arts at the University of South Carolina. She began this long and challenging process in the fall of 2004, when her husband (formerly a chaplain) was in Iraq. During the first year and a half of her doctoral work, she was separated from her husband due to his military duties. The course work, all five solo recitals, oral exams and the 30 class credits she had to take are finished. All that Leonard has left to complete her doctorate is to write a 100 page half dissertation on the cello composer Max Rager.

She has no definite plans for when she finishes her doctorate yet. Although one of the main reasons she decided to get her doctorate in the first place is so that she can work at a college level, she said that she is in no rush to apply for a permanent job at a university. She has her family to think about for one thing, and she wants to keep her job options open for the time being. However, there is a large possibility that she will try to stay at North Greenville University, not only because its music program is expanding, but also because she loves the university.

As Spring break is approaching quickly, so are many North Greenville mission trips. Allen McWhite, director of global missions, named at least five North Greenville mission trips to Romania, Honduras, Ecuador, Mexico and Washington, DC. North Greenville is active in creating opportunities for students to minister to the world by sharing the gospel of Christ and His love.

Mark Smith, sophomore secondary education biology and  NGU football player, is traveling with other teammates to Mexico.

“It’s a good opportunity to go with other teammates because we’re working with a football team down in Mexico. We get to teach them about American football but it also opens doors to share the gospel and make relationships,” said Smith. “Even though we’re only there for a week, it can be good to make relationships we [can] invest in later.”

Vicki Plows, junior psychology, is traveling to Honduras and has a similar view about creating relationships. Her passion, instead of football, is youth.

“God has given me a passion for teenagers. I feel like going [to Honduras] and having love for them and [building] relationships with them, I think that’s where the ministry is going to stem from, building relationships with specific kids,” said Plows. “The focus is relationships.”

“The trips are really not so much an end in themselves as they are a means to a greater end,” said McWhite. “Our prayer is that when students are here at North Greenville they would really develop a heart for the nations.”

As students discover and develop a heart for the nations, their passions can be developed and used wherever they are.

McWhite said, “I really would like to see students, regardless of their academic major, consider taking at least an introductory [course] to give them exposure to what God’s doing around the world, because we need people in all kinds of academic disciplines on the mission field.”

For more information on how to participate in mission trips sponsored by the campus, please contact Allen McWhite at Allen.McWhite@ngu.edu or reach him through his office phone at 864-977-7076.

What happens once a week, represents a bird and feeds North Greenville students? Chicken day. Every Wednesday, students can have fried or baked chicken with sides of green beans, corn and mashed potatoes. Considering that NGU is in South Carolina and fried chicken is practically as necessary as water in this state, the fact that fried chicken is served every Wednesday may seem obvious.

There is, however, an origin to chicken day, and the culprit is our president, Jimmy Epting.

“As president, I have to travel a lot and have to be away from campus more than I want to be and I love fried chicken. I never could figure out when the dining hall was having fried chicken and I never could be here at the right time when they had fried chicken,” Epting said. “I started thinking and said, ‘You know, I am president, so maybe I could do one thing, first of all for all of us – especially for myself – and that’s to have a fried chicken day.’”

The origin of chicken day has been solved but a few other questions need to be answered: Why on Wednesday and why fried chicken?

Since Epting is the mastermind behind chicken day, he has all the answers.

“Wednesday at lunch is sort of the hump. At that time, you’re sort of finally over most of the week,” Epting said. “Let’s just reward ourselves with good old fried chicken. So we decided that the tradition would be said to have fried chicken every Wednesday.”

The reason why the food selection for Wednesday is fried chicken goes back to Epting’s family roots.

“Growing up, most Southerners, not all of us, but most Southerners like fried chicken. Nobody could cook fried chicken better than Grandma. Many Sundays, usually it was always on Sundays at lunch, we would have fried chicken.  So I grew up loving fried chicken and I still love fried chicken,” Epting said. “I want my students, my faculty and my staff to have one lunch a week that has fried chicken in it or baked chicken.”

Epting is aware of health concerns. Smiling, he said, “I know now that we have to be more health conscious and all that, but the best thing to do is just to take the skin off the meat or get baked chicken or grilled chicken.  One piece of fried chicken a week is not going to hurt you that much. Now you could eat about 10 and it might [hurt you] or something. So it is sorta like ‘an apple a day keeps the doctor away.’ So I think one piece of fried chicken a week keeps the doctor away.”

Dr. Becky Thompson, English Professor at North Greenville University

“One of the greatest rewards is when God allows me to see that I have made a difference. You can’t measure that,” said Becky L. Thompson, English professor at North Greenville University. Since the second grade, Becky Thompson desired to be a teacher. Throughout her elementary and high school years, she saw how teachers made a difference in her life, and she wanted to do the same in the lives of others.

“It’s kind of like that pebble and the ripple effect. It’s extraordinary. It gives you that opportunity to reach out to students,” she said. Thompson enjoys the rewards of impacting her students’ lives.

Thompson started teaching at NGU in fall of 2002. Before NGU, she taught at Bob Jones University, Northland College in Wisconsin and Riverside High School. 2010 marks Thompson’s 18^th year of teaching. She said that she could not imagine doing anything else besides teaching, especially in a Christian environment. She clearly recalled how God ordained NGU for her.

“I promise you, when I finally pulled onto campus, it was that feeling that this is right.  When you meet people who believe it’s more than just a job, you just know it’s right,” she described.

Students enjoy her classes and teaching style because she is personal and entertaining. Thompson wants her students to know they are not just a number. They matter to her. Each semester, Thompson says she takes time to learn each and every one of her students’ names.

Farrah Gilbert, one of Thompson’s students at NGU, said, “She even remembers prayer requests that students tell her to pray for, and she asks about them later.” Gilbert added that Thompson “takes passion to the next level.”

She is known as a unique teacher because she uses visual aids like dolls, pictures and books from the actual author. Why does she utilize these unusual types of visual aids?

“As much as I can make it real and as much as I can make it mean something, then I feel like I’ve accomplished something,” said Thompson.

Another student,  Anthony Garzone, said, “[Thompson] instilled in me a newfound respect for literature through her passionate spirit.” He added that he still remembered a great deal from her class. According to NGU students, Thompson will continue to be admired because she cares about them so much. Thompson declared, “I really do care about my students. I consider my students as my friends and I want what’s best for them.”

Brian Hickey, the new Aramark food service director at North Greenville University’s Todd Dining Hall, started his new job in August of 2009 and has high hopes for the future.

Hickey has worked as a retail manager as well as with Einstein Bros Bagels on campus. He has been around for six years and says he enjoys working here.

Before working at NGU, Hickey worked as a caterer for Furman University.

Hickey’s biggest goal as food service director is customer satisfaction. To help achieve this goal, there is a bulletin board posted near tray drop-off where students can add suggestions and receive replies.

Through his position as director and through the many changes he has brought to the cafeteria, Hickey states, “The biggest change I see is the employee moral.”

Kala Hudson, freshman Christian studies, said, “I like chicken Wednesdays because baked chicken and mashed potatoes are two of my favorite foods.”

Paul James, senior broadcast media, said, “I like that they give us options. I think it really benefits the students to have several choices when they eat.”

Jackie Simmons, daytime cook for Todd Dining Hall, smiles and makes conversation with every student who comes to her station.

Many of the employees attribute great qualities to Hickey and at time speak highly of him. “Brian takes the time to get to know his employees,” said Simmons.

Hickey shows respect for his employees and those around him, and in return, they show him the same respect. A deep, professional connection between employer and employee can make a difference in the work being put forth.

Hickey said, “I love working with my staff.”

Hickey can be contacted by visiting campusdish.com, by calling 864-977-7100 or by emailing diningservices@ngu.edu.

Zestos is a family-owned restaurant in Travelers Rest and has been open since April 2007. Hagelios and his wife Maggie own and manage Zestos, serving Italian style food. The special lunch buffet includes a salad bar that is only $7. Hagelios described the buffet as a meat and veggie one, emphasizing that it was always fresh and chef-prepared.

The menu is limitless and very hard to choose from. Zestos has a variety of entrees which leaves the decision for every customer a tough job. Their entrees include subs, sandwiches, gyros, paninis, burgers and chicken. And if a student needs to eat on the run, there is also a take-out menu which makes Zestos not only affordable and delectable, but also convenient.

Walking into Zestos gives one the feeling of being at a high-priced restaurant. The décor has many statues and elaborate vases and the lighting is dim. However, once the menu is set in front of you and you glance at the low prices, prepare to be amazed. Zestos’ menu holds prices more characteristic of a burger joint than an Italian restaurant. One might question how big the portions of the meals are, but be ready to ask for a to-go box. “It is kind of our motto: a great quantity at a low price,” said Hagelios.

A benefit for all North Greenville University students is a 10 percent discount with proof of student ID. Zestos is located next to George Coleman Ford off of Highway 25 North. Zestos is a great place to eat a lot of food for less money. It also is a great place to bring a date, not only because it is affordable, but also because it has a romantic setting with dim lighting and Italian music playing in the background.

Go taste the startlingly affordable yet fresh, chef-prepared Italian food of Zestos.

Taking field trips is not something college students get to participate in too often, but students in  Gregory Bruce’s world literature class have the opportunity to do just that.

One of the texts the class is discussing is Notes from Underground by Fyodor Dostoevsky. Notes from Underground tells the story of a bitter man living alone in St. Petersburg, Russia in the 1860s. Readers know him as the Underground Man, and he narrates and reflects on his life now that he has been able to retire.

Fortunately for the class, the Silver Chair Bookstore in Greer is partnering with the Devil’s Advocate Players to produce a one-act play based on this great literary work.

According to the Devil’s Advocate Players’ mission statement, ut us an experimental theatre company dedicated to the exploration of theatre and its possibilities. They want to produce theatre that is thought provoking and challenges viewers to debate and discuss long after the performances. The Silver Chair has partnered with the group previously.

Students in the world literature class jumped at the chance to attend the performances at the Silver Chair as a supplement to the class syllabus. As a part of their grade, the students will be writing a short reflection on what they learned from reading Notes from Underground and attending the performance.

The Notes from Underground performances at the Silver Chair feature the work of John Ellis as the Underground Man and Heather Moffatt as Liza. Ellis is the current Artistic Director for the Devil’s Advocate Players.

Those who attended Notes from Underground were treated to a unique and intense performance. Seeing the text come alive gave students something extra to discuss in class when the topic of Notes from Underground was brought up.

Many students have already been to the Silver Chair to see Notes from Underground, but there are several more showings in February. The next performances will be on Feb. 13, 16, 19 and 20. There is a cost of $15 which goes to support the Devil’s Advocate Players.

For more information on the performances or the Silver Chair Bookstore, visit www.silverchairbookstore.com.

“Just the energy of the players and the feel of getting lifted up and blasted to the earth creates such a rush. Even though sometimes I might get an elbow to the eye or knee to the spine, the pain is temporary and soon you can jump back up and hit people again,” says Trevor MacPherson, junior outdoor leadership.

The intense sport he refers to is rugby. This hard-nosed game has become a passion for a group of students at North Greenville University.

During the summer of 2009, St. Andrews Rugby was formed when a group of young men who had been playing together for several years decided to start a team. More than 30 players have been on the roster and currently there are 17 members, including seven from NGU. The team, called a “side” in rugby, is based out of Greer and hosts home matches at Furman Stadium. St. Andrews is currently recognized as a semi-professional social rugby side.

The game of rugby finds its origins in soccer in the early 1900’s. Many of its rules of play are similar to soccer and American football. But, unlike football, the ball cannot be passed forward, only laterally and backwards. Forward progress is made when a player either runs or kicks the ball. A try, similar to a touchdown in football, is worth five points and a conversation afterwards is worth two points and is similar to a point after attempt in football. Another interesting scoring option is the chance for a player to kick the ball through the uprights at any time, from anywhere on the field. It is worth three points.

A signature play in rugby is called a scrum. A scrum is a match of strength between the two teams where each side packs together and the referee drops the ball in the “tunnel” created by the teams. The goal is to work the ball to the back of your pack so that a player can gain possession and begin forward progress. This play is used in rugby similarly to how a faceoff is used in hockey.

Perhaps the most exciting aspect of rugby is the use of tackling without the players wearing any protective pads. Players of this game earn respect by giving their all in two 40-minute halves, constantly sprinting, pushing, tackling and receiving harsh blows from members of the opposing team. Grit and heart are essential ingredients in the makeup of a contestant in this thrilling sport.

Harrison Swadley, junior Christian studies, said, “I like the idea of the game. Rugby is a sequence of free-flowing events that involve one’s creative, physical, and intellectual ability, while maintaining a quick and high-pressured atmosphere. My interactions with the people I play with also afford me many opportunities to spread the Gospel.”

Players from NGU find not only an exciting sport in the St. Andrews side, but also a fresh platform to fulfill an important calling.

For more about the St. Andrews Rugby Side, go to its website at www.standrewsrugby.org or on Facebook.

Schedule for upcoming games:

2/13: at Sumter RFC
2/20: vs Gastonia RFC
3/13: vs Sumter RFC
3/20: at Gastonia RFC
4/10: vs Asheville RFC

Daniel Lewis and John Hannon perform at the Coffee Spot. (Photo by Kari Weaver)

Away from cold weather and the grind of schoolwork, the Coffee Spot offers a relaxing getaway. Located next to Tigerville Baptist Church, it makes a convenient lounge.

With the overhead lights turned off, the light of three lamps creates a comfortable mood. The lonely overhead light, hidden away from sight, helps shadow the performers. Surrounding walls contain the notes from the instruments.

Lingering in the air is the sweet smell of newly-baked dessert and freshly-brewed coffee. Empty tables stand, reflecting the dim light and waiting for their chance to offer their gift of rest and escape.

Empty burlap coffee sacks that are stamped “Zimbabwe Coffee Mill” hang from the ceiling and decorate the tables underneath the lamps. On the other side of the tables stand another set of tables that hold up the free refreshments the facility has to offer. On top of these tables are coffee, sodas, water, finger sandwiches, Chex Mix, individual snack cakes and cinnamon cake.

Each table in front of the stage area is equipped with either UNO, a deck of cards or tic-tac-toe. On top of two crates covered with rugs is where you can find the designated entertainment for the night.

Poetry and live music are performed on some nights. The Coffee Spot is a great place to network with other musicians and the perfect spot to hear live music.

“The music doesn’t necessarily have to be Christian,” Leland Browder, founder of the Coffee Spot, says, “But it does have to be clean.”

Daniel Lewis, undeclared freshman, and John Hannon, freshman Christian studies, are the acoustic act for this night.

Browder started the coffee spot about 14 weeks ago with only a break for the holidays. The shop is an outreach to involve students and the community. Browder’s past experience  working and playing in coffee shops developed his enjoyment for the laid back atmosphere that coffee shops provide.

At one time there was a donation basket set out, but it was taken away by Browder’s directive. He wanted people to feel that they could come in, relax and enjoy themselves without feeling that they had to pay for something.

The Coffee Spot is open from 7 to 9 p.m. on Monday nights.

(Photo by Gabe Franco)

The Hester Memorial Library would like to welcome a new edition to its shelves. We are not referring to another encyclopedia or classic novel. Carla McMahan has taken the position of Library Director at North Greenville University. Before taking this position, McMahan was director of an Oconee library branch for three years, but has been a part of the NGU family since 1998.

Now that she is director of the Hester Memorial Library, she is in charge of overseeing the library and all the aspects of what it does for students at NGU. McMahan even enabled NGU to create a better library for its students. She helped save and collect valuable information and archives by preserving photographs from the 1940s, letters from the Civil War era, recordings and much more.

She started this project by training the staff in conservation. They purchased the proper tools and supplies for operations and created a new part-time position, Archives Manager. These efforts earned the staff and the school the Archives Award of Merit in 2003, back when North Greenville was not yet a university.

When McMahan is not managing and preserving the library, she likes to spend time with her family, especially her two children, ages 4 and 7.

When asked about her spare time, Mcmahan said, “I have two young children; I do not have spare time.” McMahan, however, still enjoys reading, especially mystery novels, and is currently working on reading the Sherlock Holmes mysteries.

“Come in and enjoy the library,” McMahan encouraged students. “Take a survey and help us know what the students need. Opinions are very much wanted.”

As the large stage was set in Miami for the top two teams in the NFL, Student Services set up a night of entertainment in the Dining Hall. For the benefit of students, an area was designated for viewers of America’s most-watched television program. There was ample room to set up a spot to enjoy the game.

The projector displayed the game on a surface that could be seen on a large viewing scale. Speakers near the ceiling gave surrounding audio that made the game possible to hear from any seat. To add on to the entertainment that the players provided, Student Services provided food and door prizes. Two dining tables held trays of refreshments. Hot wings, nacho cheese, chips, vegetables, cookies and popcorn were provided. Halfway through the game and the awaited intermission, the door prizes were raffled out.

An event similar to the Superbowl Party will be put on for Valentine’s Day on Friday, Feb. 12. A movie, Enchanted, will be shown, along with a premium dinner and door prizes. This event will take place before the resident hall event that will happen between 7 and 10 p.m.

Another event that Student Services will be coordinating around the Winter Olympics will be a Wii tournament. The event will be taking place Friday, Feb. 19, in the student center. Snowboarding and games similar to the events taking place on the Olympic stage will be available.

Over the winter season, student services will also be organizing skiing and skating trips for the future. Be sure to look out for the events coming up.

Jamie Costa, freshman outdoor leadership, Lindsay Furrow, sophomore theatre performance, Thomas Sieberhagen, freshman, Zac Deuerling, senior theatre history/pedagogy, and Nathan Baker, junior theatre performance, rehearse the first scene of Pilgrim’s Progress just a few weeks before the production. (Photo by Hannah Reynolds)

Director David Schneider hopes that Pilgrim’s Progress will “remind the audience of the dangers, joys and the awesome things they can experience on the Christian journey.”

Tom Key’s adaptation of John Bunyan’s original 17th-century play is “more lighthearted” than the original work, according to Schneider.

The North Greenville University cast will perform Pilgrim’s Progress in Turner Chapel at 7:30 p.m. on February 26 and 27. Fortunately for those  students who need some cultural events, Pilgrim’s Progress does count for CEVT credit.

Many people are familiar with Bunyan’s original allegory of the Christian journey. It is centered around the character Pilgrim, played by freshman theatre and mathematics major Will Daniel.

The rest of the characters are portrayed by the six remaining cast members in an ensemble style. The ensemble members include Nathan Baker, junior theatre performance, Lindsay Furrow, sophomore theatre performance, Thomas Sieberhagen, freshman, Addi Musen¸ freshman theatre performance, Jessica Berryhill, freshman psychology, and Jamie Costa, freshman outdoor leadership.

While this adaptation maintains the feeling of danger within the original, Schneider enjoys its more lighthearted, celebratory nature. Above all, Schneider notes two main points that he hopes the play will convey to the audience. First, he wants audience members to be reminded that, as Christians, they have family on the journey. Schneider feels that the ensemble nature of the play has helped the cast develop a close camaraderie which is evident throughout the play. He wants the audience to be engaged in the production, as though they are a part of the journey and are traveling beside Pilgrim. Schneider also hopes that the audience will be encouraged by the theme of victory in Christ. Although Pilgrim’s journey through life is difficult, he eventually overcomes all things because of the power of Christ.

Schneider hopes that each member of the audience is in some way encouraged after watching the production, “strengthened for their journey, whatever it may be.” Although the topic of the play—Christian living—is a serious one, Schneider expects that the audience will have fun as they experience the production. Schneider and the cast invite the audience to be a part of the journey.

Making New Year’s resolutions is a long-standing tradition. Losing weight, becoming more financially disciplined, and abandoning bad habits are all classic examples of resolutions people make in hopes of having a more successful year than the one before. What about the students and staff of North Greenville University? Do they practice the ritual of promising themselves or God to change some part of their life that they are unhappy with?

When asked whether they made any New Year’s resolutions this year, an overwhelming number of students and staff answered “no.”

Anthony Dukes, junior early childhood education, said that he thought making resolutions was a good idea, but that around 85 percent of people do not fulfill them.

Sharon Roach, senior English education, said, “I don’t believe in making big goals once a year that you will never meet. It’s pointless and is only profitable for gyms and weight loss companies. Small goals should always be made and met throughout the year . . .”

Similarly, North Greenville University President Jimmy Epting said that he does not make resolutions for the New Year, but rather seeks to grow in his relationship with Jesus Christ and become a better follower of Him on a day-to-day basis.

The concept of making decisions on a daily basis that improve one’s life for a lasting purpose was repeatedly mentioned by those interviewed. Abandoning ritual for conviction seems to be important to success as well.

“I think that it is better to make a decision to work on something personally rather than because it is a tradition–then change and renewal truly happen,” said Taylor Thompson, senior early childhood education.

All the professors who gave their opinions regarding resolutions said that a conviction to obeying God’s will and staying anchored in His word are crucial for Christians who want to see positive change in their lives.

This truth was summarized well when Joshua Pruitt, freshman Christian studies, said, “My resolution this year is to become more Christ-like . . . to read, study, and live out God’s words. I find it easier to keep this resolution due to the fact that it changes my outlook on life and draws me closer to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”

Over Christmas break, most of us went home to spend the holidays with our families.

A group of students from North Greenville University sacrificed time at home with their friends and families to spend their break proclaiming Jesus Christ in other parts of our world.

One of these groups went to China.  They were gone from December 18 till January 2.

Laura Wise, junior early childhood education, joined the group on this trip.

“It was weird going to China over Christmas because they do not celebrate Christmas,” Wise explained, “I totally forgot it was December 25^th until we had a Christmas party that night.”

While they were there, they went to different schools teaching English to children in kindergarten through ninth grade.

“The kindergarten program was amazing,” Wise said, “They put a lot of effort and money into it for the kids so that they will stay in their school through the ninth grade.”

Wise continued, “I ended up becoming friends with a child there named Tiffany, and another girl and I went home with her and stayed with her family.”

Diane Turner, Student Activities Coordinator at North Greenville, also joined in on the mission trip to China.

“This was an amazing opportunity to visit another culture and be able to use the Christmas story to spread the love of the Father,” Turner said, “I learned more than I could ever put into words.”

Another group went out during Christmas break to Uganda.  They were gone from December 9 till December 22. Along with the students, Jody Jennings, Baptist Student Union (BSU) director, went down to help.

“The major part of the trip was to encourage the church there and help it to be ongoing,” Jennings said, “We are building a partnership with the people and helped with the construction of the church building.”

The group had afternoon Bible studies and visited an orphanage.  Along with Jennings were students Katie Potter, junior early childhood education, Mandy Kirkman, junior early childhood education and Jessica Berryhill, freshman psychology. They were on the Uganda trip and had some uplifting and encouraging comments about their experiences there.

“I expected to go and do ministry but in turn the people of Uganda ministered to me,” Potter said. “Praising God is not something they do week to week, but they live it out every day and that was an encouragement to me.”

Berryhill added, “I loved the fellowship and closeness of friends, showing their love for each other. I was meeting my family.”

“Those people put me to shame,” Kirkman said, “I was challenged with my prayer life and faithfulness.  This was a very amazing learning experience.”

A laughing Kirkman also commented  that during the duration of the trip she was proposed to twice by a “bota bota,” which is a taxi driver.

If you would like to go on a mission trip over spring, summer or winter break, get in touch with Campus Ministry to get more information.

Lift up the people of Uganda and the people of China in your prayers.

With exams coming up just around the corner, it is important to do everything possible to be prepared. Here are five easy steps to get you on your way to exam success.

The first step may seem like common sense, but it is very important nonetheless: study. Studying is the best thing you can do when preparing for an exam. If your professor has given you a study guide, make sure you review all of the material.

However, too much studying can be harmful.

“If possible, study no more than 30-40 minutes at a stretch. Many students retain more by studying for short periods with breaks in between. It all depends on what you’re trying to study, but generally, after a period of study, take a break,” Dr. Bob Kizlik, a professor at the University of Virginia, said.

The next step is to get a good night’s sleep before you take the exam. The average college student needs seven to nine hours of sleep each night.

“You can’t do your best work when you’re sleep-deprived,” Pamela Thacher, a psychology professor at St. Lawrence University in Canton, N.Y., said.

While you sleep, your brain processes all of the information that you have studied. So instead of pulling an all-nighter, turn out the lights and go to bed.

The third step is to eat a healthy breakfast. Students who eat well-balanced breakfasts perform better on exams. A study at Blinn College revealed that of the 65% of students who had eaten some kind of breakfast, 72% made a C or better on their test. Healthy cereal, waffles, oatmeal and a glass of orange juice are some foods that have been proven to boost academic performance.

Step four is to prepare an outline for essay exams. Writing an essay or two within the time limit can be a daunting task if you do not know what you are doing.

First, go through all of the topic choices and choose one that you know a lot about. Then, make a short outline in order to gather your thoughts together.

Once you have a general outline for your topic, start writing. Make sure you give yourself enough time to go back through your essay and edit any spelling or grammar mistakes you may have made.

Last but not least, be smart when taking the exam. When the professor gives you the exam, write down everything you can remember if you are allowed to write on the exam.

Next, go through the test and answer the questions that you know the answer to. After you have answered all of the ones you know, go back through the test and reread the questions. Then answer the ones you think you know the answer to and guess on ones that you cannot figure out.

After answering all the questions, go back through the exam and check your answers. Remember, keep track of time and do not panic!

“Be respectful and courteous and remember you are a guest,” reads the handout on rules for using Furman’s library.

Due to frequent violations of library guest policies, Furman University requested that North Greenville University’s library issue a reminder of Furman library rules for NGU students.

Students should ask for permission before using library services such as computer workstations and reference assistance, avoid using study rooms and 24-hour study rooms and refrain from using computer workstations during mid-terms and finals.

Students should also identify themselves as NGU students when speaking to Furman library personnel.
“Let them know you’re a North Greenville student; that way if there is any confusion about the rules they can explain them then,” Carla McMahan, NGU library director, said.

McMahan explained that by identifying themselves as NGU students, students can avoid accidentally violating rules and taking librarians’ time away from Furman students.

“If you let them know you are a North Greenville student, then as soon as you need help they can direct you to the right place,” McMahan said.

Students who continually violate the rules will be banned from the Furman library.

“We don’t want you to lose the resource sharing privileges,” McMahan said.

In addition to following the rules, NGU students should be respectful and courteous when using off campus resources.

“Whether you are off campus or on, you are a North Greenville student and everything that you say or do, every action of yours, is going to reflect on the school. So you need to make sure that you are behaving in a way and that you’re speaking in a way that would bring honor to our school and not bring shame…. This is a Christian school and…[your] behavior is going to reflect not just on our school but on the church, on Christians in general,” Leslie Brown, NGU evening reference librarian, reminds students.

Brown also encourages students to check the NGU library for resources before visiting Furman.

“Before you decide to go to another library, check here and make sure whether we have the material or not,” Brown said. “If we don’t, I will request them on interlibrary loan for you.”

“If you do need to go to another library, make sure that you remember that you are a guest and that using their services is not a right that you have, it is a privilege,” Brown continued.

For further information on Furman library policies and interlibrary resources, talk to one of the NGU library personnel or visit http://library.furman.edu/about/policies.htm.

Christen Sasscer, senior outdoor leadership, found a way to show the love of Christ and do her part to alleviate poverty by selling bracelets for Threads of Hope.

Threads of Hope is a nonprofit organization founded by Christians in the Philippines in response to widespread poverty and prostitution. Threads of Hope provides at-risk Filipino families with supplies to make bracelets, then sends the bracelets to the United States where youth groups, church groups and Christians like Sasscer sell the bracelets. The proceeds from the bracelets are sent back to the Philippines and distributed among the families to provide them with a steady income.

“Threads of Hope gives a job to the women and children there who would normally be in either poverty or sell themselves into prostitution or something like that just to make enough money to put food on the table,” Sasscer said.

Threads of Hope specifically aims to help these Filipino families by providing them food, medical care and education. Through the ministry, more than 80 families have been given employment and freedom from hunger and poverty. Some families can even afford their own successful businesses after Threads of Hope helped them get on their feet.

In addition to providing employment for at risk families, Threads of Hope also has several other stated goals. Its most important goal is to share the love of Christ with the Filipino people by meeting their physical needs. Threads of Hope also endeavors to use bracelet sales in the United States to raise awareness of poverty and oppression. Additionally, the ministry tries to give Christians in the U.S. the opportunity to connect and reach out to those in need by selling the bracelets.

Christen Sasscer’s connection with Threads of Hope was formed through her sister, Rachael Sasscer. Rachael discovered Threads of Hope while she was serving at a missionary school in the Philippines for two years. When she returned to the United States, Rachael brought back a supply of Threads of Hope bracelets. Christen Sasscer began selling the bracelets on North Greenville University’s campus while her younger brother and business partner Stephen Sasscer sold bracelets at his high school in Georgia.

Christen and Stephen have continued representing Threads of Hope at their respective schools over the past three years.

Christen sells Threads of Hope bracelets for $2 apiece.

With the end of the semester coming up quickly, many students are already thinking about ways to make money over Christmas. But there are also several ways students can be saving money now.

Changing just a few of your daily habits can make a big difference. Cutting back on things that are unnecessary can put a little extra change in your pocket.

For example, limit runs to Starbucks; brewing your own coffee can save you much more money. Also limit late-night fast food trips. When you do go out, choose local places that offer college student discounts. Also, many restaurants offer great discounts or birthday coupons for a free dessert or entrée if you sign up for monthly emails.

Keeping healthy, affordable snacks in your dorm room will save you food and gas money. Collecting grocery store coupons is also a great way to save money. Saving 50 cents here and there will add up quickly. Buying things you use often in bulk is other way to save. Bulk buying may seem unnecessary for just one person, but the savings will add up.

Saving money on entertainment is just as easy. Downtown Greenville and local parks offer tons of creative ways to get outside and spend time with friends. There are also many free events offered in nearby Greenville and Spartanburg. Check the local newspapers and radio station websites for information on upcoming events, such as free concerts and festivals. Some of the best fun can be had playing cards in the student center.

Going to a matinee showing of the newest movie will save you money. Stopping by the grocery store to pick up snacks before heading to the theater will save you several dollars. Take advantage of free movies shown during on-campus events. Local libraries also have a great stock of movies and memberships are almost always free. If you have unwanted DVDs or CDs, you can check out the local shops to see if they give credit for used items.

Decorating your dorm room can be fun, but students can easily spend too much money. Instead of buying the first item you see, shop around for a better price. You can find great deals on used furniture by shopping at discount stores or thrift stores.

Buying used textbooks is always a great way to save cash. Many times you can share books with friends taking the same class. EBay’s Half.com and Amazon are the best places to find used textbooks. Start looking now for discounted books for the spring semester.

Always watch your money and do not overuse your credit card. To avoid late fees, keep up on insurance, phone and credit card bills to make sure they get paid on time.

Having and sticking to a budget will help you not to overspend. It helps to make a list of things you need when going shopping; just be sure to only buy what is on your list.

College students can always benefit from saving a little money here and there. Even just putting forth a little effort into saving money on small things will make a difference to your wallet.

Photo by Elizabeth Wood

Every family has its own traditions, but for the Sanders family, we get to experience it.

A Sanders Family Christmas was held Nov. 20-21 and Dec. 1 at North Greenville University.

Sitting in the audience, people become a member of Mount Pleasant Baptist Church. The entire play is about the Sanders family’s last Christmas singing as a family before World War II starts.

The play is set in the Mount Pleasant Baptist Church in 1941. The Sanders’ family consists of Burl Sanders, played by Andy Stevens, mass communications professor; Vera Sanders, played by Lindsey Furrow, sophomore theatre; June Sanders, played by Bethany Serezan, senior theatre; Dennis Sanders, played by Thomas Sieberhagen, freshman theatre; Denise Sanders, played by Angie Toole, senior theatre; and Stanley Sanders, played by Dr. Dale Savidge, professor, theatre chair and also director of A Sanders Family Christmas. The play also includes the pastor of Mount Pleasant Baptist Church, the Rev. Mervin Oglethorpe, played by Kyle Stelling, junior; and the Young Appalachian Musicians, made up of kids from the area.

Photo by Elizabeth Wood

This show is a performance made up of Christmas music sung and played by the cast. Each character arrives with his or her own story to tell.

Unlike most plays, A Sanders Family Christmas has no distinct plot line. Its focus is mainly on the personalities of the individual characters.

The music in this production is bluegrass combined with southern gospel. Mandolins, guitars, basses, violins, harmonicas, banjos, spoons, wash boards, hand bells, sleigh bells and even a mouth harp are among the peculiar assortment of instruments to bring this musical to life.

“The music made the story feel real and I really enjoyed the interaction with the audience,” Andrew Turner, junior theatre, said.

A special quartet makes an appearance at the church and is brought on stage to perform some songs. The quartet included Dr. Steve Crouse and Dr. Jimmy Epting.

Next semester the theatre department will be putting on Pilgrim’s Progress and The Importance of Being Earnest.

Elizabeth Wood/The Skyliner

A small restaurant in Greer, S.C., Daisy Mae’s Home Cooking & Catering, satisfies all who choose to eat there. You can find this restaurant at 803 West Poinsett Street in downtown Greer.

The restaurant, named after owner Mrs. Daisy Mae Ellis herself, attracts local customers who want to eat a delicious home-cooked meal in a simple atmosphere. When you walk into this restaurant, you will quickly find that there is also a great family atmosphere, considering that it is a family owned restaurant.

“I love my homemade cakes and I love the customers that come in too,” Ellis said. She, her husband and her children all cook the fresh food themselves. Ellis even bakes homemade cakes that disappear as fast as she makes them.

I went to eat lunch on a Sunday afternoon. The menu consisted of meatloaf, ham, fried chicken, turkey and dressing with gravy, rice and gravy, macaroni and cheese, green beans, turnip greens, crowder peas, steamed cabbage, whole sweet corn, lima beans, potato salad, fried okra, fried squash, yams, and yeast rolls or cornbread.

A meal costs $6.95, and includes a meat, three sides, yeast rolls or cornbread and sweet tea. I ordered turkey and dressing with gravy, cornbread, lima beans, fried squash, yams and sweet tea.

Then, to finish off the meal, homemade cakes are cut by the slice. The four homemade cakes are red velvet cake, coconut cake, german chocolate cake and key lime pie cake with homemade cream cheese icing.

The family and friends who work at this restaurant always welcome customers with a friendly face and attentive service.

“I like that it’s a family owned restaurant. And there’s a spirit about that restaurant. They are Christians and you can tell,” Jane Hannon, customer, said.

Daisy Mae’s daughter, Shaneka Hines, a freshman at Greer High School, waits tables. Shaneka said that her favorite thing about working at the restaurant is the customers’ “smiling faces.”

Daisy Mae’s Home Cooking & Catering also offers its catering service for parties, churches or family events.

The only downside to eating at Daisy Mae’s is that there is limited space for seating, especially at night or on Sundays for lunch.

In reference to the quality of food and service, I give this restaurant an extremely high rating of excellence. You will get an amount of food that is worth the money you pay. Most customers are not able to finish their meals and have to take a good portion of them home. The restaurant is also clean and well kept.

If you have not tried Daisy Mae’s Home Cooking & Catering, you are missing out on a very delicious meal. Hurry in before the cake runs out!

Is your energy running out by the time 2 p.m. rolls around? Is it all you can do to make it through your day until you crash into your bed exhausted? If this sounds like you, read on for natural ways to boost your energy levels.

Most important on the list is a good multi-vitamin. You just can’t get all the vitamins you need with the way we eat these days—especially as college students. But we shouldn’t deny our bodies nonetheless.

After you have incorporated a multi-vitamin, add B vitamins, vitamin C, vitamin E and vitamin A. B vitamins are crucial for long-term energy. Vegetarians especially need to make sure they take B vitamins as their diet threatens them with deficiency.

Adding green tea to your diet by way of beverage or capsule is another easy way to promote good health and energy. Besides the benefits it has on energy levels, it also helps to promote a healthy heart, stimulate your metabolism and burn fat, fight infection and balance blood sugar levels.

Ginseng is a wonder food with many benefits.Ginseng has been proven to help lower toxin levels in the body, increase energy and immune function as well as mental and physical capabilities and much more. There are different types of ginseng, but panax and Korean ginseng are the most prevalent. If you are brave, you can eat ginseng root raw. But a more logical way to obtain ginseng and its benefits is through capsule form.

Germanium in ginseng is responsible for detoxification properties. Every cell and organ in the body is affected when the blood carries impurities. Germanium helps to eliminate impurities in the blood. You function better and feel more energized when your body has to fight and counteract less.

‘You are what you eat’ holds much truth to your level of health and vitality. If your diet is high in simple carbohydrates and fatty foods, you are most likely struggling to fight fatigue and low levels of energy. Gravitate towards complex carbohydrates, which take longer to digest than simple carbohydrates and are packed with fiber and vitamins.

Red Bull is not the ideal option for sustainable energy levels. The high sugar content rushes to your bloodstream and leaves you more tired than before. Though some energy drinks have good ingredients like ginseng in them, the bad ingredients overcompensate to create a negative result. Sure, in a rare emergency situation it is okay, but don’t drink these often.

Highly caffeinated beverages can only give you a cheap version of energy. Caffeine becomes addictive and causes stomach and headache problems in many. Withdrawal from caffeine also causes many undesirable symptoms, so withdraw gradually.

Increase the amount of lean proteins you eat. Lean proteins include chicken, fish and eggs. Proteins are greatly responsible for good brain and body function. Eat more fruits and vegetables (complex carbohydrates) as well as nuts. Stay away from sugar as much as possible.

Exercise plays a large part in consistent energy levels. Work yourself up to a good workout regimen. Try to walk or do cardio a couple times a week and do some weight bearing exercises. Try yoga, swimming, golf or whatever works for you. Exercise will increase endorphin production, which correlates with serotonin levels. This directly affects your mood and energy for the better.

Stretch and breathe often. Stretching helps loosen up tension from stress as well as bringing more oxygen to muscles. It is more tiresome to go throughout your day with tension and tightness in your muscles.

Managing stress will help to keep negative situations from draining you. Emotional or consuming tasks and situations can really suck the life out of you if you are not careful. Find what works for you to wind down and manage stress. Put it into regular practice.

Sleep is so very crucial for all good things to happen. Try to get six to eight hours of sleep a night if possible. Plan ahead so you don’t have to cram and stay up late studying or finishing assignments. This creates a cycle of dependency and need for caffeinated substances and increases stress because of the pressure to finish and the lack of sleep.

Think smart. Be conscious of what you do and eat. If it is beneficial, do it. Help aid your body instead of being an extra force working against it. Be on the same team as your body. It is special, unique and God given. Be good stewards of the vessel you were given. Serve and worship the Lord with your body.

Lights, Camera, Action!

Nathan Willis, graduate of North Greenville University with a BA in Broadcast Media, co-directed and was the director of photography of a short film called All the Missing Pieces.

Willis, co-owner of A Beautiful Friendship Productions, is an award-winning director and cinematographer for the short film After Noon. Willis has worked on the crew of numerous films including Appalachian Dreams and Elizabeth Guinness. Healso produced and directed a series of AIDS awareness films with William Aughtry in Lilongwe, Malawi.

“The film was 15 minutes long. At the premiere we had over 250 people,” Willis said.

The movie was about Adam, a young man leaving home to start a new adventure. Adam recounts his life as a child, growing up without a grandfather as he is searching through his belongings with his best friend.

Every time Adam would get caught taking something that used to belong to his grandfather, he’d get a lecture from his grandmother, which would usually devolve into a story about his grandfather. As a grown man, he walks the streets of his hometown for the last time, and the stories about his grandfather begin to come to life. Adam recalls the stories he has heard from his grandmother and the old men in the barbershop, stories about how his grandfather was a great man who lived life in a grand way. In an attempt to live life the way his grandfather did,

Adam decides before he leaves he must endure his greatest fear: telling Megan he loves her.

“We [Willis and I] decided the film needed to be about change, which in one way or another every good story is about,” Aughtry, director, said. “Only then did the idea of paralleling my life with that of my grandfather arise.”

“The first day of shooting I got a call that my grandmother had died. I realized she would want me to be doing what I loved: making movies,” Willis said. “I directed with a different mindset for the remainder of the shoot.”

All the Missing Pieces was filmed over an eight-day period in Greer, Greenville and Landrum.

“The film was well put together and the story line was touching,” Lindsay Ross, senior theatre, said.

“We are now in the process of entering the film into film festivals around the world, but we’re mostly concentrating on film festivals in the south. After we run the festival circuit we will begin selling the DVD,” Willis said.

“As far as next projects go, we are finalists for the South Carolina Film Commission Production Grant,” Willis said. “The grant gives $100,000 to the winner to make a film about whatever they want to.”

If you weren’t able to make it to the premiere they will be holding random screenings here and there in the upstate within the next couple of months.

“This film is dedicated to the grandfathers of the World War II generation,” Aughtry said.

We will all on occasion suffer from a night of tossing and turning, with sleep being the goal and restlessness being the victor. This article is not for those who normally have no trouble venturing into dreamland. It is for those who struggle on a long-term basis to fall or stay asleep despite great efforts.

First, you need to figure out if your sleeplessness is coming from an actual modifiable force in your life. For example, avoid having the television on when going to bed. Sometimes dorm life and having roommates can make it hard to fall asleep because of the obvious noise distractions. In this case, an eye mask and ear plugs work wonders.

A few simple things you can do to help you sleep at night include getting extra exercise during the day, stretching or doing yoga, practicing a variety of different relaxation and breathing techniques and music therapy.

Listening to calming music can really help you fall asleep faster and sleep deeper. You can find cheap relaxation and spa CDs at the Dollar Tree. Pandora radio online has a few stations that work great for this too.

Stress and worry can make it really hard to fall asleep. Try to eliminate and avoid extra stressors in your life. Learn ways that help you manage and control your stress levels. While lying in bed, try to clear your mind and relax your body.

Before you decide to go on a prescription drug, consider some natural solutions that could help regulate and balance your body’s own natural sleep cycle. Natural treatments will not make you feel groggy in the morning and they are not addictive. As with anything, first consult with your doctor. Long-term insomnia can itself be a red flag for another condition or illness.

Take a look at your diet. Make sure you are eating healthy. Your body needs a variety of foods in order to obtain the proper vitamins and minerals it needs in order to function properly. Sleep is one of these functions.

Cut out caffeine. Caffeine can cause insomnia and restlessness, especially if ingested after 7 p.m. Avoid sweets; eating them close to bedtime can cause blood sugar to spike, plummet and result in uneven levels. This can cause a disruption in sleep during the middle of the night as blood sugar levels fall.

Deficiencies in vitamins and minerals can, among other things, also cause sleeplessness. For example, a magnesium deficiency can cause irritability, fatigue, constipation, sleeplessness, anxiety, muscle tremors or cramps and pain. Magnesium is a critical element in more than 325 biochemical reactions in the human body. Taking magnesium at night is an easy way to regulate your body’s functions.

Foods naturally rich in magnesium include dark leafy greens and vegetables, almonds, cashews, legumes, seeds and whole grains. Foods that contain the crucial amino acid tryptophan include turkey, dairy products and red meat. The amino acid is a precursor to serotonin, which is then converted to melatonin.

Melatonin is a natural hormone found in the body. This hormone produces sleepiness and is essential to the balance and regulation of our circadian rhythms. The hormone is regulated by the pineal gland in our brain that makes serotonin. Serotonin is then converted into melatonin at night when exposure to light decreases. Small doses of melatonin can be taken 30 minutes before bedtime.

If you are taking any prescription medications or are pregnant or nursing, please check with your doctor before taking any vitamins, supplements or herbs. If you have a kidney disease or condition, please check with your doctor before taking magnesium.

Do some of your own research and see what works for you. What do you have to lose besides sleeplessness?

With classes wrapping up and finals just around the corner, most students’ blood pressure is as high as their stack of unfinished papers and assignments. When each day seems to add another paper, reading assignment, project or presentation to the never-ending list, the stress can become overwhelming. While end-of-the semester stress can’t be eliminated, there are a few things you can do to manage it.

To reduce stress and maintain focus, it is often helpful to slow down and refocus after class. Instead of attempting to dive right into your assignments after class, take a quick break. Sit back, take a few deep breaths and listen to a few of your favorite relaxing songs, chat with a friend for a few minutes, or take a quick walk to get rid of some stress. If you give yourself just a few minutes to breathe, you will get more done in the long run.

If you want to keep your stress level down, make sure you give your mind a break from thinking about school. When you are taking a shower, driving your car, or walking to class, leave the stress behind. When you cannot be working on your assignments, do not stress over them.

Maintaining some kind of balance during the few weeks preceding finals is very difficult, but it is crucial to managing stress. Try taking 20 minutes to do some light exercise, sleep in one or two extra hours on Saturdays and try to keep your study snacks as healthy as possible. Small investments of time like a few minutes at the gym or an extra hour of sleep during the week can help you keep going strong for longer.

To make studying a little more fun and a little less stressful, try studying with friends. Bring your laptop to a friend’s room or take a trip to Waffle House. If you mix a little socializing in with the cramming, it may help you feel a little less overwhelmed.

Although socializing while studying is a great strategy, make sure to take some breaks from studying as well. Set goals for yourself. When you reach them, reward yourself by stepping away from the schoolwork for a little while. Make sure to plan your study breaks well so you do not end up making your breaks too long or too frequent.

Also try to plan something fun for the end of each week. Take a couple of hours to hang out with a friend, go down town, watch a movie, or go out for coffee. Giving yourself an enjoyable non-academic activity to look forward to can help you stay focused and diligent throughout the week.

For the last few weeks of the semester, try to manage your stress and treat yourself right. If you do, you will have a better chance of finishing the semester well.

The North Greenville University theatre department will be helping students get into the Christmas spirit through an evening of fun, laughter, entertainment and music. At 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 20, 21 and Dec. 1, the NGU theatre department will be presenting the musical comedy A Sanders Family Christmas.

A Sanders Family Christmas is the sequel to the popular musical Smoke on the Mountain. A Sanders Family Christmas is set in Mount Pleasant, N.C. in 1941. In the play, Mount Pleasant Baptist Church and the Sanders family gather to enjoy the Christmas spirit before sending their boys off to fight in World War II.

“We’re a family that is putting on a show for a church, so it’s a performance of a performance. It’s going to be a lot of fun,” said Thomas Sieberhagen, freshman theatre, who plays the character of Dennis Sanders.

The play features more than two dozen carols and Christmas songs, including energetic bluegrass melodies and a cappella performances of “Angels We Have Heard on High” and “Away in a Manger.” The catchy songs and humorous Christmas tales will keep the audience laughing and singing along from start to finish.

The cast for A Sanders Family Christmas includes Kyle Stelling, junior theatre; Bethany Sarazen, senior theatre; Thomas Sieberhagen, freshman theatre; Angie Toole, senior theatre; and Lindsay Furrow, sophomore theatre.

Faculty members Dale Savidge and Andy Stevens will also be featured in the production.

In addition to the NGU cast, the Young Appalachian Musicians will be making an appearance.

“They’re children the ages of eight to 12 or 13 and they are incredible. We have four of them playing with us and they are going to do a song by themselves…It’s brilliant,” Sieberhagen said.

For students looking for hearty laughs, good music and a taste of Christmas cheer, A Sanders Family Christmas fits the bill.

For the added bonus of cultural event credit, students should bring a current student ID with them to Turner Chapel for the performance.

(Photo by Daniel Jamison)

From medical rooms to classrooms, Dr. John Strange, on-campus physician, has done a lot to impact lives. Not only does he help patients, but he also helps students understand the amazing biology that God has designed.

He was in a general surgery practice where he did general and peripheral vascular surgery until 2001. During that time, he developed atrial fibrillation, which is an irregular heartbeat, causing too many problems for him to continue working in that field of practice. Therefore, he began his teaching career at Gardner-Webb University and Wofford College before he came to NGU in 2004.

Strange received his undergraduate degree from Mississippi State University and his Doctor of Medicine from University of Mississippi School of Medicine in Jackson, Miss. He also did his general surgery internship and residency at Spartanburg Regional Medical Center and the Medical University of South Carolina.

Not only does Strange teach Human Biology at NGU, he also works in the Tuttle Clinic on campus.

“I enjoy taking care of the acute health needs of the students, faculty and staff, and I enjoy teaching biology. God’s creation is truly marvelous, and to have an understanding of biology is to have a better understanding of His character and who He is,” Strange said.

He also gave the reference to Romans 1:20, which says, “For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse.”

Strange is always giving funny stories to his students about medical surgeries and things that have happened over the years as a doctor. One of his favorites includes a law enforcement officer who was shot in the abdomen. That one gunshot wound caused several life-threatening injuries that could have taken his life. Strange was the surgeon on call and quickly took him immediately to the operating room, where he spent several hours repairing the injuries. This man survived and returned to law enforcement.

Along with many favorite stories of the operating rooms, he said that his favorite operation had to be vascular surgery, which is surgery on blood vessels, because it was very delicate.

“There is nothing that can compare to [saving a life]. A surgical patient places their lives in the hands of the surgeon and any time you save an individual from a life-threatening injury or illness it is a good feeling to which nothing can compare. It is indeed very rewarding,” Strange said. “I sometimes miss using my hands in that way, but God, for now, has seen fit to place me here at NGU – and for that I am grateful!”

(Photo by Jenny Farnham)

Tonya Landrith is one of the newest faces on campus at North Greenville University. She can be found working hard in her office on the Campus Ministries hall in the Tingle Student Center.

Landrith was born in Anderson, S.C., but her family moved all over the Southeast while her father was in the military. When she was younger, the family lived in Germany for a time. But in the 1980s she moved with them to Columbia, S.C., where they still resides today.

Landrith grew up in a Christian home and she said that she is very grateful to have grown up with supportive, loving parents. She said her grandparents were also important in her life, and they provided direction and Christian guidance to her while she was growing up.

Landrith was saved at the age of 10 at a revival service that was held at Eureka Baptist Church in Anderson.

She later attended Anderson College, now Anderson University. She said she was able to benefit from the Christian faculty, staff and students that she met while there. She and her husband Wayne also met at Anderson in 1986. They will celebrate their 15th wedding anniversary this December.

The Landriths have never been able to have children of their own.

“Wayne and I have adopted all 2,000 plus students at North Greenville University,” Landrith said.

Wayne Landrith took over as the vice president of the Crusader Club and corporate and foundation giving, and Tonya heard about the opening for her current position through him. She is now the administrative assistant for Dr. Steve Crouse, who is the vice president of campus ministries.

Landrith’s duties include assigning chapel seats to students each year and keeping up with students’ chapel attendance and grades.

Currently, Landrith and her husband attend Chapin Presbyterian Church, but once they sell their home in Chapin and move to the Greenville area, they will begin to look for a new church home. Landrith said that once they “officially” move into the area and find a church, they would like to get involved in local ministries.

Landrith said that her favorite Bible verse is Jeremiah 29:11 which says, “I know what I’m doing. I have it all planned out—plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for” (The Message).

Landrith has already been busy this semester with all the events going on in Campus Ministries such as this past week’s Men’s and Women’s Conference.

Honestly, no student is ever excited to see Tuesday come around. When it comes to the cleanliness of a college student, many struggle. Being unorganized and procrastinating are two talents of any college-aged person.|

When it comes to the annoying room checks every Tuesday, there are many ways of avoiding a fine from your assistant coordinator. For example, the best way to pass room checks is keep your room clean all week. That is too obvious for most students, but on the other hand there are many who are just naturally messy. So here are some tips to the unorganized, unclean, messy students on how to pass your regular room check Tuesday.

“Personally, I really like to see that a room is both organized and clean. If a desk or floor is messy and unorganized then even if it has been mopped or dusted it is hard to notice that its clean,” Katie Kasey, assistant coordinator, said.

She also mentioned that students most get fined for not making their bed or taking out the trash. The first step in passing room checks I would say is to make the bed as soon as you get up Tuesday morning. Most people in America do not even make their bed, but unfortunately assistant coordinators are very particular about this. It has been said that many students try to slip out of their rooms being checked by being “asleep” when the coordinators come in. Because they see a person asleep, most coordinators slip out of the room not checking the room so they would not disrupt the sleeping student. Note this is not a good way to pass room checks; you cannot avoid it.

“Also if I can feel grit under my feet when I walk into a room, then its obvious that the students have not swept their floor,” Kasey said.

Students are encouraged to sweep or mop the floors. No one likes to have dirt on his or her feet as they walk around the room. I suggest buying a Swiffer, they can be bought at a low cost and are very useful.

Another useful suggestion in keeping your room clean is not to just hide everything behind a curtain in your closet, but to keep it organized. Occasionally if a coordinator suspects a junky closet, he or she will check and you can be fined for that.

The cost of being unclean is not expensive, but who wants to pay for having a dirty room? Each item which is not completed on the cleaning check list given with the room check schedule at the beginning of each year is worth $5 after the first one. Say for example someone did not do three things: make the bed, clean the toilet, and pick up the clothes on the floor. That fine would be $10 because the first item is a freebee and each item after that is worth $5. It’s a standard across the board. Then a student has the option of emailing student services for a recheck the following day to reduce or eliminate the fine if it is corrected by the next day.

Although students may think Tuesday room checks are annoying, it teaches students how to be responsible and let them know their moms are not here to clean up after them. It’s time to grow up and learn about cleanliness.

For the fit, unfit, misfit and out of shape, the North Greenville Intramural Sports department is a great way for students to get active.

Donald Lilly, director of intramurals, has been working with the department for three years, shaping it into a program that is capable of involving all students.

“In 2007, I heard there was an opening for the job and really felt called to work at NGU. I contacted Mr. Billy Watson and was offered the job. I enjoy working at NGU and would like to be here for many more years,” Lilly said.

The sports that just ended are flag football and sand volleyball. Both seasons were very eventful and included a wide range of students. Flag football had an intense season leading to the championship game between the Got ‘Ems and N/As. Both teams had gone 4-0 for the regular season, but the Got ‘ems pulled through, winning 20-6, keeping a perfect season of 5-0.

“It felt awesome winning with a bunch of my friends, especially since we never practiced,” Got ‘Em quarterback Robb Johnson, junior health promotion and wellness, said.

As for sand volleyball, the competition was relentless. The Fresh team won the championship and received their shirts for an amazing season and incredible win.

“I decided to play because I love playing sports, and sand volleyball was next on the schedule for intramurals, so I signed on,” Taylor Vanderlip, sophomore undecided, said.

“We had a very good team with potential to win the sand volleyball championship, but team Fresh destroyed our hopes of a championship in the semi-final round by beating us 2-0. Overall we had a tremendous season and had lots of fun just getting to know one another and playing volleyball together,” Vanderlip said.

The next sports to be played in intramurals are ultimate Frisbee and dodge ball. Ultimate will be played on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons starting at 4:30. Dodge ball will be played in the gym Tuesday and Thursday nights starting at 9 p.m.

There have been many teams to sign up and play in both games. For ultimate Frisbee there are eight participating teams: Macedones, Scrubs, Marietta Whippoorwills, Got ’Em, Kiss Kiss, Mudd Dawgs, Bruce Spiders and Killa Chinchillas. And for dodge ball there are ten teams: Flying Squirrels, Shake & Bake, Lazy Dragon Pirates, Lost Boys, Raging Ballers, Wright, Troop 517, Spartans, Hawkins and Kiss Kiss. It will be a great season and many will be looking forward to seeing who wins the championship shirts.

“This year I am playing ultimate Frisbee for the Scrubs. I like to participate, because its a great way to get away from studies and have fun with friends,” Jeff Williams said.

“I also supervise two Resident Assistants who work exclusively in the intramural department—Adam Ellison, a sophomore Christian studies major, and Nicholas Everett who is a senior English major. The individuals that work for me are not generally sports management majors they are just individuals who love sports and want to work around sports,” Lilly said.

Technically the teams are not “official” when it comes to North Greenville Athletics, but North Greenville does have many traveling intramural teams. For example both flag football and ultimate Frisbee have traveling teams and all players do take seriously the games they participate in.

When students were asked if there could be any improvements made in the intramural department, many replied with honest responses.

“I don’t think there is any need for improvement. Donald takes care of things pretty well. I play intramural basketball because I love everything about the sport. It’s a great way to come together as a team. The neat thing is discovering each of our strengths on the court and bring them together to play the best game we can. It’s a really cool thing to see and be a part of,” Valerie Miller, senior psychology, said.

The intramural department is a great way for students not involved in NGU’s athletic department to participate in athletics. Lilly strongly encourages students to be active and participate in the wide range of sports offered by the department.

From painting to pottery, a new campus club gives students a way to unleash their creative sides.

Students are encourage to join clubs on campus to expand their horizons.

As with the other clubs on campus, the Art Club offers a chance to learn new skills and practice acquired ones. Any student from biology to Christian studies majors are welcome to join and make new friends.

Students had the idea to form the club last year, but the club officially began this fall semester.

The club has already had a couple of meetings with the first being a simple, get-to-know-everyone meeting. Homecoming event planning was the topic for the second meeting.

It already has about 20 members and is open to any students who would like to learn more about art techniques.

Currently, the club president is Lydia Rodgers, junior studio art, the vice president is Bekah Baker, senior studio art, and Amy Rooks, senior studio art, is the creative director.

The group has plans to meet twice a month. One meeting will feature a special speaker or demonstration of art techniques. Zac Buser, art department chair, Blake Smith and Elena Lee, each art instructors at North Greenville, have been invited to do demonstrations of their choice. Lee, who teaches painting, ceramics, and drawing, is also the faculty adviser for the club.

The second meeting of the month will let students have a group studio time to practice their skills. It is set up to be more of an open workshop. The members will get to hang out and give each other advice and inspiration for their individual projects.

The club members will be meeting in the drawing and painting studios in the Runion Building which is above Einstein Bros. Bagels.

This newly-formed club is a great example of students taking initiative to start a club for them to learn and meet new people.

The city of Greenville is rich with opportunities to experience all types of live music, plays and musicals. The Greenville Little Theatre is just one example of an inexpensive way to see a compelling story performed on stage.

The history of the Greenville Little Theatre can be traced all the way back to 1836. The Theatrical Corps, the forerunner to what people now recognize as the Greenville Little Theatre, performed its first show on March 5, 1836, to a full house.

In 1926, the Greenville Artists’ Guild, made up of 75 men and women, worked together to continue developing Greenville’s culture.

About ten years later, the theatre was able to begin using the Fine Arts Auditorium of the Women’s College which was located where the Little Theatre is currently housed. The same year, 1936, two drama professors from Furman University took the roles of Artistic Directors.

Productions unfortunately came to halt during World War II. The first play produced after the war was I Remember Mama. The production on May 2, 1946, starred Joanne Woodward, who is best known for her Oscar-winning role in The Three Faces of Eve.

In 1967, the theatre opened its new $800,000 building with the staging of the musical Camelot. The new building was also chosen to showcase two professional productions.

Shortly after, in 1976, The Glass Menagerie opened with Joanne Woodward returning to the Little Theatre’s stage. With the revenue from ticket sales for this performance and a benefit reception, enough money was raised to erase the theater’s debt.

Currently, Allen McCalla and his wife are the artistic director and producing director, respectively. They both have much professional experience in the theatre business. They are committed to showcasing the talent of the Upstate when producing the many plays and musicals.

Upcoming events at the Greenville Little Theatre include productions that range from classic plays to Christmas musicals.

The Piano Lesson, August Wilson’s Pulitzer-Prize winning play about a family fighting over a family heirloom, will be featured in late October and early November. The month of December will feature the classic favorite, A Christmas Carol. The theatre also offers acting classes for children and adults.

The Greenville Little Theatre is a great way to experience live performances without having to travel very far from campus. Most tickets are around $25 with lower rates for groups of 10 or more.

The students and faculty pose for a picture after an overtime victory by the students in the annual student/faculty basketball game during homecoming week. (Photo by Daniel Jamison)

The students handed the faculty a 56-51 loss in overtime at the faculty/student basketball game, which was held on Tuesday night, Oct. 6.

After the second period, the game went into a three minute overtime with the score tied at 49. Jody Jennings put the faculty in the lead with a big shot down the stretch, but they could not stop former basketball player Bart Shartzer, sophomore sport management/business administration, from leading the students to the win.

The faculty/student basketball game was hosted by the Student Marketing Association. Ellen Long, SMA president, coordinated the event. Many came out to support their fellow students or favorite professor.

Some of the professors that participated in this event were Jim Bates, Chris Sloan, Jody Jennings, Allen McWhite, Victor Preito and Donny Mathis. Kelshun Smith, junior mathematics, Jeremy Howard, senior sport management, Jennifer Bush, senior sport management, and Kate McDaniel, sophomore sport management, were a few of the participants on the student team. All the students and faculty members had a great attitude and enjoyed the scholastic rivalry.

“I participated in the faculty/student basketball game for two reasons. One, I love to play basketball, and who wouldn’t want the chance to play against teachers. That never happens. Two, it was for a great cause in raising money for North Greenville’s business club, Phi Beta Lambda. The club is for NGU’s business majors, and helps to prepare us for what is to come after graduation,” Jennifer Bush said.

The SMA had a game of knock-out for the crowd to participate in and the winner was awarded a t-shirt.

The play Undone was performed Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. and Thursday at 7 p.m. as part of Baptist Student Union in Turner Chapel at North Greenville.

Karla Neves, director, and Lindsay Ross, playwright, had quite a turnout for the play they put together. On Wednesday night there were about 75 people there and on Thursday night the chapel was packed.

The play was a documentary drama based on divorce, which followed the lives of a pastor and his wife and another man’s relationship with two women.

Theater majors Corie Savage, Nathan Baker, Lindsay Furrow, Addi Musen, and Will Daniel comprised the cast.

“I enjoyed writing this play and watching it all be put together and acted out,” Ross said. “All of the actors and the director did an exceptional job of bringing my play to life.”

Ross assisted with most of the play practices to see how things were going to be played out.

“I loved directing this play. It was an amazing experience to watch the actors and designers come together,” Ross said. “The play changed drastically over the course of rehearsals, and I am extremely pleased with the outcome.”

Both ladies seemed to be impressed with how it was received and were satisfied with the end result.

“There seemed to be a lot of people moved by the performance,” Kyle Stelling, stage manager, said.

After the show on Wednesday night most of the people stayed to attend a talk-back meeting with the cast and crew. Audience members asked the cast and crew about how they prepared for the production.

“All of the songs that were played really pulled on my heart strings,” Megan Owenby said. “I know people who have been through divorce, and this play helped with how to understand their struggles and how to talk to them.”

Undone was filled with emotion such as laughter, sadness and compassion.

“I am so proud of my cast and crew with all the hard work they put in,” Neves said.

“The last scene really spoke to me when I saw a man of God breaking down saying he was wrong, and asking for his wife’s forgiveness and to marry him again,” Becca Kosobucki, actor said. “I was so happy with the way it ended up. It touched peoples’ hearts.

“If we could make a difference in one life or one marriage it was worth it,” Ross said.

President Jimmy Epting poses with Leah Ann Gravely, senior interdisciplinary studies, after she was crowned Miss North Greenville University 2010. (Photo by Jenny Farnham)

The stage set, popcorn popped, judges seated, contestants nervous, crown polished and all is ready for an eventful night. The “Let’s Go To The Movies” themed Miss North Greenville University Pageant took place in Turner Chapel Saturday evening. Family, friends and fans created an exciting atmosphere as they waited anxiously for their contestant’s chance to shine.

Leah Ann Gravely, senior interdisciplinary studies, was named Miss NGU with a platform to increase awareness of foreign languages.

“I want to dive into the elementary schools and just try to push a foreign language program,” Gravely said.

As she gathered on stage with her fellow finalists and family for photographs, Gravely was grateful and excited about her new reign.

“It feels surreal. I’ve done pageants before and I haven’t done one in three years, so I wasn’t expecting to win,” Gravely said.

The finalists were awarded a scholarship, plaque, roses and a hug from NGU President Dr. Jimmy Epting and Autumn McAbee, Miss NGU 2009. Meredith Limbaugh, senior mass communication, won fourth runner-up. Third runner-up was awarded to Lindsey Chambers, senior secondary education in English language arts..

“Meeting the girls I otherwise wouldn’t have come in contact with was my favorite part. We had a positive attitude toward each other, we lifted each other up and prayed for each other,” Chambers said after the pageant.

Second runner-up was earned by Christina Grace Bryson, freshman intercultural studies.

“The pageant has been one of the best experiences of my life so far. And I can’t wait to continue taking part in it,” Gravely said.

Lauren Dorrity, senior business administration, won first runner-up.

Chambers was voted Miss Photogenic and was also awarded for being best in the interview process held before the pageant, worth 25 percent. The Community Support Award was earned by Gravely for her sponsorships. Bryson was awarded the Artistic Expression Award and Miss Congeniality. Dorrity was awarded the Lifestyle and Fitness award, which was judged before the pageant.

Other contestants were Amy Skaggs, freshman print media, Andi Evans, junior broadcast, Lauren Beddingfield, freshman youth ministries, Sarah Judge, junior marketing, Amanda Styles, freshman elementary/early childhood education and Lauren Jones, freshman print media.

As her goodbye to the crown and title of Miss NGU, Autumn McAbee sang “Anyway” and shared pictures of experience a queen.

“It’s a bittersweet emotion because it’s been such a blessed year, but I know that the Lord is going to continue to use Miss NGU as a witness,” McAbee said.

The opening number “Let’s Go To The Movies” was performed by the NGU Vocal Ensemble, McAbee, Palmetto Princesses Ashley Farmer and Sarah Kate Walker, Palmetto Prince Austin Walker, and the highlight of the night Miss NGU 2010 Contestants. Halie Johnson, senior elementary education, choreographed this number. During the performance each contestant introduced themselves to the cheering audience and curious judges.

Sharon Johnson, this year’s emcee, was then introduced to the audience. Johnson is an adjunct professor at NGU and was very enthusiastic about the pageant.

“My job is the easy one. I’m glad I’m not the one having to judge all these lovely ladies,” Johnson said as the pageant proceeded.

The first competition for the 11 contestants was the Artistic Expression in Talent. This was worth 35 percent of the total score. Each lady had 90 seconds to showcase the talent of her choice. Vocal performances, lyrical dances, piano playing and a Comical Monologue kept the audience entertained.

(Photo by Jenny Farnham)

Presence and Poise in Evening Wear and the On-Stage Question followed. The questions varied from “What is the most difficult thing you have gone through in your life,” to “How would you promote healthy eating?” The question was weighted 5 percent in the total score. Evening Wear was 20 percent.

While the scores were being tallied McAbee and her Palmetto Prince and Princesses performed “Can’t Wait To Be Queen” taken from Lion King in honor of the participants that waited nervously backstage for the final results.

Pageant coordinator Pam Farmer encourages NGU females to participate in this pageant.

“It’s a great opportunity to earn a scholarship and a great opportunity to share your witness to others,” Farmer said.

Keep a look out for Leah Ann Gravely and her new ministry as our queen. Pray for her as she represents North Greenville University, Where Christ Makes The Difference, in the Miss South Carolina pageant.

The Crusader Outdoor Adventure and Recreation club is not new to North Greenville. Formerly called the Adventure Club, this organization is centered on getting students to go outdoors and get involved with activities with the school that are quite different from the regular classroom lectures.

This year, the club is trying to turn over a new leaf. In the past, it had problems with membership numbers and student interest. Now the club is under new leadership and seems to be off to a great start. On Sept. 28, COAR hosted a kick-off party to raise awareness of the club, and they seem to have succeeded. Thirty students showed up to Climb @Blue Ridge to participate in free rock climbing,
live music and free food.

COAR’s meetings are not exactly what you would expect from a student-led organization. They do not meet in empty classrooms or in the courtyards. In fact, they don’t even have a set time for when they are going to meet. Students get word of the once-a-month meetings through events and groups on Facebook, along with word of mouth. These meetings are opportunities for hands-on activities. The gatherings take place in the outdoors, either by a river or out in the woods. They are hoping to have at least one major weekend activity a month, with day trips scattered throughout to keep the more time-consumed members active and able to participate.

A rock climbing trip is already being planned for an upcoming adventure. They will be traveling to Linville Gorge where they will camp and rock climb at some of the best locations in the Southeast. This will be an advantageous trip for rock climbing beginners. Participants will be able to learn basic skills such as master point anchor systems and belaying, along with much more.

Enjoy the beautiful scenery of the fall season? COAR is also planning a canoeing trip across Lake Jocassee. Using only what they can pack into their boats, they will paddle up to an island and camp there. This will give the members opportunities to learn about the basics of canoeing along with backcountry cooking.

One of the day trips that is in the works for November is a trip to the Green River Narrows Race to watch the kayakers battle the rapids and race to the finish.

President of COAR and senior outdoor leadership major Jae Ellison says the club has a passion for sharing the love of the wilderness to other students.

“One of our goals is to not only provide outdoor adventures, but to also empower students with the knowledge necessary to pursue their own adventures,” Ellison said.

For updates on activities and to get involved with COAR, join their Facebook group (listed as Crusader Outdoor Adventure & Recreation), follow them on Twitter (twitter.com/NGUCOAR), or email them at NorthGreenvilleCOAR@gmail.com.

Two theatre majors, Lindsay Ross and Karla Neves, are bringing the production of Undone to North Greenville.

Ross decided to write the play for her senior project.

She wanted to do a topic of a social problem for people to relate to. She decided on divorce.

“Almost everyone has been affected by divorce,” Ross said.

Ross researched and interviewed certain people and used different pieces of information in this play.

“The story line evolved through all the research and trial and error,” Ross said.

This is Ross’ first full-length play that she has written.

“I’ve always enjoyed writing but it’s been hard to share my writings with others,” Ross said. “I am not wanting to become a playwright full-time, but this will not be the last play I write.”

Ross explained that watching the rehearsals was exciting.

“You may write it one way and see it one way in your head but when you hand it off to an actor they could interpret it differently and in a way you had never thought of before,” Ross said.

Ross continued saying that this is what she loves most about theatre.

“Come with an open mind, know these characters are real and relatable, and come with an expectation to learn,” Ross concluded.

For Neves’ senior project, she decided to direct Ross’ play.

“After reading the play, I went into auditions thinking I knew who would be in the play’s cast,” Neves said. “I ended up finding a better cast than I ever would have imagined.”

Neves had a new challenge to deal with—a six-year-old actress, Kendall.

“I was freaked out when I read in the script that there had to be a six-year-old in the play,” Neves said. “I am not good with children and it was going to be very hard to find a six-year-old that could do it.”

In the end, they found Kendall, who“fit the part perfectly,” Neves said.

“The good thing was that Kendall came in knowing all her lines and fit in great with the rest of the cast; the bad thing was that I found out early as her director that kids do not do something if they do not want to,” Neves said.

Neves commented on being nervous at the first rehearsal with Kendall because “kids do whatever they want to on stage even when you’re telling them what to do, but it’s been an exciting process.”

“It is also so much fun to see the actors grow into their characters and see how the characters end up at the performances,” Neves explained. “Theatre is a discovery process.”

Neves said that she did not know if she would become a director, a teacher or a drama missionary but wherever God takes her, her love for theatre will never change.

“The play is powerful, it’s challenging, and it will leave you wondering: are your relationships Undone?” Neves said.

Not only are Neves and Ross doing their senior project together but they are also roommates.
When asked about how it is to work with your roommate of three years, they both had interesting answers.

“Working with the playwright has been a wonderful and challenging experience,” Neves said. “It took a while to find out whose responsibilities were whose but after working through minor difficulties it’s been a successful experience. The closeness and relationship between us has grown and I’ve enjoyed having her around at rehearsals to bounce ideas off of.”

“I learned to be flexible in the beginning to things that might need to change and respected her decisions,” Ross said. “Your friend is right there for you to talk to, we are able to resolve all conflicts maturely, and it’s fun not a problem, working with her.”

The performances of Undone are Oct.14 at 7:30 p.m. and Oct. 15 at 7 p.m. as a part of BSU.

Chances are if you are a student or faculty member here at North Greenville, or any school for that matter, you have either been sick with the cold or flu, know someone who has gotten sick, or are hoping that you don’t get sick.

I’d like to pass on a little advice for some natural solutions anyone can do to help boost your immune system to help keep the flu at bay or to fight off the flu faster and build immunities for the future. I am by no means a doctor, but the following suggestions have helped many others as well as myself.

First and foremost is sleep. I’ll be the first to say that it’s hard as a college student to get all the sleep our bodies require. There will always be those late nights of studying and fun times with friends to let go of some stress. However, try to eliminate senseless late nights of not-much-importance if you can and give your body the rest it needs. Sleep is essential for fighting off sicknesses and keeping your immune system strong. Many of us have experienced the affect of a few nights of not much sleep and the unwelcome, under-the-weather symptoms that shortly follow.

Second most important is nutrition. What you put into your body plays a major part in the health of your body. “You are what you eat,” if you will. Try to eliminate sugar if you can. Sodas and high sugar fruit juices that aren’t 100 percent juice are basically like drinking liquid candy. Sugar suppresses your immune system, which in turn, increases your susceptibility to getting sick.

The average person nowadays eats about three pounds of sugar per week through actual table sugar as well as all of our processed foods. To put this into perspective, in the 19th and early 20th centuries, Americans consumed only five pounds of sugar per year. Processed foods were not even dreamed of and cancer was hardly even a term back then. Refined sugar causes many long-term health ailments with the number one illness being diabetes.

That being said, choose water over high caloric sugar drinks. This doesn’t mean that diet drinks are necessarily better either, as they have been proven through research to actually cause an increase in weight gain over a period of time. Also, chemicals like aspartame in diet drinks have been shown to cause all sorts of other health problems. Sodas as well as not drinking enough water can lead to dehydration, which leads to low energy.

So when deciding on a beverage with your meal, please consider water. Choose a drink that will be beneficial to your body rather than counterproductive. Water helps to cleanse the body and flush out toxins from vital organs as well as carrying nutrients to your cells. The Institute of Medicine advises that men consume roughly three liters (about 13 cups) of water a day and women consume 2.2 liters (about nine cups) of water a day.

Aside from modifying what you eat and drink, there are nutritional vitamins and supplements that can easily be added to your diet to help boost your immune system. Many of these can be found at your local drug store, Wal-Mart and GNC.

Vitamin C is the most important required food supplement our bodies need to help in the production and health of our white blood cells. White blood cells are our body’s main disease fighters. White blood cells absorb vitamin C to successfully combat viruses and infections.

Aside from absorbing vitamin C, white blood cells also absorb sugar (in the form of glucose) in the exact same way. With the average person consuming three pounds of sugar per week, this means that are white blood cells are absorbing more sugar than they are vitamin C. This leaves the white blood cells weak and almost defenseless against their prepared competitors. Vitamin C is fairly cheep and can easily be added as a supplement to get the amount we need along with what we take in through our food.

Other vitamins essential to fighting and aiding the body in the war against illnesses are vitamin A, vitamin B and zinc.

Vitamin A is what our body uses to promote healthy linings of our respiratory, urinary and intestinal tracts. When these linings are weak, outside offenders can invade effectively. Vitamin A also helps white blood cells fight off infection more effectively.

Vitamin B helps energize the body, protect and promote healthy skin (which is our body’s largest organ and first line of defense), enhances immune and nervous system function and promotes cell growth and division.

Zinc is necessary for the functioning of around 300 enzymes our body uses to help with a number of biological processes. Zinc’s immune-enhancing activities include regulation of T lymphocytes, CD4, natural killer cells, and interleukin II. In addition, zinc has been claimed to possess antiviral activity. It has been shown to play a role in wound healing, especially following burns or surgical incisions, in the common cold, infertility, Wilson’s disease, eating disorders, herpes simplex and acne. Its part in the endocrine system is to regulate insulin and promote the conversion of thyroid hormones thyroxine to triiodothyronine.

Antioxidants found in supplements, foods, fruits and vegetables help fight against free radicals in our bodies. Free radicals are responsible for cancers and other diseases as well as the degeneration of cells in our bodies.

Other herbs and supplements that greatly help your immune system include Elder Berry, Echinacea, garlic, and colloidal silver. The brand Oscillococcinum is a homeopathic cold/flu medicine that has been proven to combat the cold and flu. It can be found at Wal-Mart or any drug store.
One major yet simple thing we can do to prevent getting sick is washing our hands. Try to wash after you come in contact with objects that have a lot of traffic and after the bathroom. Throughout the day, try to avoid hand contact with your eyes, mouth and nose. Also, we don’t think it, but our ears are very susceptible to infection. Simply clean your outer ear canals with either alcohol or peroxide every couple of days.

I encourage you to do some research of your own and begin to take preventative measures in the way you take care of your body. Your body is the most precious possession you have. We are called to be stewards of our body (God’s temple). Take care of your immune system with more importance and in the way that you would take care of a car. In a similar manner, if part of the car is not working properly or is in need of repair, it affects the rest of the cars ability to drive correctly.

The Greenville Zoo has undergone new construction and has changed its exhibits quite a bit.

“Rated one of the best tourist attractions in South Carolina, the Greenville Zoo is the most visited ‘family facility’ in the Upstate,” the zoo’s Web site says.

This zoo is located on a 10-acre site within Cleveland Park. A typical visit would last from an hour to an hour and 30 minutes.

The first stop in the journey to the zoo is to see everyone’s favorite stop, Ladybird and Joy, the zoo’s elephants.

Moving from there, the primates are next and then the Reptile Building, which houses lizards, frogs, turtles, snakes and much more.

Within all the stops at looking at animals, there are kids’ playgrounds, green scenery, rest stops and picnic areas.

Keeping on the path, the lions and giraffes are next. The lions like to sleep a lot and are usually asleep most of the day.

The giraffes are always on the move and playing around in their big, open area. There is also a water fountain on the side of a building with height markings on it so when a giraffe walks over to get water, you can see how tall it is.

The park moves on to show a number of other animals in their habitats, such as tortoises, leopards, a red panda, a toucan, flamingos, ducks, alligators and many different species of birds.

A new feature is when you pass two of the monkey’s cages, there is something different and exciting to see. There is a sign with the words “Baby on Board.” In these particular cages the mother monkey has just had a baby and they are getting the baby used to being with the mother and father with strange people looking at her/him. The newest addition is Baby Bob in the orangutan cage, with his mother Chelsea.

The last stop to make is to see the farm animals. The zoo has pigs, goats, cows and different types of chickens.

On the way out, the zoo has built a gift shop called the Safari Shop. The Safari Shop offers an array of zoo- themed gifts, t-shirts and toys.

Another change to the zoo and park area is the new shelter rentals and the ability to buy feed for the animals to feed them as you walk through the zoo.

The zoo is open seven days a week, except Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day. Hours are 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

For more information about the Greenville Zoo, visit greenvillezoo.com or contact the zoo at 864-467-4300.

If the rush from class to class is the only exercise students get each day, is it enough?

A report released by the University of Minnesota Boynton Health Service says nearly two-fifths or 38.5 percent of the 10,000 students surveyed fell within the overweight or obese/extremely obese categories in 2007.

The amount of time spent in front of the computer and in the library cramming for classes is actually harming us. As students we need to work hard to manage our time so not all of it is spent with our best friends Mac and PC.

Our school offers a well-equipped fitness center, open athletic facilities, intramural programs and other free recreation. We are also located just a few miles away from Greenville county’s newest recreation feature.

Whether you need a good workout or want to meander along the path and enjoy the weather change, the Swamp Rabbit Tram Trail offers a safe, exciting way to put the books down and get fresh air.

This former railroad system turned tram trail was officially opened May 8, 2009. The unusual name originated from the train named “Swamp Rabbit” that ran along the tracks. Still under construction, the trail stretches from the North Greenville Hospital in Travelers Rest, runs through Furman’s campus, winds around downtown and currently ends past the Greenville branch of Greenville Technical College. This will soon be extended to Lake Conestee Nature Park , which is located six miles south of downtown Greenville.

Once completed, the trail will be 17 miles of paved or rubberized track, complete with bike racks, dog watering bowls, aesthetic scenery, and quick access to nearby restaurants, parks, restrooms, schools and shops. The trail varies between 10 feet of paved asphalt to eight feet.

The “Hincapie Path,” located downtown, is eight feet of asphalt adjacent to five feet of rubber rubbing trail.

The trail is still under major construction, considering eight historic railroad bridges will be restored for pedestrian use. Sections between Furman and downtown Greenville are still in the process of completion. The area below the Greenville Technical campus is also under construction. Greenvillerec.com has a descriptive outline of the trail status and areas that are open.

Parking for this trail can be found in Travelers Rest on Main Street and cooperating businesses or you can park along the trail.

Imagine for a moment that you are a student in the outdoor leadership program. Now imagine that it is your junior year and you are about to dive into the Immersion semester. Visualize yourself going through summer workouts to prepare for trips to unknown destinations. For most ODEL majors, this is the most exciting semester of them all.

The Immersion semester kicked off with a 10 day backpacking trip to Pisgah, N.C., a location that ODEL majors were only aware of two days prior to the trip—which also happened to be the first day of class.

Preparation for this trip began over this past summer. ODEL majors were given workouts that ranged from running 30 minutes a day to doing sets of push-ups and sit-ups. These workouts would help to prepare the students for the 10-day backpacking trip.

Activities on the trip included setting up camp with speed and effectiveness, learning how to find water and the proper procedures in how to make the water drinkable, hiking every day with mileage ranging from 2-5 miles and sometimes even 10-12 miles, rock climbing, rappelling, caving and swimming, all with an emphasis on skill development and learning how to teach such skills and safety procedures.

But this is only the beginning for ODEL majors and their Immersion semester. This trip is only one out of about a half a dozen trips that the students will be taking throughout the semester. Not to mention a wilderness first responder course that offers students hands-on simulation sessions to help prepare for real-life emergency situations, varying from improvised gear to severe environments and prolonged patient care.

“This was an awesome trip which allowed me to build a community with other Immersion participants while making a lot of great, new friends,” Lance Skipper, junior outdoor leadership, said.

“The whole immersion semester is a great learning opportunity for us. It’s great to actually be able to experience activities and to see what it’s like to be out in the field,” Rachel Dalson, junior outdoor leadership, said.

The Immersion trip was lead by Professor Nathan Ruffrage and instructor Whitney Thomas.