Collegio Online

Issue date: 4/3/08 Section: Front Page

Media Credit: Aaron Anders Inspirational speaker Joe White hammers in nails to make a cross at the After Dark concert and rally. Later students write the problems in their life that they want to change and hang them on the cross.

Joe White walks in the dark Weede gymnasium. A 20-foot log strapped to his shoulders. BOOM! The log falls and sends an echo throughout the gym. Only the silhouette of the audience can be seen, but they are all focused on this middle-aged man with a huge piece of wood.

"It was interesting to watch him carry the log for the cross," Donald Clark, junior in engineering, said. "I was worried he was going to hurt himself carrying that thing."
The spotlight stalks White as he secures the massive piece of lumber on his shoulders again. At this point, White assumes the role of a Roman crossmaker who is preparing the cross that will hold Jesus.

White walks through the audience seated on the floor, making his way to the stage. He grabs an ax and chops at the wood, fashioning it until it is just right. He grabs a smaller log and nails it into place. The cross is finished.

The intense scene captures the audience's attention as all eyes are on this man creating one of the most recognizable symbols in the world.

"It was interesting how he made the drama a part of his speech." Clark said, of the evangelistic performance at 8 p.m. Tuesday, April 1.

This is AFTERdark, a program created in 2000 that travels the country, speaking at campuses and reaching students about the "greatest story ever told."

The program visits 12 campuses a year to reach students with a life-changing experience.

"It was more like a revival experience than an event with a message, with the intensity he had," Clark said.

White, a former defensive tackle for Southwest Methodist University and football coach at Texas A&M University, spoke passionately in front of the crowd in a blacked-out gymnasium. He spoke of personal things, such as his wife and children, but most of all his love for God.

"He was a good speaker," said Clark. "I could tell that he had a heart for people."
There were lighter moments in the experience. White told stories of how he and his wife of 33 years, Debbie Joe, met and fell in love. He talked about his children and scaring away a young man who wanted to take his daughter to the prom. Also, White spoke of hard times, like being diagnosed with leukemia and the heartache that ensued. He gave credit to Jesus and his family for getting him through his dark times.

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