THE
^ SAMFORD
■'M' CRIMSON
SAMFORO UNIVERSITY
SESQgiCENTENNIAL
Sports
A&E
Opinions
Sports editor
Review of Harry
Christianity’s role in
comments on
Connie Jr.'s latest;
the arts is dis¬
homecoming
interview with Me &
cussed; more top
events.
Fred.
ten lists.
- Page 4
- Page 5
- Pages 6-8
Volume 76 Number 10
Samford University, Birmingham, Alabama
Wednesday, November 6, 1991
Debate
teams
continue
rebuilding
By Scott Jackson
News Editor
Arguing the pros and cons
of a sticky issue like the right
to privacy is a demanding
mental workout, but
Samford's debate squad is
meeting the challenge, says
Debate Director Janet Keys.
Hard work has paid off as
the top varsity team posted a
respectable record at one of
the most grueling tourna¬
ments in the country, she
said. The novice team won a
tournament at Harvard and
junior varsity debaters are
racking up individual speaker
points.
The squad has met and
exceeded her goals so far.
Keys said. “Were still in a
rebuilding stage... The team
as far as I'm concerned is
right on track."
First-team debaters Mike
Jordan and Scott Barber
posted a 4-4 record at the
University of Kentucky Oct.
4-6. Although they didn’t ad¬
vance to the tournament’s
octo-finals, this is considered
a very strong finish for a team
in only its second season of
varsity competition. Keys
said.
Jordan and Barber have an
excellent chance of making
the National Debate Tourna¬
ment championship this
spring, she said. Last year
they were the second alter¬
nate team.
Novice competitors Heather
Newsom and Earl Herndon
won a tournament at Harvard
University Oct. 25-27. The
See "Debate” on page 2.
Scrambling
Quarterback Ben Wiggins looks for a receiver during
Saturday's Homecoming victory over Troy State.
Ptx»o by Lynn Hadden
Who needs God?
Survey finds traditional
values, attitudes shifting
po£
McBrayer chosen
to head state council
By Neal Hutchens
Staff Reporter
Student Government As¬
sociation President Scott
McBrayer has been chosen
by his peers to lead the Ala¬
bama President's Council.
The organization is com¬
posed of college and univer¬
sity student government
presidents from around the
state.
McBrayer said his election
as president of the council
was a great honor he never
dreamed would happen.
“Becoming presidentof the
SGA here at Samford is still
the highlight of my college
career, but to get to represent
all the schools in Alabama is
also special."
McBrayer said his duties
as. president will vary ac¬
cording to what the council
has going on at the time. He
said council members keep
each other informed about
what is going on at other
colleges; they also attempt to
influence state government
decisions concerning higher
education.
“Right now we are lobbying
to stall tuition increases,”
McBrayer said. “We have an
office in Montgomery and wfe
correspond with the legisla¬
ture to let them know our
views.”
By Amy Walker
Editor
Do you believe prayer, Bible
study and commitment to
church are vital for the
Christian life? If you do, you’re
not alone, but you are in the
minority.
According to a study by the
Ваша
Research Group in
Glendale, Calif., the tradi¬
tional, fundamental tenets of
Christianity are largely ig¬
nored by the general adult
julation.
ieorge Bama, head of the
research group, has compiled
the survey’s results in the
book What Americans Be¬
lieve. Bama, who has done
research for Billy Graham and
Pat Robertson, told the Bir¬
mingham News, “...people are
transferring many elements
formerly deemed ‘necessary’
into the realm of the ‘op¬
tional.’”
Some of the study’s findings
include
• 82 percent of adults think
“God helps those who help
themselves,” and 56 percent
believe the statement comes
from the Bible. (The state¬
ment is attributed to Ben
Franklin.)
* 65 perceqt-think Chris¬
tians, Jews, Muslims and
Buddhists all pray to the same
God, although they refer to
God by different names.
* 62 percent say there is no
such thing as absolute truth.
(That figure is 74 percent for
18- to 25-year-olds.)
‘81 percent believe the
Christian faith is relevant to
today, but only 66 percent
believe churches have any
bearing on it.
• about 90 percent believe
in an omniscient God. but
only one third believe in the
devil exists.
One comment included in
the report was used to sum¬
marize general attitudes to¬
ward the existence of God:
“We are operating in a world
in which people’s gods are
impersonal forces... You
cannot have an intimate,
personal relationship with
these gods."
To some at Samford, the
results of the survey were not
surprising.
“I am not surprised at the
lack of influence of the
church. Maybe the church
doesn’t deserve it,” said W.T.
Edwards, chair of the de¬
partment of religion and
philosophy.
“Sometimes churches are
too concerned with preserv¬
ing themselves, not (with)
serving. If a church is preoc¬
cupied with itself, it cannot
survive." Edwards said.
Mark Baggett, a professor
of English and law here at
Samford and a reporter for
The Alabama Baptist, said he
wonders if the church’s ap¬
proach to contemporary is¬
sues is outdated.
“I’m not sure if the main¬
stream church is offering
compelling structures, sen¬
sitivity for people in the ’90s,"
Baggett said. “You just don’t
fincl scenarios in the tradi¬
tional teaching and educa¬
tional literature... which are
relevant to the world we live
in."
Edwards also cited indif¬
ference and lack of knowledge
as reasons why traditional
beliefs are fading.
Edwards said, “In today’s
world, people shop around
for a church where they ’feel
at home,’ not for a church
See "Christianity" on page 2
Sesquicentennial Homecoming ends in victory
_ _ Photo by Lynn Haddwi
Senior Amy Christmas of Evansville, Ind., was named Homecoming Queen
Saturday. Senior Jay Hogewood of Birmingham was her escort.
By Scott Jackson and Amy Walker
Staff Editors
Homecoming 1991. a highlight of
the year-long Sesquicentennial cel¬
ebration, was capped off Saturday
with a heart-stopping Bulldog victory
over the Troy State.
A touchdown and extra point with
less than half a minute left in the
game brought the Bulldogs ahead of
the Trojans by two winning points.
(See related story, "SU ranked 14th,"
on page four.)
All 12,000 tickets available for the
game were sold out, said Homecom¬
ing Chair Jennifer Davis.
The game and Saturday night's
Homecoming Ball ended a week of
festivities that included the grand-
scale "Samford Palace," a variety show
highlighting the talents of students
and alumni.
Samford Palace featured the re¬
nowned bluegrass group Three (hi a
String, who received a standing ova¬
tion tor their performance. Their set
included country and western clas¬
sics such as ‘'Ghost Riders In the
Sky" and "Grandma's Feather Bed."
The evening's other standing ova¬
tion went to soloist Charles
Billingsley, a senior music major from
Sandy, Utah.
The evening ended with a perfor¬
mance by the A Capella Choir past
and present as students and former
choir members joined in for the
Sesquicentennial hymn, "Holding the
Truth."
The Sesquicentennial emphasis to
Homecoming attracted many alumni
to campus this weekend. An esti¬
mated 600 of the approximately 1 ,000
people at Samford Palace were
alumni, Davis said. Fifty graduates
and more than 2 50 students attended
the ball Saturday night.
"It wasgood to have so many alumni
come back," she said. "I think it was
a definate bonus.
Having Homecoming. Sesquicen¬
tennial and Halloween activities co-
See "Homecoming" on page 2.
Sar
“versitv Librai
