Dr. Stephen Farra accepted the award on behalf of the students who volunteer with STSM. The award reads as follows: “Columbia International University Psychology Program: For your outstanding partnership with the Volunteer Program at Sexual Trauma Services of the Midlands and commitment to providing services to sexual assault and abuse survivors. Community Partner Appreciation Award, 2012.”

This semester alone, CIU psych students have contributed over three hundred volunteer hours for their practicums. STSM provides 25 hours of training for students to become patient advocates. The patient advocate stays in the room of a sexual assault survivor while the medical staff at the emergency room treats them and does a forensic interview. The advocate informs the survivor of the procedures that are going to take place and assists the survivor in finding clothing, shelter or other needs they may have during their time of crisis.

Being a patient advocate benefits both CIU psych students and STSM. The students get a glimpse into the real world of sexual assault and trauma and STSM is able to have their paid staff handle counseling in-office instead of at the hospital.

CIU students currently volunteering are Alex Dugas, Sara Collins and Baron O’Neal. Past and present students who have volunteered with STSM credit the tutelage of Dr. Caudill and Dr. Farra for giving them the ground work in preparation for handling the difficult and daunting challenge of working with Sexual Trauma Services of the Midlands.

– By Baron O’Neal

Those are questions we often avoid pondering. But for Spartanburg, S.C. native and 2003 Columbia International University alumna Laura Story, those questions are real life.

Story, a Christian singer/songwriter made those questions the theme of a song titled “Blessings,” written after her husband Martin Elvington developed a brain tumor in 2006. Story says the song is a reminder that God remains faithful even when He doesn’t answer our prayers the way we want Him to.

But little did Story know that the song would earn her a 2012 Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Christian Song in February, and three Dove Awards in April. She took home the Dove for Pop/Contemporary Album of the Year for “Blessings.” The title track of that album also won both Song of the Year and Pop/Contemporary Recorded Song categories.

The Dove Awards are sponsored by the Gospel Music Association (GMA). The 4,000-member GMA is dedicated to promoting the gospel through a variety of music styles.

Soon after receiving her Grammy Award, Story announced that she and Martin are expecting their first child. At the Dove Awards she announced that they had just learned that day that the baby is a girl.

“She’ll be my new release,” Story joked with the media.

For more on Laura Story and the Dove Awards visit: http://www.watchgmctv.com/news/thats-wrap-atlanta-hosts-43rd-annual-gma-dove-awards-night-incredible-diversity.

Founded in 1923, Columbia International University is private, Christian and multidenominational. CIU specializes in Bible-centered professional development that prepares students to impact the nations with the message of Christ in ministry, missions and the marketplace. The university is recognized for its emphasis on biblical authority and world evangelization.

www.ciu.edu

Contact: Bob Holmes
Communications Manager
Columbia International University
(803) 807-5071
bholmes@ciu.edu

It’s more of a party, than a protest.

On Jan. 17, the G. Allen Fleece Library at Columbia International University will open for the first time since a devastating fire in May 2009 closed the library for repairs and renovations.  CIU students will celebrate the opening with “Occupy Fleece.”  Students will camp out overnight in tents in a quad area outside the library and wake up to a celebration featuring music, games and an outdoor breakfast.  At 7:30 the library will officially open with the blowing of a shofar, a ram’s horn used in ancient times to signal a celebration.  The CIU mascot is the Ram.

CIU Residence Life Director Mike Thompson says the event is the brainchild of three sophomores: Challie Shaver, Jamie Baker and Michelle Miller.

“They were telling me how excited they are that the library is opening, and at first I didn’t think much about it.”  Thompson said.  “Then it dawned on me that as sophomores, they had never used the library because of the fire.”

A temporary building, dubbed by the students, “The Book Barn” has been used as the library since the fire.

Once the library opens for business at 7:30, students will enter and be given a ticket for a drawing for Kindles and gift cards.

The library is named in honor of the second president of CIU, G. Allen Fleece.  It first opened in 1968.

The official dedication of the renovated library is scheduled for Jan. 24 at 11:30 a.m. and will include members of the Fleece family.

Founded in 1923, Columbia International University is private, Christian and multidenominational.  CIU specializes in Bible-centered professional development that prepares students to impact the nations with the message of Christ in ministry, missions and the marketplace.  The university is recognized for its emphasis on biblical authority and world evangelization.  www.ciu.edu.

Contact: Bob Holmes
Communications Manager
Columbia International University
(803) 807-5071
(803) 518-8200 (cell)
bholmes@ciu.edu

In this issue, our skilled staff members and guests have tackled the following topics:

• A Silver Lining – Liza Worth, CIU Alumna
• Are you Hurting? – Amanda Keeny
• Not My Business – David Craft
• Mighty to Shave – Andrew Steier
• Movie Review: Courageous – Wes Carnley
• A Letter to the Professors – The Pilgrim’s Protest Staff

In this issue, we have the following articles:

• A Pro-Movement Provost – by Lauren Forester
• Interview with Leeland- by David Craft
• Take a Closer Look – by Sarah Light
• To Whom Does the Great Commission Apply? – by Dr. Chris Little
• Leader Versus Follower – by Andrew Letchworth
• Getting Enough “Face Time”? – by Deborah Crutchfield
• A History of Pranks – by Lauren Forester
• Basic Conversation Survival Tips for the Young – by Adult Jesse Mast

Click here to view the issue online!

• Also in this issue, we have:
• Library Updates – Hannah Najjar
• Interview with Mike Galdamez – Lauren Forester
• Falling Up album review – David Craft
• Bringing the News to You – Kirsten Richardson
• Plus a section introducing all of our staff members, whether new or old!

Be sure to read the articles, and see what you agree with. After you’ve done so, feel free to share your thoughts on this topic by posting a comment on this website!

You can view the .PDF file of this issue by clicking here, or by clicking on the picture to the left.

If you missed the debate, or want to hear it again, you’re in luck. We recorded all 69 glorious minutes for your listening pleasure, and have uploaded the recording to our website. You can choose to either download or stream the low-quality version below, or purchase the high-quality version for only two payments of $29.99 by writing to thepilgrimsprotest@gmail.com.

Download Audio File
(right-click, and choose “save as”)

The Pilgrim’s Protest

• An Undiscovered Country – Jesse Mast
• Have the Standards Compromised Beauty? – Hannah Eddy
• Baseball: An Endangered American Pastime – Lonnie Smith
• Brethren, These Things Ought Not To Be – Brothers and Sisters in Christ
• Churches: A Light In The Frightening Dark for Libya – Mission Network News
• Japan Struggles To Combat Radiation Threat and Grim Living Conditions – Mission Network News
• OCHA Updates – OCHA

If you wish to view the PDF version of this issue, please click here.

On top of improving the visual aspects, we’ve reworked the content as well. The archives have been updated, and a few broken and incorrect links have been corrected. Also, you’ll notice that we now have a poll at the top of our sidebar; we expect you to vote! We’ll be asking questions there about what topics you’d like to see covered, what you’d like to see on the website, or even about prizes for some of our upcoming contests.

Lastly on the website, we’ve reworked the comments system to add some more user-friendly features and options. The software being used is IntenseDebate— a fitting name, isn’t it? In order to use the comment system’s full functionality, you will need to sign up for an IntenseDebate account. Don’t worry, though; it’s quick, simple and free. You can sign up by clicking here.

We also thought that we’d let any of you who missed chapel this morning (something to be addressed in the upcoming issue) know what what the new CIU mascot is. Please give a warm welcome to the CIU Rams! These battle-hardened rams will charge onto the playing field, destroying their opponents one-by-one, until they are the only ones left standing. At least, that’s the plan. We’ll miss the Cougars, but are looking forward to seeing the new mascot in action.

Finally, we wanted to inform our readers that they can expect the next issue of the Protest to be released by the end of the month. We’ll be tackling a bunch of issues this time, which we plan to announce via our Twitter page. Haven’t joined yet? Now you have all the more reason to do so. You can sign up at http://www.twitter.com/, and follows us on our page at http://twitter.com/#!/PilgrimsProtest.

P.S. Don’t worry— the Quotable Crutchfield will be returning in the coming weeks!!

In this issue:

• Will the Real Men of CIU Please Stand Up? – Baron O’Neal
• 12 Reasons I’m Not on Facebook. – Steve Baarendse
• The Little Things – Bob Kallgren
• A Biblical Look at Modesty: Dignified Stewardship – Johanna Wieger
• The Whole of the Gospel – Andrew Forbes and Chris Miller
• In Community: A Review – Dr. John Crutchfield
• They Know God Is Great, But Who Will Tell Them God Is Love? – Dr. Warren Larson
• Egyptian Uprising – Kirsten Richardson