Gardner-Webb NewsCenter Archive

This is the archive for Gardner-Webb's Newscenter, which is your source for updates and events happening on campus, as well as interesting stories about GWU students, faculty/staff and alumni. You'll also find stories about academic accomplishments and community service projects.

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Gardner-Webb University Presents Choral Union with Charlotte Civic Orchestra

Office of University Communications

Gardner-Webb University’s School of Performing and Visual Arts presents the annual GWU Choral Union with the Charlotte Civic Orchestra on Sunday, April 27 at 3 p.m. in the Kathleen Dover Theatre, located in the Lutz-Yelton Convocation Center. Admission is free. Each spring, the GWU Concert Choir and the GWU Chorale combine and join with a regional orchestra to present choral masterpieces, such as Haydn’s Creation, Handel’s Messiah, Brahms Requiem and Rutter’s Magnificat in the annual Choral Union Concert.
Student Leadership, Service and Volunteerism to be Celebrated at Gardner-Webb

Office of University Communications

Gardner-Webb University has garnered a reputation as an exemplary institution in the area of community service and volunteerism. Students that have consistently displayed exceptional leadership, service and volunteerism will be recognized during the weekly Dimensions program on Tuesday, April 22 at 9:25 in Stewart Hall, located in the Tucker Student Center. “For a number of consecutive years, Gardner-Webb has been named to the President’s Community Service Honor Roll,” said Dr. Tracy Jessup, vice president for Christian Life and Service and senior minister to the University.
GWU Alum Kristen Larimer Plans Missionary Trip to Jamaica

Office of University Communications

With a love for the hearing impaired and serving others, Gardner-Webb alumna Kristen Larimer (‘13), has always tried to find a way to incorporate both of those passions into one ministry. This past year, Larimer has been serving as a manager in women’s shelter in Westminster, Md., but will finally embark on the missionary opportunity she has for so long felt called to do. On June 7, the Clyde, Ohio, native will begin a short-term mission trip to work with deaf children and adults in several poverty stricken communities throughout Jamaica.
GWU Professor Discusses Significance of National Poetry Month in April

Office of University Communications

Some of the first literary pieces introduced to children are nursery rhymes and Mother Goose poems. Little ones may have learned “Little Miss Muffet” and “Jack and Jill” before ever realizing they were reciting famous poetry. The influence of classic poems, short verses and prose continues to offer a substantial impact on people both developmentally, socially, and culturally.
GWU Class Enjoys Question-and-Answer Session with Award-Winning Historian

Office of University Communications

Social media outlets are known to be valuable tools to connect friends separated by time and distance. Now, Gardner-Webb University students are also taking advantage of the opportunity to utilize social media platforms to establish meaningful dialogue with virtual strangers. Case in point: A student’s recent Twitter message to the author of one of the textbooks being discussed in her American Christianity class led to an impromptu Skype session with author Ed Blum of San Diego, Calif.
Gardner-Webb to Show “The Cross” Video from My Hope America with Billy Graham

Office of University Communications

The Dimensions program at Gardner-Webb University will be sharing a DVD presentation of “The Cross” with students and community members on Tuesday, April 15 at 9:25 in Stewart Hall, located in the Tucker Student Center. After premiering this past November as part of the national broadcast of My Hope America with Billy Graham, “The Cross” has become one of the cornerstone videos. Graham developed My Hope America as a nationwide effort to reach people across the United States with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
GWU Department of Communication and New Media Senior Show Unveiled at Gardner-Webb

Office of University Communications

The Gardner-Webb University Department of Communication and New Media presents its annual Communication Studies Senior Show, as it opens for display on Tuesday, April 15 in the Communications Study Hall Gallery. This exhibit will feature the works of senior graphic design, public relations, photojournalism and video majors within the Communication and New Media department. Students will display items they have created within their academic career such as press releases, posters, marketing campaign materials, graphic design pieces, photographs and more.
Brothers by Chance, Friends by Choice

Office of University Communications and Alyssa Gutierrez

Family is one of the most important bonds a person can have in life, and for the Bennett brothers, nothing rings more true. Hailing from Franklin, Tenn., Zach, a junior and his freshman brothers, Alex and Andy, all call Gardner-Webb home during the school year and are beginning to leave their mark at GWU. Zach, who was the first Bennett to step on campus, transferred from The Citadel, a military college located in Charleston, S.C., in January 2013.
GWU Alum Offers Insight on Living & Working in Mumbai, India

Office of University Communications

Gardner-Webb University Doctor of Education alum Josh Bishop knew a job overseas would offer him invaluable experience as both an educator and administrator. When he served as a principal within the Charlotte-Mecklenburg (N.C.) school system, he didn’t know how quickly his dream would become a reality. Two years ago, Bishop and his wife, Rachel, moved their family 8,300 miles from the Carolinas to Mumbai, India where he works as assistant principal for the American School of Bombay.
GWU Writing Center Offers Students Tips & Techniques to Enhance Literacy Skills

Office of University Communications

Research papers and extensive end-of-term writing projects are higher education requirements of which students are aware long before they fill out their first college application. But what’s one to do when that 20-page paper is due in two weeks and must be referenced in a format that is completely foreign to the student? According to Gardner-Webb University Assistant Professor of English Dr. Jennifer Buckner, the answer is surprisingly simple.
From Good to Grace

Office of University Communications and Alyssa Gutierrez

“I knew my life was going to change as soon as that first test came back positive,” said Katlyn Scruggs, who recently graduated with a degree in psychology at Gardner-Webb University. “I was in complete denial, so I took another test and another test and still every single one came back with what I already knew—I was pregnant.” Growing up in a strict Christian household, Scruggs was fully aware of the high expectations that her parents had for her which included no partying and moral purity when it came to boys.
Gardner-Webb Symphonic Band Concert Features Trumpeter Tim Hudson

Office of University Communications

The Gardner-Webb University School of Performing and Visual Arts presents their annual spring Symphonic Band Concert on Tuesday, April 15 at 8 p.m. in the Kathleen Dover Theatre, located in the Lutz-Yelton Convocation Center on the GWU campus. This event is free and open to the public. The concert will feature Tim Hudson, GWU trumpet professor and founding member of the renowned group, Carolina Brass.
Gardner-Webb University Presents “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe” April 9-13

Office of University Communications

The Gardner-Webb University Department of Theatre Arts presents the “The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe” April 9-12 at 7:30 p.m. and April 13 at 2:30 p.m. in the Dover Theater, located inside the Lutz-Yelton Convocation Center (LYCC), with select performances for elementary and middle school students. The theatrical production is packed with drama, adventure and mystery while portraying the struggle of good and evil. This production promises to be fun for the entire family.
GWU Professor Guides Students Through Collaborative Publication

Office of University Communications

When Gardner-Webb University Assistant Professor of History Dr. Joseph Moore taught his first Colonial and Revolutionary America class at Gardner-Webb University, he had no difficulty engaging students in lively discussions full of energy and excitement. However, he discovered profound differences during the second offering of the course. “Everything just fell flat,” he shared.
Gardner-Webb University to Celebrate Earth Week April 7-11

Office of University Communications

The Gardner-Webb Office of Leadership Development and Community Engagement will be helping faculty, staff and students “Go Green” during Earth Week, April 7-11. With a massive global migration into saving the earth’s resources there will be several events over the course of the week to inform and educate the University family on how to save water, energy and eliminate excess waste. The first event that will kick off Earth Week will be a message from Broad River Community Church Elder and Teaching Pastor Matt Orth at the Dimensions program on Tuesday, April 8 at 9:25 a.m. in the Tucker Student Center.
Matt Orth to Speak at Gardner-Webb for Earth Week

Office of University Communications

The Dimensions program at Gardner-Webb University is pleased to announce Matt Orth, an author and teaching elder at Broad River Community Church (BRCC), as a distinguished speaker. Orth, who is also involved in the speaking ministry of Crossroads Worldwide, will speak on Tuesday, April 8 at 9:25 a.m. in the Tucker Student Center. This Dimensions program will place a particular emphasis on Earth Week 2014 with Orth relaying the importance of Christian stewardship.
Comedic Duo Bean and Bailey to Perform at Gardner-Webb

Office of University Communications

The Dimensions program at Gardner-Webb University is pleased to announce Bean and Bailey, the hilarious comedy duo, as its distinguished guests. Bean and Bailey will entertain students and others on Tuesday, April 1 at 9:25 a.m. in Stewart Hall, located inside the Tucker Student Center. Bradley Bean and Jackson Bailey first met in 1992, when they were both freshmen living in their Carson-Newman College (Tenn.) dorm.
Documentary Produced by GWU Alum to be Distributed Nationally on April 4

Office of University Communications

When Bruce Bowers began investigating ideas for his latest documentary, he was not expecting to take on an issue of tremendous social significance or to become an advocate for an overhaul of the country’s foster care system. Yet, his piece “Without Perfect Answers,” which originally aired last October on the Public Broadcasting System (PBS) station WTVI-Charlotte, takes a closer look at some of the most inspiring—and the most frustrating—examples within what Bowers believes is a social system with many faults. “What I like to do is tell stories. And wherever the story leads us, that’s what we like to do,” Bowers explained.
WGWG: Alive and Well (Despite Rumors to the Contrary)

Office of University Communications

Gardner-Webb University’s longtime radio station WGWG continues to offer programming through their online presence at WGWG.org, which officials say is opening up new training opportunities for students while maximizing their global reach, even as the sale of the FM frequency is expected to be finalized on March 31. In November, officials with Gardner-Webb University announced the pending sale of their long-standing FM radio frequency 88.3 following approval from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). The purchase of the frequency by New Life 91.9 WRCM, part of Columbia International University (Columbia, S.C.), will occur on Monday.
GWU Music Department Announces Distinguished Artist Concert Event on March 29

Office of University Communications

The Gardner-Webb University School of Performing and Visual Arts music department will present Tom McCaslin and Catherine Garner in concert on Saturday, March 29 at 3 p.m. in Blanton Auditorium, located inside Hamrick Hall at the GWU main campus. McCaslin will be featured on tuba, while Garner will offer performances on piano as part of the music department’s Distinguished Artist Series. Tuba soloist and teacher Tom McCaslin has been hailed as a contemporary tuba virtuoso.
Social Entrepreneur to Speak at Gardner-Webb on March 25

Office of University Communications

The Dimensions program at Gardner-Webb University is pleased to welcome the founder and CEO of Metanoia Community Development Corporation, Rev. Bill Stanfield, as a distinguished speaker. Stanfield will share with students and others on Tuesday, March 25 at 9:25 a.m. in the Paul Porter Arena, located inside the Lutz-Yelton Convocation Center (LYCC). Metanoia was birthed when the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of South Carolina decided they could not be faithful Christians without addressing issues of poverty within their own state.
Gardner-Webb Graduate Student Captures First Place at Writing Competition

Office of University Communications

Gardner-Webb graduate student Christina King, for the second year in a row, won overall best paper in the master’s level category of the prestigious Southeast Decisions Sciences Institute Conference for her writing ability, unique topic, and presentation. Last year, King attended the conference and presented her paper “Social Support, Self Efficacy and Depression Levels in College Students” and won first place. This year’s event, held February in Wilmington, N.C., gave King another chance to present a paper.
Gardner-Webb University Orchestra to Perform in Concert March 24

Office of University Communications

The School of Performing and Visual Arts presents a Gardner-Webb University Orchestra Concert on Monday, March 24 at 8 p.m. in the Kathleen Dover Theatre, located in the Lutz-Yelton Convocation Center. The event will feature several university soloists, including a violin solo by Charlotte Symphony Orchestra Concertmaster Calin Lupanu. Directed by Dr. Patricia Sparti, the spring orchestra concert will include several classic pieces, including Prokofiev’s Violin Concerto No. 1 in D major, opus 19; Khachaturian’s Concerto for Flute and Orchestra; Vivaldi’s Concerto for Two Cellos in G minor, RV 531; and Stravinsky’s “Berceuse and Finale” from Firebird Suite, 1919.
GWU Alum to Represent Community in Miss North Carolina Scholarship Pageant

Office of University Communications

The glimmer of her crown is eclipsed only by a gleam in her eye, and this 2012 Gardner-Webb alum is hoping the stars continue to align as she contends for a state title in June that could ultimately earn her a chance to compete in the Miss America pageant. Molly McKinney, a May 2012 graduate of GWU and the current marketing director at the LeGrand Center (Shelby, N.C.), recently competed in a Miss America preliminary pageant, held in Shelby, N.C. on Feb. 22. When she was crowned Miss Shelby, she earned the opportunity to compete in the Miss North Carolina Scholarship Pageant, scheduled for June 21.

WGWG: Molly McKinney "Miss Shelby"
Lisa Whittle to Speak at Gardner-Webb on March 18

Office of University Communications

The Dimensions program at Gardner-Webb University is pleased to welcome Lisa Whittle, as a distinguished speaker. Whittle will share with students and community members on Tuesday, March 18 at 9:25 in the Paul Porter Arena, located inside the Lutz-Yelton Convocation Center (LYCC). The daughter of a long-time pastor, Whittle was raised to express her faith openly and boldly.