On Tuesday, March 9, the North Greenville softball team played an intense double-header against Southern Wesleyan University.

The first game of the day got off to a slow start for both teams, but NGU scored four runs in the bottom of the fourth inning to defeat SWU 4-2. Pitcher Kristyn Smith, sophomore biology, picked up the win for the Crusaders pitching seven innings while allowing only four hits and striking out 11 batters. Outfielder Jessica Turner, junior mathematics, went 1-for-2 for two at the plate and drove in two runs and catcher Lindsey Eargle, senior sports management, went 2-for-3 with one run batted in.

The second game against SWU was a nail-biter all the way to the end. The Lady Warriors started off the game by scoring three runs in the first inning. However, North Greenville took the lead by scoring one run in the second and four in the third. Unfortunately, the Lady Crusaders were unable to hold the lead and gave up three runs in the final two innings losing 6-5.

Pitcher Dana Garcia, freshman undecided, pitched 6 2/3 innings and finished with six strikeouts but came away with the loss. Catcher Whitney Center, freshman business, was 2-for-3 and had three runs-batted-in. First baseman Allison Bailey, junior undecided, had a triple and a two-run homerun in the game.

The Crusaders will travel to Spartanburg Methodist College for a doubleheader tomorrow starting at 3 p.m. They will then travel to Mars Hill College for a doubleheader on Monday before finally coming home April 1 against Piedmont.

Staff Writer

Last week, the annual Christian Worldview Conference took place at North Greenville University. The conference was organized by Dr. Tony Beam, director of the Christian worldview center, who chose the theme for the conference, “Christian Worldview Under Fire.”

This year, Christian Worldview Week featured many keynote speakers who delivered relevant messages on faith and apologetics. Dr. Daniel Akin, president of the Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, spoke in chapel Monday morning. Wednesday’s chapel was led by Barrett Duke of the SBC Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission in Nashville, Tenn.

To complement these services, two bonus chapels were also held. Monday night, Matt Barber of the Liberty Council in Lynchburg, Va., shared a message on the dangers of society’s gradual acceptance of homosexuality. Tuesday night’s chapel was led by Michael Johnson, a lawyer with the Alliance Defense Fund in Scottsdale, Ariz., who delivered a strong message regarding the ACLU’s continuous campaign against the Gospel.

All of the chapel services featured music led by Geof Kimber, a worship leader from Australia.

“I really liked Tuesday night’s bonus chapel, where the speaker spoke on the current battle in the courts with the assault on marriage. It really struck me on how change can be harmful rather than beneficial to the world that we live in,” Wayne Hope, sophomore mathematics, said.

Geof Kimber of Papua New Guinea leads North Greenville University students in a night of worship during the Christian Worldview week, March 16th through the 18th. Bonus chapel services were offered to all students while speakers addressed issues in today’s society. (Photo by: Joseph Huntley/ The Skyliner)

Dr. Steve Crouse, vice president for campus ministries, believes the mission of Christian Worldview Week was conveyed clearly and accurately.

”The purpose of the week,” Crouse said, “is to expose students to the need for a biblical worldview if we, as believers, are to impact our culture for the cause of Christ. Some believe that all we need to do is love people and share the gospel. Certainly those things are important in living out the Christian life, but we must also seek to influence our culture and deal with issues like corporate sin, cultural godliness and social injustice.”

Crouse expressed concern that many students at NGU and other Christian universities fail to see the need for defending the faith in the public arena, stating that it is our duty as God’s followers to defend our right to religious liberty and the privilege to share the Gospel.

“I believe that a biblical Christian worldview is foundational for believers to be change agents in the world,” Crouse said. “I have been aware of these issues for many years. The conferences help me keep up-to-date with current issues and debates that are attacking the advancement of the gospel. It helps me to be proactive through how I vote and how I influence elected officials and hold them accountable.”

Photo by: Daniel Jamison/The Skyliner

The Crusaders went into Friday hoping to piece together their first winning streak of the season.

The West Virginia State Yellow Jackets kept NGU in check for most of the game and took a 12-3 lead and that’s when freshman Derek Fulmer, freshman business, hit a three-run shot in the seventh inning that pulled NGU within that pulled the Crusaders within six.

Fulmer came through again for the Crusaders in the bottom of the ninth inning hitting a two-run homer to pull the Crusaders within 3 at 13-10. Rand Stegall, junior business administration, then stepped to the plate with the bases loaded and two outs and crushed one into deep center only to have it fall 15 feet short of the fence as the Jackets won 13-10.

The Crusaders would come no closer in the next two games losing the second 13-2 and the final game on Saturday 6-1.

Fulmer was the standout for the Crusaders this weekend finishing 5-for-13 with seven RBIs and two home runs, which brings his season total to five. The Crusaders were out hit in that series 43-22.

The Crusders’ next game is against Brevard College in Brevard N.C. The first pitch is set for 2 p.m.

Twitter, a social network to post one’s status, continues to impact more and more people with its simple set-up.

According to readwriteweb.com, “Last night, Nielsen Online reported that Twitter has now surpassed Facebook and others to become the fastest-growing site in the ‘Member Communities’ category for the month of February.”

“The ease of use is great. I love the instant connection with friends,” James Eaton, sophomore media ministry, said. “It has changed the way I communicate with friends, family and others.”

North Greenville University students use Twitter in varying degrees and for differing reasons.

“I use twitter many times a day, just whenever I think about it or have something to say that doesn’t quite justify a blog post,” Alex Reynolds, junior media ministry, said.

Some students connect Twitter to update their statuses on multiple social networks, such as Facebook.

“It is different than any other type of site. It is very versatile. My Twitter updates are sent to my facebook, blog and tumbler,” Eaton said.

Twitter began about three years ago and became public in the fall of 2006.

According to twitter.com, “Twitter is a service for friends, family, and co–workers to communicate and stay connected through the exchange of quick, frequent answers to one simple question: What are you doing?”

“It really is a great tool,” Eaton said. “Any time I ask a question, I get a number of responses in an hour. I have been able to connect and dialogue with church leaders around the country that never would have happened without Twitter.”

While Obvious supported Twitter originally, the site’s popularity produced Twitter Incorporated in May 2007.

“I think (and the research shows) that Twitter has been growing exponentially over the past few months and its growth rate continues to increase,” Reynolds said.

One appeal related to Twitter remains its simplicity in a complex computer age.

“Simplicity has played an important role in Twitter’s success. People are eager to connect with other people and Twitter makes that simple,” twitter.com says.

Along with its simplicity, Twitter focuses on one question, “What are you doing?”

“It creates an online culture [of] pure information without the distractions of secondary and tertiary things that could distract,” Reynolds said.

Twitter possesses the capability to communicate quickly and concisely thoughts, circumstances or news.

“I use Twitter for many things, from sharing what I’m up to at the moment of the “tweet” to sharing some sort of piece of information that I have come across that I think I should pass along,” Reynolds said. “It’s also good for just the general funny happenings in life. I like Twitter because I can share small bits of information… micro-blogging.”

Some people differ about the usefulness of Twitter with some apathetic and others passionate.

“I don’t use it, and I’m not that interested to look up how to or why I should,” Meg Kiel, senior interdisciplinary, said.

“It is addictive,” Eaton said, “I have actually given up Twitter for lent. I had really become obsessed with my online persona and building my status. I think Twitter is great, you just have to manage your time.”

The team placed 2nd with the highest score of all divisions at the competition: 520 of 600 points. This was the team’s second year competing. Maegan Bearden was unable to compete due to a knee injury that occured days before the competition.

“This team was an inspiration to me as a coach and reminded me again this is why I coach,” coach Jessie Coram said.

Barack Obama has passed the 50-day mark as President of the United States, but what are Christian leaders saying about Obama and his presidency?

“Evangelical churches are reacting negatively for the most part while some are cautiously awaiting the outcome of his decisions and policies,” Dr. Frank Page, pastor of Taylors First Baptist, said. “There is a great deal of concern on the part of most of the evangelical churches.”

Obama has lifted Bush’s ban on federal funding for stem cell research, passed a $787 billion economic stimulus plan, released his plan to withdrawal from Iraq, boosted troop numbers in Afghanistan and chose to close Guantanamo Bay prison. In a recent NBC poll, Obama has a 60% approval rating.

Dr. Page is on President Obama’s Council on Faith Based and Neighborhood Partnerships. Page said he accepted this position to bring “a more conservative biblical voice.”  

“I have not been very impressed with the leadership of President Obama at this point,” Page said.

Page is disappointed with Obama’s spending, lack of confidence given to the business community and the steps he has taken to remove protection from unborn babies. He has met with the President and will be meeting with him again. Page has conveyed to the President his concern for the unborn, the needy in our society and the protection of marriage as an institution between a man and woman.

Stuart Fuller, leader of Radius Church, describes the current political situation as tense. He says the church is generally reacting in fear. 

“Fear in him failing, specifically economically, because the church in America enjoys comfort as much as anyone does. Fear in him succeeding because I think the church has become so intrinsically linked with a political party that we don’t know what to do if the ‘other’ party does something good,” Fuller said. “It was much easier for the church to say ‘I told you so’ to Bill Clinton’s moral failure…not so with Obama. It’s more of a catch-22.”

Fuller gives President Obama negative ratings for filling too many gaps of people’s failure: poverty, greed, etc. However, Fuller provides the President a positive rating for trying as he promised. 

“I don’t think a day has gone by in the past month where he hasn’t made a pretty significant decision,” Fuller said.

Fuller says to claim all truth, whether from a Republican or a Democrat, as God’s truth. 

“Our allegiance isn’t to a flag, a country, or a political party. We are citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven… and Jesus is King. Political parties don’t own truth and goodness,” Fuller said. “The government, at best, can control behavior. Only Jesus can change the heart.”

Keith Humphrey, a leader for Christian Exodus, a Christian-based social group in Greenville, says if he had the chance, he would refuse a meeting with the President and “denounce him as an illegal impostor.” 

“Mainstream Christianity regards Obama as a threat to traditional family values primarily because of his extremist globalist communist ideology,” Humphrey said. “We believe that Obama has been more effective than any president since Abraham Lincoln, in completely destroying the American economy and any remaining vestiges of Constitutional governance.”

Humphrey said Christians should follow Jesus rather than support the government.

Tony Campolo, evangelical author, speaker, and professor, told Relevant magazine it is imperative for Christians and non-Christians to be involved in politics.

“What we need to affirm is that Jesus is neither a Democrat nor a Republican,” Campolo said. “Whenever we marry Jesus to a political party, we are committing the sin of idolatry. We are making Jesus into the image of our political party.”

When asked, Redemption World Outreach said they choose to be neutral, help their congregation interpret the Bible, and let them make up their own minds in the area of politics.  

“Christians must be very prayerful in following their convictions and at the same time support the government,” Page said. “Scripture commands that we have respect for those in authority and pray for them.”

The women’s tennis team won the first annual Greer College Cup by defeating Newberry 8-2 overall, 2-1 in doubles and 6-1 in singles. The startup tournament, hosted by the Greer Tennis Association, hopes to add more teams next year and become increasingly competitive.

“I think it was a good start for the tournament,” Crusaders head coach Mark Eliot said. “We started with one team coming this year, and next year we hope to have three or four teams coming in. It’s a good first step.”

Salem Erni, junior interdisciplinary studies, and Katherine Shaw, freshman undecided, lost their number one doubles match 5-8. Number two pair Cassie Curtis, freshman secondary education, and Courtney Lynn, senior psychology, won 8-1, and Natalie Stewart, sophomore business administration, and Sarah Stanga, sophomore business administration, won 8-1 in the number three match.

Erni, the Lady Crusaders’ number one, fell 4-6, 4-6, but North Greenville went on to win six straight matches. Shaw, Stanga, and Stewart all shut out their opponents 6-0, 6-0, and Lynn won 6-1, 6-2. Curtis and Stephanie Tyrpak, senior broadcast media/Spanish both won their matches 6-1, 6-0. North Greenville was without Sherie Curtis, senior elementary education.

“The girls played very well, even without Sherie,” Eliot said. “The other girls stepped up and picked up the slack.”

The game marked the halfway point of the team’s six-game homestand. The win also gave the Lady Crusaders a winning record at 4-3. North Greenville will host USC-Lancaster Friday at 3 p.m. and Piedmont Saturday at 2 p.m.

Newberry edged the men’s team 5-4 to win their share of the Cup. North Greenville won 2-1 in doubles but fell 2-4 in singles.

“They’re a good team that’s ranked in the top 40 (in NCAA Division II),” Eliot said. “I’d like to have won, but we did not lose because of lack of effort.”

Jacob Rogers, senior Christian studies, and Juan Carlos Aguilera, senior economics, the Crusaders’ number one doubles pair, fell 6-8, Gabriel Altmayer, senior international business, and Timor Kamilov, freshman undecided, were victorious 8-3, and Guilherme Vasques, senior business administration, and William Ho, senior marketing/business administration, won the third match 8-2.

Altmayer lost a close singles match 6-5, 6-5, and Kamilou fell 6-2, 3-6, 3-6 in overtime. Rogers fell 0-6, 2-6, and Aguilera fell 6-3, 6-7. Vasques and Ho picked up the only singles wins on the day. Vasques defeated his opponent 6-4, 6-3, and Ho gutted out a 6-4, 2-6, 11-9 victory.

North Greenville had won three of four matches coming into the game, and their record fell to 3-5.

The Crusaders will face USC-Lancaster Friday at 3 p.m. and Piedmont Saturday at 2 p.m.

Kevin McCreary’s internship with Focus on the Family inspried him to pursue his dreams in a world of new media through entertaining podcasts. (Photo by Trey Lancaster / The Skyliner)

Kevin McCreary, senior broadcast media, has his own podcast, which is a combination of audio and/or video that is made available for download.

“I have always loved audio work, ever since I was a kid I was recording stuff on cassette,” McCreary said. “So I guess early on I had a passion for dramatized audio.”

That is the main reason he got into broadcasting, to further himself in audio recording in any way he could.

It all started last year when media professor Andy Stevens approached McCreary and asked if he would be interested in an internship at Focus on the Family (the producers of Adventures in Odyssey), because Stevens had gotten an email from one of the people there looking for interns from college.

McCreary jumped on the idea and applied right away. He was accepted and went to Colorado Springs for the summer and worked for Focus on the Family.

“That is where I started Tadpole Radio, [a] media group dedicated to bringing quality audio entertainment through new media outlets, primarily podcasting right now. We currently have three podcast series we are putting out,” McCreary said.   

The first podcast they started is called The Ceiling Fan, and it is a comedy show parodying the obsessive nature of Adventures in Odyssey fandom and it centers around one kid who claims to be the biggest Odyssey fan ever.

The second show they have started is called The Tadpole. The first episode was released earlier this month and is available at thetabpoleseries.blogspot.com. It is a comedic show about two college guys and their everyday lives on the campus of a fictional school called Northward University. They even have voice actors in other states that are helping them out

“It has been amazing how many people have been willing to help with these projects, from ideas to voices to writing,” McCreary said. 

One of the new shows they have coming out is called The Man Outstanding in his Field, which is a little more serious show and it was McCreary’s father’s idea. The show is hosted by a character named Sam Allan, who is a farmer who takes a look at current issues from a common sense perspective. That one should be out in the next few weeks.

You can find out about all these shows and more at Tadpoleradio.com

One of the hardest things about all of this for Kevin is balancing time and money. As a student here at NGU, he has to focus on his classes, and that is why he tries to delegate his ideas to others. 

“The downside is that I have to be willing to let someone else be creative with my ideas and to make changes as they see fit,” McCreary said, “I also have to be careful because we currently don’t make any money off of these shows.”

He is still producing and editing the Official Adventures in Odyssey Podcast every now and then and gets paid for that.

In today’s society everyone is on the go. Most people have schedules that consist of racing from one event to the other or spending the day trying to manage everything they are involved in. 

Energy drinks such as Red Bull, NOS and Monster have become a popular fix for people who need the quick “pick me up” to make it through their day.

However, studies have shown several negative side effects from consumption of energy drinks. In all actuality, they are simply glorified sodas containing more sugar and caffeine. The average soda holds 25-40 milligrams of caffeine, whereas most energy drinks have double that. 

One new type of energy drink advertises a whopping 280 milligrams of caffeine per can! When caffeine is in the system too long, risk of insomnia and dehydration may follow. However, the increase in heart rate and blood pressure from the excessive amounts of caffeine is the main risk associated with these energy drinks. 

Although they might provide a short burst of energy needed to tackle certain immediate tasks, they do not provide the necessary hydration and often times result in a “crash” from too much sugar. 

So next time you go to purchase an energy drink, think to yourself, “how much energy am I truly getting?”and consider alternatives such as a group sport, a walk or more sleep.

It’s that time of year again: March Madness has begun. Basketball fans everywhere waited anxiously to see when, where and who their favorite team would play against.

Now that the tournament matchups have been selected, even non-basketball fans are filling out their brackets and making up competitions of their own.

With ESPN cameras rolling, President Obama himself even took time to fill out a bracket. Obama had plenty of opinions about the various teams in the tournament. He picked North Carolina and Louisville to meet in the final game and North Carolina to win it all.

ESPN’s Andy Katz commented on Obama’s upset pick of Utah over Arizona. But Obama assured Katz that it had nothing to do with the fact that Obama’s former presidential opponent John McCain resides in Arizona.

“I think Arizona is a great state. I love playing golf there. But they just squeaked in,” Obama said in explanation of his choice.

North Greenville students have been busy making their own selections.

Many have joined the 2009 Bracket Challenge hosted by facebook.com. By adding this application to your facebook profile, you can play in a public pool or invite your friends and make a pool of your own.

Other students have joined contests put together by their Bible study groups.

Most of the sports analysts are picking North Carolina to win the national championship on April 6 in Detroit. Louisville and Pittsburgh are other favorites in the tournament.

Even if you do not have a favorite team to pull for and you are basing your picks on a team’s colors, you may find you get more right than the biggest basketball fan you know. 

Even if you are not a fan of the sport, it can be fun to see how many picks you can get right. If you are lucky, you may even accurately guess which “Cinderella” team will provide a huge upset.

Bracketology, the name for the process of predicting game winners in the NCAA tournament, is far from an exact science.

If you have not filled out a bracket yet, you can easily print off a bracket from ESPN.com. Even though the games have already started, you can still make the second round picks.

There is much fun and frustration to be had when filling out a bracket.

So take a few minutes from your week, get a few friends together and start up your own competition to see who can correctly pick the most winners.

First-year head coach Jamey Chadwell continued to revamp the North Greenville football program last week. Six of the seven assistants who coached under Mike Taylor last year were let go, and Chadwell named his replacements last Friday.

Butch Berry will step in as offensive coordinator and offensive line coach, and Skylor Magee and Chad Staggs will be co-defensive coordinators in place of Mitch Hall. Magee will also coach the defensive line, and Staggs will coach the linebackers. Jonathan Wheeler will manage the defensive backs, and Jonathon Chadwell, the head coach’s brother, will replace former Furman player Justin Stepp as wide receivers coach.

Matt Durham, running backs coach, is the only Taylor-era survivor.

“You want to be around guys that you know and you trust and who believe in what the university is about,” Chadwell said. “These guys that we’ve brought in represent the ideals of the people that I want our players to emulate.”

Chadwell is hoping to take advantage of the continuity among the defensive coaches, who served as graduate assistants together at the University of South Carolina.

“The defensive staff has all worked together, so that makes the transition go smoothly,” Chadwell said.

Magee joined the staff from Nicholls State, a Football Championship Subdivision program, and Staggs followed Chadwell from Charleston Southern, also an FCS program. Wheeler is a Columbia native who played defensive back for Wofford from 2001-2004.

“Personally I think that you can come from any level and be a successful coach, but being at those places, other coaches recognize that you have knowledge and expertise,” said Chadwell. “We’ve brought in guys from high school to I-AA, guys who we think will be successful.”

Chadwell has already left his mark on the Crusaders program since being named head coach Feb. 6. The players’ workouts have intensified with the hope with the hope that discipline and dedication in the weight room will translate positively on the field. Players are required to participate in running drills five days per week and lifting exercises four day per week.

 “The new system is fast-paced and mentally challenging,” offensive lineman Jordan Floro, sophomore interdisciplinary studies said. “But I think the discipline will show out on the field.”

Staggs and Magee will direct a 3-4 defense, utilizing three defensive linemen and four defensive linebackers, led by Division II All-American linebacker Andre Bernardi, senior sport management, first team All-ICAA defensive back Xavier Boykin, junior sport management, and second team All-ICAA linebacker Nick Rosamonda, freshman sport management.

The offensive attack will be led by quarterback Richard Harb, junior history, who will return with a year of experience under his belt. The Crusaders will be without the running back tandem of Matt Moore, senior business administration/accounting, and Rashad Cummings, senior sport management/business administration, due to graduation.

“We’ve been encouraged by the response from the players, because we’re trying to implement a lot of different things,” Chadwell said. “We’re trying to put our stamp on the way we do things, because we think that is how we’ll be successful.”

Over spring break a number of students were able to travel to Honduras, Ecuador, Hungary, Romania and India to participate in missions.

The Honduras team was led by Burl Walker and Dr. Warren. The team consisted of eight students, including four Spanish speaking students. The team spent a week leading Bible study small groups and recreation at a church youth camp.

On  Feb. 23, the film club at North Greenville University held an exciting meeting. Using the convenience of Skype, a free internet source that allows friends to communicate with each other regardless of any distance, they interviewed their first guest speaker.

Scott Derrickson, director of The Exorcism of Emily Rose and The Day the Earth Stood Still, informed the students about Hollywood directing and excitement. Kimberly Robinson, alumni, contacted Professor Shur Gopal, the faculty advisor and facilitator for the film club, and helped him contact Derrickson. 

“Derrickson spent an hour talking face to face with the students on the importance of storyline, pitching and career prospects in Hollywood,” Gopal said. “It was so nice of Scott to give an hour of his time to the NGU Film Club, answering every question the students had.”

North Greenville University students, administration, faculty and friends are trusting God to restore their hearts and minds after the tragic loss of Brandon McDaniel. Brandon was killed in a one-car accident Tuesday morning, March 18 between 3 and 5 a.m. 

Since the announcement of his death, Brandon’s friends and family have posted over 80 expressions of love, pictures, tagged notes and blogs on his facebook page. Most of the messages spoke directly to Brandon and expressed a promise to see him again in heaven. Many spoke of his talent as a musician and his service to his Savior.

Brandon had just returned from a weeklong trip to India with the Missionary Media Minitstries class led by Dr. Linwood Hagin and Shur Gopal.

“Brandon was one of my very best students,” Gopal said. “He was quiet, observant, sharp and very respectful of his professors. He loved the Lord with all his heart. I will certainly miss him in my classes as well as in my life.”

The members of the India mission team were quick to say the time spent together was an extremely powerful experience.

“Brandon was an amazing friend to me. I’m so grateful that I had the privilege of spending the week in India with him,” Jared Barber, senior media ministry, said. “Giving and loving were the essence of Brandon, because he understood true love. He had Christ in his life and that is the greatest example of love. Brandon, I love you bro, I’ll see you soon.”

Brandon’s long time friend and fellow India traveler Trey Lancaster said, “Brandon was a great friend. We knew each other for about four and a half years and he was always there to listen to the stuff I had to say, and was willing to give me advice and encouragement. He was so on fire for God and wasn’t afraid or ashamed to share his faith and beliefs with anyone at anytime. I loved him as a brother. Hold fast, BrandonBi (Bi means brother in Bengali, a language spoken in India). I miss you bro.

Brandon was a guitar player back-up vocalist for the Christian music group mycalvary. They traveled all over the Carolinas and surrounding areas, including the chapel on NGU campus in the 2008 spring semester, sharing the stage with Christian rapper, Lecrae. 

During his time in India, Brandon spoke passionately about the adventures with his team:

“God is working. God is moving. God is convicting. God is breaking. God is building. God is doing huge things and He is using the country of India to show me how real those things are. We serve a God that is active. We serve a God that convicts and changes lives all over the world in all types of cultures. He is passionate about His people and desires for them to know Him and to live their lives for Him. It is a beautiful thing.”

Hunting for a restaurant that serves great barbecue at a fair price? Maybe you should consider someplace other than Huntin’ Camp.

Huntin’ Camp Barbecue and Grill serves up a buffet that includes pulled pork barbecue, barbecue chicken, rice, green beans, potato salad, slaw and sweet potatoes. The menu also includes sandwich plates, ribs and wings.

Travelers Rest’s newest barbecue restaurant, Huntin’ Camp, has an inviting, rustic atmosphere. The mediocre food may not be worth the money, though. (Photo by: Jennilyn Dempsey/ The Skyliner)

My fiancé and I decided to go with the buffet, but we finished our meal a bit disappointed. Everything tasted fine, but the food could have been a little warmer and a little tastier, considering we spent over $20 for our meal.

The pulled pork tasted fine to me, but some may find that it isn’t chopped finely enough to provide the perfect texture. I chose to drizzle both hot and mustard barbecue sauces on my pulled pork, which tasted pretty good. But I nibbled on my fiancé’s barbecue with mild sauce, and it did nothing for my taste buds.

The choice of side items is excellent. When I started filling my plate, I was looking forward to trying a taste of the steamed rice, southern-style green beans, baked beans, slaw and sweet potatoes.

Everything would have been excellent had it not been for food temperature. The green beans were cold, and everything else was just lukewarm. Even the slaw was bordering on room temperature.

On a more positive note, the wait staff at Huntin’ Camp are friendly. We were given the option of a table or a booth and immediately served with warm hush puppies once we sat down.

The waitress returned with our drinks right after we ordered them, and she checked on us at least once or twice.

The atmosphere of the restaurant matches its country-sounding name. Huntin’ Camp is essentially a glorified log cabin with a wide, rocking chair laden front porch.

Inside is cozy, with cushy booths and family-style tables ready for guests. The walls are exposed wood with antlers and other boondocks paraphernalia hanging on them.

The so-so food and the relatively high price is the reason I give Huntin’ Camp a rating of three out of five. It’s definitely not a good date night destination, but it could possibly satisfy a desperate craving for barbecue.

Huntin’ Camp is located about five miles from campus at 2221 Highway 25 in Travelers Rest. The restaurant is open every day except Monday. Hours are: Tuesday – Thursday 11 a.m. – 8 p.m., Friday and Saturday 11 a.m. – 9 p.m.

Try Mutt’s BBQ in Greer for better barbecue. The price range is about the same as Huntin’ Camp, but the food is much more satisfying.

The pulled pork is chopped finer, all the barbecue sauces are excellent and the sides are always delicious and served fresh.

For a great value, grab a Family Pack for a double date or dorm room picnic and get one and one-half pounds of barbecue, three pints of sides, six buns, 12 hush puppies and a gallon of tea for $24.99.

Mutt’s is located at the corner of West Road and Highway 14 between I-85 and downtown Greer. Hours are: Monday – Thursday 11 a.m. – 8 p.m., Friday and Saturday 11 a.m. – 9 p.m. and Sunday 11 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.

If spring break left you wanting more, then do not worry. With spring in full swing, a list of new movies comes to the cinemas. And what better to take away the stress of papers, class and upcoming exams than a good flick? Here is a preview of a few promising films due out over the next couple of months.

Fast and Furious

In the fourth installment of the tuner car series, Fast and Furious brings the original cast back for the first time since the first movie. The plot of Fast and Furious brings ex-con Dom Toretto and agent Brian O’Connor back to Los Angeles, after a crime is committed by a common enemy. Fast and Furious stars Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Jordana Brewster and Michelle Rodriguez. The PG-13 movie is directed by Justin Lin and releases on April 3.

Dragonball Evolution

In the upcoming adaptation from the cartoon show, Dragonball, the show comes to life with the plot following Goku’s quest to find the legendary dragonballs so that the evil Piccolo cannot take over the world. Dragonball is rated PG. It stars Justin Chatwin, Chow Yun-Fat and Emily Rossum and releases on April 8.

Star Trek

The USS Enterprise makes its’ newest appearance on the big screen in J.J. Abrams biggest project yet, Star Trek. Star Trek is going to account for the early James T. Kirk along with other Enterprise crew members. Within the first 24 hours of Star Trek’s trailer being released, it broke records with 1.8 million downloads.  Star Trek is the eleventh film in the series and releases May 8. The movie stars Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Eric Bana and Winona Ryder. It is rated PG-13.

Terminator: Salvation

In the 4th chapter of the Terminator series the end begins. The film picks up later in John Connor’s life, in post-apocalyptic 2018, when Skynet’s robots and terminators rule the earth. Connor is still leading the human resistance against Skynet’s killer machines, and again is left with the responsibility of saving mankind from annihilation. Terminator: Salvation stars Christian Bale, Sam Worthington and Bryce Dallas Howard. You read that right, no Schwarzenegger for the first time in the four Terminator movies. Terminator: Salvation opens May 21. Terminator: Salvation is rated PG-13.

Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian

In the sequel to the hit original Night at the Museum, Larry Daley has to recover his museum buddies, Jedidiah and Octavious, from the Smithsonian bringing the same fun and adventure as the first movie. All of the original cast return for this sequel: Ben Stiller, Robin Williams and Owen Wilson. The movie also stars Amy Adams and Bill Hader. Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian hits theaters May 22 and is rated PG.