Courier (Winter 1990)

COVENAN
T
WINTER
Louner
90
A NEWSLETTER FOR ALUMNI • TRUSTEES • PASTORS • FRIENDS
Relating With Rock
"My band and I recendy spent a week on the
continent. The first three days were centered on the Flevo
(Christian music) festival in the Netherlands," said Ward.
"We played on Friday night of the three-day festival.
Then, on Sunday night, about 70 of us musicians
involved in the festival got on a bus and drove through
Holland and Germany into Poland," he reflected.
"We essentially imported the Flevo festival for the
Polish people. It was the first Christian festival of its kind
in Poland."
The Chrzescijan Artystow Festival brought out
approximately 500 people. The crowd may have seemed
small for some, but Ward saw it as a good turnout for
Poland, where less than two percent of the population call
themselves Christians.
Ward believes Covenant gave him
a classical music foundation that
equipped him to compose and develop
contemporary Christian lyrics
and melodies.
One thing that I enjoyed about being in Poland and
Holland was that all of the musicians involved were in it
for the right reasons. There was no money in it at all —
just ministry," said Ward.
Festival musicians included Charlie Peacock, Rez
Band, Seventy-Sevens, D.C. Talk, Whitecross and
Larry Howard.
"Most of these Christian rock bands tried to appeal
to streetwise youth. The Polish audience was a challenge
because they didn't understand much English,"
Ward said.
A James Ward sits on the steps of the Pope's Palace museum in Avignon, Prance.
How could he reach an audience who didn't
understand what he was saying?
James Ward:
Usine Music to Reform
and Reclaim Society
By Nicky Ockeloen
lh introspective, starry-eyed young man with
An
shoulder-length brown hair staned the "Black and Blues
Band" at Covenant about twenty years ago with dreams
of using his God-given musical talent to reform and
reclaim society for Jesus Christ.
It was mote than a happy day. For James Ward, it
was the beginning of a dynamic musical career.
With six records behind him, including his newest
release, "Over All The World," James Ward enjoys
singing about his faith in God.
Back then, in the late sixties, students were denied
permission to sing "0 Happy Day" in chapel. The dean
of women felt the contemporary rendition of the song
was "inappropriate".
"My music is rhythm-and-blues-based. It's
worship-oriented and overtly confessional," said Ward,
who graduated from Covenant in 1972.
But somehow, things changed. The campus "ex¬
ploded in a spiritual and musical awakening," he said,
and students were free to worship God with contempo¬
rary music.
Ward's jazzy rhythm-and-blues sounds have
literally taken him "over all the world." Recent concert
performances took him as far away as Poland, Ecuador
and the Netherlands, where he launched an interna¬
tional recording contraa.
VOLUME
15
•
NUMBER
2
"I would take a simple song like Ain't No Rock mi.
line out some of the words before we sang it so that the
people would understand it. I also had a lot of obvious
gestures and hand motions," he explained.
With the help of a translator, Ward encouraged the
Polish crowd to shake their heads and cross their arms,
singing out, Ain't no rock, Gonna cry in my place; As long as
I'm alive, I'll glorify His holy name.
The Polish crowd got the Luke 19:40 message.
"My lyrics are very clear. When I'm working with my
band live or with the sequencer, I make sure the vocal is
very clear and that the crowd is getting the message. It
doesn't matter if you're Sandi Patti or Rez Band — the
crowd wants to hear and understand the words," he said.
He was invited back to next year's festival.
Continued on page 3
REFLECTIONS
Former Hoagie Hut
What Covenant College
Honcho Warns a
Means to Me
By Dr. Marion Barnes
By Nicky Ockeloen
/ovenant College. What does this name mean
c
to you? After more than 20 years, 1 still respond warmly
when I hear them and think about the people they
represent. Here are some of the things that come to
mind when I hear that name.
.Am alumnus — once famous for preparing
mouth-watering Philadelphia hoagies, steak sand¬
wiches and pizza worth waiting for in a line trailing
from the Hoagie Hut (now the Blink) to the outside
Students and Alumni
Covenant's students joyously come here for an
education in the reformed tradition with a sustaining
desire that their lives should display the pre-eminence of
Christ in every aspea. What a joy to know and serve
such people!
What sarisfacrion to follow them through their
academic careers and into psitions of responsibility and
service! I've had the immense privilege of seeing
Covenant's alumni on the far-flung missions fields of
the world, in doctor's and lawyer's offices and in the
classrooms and pulpits of our country. It always brings
great appreciation and satisfaction to watch Christians
sent out into the world.
College Construction
A dramatically beautiful site that has been
thoughtfully developd, whose architecture and campus
plan not only follow function but also display a
respnsible stewardship of a special location — that is
what we find on beautiful Lookout Mountain.
From an economic point of view, the growth and
development of this campus testifies to God's faithful¬
ness in meeting the needs of his people. Covenant came
from St. Louis with no funds and few friends — but
those we had were very loyal. We started with
practically nonexistent assets, yet all the buildings and
land you can see today have come from God.
"Generation at Risk"
of Carter Hall — now travels with Focus on the
Family to present his A Generation at Risk seminars.
A Marion and Vera Barnes center their attention on
their granddaughter.
The seminar, which examines today's adver¬
tising, TV, movies and music, led to 2 Live Crew's
"Nasty as They Wanna Be" being declared legally
obscene by Florida U.S. District Judge Jose Gonzales.
Academic Program
Where else can you find a college that boldly
claims to be an instimtion in the reformed tradition,
with an evangelical emphasis, a friendly atmosphere and
an insistence upon academic excellence?
Where else can you find a college that requires its
faculty to articulate understanding of the relationship of
the Scripmres to the discipline being taught?
Above all, where can you find teachers with a
patient, prsevering Christian interest in their students?
Some of our faculty might find better paying jobs
elsewhere, but prefer to serve here because they are
building something beautiful for God.
Is pride in Christian things a Christian virtue? If
not, I am in trouble.
At the very least, 1 find great satisfaaion in
knowing and associating with Covenant's students,
alumni, faculty and staff — even with the physical plant.
Please pardon my pride.
The alumnus responsible for helping Florida
"learn to discern" is Bob DeMoss '80. "We
transcribed the album when it hit the 1.4 million sales
mark. The perverse lyrics, which include 313 sexual
references, forced us to alert people around the
country, which eventually led to the obscenity ruling
in Florida," said DeMoss.
Perhaps the most popular and hypnotic tune on
the album is "Me So Homy." Critics see it as
"debasing to women," depicting them as "mere flesh
on bones" and "mindless objects to be conquered."
Florida's 62-page landmark decision was also
prompted by Jack Thompson, a pro-family lawyer,
who helped make 2 Live Crew's album a obscenity
issue in his community.
"I'm amazed that more parents haven't taken up
the issue and filed obscenity suits in their cities,"
noted DeMoss, who describes America's culture as
"sliding into the sewer."
Recendy, three of the four members of 2 Live
Crew were arrested for performing their illegal music
Thanksgiving Blessings
By Frank Brock
A this Thanksgiving season, I am reminded of
x\.t
just how much the Lord is blessing Covenant CoOege.
Christian heritage, appealing to the hearts and minds of
modern students seeking purpose in life.
In a year when national SAT scores dropped from
903 to 900, the SAT scores of freshmen entering
Covenant increased from 1023 to 1036. This year, col¬
leges across the nation experienced declining enrollment
(less than one percent enrolled in a Christian college),
but Covenant's enrollment increased 5.7%, from 580 to
613 (510 traditional and 103 non-traditional).
After a decade of incredible tuition increases,
Covenant continues to be an educational bargain. The
college is committed to sound management and
conservative fiscal policies. We have virtually no debt,
as a foundation for making a Christ-centered education
accessible to smdents from a broad array of socio¬
economic backgrounds.
CoOege curricula have failed to transmit core
knowledge, yet Covenant College faculty is concluding a
three-year effort to strengthen an already strong, 56credit core curriculum.
Covenant College was built and nurtured by
God's grace through the prayers and generosity of His
people. I am especially thankful for your steadfast
support to this mission.
Ugly racial incidents are being reported on
campuses across the United States. The coUege
experience is increasingly a provincial experience for
most students. At the same time, Covenant is aggres¬
sively expanding multicultural programs and opportuni¬
ties for cross-cultural experiences to a very receptive
student body.
When the nation is caking for teachers who have
strong character and values, the educational community
is responding with questions. Whose values are we to
teach? How are we to teach them? Without apology
Covenant offers the historic values of our Judeo-
2
in a Broward county, Fla., nightclub. In court,
however, the performance was found not obscene by a
six-person community jury. If the band had been
found guilty, they would be subject to a fine of $1000
or one year in prison.
DeMoss jokes about America's cultural climate:
"98% of the homes in America have a TV compared
to the 92% that have indoor plumbing and toilets —
we have more garbage coming in than is coming out!"
In addition to giving seminars, DeMoss
produces educational material for parents and teens,
including a guide to mass media and a newsletter
entitled "Parental Guidance."
"My staff at Focus on the Family is small. I
work with Tim Collins, who is also a Covenant
alumnus (79). Together, we research about 20
different magazines, such as Flit Parade, Rolling Stone,
Heavy Metal, etc.
"We also purchase the records kids are buying
and transcribe them if the lyrics aren't already
printed," DeMoss explained.
A Frank and Dottie Brock share a quiet moment after
the Barnes' celebration banquet.
Approximately 50,000 people have attended
DeMoss' "Generation at Risk" seminars, which he
has delivered to over 50 cities across the country and
in Canada.
James Ward Continued
"There is only one professional contemporary
Christian band in Poland. The leader came around and
talked to me, asking me to come back next year. He
told me the pope was coming next summer during the
fesdval season, and he wanted me to come back and play
several Polish cities.
He said, "Your music is what the Polish people
really like. You guys related to the crowd; (other festival
bands) were too noisy, too much rock V roll. We can't
relate to their music," recalled Ward.
Evangelism in Ecuador
After Poland, Ward left the festival scene for
Ecuador, on a group tour with Compassion Interna¬
tional. The relief organiration — known to enlist the
suppon of Christian musicians — encourages spnsorship of underprivileged children by providing food,
clothing, medical attention and education.
"My band didn't go (to Ecuador), but in every
situation, we were asked to sing. I'm a piano player by
trade, but I ended up playing guitar the whole week.
It's fun to strut around and do crazy things for these
kids in another language. The kids sang praise choruses
for us, too. They have a musical culture all their own,
which they present with great pride," said Ward.
Whether he is performing in Europe or America,
Ward continues to use his music talent to reform and
reclaim society for Christ. He admits, however, that his
outlook is changing.
Rocker Turned Realist
"When I was a student at Covenant, I wanted to
transform the music of my generation. I read Niebuhr's
Christ and Culture and heard from Chuck Anderson and
others that this is our Father's world. I had an
optimistic view of cultural reformation," said Ward.
"Now, 18 years down the road from my dreams, I
find myself a lot happier than 1 was in college. I find
myself enjoying the Lord more; I'm not the idealist 1
was then.
"My class of 72 was in a spirit of revolution. My
class didn't bum down any buildings, but we reflected
the resdess idealism of our generation. Many of my
classmates came into this college with no thought of a
career. We didn't give a rip what we'd do with our lives.
We just wanted to live life to the fullest and enjoy what
God prepared for us. And there was no thought about
money; it didn't figure into our ideas," he added.
with James
Discography
Over All the World
1990
Blue Believer
1989
More Piano Please
1985
The revolutionary class of 72 includes Tim Belz, a
lawyer at Belz & Beckemeir in St. Louis; Randy Nabors,
pastor of New City Fellowship in Chattanooga; Dr.
Priscilla Strom, a physician in Bangladesh; and Oliver
Trimiew, the first full-time black professor at Covenant.
Faith Takes a Vision
1982
Ward remembers his student days as a "cloistered,
monastic existence."
No Violence
1981
"Back then, Covenant was isolated. Some of us
never left the mountain for weeks at a time. The whole
community was contained; you could eat and sleep here.
Beth and I just studied all the time, and a bunch of us
did special musical and drama shows on campus. Our
social life and everything was centered in Carter Hall
and it was unusual to go out," he said.
Morning to Dancing
1980
In spite of this, Ward believes Covenant gave him
a classical music foundation that equipped him to
compose and develop contemporary Christian lyrics and
melodies.
"At Covenant, I learned theory and developed the
rigors of practice which comes with classical music.
Some guys romanticize music. They think that you can
learn every song in the book by playing ten thousand
nightclubs. No, you learn music because you sit down
and praaice and you develop a talent to play music,"
said Ward.
"Composition and improvisa¬
tion should be as much a part of the
music program as theory," he added.
Good Advice
1985
James Ward Himself
1974
To the Glory of God
1972
Tour
Schedule
Eastern College,
Philadelphia, Pa.
November 28
Westminster Seminary,
Philadelphia, Pa.
November 29
First Presbyterian Church,
Jackson, Miss.
December 14
Ski Weekend,
Poconos Mountains, Pa.
December 30-31
Aside from being a contempo¬
rary Christian musician, he is the
director of music at New City
Fellowship. When he is not on the
road giving concerts, he may be
found co-directing the church's
music program with Stephen Lauren
Bigger '88.
MTD ARTISTS AGENCY
"I learned how to direct the
choir from John Hamm. It doesn't
matter what kind of music I'm
doing. Hamm taught me to be
patient with the choir. Another
important thing he taught me was
that no matter who shows up for
rehearsal, you rehearse anyway.
What an important lesson for a
flaky, long-haired rock 'n' roller to
learn!" he said.
Dr. John Hamm, professor in the music
department, recalls:
James was an eager student, teaming all he
could He was a good singer and he always learned his
music quickly. His inclination was always towards the
music of popular culture, yet he recognized the
importance of a solid musical foundation. Jim was
always involved in our choral program.
Ward may have lost some of
his flakiness and most of his hair,
but he remains firmly committed to
the Rock.
A Beth and James Ward enjoy some free time at the piano.
Jamming
For More Information:
(616) 241-3787
FAX 241-2660
Dr. Nick Barker, vice president of academic
affairs and dean of faculty, remembers:
James was a clearly gifted student. From the
beginning I was impressed with the way he could zero in
on a passage of Scripture that might not be something we
memorized as children. He would set unusual biblical
passages to music in appropriate ways. When our kids
were growing up, we always listened to James Ward
record. We'd find ourselves singing the Scripture-based
songs, which became a great enrichment to us musically
and spiritually. We became aware of the teaching of
Scripture that had not been emphasized before. That's
something I always appreciated about James Ward
O N
BEING
REFORMED
By Dr. Nick Barker
Cross-Cultura
"I had heard the questions many times before. Sitting in a circle of
V\L Ernest Kimbugwe left Uganda to
come to a small Reformed Presbyterian college in
folding chairs in one of the Sunday school rooms were the elders of the church
and another man, a prospective candidate for the office of elder. We were
Lookout Mountain, Tenn., he wondered if he was in
the right place.
asking him what the Reformed Faith meant to him."
"I was shocked to find women wearing men's
clothes and acting so aggressively. In Uganda, women
cover their legs from the knees down.
'ver the past several years, I have on a
Q
number of occasions heard the word "reformed" wielded
as a weapon with which to smite fellow Christians with
whom I share the most basic and ultimate commit¬
ments; I have heard some representation of "the
Reformed Faith" elevated, it almost seemed, above the
Bible itself; and I have heard the phrase "Reformed
Presbyterian" (apparendy not in reference to a
denomination) used not honorifically but as if to
anathematize people of my own tradition as uncaring,
inflexible and uncommitted to evangelism.
How would I myself answer the questions? What
does the Reformed Faith mean to me? Don't reformed
folks have a great deal to learn from fellow believers in
other traditions? Can it not be argued, and argued well,
that we need to stress not what separates us from other
Christians but what unites us? And how important is
being reformed in a time when all true believers in Jesus
Christ need to join forces against surrounding
secularism and materialism?
Sometimes it may seem that to be reformed is to
be divisive. Shonly after its earliest days under Calvin in
Switzerland, the Reformed Faith often became
identified with national Reformed or Presbvrerian
churches in such places as France, parts of Germany, the
Netherlands, Hungary and Scotland. Unfortunately,
the national dimension of these groups came later in the
New World to signify separate and sometimes divided
traditions among which little communication occurred
and in which little unity was perceptible.
Still, there remains a single and honorable
tradition that appropriately bears the label of "the
Reformed Faith," a tradition based on the central
biblical teaching that Christianity is most accurately and
fruitfully recognized as totally God-centered. Whether
or not one credits the Reformed Faith with this
emphasis is less important than that each Christian —
ordinarily so prone to think of all things as being by, for
and of "the people" — be committed to the proposition
that all things are by, for and of God and God alone.
Christian health, growth and action are furthered when
the following four consequences of this proposition are
also given allegiance.
by praising him, listening to his Word, resolving to obey
him — in a word, by directing their individual and
corporate lives to God's delight. How many dissatisfied
Christians there are who leave worship complaining that
they have not "been fed" or "felt ministered to." The
most effective antidote I know is to approach worship
with one's mind focused not on one's own feelings but
on God, for whom worship exists in the first place.
Third, everything belongs to God. He created all
that exists besides himself and he sovereignly superin¬
tends its history. A crucial part of our responsibility as
his people is, as far as he puts it in our power, to turn all
creamres, including fellow human beings, to the
fulfillment of his purposes. No creature, no area of life,
is unimportant to the God who created it. All is
designed for the praise of his glorious grace.
Ernest Kimbugwe is one of 31 international
students who left their native lands and families to
attend Covenant College.
The transition wasn't easy. The international
students found themselves immersed in a new culture
— one involving different language, food, clothing, and
social customs.
Fourth, God is the staning point and the endpoint
for thinking and acting in all areas, and, therefore, the
Scriptures he has given are the first source we must
consult for the richest understanding of things. This
does not mean either that the Bible speaks directly to
every subject or that sources other than the Bible
(including nonbelieving human beings) do not have
considerable insight into things. It does mean that
without the perspective provided by the Bible — that
perspective in which God's creation, humankind's fall
into sin, Christ's redemptive sacrifice, and the Holy
Spirit's sanctifying work are central — our understand¬
ing and application of any subject will be incomplete
and will remain unconnected with the ultimate source
from which, and the ultimate goal to which, all
things flow.
Being reformed may not be all there is to biblical
religion, but those of us who live in the reformed
tradition are not ashamed to acknowledge the Reformed
Faith as Christianity's most adequate summary. Is there
any Christian who would be ashamed to have as a
summary of his or her life the Latin expression semper
reformata, reformam, reformanda — always reformed,
reforming, and to be reformed?
Reprinted with permission, Presbyterian Jouranl,
January 18, 1986.
A
Ajrican, African-American, Oriental, and
international missionary students gather on the chapel
staircase on a chilly ivinter day.
Who's to Say Left Isn't Right?
"Sometimes I forget I'm in America and find
myself driving on the left side of the road," said
Kimbugwe, who sports an international driver's license
and drives a Nissan.
Driving right may not be as important as
eating right.
First, God deserves all the credit for an individual's
salvation. From first to last, it is God's work. To be
sure, God uses human means in this work. He sends
Christians to speak the gospel to unbelievers. And, just
as surely, a sinner being saved is conscious of making at
some point a deliberate choice in favor of Christ. But
do we not all recognize this as a choice we could not
have made had it not been for the work of the Holy
Spirit in us? Every part of our salvation is due to the
amazing grace of God.
Second, God is the center of Christian worship.
From public worship the Christian derives comfort,
encouragement, instmction, inspiration, and fellowship,
but the point of Christians worshipping is less to seek
those blessings for themselves than to seek to bless God
"They don't wear shorts or miniskirts — and theii
behavior is quiet and submissive," said Kimbugwe.
Another student, Stanley Thomas, is Indian, yet
grew up with missionary parents in Africa. He believes
that his biggest cultural transition is not traffic but food
"American food is bland compared to the heavily
spiced Indian food I grew up eating," admits Thomas,
who especially misses Indian curry specialties.
"One thing I've started to like is hamburgers with
all the trimmings," he adds.
Byekwaso Francis of Uganda is surprised by
America's consumption of salad and raw vegetables.
Dr. Nick Barker, Dean of Faculty
hristiamty
RM Nicky
A/trkii tOckeloen
]/*U/>lsii>n
By
Coimer
"In Uganda, everything is fried or cooked," he
remarked.
"The first time I was served salad, I ate it because I
didn't want to hurt my guardian's feelings. Actually,
1 prefer lasagna — that's my favorite food," he said.
"In Uganda, you kill a cow and take it home to eat.
There are no canned foods available. We eat a lot of
boiled bananas, potatoes and yams," reflected Kimbugwe.
Rowena Upton, an African-American student,
experienced some of Uganda's specialties firsthand while
on a summer missions trip. She felt some foods were not
only inedible but unthinkable.
"People ate rats! Outside their homes, there were
dead rats hanging upside down by their tails with ropes
or nails," said Upton.
A Oriental students: Hyun Seung Too, Misaki Fukuyama, Kaori Ohnishi and Diana Yueh-Tai Kuo.
Yet the rats did not poison her feelings about the
country. "One of the best things about Uganda," she
added, "was fresh fruit. Their pineapples, mangos, pa¬
payas and oranges were unlike anything I'd ever tasted."
Another idiosyncracy of Ugandan culture also made
her trip more lively.
"I received several marriage proposals," Upton
explained. "Guys would ask me for a photo, to visit their
families, or if I had a boyfriend back home. They'd say,
'You're the type of woman I like — do you want to get
married?'" she reflected.
"1 can understand why guys would say that to
Rowena," said Marvin Williams, an African-American
smdent from Philadelphia. "She is a very attractive girl.
I am tempted to marry her myself."
"I think they asked me about marriage because I
was American and they wanted to come here. If they
got married, they'd automatically become citizens,"
said Upton.
Multicultural Testimonies
Despite their obstacles, cross-cultural students are
determined to conquer them and to successfully handle
academic and social requirements. Their testimonies of
how they came to Covenant are often as diverse as the
cultural barriers they struggle to overcome.
"I heard about Covenant from Dean Sippel, the
station manager of Moody Radio in Chattanooga," said
Anand Long, a sociology major with a certificate in
evangelism from Moody Bible Institute.
Long was adopted by two American ladies, Jackie
Liechty and Gene Long, with 12 other children in New
Delhi, India. His mothers came to India with a nurses'
exchange program. He was the first to be adopted into
their Indian children's home for unwanted babies.
Long leads a yearly missions trip to India and has a
ministry caring for and counseling neglected street
children in Chattanooga, Term.
"I intend to use my sociology [major] when
working with kids on an individual basis. I'm an
ordained pastor and I hope to continue working with
the poor," he said.
A African-American students: (Front) Shaumea L
Walker, Rowena J. Upton, Vickie M. Nailing, (Back)
Michael E. Martin, Marvin C. Williams, Brian L
Oldham, Darrell M. Brooks and Michael J. Johnson.
A African students: Byekwaso Lwasa Francis, Simon
Torokwa, Josephine Nyanjiru Gitonga, Marcy
Nyakarura Ndiritu, Stanley M. Thomas and
Ernest Kimbugwe.
Vickie Nailing, another African-American student,
transferred to Covenant from Los Angeles City College
after hearing about it at her church's Bible camp.
two students," reflected Francis.
"I struggled with whether or not to go to a
Christian school. In my heart, I wanted to integrate
faith and learning. Then someone told me a liberal arts
degree from Covenant would prepare me for a career,"
said Nailing.
Thomas discovered Covenant while thumbing
through Campus Life. His interest was sparked by an ad
proclaiming the college motto, "A spirit of friendship, a
tradition of exceEence."
"After being accepted, I told Nick Arnett (in
admissions) that I heard about Covenant in Campus
Life." He said, "At least we got one student through
that ad," said Thomas.
"After graduation, I may go back to Africa, or
study international business for my master's. I see
myself working in a Third World country with World
Vision or a similar organization," he remarked.
Multicultural students contribute to the college
community by encouraging us to think about Christ
and culture. With their help, we may learn to make
Christ truly pre-eminent in a racially diverse society.
"It isn't easy being
black, Oriental or
Hispanic in a
predominantly
white institution
such as Covenant."
J.C. Upton
DIRECTOR OF
MULTICULTURAL SERVICES
Upton spent five years evangelizing
tribes in New Guinea. He recendy was
appointed to the office of multicultural
services and directs the Multicultural
Francis' road to Covenant was paved by an
autobiography entided A Distant Grief. "The book was
written by my godfather, Dr. Kefa Sempangi, about the
trauma the Ugandan people experienced during Idi
Amin's reign and how he started an orphanage home,"
he explained.
Action Commitment (MAC) Program at
Covenant, which was developed as part
of President Brocks five-year plan, calling
for cultural diversity and increased
enrollment. Uptons duties include
A teacher at Northlake Christian School in
Louisiana read the book and decided to sponsor
African students.
"The Louisiana teacher raised money for two
Uganda students to study in America. I was one of the
recmiting minority students and helping
them adjust to college life. His daughter
Rowena is a junior at Covenant.
j
ALUMNI
■ JOEL BELZ '62, college trustee, continues to
NEWS
■ CLYDE SMITH '84 and his wife Gaye-Lynn
■ WAYNE '85 and ELISABETH (Kimsey '84)
print World magazine in Asheville, N.C., with a
spent the summer on the Elathead Indian Reservation
ROBINSON, at 3331 Greenway Ct., Augusta, Ga,
circulation of 15,000.
for Wydiffe Bible Translators — Clyde's master's thesis
30909, are members of Westminster Presbyterian
is on the Elathead language, Montana Salish. The two
Church in Martinez, Ga. Wayne is a health proteaion
expect a baby in early November. They live at 19019
inspector for Wesringhouse at its Savannah River site,
HOLLIDAY live in Elgin, 111., where Chuck is pastor
York Rd., Parkton, Md. 21120, but may move to
and Elisabeth works five to six days a month as RN in
of Westminster Presbyterian Church, which recently
Indonesia with Wydiffe.
labor and delivery.
■ CHUCK 72 AND DEBRA (Barres 74)
moved to a second building seating 600.
■ DAVID "ARNY" '85 and JAN (George '86)
H PRISCILLA STROM 72, the first Covenant
alumna to go to medical school, is a doctor with
live in the Olney seaion of Philadelphia. Steve is
minister of youth at Covenant Presbyterian Church.
completing his final year at Westminster Theological
Mission to the World in Bangladesh. Write Strom at
LAMB Hospital, P.O. Parbatipur, Dt. Dinajpur,
Bangladesh.
■ STEVEN and DONNA (Thomas) AUSTIN
'85 live in Memphis, where Steven is doing a residency
in internal medicine at the University of Tennessee. He
■ JAY LYKINS 73 recendy delivered three
Christian business ethics conferences in Odessa in the
recendy received his medical degree from the university
College of Medicine.
Soviet Union. One conference had to be moved when
authorities found out Christians would attend. Lykins
■ STEVE and MARY (Lutz) SMALLMAN '85
ARNOLD live in Naples, Ela., where Arny is the
■ GARY and AUDREY MOORE '85 moved
Seminary in a master's program in divinity. Steve also is
involved in the leadership of Spirit and Truth Fellow¬
ship, an inner-city church in Philadelphia.
■ DAVID '85 and MIRIAM '87 SHELDEN
can be written at 431 Broadway #505, Tacoma, Wash.
98402. David works for Northwest Technical Plastics.
is president of Global Reach, at 275 Rose St. #204, Box
from Ellicott City, Md., to Franklin, Tenn., this year.
234, Pleasanton, Calif. 94566.
Gary is involved on a management level with the Orkin
CAREY are now living at 1 E. Edinburgh Dr., New
Co., while Audrey runs her own specialty dessert
Casde, Del. 19720. Chris received his master's in arts
business. They expect their second child in May.
and religion, with an emphasis on counseling, from
■ DOUGLAS 73 and SHARON (Collins 72)
WITHINGTON and their four children moved to the
Naval Radio Receiving Facility in Kamiseya, Japan,
where Doug begins a three-year tour as navy base
■ RICHARD '85 and MARGIE (FeUers '87)
Pettit live in Birmingham, Ala., where Richard is in his
■ CHRISTOPHER '86 and JOAN (Smith '84)
Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia.
■ KEITH and MEGAN (Kaplan) HENDRICK
chaplain. Visitors are welcome. Write them at NRRF
final year of law school at Cumberland University.
'88, at 1206 Poplar Ave., Annapolis, Md. 21401, are
Kamiseya, FPO Seatde, Wa. 98768.
Thanks to the cooperation of Rick and Marcie, Joan
active in a young married group at the Evangelical
Pettit expects her 30th grandchild in January.
Presbyterian Church of Annapolis. Keith renovates
■ PHILIP 78 and BECKY (Hamilton 79)
homes and manages property for an apartment complex.
VIERLING live at 2449 Summerlin Dr., Clearwater,
Fla. 34624. Philip works for EMPI, Inc., managing
the southeastern states in elearomedical sales. Becky
Give Your Gift a Lift
Births
volunteers for a crisis pregnancy center.
■ JOHN ISAAC 79 is an agent for Northwest¬
If you are employed by a matching-gift
ern Mutual Life with Robert W. Baird and Co., at
company, you can double or even triple your
7050 Oakland Mills Rd. #240, Columbia, Md. 21046.
giving in support of Covenant College.
Isaac will speak on ascertaining clients' financial
Covenant is an accredited four-year college,
planning needs at Northwestern Mutual's annual
eastern regional meeting in New York in January.
■ PAUL 79 and LOUISE ('80) KEMP teach
English with MTW and Interserve. Write Paul and
Louise, and Andrew, 8, Adam, 4, and James, 1, at
and meets the requirements of all participat¬
■ WILLIAM and JACLYNN DEKUIPER '80
Participation is easy and uncompli¬
cated. Simply obtain a form from your
company's matchinggifr coordinator —
usually in the personnel or community
relations department — and send it to
master's in occupational therapy at Western Michigan
Covenant College with your gift.
University. Jaclynn home-schools their son Brian, 7.
Last year, Covenant received more than
Thornlea Ct., St. Louis, Mo. 63011. Tom works as a
youth director while taking courses at Covenant
$60,000 in corporate matching gifts — all
Seminary.
of them through the initiative of alumni,
husband Bill transferred to Knoxville from Chatta¬
parents and other friends.
Many participating companies make
nooga, with Turtles, Inc.
this benefit available to retired employees
■ CHRIS KIRATZIS '84 moved from
his wife Edie is a guidance counselor in Exton, Pa.
6
Benjamin Wayne, first son, born September 20, 1990,
11:11 p.m.; 6 pounds, 14 ounces, 22 inches.
Joanna Rachel, first daughter, born October 7, 1989.
■ HENDRICK, KEITH '88 & MEGAN '88:
Jordan Katherine, first daughter, born May 27, 1989.
■ MOORE, GARY '85 & AUDREY '85:
Sauyer, first son, born September 30, 1989.
■ ROBINSON, WAYNE '85 & ELISABETH
pounds, 6 ounces.
■ SHELDEN, DAVE '86 & MIRIAM '87:
Rosemary Annette, first daughter, born August 6, 1990.
■ SMALLMAN, STEVE '85 & MARY '85:
Isaiah, first son, born November 2, 1989.
■ SNUGGS, BILL & SANDY '83: Jacob, born
July 12, 1990. Jacob joins his brother Isaac, born
February 12, 1989.
and even to employees'spouses. By all
Pittsburgh to Philadelphia last year. Chris is in charge
of the Philadelphia office of Thermal Industries, while
■ BINGHAM, TOM '89 & LISA '89:
'84: Ethan Bryan, first son, born May 26, 1990; 7
Your extra giving is important to us.
■ SANDY (Gillen) SNUGGS '83 and her
sister Jacki, born March 12, 1989.
■ CAREY, CHRISTOPHER '86 & JOAN '84:
live in Kalamazoo, Mich. Bill is working toward a
■ TOM and CINDY RICKS '81 moved to 505
Jordan Kelly, born October 2,1990. Jordan joins her
ing companies (now more than 1,000).
Semsettin Gunaltay Cad. 26/15, 81110 Bostanci,
Istanbul, Turkey.
■ ARNOLD, DAVID "ARNT '85 Sfjan '86:
means, take the time to inquire.
■ VIERLING, PHILIP 78 & BECKY 79:
Rebecca Lynn, born February 27, 1990. Rebecca joins
her brother Andy, 8, and sister Sarah, 6.
Coimer
A Student1 s Perspective on Homecoming
5^ John Bulten
L^trange people were milling about Carter Hall
the weekend of October 19-21. Everyone looked too
old to be students. They seized the central tables in the
Great Hall for a self-proclaimed "Bash." They were
eating whitish-yellow S-shaped "cheese straws" on the
overlook, which tasted like nothing I'd ever had, except
maybe hot sauce.
Some students, like myself, had paid enough
attendon to know that Homecoming '90 had arrived.
Athledc types took on alumni for basketball
games. The alumnae lost to the Lady Scots, but the
alumni came from behind over the Scots when the Scots
tried folding to use up time. More interesting, however,
was the subsequent ice cream social. The event wasn't
as prompt as the comic brochure had promised, with
the game going into overtime.
Finally, when the ice cream was scooped out and
Ray Dameron began his comedy hour, I knew the
evening was picking up. He is the only professor who
has been teaching consecudvely since before 1965, and
A Rudy and CoUyn Schmidt are congratulated by David '65 and Linda'68 Bragdon for being named Alumni of the
Year. Standing behind them is Paul Warren, Carter Hall resident director.
references for which the Hebrew was uncertain.
Mixed in with the jokes were musical numbers,
including an aria, billed as from "Gotterdameron."
Dameron may have fine-tuned this one by singing with
the Chattanooga opera.
Dameron demonstrated that people who wrote
old songs never really concentrated on what went into
them. He sang a song which consisted of variations on
"I'm so happy, Oh, so happy," and "Oh — boy!
Real — joy!"
A Ray Dameron nearly catches his beard playing a slide
rule concerto.
his wife and daughter are the first parent/child pair to
both complete their bachelor's at Covenant. This year,
52 children of alumni are trying to repeat the task.
Dameron's lively monologue made everyone
laugh. He opened with the most shaggy-dog version I'd
ever heard of the joke about a pair of weevds. He also
explained how to give a speech — every other rule
seemed to be "Don't say anything," since the speech, he
explained, is solely to make one look good. Then he
gave a sample speech, quoting obscure biblical
During the performance, Dameron spoke at least
six languages (he invented two of them, and I think the
Balkanese was faked). He played at least seven
instruments (four of them were made of air, and 1 know
the piano was dubbed). The second-to-last number was
a duet entided "Conceno for Slide Rules in B Flat
Major Minor, Op. 2" — "Opus Two," because only
two pieces have been written for slide rule. Dameron
was accompanied on tape because "it's hard to find
people who play the slide rule. There's a guy
in Seatde, and one in Caracas, Venezuela."
Saturday's highlights included the alumni business
meeting and Chuck Anderson's college homecoming
course, at which he lectured on the book Imaging God
These events were eclipsed by Covenant's first ever
Homecoming Parade later that morning.
The parade was organized by Paul Warren and
Krue Brock, Covenant's resident direaors, and featured
eight "floats." Ironically, none of the floats really
floated. The entry from Carter Second South held the
Stay-Puft marshmallow man, while several members of
my hall played kazoos and threw candy. My roommate
described his pan as, "I threw things at people."
Several sporting events filled the morning and
afternoon, leading up to the president's reception on the
overlook. The crowd knew that the food they were
eating was called "cheese straws" and that it was served
with nothing more than hot apple cider, but they knew
little else. President Brock may have been the only one
who could explain that the S shape meant "Scots."
Concluding the evening was the Barnes Inaugural
Alumni Bash. I scarfed several of those perfect litde
four-inch-diameter pizzas. After everyone had eaten
A Homecoming alumni flaunt the next generation to
attend Covenant. The twins' big sister is wiped out after
the day's festivities.
enough, Paul Warren and two others performed a skit
on "how bad Covenant was back in our day." Then
Phil Barnes, president of the alumni association,
introduced Jane Young, who is a friend of the Schmidts.
Young shocked Rudy and Collyn by naming them
Alumni of the Year — Rudy has been an honorary
alumnus since 1952, and Collyn became an honorary
alumna that evening.
Marshall Rowe, the director of alumni relations,
lost in the homecoming maze, when I finally found him
said that he was pleased with the turnout.
Editor in Chief
Nicki Ockeloen
A The class of '80 clusters in the Great Hall They were
invited to the Brocks' home for dessert after the Barnes
Inaugural Alumni Bash.
A The class of'85 gathers in the Great Hall one halfdecade after graduation.
Photographer
Steve Lawton
7
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