Thursday, March 17, 2005

Lego Hair


I was doing some cleaning today and I found this lego hair. So I drew a face on my finger and then put the lego hair on my finger. Then I took a picture of my finger with one of the bananas from Bananas in Pajamas in front of an American Flag!

Defending Society Sports

Every school in America shows its priorities when it determines what type of athletics program it will create. Although most colleges and universities compete with other schools in the NCAA or other athletic organizations, Bob Jones University has not had an intercollegiate sports team since 1933. According to Standing Without Apology, Dr. Bob Sr. stood up in chapel one day and announced, "I'm sorry boys and girls, we're not going to have any more football. . . We've love it too much. I love it too much. We can't do our work and run around the country playing football. That is not what God called this school down here to do!" So more than seventy years later, when college sports programs seem to be given more attention and money than ever before, let's examine whether or not the evangelist-turned-educator made a wise decision. Consider the results of a recently released study by The University of Central Florida that disclosed the graduation rates of basketball players at this year's first division schools in the NCAA tournament. There was The University of Texas at El Paso at 38%, Oklahoma Sate at 42%, University of Kentucky at 46% and Eastern Kentucky also at 42%. Congratulations are in order for the University of Florida team for breaking the half-way mark with 55%. In contrast, the athletic program at Bob Jones University has a completely approach to sports. The BJU website explains that "though the University does not participate in intercollegiate athletics, it sponsors, through the societies, a well-integrated program of intramural athletic competition." This out-of-step idea becomes downright shocking and extreme when it proclaims that "Because this organizational setup calls for 25 men's teams and 25 women's teams for each sport, an exceptionally high percentage of student participation is possible." Participation? Isn't college athetics in the twenty-first century reserved for the physically elite and intellectually challenged? This may be the case at most colleges. But BJU has never been like other colleges, and its claim of being "The Opportunity Place" is more than just an advertising slogan. It is a manifestation of priorities and values that are completely foreign at the post-modern academic institutions in America today.

Tuesday, March 15, 2005

Copycat Alert!!!


So I got an e-mail today from Clearwater Christian College, and this is how it begins. "A day with no classes, breakfast in bed, what's going on around here? Relax. It is Renaissance Day here at CCC." Relax?! How can I relax when Clearwater has stolen our traditions once again?! See for yourself! I've posted a picture of Dr. Stratton delivering breakfast to the rooms. We've had Gold Rush Days since 1976, and no one can take it from us! Go Blue Thunder!!

Monday, March 14, 2005

Gold Rush Daze Memories

I feel uniquely qualified to address this topic because I actually experienced two Gold Rush Daze. The first one was in the spring of 1997. It was raining that day, and as I woke up I could hear the sound of raindrops hitting the pavement outside of my room on the first floor of Johnson. Johnson 113 to be exact. My roommates always kept the window open. Then seconds later, I heard a voice that shook me out of my sleepy haze. It was a familiar voice, yet it seemed strangely out of place. Suddenly I realzied - it was Dr. Bob! He was next door. I instantly jumped out of bed, and told my roommates to wake up. It was like Christmas morning to me. I still remember that I was wearing these green and blue plaid pajamas that I had bought at the Greenville Mall. Then Dr. Bob bolted into our room, but he didn't shake my hand and warmly greet me like I had expected. He was in character - he was pretending to be a hall leader (a.k.a. R.A.). As Dr. B told us how dirty our room was, my roommates sat in their beds and smiled. In contrast, I was in the corner by the sink jumping up and down and clapping my hands the whole time. I don't think that Dr. Bob knew what to think, so he left and then Dr. Berg came in and gave up milk and doughnuts and I had my picture taken with him. It continued to rain all day and a lot of us just stayed in the dorms and had fun all day. The competitions were not a big deal. A lot of people went off campus. It was more like a "free day." After dinner, we went to the faculty body in the FMA. You all know what that is about, but I will just say that the best part of the whole thing was at the very end when a giant birthday cake was elevated through the hole in the floor where the podium usually sits. And the faculty were singing a song about the school's 70th anniversary. And at the end of their song Dr. Bob Jr. popped out of the top of the cake with a big polka dot Dr. Suess hat and necktie. Everyone loved it. A picture of this ended up in the vintage. You should go to the Social Parlor and look it up. It's worth it! OK OK Fast forward four years later. I am older and wiser and more handsome. I woke up extra early, and went to Jon's room with Joel Yelverton. For weeks there had been an unprecidented build-up of emotions for GRD. Since, Bible Conference was a week before GRD that year, there was even a laser and video presentation for GRD during the final evening of Bible Conference! It was really disturbing, but maybe I'm just old fashioned. Old-fashoined and handsome. Anyway, so after Dr. Wood gave us breakfast I got my picture taken with him and had him autograph my copy of Standing Without Apology. Also, I'll just throw this in here that I've recently been taking that picture with me when I get my hair cut because I really like the way it was cut in that picture. Isn't that funny? (I'm sure you're saying about now with a chuckle "that's so Buzz" or "Buzz is so crazy" or "Buzz is the coolest person I know, and I can't wait to introduce him to my beautiful sister.") So from the beginning I could feel that this GRD was going to be different. Instead of a "free day," it was a day that really unified the campus. We spent the morning ironing on letters onto the back of our blue thunder t-shirts. My shirt said "King Friday." We also rehearsed the Blue thunder song that I had written. Here is is; it is to be sung to the theme to Green Acres-kind of. "blue thunder is the team to be. I'm working on my Ph.D. We don't get a spring break, but we're LIVING FOR ETERNITY! That's why Blue thunder is for me." Jon reminded me to wear sunscreen. Then we had the games. Not only did everyone seem to be there this time, but there were so many blue and red t-shirts. I remember participating in a game on the field. I don't remember the specifics, but it had something to do with a matress I think. Oh well, the important thing was then when I got onto the field I couldn't believe the sea of blue and red as a looked out into the bleachers of alumni stadium. I also remember that the MC was some faculty guy who was really funny. The line I'll never forget is "Don't you just love a girl with Penache?!" [Maybe I didn't spell it right, pronounced peh-nash]. DInner - handfuls of chicken fingers and stitting on the grass. Then back to the dorms to change clothes. I wore a tan sweater with a hole in it. Joel spiked his hair. Then faculty body in the FMA. Then back to alumni stadium. A singspiration as we watched the sun set over the tallest buildings in downtown Greenville. Dr. Bob spoke and then came the fireworks. A picture of those fireworks made it into the vintage. And that's the picture I'll look at tonight right before I fall asleep. And dream. And know that 500 miles away the dew sits on the short soccer grass and waits to be absorbed by the foot of the one who sleeps in Johnson 113 tonight.

Saturday, March 12, 2005

Q-bert


I was the youngest, and I would wake up on Saturday mornings before anyone else. However, I was not allowed to turn on the television by myself, so I would have to wait for someone to wake up and turn it on for me. So I would sit on this small stool in front of the TV when it wasn't even on and act like I was watching it. Someone took a picture of me like this. But when the TV was actually on, I liked a lot of shows. Because my favorite color was orange, I really loved this show called Q-bert. It was based on a video game, but I didn't know that because I didn't play video games. All I knew was that Q-bert was really orange! Then one summer at Cedar Point I played that game where the guy tries to guess your weight/age. I remember thinking how I would have a better chance on winning something if I had him guess my weight, because I would think that it would be fairly easy to guess a kid's age. So anyway my parents paid $1 for me to do this, and he guessed wrong and I got to choose a prize, and I chose this plastic Q-bert coin bank anout 12" tall. I loved it so much and for years I would sleep with it instead of stuffed animals. My parents would laugh because it was so weird because I wanted to sleep with this big plastic bank, but I really liked it!

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