News

WILSON, N.C. - Barton's Bulldogs cruised past Mount Olive Feb. 26 in both the men's and women's regular-season championship basketball games as a near sellout "Dog House" crowd and special guests from the world-famous Harlem Globetrotters looked on.

The Lady Bulldogs beat Mount Olive 75-49 to move to 18-4 in league play and 21-5 overall, and the Barton men topped Mount Olive 81-67 to become 17-3 in league play and 21-6 overall.

The Barton women seized the outright Conference Carolinas Regular-Season Championship while the men's team tied Mount Olive for the Conference Carolinas Regular-Season Championship.  Both Bulldog squads clinched the #1 seed for this week's league tournament.

Bulldog spirit permeated Wilson Gymnasium as 2,211 spectators chanted and cheered as part of a scintillating atmosphere.  Barton Blue was prevalent in the stands as faculty, staff, and students sported their school colors with pride, including shirtless fraternity brothers wearing blue paint and Greek letters, who joined the student section led by the Student Bulldog Club as they shouted encouragement to the Bulldogs.

Joining the throng was Barton College alumnus and Harlem Globetrotter Anthony "Ant" Atkinson, as well as fellow Globetrotters Solomon "Bam-bam" Bamiro, Trevor "Tiny" Lawrence, Kevin "Turbo" Pearson, and Irving "Rocket" Rivers.  "Ant" and the Globetrotters graciously signed autographs and posed for pictures during halftime of the men's game - and after all the games had ended.

League tournament play begins Feb. 28; but with byes for Barton's men and women, the Bulldogs next game is March 2 at 7 p.m. when the men host the winner of the Queens at Limestone game.  Continued victories will propel the men to the semifinal game scheduled for March 5 at 7 p.m. and the championship game slated for March 7 at 7 p.m.

The Lady Bulldogs play on March 3 at 7 p.m. as they take on the winner of the Pfeiffer at Coker game.  The victory track for Barton's women will take them to their semifinal on March 6 at 7 p.m. and the championship at 2 p.m. on March 8.

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Questions? Contact Ken Dozier, web services manager, at 252-399-6596 or email kdozier@barton.edu.

Every January, artwork pours into Barton College's Case Art Building from schools all across North Carolina, to compete in the nation-wide Scholastic Art Awards. Hundreds of originally designed and created works submitted by students in grades seven through twelve fill the rooms of the Case Art Building.  And, for the last four years, Peter Damroth has been there to help gallery team members put the show together.

Currently a senior at Barton, Peter used his experience with Scholastics this year to complete his second Capstone project with the Barton College Honors Program. Working with the Scholastics artwork, Peter designed a project that is intended to give children as young as age three a gallery experience that educates them about art through fun, hands-on activities. Peter combined his love for art and an interest in teaching to create a project that is similar to some in larger art institutes, such as the San Diego Museum of Art.

One of Peter's main goals in this project was to find a way to make art more meaningful and accessible to children. He has seen firsthand that not all schools have art education programs in place, and programs like this are designed to help reach those students whose schools don't have an education program. "You know, you have the push for music, but you really don't see the push for art," Peter said. The program features a short slide presentation, scavenger hunt activities, and a hands-on session where the students get to create original works of art. Many of the activities in his program ask students to either recreate scenes of home, loved ones, or images from their dreams in various media and styles. These kinds of activities help the students learn about art in a way that makes it relevant and exciting, while also stimulating the imagination.

The project benefits not only Peter, but also the Barton Art Galleries and Barton College. A project like this requires a lot of thought, time, and effort not only from Peter but from every one involved, including Peter's professor Susan Fecho, chair of the Department of Art, and Mark Gordon, professor of art and director of the Eastern/Central North Carolina Region of The Scholastic Art Awards Program. Peter also consulted with Dr. Kathy James, director of the Honors Program at Barton. As a member of the Honors Council, Dr. James must approve all projects before they are carried out. Dr. James approved the plan for Peter's second Capstone project, saying that one of the goals of the Honors Program is to have the students reach beyond themselves and into the school and the community. Fecho shared that one of Peter's goals was to improve the quality of the student visit, and even though there wasn't time for the schools to schedule the field trips this time around, the project is already picking up interest for future years.

Peter explained that he wanted to do something that would be lasting and successful in later years. "I wanted it to stay at the art gallery," he shared. He made sure brochures with the project's program standards, mission statement, and information for school tours, along with contact information that were shared with participating schools. "Bonnie Loschiavo, the Barton Art Galleries' secretary, has already received phone calls from interested teachers," Peter added. This interest is beneficial to the art galleries, and because Peter's project is designed so that young children can be involved, the project also may benefit the Scholastics Art Awards. Peter continued, "…we were trying to get them [students] excited about scholastics." By getting children involved with art from a young age, programs such as this can promote art education and keep an active interest in programs such as the Scholastic Arts.

This project proved to be an excellent example of "engaged learning" and also exemplifies what an Honors project should try to achieve. The Barton College Honors Program creates opportunities for personal growth in understanding oneself and others, and it allows participants a chance to be leaders in the Barton community of learners. While working on this project, Peter was assigned four students to work with him. As leader of the group, he assigned roles and jobs to the other students. Peter said the added responsibility initially made him nervous but, by the end of the project, he had learned a lot about leadership, planning, and management. Fecho said that his level of experience with the Barton Art Galleries and his interest in teaching made him perfect for a project like this. Projects such as Peter's demonstrate the benefits of an engaged learning environment. He was able to develop skills such as leadership, planning, time management, and execution. Peter reiterated that he "felt engaged the whole time" in a way that he wouldn't have been in a classroom. Dr. James added that one of the goals is to get students out of a classroom and into an environment where they can apply the academic theory in a meaningful way.

For Peter, all the hard work paid off in the realization of his ultimate goal - to integrate education and art in a way that allows a child to learn while still engaging in imaginative art creation. Peter believes that art is an important tool for self-expression. He defines art as a creative "flow" of the student's thoughts and emotions "using any media possible and your imagination… I love imagination." By creating this program, Peter may have found a way to provide the tools and inspiration to do just that.

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Written by Ashley Smith, senior public relations intern

WILSON, N.C. - The 2009 E.G. Purcell, Jr., Bible Conference and the Thedford G. and Woodrow W. Sprinkle Lectures are scheduled for March 1-3 at Barton College.

Dr. Warren Carter. Professor of New Testament at Brite Divinity School at Texas Christian University, will be the guest lecturer for the Purcell Bible Conference on Sunday, March 1 in Hardy Alumni Hall.  Dr. Kay Lynn Northcutt, Fred B. Craddock Associate Professor of Preaching and Worship at Phillips Theological Seminary, will be the featured speaker for the Sprinkle Lectures scheduled for Monday and Tuesday, March 2-3, also in Hardy Alumni Hall.

All lecture sessions are open to the public free of charge, and the community is invited to attend. A buffet luncheon and discussion with Dr. Northcutt will follow at Noon on Tuesday.  Those planning to attend the luncheon may pay at the door. The programs are sponsored by the Department of Religion and Philosophy.

The Purcell Bible Conference

The Purcell Bible Conference was established in 1984 with an endowment given by family, colleagues, friends, students and parishioners to honor the life and ministry of Eugene G. Purcell Jr. The purpose of these lectures has been to provide the public with the finest in recent biblical scholarship each year.  From its inception, these lectures have been planned with the laity of the church in mind.

Registration for the Purcell Bible Conference will begin at 3 p.m. in Hardy Alumni Hall.  At 3:30 p.m., Dr. Carter will present the lecture, "Cross Purposes: Jesus' Crucifixion and the Roman Empire." Following the lecture, there will be a brief reception, and he will speak again at the 5 p.m. vesper service.  Dr. Carter's sermon is titled "The Pit."

Prior to joining the Brite Divinity School faculty in 2007, Dr. Carter was Pherigo Professor of New Testament at Saint Paul School of Theology in Kansas City, Mo., where he taught from 1990-2007.

A native of New Zealand, Dr. Carter earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree from Victoria University of Wellington, a Bachelor of Divinity degree and a Master of Theology degree from the Melbourne College of Divinity, and a Ph.D. from Princeton Theological Seminary.

He has published 11 books, most recent of which are "John and Empire: Initial Explorations" (T&T Clark/Continuum, 2008) and "John: Storyteller, Interpreter, Evangelist" (Hendrickson, 2006). Also among his most important contributions to New Testament studies is a commentary on the Gospel of Matthew, titled "Matthew and the Margins: A Religious and Socio-Political Reading" (Orbis, 2000).  In addition, he has authored numerous articles that have appeared in various scholarly journals such as "Journal of Biblical Literature," "Journal for the Study of the New Testament," and "Catholic Biblical Quarterly."

An ordained minister, Dr. Carter is a frequent speaker/preacher in churches, adult Sunday school classes, and retreats. He also writes regularly for various church publications and Christian education resources.

The Sprinkle Lectures

The Thedford G. and Woodrow W. Sprinkle Lectures were established in 1981 by Dr. Stephen V. Sprinkle in honor of his father, Thedford G. Sprinkle, and his uncle, Woodrow W. Sprinkle.

The Sprinkle Lectures will begin with Lecture I: "Nobody Ever Left Worship Humming The Sermon," on Monday evening at 7:30 p.m. in Hardy Alumni Hall.  "Preaching in a New Key: For God's Sake" will be the topic of Lecture II and will begin at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, March 3.

Dr. Northcutt earned a Bachelor of Music degree from Northwestern University, a Master of Music degree in Piano from University of Oklahoma, a Master of Divinity degree from the University of Chicago, and a Doctor of Ministry degree from the Aquinas Institute of Theology, St. Louis, Mo.  In addition to these degrees, she also holds a Certificate in Spiritual Direction from the Sojourn Training Center.

An ordained minister in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), she has served in local church ministries, and is a popular speaker at churches and retreats.  Dr. Northcutt has been recognized as one of the "favorite living preachers" among Disciples.

Dr. Northcutt has taught at Phillips Theological Seminary since 1995 where her focus in on courses in preaching and worship. Her writing has earned her three Associated Church Press writing awards. And, her most recent work, "Kindling Desire for God: Preaching as Spiritual Direction," is available from Fortress Press this spring. Also an accomplished pianist, Dr. Northcutt served as Visiting Artist in Residence at Cornell College in Mount Vernon, Iowa, from 1983-1985.

For additional information about these events, please contact Dr. Rodney Werline, Department of Religion and Philosophy, at 399-6447 or email: rawerline@barton.edu.

2010 Lecture Dates

Mark your calendars now for next year. The 2010 E.G. Purcell Jr., Bible Conference and the Thedford G. and Woodrow W. Sprinkle Lectures are scheduled for March 7-9.  This will mark the 30th anniversary for the Sprinkle Lectures.  The Purcell Conference lecturer will be Dr. Samuel E. Balentine, Professor of Old Testament, at Union Theological Seminary in Richmond, Va., and the speaker for the Sprinkle Lectures will be Dr. Stephanie A. Paulsell, Houghton Professor of the Practice of Ministry Studies at Harvard Divinity School.

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Questions?  Please contact Kathy Daughety, director of public relations, at 252-399-6529 or email: kdaughety@barton.edu.

WILSON, N.C. - Barton College will welcome historian Harry L. Watson, director of the Center for the Study of the American South at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, on Tuesday, Feb. 24. The program, titled "Majority Rule, Equal Rights, and Limited Government: The Complex Legacy of Andrew Jackson," will be held in the Sam and Marjorie Ragan Writing Center at 7 p.m.

Sponsored by the Barton College Heritage Committee, the Department of History and Social Sciences at Barton and the Wilson County Historical Association, this event is open to the public free of charge. The community is invited to attend.

"Today, Andrew Jackson is more remembered for his Indian policies than his ideas about government, but whether we realize it or not, Jackson left a complex cultural legacy, especially in the realm of 'political culture' or how we think about freedom and democracy and self government," shared Dr. Watson. "My talk will look at some of the core Jacksonian principles of majority rule, equality, and limited government, explore what he meant by them and why they were so popular in his day, and then suggest how their meanings have changed between Jackson's day and our own."

A native of Greensboro, Dr. Watson earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Brown University in 1971 and a doctorate in history from Northwestern University in 1976. His teaching and research interests focus on the antebellum South, the early American republic, and the state of North Carolina. He joined the History Department of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1976 and now holds the rank of professor. Since 1999, he has served as Director of the UNC Center for the Study of the American South.

Dr. Watson is the author of four books, including "Liberty and Power: The Politics of Jacksonian America" (1990) and "Andrew Jackson vs. Henry Clay: Democracy and Development in Antebellum America" (1997). A revised edition of "Liberty and Power" appeared in 2006. He and Professor Larry Griffin, also at UNC-CH, edit "Southern Cultures," the quarterly journal of the Center for the Study of the American South, and he has joined in editing two book-length collections of essays: "The American South in a Global World" (2005), with James L. Peacock and Carrie R. Matthews, and "Chasing the American Dream: New Perspectives on Affordable Homeownership" (2007), with William M. Rohe. Dr. Watson and Professor Jane Dailey of the University of Chicago are currently at work on a history of the United States, to be titled "The American Republic." He also was a commentator on the History Channel documentary, "The Presidents."

For additional information, contact Dr. Jeff Broadwater, chair of the Department of History and Social Sciences, at 252-399-6443 or email: ojbroadwater@barton.edu.

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Questions? Please contact Kathy Daughety, director of public relations, at 252-399-6529 or kdaughety@barton.edu.

WILSON, N.C. - Barton College is pleased to announce the opening of "Gestural Mechanics" by internationally renowned artist Arthur Ganson. The exhibition, to be held in the Barton Art Galleries, will open with a gallery reception on Sunday, Feb. 22, from 2 - 4 p.m. Works in the exhibition include automated kinetic sculpture and production drawings of the machines. This event open to the public at no charge, and the community is invited to attend.

Ganson has been building art machines since 1978. His works are not static non-moving forms, but rather functional sculptural investigations of mechanized design. A former artist-in-residence at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Ganson maintains an ongoing exhibition of kinetic sculpture at the MIT Museum in Cambridge, Mass.

The sculptures begin as meditations on particular concepts of motion. "They are the result of a meandering way of thinking, dreaming and inventing, and come about because I like to work with my hands," said Ganson. The concepts with which he works serve as a catalyst and point of departure for investigations on the mechanics of movement.

The work he produces cannot be adequately described in words or photographs. "Direct observation is the only way one might understand the quiet, introspective, meditative quality of the machines," said Gerard Lange, director of exhibitions at Barton College. "Each contraption is a careful juxtaposition of grace and chaos and, through the act of viewing, one discovers a passageway to the sublime."

With regard to his work, Ganson proclaims that each machine carries with it an aspect of his spirit. "I happen to make machines because I am equally interested in solving mechanical design problems, thinking about the aesthetic implications of objects in space, considering movement from the point of view of a choreographer, and challenging myself to give voice and form to the thoughts and feelings which define me," he shared.

Ganson's work has been featured in "Smithsonian Magazine," "The New York Times Magazine," "Forbes Magazine," "Time Magazine" (European edition), "The Chronicle of Higher Education," "The Boston Globe" and the "Atlantic Monthly Unbound." A short profile was produced by WGBH television in Boston and included in the series "Nova: Science Now."

In addition, Ganson has appeared as a cartoon bear on the children's series "Arthur." And, he also is the inventor of the award-winning children's toy Toobers and Zots and is a partner in the toy company, HandsOnToys, which he co-founded in 1994.

Ganson will lecture on his work on Monday, Feb. 23, at 10:00 a.m. in the Barton Art Galleries. The lecture is also open to the public at no charge, and the community is invited to attend.

The Barton Art Galleries are located in Case Art Building on the Barton College campus. 
Gallery hours are Monday-Friday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. with the exception of holidays. For additional information about this exhibition or Barton Art Galleries, please contact Gerard Lange, director of exhibitions, at 252-399-6475 or email glange@barton.edu.

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Questions? Please contact Kathy Daughety, director of public relations, at 252-399-6529 or email: kdaughety@barton.edu.

WILSON, N.C. - Barton College's Victor R. Small Writers Series welcomes author Luke Whisnant for a reading to be held in The Sam and Marjorie Ragan Writing Center on Wednesday, Feb. 18, at 7:30 p.m.  The upcoming event is open to the public at no charge, and the community is invited to attend.

Whisnant is the author of "Street," a chapbook of poems, the story collection "Down in the Flood," and the novel "Watching TV with the Red Chinese," scheduled for release as an independent film in 2009.  His fiction and poetry have been published in the U.S. in "Esquire," "Arts & Letters," "American Short Fiction," "Southern Poetry Review," "Quick Fiction," "Grand Street," "North Carolina Literary Review" and others, and internationally in "Frank"  (France) and "Revista Neo" (Portugal).

His work also appears in the anthologies "Racing Home" and  "This Is Where We Live: Stories by 25 Contemporary NC Writers."  Three of his stories have been reprinted in "New Stories from the South: The Year's Best," and he has been included three times on "The Best American Short Stories - Distinguished Story List."

Whisnant has taught literature and creative writing at East Carolina University since 1982, and he is a two-time winner of the English Department's Bertie Fearing Award for Excellence in Teaching.  He is the editor of "Tar River Poetry" and serves as director of the ECU Poetry Forum.

This event is sponsored by the Department of English and Modern Languages at Barton College.  For additional information, please contact Dr. Jim Clark at 252-399-6450 or email: jclark@barton.edu.

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Questions?  Contact Kathy Daughety, director of public relations, at 252-399-6529 or email: kdaughety@barton.edu