North Greenville University: “Where Christ makes the difference.” Every student within this campus is familiar with the University’s slogan. It is constantly printed and sported on T-shirts, notebooks and even sweatpants.

My original intention with this article was to lecture the student body about the difference Christ can make on a Christian campus, if only we would allow Him. To be perfectly honest, I felt for some reason that I had the right and spiritual authority to encourage students to form better attitudes.

Earlier this week, I casually mentioned to my roommate that I wished students would stop being so self-focused. As I complained aloud, a girl standing near me became visibly upset. This was when I realized how immature I was being. How could I possibly believe that I am any more like Christ than other students on this campus?

I thought, if only I could demonstrate to people that their attitudes are unlike that of Christ, the whole campus would experience an enormous spiritual revelation. Yet, no matter how many faults we find in others, we must begin with ourselves. A difference is not made in many people at the same time. A difference is made in one person, and Christ allows and encourages that difference to be passed along to others.

I had planned to sit at my computer and type this article in an attempt to reveal to students their selfish and foolish behavior. Yet, as I was complaining aloud a few nights ago, I blatantly ignored the other students around me in my own selfish desire to evaluate the problems that seem to plague campus. I soon realized that I most often find these insufficiencies within myself. My desire to see the campus turn to God comes from a deep desire to see my own life surrender to Christ.

What is the “difference” on this campus? Obviously, the difference is Christ, but what does that really mean? The difference is carrying one another’s burdens and encouraging those around us to pursue Christ with their lives. The difference is being willing to share Christ’s love, hope and salvation.

I am guilty, if not most guilty, of wishing others would live their lives more similar to Christ. My desire to see campus grow closer to God has led me to examine my own heart more carefully.

North Greenville University has the ability to be the difference in a world that desperately needs Christ. We must first begin with ourselves, and then encourage others to follow our lead.

A hearty welcome, a homemade meal and high quality conversation are hard to come by these days, but Café @ Williams Hardware mixes these ingredients to make a memorable dining experience.

When a North Greenville student thinks about Travelers Rest, the first thought is “Walmart,” the next is “that town you drive through to get downtown.”

No more than a mile from Walmart, Café @ Williams Hardware is bringing a new meaning to Travelers Rest. If a student is looking for a break from the cafeteria or an original gift this should be the first place to look.

While looking at the menu one will notice a trend, the word “homemade” precedes most food items. This isn’t just for looks, it’s proven later when customers sink their teeth into the pecan-encrusted chicken salad, rueben, or pound cake. It is, without a doubt, homemade comfort food.

“If a rueben sandwich is on a menu I have to try it. I’ve had good ones and bad ones—this one is great,” Marianne Rollins, a Travelers Rest native who was visiting with family and friends on her trip from her home in Chicago, said.

This cozy establishment is sisters Joyce and Nancy McCarrell’s way of giving back to the community.

“We wanted to be an active part in the revitalization of Travelers Rest,” Nancy said.

“We want to invite the NGU students to come to the Café. Our prices are very reasonable for the quality and quantity of food we serve…. We do live music, at least on the first Saturday of each month, and sometimes more often. We may be the closest place to campus where you can pick up a gift, if you need one. If you just need a quiet place in the afternoon to do some work, this is the place. The gift shop is open until 6 each day. We’re closed on Sunday,” Joyce said.

Rain or shine, Café @ Williams Hardware accommodates each person that walks through the doors. You can choose to sit outside, rock on the screened-in porch, or dine at the tables inside. Fresh cut flower arrangements are found on each table, a cup never runs dry, and the opportunity to make new friends is available if you choose to accept.

“It’s the way it was ‘back in the day,’ when this actually was a hardware store and the guys would sit around the pot-bellied stove and talk or tell tales,” Joyce said.

The Café is conveniently located beside the new Swamp Rabbit Trail. The McCarrells invite students to drop in for a refreshing snack or dinner date while enjoying a walk, ride, or run on the recreation trail that stretches from Travelers Rest to Greenville. The venue is also open for wedding events, showers and reunions.

Despite the old fashioned environment this new restaurant is very modern when it comes to accommodating you with WiFi Internet access. Daily specials and more information can be found at cafeatwilliamshardware.com or on its active blog. You can even join their Facebook fan page.

In an effort to expand the school’s academic and professional reach, North Greenville University has recently implemented Blackboard, an Internet-based course management system that is more reliable, user friendly and flexible than other systems the school has used in the past.

Why switch to Blackboard?

The university has previously used an open source system named Moodle, which is called iDEAL on campus. Because the system was maintained by the school, no outside technical support existed.

“Reasons for changing away from iDEAL include a perceived weakness in the system, a lack of a full array of functions and the need for a higher level of system reliability,” Dr. Bill Stuermann, chair of modern languages and linguistics, said. He has been testing Blackboard and teaching other faculty members to use the system.

NGU also made the switch because one management system would be more efficient and effective than several. Campus community, iDEAL and Sharepoint will all be phased out.

“The adaption of Blackboard indicates a higher level of professional operations at NGU,” Stuermann said.

He also indicated that the new system will allow NGU to grow technologically.

“Once the use of a course management system is in place, then it is easy to integrate other technologies which enhance the learning environment, such as the use of podcasting to capture individual class meetings so that they can be easily replayed for students who missed the class,” Stuermann said.

Stuermann and Chris Sloan, academic technology support specialist, both agree that the main benefit of using Blackboard is that the system is centrally supported and there is access to outside technical support.

“The greatest advantage is the stability and reliability of Blackboard and the fact that it is supported by a highly competent and trained team of IT experts,” Stuermann said.

The system is also beneficial for students and faculty because it is much more user friendly than other systems.

“It’s a more organized piece of software for anybody,” Sloan said.

Why is Blackboard better?

Both students and faculty will experience more flexibility with Blackboard.

The company recently made it easier for students to study and organize assignments with the release of an application for the iPhone and iPod Touch (visit iTunes to download).

Blackboard helps with student organization as well.

“The course management system makes available to all users the documents and assignments within a course. There are no more lost syllabi, mistaken assignments, etc,” Stuermann said.

The system will help faculty grade assignments quickly and easily. Blackboard SafeAssign watches for plagiarism, while Acxiom checks the identity of test takers.

“Acxiom uses public records on the Internet to put together a series of questions that only you would know,” Sloan said. This will cut down on students taking tests and doing assignments for other students.

Blackboard also “seems to be more robust than iDEAL in that it can accommodate different … methods of teaching,” Sloan said.

Professors and students can also keep track of grades with just a few clicks.

“Using course management software … provides users with the ability to immediately and constantly track grades in classes and to verify that those grades have been entered correctly,” Stuermann said.

Are there problems with Blackboard?

So far, no major problems have been encountered. The main frustrations are “making sure user logins are correct, making sure courses show up—things you would expect to happen when you first start up. Those are holes we are quickly patching,” Sloan said.

Stuermann says the feedback from students and faculty has been mostly positive.

“[Students and faculty] are glad to have a system which they consider to be heavier duty, which won’t tend to fail as frequently. There have been the usual complaints about changing systems which always arise during such a transition,” he said.

What’s next for NGU and Blackboard?

With the addition of Blackboard, NGU will be able to offer more online classes. It is not clear when new online courses will be implemented, however.

And because Blackboard gives NGU a new aspect of professionalism, more potential students could consider attending.

“The use of course management software by an institution indicates a level of technological awareness and sophistication which strengthens the institution.

On the one hand, the institution must reach a particular level to effectively employ the technology; on the other hand, the use of course management software by the institution tends to draw new and more students to the institution as opposed to those institutions which do not use course management software. The latter find it increasingly harder to compete for the better prepared students,” Stuermann said.

Blackboard is another step forward for North Greenville, both professionally and technologically.

“[It] is merely just another building block to making teaching, learning and communication more effective and efficient,” Stuermann said.

After a three-year Comatose state, Skillet “awakens” with its new album, appropriately titled Awake. Released on Aug. 25, 2009, Awake is a follow up to the 2006 release Comatose, which effectively launched the members of the band into mass popularity inside the Christian music sector and out. Awake has been a highly-anticipated album and impressively debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard charts.

Skillet has been around since 1996, but the band didn’t gain widespread popularity until the release of 2006’s Comatose. Since then, the band has gained fans of all ages; ranging from kids in junior high to college students to middle -aged adults. They also gained a new drummer after Lori Peters left in 2007; she was replaced by gifted powerhouse Jen Ledger at the beginning of 2008. Ledger has proven to be an excellent addition to the band in both her drumming and vocal skills. Now, Skillet has made more changes in the right direction with the release of Awake.

Although Awake still has the gritty hard rock sound and signature throaty vocals of front-man John Cooper, the new album switches it up a bit.

“We never want to make the same record twice and that’s why Awake keeps it fresh and surprising. We’ve built off several of the epic elements, orchestration, piano parts and male/female vocal tradeoffs on several songs, but there’s also a balance of straight up rock stuff and tunes that are a little bit stripped down in comparison,” Cooper said on the band’s Myspace page.

Indeed, most of the tracks on the album do have a more raw sound than Comatose did.

The current singles from the 12-track album are the infectious “Hero” and “Monster,” which debuted earlier this year during the Comatose tour. These tracks are two of the hardest tracks on the album, in addition to “Awake and Alive,” “It’s Not Me It’s You,” and “Sometimes.”

“Awake and Alive” is probably the most intricate track, which has the addition of strings throughout the whole song and drummer Jen Ledger’s vocals.

“Don’t Wake Me” is a sweet power ballad of a love lost.

“One Day Too Late” reminds listeners to live meaningful lives and “Forgiven” seems to be a prayer asking for forgiveness.

Overall, Awake doesn’t disappoint. The album includes a good mix of hard-hitting, catchy rock numbers along with just the right amount of lyrical power ballads. To live up to the greatness of an album like Comatose would be hard for any band, but Skillet accomplished the feat with the release of Awake. Only time will tell what the future holds for this amazingly talented quartet, but fans can be assured that Skillet is heading in the right direction regardless.

(Photo by Ron Edmonds/Associated Press)

On Wednesday, Sept. 9, in an address to Congress, President Barack Obama clarified his plan for national health care. He has been working to pass widespread health coverage to those who already have existing health insurance and to those who do not. Obama’s goal is to provide high-quality, affordable healthcare for all citizens.

Many are skeptical of the President’s proposal due to anxiety over additional deficits in an already poor economy. Obama insists that national health care will not add to the nation’s recession.

“The plan will not add to our deficit. The middle class will realize greater security, not higher taxes. And if we are able to slow the growth of health care costs by just one-tenth of 1 percent each year, it will actually reduce the deficit by $4 trillion over the long term,” Obama said.

The plan promises that quality health care will be a priority. The President wishes to improve the way care is delivered to patients. The health care plan proposes that hospitals will have a greater incentive to treat patients with better care to avoid readmissions.

The President’s plan will promote medical professionals to identify waste, fraud and maltreatment in the health care system.

“This will create an independent commission, made up of doctors and medical experts to make recommendations to Congress each year on how to promote greater efficiency and higher quality in Medicare,” Obama said.

Obama recalled President Theodore Roosevelt’s proposal for national health care. He remarked that America has failed to meet the challenge President Roosevelt first presented. There are currently 30 million Americans without health care. One in every three Americans in a two year time period is without health insurance of any kind. And with the current economical situation, 14,000 Americans have lost their health care coverage.

“We spend one and a half more times per person on health care than any other country, and we aren’t any healthier for it,” Obama said. “Our health care system is placing an unsustainable burden on taxpayers. When health care costs grow at the rate they have, it puts greater pressure on programs like Medicare and Medicaid. Put simply, our health care problem is our deficit problem. Nothing else even comes close.”

Sandye James, mother of six in Anderson, S.C., is nervous to accept a national health care plan.

“If a person complains of a toothache and they need a filling, a dentist would most likely pull the tooth instead of spending more money to provide a filling. They are going to perform the most inexpensive care since everyone will be covered with health insurance.”

Many Americans share this concern, yet Obama continues to insist that medical professionals will reach a higher level of health care.

“I think over the long run, Obama’s plan will take away from the debt, but the country will not experience financial freedom for a long time,” Spenser Miner, senior, political enthusiast, said.

“I believe the government could find a way to pay for the health care. They need to tweak the system because the savings are already there. It is a very complicated thing. Obama should have taken a more direct approach,” Miner said

President Obama closed his speech with encouragement for Congress to provide support for his plan as well as for the American people.

“We did not come to fear the future. We came here to shape it. I still believe we can act even when it’s hard. … I still believe we can replace acrimony with civility, and gridlock with progress. I still believe we can do great things, and that here and now we will meet history’s test.”

A new season is often cause for optimism, with a clean slate and new opportunities for improvement. The North Greenville men’s and women’s cross country teams enter the 2009 season believing they have reason for excitement.

“This team is much stronger than last year’s team,” Crusader coach Micah Sepko said. “We are much more athletic this year, and everyone has trained harder.”

The North Greenville men and women opened the season Saturday, both finishing ninth at the Wingate Invitational. Sepko said he was pleased with the start of both teams, but believes there is room for improvement.

“We were still playing with some injuries and we showed a lot of areas for improvement,” said Sepko. “But, overall, it was a good race.”

Four Crusaders—T.C. Ford, Andrew Mosteller, Justin Everett and Daniel Stockwell—finished in the top 50 in the 8-kilometer race to lead the men. Mosteller, a freshman in his first collegiate race, led North Greenville, placing 22nd with a time of 31:02. Everette, a sophomore, placed 44th with a time of 33:35 while Stockwell and Ford finished 48th and 49th with times of 33:53 and 34:01 respectively. The men averaged a time of 33:46.

The North Greenville women, who compete in a 6-kilometer race, averaged a 31:32 time. Sophomore Anita Casey, a transfer from Mars Hill, was the top finisher for the Lady Crusaders, placing 27th with a time of 29:07. North Greenville seniors Ariel Seppala (36th) and Erin Davis (45th) also finished in the top 50.

Mosteller, Stockwell, Everett and Michael Southern are four new additions to the men’s team that are expected to make major contributions this season.

“We have four new faces who are excellent runners that complete our top seven guys,” Ford said. “We have improved in the area of speed and our times are less spread apart making us a better scoring team. Our team is in much better position to place well in our races. As a team our goal has always been just to give it our best.”

Stockwell says he believes the team will show great improvements this season as they compete.

“We want to push and encourage each other to do the best we can,” said Stockwell,” a junior. “We try to set the bar higher for each other.”

Sepko said he expects the women to be improved by the additions of newcomers Casey, Seppala, Jill Forthaus and Whintney Yerrick.

The coach said he is realistic about his expectations for the season but believes the team can reach goals.

“We know we are probably not a national championship team,” Sepko said. “Getting to regionals at Wingate is our biggest goal.”

Both the men and the women will run again at the Winthrop/Asics Cross Country Invitational in Rock Hill on Saturday, Sept. 19.

A college graduate’s worst nightmare: losing your dream job, no income, no car, no special someone and moving back in with your parents.

This movie is for college students everywhere. Post Grad shows the struggle of trying to figure out life after college graduation.

Ryden Malby, played by Alexis Bledel, graduates from college and her plans are to find the right guy, find an amazing apartment and land her dream job at one of the city’s best publishing companies.

But when Ryden’s college nemesis steals her perfect job, she is forced to move back into her parents’ home. Ryden starts to feel like she’s going nowhere. No one will hire her and she can’t make money. If Ryden is going to survive as a post grad she might need to come up with a new plan.

This movie has some bad language and rough parts but in the end the movie shows the importance of family and friends and that the grass is not always greener on the other side.

Some other exciting appearances in this movie are Zach Gilford, from Friday Night Lights; Michael Keaton, from Batman Returns, Cars, and Jack Frost; Jane Lynch, from Alvin and the Chipmunks, Julie & Julia, and Ice Age 3; and Carol Burnett, from Horton Hears a Who! and The Carol Burnett Show.

Post Grad is rated PG-13.

Joel Watkins, junior, tees up a free kick as Seth Snyder, senior business, awaits the ball in North Greenville's 3-0 loss against Coker. (Photo by Cory Guinn)

The women’s soccer team outshot Mount Olive 10-6, but the Trojans scored two second-half goals to secure a 2-0 victory last Saturday in North Carolina. Former Crusader Rebecca Hecke scored the winning goal in the 58th minute against her former school. Hecke transferred to Mount Olive (1-3-1) last year and was instrumental in scheduling the game.

“Overall we played well defensively, but a few mistakes cost us,” said North Greenville coach Jesse McCormick. “Obviously we weren’t able to score, but I was happy with our ability to possess and put some pressure on them.”

North Greenville (3-2-0) is becoming well-acquainted with Conference Carolinas’ opponents, having defeated Lees-McRae 1-0 and Converse 7-0 earlier this season. The loss to Mount Olive was their first against Conference Carolinas’ competition.

The Lady Crusaders kept the score even until halftime. Hecke gathered a pass from Sydney Frielinghause and scored from just inside the 18-yard box. North Greenville nearly tied the match in the 67th minute when Leah Ward, junior sport management, fired a shot from 15 yards out, forcing Trojans keeper Lyndsey McIntyre to dive and parry the ball beyond the post.

“I think we’re playing really well, considering that we lost some key players on defense last year,” Ward said. “We’re playing better now than we were at the end of last season.”

Last Tuesday, North Greenville defeated Brevard 1-0 on the strength of a Ward goal early in the second half. Ward was assisted on the play by Kaeleigh Meara. The Lady Crusaders will return to the pitch at Pepsi Stadium tomorrow night at 7:00 against Warren Wilson.

The men’s soccer team notched their second win of the year with a 1-0 victory at Truett McConnell. Seth Snyder, senior business, scored the only goal of the match on an assist from Joel Watkins, junior.

“Truett McConnell is solid and plays with a lot of intensity, and we were able to match their intensity and be persistent,” said Crusaders coach Chad Gfeller. “It’s a good win, because it’s an opponent we could have lost to.”

North Greenville (2-2-0) played to a 0-0 draw at halftime until Snyder directed Watkins’ cross past the Truett McConnell keeper. The Crusaders defense recorded their second shutout and have only allowed four goals on the season. Three of the four starting defenders are freshmen.

“As a whole we have some guys who are really stepping up,” Gfeller said. “The leadership is there, with older guys helping the younger guys on the team.”

The Crusaders will travel to Lander tonight at 7:00 for “probably the toughest game of the year,” according to Gfeller.

On Sept. 2, North Greenville played their first night home game against Coker, a 3-0 loss. With donations from Jim Cox and Don Snyder, four lighting units were installed over the off-season, making it easier for the Crusaders to schedule home games.

Last season, many games were played in the afternoon, limiting fan attendance and the ability of teams to travel to Tigerville from out of state. After playing four of their first five games away, North Greenville will go on the road just two times in the next 10 matches.

Love is on the Move is the latest album from the Texas-based band Leeland, which gets its name from the lead singer, Leeland Mooring.

Since releasing its first album in 2006, the Grammy-nominated band quickly became a fan favorite with its unconventional style of music and inspiring lyrics.

Leeland keeps its original sound from its earlier two albums, but it is not a boring repetition. As in the previous releases, the band brings inspiring lyrics and fresh melodies to its third album.

The band gives its fellow believers something to think about with the lyrics of these new songs. It challenges its listeners to show their love by actions and service. The new songs also speak about many of the common struggles Christians face daily.

“Follow You,” performed with special guest Brandon Heath, is a powerful song about the importance of service and showing Christ’s love to people of all walks of life. The lyrics speak of how Jesus did not hesitate to hang out with sinners to show His Father’s love.

This song truly captures what a Christian’s mission should be like; we should be willing to go anywhere to share the gospel.

With the lines “All my needs You have supplied / When I was dead You gave me life / How could I not give it away so freely,” the song speaks of Christ’s love, and how it should move us to serve others without question.

“Via Dolorosa” is another song that speaks about Christ’s love. This song paints a vivid picture of Christ’s death on the cross. It helps us remember what Christ did for us, and how much he sacrificed.

The title track “Love is on the Move” talks about the power of holy love. The song talks about how God’s love does not discriminate, and how “anyone can run/ into the arms of God/Love is on its way/ and it will find you.”
One of the more up-temp songs on the album is “Learn to Love.” This is more of a corporate worship song that challenges those worshipping to love each other. Leeland recognizes the struggles facing those in the church today, and how believers can easily get caught up on petty issues.

With “Learn to Love,” Leeland wants to remind Christians to put their differences aside and love one another as Christ taught.

The entire album Love is on the Move will inspire and challenge those who take time to listen.

If you are already a fan of Leeland, you will enjoy this new album just as much as the previous two.

Leeland begins its “Follow You” tour with Brandon Heath and special guest Francesca Battistelli on Sept. 23.

If you are interested in seeing Leeland live, the “Follow You” tour will be stopping in Charleston, S.C. on Nov. 4, and Darlington, S.C. on Nov. 5.

Ever since I turned 18, I have been interested in getting a tattoo. I knew that I wanted it to represent my love for Jesus, so I did some research. This led me to multiple Web sites that provided some seemingly sound explanations as to why Christians should not get tattoos. Why do some Christians believe tattoos are evil and some believe they are harmless?

In my opinion, tattoos are certainly not evil, and could even be used to spread the word of God, if used properly.

I decided that I would like a small Ichthus (Jesus fish) on my foot. This symbol is a method persecuted Christians developed to discover whether people they had just met were Christians or not without the risk of punishment.

I chose to put this symbol on my body because I want to show the people that I come into contact with that I am a believer. It also will serve as an important reminder to me that since I now will be publicly linked to Him, I must act and serve in a way that will bring others closer to Him.

While on a mission trip in Juarez, Mexico two years ago, my group had the opportunity to witness to people in a town square. My youth minister was wearing a short sleeve shirt with a tattoo of a cross proudly showing on his inner arm. This caused a middle-aged Mexican man to approach him, pointing to his tattoo and showing off his own. This opened a door for communication as my minister explained the cross to the man and the life-saving significance. It opened a door for him that he might not have otherwise approached.

These Web sites I spoke about before used some Bible verses to claim God condemns tattoos. After praying over these verses and really considering the Web site’s interpretation, I could not get past my own.  For example, Leviticus 19:28 says “Do not cut your bodies or put tattoo marks upon yourself for the dead, for I am the Lord.” In context, this verse is talking about using tattoos with pagan practices, which of course would in no way glorify the Lord. However, with my tattoo, I am not getting it to glorify the dead. My God is very much alive.

None of this is to say that everyone should go out and get a tattoo. They are most certainly not for everyone, and the message that they project to someone who might not ask for an explanation must be considered with great weight before deciding on a design. As with everything one does, it is important to think of what it might mean to someone who simply passes you in the mall, and it must be done in a manner that will be respectful of those who do not agree with your decisions.

This summer North Greenville University sent out two L.I.G.H.T. teams. One team spent almost the entire summer ministering at Lakewood campground in Myrtle Beach.

Some of the Lakewood team’s responsibilities were to lead worship services and to help with children’s ministry. The main purpose of the team, however, was to look for opportunities to share the gospel through relational evangelism. Team members were able to meet and spend time with vacationers from all over the east coast. Through the relationships they formed, the Lakewood team members were able to lead more than 200 people to salvation over the course of the summer.

The second summer mission team spent about 10 days in Athens, Greece working at a shelter for Turkish refugees. The team spent time with the refugee children, taught English lessons and distributed food and clothing.

According to Melanie James, sophomore intercultural studies, the highlight of the trip was spending time developing relationships with the refugees and hearing their stories.

Many of the refugees were fleeing for their lives. Once they arrived in Greece, they faced severe prejudice, unemployment, language barriers and constant fear of being pursued by the life they left behind.

“It made me thankful for freedom, for what we have. I don’t have to fear that someone is going to come after me and kill me today,” James said.

James’ experience with the refugees also gave her a new appreciation for God’s work in other cultures.

“You just see that God is in control and that He is the God of all people, not just people in the United States,” she said.

According to Dr. Allen McWhite, director of global missions, one of the purposes behind sending out mission teams is to give students opportunities to encounter and learn from different cultures like James did this summer. Whether it is Muslim culture, like what James experienced working with the Turkish refugees, or American postmodern culture like the Myrtle Beach team faced, McWhite says he hopes mission teams give students the opportunity to interact with different cultures, to build relationships and most importantly, to share the gospel.

Over Christmas break this year, students will have a chance to share the gospel in China and Uganda. McWhite says the Uganda team will be able to share openly by participating in a wide variety of ministries such as sports evangelism, street evangelism, worship services and youth and children’s activities.

The China team will take a different approach by using the Christmas holiday to open doors in a country that is closed to the gospel.

“Christmas is known in China, but the real meaning of Christmas, the person of Christ and His significance is not generally known. Christmas provides an opportunity … to talk about Jesus in a more open way, even though you still have to be careful and cautious,” McWhite said.

Students interested in being part of the China or Uganda team this Christmas should contact McWhite at amcwhite@ngu.edu.

The more someone tells me not to do something, the more I want to do it.

This attitude can describe many students, including me. It’s just human nature, something found in our inherent sinful makeup. Rules are something we try to ignore or get around if we can.

But this view towards rules that are put in place to protect us can be harmful. It is also not part of a true Christian worldview.

The rules and regulations I’m talking about are those of the dress code. I often see students wearing clothing that is banned by the dress code. One example is when girls wear shorts that are too short. Another is when guys come to class wearing shirts with the sleeves cut off. The Enlightener says that “shorts may be worn; however . . . they must not be shorter than mid-thigh.” It also says that shirts with cut-out sleeves are not permitted.

People have a flippant attitude towards dress nowadays. We are constantly surrounded by provocative imagery in everything from television and film to billboards. This lack of discernment can rub off onto Christians.

What we need to remember is that what is worn on the outside reflects who we are. This is why NGU has placed restrictions on the way students dress. It can be annoying at times, but it’s important to remember why these restrictions were set. They were put in place not only to protect students, but also to help us in presenting ourselves to the world as Christians.

In an ideal world, everyone would dress appropriately and have good standards. But in today’s society, it’s not easy to do this, because it involves being very different from the rest of society. Even Christian vision can get blurred with the onslaught of negative influence from the media.

Not only is it difficult to ignore what the world says, but varying ideas on what is right are also found even among Christians. Different people will have very different views on what is acceptable to wear and what is not. It would be impossible to have a dress code that everyone agreed on. But the main thing to be learned from the dress code is not so much what is considered “modest.” We should also remember with what intentions these rules were founded. They were put into place to try to help us in representing Christ to the world.

Students may have a hard time finding things to do around Tigerville that are inexpensive yet fun. The challenge course and climbing wall are located off of Foster Circle here on campus. There is a sign located down the hill below the President’s log cabin that points the way.

Trey Fouché, chair of the outdoor leadership department, is the head manager at the climbing wall. Most of the work study students are outdoor leadership majors and facilitate the open hours. The students employed there are Jae Ellison, Christen Sasscer, Nathan Arms and Lael Beach.

“The climbing wall is pretty good, us outdoor leadership majors work it and its always good. Don’t normally do challenge course unless its requested by a group. The climbing tower and rappeling is good,” Trevor MacPherson said.

“Prospective NGU students are welcome to come out to the wall at no cost. Additionally, visiting friends of NGU students can come out. However, we are not open to the general public during open hours,” Fouché said.

The huge benefit of the climbing wall is that there is not cost and it is right here on campus so no student would have to spend any money on gas.

The climbing wall and challenge course are financed by several sources. Fouché mentioned that most profits come from public groups charged for team-building events.

“Church groups, youth services and others come to NGU for a day of group development and team-building. Additionally, some operating monies come from the department of outdoor leadership’s academic budget,” Fouché said.

The course and wall are fairly new to campus. They were first built in 2002 and the department of outdoor leadership has operated the facility since 2004.

Students are equipped with harnesseses and helmets as well as the climbing ropes, carabineers and other equipment.

“The climbing wall was the most challenging and best climbing wall I have been on,” John Reinholz, freshman, said.

The climbing wall and challenge course are open on Wednesdays and Thursdays from 3-5 p.m.

Replacements’ Trevor Griggs eludes a Got’ems defender last Thursday at the intramural field. Students utilize these events to take a break from studying. (Photo by Cory Guinn)

The Lady Crusaders traveled to Brevard College this past weekend to take on the Brevard Tornados and the Converse Valkyries. North Greenville dropped both matches at the weekend tournament.

The Lady Crusaders lost in three consecutive sets, 10-25, 22-25 and 24-26 to Converse. In the second match, the Lady Crusaders went up against the host of the tournament, the Brevard Tornados.

The Lady Crusaders came up short in the fifth set (20-25), (25-21), (12-25), (26-24) and (5-15). North Greenville played a hard fought game, but could not manage to come out with a victory.

Gabbrielle McKinley had 57 assists in two matches, and Melissa Ragsdale contributed 35 digs. The young ladies had some victorious moments this past weekend as well as some downfalls, but they managed to keep their heads up high.

“Even though my teammates and I did not come out victorious in this weekend’s tournament, that does not mean the Lady Crusaders are losers,” said Sarah Beth White, a freshman from Atlanta.

White is a freshman, but she is still a leader for her team. White also stated what kept the Lady Crusaders in this weekend’s match-up was their determination to be victorious and being focused throughout the match-ups. The Lady Crusaders’ strengths are their powerful hits and organize formation, according to White.

The Lady Crusaders have a long season ahead of them and a tough schedule this season, but fans are hoping they will come out victorious.

The Lady Crusaders have a profound affect on a lot of individuals at North Greenville University, due to their dedication and motivation. One significant thing about the Lady Crusaders is that when they are out on the floor playing, they give it their all. They play as a team, and when they are at practice they are working hard non stop.

With the help of fans supporting the Lady Crusaders it gives the ladies motivation to work even harder in practice, as well as in games. The Lady Crusaders’ record is 4-10. The young ladies are continuing to push and work hard everyday in practice, so they can come out on top.

Our Lady Crusaders’ next game is an away game against Queens College in Charlotte on Sept. 16.

(Photo by Daniel Jamison)

This past year North Greenville University welcomed Professor Omar Mirabal to the Spanish department faculty.

North Greenville University came to Mirabal’s attention almost by chance shortly after he moved to Simpsonville. He had been searching for a teaching position at a Christ-centered, Bible-based institution when he came across an advertisement for an opening at North Greenville.

“It was like a miracle,” Mirabal said. “I didn’t know any college in the area; I didn’t know the area at all. I came across an advertisement for a position here. That’s how I learned about this college. I drove all the way from Simpsonville here, and I loved it.”

Immediately after arriving at North Greenville, Mirabal began working on one of his greatest contributions toward the development of the Spanish department: the establishment of a North Greenville University chapter of Sigma Delta Pi, the National Hispanic Collegiate Honor Society.

After completing several months of rigorous processes and mountains of paperwork, Mirabal’s tireless effort and dedication paid off. Psi Iota, North Greenville’s Sigma Delta Pi chapter, finally came into being during the spring 2009 semester.

Mirabal continues to serve Psi Iota and its members by acting as North Greenville’s Sigma Delta Pi adviser. He also contributes to the university by acting as a member of the North Greenville Honors Committee and by teaching several courses, including Spanish I, Spanish Intermediate Grammar and Composition, Introduction to Spanish Literature and Spanish Communication for Educators.

This semester Mirabal is mentoring Nathaniel Williams, senior interdisciplinary Spanish and print media, through his senior project.

Williams described Mirabal as “very passionate about teaching Spanish and about different methodologies of teaching.”

Mirabal’s passion for education began long before his career at North Greenville.

He began teaching in 1971 at a high school in his native Cuba. He served as the chairperson of the English as a Second Language Department at the high school.

After seven years of teaching in Cuba, Mirabal came to the United States to do graduate work at Vanderbilt University where he received his master’s degree in education with a concentration in bilingual education.

A middle school in New Jersey then hired Mirabal to teach Latin American children who had recently arrived in the United States. After two years, Mirabal was asked to teach a Spanish class at the middle school as well.

“I loved it,” Mirabal said. “It was the beginning of a wonderful career of 28 years.”|

Mirabal later moved on to teach Spanish at a New Jersey high school. Mirabal taught everything from Spanish I to AP Spanish language and literature at the high school in the daytime. In the evenings he taught courses on teaching methods at Farleigh Dickinson University’s graduate school.

Mirabal’s teaching experience also includes coordinating a student exchange program with Costa Rica and Spain and mentoring student teachers from several different universities.

North Greenville University has already benefitted from Mirabal’s hard work, dedication and extensive teaching experience. Hopefully it is only the beginning of a long and rewarding connection.

For the second straight game the North Greenville Crusaders were unable to finish drives and turned the ball over four times leading to a 33-14 defeat at the hands of the Wingate Bulldogs on Sept. 5. Two of the turnovers, an interception and a fumble, were returned for touchdowns by the Bulldogs.

“Our young team is growing up quickly and we’re playing some very good football teams,” head coach Jamey Chadwell said.  “We are not executing well enough to win games right now. We just had way too many miscues.”

Statistically, the two teams were almost even. However, North Greenville’s turnover problems gave the Bulldogs a short field to work with on most of their drives which they quickly drove down the field and put points on the scoreboard.

With the exception of the turnovers, the Crusader offense showed much improvement from the first game. They gained 245 total yards and scored two touchdowns, both on the ground. The North Greenville passing game continued to struggle as quarterback Richard Harb, junior history, completed just 12 of 31 pass attempts for 105 yards and two interceptions.

Harb did do some damage with his feet in the game, rushing nine times for 20 yards and one touchdown. Running back Montez Hatten, sophomore business, was the games’ offensive standout, carrying the ball 12 times for 43 yards and one touchdown while catching four passes for 61 yards. Justin Beasley, freshman sport management, had nine carries for 34 yards to help the offense.

The North Greenville defense had a strong showing once again, allowing only 297 total yards to the Bulldogs. Linebacker Carl Dukes, junior elementary education, led the defense finishing with 6.5 tackles. Defensive back Xavier Boykin, senior sport management, had five tackles and blocked a Wingate field goal attempt in the second quarter.

Andre Bernardi, senior sport management, had another strong game for the Crusaders as he finished with 3.5 tackles and 1.5 sacks while defensive lineman Johnell Bell had 2.5 tackles and one sack. J. J. Fullwood, freshman business, had one forced fumble.

On Sept. 12, the Crusaders continued their tough schedule with a matchup against the sixth-ranked Wolverines of Wesley College.  The Wolverines traveled 11 hours on a bus from Delaware but showed no signs of fatigue when they arrived at Younts Stadium, defeating the Crusaders 28-3.

“Wesley is a very well-established Division III program, and we just didn’t execute on offense like we needed to during this game,” Chadwell said.

The Crusader offense struggled once again and amassed only 229 yards in the game. Starting quarterback Aaron Seigler, sophomore business, did not do much in the passing game but did rush six times for 80 yards, including a 55-yard scramble in the first quarter. The play set up a 24-yard field goal by kicker Zach Sears, freshman business.

Harb completed only nine of 22 passes for 77 yards. Receiver Taylor Malphrus, junior business, returned from an offseason injury to catch three passes for 34 yards. Tight end John Paquette, sophomore business, also caught three passes for 24 yards.

On the defensive side of the ball Bernardi had another great game finishing with seven tackles, 2.5 sacks and 4.5 tackles for a loss. Defensive back Alexander Jones, freshman accounting, had his best game of the season as he had fives tackles, one sack and one tackle for a loss. Jamarius Robinson, sophomore business, chipped in with four tackles and an interception that took away a Wesley touchdown to end the first quarter.

“The defense has played well but not well enough,” linebacker Nathan Batchelor, sophomore business said. “Our goal is to shut every team out and we are going to keep working hard every day. If we have to score to win, then that is what we are going to do.”

North Greenville (0-3) goes on the road this week for the first of four consecutive road games on their schedule. The Crusaders will travel to Hickory, NC to take on Lenoir Rhyne University at 7 p.m. on Sept. 19.