by Emily McKeehan
Staff Writer
Surrounded by six computer screens, a few stacks of paper and a large cup from Sonic, Media Specialist David Beisner works in his office in the Rhea House at Bryan College. With a ring full of keys in his pocket, he spends his days answering phone calls and assisting people on and off campus.
But Beisner is also taking classes at Bryan. So is he a student, or is he a staff member? No one on campus seems to know.
Born on St. Patrick’s Day, March 17, 1985, Beisner is the oldest of seven children and has lived in Colorado, Arkansas, Tennessee and South Florida, where his family currently lives.
His parents are Dr. E. Calvin and Deborah Beisner. Beisner said that his father was once a writer and editor for National Review and World magazine. A well-known Christian scholar and speaker, Dr. Calvin Beisner also taught at Covenant for seven years and lectured at Summit Ministries at Bryan several times.
Beisner said that growing up he was an avid reader, and during his senior year of high school, he read 20,000 pages worth of books. One time he read the entire Lord of the Rings Trilogy from 4:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. on the same day.
Besides reading, he said, he did not have much time for hobbies while he was growing up because he was always working.
“For my eleventh birthday, my dad bought me a lawn mower and a weed eater, and he set me up doing my own lawn business,” Beisner said.
He has always had a strong work ethic. Beisner said that as a teenager he volunteered with the Southeast Tennessee Swiftwater Rescue Team, the Hamilton Cave and Cliff Rescue Team and the State of Tennessee Forestry Department.
Arriving at Bryan as a freshman in 2004, the 6-foot, 5-inch Beisner was involved in Practical Christian Involvement and Students in Service, and he continued his involvement in this organization throughout his college career.
During his junior year, Beisner said that he was the SGA executive vice-president for off-campus activities. During his time in office, he took the film festival from Bryan campus to the Tivoli Theater and the annual all-campus picnic to Fort Bluff Camp.
“David takes on more tasks than anybody I’ve known at Bryan,” said Dr. Ron Petitte, associate professor of political science, “and he’s involved in everything.”
And Beisner has not stopped serving the college.
Starting as a biology major, switching to communication studies and ending up as a politics and government major, Beisner is now on staff as Bryan’s media specialist. In this position, he mainly works on promotional videos for the college, although he also proofs the Bryan website – which consists of over 8,000 pages – and works with the Dayton Fire Department.
Dean Bell, computer graphics and print specialist, said that Beisner, whom Bell frequently works with, is a real asset to Bryan.
“If someone asks him to do something, he usually figures out a way to do it,” Bell said, “and he works till the project gets finished.”
A full-time staff member, Beisner is not considered a full- or part-time student, though he is taking one class per semester as part of his staff benefits. He said that he is hoping to finish up his language credits in time to graduate as a third-year senior in May 2010. But after graduation, Beisner hopes to continue as a Bryan staff member.
“He loves serving Bryan,” Petitte said. “Bryan is a home for him right now, and he may even grow old here. Although it would be hard to think of an old David Beisner.”