36 The climate -aepends on, the individual "I don' t know what a good gauge for that would be," said Student Association President Kenny Stamatis about this year's spiritual life. "How do you really know, or how do your really get a good handle on how things are really going for other people spiritually unless you just go around all the time asking people?" Since no one went around asking people about their spirituality, other factors were used to indicate which direction the campus was headed spiritually. Albert Acosta, president of WEF and group leader last year for Venezualan Campaigns, said of the spiritual atmosphere, "It 's been distracted. Someone else has got the students' attention." Continuing Acosta stated, "Definitely, the spirituality seems to be down, year when asked about comparing it to 1979-80. "I think people were building it up to a new beginning, a reawakening when really they were only discovering things that had been here for a long " time. " One activity that had taken place ever year for a long time and came again this year was the fall meeting of the College church' of Christ . Taking place during th first full week of the fall semester, the meeting featured Paul Faulkner of Abilel Christian Universi ty preaching. The spring counterpart had Jimmy Allen preaching during the week immediately following spring break. ThE meeting was just ending as a group of students left for the Tulsa Soul-Winning Workshop. In recent years the trip has become a regular event for some Hardin students. More than 500 attended the annual World Evangelism Forum retreat on discipleship at Camp Wyldewood on Labor Day weekend, the first weekend of school. "(The spiritual atmosphere) has been distracted. Someon else has got the students' attention." - Alberto Acosta - During the following weeks however, attendance at activities was considered low by the Forum's officers and sponsors. Also, leaders for International Campaigns and Northeast Campaigns and other groups found their numbers considerably less than what they would have liked. Son thought that these and other events were indications of the spiritual life at Harding. Up or down, whether Harding's spiritual life was either of the two depended on .the individual asked and his method of gauging. Some went on numbers alone while others looked at less tangible aspects in judging for themselves what Harding's spiritual life was like . especially as concerns campaigns. I think one of the reasons is that there hasn't been enough leadership." Since no standard has been established, whether Acosta's assessment was correct or not was a matter of opinion. To some, Acosta 's view was supported by the fact that "student day" at lectureships was cancelled this year due to what was considered an excessive number of students leaving campus rather than attending lectures on the special day. But others would point out that more than 200 traveled to Abilene, Texas for the World Missions Workshop in November. Also, although fewer made plans to go on International Campaigns . how do you really get a handle on how things are going for other people spiritually?" - Ken Stamatis more campaign groups and mission teams were on campus this year. The list of new groups included a team for Chicago and one for Wisconsin. Still, some were prone to make comparisons. Compared with last year when large crowds gathered for almost any extra religious activity, this year was considered down. This year did not seem to have an "air of excitement" about it. "I think maybe that was all it was, an air of excitement," said Stamatis of last Also, more recently Landon Saunders of the Heartbeat radio ministry has made more regular appearances at Searcy. Having become enamored with Saunders style and content of presentation and the work he does, Harding students have turned out by the hundreds each time he has visited. Saunders' visit this Decembel was no exception. Coming to present a weekend seminar on "Feeling Good About Being A Spiritual Life
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