The Southern

Issue date: 10/25/07 Section: News

Media Credit: Laura Howell Chris Corbin, at left, and Kurt Poland show FSC what it is like to be exceptional in the college's religion department.

Chris Corbin and Kurt Poland, both seniors, are the Stand Out Students of Florida Southern College's religion department.

Dr. Sara Fletcher Harding, FSC religion program coordinator and associate professor of religion, said that Corbin and Poland are "excellent students, and excellent people."

Both Corbin and Poland are always thinking, she added.

"They have an ability to synthesize what is discussed in the classroom with other courses and experiences. What they have learned in class becomes a part of who they are," Harding said.

Corbin said that he decided to become a religion major after thinking about all the departments at FSC. He said that the religion department is both "challenging and rewarding." He also said that the department is "top notch and puts out people who are ready to go into graduate school and seminary."

Corbin said he wants to go into seminary and graduate school to get a Ph.D. from either Duke or Emory. He also wants to go to Oxford, Stanford or UC Berkley to study comparative literature or medieval studies.

Along with his religion major, Corbin is also working towards a major in philosophy and minors in both English and political science.

"It's a rewarding experience," he said. "It's a lot of work, but I'm glad to do it."

Poland, who is also earning a minor in English, said that he decided to become a religion major at the end of his sophomore year, after debating between communication and English.

Poland said he was "intrigued" by the New and Old Testament and had been interested in theology for a while. Poland said the he felt compelled to study religion, because he had "a knack for explaining [theology] to people."

Poland, who is currently applying to Duke and Emory for graduate school, said he would "love to see Christian imagination have a profound role in ministry today, particularly youth, because the best way to get adults interested in church is to get their kids interested. I'm at the age where I am youth culture savvy and I feel like I could close the space between kids and the teachings of Jesus effectively."

Continued...

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