Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page. It is also available as plain text as well as XML.

Signs TPS. r-^jS Ik ^mmem- . ^fcik "WITNESSING": David Hoilman, above, year. Hallman and Bob Eckhardt, the "Sign h of faith A ji ^n, Jt 10 JE* &#!? < Jot - '' '*% < ? gp^2jj| i *?llP^B^BBJt 1| wli ' Hk * pp i passes out religious flyers in front of the Russell House last tan," try to travel to USC once a week. ||?f Ft ^ iif" Mfflw s* J JttfciMfe : By Angela Shepherd staff writer Almost every Thursday morning, a white pickup truck covered in religious signs and painted messages is parked in front of Thomas Cooper Library. The truck is one of the tools Bob Eckhardt and David Hallman use to spread their message. The two men stand on the sidewalk in front of the Russell House beneath a sign that says Christ is the solution to the world's problems. The "Sign Man," 70-year-old Eckhardt, said he has been witnessing on college campuses for 25 years. Hallman, 50, who referred to himself as "the Sign Man's friend," said he joined Eckhardt in witnessing 10 years ago. The men have traveled to various college campuses across the southeast including the University of Maryland and the University of Florida. "We hand out little flyers and talk to the kids who want to talk," Hallman said. tcjcnarat, who Has even been to Harvard Square, said he became converted when he started reading the Bible by himself. The men began visiting colleges because "Jesus said to witness," Hallman said. "We are not affiliated with any group and not interested in making money," he said. Hallman said he and Eckhardt are not allowed to stand on campus property to pass out tracts. "We can only stand on Greene Street sidewalk in front of the Russell House because it belongs to the city of Columbia," he said. 1;.,. ?- r\,i k: A UUtXl 1ULU UVt ilV.CU V-A^/iUILiUtd dilU attempt to visit USC at least once a week. In recent years, they have traveled to colleges closer to home, such as the University of North Carolina "The onki big shot in Christonitg is Jesus." - gobeekhnrdl at Greensboro and at Chapel Hill and Georgia Southern and Ctemson universities. The tracts the men pass out encourage students to repent through statements such as "Only if we turn from our wicked ways and turn to God, can we prosper" and give the men's names and phone numbers. "We just talk to those that want to talk and don't force nothing on nobody," Hallman said. During the recent controversy over the Confederate flag, the men protested against ministers taking sides in the political issue. "They have no business being out there. We've got to get hearts converted, not the flag," Hallman said. The two men have been travelling together for about 12 years. "We met in 1985 at Township Auditorium," Hallman said. Locked out at the doors of a concert, Hallman saw Eckhardt picketing and sat down to talk to him. The two men have witnessed at various sites and events, including the Capitol steps in Washington, D. C., the Superdome in New Orleans and Dallas, Hallman said. They attend events "anytime there is an opportunity to reach people," Eckhardt said. Eckhardt said he used to travel to D.C. in May and sit on the Capitol steps all summer to preach sometimes and let people read his signs. continued on page 18