North Greenville may soon feel the results of a possible legislative budget cut that may reduce South Carolina Tuition Grants from $3,200 to $2,850 per year for the 2009-2010 school year.

Governor Mark Sanford seeks to keep the scholarship level; whereas the House Ways and Means Committee is pushing for a 15 percent decrease. The first round of budget recommendations were made on Thursday, Feb. 19, and reviewed by the Ways and Means Committee that evening. The final decision will be made by the state legislature. 

“The House has historically looked favorably upon maintaining or increasing tuition grants,” Speaker Pro-Tempore Harry F. Cato said. “I expect that to continue as much as possible in these difficult economic times.”

“We’re anticipating the worst,” Dr. Jimmy Epting, North Greenville University president and chairman of the South Carolina Higher Education Tuition Grants Commission, said. “We hope it is no more than 15 percent.”

The S.C. Higher Education Tuition Grants Commission has made a conservative decision to go ahead and decrease the tuition grant 15 percent to $2850 for next school year.

1,007 NGU students received the South Carolina Tuition Grant this year, totaling over $3 million.

“It’s a double-whammy. My dad works for the state and there are talks about him not working two days out of every month without pay. With the grants going down and a potential drop in my dad’s income, it could create a financial strain. My dad will have to find other means of income and it means less family time,” Spenser Miner, junior marketing, said.

“I am currently communicating my belief of the importance of the South Carolina Tuition Grants Program to the House Ways and Means Committee and my fellow colleagues in the House,” Cato said. “I have also delivered the many letters of thanks from students at North Greenville University to the chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee. “

The school’s financial aid and student services departments are asking students to write their state legislators to show appreciation for their work. Private institutions are required to write each year.  

Michelle Moses, financial aid counselor, said they are urging more students to write because “money is tighter this year.”  

Andrew Maulding, junior interdisciplinary studies, participated for the first time, even though he has received the tuition grant every year.

“I thanked them for their support, in hopes they will provide me with more money next year,” said Maulding. “I think it is very important for other students to write.”

Financial Aid will continue collecting note cards until March. 

“Tuition grants have helped many students have access to higher education that, without them, would otherwise not have been able,” Senator Phillip Shoopman, Greenville Senate District 5, said.

The grant is provided to independent, non-profit, in-state colleges. It is need-based and focused on income; not all students are eligible. The eligibility factors include: family income, family assets, cost of college selected, number of family members in the household and the number of household members attending college.

Residents of S.C. who are in the top 75 percent of their graduating class may apply. A Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) must be completed and submitted prior to June 30, 2009.

“I will work to stave off any future cuts to the tuition program,” Shoopman said. “However, it will take a conscious effort by all elected officials to minimize the future impacts of the budget cuts in all areas of government.”

“I’m hopeful that we will see it through this rough time no matter what and the American dream will still prosper,” Miner said.

Every February we celebrate Black History Month. 

Dr. Paul Thompson, Jr., assistant professor of history and coordinator of social studies education program, addressed the students in a chapel service on Jan. 19. He remembered and reflected upon the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and acknowledged Obama’s achievement in becoming the first African American president. This month, he became the leading advocate in a stance against racism on campus.

Dr. Steve Crouse, vice-president for campus ministries, observed students’ reactions to the chapel service led by Thompson and determined that a meeting held on the roots of racism would be beneficial. On Feb. 16, Thompson and three other University professors led nearly 80 students and faculty members in an open discussion on racism.

The meeting began with a short film entitled Beneath the Skin. The film took a deep look into Baptists and racism. Most of the interviewees were of black, white and Hispanic backgrounds. The film allowed students to grasp a better understanding of the issues faced daily by minority groups in America.

The film closed with five ways forward to a culture without racism. Honesty, friendship, sharing, courage and reconciliation were the five steps one could take to better their own community. 

After the 35-minute film, Thompson began the panel discussion. 

“If we went out into the streets and asked people to define racism, it would be so incredibly diverse,” Thompson said. “I do not agree with a lot of this film, but the key issues are exact.”

Thompson briefly discussed what he personally gleaned from the film and what he would have changed. Overall, he felt the film captured the prejudice America embraces. 

Dr. Victor Prieto, assistant professor in linguistics and Spanish, presented the issues of racism from a linguistics point of view.

“A subtle, but probably equally damaging type of racism is encoded in language,” Prieto said. “Use of subtle expressions such as, ‘He’s Hispanic but very smart.’ Of course, this little conjunction ‘but’ here has a lot of meaning and racism. I hope you can see that.”

Prieto continued to demonstrate that different races have the right to speak in different ways. This does not make one language more superior or inferior to another.

“Don’t link inferiority to different skin colors. In the end, we’re all the same for God and beneath the skin,” Prieto said in his closing statement.

Dr. Dallas, title, reviewed the theological arguments supported by the film. In the days of slavery, Christians did not seem to understand how it affected their faith. When we deny the presence of God in another, we remove their humanity.

Lastly, Dr. Wanda Tillman, assistant professor of business, represented the business aspect of racism. She revealed the economic exploitation America uses to abuse minority groups. 

Many students made statements about their personal experiences with racism on campus. A few students discussed the inauguration.

Other students shared experiences with racism that occurred off of the University’s campus.

“Racism is an issue everywhere,” Crouse said. “I don’t perceive it to be bigger on campus than anywhere else.”

The goals of the meeting were well met. Many students stayed afterwards to talk to the professors of the panel and share personal experiences and visions for the school’s future. 

“I believe much can be learned through listening to others and talking. I was hoping to begin breaking down the walls that prevent people at North Greenville from talking about racial and cultural differences,” Thompson said.

Thompson is looking forward to new ideas from students and faculty for more open discussions. This meeting provided every attendee with a better understanding of the issues of racism on campus and a goal in mind of how to create a unified student body.

In Tyler Perry’s latest comedy based on a crazy grandmother, Madea winds up in prison after multiple criminal offenses. The film features Tyler Perry as writer, director and star. Perry plays as three of the films characters, including Madea. Madea Goes to Jail also stars Derek Luke (Friday Night Lights) as Joshua Hardaway, Kieshia Knight Pulliam (Tyler Perry’s House of Payne) as Candace Washington RonReaco Lee as Chuck, Hardaway’s best friend and Ion Overman as Linda, Hardaway’s fiancée. 

Madea follows too separate stories that eventually mold into one. Madea is irreverent as ever after she is arrested for a high-speed freeway chase. Surprisingly she does not end up in prison due to carelessness on the part of the police officers that arrested her. However, Madea does get stuck with anger management sessions, resulting in a hilarious scene with none other than the famous Dr. Phil. Needless to say, Madea does not stay out of trouble for long. After an incident in a store parking lot, Madea gets sent to prison.

Meanwhile, lawyer Joshua Hardaway, successful at his law firm and engaged, begins a court case with someone from his past. Candace Washington had been arrested for prostitution multiple times, and when Joshua offers to help her, she refuses. Joshua pushes the issue and Candace listens. Joshua’s obsession with helping Candace gets in the way of his life though. Joshua’s fiancée, Linda, does not approve of Joshua helping out his old friend, and this puts strain on their relationship.

Linda decides to take the issue with Joshua into her own hands and plants evidence in Candice’s criminal file, resulting in Candice going to jail for more time than she deserved. Candice and Madea meet up in prison and become friends and Madea teaches the inmates a thing or two.

Madea Goes to Jail is a comedy on the outside, but becomes quite a drama throughout. This sort of going back and forth between drama and comedy can be a bother. Tyler Perry is known to do this with most of his movies, however. 

The acting put on by Tyler Perry in all of his three characters is great. Luke and Pulliam are deliver good acting. 

Madea Goes to Jail is rated PG-13.

Starting the season with six straight losses is never something a team expects to do, but the NGU softball team went into their doubleheader with Brevard expecting to pick up their first win of the year.

In a defensive struggle for the first seven innings, Lindsey Eargle, senior sport management, broke the 1-1 tie in the eighth inning when she drove in Hope Brewer, junior sport management. Eargle then scored on a sacrifice fly by Lauren Vick, sophomore early childhood education, to win their first game of the season 3-2.

The Crusaders fought hard throughout the second game against the Tornados and came up on the losing end of a 1-0 decision. NGU managed only five hits and allowed four in the game, but it was a throwing error by Krysta Laird, junior outdoor leadership, that allowed the only run of the game to score.

The Crusaders got on the bus yet again the next day for games five and six of seven straight road games. They traveled to Southern Weslyan University to take on the Warriors in a doubleheader on Saturday.

NGU could not have asked for a better start as they won the first game by shutting out the Warriors 2-0.

Unfortunately for the Crusaders, they fell in dramatic fashion almost exactly as they did the day before. They fell by just one run, losing 2-1 and splitting the series with Southern Wesleyan.

The team finished up their streak of road games yesterday at Emanuel College in Franklin Springs, Ga. They take on Southern Wesleyan again at home Saturday at 1 p.m.

North Greenville University tries to provide students with many outlets for their abilities and interests. One of these outlets is the NGU quiz bowl team.

The NGU quiz bowl team competes against other quiz teams from southeastern universities in tournaments of Jeopardy-like trivia. 

Teams are asked questions from the fields of history, literature and science. Two teams go head to head for the first question. The first team to answer correctly has an opportunity to answer three bonus questions. The process is repeated for every three bonus questions. Every question is worth 10 points, adding up to a maximum score of 800 points for the entire game. The total score of each team is used to determine the winner of the competition.

Dr. James Washick, quiz team sponsor, says that the quiz bowl team fosters and encourages the love and pursuit of knowledge. Team members have the opportunity to learn new information, get to know like-minded people, show their trivia skills and enjoy fast paced competitions. 

According to Washick, the quiz team also helps students discover the interconnectedness of various fields of knowledge as they learn more.

Team members also see participating on the quiz team as a great opportunity.

“Doing something with and for NGU was rewarding—the review of material, the challenge of remembering it, the competition, and the camaraderie of NGU friends [and teacher] was invigorating and fun,” Yvonne Bowlen, senior English, said.

The team participates in five or six tournaments every year. This month the team competed at a tournament in Athens, Georgia. The NGU team won two of nine games, beating Auburn University at Montgomery and Wofford College.

“It is difficult to win games with such a small team,” Washick said, referring to the fact that the NGU team is very small.

The NGU quiz team originated from an intramural trivia competition. Washick formed the first NGU quiz team shortly after the intramural competition. Since then Washick has been coaching the NGU team for 4 years.

Love of learning and trivia has been an essential ingredient for team members ever since the founding of the team. Current team member Zachary Deuerling, junior theater, says that his favorite part of quiz team is the mental exertion. 

“What I enjoy the most is the racking of the brain. Trivia games and the like have always been a favorite form of entertainment for me,” Deuerling said.

Washick, as the team sponsor, also enjoys trivia and an active pursuit of knowledge. Washick has not only coached the team for 4 years, but he also participated in Jeopardy in March 2006.

The quiz team is currently looking for new members. Washick said that any student who enjoys trivia and is willing to commit 1 or 2 hours a week to practice is welcome, regardless of GPA and major. 

“A lot of people know more than they think,” Washick said. 

For anyone who wants the chance to discover or display knowledge of trivia and facts, quiz team is a perfect fit. Interested students should contact Washick at jwashick@ngu.edu.

Ever wonder where time has gone? Try estimating how many hours you spend online, particularly on Facebook or YouTube.

“YouTube is awesome,” Daniel Hughes, sophomore biology, said. “[YouTube] shows you how to do anything.”

YouTube, launched four years ago in Feb. 2005, consumes many hours by offering easy access to numerous videos.

“It’s a great tool, for good and bad,” Caleb Murphree, senior Christian studies, said.

YouTube possesses numerous functions in society today such as entertainment and education.

“Whether it’s a TV broadcast or sermon from a conference, I find it to be very informative,” Jeremy Logan, junior Christian studies, said.

Many students at North Greenville University watch a wide variety of videos via YouTube for countless, diverse reasons.

“It’s cool that I can relate to someone in California about something we both saw on YouTube,” Brittany Dail, junior health and wellness, said.

“YouTube is a good website to get information on issues of interest,” Logan said.

YouTube continues to provide entertainment and education as well as to incorporate more roles. YouTube.com states that the U.S. Congress instituted YouTube channels on Jan. 12, 2009 to keep citizens informed.

According to YouTube.com, “Each Member of the House and Senate will have the opportunity to create and control their own YouTube channel …making it easy for people to interact with videos that offer an inside look at their elected officials in action on Capitol Hill.”

According to thesun.co.uk, YouTube contributed to an arrest when someone broadcast a video capturing their prank theft of spectacles from a charity worker.

“North Wales Police confirmed that a spectacles theft was reported in Wrexham on Saturday,” according to thesun.co.uk. “Officers watched the footage and made an arrest this morning.”

YouTube holds the potential for many valuable purposes along with many corrupt options depending on the individual’s usage.

“There is no surety of finding anything substantial,” Logan said. “It gives people an easy outlet to spread whatever kind of propaganda they may want.”

The use of YouTube calls for wisdom as anyone can upload videos of anything.

“[YouTube is] a great way to broadcast biblical teaching as well as to supplement general education,” Murphee said. 

In addition to YouTube, GodTube.com, now called tangle.com, offers Christians a friendly environment to share videos and to connect with others.

According to tangle.com, “It’s a place where, in addition to sharing videos, our users can connect and share their faith and lives with others through photos, audio messages, blogs, prayers, music, causes and so much more.”

Both YouTube and GodTube offer video media outlets worldwide in today’s society.

“YouTube is just a part of the information-saturated world we live in,” Murphree said. “If it didn’t exist, something else like it would.”

Campus Research, the collegiate version of Westlaw, is an easy-to-use online research service that provides university students with access to a comprehensive collection of news and business information as well as law-related resources. With Westlaw’s Campus Research, you can search an extensive collection of information resources as easily as you use the Internet, thanks to specially designed time-saving tools that use natural, basic language searching and an easy, straightforward interface. With the Advanced Search feature, you can use simple Boolean search connectors such as AND and OR to further refine your searches and reduce the amount of time it takes to find exactly what you need. Additionally, Westlaw’s interface is divided into two content tabs, News & Business and Law, further simplifying research.

This new database can be accessed via the Westlaw link on the Database page of the Library’s website. As with all of the Library’s online resources, this database will be available on all of the Library’s workstations as well as anywhere else on campus through the Database page. Additionally, Westlaw is available off campus via the “off-campus” link beside the title. After clicking on this button, you will need to login, then you will have complete access.

One thing to be aware of while logging on, it is necessary for Westlaw to deposit cookies onto your workstation as you log-on. Therefore, if you are using your own laptop, you may need to set your computer to accept cookies from this site.

There will be more information to come as the Library continues to upgrade its resources. In the meantime, check out all of the other resources available to you on the Library’s webpage. 

Jonathan Bradsher
Hester Memorial Library Director

Matt Huff

With Spring Break looming around the bend, it has admittedly become much harder to concentrate on schoolwork. Even against the constant, frenetic noise of essays, projects, exams, and presentations, we students can hear the quiet, but hopeful mutterings of those two glorious words in our imminent future—Spring Break.  

But where is the hope of Spring Break outside of school? When life itself grows weary and confusing, where can we look for rest? Unfortunately, it is typical of the human condition that when we are provided a chance for rest, we transform it into work, or at the very least, distraction. We cannot fathom a moment disconnected from anything, constantly bombarding ourselves with cell phones, television, or just plain company. I mean, who can imagine a Friday night alone, right? If A doesn’t happen, then B must; if we are not here, we’re there. The human race is always in motion.

With all these schedules and plans, when do we have time to lean against our favorite tree? When do we have time, like Whitman, just to consider a single blade of grass? When do we have time to simply be with God?   

Often we feel the responsibility to sort out all of our struggles with the confusion and complexities of life by simply packing them into a Jansport backpack and marching our way up the hill. In our arrogance, we carry the weight of past sins, present decisions and future ambitions in our makeshift packs, struggling to hold it all together. We convince ourselves that we can find the answers to all of life’s questions by just throwing them in the backpack and keeping busy.

But God has something different for us. He has no desire to see us bogged down under our self-imposed burdens, trudging from one weekend to another. Like Bunyan’s pilgrim, He wishes to bring us to the cross that our packs may be loosed. Isaiah says, “In repentance and rest is our healing,” and that is exactly what we find at the foot of the cross. Christ did not come to Earth that we may busily prepare for His welcome like Martha; rather, He came to commune with us—to eat breakfast in the morning, to let us touch His wounds, to let us rest in Him.

Understandably, we maintain a busy, hectic life mainly out of fear of loneliness. We work through the week and go out on the weekends because a part of us hates to be alone. We have conditioned ourselves to ignore God’s recurring question. “Why?” He asks. “Why do you so desperately avoid quietness and solitude? Why are you so afraid of Me?” 

What God wants us to understand is that in silence is His word heard loudest; in frustration and confusion is His power mightiest; in drowning is His saving hand strongest. Of course, God is pleased with the words and actions we offer to Him and His glory. He is certainly overjoyed with a righteous, obedient life. But at His heart, He simply wants you. After all, He is our Father, and what father does not enjoy simply being with his child? Watching him smile, holding him when he is sad? We must break ourselves from considering what we lose by not getting things done or all figured out and consider what we gain from rest in Christ’s arms. We must consider being not only a people after God’s will but also a people after God’s own heart.

There is a battle going on in these dark days, not just a battle here on earth but also a battle on the spiritual level. Spiritual warfare is real and Redlands, California’s The Great Commission have written a collection of battle hymns for the God-fearing warrior. 

Redlands has given the Christian hardcore scene several bands over the past couple years like Sleeping Giant and xDeathstarx and The Great Commission is the newest addition to the Redlands family. All of the bands in the Redlands area have a similar sound but still have their own unique elements at the same time. They bring a more beatdown hardcore sound to the table than the other bands from the area.

The Great Commission is blowing up pretty quick for a band whose debut album hasn’t even gotten a store release yet. So far, And Every Knee Shall Bow can only be purchased from online stores and iTunes. Right after the album was finished, they hit the streets nonstop to spread their message to the masses. They are currently on a U.S. tour with A Plea For Purging. 

And Every Knee Shall Bow is one of the most passionate and spirit-filled albums that I have heard in the past year or so. Each song is full of aggressive, brutal melodies and scripture based and hymn-like lyrics. A good example of this is on the track “Let Your Kingdom Come.” This track is about the crucifixion and how it is what brought the kingdom of God to earth. The song even contains a “Nothing But The Blood” two-step part containing lyrics from the hymn. My favorite lyrics on this album are also found in this song. “Father forgive them; for they know not what they do. Darkness filled the sky and the veil was torn in two. Thunder fills the skies, heaven is falling down.” 

The album contains a good variation of long, somewhat epic tracks and then short mosh tracks. Everything from the seven minute scriptural beatdown of “Let Your Kingdom Come” to the less than a minute anthem like sing-a-long “The Way, The Truth, The Life.” “The Way, The Truth, The Life” are the only lyrics of that track. It is a good simple sing-a-long mosh. 

Another thing that makes this album pretty awesome is that it is jam packed with guest vocals from other members of the Redlands family. Some of these guest spot are done by Thom Greene and J.R. Bermuda of Sleeping Giant, Mattie Montgomery of For Today, and Aaron Wreckin Thangs of hardcore legends Point Of Recognition just to name a few of the many guest spots. 

All in all I would give this album and band a nine out of 10. The album is very solid lyrically with the lyrics almost completely grounded in scripture and hymns. And the music is amazing, very heavy and full of two-steps, breakdowns and gang vocals, but still contains some very melodic and peaceful parts few and far between. So if you are ready to go to battle and need a hardcore praise and worship soundtrack, then this is definitely an album to check out.

 It’s almost that time again. Midterms are quickly approaching, and students everywhere are preparing themselves for coffee-fueled study sessions and all-nighters spent poring over textbooks and class notes. But when your roommate decides it’s a good night to stay up late watching Full House reruns, or have a heart-to-heart on the phone with their significant other when all you want to do is study, it’s time to take the books elsewhere for some peace and quiet. The question is: Where? For years, two restaurants have always welcomed students with open doors and quality food: Waffle House and Denny’s. 

When it comes down to food, service, location and atmosphere, how do the two stack up to each other? First, an important factor to consider is which restaurant is closer—and in this case, Waffle House takes the win with the nearest store being in Travelers Rest, about 15 minutes from school. The closest Denny’s is on Wade Hampton Blvd. in Greenville, a little longer of a drive. Some students, although they prefer Denny’s to Waffle House in most areas, admit that location is important and in most cases is the deciding factor. 

“I definitely say Denny’s because of the cleanliness, the service is superb, the food is better and it is more comfortable,” Brian Darnell, sophomore interdisciplinary studies, said. “In my opinion, Waffle House is just nasty, but it is a lot closer to school so I usually end up there.”

 Other students take atmosphere into consideration when deciding where to spend their money, and for good reason. It doesn’t matter if you offer great food at a low price; if the surroundings don’t allow you to enjoy your dining experience or study efficiently, then it’s time to reconsider where you go to hit the books. 

“I like to eat at Waffle House because it’s cheaper and I think the food is better, but when it comes to atmosphere, Denny’s is a much better place to go because it has more space and you don’t have to leave smelling like an ashtray.” Lauree Brown, freshman secondary education, said. 

Not everyone is looking for a quiet place to study though. Some students are just looking to get a great meal at an affordable price. The key here is offering a wide variety and making sure that food quality is consistently excellent. When a restaurant can accomplish that, then they start creating “regular customers” who even pick their favorites and order them on every visit. 

“Waffle house has the best ham and cheese omelets, and I love that I can go any time without worrying about if they’re open or not,” Zachary Cady, sophomore broadcast media, said. 

Perhaps you’re looking for more of a personal touch. Service is arguably the most important part of the food industry—it can literally make or break a dining experience, depending on how great or terrible it may be. Great food and a clean atmosphere can be overshadowed by a rude waiter or an inattentive manager, but when the service is exceptional, employees may begin creating relationships with students. 

“I prefer Waffle House,” Katie May, junior history, said. “The people there are really interesting. They have more of a tentative atmosphere because it is such a small place. They also know NGU students and how hard we study and are very helpful when we’re there.” 

So while this restaurant battle royale may have no clear victor, it’s easy to see that NGU students have a strong appreciation for both Waffle House and Denny’s, even if for different reasons. It’s also an encouragement to grab some friends, get off campus, and enjoy a great meal and time with others. The choice is yours … which will you pick?

Most people who read this will have never met a man named Brad Sciullo, but Brad Sciullo is a famous man.

A resident of western Pennsylvania, Brad Sciullo recently set out to consume a monstrosity of a burger called the Beer Barrel Belly Bruiser. This “hamburger on steroids” weighed 20.2 pounds altogether, with 15 pounds attributed to the meat alone and the other five coming from the bun and toppings.

Sciullo, a 5-foot-11-inch chef, required four hours and 39 minutes to complete his task and is now the only person to have achieved such a massive goal. 

“About three hours into it, things got tough,” he said. 

After his performance, Sciullo was surrounded by a swarm of people all asking the same simple question: Why?

“I wanted to see if I could,” he said. And who could have given a better answer than that?

This seemingly humorous story has quite a twist to it, however, which is revealed through crunching a few numbers.

Leaving the five pounds of toppings unaccounted for, Brad Sciullo consumed 15 pounds of beef in less than five hours. Fifteen pounds equals 240 ounces, 30 times the standard portion of red meat in a day. Thus, Brad Sciullo ate in a fraction of a day what most American people eat in a month.

The major problem with this accomplishment is that there seems to be no problem at all.

Brad Sciullo is not the only person to have attempted something of this caliber, and his actions have been praised by multitudes of people across the country.

In fact, in the wake of Brad’s recent accomplishment, Nintendo has come up with a new concept centered around exactly the same thing: an all-you-can-eat video game.

The company recently released its new game called “Major League Eating” which allows players to use the Wii remote as a spoon in order to simulate the motion of filling their mouths with enormous amounts of food. The game, geared toward children, features major league eaters from around the world who pose as characters.

While this video game may seem harmless, I believe it points to a much bigger truth concerning our American ideals than most people realize. The concept of over-indulging has been a reality in America for quite some time, and “Major League Eating” is simply fueling the flames of unhealthy eating habits. The game teaches children to consider over-eating a sport, a form of everyday competition, but turning Mr. Sciullo’s actions into an everyday form of pastime is exactly what our country should be fighting against.

Although I do not agree with the way he channeled his competitive nature, I commend Brad Sciullo on his ability to achieve a goal that no one else had ever accomplished before. He was determined, and that is a fantastic way to be. But the truth of the matter is that there are much better ways for individuals to prove themselves and achieve meaningful goals.

I hope we will be able to grasp this concept sooner rather than later.

After a week of preparation, the NGU men’s tennis team traveled to Greensboro College (N.C.) and defeated the Pride 8-1 overall, 5-1 in singles and 3-0 in doubles. The women’s team shut out Greensboro 9-0 overall, 6-0 in singles and 3-0 in doubles.

“The guys played well, and the girls played well,” said Crusaders tennis coach Mark Elliot. “Greensboro was a good team, but we showed up to play.

North Greenville’s number one doubles team Gabriel Altmayer, senior international business, and Timur Kamilou, freshman undecided, defeated the Pride’s David Sutton and Caleb Shelton 8-3.

File Photo

Altmayer, William Ho, senior marketing/business administration, Jacob Rogers, senior Christian studies, Juan Carlos Aguilera, senior economics, and Guilherme Vasques, senior business administration, all picked up wins in their singles matches.

Sutton, Greensboro’s number one singles player, defeated Kamilou 6-0, 6-3 for the Pride’s only win of the afternoon.

North Greenville (2-5) rebounded from a 0-9 shutout against No. 11-ranked Lander last on Feb. 14 to pick up their second win on the season. Having fought through a difficult early season, the Crusaders will play seven of their next eight matches in the friendly confines of the Greer Tennis Center.

“When our players walk out on the court, they’re not afraid to play anyone because they have played the best this year,” Elliot said.

North Greenville will look for their first home victory against No. 31-ranked Tusculum this Saturday at 1 p.m. The Crusaders have lost all three home matches and have split their away matches 2-2.

“They are nationally ranked, but they’re not ranked at the top, so it should be a good match,” Elliot said.

Last season Tomas Kurhajec, the team’s former number one, suffered a knee injury that caused him to miss most of 2008. Kurhajec was scheduled to return to the team last week but tore another ligament in his knee in rehab, forcing the Slovakian to wear a leg cast. Elliot does not expect Korhajec to be available to the team this season.

The women’s number one Salem Erni, junior interdisciplinary studies, topped Brittany Price 6-1, 6-4, and Cherie Curtis, senior elementary education, battled back for a 3-6, 6-4, 10-6 victory over Britney Smith. Courtney Lynn, senior psychology, shut out Brittany Cates 6-0, 6-0, and Katherine Shaw, freshman undecided, Stephanie Tyrpak, senior broadcast media/Spanish, and Natalie Stewart, sophomore business administration, picked up wins for North Greenville (3-2). Erni and Shaw won their doubles match 8-3, and Lynn and Curtis triumphed 8-3. Tyrpak and Stewart won 8-0.

“[Curtis] struggled a little bit, but I’m glad she was able to pull it out,” Elliot said. “She was in danger of being the only girl to lose, but she bore down and played well in the third set tiebreaker.”

Like the men’s team, the Lady Crusaders are also gearing up for a seven-game homestand beginning Saturday against Tusculum at the Greer Tennis Center at 1 p.m. North Greenville has won both away matches and have gone 1-2 at home.

On Wednesday, Feb. 18 the One Act play auditions were held. 

Four one act plays will be performed March 20 at 7:30 p.m. and on March 21 at 3 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.

Senior theatre majors Katy Beth Cassell and  Lindsay Ross, along with junior theatre majors Karla Neves and Corie Savage, are the directors of the four plays.  

The advanced directing class makes this a requirement for seniors to direct a one act.

These plays will be performed in Turner Chapel. 

The audience is on the stage with the actors in a setting called a thrust stage. In a thrust stage the audience members are on three sides of the set. They are on the same level as the actors and see it from all sides. 

Ross found her play on oneactplays.com.  She wanted to find a play that had a small cast and was a comedy. She finally found the perfect script, “He Said and She Said” by Alice Gerstenburg.  

“I don’t want to give anything away,” Ross said, “but it’s all about rumors and gossip.”  

She wants to put this comedy to life. She had 12-15 people audition for her play on Wednesday. She also knew that they would have to pull from non-theatre majors. They had to produce a good monologue or they were given a script, which no one was directing, to get an objective of what they could do.  

“To decide who I wanted I had to look at a lot of factors. They couldn’t be afraid to be big and exaggerate and couldn’t be soft spoken or shy,” Ross said. She is very excited about her cast she has chosen and is ready for it to start.

Neves is choosing to  direct “Senseless” written by Daniel Jordan, a graduate of North Greenville.  

She really loved the quick comedy and said it has been so much fun to direct. Neves had to start her auditions early because it was a touring play.  

When the auditions were held they all had to have monologues memorized. She had 12 people audition and had seven or eight callbacks to read again from the actual script. In the end she chose five of the people to come on the tour with her. 

“The touring has been great and I’m excited about directing and them performing it at the One Act Play Festival,” Neves said. They have changed a few things in the blocking, redirecting the movements on stage, because of the stage being so different due to the thrust environment.  

“I’m very excited about seeing it all put together, all four of them. Everyone should come,” Neves concluded.

After dropping the first 10 games of the season, the Crusader baseball team finally broke into the win column during a weekend road trip to Southern Wesleyan University.

File Photo

The first game of the series was pitcher’s duel, and the teams went into the seventh inning deadlocked with no score. The Crusaders scored three runs in the top of the seventh with a two-RBI double by David Frazier, freshman sport management, who was later driven in by Cory Hinton, senior sport management. NGU then held Southern Wesleyan to one run in the eighth to secure the 3-1 win.

Matthew Benjamin, sophomore undecided, threw seven-plus innings and picked up the win. Daniel Goodnight, sophomore business administration, got the two-inning save.

The Crusaders then looked to carry their momentum into Saturday’s doubleheader. The teams went scoreless in the first game until the third inning when pitcher Derek Fulmer, freshman business, hit a two-run homer, driving in Randy Stegall, junior business administration, who had previously reached on a walk. After that point, SWU took control of the final six innings to win the first game of the doubleheader 9-5.

Devin Vance, senior business administration, had a shaky outing of three innings for NGU, giving up seven runs on five hits, and Tanner Yarboro, freshman Christian studies, gave up two runs on two hits in 2 2/3 innings. Fulmer finished the game 3-for-4 with a homerun and three RBI.

The beginning of the second game did not start off how NGU would have liked after pitcher Michael Benjamin, sophomore undecided, gave up two runs in the first inning, but the Crusaders got on the board in the next inning on a single from Vance. Benjamin settled down and gave up two more runs in his final five innings, and the NGU bullpen shut out SWU for the final three innings.

NGU went on a scoring spree in the sixth and seventh innings with three in each frame, taking the game 7-4 and winning the series.

“The team is continuing to play hard” head coach Travis Henson said. “We battled all day and split the doubleheader, and I’m proud of our guys.”

NGU, who hosted Mars Hill yesterday, are now in a comfortable stretch in which 19 out of their next 22 games are at home. Carson-Newman College comes to Ashmore Field today for a doubleheader starting at 1 p.m.

Born from other ancient forms of Chinese martial arts hundreds of years ago, karate has migrated across the world and become a popular hobby, sport and form of self defense in the United States. 

Now it has found its way to North Greenville University. Brandon Simpson, men’s housing coordinator at NGU, decided its about time students were given the option to learn, so he began teaching a class. 

“I enjoyed it in college,” Simpson said when asked why he decided to start teaching karate to NGU students. “And because nothing like that was really offered close by that was affordable to college students.” 

Men’s housing coordinator Brandon Simpson instructs self-defense classes in the Todd Dining Hall that are open to any and all students. The North Greenville University students picture aboved are among the first group of students to take advantage of the new cuong nhu classes. (Photo by: Jereme Green/ The Skyliner)

The class began halfway through the fall semester of 2009 and has been growing steadily since—some go, and others come in to take their places. 

“I really prefer people with no experience because you don’t have to unlearn things or relearn things or do things differently from what someone else taught you to do,” Simpson said, commenting on the variety of students he had taught in the past. Even so, he extends his expertise and his classes to men and women of all experience levels and welcomes everyone who has a desire to learn more of the ancient martial art.

Although excited about the prospect of a growing karate class at North Greenville, Simpson admits the class is not without its snags. 

“When you have new students coming in all the time, then you’re always having to go back to square one,” Simpson said. “So it’s hard to keep everyone on the same page.” 

Still, he is confident that the wrinkles will soon be smoothed out and hopes that the class will be able to progress efficiently for everyone involved.

Another benefit of Simpson’s class is its compatibility with college students’ funds. 

“Right now it’s just the cost of a uniform [$20],” Simpson said. “But if we can keep it going then there will be club dues that’ll be about $20 a semester.” 

In order to officially compete however, there will also be a $45 annual fee to join the national association, but such membership is, “Only for those who want to test,” Simpson said. 

Compared to the rates of Alliance Jui-jitsu in Greenville which, according to Simpson is $80 per month, or of Upstate Karate in Simpsonville, which reach up to $110 or more per month, Simpson’s rates are a dream for college students. In Simpson’s own words, “It’s just about nothing.”

The class begins every Monday and Thursday night in the cafeteria and lasts from 8:30-10:00.  Anyone with questions about the class or who is at all interested in karate for self defense, or just as a hobby, should contact Brandon Simpson or stop by his office because, as Simpson said, “It’s open to everybody.”

On Feb. 16, the North Greenville women had a chance to knock off the #1 seed Emmanuel College Lions in the National Christian Collegiate Athletic Association (NCCAA) South Regional Tournament in West Palm Beach, Fla. The Lady Crusaders led 33-28 at halftime but the Lions exploded in the second half and came away with an 82-64 win in the first round.

“Emmanuel really didn’t dominate us like you would think looking at the score,” head coach Jayne Arledge said. “We played a great first half, but turned it over at the end of the half and right at the beginning of the second. We held them to 27 percent shooting and forced 11 turnovers in the first half. After that, they got after us.”

Guard Karly Stache, freshman undecided, scored 17 points in the game. Nikki Wood, junior psychology, added 14 points and Amanda Milner, senior psychology, finished with 12 points.

Erin Gray puts up a shot over the Emmanuel College defense. Emmanuel knocked out NGU in the first round of the NCCAA tournament. (Photo by Elizabeth Wood/The Skyliner)

Milner, Bridgett Smith, senior sports management, and Mindy Greenstone, senior early childhood education, were honored before the game on Feb. 21 against the University of West Georgia. The final game of the season for the Lady Crusaders was designated “Senior Day”. NGU (13-15) was unable to slow down the UWG offense and ended the season with an 82-73 loss.

Milner had a dominant final game as she finished with 22 points and nine rebounds. Wood scored 15 points and dished out five assists while Christina Carlis, freshman undecided, came off the bench to score 12 points. Whitney Smith, junior accounting, added 10 points.

“I learned a lot of things of myself and the power of Christ throughout my four years (at NGU). I have made so many good memories and friendships I will never forget.” Greenstone said after her final game as a Lady Crusader. “To next year’s team, I say two things: First, your teammates are like your sisters, keep them close. Second, keep your head up, and just have fun with it!”

Six Crusaders scored in double figures in a 96-74 win over Carver College in Atlanta on Feb. 19. Point guard Tyler Mains, sophomore accounting, who scored a career high 21 points, led NGU.

“We did a nice job on defense the last 12 minutes of the game and rebounded hard,” head coach Chad Lister said. “We were able to pull away by really sharing the basketball tonight. Tyler (Mains) had a big game, and he’s really maturing at the point guard position.”

Other Crusaders in double digits were Kyler Vitko, junior sports management, with 17, Zach Babbitt, sophomore business administration, with 15, and Kyler Booher, sophomore broadcast media, with 14. Paul Harrison, freshman sports management, and Jonathan Bozymowski, freshman undecided, finished with 12 points and 10 points respectively.

On Feb. 21, the North Greenville men (10-16) traveled to Mars Hill, N.C., for a rematch against Mars Hill College. NGU could not stop Lions’ forward P. J. Gore and lost to MHC 91-63.

Babbitt led the offense with 17 points and Bozymowski added 12 points and six rebounds. Harrison had a double-double scoring 10 points and grabbing 11 rebounds, and T. J. Resper, freshman undecided, chipped in 10 points off the bench.

North Greenville’s final home game will be Monday, Feb. 23 when the Crusaders host Reinhardt College of Georgia at 7 p.m. in Hayes Gymnasium. Following that contest, NGU will host the NCCAA South Regional Tournament March 9-11.