Purple Laid Off After Contract Not Reissued

Human resources says layoffs are happening but can't confirm how many employees will be affected yet

Dean for Student Life Programs Jon Purple – a Cedarville employee for 22 years – was laid off the morning of May 15, he said. He has until the end of the day on Tuesday to move out of his office. “We had heard that there were going to be layoffs,” Purple said, “and, you know, I knew that was possible. I had known that for probably a few months and just wasn’t sure exactly when that was going to take place.” Purple, who said the reason he was given for his layoff is budget reductions, isn’t necessarily the only employee being laid off. Associate Vice President of Human Resources Lisa Todd said that layoffs are indeed happening, although she said she could not say how many people would be affected yet. She declined to comment further unless through Cedarville’s public relations office. Purple said he and other student life employees who are on contract – and thus technically considered faculty members – weren’t initially reissued contracts for next year. He said some of these staff members included Associate Dea... (Click here to read more.)

“You can just call me the hulk,” Anna Pomento told me, smiling. “Everyone does.” We were heading back from the first indoor meet of the season when we met for the first time; within minutes, we were talking about our personal spiritual struggles, what God had been doing in our lives, and where He was taking us. This focus on God and others is typical of Pomento. Though she’s only been on the Cedarville women’s track and field team for one year, she has already made a positive impact on the team. Her throwing coach Neil Henning said that “Anna has faith, passion, and dedication which has spread throughout the team.” “As a friend, Anna has challenged me, personally, so much this year -- and I know others would say the same.” said teammate Christina Gall. “She's someone who values genuine friendships, ones that encourage and strengthen one’s relationship with Christ. Anna has become a huge part in motivating and challenging others on the team.” Before she came to Cedarville, Pomento attended Bowling Green S... (Click here to read more.)

Landing a second series in the box office, Stephenie Meyer, author of the Twilight series, has now given us “The Host,” a new book-to-movie adaptation in the science fiction genre. The movie is set in the future, where earth has been invaded by an alien race called Souls. The movie, which was directed by Andrew Niccol, follows one Soul’s predicament when the mind of her human ‘host’ refuses to cooperate with her takeover. Undoubtedly, this new earth is a beautiful world that Meyer has created, combining ideas from the past and weaving them in with futuristic ideas. I must applaud Niccol for the visual magic that is portrayed on the silver screen. Although the beauty of this new world is irrefutable, it does not by any means eliminate the fact that Meyer is simply playing with the same familiar formula in her books. In fact, the love triangle shown in “The Host” is even more gag-inducing than the ones in Meyer’s previous efforts. Melanie (Saoirse Ronan), as the human host of a Soul named Wanderer, is in love with Jared (Max Irons), w... (Click here to read more.)

Becca Powlus From a young age, I’ve been blessed with the curse of insatiable curiosity. I want to know the answer to everything. Why is the sky blue? How does Rita’s make Swedish Fish-flavored Italian ice? Does the lost city of Atlantis really exist? Though this curiosity has gotten me into trouble on numerous occasions (What is this “No Trespassing” sign here for?), it’s become an important part of who I am. Growing up in a Christian environment was challenging for me at times. Though I knew I could always ask questions at home, I began to notice an unspoken and subtle resistance when I started to ask questions outside. I wasn’t trying to be a nuisance or a doubter; I simply had questions and had to ask them. Some people didn’t like my questions. After all, aren’t questions a sign of doubt, and isn’t doubt a lack of faith? I was never quite okay with that, and I’m really glad a lot of other people weren’t okay with it either. Just this year I started reading a book by David Dark entitled “The Sacredness ... (Click here to read more.)

Richard Mourdock may be Indiana’s state treasurer, but Cedarville’s atmosphere won’t be anything new to him when he speaks here Tuesday night. “I’m really looking forward to being on a small college campus,” Mourdock said. “I’m a product of a small college myself.” That small college is Defiance College, a small Christian liberal arts school in Defiance, Ohio. Mourdock’s speech is sponsored by Cedarville’s Center for Political Studies and is at 7 p.m. Tuesday in the DMC recital hall. He will be speaking about staying a committed Christian while in public life. “It’s an important topic because I think people of faith who are on the campaign trail today or are in any way in the public life are subjected to more attacks than ever before,” Mourdock said. “The country’s certainly taken a change, the media has gone a different direction, and frankly, it gets harder and harder to stand up for what you believe in, but I think that makes it even more important.” This past fall, Mourdock, ... (Click here to read more.)