02/07/09

02/07/09

Runners arrived at 8 a.m. for an 8 mile or 10 mile race held at Furman University today. 30 students from Bob Jones University (BJU) volunteered their Saturday mornings to hand out hospital-gown-thin jackets, cotton gloves, Panera bagels, Grapes, and Yogurt to the racers.

These students were also dropped off at specific points in the course to direct runners the right way. Director of the race, a tall man wearing a frightening black ski-mask, said that it was important runners knew which way to go so that the race would run efficiently.

One student of BJU, Andrea Stanford, said of the race, “People were beyond enthusiastic about the race – even the two women from Furman University that helped us direct AK (8 mile) and 10K (10 mile) racers could not stop encouraging and praising the runners to keep doing a great job!” Their enthusiasm, she went on to say, was contagious.

The two Furman women volunteers were vocal in encouraging the runners because they were runners themselves. One of the women, Carrie, said, “I know what it’s like to be running ragged and someone comes along side you and says you’re doing great, keep going! That extra push means the world!”

Winner of the race, Orinthal Striggles, was an African American wonder of muscles and easy sprinting. He told reporters that this was his second race of the year. Beyond being sponsored to run races, Striggles coaches runners for a living. “You gotta pace yourself,” was the common advice for the day.

Awards, uniform clear glasses with blue writing, were handed out in each racer category up to the 5th place. A small ceremony of recognition stilled the energetic running-disco music as names of the winners were called out over the speaker system.

One volunteer commented that runners feel very good about themselves after running a race. She added, “It gives them a sense of accomplishment and starts their day off in an awesome way.”

Furman University volunteers wanted to thank BJU volunteers for “coming out.” Students were encouraged to participate in more community races, which one woman gushed were always in need of young people’s help.

2/6/09

2/6/09
Why do they force us to learn computers? I don’t mind reading a book about them, and I don’t mind “blazing away” (as they so coyly coined) on my computer, but spending hours clicking a button on certain spots on the screen? My mind just isn’t wired like that.
Oddly enough (here we go, the point of these little articles), the guy that sits in the seat to my right is worse at computers than me! Where I couldn’t do 23 assessment questions in 23 minutes, he couldn’t find the button to do his homework assignment! This seems laughable to me, but I had pity on him because in the time it took me to do my exam, he was struggling over the concept of format highlighting in his third question. I would be saying, “Aw, poor guy,” except that he is my partner for the rest of this course. God have mercy on both of our souls.

2/3/09

2/3/09

Tonight was the dreaded night when all students were required to skip in their finery to the Amphatoreum and watch a performance of the Dublin Philharmonic Orchestra. I enjoyed it, even though seated amongst my roommates as opposed to the preferred male gender. Mostly I tried not to laugh when the gangly band director tripped over something on the floor when he entered the stage left. His face blushed an intense red and he wavered a bit like a bean pole caught by a fish hook. After that, every time he exited and entered to bow, he stepped very gingerly over some small, unknown object on the floor. I also wondered how much the triangle payer got paid to travel with the orchestra. Every ‘ting, ting, ting’ caught me up in the excitement, and I found myself wanting to take up the triangle and join right along with them. Thankfully for the sake of my roommates seated beside me, I refrained.

01/30/09

01/30/09
A Bobcat was sighted for the second time tonight behind the girl’s dorms at Bob Jones University. Rumors suggest that the bobcat escaped from a zoo, wandered in from the mountains, or simply escaped from being the mascot of some unknown team.

One Korean girl in the popular University Snack Shop asked, “What is a bobcat?” When this question was posed, one girl wickedly responded that a bobcat was, ‘a large lion that would only attack if it was hungry, and – don’t worry – bobcats are only hungry 60% of the time’. The Korean who had asked the question was then heard quoting the information to someone else who was equally curious about the bobcat sighting on campus. The information given was, of course, bogus.

Bobcats are, in fact, about the size of a large house cat or a small dog. This species of cat is nocturnal, which means humans rarely see bobcats in areas that are heavily populated with them. An average male bobcat weighs about 25-30 pounds, with the female’s weight close behind. Estimates put Bobcats at around 1 million in the US alone.

Bobcats, when hunting prey, can jump 10 feet and inflict a killer pounce. But generally, bobcats are appreciated for their good fur and are known for being solitary animals.

So, no, bobcats are not large lions, and the bobcat reported to be on campus will probably not be seen by very many students, much less attack one of them.

If a bobcat is sighted, the University has requested that the sighting be reported to the Safety Patrol (864) 251-5100, ex. 1111.

01/29/09

01/29/09
Two Words: Sun, Shadow

This afternoon it was the oddest thing to hear a little girl’s voice. I came upon her after a long Thursday, with a seemingly endless day ahead of me. There she was, sitting on a bench, swinging her legs happily. She was yelling, “Acorns for sale! Acorns!” I turned the corner and couldn’t get her out of my mind. She hadn’t a care in the world. Somehow her declaration seemed silly but sweet, like music to a tired college student’s ears. All day, the only sounds had been the sound of heels on the sidewalk, the church bell ringing, and teachers lecturing.
I hadn’t quite noticed the sun before that little girl.

A New Look

If anyone is still out there... Hello to the void. Believe it or not, I survived my first year of college! I imagine some of you have been curious about what it's like to attend a conservative Christian college. Well as a now successful freshman I can admit to being equally curious before I came to BobbyJU. My first semester I was so crazy busy and stressed out that I didn't think to write anything but the occasional pathetic email to my mother. Anyways my second semester I obviously became MUCH wiser and started applying my new journalistic skills to articles based on every day life things.

You may not find it interesting - but that's okay, because I'm mainly just uploading them so they will be forever 'out there' in the eternal void of the internet. Just in case I ever lose it on my laptop and am ever curious.... what was it like back then?

Prepare yourselves.