Bryan College Triangle

The Lady Lions are five-time AAC Champions of Character / Photo courtesy of Dave Houghton

Josiah Newport
Triangle Reporter

When Charles Barkley coined the famous phrase, “I am not paid to be a role model. I am paid to wreak havoc on the basketball court,” he echoed the thoughts and actions of other athletes, professional and collegiate. However, Karl Malone, another NBA great, scolded Barkley in a Sports Illustrated column, “Charles . . . I don’t think it’s your decision to make. We don’t choose to be role models, we are chosen. Our only choice is whether to be a good role model or a bad one.”

At Bryan College, a two time NAIA Champions of Character Institution, Athletic Director Dr. Sandy Zensen believes that strong character on and off the field makes for a winning program. More importantly he is looking for coaches of character who buy into the mission and motto of Bryan College: “Christ Above All.”

In his 22 years as head men’s soccer coach and even now as athletic director, Zensen has never stopped striving for excellence, good sportsmanship and winning programs. For that reason, the coaches of the AAC decided in November 2011 (after Zensen’s last season as head coach) to create an award given annually in Zensen’s honor. The award will be presented to the AAC male soccer player who best represents the five core values of the NAIA’s Champions of Character program- integrity, respect, responsibility, sportsmanship and servant leadership – principles Coach Zensen has exemplified throughout his coaching career. Read full story »

Bryan Family,

Over the course of the last few days, several things have happened in SGA that I think deserve clarification and that we would love your feedback on moving forward. I proposed earlier this week that SGA as an entity be dissolved for the period of one year. Events would still be sponsored and planned under a specific Events Council whose positions are still voted on by the student body at-large and the respective classes. One of the main reasons for the proposed change would be to reevaluate the functions of SGA and how it could best fit with the direction of Bryan College as a whole, to clearly see the essentials that the organization provides. I remain firm in the belief that this proposal would be best for SGA and student leaders on campus, but there are many people whom I respect inside SGA and out of it that disagree with me. I believe in this change, others do not, and disagreement is not a bad thing.

The Corporate Body of SGA will have the final vote on this proposal Tuesday, Feb. 7, at the first Corporate Meeting of the semester. I understand that I have simply given an overview and not many specifics on my line of reasoning, so I encourage anyone with an opinion on this issue to please contact your representative or friends in SGA to ask questions and give thoughts.

Thank you all,

Vincent Smith

Your Student Body President

Anna Katharine Thomas
Photo Editor

The cast of "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee" rehearse the opening number of their upcoming show / Triangle photo by Anna Katharine Thomas

The cast of Bryan College’s latest play is trying to figure out how to tell potential ticket buyers that their next production involves singing, dancing and comedy—as well as a spelling bee.

“It is a spelling bee, but through the process of the spelling bee you really see each of the characters’ personalities come out and the background story of each of their lives,” said senior Ashley Boyd, who plays Rona Lisa Peretti. “You learn their individual struggle and what has brought them to that bee.

While the “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” may conjure up thoughts of a local spelling bee or the Scripps Howard National Bee, what sets this show apart from past shows by the Hilltop Players is the incorporation of audience participation. Read full story »

Dear Editor,

Graciously re-stocking pool sticks and cleaning egg off the side of buildings isn’t exactly normal. Yet, someone at Bryan College is willingly doing it. After reading the well-written article about vandalism in the Triangle, I first thought, “Vandalism at Bryan—who would do such a thing?” and then I thought, “Forgiveness at Bryan—who would do such a thing?”

Reading about Mr. Doug Schott and the way he’s patiently cleaned up after the vandalism made me realize how truly grateful I am for what we have on this little hill. It’s easy to point out the cons or the negative aspects of our college. The truth is, we have something here at Bryan that students at other Christian colleges don’t have. Some say it’s community. Others say it’s passion. However, the attractive “thing” we find at Bryan College goes deeper than simply a character trait or emotion. It’s a lifestyle, and it’s a lifestyle modeled after Jesus Himself. Mr. Doug Schott is a living, breathing example of Jesus to us. He not only cleans up after the vandals, he seeks a solution with them and even prays for them! That’s a crazy kind of forgiveness and love, and—just think—we get to witness that every day here at Bryan! How humbling it is to know that I am being blessed daily by someone who’s replicating their life after Christ’s. This lifestyle is what sets us apart, and we should try to appreciate it better.

Some may never understand or copy Mr. Schott’s lifestyle, which is modeled after Jesus. Regardless, we should still recognize what it looks like and give thanks daily for its presence in our lives. I am reminded of Paul’s words in Romans 12:

“Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. [...] Live in harmony with one another. [...] Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.’ To the contrary, ‘if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.’ Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”

I hope the vandalism ends, but if it doesn’t, may Mr. Doug Schott continue to “bless those who persecute him” by praying for the vandals, and may he continue to “contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality” by re-stocking those pool sticks. Let’s learn from his example and follow his lead. In doing so, we imitate Christ as well.

- Freshman Rebekah Weaver

Editor’s Note: This letter is in response to the article “Same sex attraction and the church” and The Couch event held on campus about homosexuality.

Dear Editor,

I recently attended the couch event on homosexuality and read Love Is An Orientation by Andrew Marin. Needless to say, this issue has been on my mind a lot lately.

During my socially developmental high school years, I befriended some amazing people who are directly influenced by this issue, yet shamefully antagonized by some church groups. They are fellow locals who have the potential to benefit from Bryan’s Rhea County Scholarship, so I unashamedly invited them to look into Bryan as a potential college.

I was able to help remove their fears of being unfairly stereotyped if their secret somehow got out, but they ended up at a different college for other reasons. Their presence here would have blended the better aspects of my mediocre high school experience with the new vitality I found at Bryan, and I believe that their sexuality should not rob them of their chances at a Christian college, although many see the two sides of this debate as a theological and cultural war-zone.

The aforementioned mediocrity and loneliness of portions of my high school experience caused me to reach out to anyone from any walk of life as long as they would just listen to my story and simply be my friend. Some Christians may call this “letting my guard down,” but it was essentially how I operated and I do not regret it.

Being a member of many diverse high school clicks, I conciously chose to not belittle anyone for their personal preferences. Not to glorify myself and my personal choices, but I believe that this refusal to belittle is an essential part of the Christian walk. Tearing down stereotypes should be the first step in building bridges between the church and the LGBT community. Andrew Marin believes this, and I strongly suggest his book to anyone that aims to reach out to people in the LGBT community.

- Sophomore Logan Davis