Mars Hill: The Magazine of Mars Hill University - Fall 2013

First Master’s Graduates Herald

University Status

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MAGAZINE STAFF: Editor: Teresa Buckner, Media Relations Coordinator Associate Editor: Mike Thornhill ’88, Director of Communications Contributors: Rick Baker, Sports Information Director Joe Bland ’03 Dr. Karen Paar, Director Ramsey Center For Regional Studies Cindy Whitt ’06, Admin. Asst. for Student Development

MARS HILL COLLEGE ADMINISTRATION President: Dr. Dan G. Lunsford ’69 Executive Vice President: Dr. John Wells VP of Institutional Advancement: Bud Christman VP of Finance: Neil Tilley Executive Director of Planning & Auxiliary Services: Dr. Grainger Caudle Special Assistant to the President for Strategic Initiatives: Dr. Joy Kish ’82 Director of Human Resources: Deana Holland

Mars Hill [mahrz hil] noun

1. A site in Athens, also known as the Areopagus, where Paul used persuasive reason and logic to preach Christ to the intellectuals of first-century Greece, as detailed in Acts 17:21 of the Bible.

2. A town in the mountains of North Carolina known for the beauty of its surroundings and its welcoming, small-town atmosphere.

3. A university in the town of Mars Hill which strives to provide the best in liberal arts education for its 1300-some students.

4. A concept (esp. for faculty, students, staff, and alumni of Mars Hill University) signifying that place where faith meets reason, to lay a foundation for a life of character and compassion.

Mars Hill, The Magazine of Mars Hill University is published regularly by the Office of Communications. It is distributed, without charge, to alumni, donors, and friends of the university.

Notices of changes of address and class notes should be addressed to the Alumni Office, Mars Hill University, P.O. Box 6792, Mars Hill, NC, 28754. Phone 828/689-1102. Fax 828/6891292. E-mail alumni@mhu.edu.

Letters to the editor and all other correspondence regarding the magazine should be addressed to the Office of Communications, Mars Hill University, P.O. Box 6765, Mars Hill, NC, 28754. Phone 828/689-1304. Fax 828/689-1105. E-mail tbuckner@mhu.edu.

Postmaster: Send address changes to the Alumni Office, Mars Hill University, P.O. Box 6792, Mars Hill, NC, 28754.

Copyright 2013. All rights reserved.

Cover: Master’s degree graduate Barbara Ruehl ’13 receives her hood at the May 2013 graduation from Marie Nicholson, Dean of Adult and Graduate Studies, and Dr. Jason Pierce, Assistant VP For Academic Affairs & Institutional Effectiveness

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Mars Hill, The Magazine | Fall 2013

In This Issue: Letter from the President...................................... 4 Mars Hill University............................................... 5 A New Name, A New Vision, A Steadfast Mission

One Million Bones................................................. 7

Fighting Genocide One Million Bones at a Time

Homecoming 2013................................................ 8

Come to the Hill for this fall’s celebration of “The New U”

Sylvia Murphey, On a Mission for 45 Years..............10 The Fiddlin’ 5K.....................................................13

Ramsey Center Sponsors a “Run for the Music”

Amazing Alumnus Rodney L. Johnson ’72..............14 Renovated Rural Life Museum to Reopen...............17

Grand Opening of Opening Exhibit Planned for Sept. 28 Amazing Alumnus Joe Bland ’03............................18 Lion Athletics 2013...............................................20

Spring Sports Recap

Awards of Note....................................................22 Faculty/Staff .......................................................24

Scholarly Achievements & News Class Notes .........................................................27

Mars - Spring MarsHill, Hill,The TheMagazine Magazine | Fall2013 2013 33

Mars Hill College is now Mars Hill University.

Many of you may wonder, why the change? Why not stay with what has worked in the past?

To that, I would say: there is a value in words, and there is a value in what we call ourselves.

Mars Hill College was established as the French Broad Baptist Institute approximately 158 years ago. The name signified the connection with local churches through the French Broad Baptist Association. Two years later, the trustees would choose the name that has stood a much longer test of time: Mars Hill. The name alludes to the scenes of Acts 17, and thus, each time we say it, we reference a life where reason and faith complement each other.

Approximately 60 years ago, the trustees of Mars Hill found themselves not so much renaming, but rather, repositioning the institution. The junior college of that era was thriving, and was recognized throughout the Southeast as a preeminent junior college that provided excellent preparation for the completion of degrees at four-year colleges and universities. Rather than remaining satisfied with past successes, they chose to read the signs of the times, to take bold steps, and to meet the needs of future students with the establishment of Mars Hill College as a four-year, baccalaureate institution.

Today, we sit at a similar juncture of growth and progress. Mars Hill continues to enjoy a time of growth in terms of enrollment, curricular offerings, facility upgrades, and opportunity. The change, therefore, from college to university, is one that, in my view, more appropriately describes the Mars Hill of today and tomorrow.

As an alumnus myself, I cherish my Mars Hill College diploma, and I have no plans to change it. My Mars Hill experience remains etched not just in my memory, but in the foundation of all the graduate education that followed, and in fact, in the very fabric of my being. Much of that is because of what we fondly refer to as the “Mars Hill experience�: helping students find their individual paths to personal, academic, intellectual, and spiritual transformation. Please be assured that that experience, one that in my view is a hallmark of the soul of Mars Hill, will not change. The mission of Mars Hill, then, will remain the same, but the vision is changing and growing, to encompass the possibilities of an ever-enlarging world of knowledge.

Like all of you, I look back with great pride at the history and legacy of this grand old institution. And I am thankful for those who preceded us. But now, it is our time. The history of Mars Hill continues to be written, and now is our time to take that marvelous history and nurture a viable and thriving legacy for a new generation.

Dr. Dan Lunsford, ’69 President 4

Mars Hill, The Magazine | Fall 2013

Mars Hill University A New Name, A New Vision, a steadfast mission

by Teresa Buckner

“Mars Hill University.”

The new name may feel strange on the tongue for those who know and love Mars Hill College, but it also denotes a new and exciting era for the institution. The name, which changed officially on August 15, 2013, is the second name change in the 158-year history of Mars Hill.

Mars Hill was established in 1856 by a small group of Baptist families in Madison County as French Broad Baptist Institute. Two years later, the trustees chose the name Mars Hill, for the site in Athens, named in Acts 17, where the Apostle Paul so persuasively used logic in his defense of the Christian faith.

According to President Dan Lunsford, the move to university status is one that has been contemplated and discussed by the administration and the current board of trustees for around a decade.

More recently, the college’s expansion, both in terms of enrollment and variety of offerings, has set the stage for the move to university status.

“We believe that changing the designation from college to university is one that positions the institution to be recognized for what we really are,” Lunsford said. “The name university denotes

a greater variety of offerings, and it indicates the opportunity to obtain undergraduate and graduate education in selected fields as part of the Mars Hill experience.”

Among the factors that have contributed to the timing of the name change is the establishment, beginning in the summer of 2011, of Mars Hill’s first graduate program: the Master of Education. At its May 2013 graduation, Mars Hill conferred the first master’s diplomas in its history upon graduates of the program. Later in May, the third cohort of master’s students began its journey through the program.

Future master’s programs are currently under consideration. The next program set for implementation is a Master of Public Administration, and other graduate degrees are currently being explored for implementation in the future.

The college is also expanding at the undergraduate level. Most obviously, it is expanding in enrollment.

As the 2012-13 academic year began, Mars Hill College welcomed a record-setting traditional student body that was 7% larger than the year before, and nearly 20% higher than two years Mars - Spring MarsHill, Hill,The TheMagazine Magazine | Fall2013 2013 55

before. Although numbers are not firm as of this writing, all the signs point to a even larger freshman class for the 2013-14 academic year.

Mars Hill’s traditional program is also expanding in terms of offerings. Beginning in August, the university will offer the criminal justice major for the first time. Previously a minor in the sociology department, the new major has generated a lot of interest and excitement among new students.

Other new majors, including a bachelor’s degree in nursing, are currently in the planning stages.

Another sign of Mars Hill’s growth is the opening of its South Asheville site on Airport Road, called the Asheville Center for Adult and Graduate Studies. For over three decades, Mars Hill College has provided classes in the Asheville area at several locations, including AB Tech, Blue Ridge Community College, and TC Roberson High School. The opening of Mars Hill’s South

Asheville site, however, staked out a secondary location for the college and expanded its reach to constituents and students in the AshevilleHendersonville area and beyond.

In light of the growth Mars Hill has experienced in all these areas, the Board of Trustees, together with President Lunsford, made the decision that now was the time to become Mars Hill University.

According to Lunsford, a name which better reflects the academic excellence offered at Mars Hill should not suggest that the essential “soul” of the Mars Hill experience will change.

The decision is part of an ongoing effort to position the institution as a premier private liberal arts university, which can meet the needs of a growing student population in the 21st century.

And yet, Lunsford said that he and the trustees remain committed to controlled growth that will continue to nurture an atmosphere of personalized education founded on relationships. An education that results from engagement and personal mentorship prepares and equips students for the future better than a “big box” education, he said.

“Mars Hill is transitioning to university to reflect a more comprehensive academic program, but we remain committed to the traditional mission of the institution: to be a liberal arts institution, rooted in the Christian faith, providing experiences which tie our students to the world of work and to a lifetime of service to their fellow human beings,” Lunsford said. “All those components that we have believed in for a very long time as the mission of the institution are still alive and well at Mars Hill, but the vision is growing and expanding for a changing world.”

Where it all began: the first building of the French Broad Baptist Institute (1856-1910).

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Stay Tuned The Mars Hill University Opening Celebration on campus had not happened at press time for this issue of Mars Hill, the Magazine of Mars Hill University. Stay tuned for photos and information about the celebration online at www.mhu.edu and in the next issue.

Fighting genocide

ONE MILLION BONES at a time Millions of clay “bones” made a powerful visible social work program. The project is sponsored on petition against genocide on the National Mall in the Mars Hill campus by the Social Work Club.

Washington, DC, June 8 - 10. The installation, called “Social justice is an integral part of social work One Million Bones, was made of clay bones created professional values, and One Million Bones offers by students, educators, artists, and activists from our students a real way of responding to the around the world, and included hundreds of bones injustice of genocide,” Vogler said. “We educate created by students at Mars Hill College. students on global as well as domestic issues, and Dr. Beth Vogler, professor of social work, took this project highlights the struggles of many of our the bones to Washington and participated in the neighbors in other countries.” event, which was designed to call attention to mass Each bone created generates a $1 donation from genocide and raise funds for its victims. the Bezos Family Foundation for the work of CARE Eighteen classes at Mars Hill—or about 470 International in countries affected by genocide and students—made clay bones last fall. Those bones mass violence. were then part of an installation on campus in April.

All the clay for the One Million Bones project at Vogler coordinated the project on campus with Mars Hill was donated by Highwater Clays of Jane Renfroe, associate professor of art ,and Asheville.

Nathan McMahan, adjunct instructor of philosophy. ### Vogler said the project fits well with the goals of the

Background Photo: The One Million Bones Installation in Washington, D.C. in June. Below, from left: MHC students, including Rashad Brown and Sarah Huber, make bones from clay; and Dr. Beth Vogler places a bone in the installation at MHC in April.

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Come to “the Hill” this fall for

HOMECOMING 2013 October 3-6

The New U Thursday, Oct. 3rd 5:30pm Chili Cook Off 7:30pm Lion’s Growl pep rally

Friday, Oct. 4th

Class reunions for 1973, 1988, and 2003 (more info at www.mhu.edu/homecoming) 11:00am-12:00pm Bascom Lamar Lunsford workshops (fiddle, guitar, banjo, clogging, and ballad singing). Register at www. lunsfordfestival.com

1:30pm-3:30pm Bascom Lamar Lunsford Ballad 12:30pm Alumni and Friends Golf Tournament & Story Swap at the Grove Park Inn- contact rbaker@mhu.

1:30pm Football Game vs. Carson-Newman edu University 11:30am Alumni Board meeting in Pittman Recognition of Alumni of the Year 3:00pm-5:00pm Registration in Blackwell and Homecoming Court Ferguson lobbies 5:30pm Alumni of the Year Dinner 7:00pm Rural Academy Theatre on the quad

Saturday, Oct. 5th 9:00am Women’s soccer alumni game

7:00pm-10:00pm Bascom Lamar Lunsford Evening Concert in Moore Auditorium

7:45pm Theatre Arts Reunion Musical Rivals Carnival with Campus Activities Board

10:30am Lacrosse alumni game 10:00am-4:00pm Bascom Lamar Lunsford Festival on the quad (www.lunsfordfestival. com) 10:00am-4:00pm Heritage Festival on College and Main streets (www. marshillheritagefestival.org) 11:00am Alumni Choir in the Chapel

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Sunday, Oct. 6th 10:00am Homecoming Chapel Service in Broyhill Chapel

Interested in sharing? Contact Rev. Stephanie McLeskey at smcleskey@mhu. edu Find more at: www.mhu.edu/homecoming

Theatre Arts to Host Homecoming Reunion and Reprise of Rivals Forty years have passed since Owen Theatre opened its doors with the world premiere of the musical Rivals, by C. Robert Jones, professor emeritus of theatre arts. To celebrate this momentous anniversary, the Mars Hill University Theatre Arts Department is planning a reunion of theatre arts alumni, centered around an informal reprise of the Rivals production, with the original cast and crew.

Join us on Homecoming Weekend:

Friday, October 4 Morning and afternoon, music/scene rehearsals, Owen Theatre, time tba.

Rivals Alumni Dinner, 5:30 pm, Redway Dining Room.

Rehearsal: Rivals, 7:30 pm, Owen Theatre.

Saturday, October 5 Reception for all theatre arts alumni, 10 am, Owen Theatre.

Rivals (concert version) on the Owen Theatre Stage, 7:45 pm.

Above: The original Rivals was presented in Owen Theatre in 1973. Below: A scene from Rivals, featuring Eileen Russell (center) as Lucy, Neil St. Clair ’74 (left) as Faulkland, and David Lee Covington ’76 (right) as Absolute.

Former theatre arts professors Jim Thomas and Dewitt Tipton have agreed to help with directing and music. The event is being coordinated by Neil St. Clair, MHU professor of theatre arts, who originally played the role of Faulkland in Rivals.

All original cast and crew are encouraged to contact Neil St. Clair as soon as possible, to confirm your participation in this exciting event (828/689-1462; nstclair@mhu.edu). Cast/crew who would prefer to attend but not read/sing are welcome!

More information and a detailed agenda will be posted on the MHC Facebook page as well as the alumni website. Please share this information with any and all of your fellow alumni that might be interested in this event.

Mars - Spring MarsHill, Hill,The TheMagazine Magazine | Fall2013 2013 99

Sylvia Murphey, on a Mission for 45 Years By her count, Sylvia Murphey worked in at least seven different locations in five buildings for three direct supervisors, through the administrations of three presidents at Mars Hill College.

Murphey did the day-to-day administrative work that makes life happen at an institution of higher learning in at least ten departments or programs; she was a co-worker to hundreds of employees of the college; and she served as a source of information and assistance to more students than anyone can accurately count.

Such numbers may sound impressive, but of course, the most Sylvia Murphey (second from left) poses with the three bosses she had over 45 years of impressive number on Murphey’s service to Mars Hill College: Marie Nicholson, Ray Rapp and Dr. John Hough. resume is 45. Murphey retired in the Article by Teresa Buckner summer of 2012 from her position as the assistant to the dean of Adult in my entire life. She is just 100 percent real. Sylvia and Graduate Studies, after 45 years of service to is kind and cares about people, and she’s always the college. looking after everybody.”

For those who have worked closest with Murphey, however, numbers like those recited above cannot accurately give a picture of just how much and in how many ways this relatively quiet person has impacted the lives of her co-workers, the students she encountered, and the atmosphere of the (several) departments where she worked.

“When I think of Sylvia, I think of total dedication,” said Dr. John Hough, professor emeritus of education. “No matter what I asked her to do, she did it well. And she wouldn’t go home until she’d done whatever she thought was important to finish.”

Sharon Cupstid, education department assistant, worked side by side with Murphey for many years in the adult education program. She said: “Sylvia is one of the most genuine people I have ever known 10 Mars Hill, The Magazine | Fall 2013

Murphey’s long relationship with Mars Hill College started in 1967 when she applied for an open position working as an assistant to Hough, who was then chair of the Department of Education. For the next 18 years, Hough and Murphey were a team who worked in several departments and started several programs at the college. During that time, Hough said that he and Murphey formed a “lifelong friendship,” and that they came to think of each other as family.

Hough seemed to be then-president Fred Bentley’s “go-to-guy” for beginning new programs. So over that 18 years, he served in several roles, including: Dean of the Department of Education, Director of Admissions Recruitment and Financial Aid, Director of Summer School, Director of January Term, Director of the Career Opportunities Program,

Sylvia Murphey, as she appeared in The Laurel, 1969.

Director of Special Programs (service learning), Director of Upward Bound, and Director of Continuing Education (adult education).

And every time Hough changed positions, he insisted that Murphey join him in the new role.

Sylvia’s final supervisor.

“In some ways, I think it’s part of being a minister’s wife.”

Nicholson said. “It’s just who she is: she is used to shouldering burdens for other people, and ministering to them in whatever way she can.”

“It seemed like every time Fred wanted to start a new program, he would ask me to get it up and She was concerned for everyone, but students were running,” Hough said, laughing. “And then he the center of her focus, according to Hough. would say: ‘I know, I “One of the things I know…you want Sylvia The thing that really stands out about thought was impressive to go with you.’ And I was that if she was Sylvia, and has for all the years I would say: ‘If you want on the phone with a worked with her is that she embodies me to do it, yes, Sylvia student, it didn’t make the best Christian values we associate goes with me!’” any difference who you According to Hough, Murphey had a gift for administrative work that made her indispensible as his right hand for all those years.

with MHC. She has a deep and abiding concern about each individual with whom she comes in contact—that’s faculty, staff, students, administrators, visitors, everyone—and that caring is genuine and sincere.” ~~Ray Rapp

“She had the ability to figure out what you wanted done almost before you told her,” Hough said. “In fact, she could easily have been an administrator herself. “

When she was hired in 1967, Murphey’s husband, Rev. Lester Murphey ’70, was a student at Mars Hill, and Sylvia would eventually complete an associate’s degree in 1972. During the years that Sylvia worked for Hough, the Murpheys had two daughters Beth, born in 1969, and Kim, born in 1972.

Following his graduation, Lester Murphey was a public school teacher in addition to being a Baptist minister. In addition to maintaining their full-time jobs, the Murpheys served several churches in Madison and Yancey counties during those years.

Despite the busyness of the Murpheys’ own lives, Sylvia always seemed to be “looking after everybody,” even at the office, according to Marie Nicholson, dean of Adult and Graduate Studies, and

were, the student came first. I think that’s a real indication of where her heart was,” Hough said.

But students weren’t the only ones who benefited from Murphey’s caring spirit.

“She raised us, really: John Hough, Ray Rapp and me,” Nicholson said. “She kept us on track, gave us guidance. In her gentle way, she kept us on the right track, focused on what we were supposed to be doing.”

When Nicholson became Murphey’s boss, she had already known Murphey for many years, having originally gotten to know her as a continuing education student herself in the mid-80s. “She was always the gentle soul who helped me through whatever issue I was having as a student,” Nicholson said.

Later, when Nicholson became an administrator with the adult education program, Murphey was there for her again. “She took me under her wing, knowing what a challenge that would be and did it with a smile. Very gently and with great patience and a giggle here and there, for years and years, she would repeatedly explain the same things to me Mars Hill, TheThe Magazine - Spring 2013 Mars Hill, Magazine | Fall 2013 1111

Sylvia Murphey

that I should have known in year one,” Nicholson said.

to encourage those of us who worked with her every day,” said Nicholson.

Like Hough, Nicholson saw Murphey as a tremendous asset to the work of the office. “She probably has as much institutional knowledge of this place as anybody I know. Even more importantly, she has an understanding of the spirit of the place,” Nicholson said. “She easily gets to know people, and she knows how to help them, or encourage them. And that to me is quite a skill, quite an art.”

As for herself, Murphey said she always loved Mars Hill, and she enjoyed all her various jobs, but adult education was probably her favorite.

“I loved the adult program, because I was able to work with students,” Murphey said. “I enjoyed being helpful when they called. I liked knowing what was going on and being able to answer their questions. And sometimes, I was able to minister to them.”

According to Murphey said that sometimes the job sent students Nicholson, her way who were having a hard time, and she was Murphey happy to be able to lend a listening ear. Clearly, continued it was a quality that did not escape the notice of taking care of those around her. other people, Ray Rapp, former Dean of ACCESS and Murphey’s even when second supervisor, said that Murphey was the things were living embodiment of the caring atmosphere that hectic in Mars Hill strives to maintain. “The thing that really her own life. stands out about Sylvia, and has for all the years When Lester Above: Sylvia Murphey, at her desk I worked with her, is that she embodies the best Murphey in the 80s. Below: The Murphey family: Christian values we associate with MHC. She has a Lester, Sylvia, Maude (Lester’s mother), developed Kim and Beth, around the same time. deep and abiding concern about each individual early-onset with whom she comes in contact—that’s faculty, Parkinson’s staff, students, administrators, visitors, everyone— disease in his and that caring is genuine and sincere.”

40s, Sylvia He recalls a conversation with Murphey about what Murphey had motivated them to do their jobs. “She said, ‘You to shoulder know Ray, this is our ministry,’ and I knew she was a greater spot on to articulate that,” he said. share of their ministry than Nicholson recalls a similar realization drawn not might be from a specific conversation, but from working side normal for a by side with Murphey each day. minister’s wife. As the years went on, Lester needed “I think that Sylvia, probably more than anyone more and more of Sylvia’s care and near the end else, helped me understand what we do in adult of his life, he lived in a local nursing home, where education at Mars Hill,” Nicholson said. “Her Sylvia tried to go see him every day after work. approach was that it is our mission to help our Lester Murphey passed away in 2011. students move forward, provide for their families, “Through the years, Sylvia has taken care of Lester, find new careers, and explore their own abilities. So her daughters, her grandchildren, the people in the I think I recognized through her that what we do is various churches where the Murpheys ministered, a whole lot more than a job; it’s a mission.”

Lester’s mother, her parents, but still, she was there 12 Mars Hill, The Magazine | Fall 2013

RAMSEY CENTER SPONSORS THE FIRST-EVER FIDDLIN’ 5K

“RUN FOR THE MUSIC” Mars Hill University’s Liston B. Ramsey Center for Regional Studies hosted the inaugural Fiddlin’ 5K “Run for the Music” Road Race in April. The event benefitted the Bascom Lamar Lunsford “Minstrel of Appalachia” Festival and the Junior Appalachian Musicians (J.A.M.), a local program of the Madison County Arts Council that teaches mountain traditions through music and dance education. Proceeds from the race went, in part, to create the Bascom Lamar Lunsford J.A.M. Scholarship,and will provide tuition that allows for two students each semester to participate in the classes offered.

According to Hannah Furgiuele, program coordinator for the Ramsey Center, and race director, the goal of the race was to raise awareness and funds to support the continued preservation and promotion of Lunsford’s legacy.

“Bascom Lamar Lunsford spent his life teaching music to the younger generation and spreading the word about our musical traditions, and that is the continuing goal of the Ramsey Center, the Lunsford Festival and the Junior Appalachian Musicians,” Furgiuele said. “This race was fun, unique, and a great tribute to the rich musical heritage of Madison County.”

A unique feature of the race was that runners and spectators were serenaded before, during, and after the race by some of the region’s best music, performed

by Lunsford Festival favorites like Roger Howell, Laura Boosinger, the Midnight Plowboys, Kathryn ParhamBrickey and Bryce Parham, in addition to a few members of Weaverville’s Joyful Noise, led by Gina Caldwell and some young musicians of the Junior Appalachian Musicians led by Sarah and Jake Owen.

Following the race, LifeWorks at Mars Hill College offered a service project with an Asheville based non-profit called SoleHope. More information is available about their efforts at www.solehope.com.

Due to the success of the first year’s race and the interest from the community, Furgiuele was excited to share that the 2nd Annual Fiddlin’ 5K is scheduled for April 12, 2014.

For more information, contact Furgiuele at 828-689-1571.

Clockwise, beginning upper left: Host John Roten from WWNC Radio; Suzanne Klonis, MHC director of institutional research and Heather Hawn, assistant professor of political science, before the race; alumna Breanna Mason ’11, displays lots of energy during the competition; MHC student Steven Bryan volunteers for SoleHope after the race; overall winners Cynthia Griffin and MHC student Derek Gibson; the Midnight Plowboys and Laura Boosinger provide background music; Malt Milnes, assistant professor of biology, competes in the race.

Mars Hill, TheThe Magazine - Spring 2013 Mars Hill, Magazine | Fall 2013 1313

Amazing Alumnus

Rodney L. Johnson ’72

by Teresa Buckner

When Rodney Johnson ’72 walks across the campus of The George Washington University in Washington, DC, he tries to make it a practice to speak to all his fellow employees, regardless of their position. It was a practice he learned from Don Henderson, long-time baseball coach at Mars Hill College.

“I loved that man dearly,” Johnson said recently, “Watching him taught me that if you treat people right, there will always be someone there to have your back.”

Johnson, who is currently the executive director of the Office of Parent Services at GWU, joined the Mars Hill University Board of Advisors in 2012.

Johnson said that the lessons he learned from Coach Henderson are just a few of many from his college years that have impacted his life. Some of those lessons, obviously, were learned in the classroom, but at least as many were learned by watching the people he met on “The Hill.”

Johnson calls the decision to come to Mars Hill one of the best in his life. But it almost didn’t happen.

In 1968, Johnson was a hotshot basketball player at Lee Edwards High School in Asheville (later Asheville High School).

“I was a good basketball player,” he said. “And I was being recruited by several schools: Lenoir-Rhyne, Appalachian, Catawba, Carson-Newman, University of Tennessee, and others.”

Johnson was pleased with the attention he was getting, but he had the insight to realize that he would experience greater success in his basketball career at an NAIA school. (At the time, Mars Hill was in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics region.)

“I knew that probably where I belonged was a small college, and I recognized that my success was going to be on that level, but Mars Hill did not recruit me,” he said.

Then, a former student-teacher, David Beaman, and Ron Joyce, both Mars Hill alumni, asked him to 14 Mars Hill, The Magazine | Fall 2013

Rodney Johnson, in The Laurel, 1972

go tour the campus and talk to the coaches at Mars Hill College. It was a decision that would prove significant for Johnson.

“From the moment I arrived on campus—and I get emotional when I think about it—I literally fell in love with Mars Hill,” he said. “That day was the beginning of a wonderful relationship that has lasted for over 40 years.”

Beaman, Joyce, and Johnson met with Harrell Wood, who was then coach of the men’s basketball team.

“I asked him why he hadn’t recruited me, and he said he knew I was being recruited by larger schools, and he didn’t think he had a chance to get me,” Johnson said. “I said to him, ‘Coach Wood, if you offer me a scholarship, I will come to Mars Hill.’”

So it was that Johnson became one of the first African-American players to receive a scholarship to play ball at Mars Hill. Johnson believes he may have been the very first, in fact, to receive a “full ride.”

Today, approximately 22% of the traditional student body of Mars Hill is African-American, but it was not that way in 1968. Once Johnson became a student, he was one of only “a handful” of African-American students on the campus.

“You have to remember, this was during the beginning of integration, and there was a lot of change and turmoil in the country,” Johnson said. “But the people at Mars Hill reached out to me and my family. They embraced me and I’ve never forgotten it.

Mars Hill is and was a very special place.”

Johnson’s parents John and Ruth Dawkins, and his sister, Angela Johnson (Colbert), came to every ballgame except two, and were warmly welcomed by the Mars Hill community, Johnson said.

Johnson majored in physical education, and went on to have a basketball career at Mars Hill that, in 1989, would earn him a place in the Mars Hill Athletic Hall of Fame. During his four years, 1968 to 1972, Johnson scored a total of 1,069 points, averaging 10 points per game. During his senior year, he led the team with a field goal percentage of 53.2%, and remains the 22nd overall scorer in the history of Mars Hill College.

Johnson’s academic career was less stellar, but certainly respectable. “I was not a great student but I worked hard and I

Rodney Johnson in 1972

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Rodney Johnson ’72

attended classes faithfully, even on Saturdays,” Johnson said.

His major in physical education, together with his work ethic, earned him a spot as assistant men’s basketball coach after graduation, under coach Jack Lytton from 1972 to 1974.

Over the next 10 years, Johnson had coaching and physical education jobs at Hill Street Middle School (Asheville, NC), Hoke County High School (NC), and Asheville High School. In 1982, Johnson became the assistant men’s basketball coach at the University of North Carolina at Asheville. He also became the Director of Minority Affairs at UNCA, a program which he created (and which still exists).

For one year, Johnson was assistant men’s basketball coach at Boston University, and then in 1985, he became assistant men’s basketball coach at The George Washington University in Washington, DC. In 1990, Johnson left coaching to become Special Assistant to Robert A. Chernak, Vice President of Student and Academic Support Services, and in 1992, Johnson created the Office of Parent Services at GWU. During those years, he also earned a master’s degree in Higher Education Administration at GWU. He was director of the Office of Parent Services for 18 years, and has been executive director of the program for the past three years. He has now been at GWU for a total of 28 years.

For the past 22 years, Johnson has lived in Arlington, VA, with his life partner, Henry J. Huot, who is a therapist.

Johnson credits the success he has had in his life and career, in part, to the lessons he learned from the people he encountered at Mars Hill College. He speaks of the personalities from Mars Hill’s past with great affection: Of Elizabeth Watson, former professor of English, he said: “I’m convinced that my ability to speak in public now, I learned from Mrs. Watson,” he

said. Of the late Emmett Sams, former professor of mathematics, Johnson said, “How anyone could actually teach me to enjoy mathematics, I’ll never know, but Emmett Sams did that,” he said.

Johnson looks back fondly at professors and coaches who pushed him to work hard, and to do and be his best. “Those are all people who have a powerful influence on my life now,” Johnson said.

His list of heroes is long, and peopled with names from Mars Hill’s past: Coach Virginia Hart, physical education; Dr. Bill Sears, education; Coach Bill Walker, baseball; Coach Harrell Wood, basketball and physical education; Coach Jack Lytton, basketball and physical education; Dr. John Hough, education; Dr. Vernon Chapman, education; Dr. L.M. Outten, biology; Dr. Bob Kramer, German; Charlie Phillips, Upward Bound and physical education; Kathy Wallin, advancement; former president Fred Bentley and his wife Doris, and many others.

“It was a great place for me, with all those people,” Johnson said. “Til the day I die, I will say to them, thank you for everything you gave me. Thank you for all the pushing and demanding that I do the right thing and work hard.”

Johnson’s goal in joining the Board of Advisors is to give back something to the institution that gave so much to him as a young man.

“It is my opinion that life is about giving back and saying ‘thank you’ to those who helped you grow, mature and become successful in life,” Johnson said. “I recognize that who I am and the success I’ve had, a lot of it is because of the experiences I had at Mars Hill.”

“I know it’s old fashioned to say, but I truly love Mars Hill.”

Rural Life Museum to reopen on September 28 After a seven-year hiatus, Mars Hill University will reopen its Rural Life Museum with a new exhibition entitled, “Interwoven: Coverlets, Ballads, and America’s Discovery of Madison County Folklife.”

The public is invited to attend a grand reopening celebration on September 28, from 2 to 5 p.m., to see the exhibition, listen to local music, and enjoy refreshments. Remarks and a ribbon cutting will take place at 3 p.m.

Department of Transportation and Madison County government. Additional grant funding has recently been received from the Madison County Tourism and Development Authority and other donors for exhibition preparation and final reopening expenses. Wells Fargo Bank is also generously sponsoring the grand opening of the museum.

With its expanded, professionally designed space, the museum is poised to present an array of quality exhibitions about Southern Appalachian history and culture, serving the Mars Hill University community, as well as children and adults from Madison County and beyond.

“Interwoven” tells the story of the Allanstand Cottage Industries, developed by Presbyterian missionary Frances Louisa Goodrich in Madison County. This weaving cooperative formed Museum Director Les Reker prepares the renovated Rural the beginnings of what The Rural Life Museum Life Museum for its grand reopening on September 28 would become a great will be open daily revival of handicrafts, (except Mondays) and would eventually beginning September lead to the creation of one of America’s oldest and 29, 2013, from 1-5 p.m. It is located in the Montague most renowned craft associations, the Southern building on the upper quad of the Mars Hill Highland Craft Guild. The exhibition examines the University campus. Admission is free. For more influence the Allanstand had on the lives of the information or for group tours, please call (828) women who participated in its projects and traces 689-1400, or visit the university website: www.mhu. the ways that work to promote craft traditions edu/ramsey-center. was linked to musical preservation efforts of the period. Some of the Allanstand weavers and their families featured in the exhibition made valuable Mars Hill University would like to thank Lone contributions to the ballad collection of English Star Steakhouse for their generosity in hosting folklorist Cecil Sharp when he visited the region. a Dine and Donate on Saturday June 1 at their The Rural Life Museum has been closed for repairs since 2006 and reopens now with funds provided by the Janirve Foundation, the Marion Stedman Covington Foundation, and a collaborative grant arrangement between the North Carolina 17

Mars Hill, The Magazine - Spring 2013

popular south Asheville restaurant. Many Mars Hill friends came out to enjoy great food and support the event, with a portion of their dining receipts going toward the Jeanne M. Cagle Scholarship Fund for Social Work students.

Amazing Alumnus

Joe Bland ’03

by Joe Bland ’03

“We must be loyal to our own creativity”

Sometimes we try to look into the future and are intimidated by our far-fetched dreams, goals, and ideas. We may ask ourselves, how are we going to get there? If we take a moment to turn around and look at the past, and our journey to the present, that question can be answered. This is the story of Raleigh Coffee Company.

I am a coffee lover, relationship builder, and alumnus of Mars Hill College, class of 2003. Being a student and resident at Mars Hill for four years taught me many things beyond my major and concentration. The beauty of a liberal arts education is that it results in a well-rounded mind and community. The community of professors, classmates, and administration also taught me how to help myself achieve my goals, individually and collaboratively.

I received many valued pieces of knowledge during the four years of my attendance at Mars Hill. Additional experiences through the years added to my collection of skills. Then, about 18 months ago I made a remarkable discovery: that I could put those pieces together into a wonderful work of art that would become my full time career.

These pieces included an education in the visual arts from Mars Hill College, eight years with an outside sales job, a constant passion for great coffees, and a two-year hobby of roasting coffee for myself and my friends.

Added to that, I had family and friends who shared my vision. Finally, I had two great friends, Matt Thien ’02 and Brian Dawson ’02, also Mars Hill alumni, who were willing to hop on board with helping Raleigh Coffee Company off the ground.

Locally, I observed a few things that inspired me to open a coffee roasting operation. Those things included Raleigh’s loyalty to local businesses, the lack of diverse coffee roasters in Raleigh, and the overall demand our community has for coffee and the community that is built around it.

Nine months after this vision was finalized, Raleigh Coffee Company was officially established and operating in the back of a local grocery store in North Carolina’s capital city. We focus primarily on quality, single origin coffees to keep it simple for our coffee drinkers. Now what?

“Bean Projects” Roasting coffee beans is what we do, but it’s not why we started Raleigh Coffee Company. We wanted to not only do what gave us joy, but also, somehow utilize this marketplace commodity as a tool to build community.

We decided we would team up with non-profits and other inspiring organizations to help fund their needs and we would call this program Bean Projects. In the six months since its creation, RCC has funded three Bean Projects. Through coffee sales, we were able to raise $500 for Love Wins 18 Mars Hill, The Magazine | Fall 2013

Joe Bland, in The Laurel, 2001

Ministries in Raleigh, to support their mission in helping Raleigh’s homeless. A few weeks after that, we raised another $500 to sponsor a song on an album by Mars Hill College alumnus Matt Thien to support non-profits.

wearing a backpack. Instead, I found myself surrounded by the evidence of my new life: Jennifer, my wife of 7 years, our three-year-old daughter, Isabelle, and our seven-month old son, Caedon.

Most recently, we embarked on our largest Bean Project: we put together a team of 20 athletes to race in Raleigh’s inaugural Ironman 70.3 triathlon.

This triathlon included a 1.2 mile swim, a 56 mile bike ride, and a 13.1 mile run. Together these three events required our bodies to endure 70.3 miles of competition. Through this program, we raised over $10,000 for the Alexander Family YMCA “We Build People” campaign.

This amount funded one month of summer camp scholarships for 14 at-risk kids.

It was also a moment of confirmation that the campus speaks inspiration to those who observe.

It wasn’t just the mindset of being an art student that instilled constant awareness of inspiration. It is more than that. Mars Hill College speaks to our creative minds and each nook-and-cranny still has its own charm.

Of the 20 athletes on Team Raleigh Coffee Company, 6 were Mars Hill College alumni: me, Matt, and Brian, plus Brian’s wife Mary Dawson ’01, Austin Lee ’03, and Robey Logan ’04.

This summer, we are working on funding a cleanwater well through Uganda Village Project.

It took an ah-ha moment, years after graduation and 250 miles from the campus, to recognize that my life was embedded in and surrounded by the Mars Hill College alumni community. Mars Hill College established the fundamentals of community building into the way I live my life.

In June of this year, ten years after graduating Mars Hill College, I visited the campus and took some time to walk around. It seemed like that particular part of my life was not so distant and strangely, I almost felt as if something was missing: I was not

Thinking back on the education I received at Mars Hill College makes the clarity of my current situation easier to interpret. In an economy where many people are waiting to be chosen by a potential employer, my liberal arts education allowed me to choose myself.

Team Raleigh Coffee Co. prepares for the Ironman.

Above: Joe Bland, Robey Logan and Matt Thien. Left: Brian and Mary Dawson.

My liberal arts education created an environment that encouraged individual artistic expression, allowed me to challenge society’s tendency toward industrialized standardization and gave me all the pieces I needed to be successful.

Raleigh Coffee Company is my expression of my art. It allows me to combine a passion for coffee and a desire to build relationships with a means to help our community. The education at Mars Hill College gave me a diverse set of skills in order to build my art into a living organization and to inspire others in that vision. We are all individuals with passions that need to be cultivated.

It can be anything. We are happier at the end of the day when that has been our daily work. We must now choose ourselves and be loyal to our own creativity.

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LION ATHLETICS:

2013 Spring Sports Recap

by Rick Baker

The Mars Hill athletic teams wrapped up a successful spring sports season that saw Lion teams capture a regional title, open and dedicate a new facility, and place six student-athletes on allregion teams.

The baseball team wrapped up head coach Aaron Rembert’s first season with a 10-32 overall record. The team dedicated and played the newlyconstructed Don Henderson Field. Highlighting the Lions’ inaugural season in the facility were backto-back extra-inning walk-off wins over conference rival Carson-Newman.

The men’s golf team placed 10th in the SAC Championship. The team’s top performances included a fifth-place finish at the Cherokee Valley Invitational and a fourth-place finish in the Echo Farms Intercollegiate.

The women’s golf team placed eighth in the SAC Championship. The Lions’ top performance on the season was a third-place finish in the Benedict College Invitational.

The lacrosse team tied a school-record with 11 wins and finished 11-3 overall. The team captured the program’s 100th all-time win in a season-ending victory over Rollins. This year’s graduating senior class was the winningest in Mars Hill history. The Lions won three games in the final 15 seconds of regulation or overtime. Senior Ryan Herrmann 20 Mars Hill, The Magazine | Fall 2013

Ryan Herrmann

finished second in the nation in ground balls per game.

The softball team finished 26-16 overall and eliminated the top two seeds in the SAC Tournament before being eliminated. Robyn Stanek earned First Team All-SAC honors and was named Academic All-District. Taylor Morris captured Mars Hill’s Female Athlete of the Year award and was

a second-team All-SAC performer. The Lions swept 25th-ranked Lenoir-Rhyne for the first time in school history.

The men’s tennis team concluded its first season under head coach John Hunter 5-10 overall, winning three of their final four SAC matches to make the SAC Tournament. Lucas Simm was a FirstTeam All-SAC performer, while Euquerio Guerrero earned secondteam recognition.

The women’s tennis team finished 2-12 overall in Hunter’s first season. Tatiana Dualiby earned Second-Team All-SAC honors.

For the second consecutive season, the men’s track and field team won the NCAA Division II Southeast Regional Championship. Jaymz Fagaragan, Travis Riner, Derek Gibson and Cameron Shaw were named to the all-region team. Senior Erick Blackburn captured Academic All-Region honors and Brady Adcock was named the Mars Hill athletic department’s Man of the Year.

The women’s track and field team placed fourth in the NCAA Division II Southeast Regional Championship, a one-spot improvement from the previous season. Alexis Montgomery and Jessica Viscusi each earned all-region honors.

MHU to host Collegiate Nationals Road Race in 2015-16 USA Cycling announced in June that the USA Cycling Collegiate Road National Championships in 2015 and 2016 will take place in Asheville and Marshall, NC. Mars Hill University will serve as the host school, in collaboration with AB Regional Sports Commission and Asheville Bicycle Racing Club.

The exact date of the event has not been determined, but it will be held some time in early May. In 2012-13, MHC cycling competed in five disciplines, and took podiums at four out of the five events. The team ended the year as the second-ranked team in the nation in Division II.

Taylor Morris

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Awards of Note BRYAN CARING AWARDS Keri Arrington Nathan McMahan Keri Arrington, a senior social work major from Marshall, NC, and Nathan McMahan, adjunct professor of philosophy, were the 2013 recipients of the G. MacLeod Bryan Caring Award. The award is given annually at Mars Hill University in honor of the late Dr. G. McLeod (“Mac”) Bryan, a member of the MHC class of ’39, and a professor at Wake Forest University who worked tirelessly for the cause of peace and justice, and influenced countless others to do the same.

Arrington served as the president of the Social Work Club during the 2012-13 academic year. She was also a residential advisor, and a member of judicial board, Rotaract Club, Sigma Alpha Chi and the Inter-Greek Council. Through these positions of leadership, she has lead several significant service efforts, including collecting clothing for people in the Mars Hill area, collecting food for Neighbors in Need, leading the campus effort for the One Million Bones project to raise awareness and funding for victims of genocide.

Nathan McMahan has been making a positive difference for Mars Hill since his student days, over twelve years ago. As a student, he was the editor of the Hilltop and became known for excellent and insightful investigative reporting. Now, as an adjunct professor, McMahan leads Pagos social justice groups, helps coordinate general education courses, and helps connect students to the community through interviews with long-time residents. He has also involved students in the One Million Bones project and the Global Village Poverty Symposium, a regional event involving other local colleges.

Ruth Martin Award for Christian Service Bob Cole Bob Cole, a resident of Mars Hill, received the I. Ruth Martin Award for Christian Service. The award was established by I. Ruth Martin, MHC class of 1938, to be given to a Christian individual who has served faithfully without any spotlight recognition.

Cole volunteers for Madison County Neighbors in Need, Friends of the Library Board, Habitat for Humanity, and the Kiwanis Club of Madison County, and he is a member of the senior adult council at Mars Hill Baptist Church.

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Michael Emory Award Leah Taylor Leah Taylor, a junior psychology major from Baltimore, MD, received the Michael Emory Award from Mars Hill College.

The Michael Emory Award is presented annually to an individual who demonstrates Christ-like compassion, loyalty and service to the economically, socially or emotionally oppressed and diligent pursuit of truth and justice, even when such pursuit may be unpopular. The award is given in honor of “Big Mike” Emory, MHC class of ’94, whose life exemplified the criteria of the award.

Taylor, a Bonner Scholar, has volunteered at Eliada Homes for Children since December 2012. She also serves as the vice president of the Psychology Club, through which she organized events like a sock drive for homeless individuals and an awareness event about suicide. She also volunteers to tutor her fellow psychology students on campus.

Baptist Heritage Award A.C. and Susie Honeycutt Mars Hill College honored A.C. and Susie Honeycutt of Mars Hill with the Baptist Heritage Award for 2013.

The annual Baptist Heritage Award ceremony is cosponsored by the Baptist State Convention of N.C. and the N.C. Baptist Foundation. It honors individuals and couples for their service to Baptist agencies.

The Honeycutts are both MHC graduates, class of 1975, and A.C. is a trustee of Mars Hill University. They were recognized for their financial support and faithful involvement with the university and community.

In 2006, the couple helped start Fields of Hope, a gardening and farming project focused on fighting hunger in western NC. The Honeycutts, who are members of Mars Hill Baptist Church, have also led in efforts to distribute food and clothes, and build homes in Honduras.

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Faculty

and

STAFF

BLICATIONS...HONORS...ACHIEVEMENTS...PRESENTATIONS...PUBLICATIONS...HONORS...ACHIEVEMENTS...PRESENTATIONS...PUBLIC Dr. Jeffery Andersen, assistant professor of recreation and coordinator of the sport management program, has received a doctorate in education leadership and policy analysis, with a concentration in post-secondary and private sector leadership from East Tennessee State University. The title of Andersen’s dissertation, which he defended on March 28, 2013, is Learner Satisfaction in Online Learning: An Analysis of the Perceived Impact of Learner-Social Media and Learner-Instructor Interaction.

Dr. Chris Cain, associate professor of education, authored an article: “Improving the Mathematical Content Knowledge of General and Special Educators: Evaluating a Professional Development Module That Focuses on Number Sense” in TESE: Teacher Education and Special Education: The Journal of the Teacher Education Division of the Council for Exceptional Children, May 2013.

Dr. Lucia Carter, associate professor of history, presented a paper titled “The Nationalism of Others” at the Inaugural Conference of the International Network for the Theory of History, held in Ghent, Belgium, July 2013.

Dr. Rick Cary, professor of art and chair of the Department of Art and Theatre Arts, was one of 20 art professors across the nation who were selected for a seminar sponsored by the Council of Independent Colleges titled “Teaching European Art in Context.”

The seminar, which took place June 23-28 in Atlanta, took advantage of a rare taveling exhibition of Dutch masterpieces featuring works by Vermeer, Hals, and Rembrandt.

Cary also had a one-person art exhibition at the John W. Bardo Fine and Performing Arts Center at Western Carolina University from June until September, called “Credo II.” The exhibit consists of documentary photographs of signs-following believers in the southern Appalachian Mountains.

Dr. Greg Clemons, professor of Spanish, was one of four new at-large members elected to the National Council for Alpha Chi National Honor Society at the group’s national convention, held in April 2013, in Nashville, TN. Clemons will serve on the national council for a threeyear term. Clemons has been the faculty sponsor of the Epsilon Chapter of Alpha Chi at Mars Hill College for 13 years.

Dr. Heather Hawn, assistant professor of political science, has been elected to state-wide board of the NC-ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union).

Hawn also authored an article: “Utilizing Music in Teaching General Education Introduction to Global Politics Classes,” which was published in the peerreviewed journal European Political Science, July 2013.

24 Mars Hill, The Magazine | Fall 2013

Dr. Jonna Kwiatkowski , assistant professor of psychology, authored an article: “Associations Between Household Responsibilities and Academic Competencies in the Context of Education Accessibility in Zambia” in Learning and Individual Differences, published online March 2013.

Kwiatkowski also presented two research topics at the American Psychological Society Annual Conference in Washington, DC, in May 2013: ΕΕ“Using Creativity to Celebrate Knowledge: A Final Project for General Psychology” ΕΕ“Rocking with Creativity: Movement As An Insight Enhancement” (this research was done in collaboration with MHU undergraduate research assistants.)

Dr. Hal McDonald, professor of English, authored an article: “Mountain Magic: An Interview with Sarah Addison Allen,” published in North Carolina Literary Review Online, March 2013.

Dr. Kathy Meacham , Bost Professor of Philosophy, presented at three professional conferences recently related to the area of ethics : ΕΕ “Ethics in Family Medicine,” a didactics session for residents in family medicine, Mountain Area Health Education Center, Asheville, NC, May 2013. ΕΕ “Longitudinal Clinical Ethics,” a session at the Consortium for Longitudinal Integrated Clerkships Conference, Ontario, Canada, October 2012. ΕΕ

Ethics Across the Curriculum Week – Ethics in the Professions: Young Harris College, Young Harris, GA, Feb 2012.

Meacham has also been appointed as an adjunct professor in the Department of Social Medicine, University of North Carolina School of MedicineAsheville. She will be teaching ethics to third year medical students who come to Asheville from UNCChapel Hill for clinical training. The appointment grew out of a sabbatical project during the 2012-13 academic year, during which Meacham created the ethics curriculum.

Dr. Kathryn Newfont, associate professor of history, received the prestigious Weatherford Award for non-fiction her first book, Blue Ridge Commons: Environmental Activism and Forest History in Western North Carolina. The award is presented annually by Berea College and the Appalachian Studies Association to the authors of one nonfiction work, one fiction work, and one work of poetry, which in its year best illuminates the challenges, personalities, and unique qualities of the Appalachian South.

BLICATIONS...HONORS...ACHIEVEMENTS..PRESENTATIONS...PUBLICATIONS...HONORS...ACHIEVEMENTS...PRESENTATIONS...PUBLICA Dr. Scott Pearson, professor of biology and dean of the Division of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, authored or co-authored five articles: ΕΕ Kuhman, T. R., S. M. Pearson, and M. G. Turner.

2013. “Why does land-use history facilitate nonnative plant invasion? A field experiment with celastrus orbiculatus in the southern Appalachians.”

Biological Invasions. ΕΕ

Pearson Scott M. 2013. “Landscape Ecology and Population Dynamics.” Pp. 488-502 in Levin S.A. (ed.)

Encyclopedia of Biodiversity, second edition, vol. 4.

ΕΕ

Anderson, D. P., M. G. Turner, S. M. Pearson, T. P. Albright, R. K. Peet and A. Wieben. 2013. “Predicting Microstegium vimineum invasion in natural plant communities of the southern Blue Ridge Mountains, USA.” Biological Invasions.

ΕΕ

Jackson, M. M., S. M. Pearson, and M. G. Turner. 2013.

“Performance and population dynamics of a native understory herb differ between young and old forest stands in the Southern Appalachians.” Forest Ecology and Management.

ΕΕ

Lumpkin, H. A. and S. M. Pearson. 2013. “Effects of exurban development and temperature on bird species in the southern Appalachians.” Conservation Biology.

Dr. Kimberly Reigle, assistant professor of English, presented a paper titled “Exiled Bodies in Victoria Cross’s Six Chapters of a Man’s Life” at the South Atlantic Modern Language Conference. Fall, 2012, as part of a panel titled “Figuring Exile in British Literature.”

Dr. Jessica Van Cleave, assistant professor of education, collaborated on two articles with J. Bridges-Rhoades: ΕΕ “‘As cited in’ writing partnerships: ‘The (Im)Possibility of Authorship in Postmodern Research.’” Qualitative Inquiry, September, 2013.

TENURE AND PROMOTIONS

Tenure ΕΕ D r. Belinda Eggen, Associate Professor of Education

Tenure and Promotion from Assistant Professor to Associate Professor ΕΕ D r. Teresa Sumpter, Music Promotion From Associate Professor to Professor ΕΕ D r. Jim Brown, Education Promotion From Instructor to Assistant Professor ΕΕ J oy Clifton, Physical Education

Dr. Greg Clemons, MHU professor of Spanish, (orange shirt, back row), delivering medical supplies to Casa de la Partera, “The Midwives’ House,” in San Cristóbal de las Casas, Chiapas. Dr. Heather Hawn (purple shirt, back row) and her husband Bryan Hawn accompanied him on the trip. Dr. Clemons took a group including the Hawns and two MHU students, Tyler Gifford and Alton Brown, to Chiapas May 15-26, 2013.

ΕΕ “Writing the Torment: Aporetic Data and The Possibility of Justice.” Cultural Studies aCritical Methodologies. May, 2013 (online preview publication date).

Van Cleave also led or collaborated in four professional presentations: ΕΕ “The Common Core Standardization of Curriculum: An Effect of the Discourse of Scientifically Based Research.” American Education Research Association. San Francisco, CA, April 2013 (with BridgesRhoades). ΕΕ “The Impossibility of the Author.” Plenary session, Ninth International Congress of Qualitative Inquiry, Chair. Urbana-Champaign, IL, May 2013. ΕΕ “Authoring Unintended Texts.” Ninth International Congress of Qualitative Inquiry. Urbana-Champaign, IL, May 2013 (with Bridges-Rhoads). ΕΕ “What About What I Can’t Say? Considering Ethics in Elite Interviewing.” Ninth International Congress of Qualitative Inquiry. Urbana-Champaign, IL, May 2013 (with E. Bullock).

Dr. Adrienne Akins Warfield , assistant professor of

English, authored a book chapter titled “Steinbeck and the Tragedy of Progress” in the essay collection A Political Companion to John Steinbeck, published in June 2013 by the University Press of Kentucky as part of its Political Companions to Great American Authors Series.

Warfield also presented a paper titled “‘It Ain’t Him to Blame’: Eudora Welty, Bob Dylan, and Exculpatory Guilt,” at the International Conference of the Eudora Welty Society at Texas A&M University in April 2013.

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WELCOME NEW FACULTY AND STAFF Bricen Anders, Facilities Temporary Grounds

Shannon McBride, Cashier, B.S. / Information Systems & Operations Management, UNC, Greensboro

Sara Cook, Adjunct: Humanities, M.Div. / Religion, Columbia Theological Seminary

James Miller, Facilities Maintenance

Jermaine Gales, Assistant Coach: Football, M.Ed. / Kinesiology, Southern Arkansas UniversityMagnolia

Marla Reese, Security Cheryl Smith, Safety & Training Technician, B.S. / Business, Mars Hill College, State Tech at Memphis

Marlon Garren, Adjunct: AGS, M.A. / Spanish, University of Tennessee Joseph Gibson, Facilities: Grounds Temporary

Cletus J. (C.J.) Tate, Assistant Director: Bailey Mountain Cloggers, B.A. / Sociology, Mars Hill College

Jessica Harris, Admissions Counselor, B.A. / Psychology, Mars Hill College

Steve Tweed, Security

Robert Kandra, Adjunct: Biology, J.D. / Law, Drake University Law School Carolyn Kuzell, Admissions Counselor, B.A. / Political Science, Allegany College

Jenna White, Telecounselor, M.Ed. / College Student Personnel, Clemson University, Western Carolina University

Mark Lane, Assistant Coach: Men’s Basketball, Kinesiology, Minot State University,University of Windsor

Matthew Willing, Housekeeping Coordinator, B.A. / Recreation Sports Management, Mars Hill College

Christopher Love, Adjunct: Biology, M.S. / Biology, Western Carolina University

Joseph Willis, Facilities - Carpenter, B.A. / Religion/ Philosophy, Mars Hill College

REDUCE YOUR 2013 TAXES With an IRA gift The fiscal cliff law permits individuals who are 70½ to roll over up to $100,000 from their IRA to charity free from federal income tax. Better yet, an IRA rollover gift qualifies for your 2013 required minimum distribution, permitting you to lower your income and taxes for this year while helping Mars Hill.

Contact us to learn more about how you can redirect unneeded IRA income to Mars Hill, help further our mission and enjoy valuable tax savings this year.

Please feel free to contact Tim McClain, Director of Development, at:

Did you know that you can reduce your taxes for 2013 by making a gift from

your IR A to charity?

26 Mars Hill, The Magazine | Fall 2013

Mars Hill University PO Box 6792 Mars Hill, NC 28754 tmcclain@mhu.edu Phone: 828-689-1435 Fax: 828-689-1292 Cell: 828-779-1004

Class Notes

Mars Hill, the Magazine of Mars Hill University welcomes your personal snapshots when you send in news of weddings, babies, accomplishments, etc. Send your photos to: alumni@mhu.edu, or Alumni Office, P.O. Box 6792, Mars Hill, NC, 28754.

1930s June Ramsey Baker ’32 of Oxnard, CA, celebrated her 100th birthday on June 16, 2013, surrounded by her loving family including great grandson Dean, age 2. June grew up in Mars Hill and attended Mars Hill Junior College. She has lived in Oxnard, CA, since 1954. According to her family, “Granny June” June Ramsey Baker (in tiara) with granddaughter Amira and continues to amaze all great-grandson, Dean, 2. who meet her and she still speaks fondly of her college days at Mars Hill.

Ruth Coleman Murphy, ’34 celebrated her 100th birthday on May 19, 2013. After her graduation from Mars Hill College, Ruth became a teacher in Murphy, NC. While in Murphy, she met and married William A. Murphy.

When William went to war during World War II, Ruth left teaching and went to work in a “Rosie the Riveter” job, in an airplane factory in Mobile, AL. When William returned from the war, the couple moved to Porterville, CA, where Ruth returned to teaching. The couple had three boys: Bill (who was later killed in a Vietnam-era Army accident), Tom, and Bob. Ruth has 2 grandchildren and 2 great-grandchildren.

1950s Carolyn Ward Bradley ’56 recently completed a Christian ministry of playing the organ for 64 years. She started at age 12 playing a portable pump organ in North Charleston, SC, and retired 64 years later as a church organist at Westchester Baptist Church, in High Point, NC. During the course of her career, she served as organist for 18 churches in six states. Carolyn is married to J.C. Bradley. They have two sons and two grandchildren.

Carolyn Bradley

Jim Jerome Williams ’58 of Valdese, NC, has been inducted into the North Carolina High School Choral Hall of Fame. Williams is one of three retired choral directors to receive the honor in this second year of its existence.

Formal recognition will take place during the NC Music Educator’s Conference in Winston-Salem in November.

1960s Alexandra “Pinkie” Pinkston ’66 retired from North Davidson Library in May 2013. She has worked for Davidson County for 25 years and has been manager of the library since 1990.

J. Carlton Wilkes ’69 taught for 39 years as a music educator and band director, and retired from Franklin County High School, in Rocky Mount, VA, in June 2009. In honor of Wilkes, the high school dedicated the J. Carlton Wilkes Band Facility in December 2007. He now lives in Boones Mill, VA, and he continues to play saxophone for several bands and as a soloist.

1970s Greg Caldwell ’70 recently retired from Lewis and Clark College as the Director of International Studies. He also recently served as the Honorary Consul General for the Republic of Korea in Northern Oregon.

Dan Locklair ’71 was commissioned by the City of Winston-Salem to compose a piece in celebration of its consolidation. The world premier of “Hail the Coming Day” took place on May 12, 2013, at the Winston-Salem Symphony’s closing concert for the 2012-13 season.

Locklair is composer in residence and professor of music at Wake Forest University.

Sarah Grant Greenstock ’74 is now a full time musician, after teaching health & physical education (grades Pre-K through 9) for 33 years. She is the pianist, choir director, hand-chimes director, and piano teacher for her small church in Rougemont, NC. She said she would love to reconnect with other alumni..

Terry Usery ’74 was named Principal of the Year in Gaston County Schools, NC. Terry is the principal of Tryon Elementary School in Bessemer City.

Sarah Greenstock

Ruben Orengo ’75 has been selected to receive the 2013 Yale Distinguished Music Educator Award. Ruben teaches strings at Asheville High and Asheville Middle schools, Asheville, NC. Mars Hill, TheThe Magazine - Spring 2013 Mars Hill, Magazine | Fall 2013 2727

Class Notes 1980s

Julia Cowart ’82 completed an M.A. in Liberal Studies with a concentration in Archival Studies at East Tennessee State University, and an M.S. in Information Science at the University of Knoxville in 2012. She currently works in Special Collections and Archives in the James B. Duke Library, Furman University, in Greenville, SC. Carol J. Gatz ’83 has changed positions at East Tennessee State University. She has moved from the Department of Music to the Dept of Psychology as Executive Aide in the Clinical Psychology program.

Carol Bennett ’88 retired on March 1, 2013 from the Western Region Education Service Alliance (WRESA) and the NC, State education system after 25 years of state service. She will continue teaching in the master’s program at Gardner Webb University, consulting for area schools, and writing books.

Michael “Buck” Gatton ’88, long time baseball coach for the Warriors of West Iredell High School, has been honored by Iredell County NC. The county named its newly created Easter Baseball Tournament, which took place in April, in honor of Gatton.

Rev. Mike Smith ’88 received the Baptist State Convention and NC Baptist Foundation’s 2013 Heritage Award. Smith has been the senior pastor of Fruitland Baptist Church for 22 years.

Don Lourcey ’89 has been named the Director of Professional Learning for the North Carolina Virtual Public School (NCVPS).

Michelle, Elizabeth and Don Lourcey

1990s Michelle Harrison Lourcey ’90 is the Chief Academic Officer for NCVPS. Don (above) and Michelle have one daughter, 9-year-old Elizabeth. The Lourceys live in Statesville, NC. Rev. Thomas M. Williams, Jr., ’93 and his wife Courtney, announce the birth of their first child, Lauren McKenzy, on January 13, 2013. Thomas is the Information & Communications Specialist/ Preparedness Coordinator for the Surry County Health & Nutrition Center in Dobson, NC, as well as 28 Mars Hill, The Magazine | Fall 2013

Lauren Williams

pastor of Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church. He and his family reside in Mount Airy, NC. Brian Graves ’96 and Beth Honeycutt ’01 were delighted to dedicate their twins, Matthew and Phoebe, on April 14, 2013 with their congregation, Circle of Mercy in Asheville, NC. Worship leaders included their older son Jonathan (age 4) and former MHC staff persons Rev. Sue Fitzgerald, Terri Farless and Missy Harris. The Honeycutt-Graves family lives in Mars Hill.

Brian Graves, Beth Honeycutt, and their children: Matthew, Phoebe, and Jonathan

Patrick Spence ’98 was accepted into the Parks, Recreation, Tourism and Sports Management Master’s Program at NC State University. His planned graduation date is 2014.

2000s Eric Christopher Smith ’00 received his Ph.D. in Religious and Theological Studies from the Iliff School of Theology at the University of Denver. He is Minister of Community Life at First Plymouth Congregational Church in Englewood, CO. Matthew “Chip” Oglesby ’03 has been named Director of Social Media for Goss Agency in Asheville, NC. Chris Alley ’04 has completed his residency in pathology in 2012 and his fellowship in cytopathology in June, 2013 at Duke Hospital.

Talia McCammond Alley ’04, recently completely an internship as children’s The Alley boys: Bryce, Kael, ministry intern at Knox, and Hayes. the Summit Church North Raleigh campus and now plans to focus her energies on the couple’s four boys: Bryce (age 7), Kael (age 5), Knox (age 2), and Hayes (4 months). The Alleys live in Raleigh, NC. Dan Sandlin ’04 was named 2012-13 Teacher of the Year for Vance Charter School in Henderson, NC. He also chartered the first middle

Dan ’04 and Aarika’02 Cupp Sandlin

Class Notes

school lacrosse team in the area, leading the team to a winning season. Dan and his wife Aarika Cupp Sandlin ’02 are also busy heading up a four-county Christian ministry which targets middle school students. The Sandlins have two children: Gavyn (7) and Neleh (3).

Director of Admissions at Mars Hill University and Smitty is employed by M.B. Haynes Corporation. The couple lives in Marshall, NC.

Erica Pace ’05 married Adam Whitener on April 30, 2011 at Woodlawn Baptist Church in Conover, NC. The couple lives in Hickory, NC.

Lindsey Barrier ’10 married Matthew Alan Hiatt on March 16, 2013. The couple lives in Salisbury, NC.

Brian K. Danforth ’06 has been named the Associate Director of Development for the College of Education at the University of Florida in Gainesville, FL. He began his new position July 1, 2013. Previously, Brian was the director of Annual Giving for Texas Lutheran University in San Antonio, TX. In November 2012, Brian was named to the San Antonio Business Journal’s annual “Top 40 Under 40 Rising Stars of San Antonio” list for 2012.

Kristie Vance ’07 and Nathaniel “Smitty” Smith ’08 were married in Broyhill Chapel on the campus of Mars Hill University, on October 27, 2012. Kristie serves as the

2010s

Kaley Kite ’11 married Dillon Thomas Ruppe in a seaside ceremony at Surfside Beach, NC, on April 27, 2013. The couple lives in Gaffney, SC. Megan Trasport ’12 recently completed a year as the Pennsylvania Campus Compact AmeriCorp VISTA worker at Philadelphia University. She developed and implemented PU’s first tutoring and mentoring program, “P.U.M.P.-up.” Her supervisor and colleagues nominated her for the Philadelphia Mayor’s First Annual outstanding National Service Member Awards, and she was one of four finalists for the award.

In Memoriam 1930s

Elizabeth Clark Giles ’31 of Decatur, GA, February 11, 2013 J. Ben Cox ’32 of Columbia, SC, January 19, 2012 Frances Walker Forney ’35 of Shelby, NC, March 7, 2013

Elton Edwards ’38 of Greensboro, NC, January 5, 2013 Lawrence Gunn ’38 of Reidsville, NC, May 13, 2013 Aleatz Parker Jordan ’38 of Richmond, VA, April 2, 2013

1940s

Mary Warlick Lattimore ’35 of Lattimore, NC, October 19, 2012

Harold Spainhour, Sr. ’40 of Sophia, NC, May 29, 2013

Auburn “Doc” Wyatt ’37 of Mars Hill, NC, June 3, 2013

Nina Phillips Guigou ’41 of Vandalia, OH, February 12, 2013

Charles Richard “Dick” Bryan ’38 of Belmont, NC, January 8, 2012

Ila Tillery ’41 of Mars Hill, NC, March 19, 2013

Edwin Corpening, Jr. ’38 of Brevard, NC, April 4, 2013

Shelby Hilton ’42 of Waynesboro, VA, February 2, 2013 John Rutledge ’43 of Winston-Salem, NC, April 9, 2013

James Hamrick ’44 of Raleigh, NC, May 23, 2013 Eloise Brown Kyles ’44 of Statesville, NC, May 17, 2013 Rev. Roy Martin, Jr. ’44 of Pelham, AL, February 23, 2013

Ellen Smith Nelson ’46 of High Point, NC, March 23, 2013 Gloria Abernethy Norwood ’46 of Raleigh, NC, March 7, 2013 Charles Brooks, III ’47 of Wallace, NC, April 9, 2013

Nancy Ellen Goforth Montero ’44 of Griffin, GA, January 20, 2012

Betty Duck McElrathMcNeil ’47 of Greeneville, TN, May 26, 2013

Margaret Sanders Harrison ’45 of Portsmouth, VA, November 13, 2012

James Allen ’48 of Raleigh, NC, May 15, 2013

Myrtle Swaringen Durham ’46 of East Bend, NC, March 13, 2013 Mary Harris Goodwyn ’46 of Durham, NC, March 5, 2013 Dr. Ransom Harris ’46 of Lenoir, NC, February 6, 2013

Orlena Jamerson Anglin ’48 of Burnsville, NC, April 1, 2013 John Ford, Jr. ’48 of Brevard, NC, January 24, 2013 Raymond Sewell, PhD ’48 of Ballwin, MO, February 6, 2013 Frank Westmoreland ’48 of Winston Salem, NC, May 29, 2013

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In Memoriam

Mary Campbell White ’48 of Jacksonville, FL, May 29, 2012 Allan Anderson, Jr. ’49 of Cheraw, NC, March 6, 2013 Elizabeth “Minnie” Bennett Ford ’49 of Atlanta, GA, October 31, 2012 Joseph “Joe” Hoyle ’49 of Lenoir, NC, April 9, 2013

1950s Nancy Rogers Daughtery ’50 of Smithfield, NC, June 26, 2011 Thomas Harris, Jr. ’50 of Fort Mill, NC, March 21, 2013 Hilda Hargrove Sides ’50 of Canton, NC, March 28, 2011 Donald Sweet ’50 of Maryville, TN, June 19, 2013 William Teague ’50 of Roanoke, VA, February 2, 2013 Betty Bernard Tyler ’50 of Murfreesboro, TN, May 9, 2012 Rev. Harvey Yates Criminger, Jr. ’50 of Winston-Salem, NC, July 4, 2013 Rev. George Bausum ’51 of McMinnville, TN, February 29, 2012 Rev. David Lee Early ’51 of Sanford, NC, July 3, 2013 Herbert Jones ’51 of Raleigh, NC, May 7, 2013 Robert Trevathan, Jr. ’51 of Charlotte, NC, April 4, 2013 Dr. Donald “Don” Neal

’52 of Rock Hill, NC, May 12, 2013 Wesley Lawton Neely ’52 of Greer, NC, March 8, 2013 Robert “Bob” Reese ’52 of Knoxville, TN, May 23, 2013 Vivian Carter Givens ’53 of Roanoke, VA, May 7, 2013 Janice “Jerane” Page Graham ’53 of Fayetteville, GA, February 24, 2013 Ben Hensley ’53 of Burnsville, NC, November 28, 2012 Barbara Browning Stone ’53 of Greenville, NC, April 9, 2013 Lenwood Brunson ’54 of Columbia, NC, March 10, 2013 Jack Jarvis ’54 of Kingsport, TN, May 22, 2012 Georg Bolch, Jr. ’55 of Poulsbo, WA, December 7, 2012 Kathryn “Kay” Madison Marlowe ’55 of Kernersville, NC, October 12, 2012 Dr. William “Will” Deal ’56 of Birmingham, AL, March 15, 2013 Jo Ann Roberts Hupp ’56 of Wendell, NC, April 20, 2013 Peggy Malloy Riggs ’56 of Brandon, FL, January 2, 2013 David Haynes ’58 of Waynesville, NC, April 10, 2013 Donald “Don” Lawson ’58 of Pacolet, NC, February 26, 2013

30 Mars Hill, The Magazine | Fall 2013

Charles “Charlie” Putnam, Jr. ’58 of Millboro, VA, October 14, 2012

1960s Weaver McConnell “Mac” Patton, Jr. ’60 of Greenville, NC, March 7, 2013 Gaillard “Bubby” Pinckney, Jr. ’60 of Lexington, NC, March 23, 2013 Larry Douglas White ’60 of Southern Pines, NC, July 2, 2013 Judith “Judy” Bennett Chandler ’61 of Advance, NC, April 19, 2013

25, 2013 George Lytton ’67 of El Dorado Hills, CA, September 28, 2012 Leslie Renigar, Jr. ’69 of Keene, VA, September 24, 2012

1970s Jerry Keith Adams ’70 of Newport, TN, June 21, 2013 Harvey Jones ’70 of Lenoir City, TN, February 24, 2013 Shelia Taylor Cofer ’74 of Rockwood, TN, March 4, 2013

2000s

William Meadows ’61 of Hendersonville, NC, March 9, 2013

William Tapp ’00 of Oak Island, NC, December 28, 2011

William “Bubba” Bell ’63 of Benicia, CA, November 11, 2009

Tamara Stoops Duggan ’03 of Vero Beach, FL, March 25, 2013

Esther Robbins Heatley ’63 of Lexington, VA, November 14, 2012 Mary McMillian Davis ’64 of Leicester, NC, February 2, 2012 Donald “Don” Elliott ’64 of Waco, NC, April 2, 2012 Richard Ergenbright, Jr. ’64 of Crozet, VA, April 27, 2012 Delmar “Harold” Ponder ’64 of Mars Hill, NC, July 3, 2013 Mary Mattison Weeks ’65 of Central, SC, December 1, 2010 James Hensley ’66 of Alachua, FL, March 9, 2013 Laura Lamberth ’67 of Charlotte, NC, February

Friends Dwight Pardue, Sr., of Wilkesboro, NC, March 31, 2013

Roger “Steve” Bates, Staff

Emmett Sams ’39, Faculty Dr. Emmett Sams, professor emeritus of mathematics, passed away on April 2, 2013. Sams taught taught at Mars Hill College for 45 years and received an honorary doctorate of humane letters from the faculty on March 25.

Roger Steve Bates, 56, of 66 Bruce Road, Mars Hill, died November 9, 2012. Steve was employed at Mars Hill College and for many years was an avid girl’s youth league softball coach in Madison County.

Sams served the college as tennis coach in 1950 and 1951, and was the time and score keeper at home basketball games from ’50 until ’80. He was elected to the Mars Hill College Athletics Hall of Fame in 2000. In 2007 Mr. Sams was selected as an Alumnus of the Year.

Rev. Jack Noffsinger, former trustee of Winston Salem, passed away on June 4, 2013. Noffsinger was a Navy chaplain in World War II, serving on Iwo Jima in 1945. He was active in the civil rights movement in the 60s and 70s and he was a Baptist minister for three decades.

An article about Sams’ life and career will be included in the spring 2014 issue of Mars Hill, the Magazine of Mars Hill University.

Rev. Jack Noffsinger, Former Trustee

Noffsinger served on the Board of Trustees at Mars Hill College from January 1, 1998, through December 31, 2001. He also served on the Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees of Wake Forest University and Meredith College and also the Urban Coalition of Winston Salem.

SHE has dreams.

YOU Can Help Make Them Happen As a Mars Hill University Corporate Sponsor.

Mars Hill University is growing and striving to help equip students to meet the needs of a rapidly changing world and economy. In doing so, we seek close partnerships with the business community, locally and beyond. YOUR business, large or small, can make a difference in the lives of students seeking to be successful in the world.

Your annual tax-deductible gift of at least $1,000 will allow you to name a scholarship and it will provide recognition for your business in university publications. Most importantly, it will help give deserving Mars Hill University students a chance to make their dreams come true.

For more information contact Donna Kull, Director of Corporate & Foundation Relations, dkull@mhu.edu, 828-689-1277 (office), 828206-1522 (mobile).

Mars Hill, The Magazine - Spring 2013 Mars Hill, The Magazine | Fall 2013 3131

PO Box 370 Mars Hill, NC, 28754

Realizing the Power of “U”

Giving to The Mars Hill Fund is the most effective way you can support your university.

It’s the school’s financial workhorse for addressing needs such as technological upgrades, student scholarships, additional campus security, and many other initiatives not covered by student tuition.

When you give to The Mars Hill Fund every year, you make a difference every day.

As Easy as “Point & Click” It’s never been easier to support Mars Hill! Go to www.mhu.edu, click on the “Giving” tab on the right of the screen, and follow the links.