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Thomas Richardson, a graduate student in operations research, engages in a debate on micro- and macroevolution with pastor Tom Short in the Brickyard. "The way he was talking, it kind of warranted someone to argue with him," Richardson said. With library books in hand, Richardson made his point to Short face to face. "It's not like I have it memorized. I'll find sources." Photo by Marisa Akers
Tom Short preached on the Brickyard Wednesday afternoon for the first time this semester before holding a question-and-answer session in Tucker Residence Hall.
Berk Wilson, a pastor at Grace Community Church which meets on campus, brought Short to campus to present a new kind of speaker.
“So many other [campus] preachers are kind of bizarre,” he said. “They don’t interact. They just yell at the students.”
By mid-afternoon, Short had attracted a crowd of students, many of whom appreciated his different approach.
“I like him,” Madavia Johnson, a sophomore in political science, said. “He states that he is open-mined. If he’s wrong and you prove him wrong, he’ll change.”
Zach Kezios, a junior in zoology and biochemistry, has heard Short speak before.
“He’s a nice guy. I’m an atheist, but I like him,” he said. “Although he’s very adamant, he’s willing to accept that other people won’t believe the same thing. He won’t be shaken, but he’s willing to listen and help people think.”
Short’s strong point is talking to his listeners, which students notice.
“He’s more interactive,” said Jenn Halpern, a sophomore in psychology. “He’s a little crazy, but I respect his desire to stand and preach.”
Wilson attributes Short’s differentiation to something else.
“There’s a different spirit about him, the real spirit of Christ,” he said.
However, his novel approach may not change his ability to reach people.
“I think [his message] is only effective if people want to hear it,” Halpern said.
Levi Taylor, a sophomore in computer science, disagrees.
“His way is much more effective,” he said. “Sometimes it’s a debate too much, and people try to argue semantics. [Short] focuses on the central message and how people can be saved.”
Christianity is the one common element between Short and other Brickyard preachers.
“He challenges people to give their whole life to Christ and tries to have people think,” Wilson said, which students understand.
“The possibility of him saving one person is worth his day, at least to him,” Taylor said.
Short’s reception is similar to that of his colleagues.
Halpern said that the majority of that reaction, whether vocal or not, is “because he’s loud. Sometimes abrasive people tend to attack.”
Kezios said the reaction comes from the apparent similarity of any speaker who comes to talk about his religion.
“[The other guys] call people out. They’re just asking for antagonism,” he said. “It’s difficult to tell the difference between him and the other guys.”
According to Wilson, people’s brief opportunity to listen causes misunderstandings, especially when students walk past in the middle of Short’s dialogue with a student.
“People haven’t heard the whole conversation,” he said, “so they jump to conclusions. That’s one of the downsides when people don’t stay to interact.”