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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GWU Honors Students Prepare for New River Clean Up Sept. 12-14

Office of University Communications

One of the oldest rivers in the world will once again receive a helping hand from Gardner-Webb University honors students as they prepare for an annual environmental cleanup event. Dozens of students, faculty members, and volunteers are expected to depart from Boiling Springs and participate in the annual New River cleanup day, held Sept. 12-14 in Ashe County, N.C. The initiative is coordinated by North Carolina Big Sweep, an organization whose purpose is to rid the environment of litter by promoting environmental education and organizing annual statewide cleanup efforts of waterways and other areas.
Anne Marie Miller to Speak at Dimensions on Tuesday, Sept. 9

Office of University Communications

The Dimensions program at Gardner-Webb University announces its second guest for the 2014-2015 academic year. Author and speaker Anne Marie Miller will share stories of hope on Tuesday, Sept. 9 at 9:25 a.m. in the Paul Porter Arena, located inside the Lutz-Yelton Convocation Center (LYCC). The event is free and open to the public.
Gardner-Webb Alum, Pro Baseball Player Passes Away

Office of University Communications

Roger Hornsby McKee served his country, his community, and his university. The 1966 Gardner-Webb University alumnus — remembered as a Navy serviceman and former Major League Baseball player — passed away Sept. 1. In his military service days, he participated in the funeral for U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
Southern Appalachian Culture Series Scheduled for Oct. 3-4 at Gardner-Webb

Office of University Communications

The heritage, literature, and traditions of the southern textile mill culture will be showcased next week as part of the Southern Appalachian Culture Series, to be held Oct. 3-4 at Gardner-Webb University in Boiling Springs, N.C. The weekend will focus on the exploration of many facets of Southern Appalachian culture. The theme for this year’s event is “Threads that Count: Cotton Mill Culture,” and is the third in a series of conferences, once again held in conjunction with the Appalachian Writer’s Association (AWA) annual meeting and awards dinner.
Region’s Textile History on Display at Gardner-Webb

Office of University Communications

Gardner-Webb University serves a region steeped in a history of textile production. Pieces of that rich history are on display through Oct. 8 in a heritage exhibit on campus. Selected collections from the “Common Threads” exhibit are being showcased in the Tucker Student Center Gallery.
GWU Theatre Production Auditions Set for Next Week

Office of University Communications

Gardner-Webb University will hold auditions next week for a theatrical comedy set to be staged in October. Auditions for Tartuffe are scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 2 and Wednesday Sept. 3, from 6-9 p.m. both nights. Callbacks are set for Thursday, Sept. 4, and the times will be announced next week.
Golfer Taking GWU Name to National Tournament

Office of University Communications

Gardner-Webb University will be represented at a national golf championship tournament next month in California. The University’s name adorns the golf bag of Trip Boinest, a Cleveland County (N.C.) resident and longtime GWU golf program supporter who qualified Aug. 18 for the U.S. Senior Amateur Championship. Carrying a Gardner-Webb logo golf bag, Boinest shot a 69 at Duke University Golf Club in Durham, N.C., to qualify for the national tournament set to begin Sept. 13.
Joni Eareckson Tada to Speak at Dimensions on Tuesday, Sept. 2

Office of University Communications

The Dimensions program at Gardner-Webb University is pleased to announce the kickoff speaker for the 2014-2015 academic year. Joni Eareckson Tada, the Founder and CEO of Joni and Friends International Disability Center, will share her testimony of hope and perseverance on Tuesday, Sept. 2 at 9:25 a.m. in the Paul Porter Arena, located inside the Lutz-Yelton Convocation Center (LYCC). The event is free and open to the public.
Dr. Tracy Jessup Discusses the Impact of Alum’s Kingdom Vision

Office of University Communications

I met Clayton King during his senior year at Gardner-Webb University. My wife and I had moved back to Boiling Springs from Birmingham after I completed my Master of Divinity degree. Clayton heard me preach at a local church and invited me to speak at a meeting of Gardner-Webb’s Fellowship of Christian Athletes.
Gardner-Webb Prepares Student Mentors for First-Year Students

Office of University Communications

Each academic year brings a fresh wave of first-year students unfamiliar with the college lifestyle and the nuances of Gardner-Webb University. This transitional moment is precisely when upperclass mentorships can be the most impactful to a new students’ success. During the week prior to this year’s orientation, a combined volunteer group of 26 Peer Leaders and 43 Big Brothers/Big Sisters gathered on the Gardner-Webb campus for a variety of team-building, leadership training and social exercises.
Gardner-Webb Compliance Officer Discusses Student-Athlete Pay

Office of University Communications

Should college student-athletes receive a paycheck in addition to a scholarship? It has been a highly debated topic in recent years, and a court ruling this month could lead to a major paycheck for some graduating athletes in the near future. Former UCLA basketball player Ed O’Bannon filed a suit against the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) on behalf of Division I football and men’s basketball players, claiming that student-athletes should be entitled to money for the NCAA’s use of their names, images, and likenesses.

WGWG: Director for NCAA Compliance discusses pay for athletes
GWU Business School Dean Named President of Accrediting Group

Office of University Communications

A longtime Gardner-Webb University professor and dean of the Godbold School of Business has been named president of a business school accreditation group’s board of directors. Dr. Anthony Negbenebor will lead the 2014-15 directing board of the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP), which promotes continuous improvement and recognizes excellence among business education programs around the world. He has been an active member of ACBSP for more than 14 years, serving on the board of directors, as chair of the personnel committee, board liaison to the strategic planning committee, and co-chair of the annual conference committee.
Dozens Volunteer to Help New Gardner-Webb Students Move Onto Campus

Office of University Communications

For decades, a volunteer group has helped ease the transition for new Gardner-Webb students who move onto the University’s main campus. The Bulldog Movers are among the first to greet students and their families during orientation weekend each August. This year, more than 60 faculty, staff and student volunteers carried boxes, suitcases and bags from cars to campus residences, providing helping hands and a friendly welcome to the newest members of the Gardner-Webb community.
Ignite Your Calling: Jacob Kirby Discovers Ministry, Purpose at GWU

Office of University Communications

“What do you want to be when you grow up?” As children and teens, we’ve all heard that question a million times. Some students just know.
Recent Grad Found Hope & Healing at GWU in the Midst of Tremendous Loss

Office of University Communications

As a high school senior, Talea Sturdivant never imagined that while touring college campuses with her mom and sharing dreams about the future, she would soon face a tragic loss. She had no idea her college choice would help sustain her through a time of crisis and significant sorrow. “I thought I wanted the big state-school experience,” the recent healthcare management graduate says now.
Counseling Symposium Offers Professional Development Opportunities at Gardner-Webb

Office of University Communications

The Gardner-Webb University School of Psychology and Counseling recently hosted an annual conference designed to offer professional experience to graduate students and earned-credit opportunities for mental health practitioners. The Gamma Alpha Omega Summer Counseling Symposium was held at Gardner-Webb’s Tucker Student Center over the summer, and organizers say the event has grown tremendously since its inaugural session more than eight years ago. Coordinating the conference was Dr. Linda Greene, a professor of counseling at Gardner-Webb.
Gardner-Webb to Collect School Supplies for Local Students in Need

Office of University Communications

Gardner-Webb University is partnering with local schools and the community to collect supplies for students in need as they return to classrooms this month. The University will collect school supply donations in the Tucker Student Center entrance lobby from Thursday, Aug. 14 through Monday, Aug. 18, during move-in and orientation activities. All basic school supplies — such as paper, notebooks, and pencils — are needed, and donors can drop off items any time on those days in the student center.
Former GWU Trustee and Longtime Donor Passes Away

Office of University Communications

Gardner-Webb University mourns the loss of former trustee and longtime donor Frank R. Nanney, who passed away Wednesday, Aug. 6 at Rutherford Regional Medical Center at the age of 93. Nanney was known for his generosity to the University in both service and notable gifts, including lead funding to his namesake building, Frank Nanney Hall. A Rutherford County native, Nanney served Gardner-Webb as a two-term trustee after nearly 50 years with Stonecutter Mills Corporation in Spindale, N.C.
GWU Exhibiting Late Artist’s Works on Campus

Office of University Communications

Gardner-Webb University will display the works of longtime local artist, the late Bonnie Hartford Price, through Aug. 29 in the Tucker Student Center. The exhibit, “Creative Journey: Bonnie Hartford Price,” is on display now in the Tucker Art Gallery. Price, who passed away in 2013, was a prominent artist in Cleveland and surrounding counties for many years.
GWU Set to Welcome 600 Students for Orientation

Office of University Communications

Gardner-Webb University will welcome approximately 600 new students (freshmen and transfers) to its campus this month for a variety of orientation activities. First-year GWU students are set to move in and begin their college journeys Friday, Aug. 15. Scheduled welcome events that day include a greeting from University President Dr. A. Frank Bonner and complimentary refreshments in the Tucker Student Center.
GWU Mourns Loss of Alumnus, Army Special Forces Serviceman

Office of University Communications

Gardner-Webb University is mourning the loss of U.S. Army Green Beret Staff Sgt. Jerry Gass, a 2003 GWU alumnus and former football offensive lineman who passed away Aug. 3 in Afghanistan. Gass, 33, served his country as a member of Company C, 1st Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group and was stationed at Fort Bragg in Fayetteville, N.C. He passed away following a non-combat incident while on patrol, according to the U.S. Department of Defense.
Gardner-Webb University Awards Over 200 Degrees

Office of University Communications

Gardner–Webb University hosted Summer Commencement on Monday, Aug. 4 in the Lutz-Yelton Convocation Center at 10 a.m. More than 200 graduates were honored for their achievements during the ceremony. Many graduates participated in the ceremony through prayer, scripture reading, and commencement speeches. T. Faith Lambeth (Statesville, N.C.) offered the invocation, while Jasmine Dale (La Vergne, Tenn.) shared passages from the Old and New Testaments.
James Brown’s Son Remembers Legendary Father with WGWG.org

Office of University Communications

Legendary musician James Brown grew up in a home with a dirt floor and clothes fashioned from sacks. After his father gave him a keyboard organ and he taught himself to play it, Brown evolved into one of the most imitated stage performers in modern American history. His son, Daryl, a songwriter and musician himself, recently reflected on Brown’s life and career in an interview with WGWG.org.

WGWG: Inside the Godfather a conversation with Daryl Brown
High School Students Participate in Inaugural Science Academy at Gardner-Webb

Office of University Communications

For over a dozen high school students from Thomas Jefferson Classical Academy (TJCA) in Mooresboro, N.C., one of the first weeks of their summer vacation has given them new insight into the practical application of scientific principles they have learned in the classroom. Through a grant from the Stonecutter Foundation (Spindale, N.C.), 14 teens participated in the first annual Science Academy, a brand new program designed to offer them enrichment in the subject of science. “I think this academy caused the students to think about science beyond the classroom and opened their eyes to the many different careers in the science field,” said Nick Longerbeam, biology teacher at TJCA.
Gardner-Webb University Co-Sponsors Annual Hickory Crawdads Christian Concert

Office of University Communications

Gardner-Webb University’s Office of Church Relations and Office of Community Relations are joining forces for the third time to co-sponsor an annual event as part of the Hickory Crawdads (Hickory, N.C.) regular season game against the Delmarva Shorebirds. The ‘Dads Annual Christian Concert is planned for Saturday, Aug. 16, following the 6 p.m. game. “This is our third year of sponsoring this event and through it, we are building relationships with churches and communities in our region,” said Aaron Hinton, director of the Office of Church Relations and the Christian Service Organization (CSO).