Bryan College Triangle

by Tim Baldi
Staff Writer

SGA may be adding two amendments to its constitution this semester in order to improve protocol for replacing class presidents who step down and to clarify the role of the class vice president.

Senate is considering a new means of appointing a class president in case of circumstances when the current president is no longer able to fulfill his duties, according to Vice President of the Student Body Amanda Elswick, a senior.

In the past, when a president has stepped down from his position, the vice president has taken the role of president and appointed a new class vice president. However, the functions of class president and vice president are totally different.

“Vice president is very task-oriented,” said Junior Class President Sarah Becker, who was initially elected vice president. “Being president is more about leading a team of leaders.”

Becker switched from being junior class vice president to president when junior Aaron Heidorn was disqualified from the position over the summer. Read full story »

Previous junior SGA pose at the Junior/Senior Banquet/Photo courtesy of Sarah Wood

The junior Student Government Association underwent many changes during the summer. Junior Aaron Heidorn stepped down from being president, and former junior Josh Ragland and junior Trevor Haught resigned from their positions because they were overcommitted.

Due to Heidorn’s resignation, junior Sarah Becker, who was elected to vice president, will be serving as president.

Heidorn steps down as junior president

When asked about why he would not be president of the junior class this year, Heidorn was hesitant to answer.

“The answer to that [question] is a really long one,” he said. “If anyone does want to know then they can come to me personally and I’d be happy to discuss it.”

He said that even though it is not “ideal” that Becker will be president, because she did not run for the position, he does think she will do a good job because she is “very capable.”

Heidorn said that he is excited for next semester because he believes he will serve as male senator when junior Brian Livingston, who was appointed by Becker as Haught’s replacement, leaves to study abroad in Italy next semester.

“I see a lot of good stuff coming because they (SGA) are going to be involving the student body a lot and giving back,” he said. “And Junior-Senior is gonna rock!” Read full story »

By Tim Baldi
Triangle Staff Writer

Savannah Stroud

Bryan sophomore Savannah Stroud is in stable condition today in the Cardiovascular Critical Care Unit at University of Tennessee Medical Center in Knoxville after fainting and going into cardiac arrest Wednesday night. Since then, dozens of prayers and well wishes have covered her Facebook wall as friends, family and fellow Bryan students pray for her continued recovery.
On Wednesday evening, Stroud was working with high school students at Young Life in Sweetwater, Tenn.  According to Savannah’s hallmate, sophomore Sarah Becker, Savannah was setting up a game for the students when she fainted and hit her head.
Savannah’s heart stopped beating for approximately 15 minutes while two Young Life high school students performed CPR on her, according to Resident Director Kristina Anderson. The students had just recently completed a CPR training course.
When emergency personnel arrived, they resuscitated her using a defibrillator.
Savannah was taken by ambulance to Sweetwater Hospital where she was sedated before being flown by LifeFlight medical helicopter to UT Medical Center, said Anderson.
Doctors are currently determining the cause of Savannah’s heart problem.
Savannah’s RD, RA, roommate and three other Bryan girls joined Young Life students and staff who had gathered at the hospital to pray as they waited for news about Savannah, according to Becker.
Beginning Thursday morning, Savannah was gradually taken out of sedation. She was able to squeeze her mother’s hand around 2:30 p.m. on Thursday, Anderson said.
Later in the afternoon, she regained consciousness and could talk in whole sentences, according to Becker.
The Strouds say they are very thankful for the love, prayer and support that they have received. However, because of the stress on the family and hospital, the Strouds request that prayers be offered from home and school rather than at the hospital, so that Savannah may rest during her recovery and the family can spend time together.
The Stroud family will provide updates regarding Savannah’s health on the Facebook page “Updates for Savannah Stroud.”

Seventeen Bryan students are spending their summer abroad as a part of their semester-long class: the Acts Project.

According to the Bryan College website, the Acts Project “couples a semester-long class conversation on missions with a summer internship.”

The following students explain where they will be going and what they expect from their journeys:

Photo courtesy of Carlin Nasiatka.

Carlin Nasiatka: Nairobi, Kenya

Jambo rafiki! This summer I will be going to Kenya, Africa, to serve at Gethsemane International Children’s Home just outside of Nairobi. Gethsemane’s mission is to create a family-like environment for approx. 60 children, caring for their needs and bringing them up to follow the Lord Jesus Christ and impact Kenya for Him! Most of the children that come to live at the home are some of Kenya’s more than 800,000 AIDS orphans. While I am over there with Elizabeth Benscoter, my teammate, we will be tutoring the children (Kenya has a very overcrowded school system), helping with ESL language learning, teaching bible studies on the book of Ephesians, and just engaging in life with the children and staff at the home. Read full story »

by Kaity Kopeski
Online Editor

A few days ago I walked into a room and posed this question: “What do you think about Junior-Senior Banquet having a $12,000 to $15,000 budget?”

Initial reactions were a bit incredulous.

“Really? Twelve thousand dollars? Where does all that money go? Isn’t that a waste?”

This reaction to hearing the Junior-Senior budget seems to be the norm across campus. Every year, students outside SGA, and occasionally inside SGA, suggest the idea of cutting the budget and donating money to charities.

While next year’s Junior-Senior is still a full year off, the Junior Class SGA officers-elect are already discussing this issue.

Read full story »