The Crusader

April 18, 2023 By bacw Leave a Comment

Belmont Abbey Holds an Annual Power Weekend!

Author: The Crusader Staff Writer, Christina Villanueva

Have you ever felt in college as just going through the motions? Or simply bouncing from class to practice every day? Belmont Abbey has been offering for the last five years a weekend to show students there is more to college than just class and practice. It is called the Awakening Retreat, and it is held during the spring semester. While this is still a Catholic retreat, it is open to all students of all grades. It is a chance to open your heart and mind to discover something more profound. During this weekend, students can collaborate and reflect with other students and have time to meditate and pray without outside pressure. This only happens once a year and has been found to be very successful. To sign up, there is an information table outside the cafeteria for more information.

One key part of the Awakening Retreat is being a part of a small group. This is a group of students, led by upperclassmen, to bond and converse over speeches and
activities throughout the weekend. To keep the privacy of the retreat coordinators, the details of the cannot be shared. This very reason has led to hundreds of students
participating in such an amazing weekend. Students are able to open up and trust their small group to share their struggles. This gives other students the opportunity to help their peers on a confidential level.

Another important aspect of the retreat is the power of prayer. Whether a student is catholic or not, they are able to participate in prayer throughout the retreat. There are rosaries, reflections, and, most importantly, the holy mass. This is a chance for the retreatants to talk to God and bring to him their needs. During school, time for prayer can be hard to find. The Awakening Retreat is an easy and fun way to feel stress-free and relaxed while growing in the faith.

Students have said to have felt “refreshed” and “joyful” after returning from this retreat. From personal experience, the retreat was a perfect way to start my college career by meeting new people and feeling comfortable. This goes to show how powerful this retreat can be. It is open to any student of Belmont Abbey. People have repeatedly gone back to help with the retreat, and it has not been talked about enough.

This year the Awakening Retreat was held February 24-26.

This article was originally posted in the Spring of 2023, Issue 1 of The Crusader Newspaper. Download the full issue here.

April 17, 2023 By bacw Leave a Comment

Meet Dr. Judith McDonald!

Author: The Crusader Staff Writer, Laura Gonzalez

The Elementary Education professors are some of the coolest teachers I have ever had the opportunity to learn from. One professor I want to share is Dr. Judith McDonald. Dr. McDonald teaches lots of education classes, but the best one was the Science Methods of Teaching. She is more than a hard-working professor at the Abbey. She has spent lots of time in schools helping with their science programs to this day, traveling, and helping write 3 chapters of a book. Dr. McDonald is always willing to help students out with achieving their goals, but have you ever heard of one that is helping the Kingdom of Sudira Rabum understand a new standard and implementing interactive science for students grades Kindergarten through 12th.

Becoming a teacher was something she realized was her dream job. Teaching science is what stood out to her since she was so young. According to Dr. McDonald, she was at girl scout camp when she realized her strong passion for science. In the summer of 6th grade, when the astronauts landed on the moon, she was demanding everyone to watch the moon landing. She cut out all the pictures from Washington news and still has them to this day. Watching the moon landing was an incredible experience that helped her fall in love with science.

Dr. McDonald has been working here at the Abbey for 15 years and is currently in her 16th year. She has taught a “lifetime” of all grade levels, including graduate school. Dr. McDonald has spent another “lifetime” of learning and is continually still learning to this day. Outside of the college classroom, Dr. McDonald works with schools around the Charlotte area. At one school, she is helping the school build a garden. She helps host STEAM nights where some of the education methods students help teach another school an educational project. Dr. McDonald has created so many opportunities for her students to adventure out and have experiences with their teaching careers. Something that gives her motivation to stay involved in school is when she sees her education students cross the line from student to teacher.

Outside of being a great professor, she loves to be outdoors, hiking, enjoying nature, gardening, and traveling. She has to Switzer, France, Iceland, Hawaii, Costa Rice, and Panama. Dr. McDonald loves to travel and discover new science within all the adventures. In Iceland, she saw volcanos, swam, and touch the Europe plates. She saw northern lights and glaciers. In Hawaii, she saw an active volcano in Kailua and observatories. Hiked the Grand Canyon to see rock formations. Went to Costa Rica to see the biodiversity. Gone to Panama for volcanoes and the canal. Snorkeled the Caribbean and watch coral bleach. One of her favorite things is to observe clouds everywhere she goes.

This article was originally posted in the Spring of 2023, Issue 1 of The Crusader Newspaper. Download the full issue here.

April 16, 2023 By bacw Leave a Comment

Double Major of Sports Management and Business Management

Author: The Crusader Staff Writer, Frankee Hendricks

Are you thinking of pursuing a career in either the sport or business world? The dual major of sport management and business management is great for anyone looking to pursue a career in sports. The two majors overlap in many ways so that the class load is not nearly as bad as it seems. Students should take full advantage of this convenient way to get two majors out of their four years at Belmont Abbey.

For the sport management major, it is required to take EC201(Introduction to Economics), BU315W (Business Communications), and BU265 (Spreadsheet and Data). All three of these are also required for the business management major. If you take these classes, they will count towards both majors! The sport management degree alone also required a lot of electives in order to get to the 120 hours. Therefore, the extra classes that you would need to take for business management can be filled up by sports classes towards your sport management major.

Again, taking these courses just one time will go towards both majors! These majors also only require one internship collectively! This was actually my deciding factor for deciding to double major. It would seem as though you had to do two separate internships, one for each major, when in actuality, it is just one for both! It is a huge time saver!

There are so many careers in the sports management field that require a degree in business to be successful. Almost every aspect of sports includes business in some way, whether that is management of recreational facilities, social media marketing, or even spot finance. Having both of these majors on your resume will give you an edge over your peers.

Overall these two degrees go hand in hand, and it would be majorly beneficial for anyone to take advantage of this opportunity if you are in school for either of these majors alone. It is a great way to maximize your time at Belmont Abbey College.

This article was originally posted in the Spring of 2023, Issue 1 of The Crusader Newspaper. Download the full issue here.

April 15, 2023 By bacw Leave a Comment

Sports Management Minor

Author: The Crusader Staff Writer, Madison Jones

The Belmont Abbey College Sports Management Minor offers a curriculum that allows for students to grow and adapt skills that will help further them in their careers. With a variety of course, professors, and networking connections, this minor is one that allows students grow both
personally and academically. There are two required courses for this minor, one being SM 200, which is titled History, Culture, and Philosophy of Sport, and the other is SM 201, which is Introduction to Sport Management. These two-course set the base for students to be able to learn skills such as organizational theory and leadership in sports, sports marketing, and sport facilities and event management.

The Sport Management department has professors all will a different background and skill set. Dr. Trey Cunningham is the chair and associate professor of the department and has a background in sport security. Dana Catchpole is an assistant professor with a background in risk management and human resources. Lindsay Hofferberth is also an assistant professor with a very strong reach into professional sports teams based in Charlotte. And Quinn Beekwilder is both an assistant professor and coordinator for the sport management department; he is known for his vast experience in the motorsport field.

The Sport Management minor offers a wide range of benefits, from the skills that a student will learn throughout the courses to the skills that can be taught from the various backgrounds of each of the department’s professors. This minor offers a unique experience because it allows for students to learn both in and out of the classroom by taking the information that is presented in lecture and giving them the opportunity to apply it towards real-world situations and experience.

This article was originally posted in the Spring of 2023, Issue 1 of The Crusader Newspaper. Download the full issue here.

April 14, 2023 By bacw Leave a Comment

The Crusader Psychology Club

Author: The Crusader Staff Writer, Katelyn Saxe

What is the psychology club? This club was started by a group of psychology members and the help of professors as a way to talk and educate students about hard topics in the field and create a medium for students interested in psychology but not looking to do that as their major. They host fun activities as a way to bring some light to the stressful college life. They have done events that include things like water balloon tosses and obstacle courses. There are also more laid-back meetings where they deliberate and have fun, energizing conversations.

Who can Join? You may think this would be reserved for the psychology majors, but the club is offered to any student here at Belmont Abbey. All are encouraged to come and engage because everyone faces the troubles associated with

stress and burnout of being a bust student, and what a better place to list off some of the weight of those problems!

They typically meet on Thursdays at 12:15 pm, so if you are looking for something to do in between classes, then drop by room 111 in the science building. Just stop by a meeting and see what you think! You do not need to make any formal request to join. Come talk to any of the students that are in the group and just see what you think of a meeting. They are very open to anyone and enjoy the company of a student of any major.

This article was originally posted in the Spring of 2023, Issue 1 of The Crusader Newspaper. Download the full issue here.