The 10th annual “Art from the Buffalo School”  went on Friday, February 3 at Nelson Art Gallery.

Artist-in-Resident, Caitlyn Wise, was over the show and oversaw the planning of the art show.

There were 35 pieces entered in the show by students under the direction of Alice Anthony and Nick Blosser. The pieces included paintings, sculptures, drawings, and graphic design.

The show was open and free to Milligan students, faculty, and staff, along with the community in correlation to Johnson City’s First Friday.

By: Lindsey Campbell

With Milligan College’s foundation being liberal arts, the fact that many health related majors are becoming popular has come as quite a shock. As it turns out, nursing and liberal arts work together to produce critical thinking skills necessary to use in the workplace. Nursing majors get a solid foundation that challenge their minds to think and use analytical skills, as well as gain appreciation for all areas of human life – crucial skills to have in the field of nursing.

By: Jonathan Thomas

 According to Campus Minister Brad Wallace an SFP event does not only consist of chapels and sermons. During the past year SFP qualifications have been expanded. What most students don’t know is that they have the opportunity present tentative ideas that can be consider for actual SFPs. Check out the below video for more information.

By: Johnny Miller

Ever wonder where you can go during the week to meet new people, fellowship and worship? Well, as part of a three-week series I am going around to local ministries for college students to find places where Milligan students can go to do all of these things. This week, I went to check out a local college ministry in Johnson City called The Trail Ministry.

By: Sarah Underwood

Milligan students are taking advantage of the new rentals at the Gilliam Wellness Center. Chris Webb, coordinator of wellness and recreation activities at Milligan, made the announcement one week ago and said the center has already rented out two basketballs, camping gear and one football.

The new rental service allows students access to a wide range of sports and camping equipment (basketballs, volleyballs, soccer balls, footballs, Frisbees, tents, sleeping bags, camping stoves and tarps) without putting a hole in their wallets. It also gives students more opportunities to enjoy activities outside the gym.

The idea for the new rentals started with some budget planning by the Wellness Center. Ryan Reynolds, head tennis coach and intramurals coordinator, and Mark Fox, vice president for student development and sports development, combined their budgets to “give students options” according to Webb.

The Wellness Center’s effort toward student wellness has not gone unnoticed.  Dr. Curtis Booher, assistant professor of Christian ministries whose daughter often uses the Wellness Center’s resources, thinks the new rentals are a good way to “help get students active without dictating use of the wellness center.” Booher commended Webb, Reynolds and Fox on their decision to spend the budget on rental equipment, saying that this cause is “worthy of budgetary monies.”

He went further to say that he “hopes students will take advantage of it.”

And take advantage of it they have.

Haley Wolfe, a Milligan freshman majoring in exercise science, plans on using the new resources.  Not only is she excited that it is free, but she is also excited about the new and different opportunities to exercise.

“If the weather’s nice and I wanted to go camping, I would definitely go to the Wellness Center and rent some of their gear,” Wolfe said.  “It gives everyone an opportunity to see part of nature.”

By: Krista Knudtsen

February has arrived and the world is using hearts, flowers and the color pink to not-so-subtly remind us that love is in the air.

As February inspires these thoughts of love and romance, some might be faced with a crisis. “How am I going to propose?!” You’ve heard it that it needs to be special, memorable and creative. Well maybe you need some ideas. Thanks to several of our own Milligan couples, you now have some free advice at your fingertips.

Eeva and Will Clark’s engagement story wins the award for being the farthest away. Their engagement took place when Will was visiting Eeva’s family in Finland, a day before the Swedish princess Victoria got married. Will began by giving her notes saying “do you remember when we met?” A box of Sisu accompanied the note, which is a black licorice they had shared on their first meeting.

Another said, “do you remember our first date?” That note was followed by a dinner at an Italian restaurant, reminiscent of that first date. Later that night they ended up in a Cathedral (called Tuomiokirkko), where he handed her a note that said, “do you remember when you said you would marry me even if all I had was a string for your finger?”

Eeva turned to find Will on bended knee. He added, “well, I’ve got something a little better than just a string.”

Remember guys, sentimental, but sincere is good.

Jennica Lyons began telling her engagement story with “Well, it didn’t go quite as planned.”

While her and her fiancée were in Maryland, they had decided to take a detour to New York City on their way back home. Her then fiancée, Andrew, had intended to propose there, with elaborate plans that included a romantic horse-drawn carriage ride; however a snowstorm sent them straight home. Although the proposal setting had to change to a cozy breakfast scene, the thought still counted and the engagement was nonetheless sweet.

So guys, both elaborate and simple plans are wonderful, but remember to check the weather forecast.

Cara Beth Brackins’ engagement night could have begun better in her opinion. She wasn’t feeling the greatest and after dinner, Canaan suggested that they watch a movie at his parents house.

Knowing his bride-to-be well, Canaan knew that she would fall asleep during the movie, which was part of his plan.

Since the beginning of their relationship he had asked her what he should call her (to which she replied, “your girlfriend”), he woke up a groggy Cara Beth with the question “what should I call you?”  Thinking he was being silly, she answered impatiently “your girlfriend.”

To that he replied that he didn’t want to call her that anymore, instead he wanted to call her his wife. Needless to say, she was neither groggy nor unhappy anymore.

Dr. Pat Magness also told her engagement story, which actually took place after wedding plans were in order.

Because she and Dr. Lee Magness had the familiar empty college bank accounts, they had not planned to have a ring. Yet, when Dr. Lee Magness’s grandfather gave him his grandmother’s diamond, he had it set and proposed to her on the steps down that lead down to the softball field on this very campus, where a plaque now sits.

Dr. Pat Magness had wise words for any pre-engagement couple, saying:  “it’s not the ring that’s important, but the commitment.”

The February performances of “Alice in Wonderland” are attracting a new audience for the theater at Milligan College.  Some upperclassmen are finding their way to the bookstore to purchase their tickets for a Milligan production for the first time in their collegiate experience.

Senior business administration major and first time playgoer Jason Boice said, “Any interpretation of Lewis Carroll’s wonderful novel has to be good.  It’s an imaginative story.”

Boice’s love for Carroll was echoed by another first time theatergoer, junior communications major Jon Carter.

“I love Lewis Carroll and ‘Alice in Wonderland’ and everything involved with the two,” Carter said.

“I really want to experience all that I can within this Milligan cave before I see the sunlight,” Boice added, “So I might as well look at the shadow on the wall that is ‘Alice in Wonderland’.”

Brennan Seth Tracy, a senior theater major, who plays The Cheshire Cat, grinned with joy when he heard of the first time audience goers.

“I’m excited to show them what they’ve been missing and that there is a whole other side to Milligan that they haven’t experienced before,” Tracy said.  “It’s always fun to get a variety of people interested in theater and help the program grow on campus.  I’m excited to see how it grows over the next couple of years.”

Dick Major, the director of the show and professor of theater, said “I think it’s a real tribute to our program that anyone would consider thinking that this is something they have to do before they graduate. There is a great enjoyment factor seeing something live in the theater that you cannot necessarily get from other entertainment mediums.”

“Alice in Wonderland” will open on Thursday February 9^th at 7:30 p.m.  Tickets are 5 dollars and are available for purchase at the Milligan College Bookstore between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Additional show times are running on the 10^th and 11^th at 7:30 pm as well.

“There are two matinees open to the public,” said Major.  “One is on Saturday February 11^th at 2:30 in the afternoon and then the closing performance will run Sunday February 12^th at 2:30 p.m.”

For more information regarding ticket sales call the Milligan College Bookstore at 423-461-8733.

You will be paying twice as much interest on next year’s student loans, if Congress does not vote to extend the current rate by July 1, when the rate is set to jump from 3.4 percent to 6.8 percent.

The change will hit over half of Milligan’s students, according to Milligan’s Vice-President for Finance Jacqui Steadman.

The hike in interest is due to the waning of the College Cost Reduction and Access Act that was signed Sept. 27, 2007. The act gradually cut the 6.8 percent interest rate of Stafford subsidized loans to 3.4 percent. It is set to terminate July 1, 2012. Congress may extend the bill, if they act before the deadline.

“I would not be surprised to see the lower rate extended – I’m just not sure of the timing,” President Greer wrote in an email Feb. 1 from the Council of Christian Colleges and Universities conference in Washington D.C.

If Congress does not extend the act, rising interest rates will be the only direct repercussion and they will only apply to under-graduate students applying for 2012-13 Stafford subsidized loans.

Graduate students will no longer be eligible to receive subsidized loans after July 1, 2012. The federal government will still give the $9.7 million Milligan usually receives on students’ behalf.

According to the 2010-11 statistics, figured by Steadman, 54 percent of students (641 of 1,140 students) took out subsidized Stafford loans. The average amount loaned to one student during four years of study is $15,296. Payback time is 10 years.

The graph to the side shows the difference between the total payments of $15,296 at 3.4 percent and 6.8 percent interest. The lower rate’s cumulative payment is $17,264.31 including $1,968.31 in interest. The higher rate’s cumulative payment is $20,106.71, including $4,801.71 in interest.

In his State of the Union address, President Obama encouraged Congress to extend the act.

Although it is small in size Milligan still manages to attract students from all over the world. Milligan accommodates 24 international students 17 of which are athletes.

“We try to identify potential student-athletes who are good “fits” for our institution and will help us to compete at a very high level on the field of competition,” Athletic Director Ray Smith said.

According to Smith head coaches of each sport are responsible for meeting a designated roster requirement. Each sport has a budget managed by the head coach, which is applied to both international and national recruiting.

Milligan fosters the academic, spiritual and athletic abilities of foreign athletes. The athletic and academic departments cater for international athletes from Africa, England, Finland, Sweden, Canada and different islands in the Caribbean.

International athletes have to be cleared by the NAIA Eligibility Center and provide a test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) score to Milligan. An affidavit of support and prepaid expenses for the semester is required. A writing sample and college-level mathematics course must be completed.

Over the years, international athletes have represented most sports at Milligan. Presently, men’s and women’s soccer, men’s basketball, softball, men’s tennis, swimming, indoor and outdoor track are represented by non-American athletes.

“International students bring a global perspective to the campus that wouldn’t be here if they were not,” Director of Enrollment Management Tracy Brinn said.

Solid academic performance is also constant for foreign athletes.

“International students perform at and above the 2.0 GPA required by the time they are juniors,” Assistant Registrar Cindy Wymer said.

Sports performance and achievement by international student-athletes has given Milligan national recognition. Philip Rotich (Kenya), 2003 All-American performance in cross-country and track.

International athletes hold school records for indoor and outdoor sprinting along with representation at NAIA Nationals within the past year. AAC conference soccer champions and MVP are also awarded to Milligan’s international athletes.