Bryan College Triangle

By Drew Morrison
Photographer 

Being able to sing the Messiah is a huge task. This masterpiece is probably one of the most well known pieces of music and one of the more difficult to pull off. So when Dr. David Luther (Or Dr. D as he is better known) announced that we would be singing it for our Christmas concert, I was a little nervous. Singing the Messiah is a large task for any choir.

Personally, I have sung some of the songs within the piece several times in previous choirs that I have been in, but several of them were new to me. I knew this was going to take some hard work and determination for everyone involved.

To sing this style of music takes quite a bit of determination. Handel does a great job of throwing in subtle note changes and unexpected rhythms that force a singer to stay alert. A great example of this would be in the “Hallelujah Chorus” where there are several measures of music that are repeated. However, if you listen close enough, you will be able to notice that if a certain section of music is repeated, some of the parts might change ever so slightly the second time it is sung. In my opinion, that is what gives this particular song its brilliance and awe-inspiring sound.

Another factor in being able to sing is what you eat. If you eat ice cream, milk, or even peanut butter before you sing, these foods leave a residue at the back of your throat which then restricts your air flow. And coughing and sputtering while trying to sing the “Hallelujah Chorus” is never going to work out well. So when I eat at the cafeteria, I have to be very specific about what I eat on the day I am singing and make sure that it won’t clog up my throat. If I do end up eating something that makes it hard to sing, I make sure to drink a lot of water to flush out any unwanted leftovers.

Another part of singing is actually knowing what you’re singing. The work itself is amazing. George Fredric Handel composed the entire three-part, fifty-three song, work of music in only 24 days. To say that it was just an inspiration would be an understatement. Handel’s clear intentions for writing the work were to give praise to God and that is clearly where his inspiration came from. At the end of the entire work Handel even wrote “”SDG”—Soli Deo Gloria, “To God alone the glory.”

Knowing these facts changed my perspective singing this music. Sometimes it can be hard for me personally to engage in what I am singing or truly listen to what the lyrics are saying. After I learned where Handel was coming, I knew that the whole choir needed to sing it; not just for ourselves, but for everyone coming to hear it performed.

By Meredith Kreigh
Staff Reporter

While Muslims in the Middle East have reacted to the inflammatory film “The Innocence of Muslims” with riots, Muslims in the Tennessee Valley believe in a more peaceful response.

In an interview with Triangle on Sept. 28, Hammad El Ameen, president of the Dalton (Ga.) Islamic Center and spiritual leader at the Masjid Muhammad, Chattanooga’s principle Islamic place of worship, said that he, as well as members of his mosques, have no desire to be associated with the violence in the Middle East.

Throughout the history of Islam, Muhammad’s people have been ridiculed and even killed, and Ameen said this will not change. While the film was an evil thing, Muslim believers should not become violent because of it.

“The Innocence of Muslims” portrayed Muhammad as a puppet and pedophile and his claimed revelation from the angel Gabriel was simply by his whim and convenience.

“Freedom of speech, is, truly, too often exploited,” he said. “But that does not mean that the offender is free. There are consequences for every word said and action done. Inevitable consequences for the responsible party are what console the hearts of worshippers at Masjid Muhammad.”

September 9 marked the outbreak of anger in Libya and Egypt. The protests spread quickly, leading to additional riots in Lebanon, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Indonesia. Twelve protestors have been reported dead and at least four Americans have been attacked and killed while serving diplomatic posts in Egypt and Libya.

This video was made to directly “invite” people of the Islamic community to become outraged, according to Ameen. People responding to violence and is not in accordance with what Islam teaches.

“In our book, we are told that people who worship other gods will act against us,” Ameen said. “‘Be patient,’ it says, ‘persevere.’ Muslims should be smarter than that. Our example is Muhammad; he didn’t slaughter others. He won their hearts.”

Muslims also have a responsibility for what they say. He paraphrased the Quran: “Do not make fun of other people’s gods, because then others will make fun of Allah.”

The riots are proof that there are Muslims who have not acted as they should, Ameen said. They have attacked other religions and, in doing so, have departed from the commands of Allah. Therefore, they are being punished through the mocking of Muhammad.

When responding to why Muslims reacted violently toward the United States when they knew that this was their just punishment for mocking other religions, Ameen did make one generalization. He said, in large part, Muslims in the Middle East do not have a pleasant predisposition toward America, just as many Americans stereotype Muslims as terrorists.

There are approximately 1.5 billion Muslims in the world today, according to the Pew Research Center. Of those who regularly attend the Masjid Muhammad, a large percentage is comprised of first generation immigrants, principally from Pakistan, Indonesia, and Saudi Arabia.

In a study released last year, Pew found that 63 percent of Muslims in the United States are first generation immigrants.

Some members of the Chattanooga area mosques have family members who have participated in or have been affected by the riots. But, Ameen qualified, what is a big ordeal on television and in other media actually represents a really small portion of the reaction to the video.

Ameen distinguished true adherents to Islam from the protestors: “We can’t judge Christians based on the actions of the KKK. The media will always exploit discrepancies, so we have to make an effort to see the big picture.”

Senior Sean Bunger plays through Darksiders on Xbox.

by Daniel Jackson
Triangle News Editor

Now, for the first time, Bryan College students are officially allowed to watch Youtube videos, post to Facebook and play games on the internet.

The college changed its internet use policy in the student handbook to allow students to recreationally use the internet. In the past, the college told students the internet could only be used for school work but the policy was changed to reflect a neutral position on internet recreation, specifically online gaming.

“The floodgates aren’t totally open yet, but we are trying to accommodate a more realistic use of the internet with the resources we have,” said Director of IT Services Steve Paulson.

The former internet policy was created before Wi-Fi was created and used old computer terminology like “remote node,” according  to Paulson. The policy was changed after the IT department looked at several other colleges’ internet use policies.

The IT department and the Office of Student Life are now considering unblocking the internet to allow students to play Xbox Live.

“It’s a conversation we’re having with OSL,” said Paulson, adding that students have approached Office of Student Life asking the college to unblock gaming sites.

Bruce Morgan, dean of student life, declined to speak to Triangle and said he would talk after a policy has been decided.

However, Tim Hostetler, vice president of Operations, said the college will not open the internet for online gaming.

“That’s still not in the purpose of why we have an internet,” he said.

Opening up the ports to allow students to game is a security risk for the college, Hostetler said. Allowing more access to and from the college servers allows more doors for a potential hacker to enter the Bryan system. Unlike a hotel, Bryan keeps information on its servers, said Hostetler.

“We have to protect the information we’ve got,” he added

Hostetler said adding gaming would max out the downloading speeds of the internet. The college routinely meets the maximum of the download speed of 100 megabits per second. Allowing gaming would only strain the internet, he said.

The college could allow for gaming, but then the college would need to purchase more internet. That cost is passed onto the student body through tuition fees.

But Paulson said not all internet games are created in the same way. Xbox Live, for example, takes up very little internet because the computers only have to communicate where the players are and what they are doing. The graphics are created on the players’ Xboxes.

Other games that are played on the internet itself take up more of the internet and might present a problem, said Paulson.

Hostetler said the college pays tens of thousands of dollars a year for the internet on campus.

“More than one student exists on campus solely to pay for the internet,” he said.

By Dhember Viera
Staff Reporter

 One of the most beautiful times of the year is approaching. Leaves are slowly

changing colors and falling, and the scent of pumpkin-spice latté is lingering through Mercer. Fall is officially here.

Aside from a beautiful view around campus and chilly nights, fall brings forward many different things to do and sporting events to attend, Bryan College rugby being one.

The Rugby Club returns this year with a team of 22 eager guys excited to knock one another around and come full force against other schools on the pitch.

“Rugby for Dummies”

Rugby is a physical game in which 15 players try to advance a ball toward a goal

line, while the 15 players of the opposing team attempt to stop them. It sounds a lot like American football on the surface. Unlike American football, there are no downs and the ball is in continuous play. In fact, possession is exchanged often and quickly.

There are few long, sustained drives toward the in-goal area, or end zone to American fans. Progress up and down the pitch, or field, is achieved grudgingly and usually in short chunks.

There is extensive contact and a lot of tackling.

“Unlike other sports, rugby doesn’t have sissy time outs,” said Michael Palmer, associate professor of communications and rugby faculty sponsor, when asked about the game.

“Rugby is a very basic level of war without weapons,” Palmer added.

Both Palmer and Col. Ron Petitte, club parent, are experienced rugby players and express a passion for the game, even taking time to coach the Bryan College club.

From off the hill, licensed referee Gareth Daves from Knoxville, Tenn., has been coming once per week to help teach fundamentals and tactics of the game. Bryan College alumni and former rugby team captain, Clayton Schmidt, is current manager for the team and is dedicating a lot of time and helping administer the team.

Unlike many of the team sports and clubs at Bryan, the college does not fund the Bryan College Rugby Club. It is not considered a varsity sport and does not have a budget, nor paid coaches and trainers due to the fact that rugby is such a heavy contact sport and carries a higher risk of liability.

One of the unique things about this team is that it has been around for seven years, making it the longest running club at Bryan.

How do they do it without any school funding?

The guys on the team are extremely dedicated, and when it comes to fundraising events, they have been willing to do whatever it takes. They also seek sponsorships from Dayton businesses.

“I give full credit to the boys,” said Palmer. “They work so hard to be able to do this.”

With the money they earn, the club pays league fees and purchase necessary equipment and uniforms.

The rugby club meets on Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 4:30 p.m. at either open grassy areas around campus or at Cedar Point Park, at the foot of Bryan Hill.

Games are held either at the Rhea Family YMCA football field or the Delaware Avenue Sports Complex in Dayton.

The rugby club is always recruiting. If any men on campus are in the mood to tackle somebody, or want to be a part of the brotherhood and camaraderie that comes with being on a sports team, talk to Palmer, Petitte or any of the current team members. There is an upcoming alumni game under the lights at the YMCA field on Oct. 5.