An easy solution

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Even better solution

Responding to a column by Rick Martinez, the writer of the Oct. 21 letter "Easy solution" suggested that Belmont Abbey College stop accepting federal funds rather than be forced to go against its conscience and pay for birth control for staff.

I have a better solution. Why not refund the money that we taxpayers pay to support colleges and universities and then let us direct that money to the colleges and universities that we support?

That way, we could cut out a lot of the silliness that goes on at some of these ultra-liberal institutions and send the money instead to universities and colleges that don't try to brainwash our young people to hate this country and religion.

A quest of Shakespearean proportion

When he began, with "Richard III" in 1984, Simon Donoghue didn't plan on producing all 37 of Shakespeare's plays over three decades. But the 56-year-old director, who runs the drama program at Belmont Abbey College, is more than halfway toward achieving that ambitious goal.

When the Abbey Players open "The Merry Wives of Windsor" on Thursday, in fact, Donoghue will be 59.5 percent of the way there.

After the Haid Theatre opened, Donoghue realized he could accomplish the task, given time. He had history behind him - "Othello" was performed at the Abbey decades before he came - and encouragement from theatrical mentors on staff at the Abbey the Rev. John Oetgen and the Rev. Paschal Baumstein.

Birth control test case

If health-care reform simply meant a robust effort to care for those who can't take care of their medical needs themselves, few would oppose it. What troubles reform opponents is the specter of government intervention in the name of health care, especially if it were to be used as a weapon against individual rights in a totally unrelated area of personal freedom: religious beliefs.

A version of that theoretical fear is playing out in a real-world case at Belmont Abbey College, just outside of Charlotte. Belmont Abbey is a Catholic institution, and not just in name. It ranks high among Catholic colleges that adhere to church doctrine, according to the Cardinal Newman Society, an apostolate dedicated to the strengthening of Catholic identity in higher education.

Here's the dilemma facing Belmont Abbey President Dr. Bill Thierfelder. The church opposes the use of artificial contraception. Thus the college's health insurance plan doesn't cover it because, as Thierfelder explains, to do so would clearly contradict

Teen gets a shot at college, thanks to NASCAR pioneer

The only thing Angela Padilla-Ramírez knew of Humpy Wheeler a week ago was that he had something to do with the race track near Concord Mills.

So when the North Mecklenburg High graduate heard that he wanted to talk to her about college, she looked up the NASCAR pioneer online.

"He's such a big person," the 18-year-old said. "I didn't think he'd call."

Devils' Cecil nets NCAA tennis title

Duke freshman Mallory Cecil capped her stellar rookie season Monday by claiming the NCAA women's tennis individual title at College Station, Texas.

Cecil defeated Miami's Laura Vallverdu 7-5, 6-4 to become the second player in Duke women's tennis history to win the NCAA individual crown and just the fifth in ACC history.

Cecil is the seventh freshman in NCAA history to take home the individual title. Duke also won the NCAA women's team title.