The Magazine of Mars Hill University | Fall 2019
The Jeanette and John Cothran Center for Career Readiness: Preparing Students for the World of Work
d an y arr s On S L f N I cy o Live a n eg Ster L e Th resa Te
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The Magazine of Mars Hill University | FALL 2019
MAGAZINE STAFF: Editor: Teresa Buckner, Director of Publications Associate Editor: Mike Thornhill ’88, Director of Communications Additional Contributors: Jackson Courson, senior MHU student; Nathan Doucette, senior MHU student; Kohl Friery, Director of Alumni Relations; Jimmy Knight, Director of the Jeanette and John Cothran Center for Career Readiness, Keith Kramer ’88; MHU alumnus; Nautica Poole, junior MHU student; Lisa Wachtman, Senior Director of Student Persistence; Adam Williams, Sports Information Director.
President’s Leadership Team:
Tony Floyd, J.D., President
John Omachonu, Ph.D., Provost
Rick Baker, Director of Athletics
Grainger Caudle, Ph.D., Senior Director of Planning and Strategy
Bud Christman, Vice President for Advancement
Samantha Fender, Senior Director of Marketing and Communications
Joy Kish, Ed.D. ’82, Senior Director of University Services
Rev. Stephanie McLeskey, University Chaplain
Neil Tilley, Vice President for Finance
Mars Hill, The Magazine of Mars Hill University is published regularly by the Office of Marketing and 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, N.C., 28754. Phone 828/689-1102. E-mail alumni@mhu.edu. Letters to the editor and all other correspondence regarding the magazine should be addressed to the Office of Marketing and Communications, Mars Hill University, P.O. Box 6765, Mars Hill, N.C., 28754. Phone 828/689-1304. E-mail tbuckner@mhu.edu. Postmaster: Send address changes to the Alumni Office, Mars Hill University, P.O. Box 6792, Mars Hill, N.C., 28754. Copyright 2019. All rights reserved.
Cover: Jimmy Knight, Director of the new Jeanette and John Cothran Center for Career Readiness, consults with student Kaley Griggs.
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IN THIS ISSUE Letter from the President....................................... 4 Are You Ready for Homecoming?............................. 5 Preparing Students for the “World of Work”............ 6 Introducing the New Jeanette and John Cothran Center for Career Readiness
Return to Learn..................................................... 8 Concussion Protocol Ensures That Athletes Are Ready to Learn and to Hit the Field
Being Stern......................................................... 11 Larry and Teresa Stern Leave a Legacy of Caring and Excellence
“It Matters” ........................................................ 14 Dr. Guy Sayles Encourages Campus Community in Stirring Commencement Address
Journey to the Top of the World............................ 16 Amazing Alum Keith Kramer’s Journey to Everest Base Camp
Student Perspectives........................................... 18 MHU Students Report on Impactful Trips to Africa, Guatemala, and Civil Rights Sites in Alabama
Q and A with Rick Baker, MHU’s New A.D................ 20 Campus News...................................................... 22 Lion Athletics....................................................... 25 Class Notes.......................................................... 28
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LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT
Thank you for making our first year on The Hill a great year! Terry and I have traveled at length to meet the Mars Hill University community and it has been life changing for us. Thank you for the outpouring of friendship and support. Change is in the air as we prepare our beautiful campus for a new freshman class and future classes of Lions who are coming to us from around the world. We are working very hard to preserve timeless traditions and enhance the beauty of our cherished campus. We are shining up our beloved grounds and buildings; we are adapting to the digital age in the classroom; and in our approach to recruiting and admissions; and we are working to embrace a new generation of Lions who are coming of age in a world much different than the one we grew up in. You will read in this issue incredible news of a transformational gift received which has allowed us to create the Jeanette and John Cothran Center for Career Readiness. This modern, engaging center is allowing us to commit to students and their families that we are going to help them find their life’s work, discover their passions, and find ways to export Mars Hill values to a world that desperately needs them. We are helping these students prepare for a meaningful life of service in the real world. We are dedicating incredible energy to the creation of a new Academic Support Center on campus. This center will be located in Day Hall, and will integrate all of the various academic support services under one umbrella. We recently received approval from our accreditor to offer our first fully online academic program, and we will be starting a new Integrated Health major, an Appalachian Studies minor, and a new certificate in Intelligence Studies through our Criminal Justice Program. These and other steps will greatly strengthen our academic profile as an institution. We will be cutting the ribbon on the new Ammons Athletic Field House which will house athletic training, football, women’s soccer, men’s and women’s tennis, and other athletic functions including our new Lions Club for athletics fundraising. We are renovating the Lions Den in Wren to create an inviting atmosphere for dining and renovating the athletic training rooms and coaches’ offices in Chambers Gymnasium. We have extensive improvements to Myers Residence Hall and several other living spaces happening this month. It is a great privilege and blessing from God to be able to serve our university. Your enthusiasm and tremendous support has energized us and made all of these accomplishments possible. Our future is bright. Now is our time to do big things and change lives. Go Lions!
Tony Floyd, J.D. President
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Are you Ready for
? g n i m o c e Hom October 17-19, 2019
Thursday, October 17 Lion’s Growl - time tba
Friday, October 18 Alumni and Friends Golf Tournament - 9:30 a.m., shotgun start, Reems Creek Golf Course. (Breakfast at 8:30 a.m.) Registration available at homecoming website or by calling the Advancement office, (828) 689-1102. Back to Class - 2:00 p.m., lectures and discussions with current MHU faculty, various locations. Dedication Ceremonies - 4:00 p.m., dedications in memory of Dr. Teresa Stern in the Nash Garden on the south side of Nash Education building, and Mrs. Beverly Hough on the first floor of the Nash education building. Evening on the Quad* - 5:30 - 8:30 p.m., for alumni without a reunion. There will be food trucks (Baa’d Sheep Burrito, Bun Intended, Amazing Pizza Company) and DJ music provided by Rick Saur ’87. Reunion Celebration Dinner - 6:30 p.m., Pittman Dining Hall, celebrating class years ending in a “9” or a “4.” Alumni After Party - Eluvium Brewery in Weaverville, 8:30 p.m. This schedule is tentative. Please see mhu.edu/homecoming for updates, registrations, and more information. *Businesses taking part in after-game discounts: Library Cafe (discount valid all weekend long); Stackhouse; Baa’d Sheep Burrito; Good Cheer Chocolates; Hickory Nut Gorge Brewery at Mars Hill Theatre (food only).
Saturday, October 19 Alumni Registration, Lunsford Commons/Upper Quad - 8:00 a.m. Forever Lions 5K - race begins at the Lunsford Commons/Upper Quad at 8:30 a.m. Sign up on the homecoming website. Early bird registration is $25 until September 9. Regular registration is $30. Late registration is $45. Visit vendors at the Mars Hill Farmers and Artisans Market and cheer on the runners! Tailgate Lots Open - 9:00 a.m. (See mhu.edu/ event/homecoming-2019-parking/.) Reunion Breakfasts - 9:00 a.m. • Class of ’60 - Ferguson Health Sciences Center • Class of ’79 - Ponder Atrium (Ferguson Math and Science Center). Cornhole Tournament - 10:00 a.m., Lunsford Commons/Upper Quad. Provided by the Student Government Association. Choir Concert - 11:00 a.m., Broyhill Chapel. Lunch - 11:30 a.m., served by Student Development and Chartwells on Athletic Street; seating available in front of Wren/Blue Lounge. MHU Band Warmup - 12:30 p.m., lower quad. Bailey Mountain Cloggers performance - 1:00 p.m., in front of Wren Student Union on Athletic St. Homecoming Football Game - 1:30 p.m., Meares Stadium. Mars Hill Lions vs. Limestone Saints After the game - Enjoy alumni discounts on Main Street, Mars Hill at select restaurants*. Be sure to register with the alumni office to receive your alumni card so you can receive your discount. Mars Hill, the Magazine | Fall 2019 5
The Jeanette and John Cothran Center for Career Readiness Challenges Students to Find Their Career Passions by Jimmy Knight, Director of the Jeanette and John Cothran Center for Career Readiness
Preparing our students for their future is essential at a time when, according to a recent Gallup poll, only 22% of working adults believe that colleges prepare students for the modern workplace. In fact, the National Association for Colleges and Employers (NACE) found such a disparity in skill sets of new graduates and what employers needed for entry level positions, they developed a list of specific competencies which college graduates should master by the time they leave school. It is clear there is a need for a programmatic focus on helping students prepare for life after college, and Mars Hill University is taking up the challenge. President Floyd announced a new emphasis on developing a modernized career center on campus. He wanted a place where students will not only make sure they are proficient in required competencies, but also connect interests, experiences, and coursework to discover their life purpose and find ways to match that purpose to vocation. A transformative gift from a generous and highly respected Mars Hill family, John and Jeanette Watson ’54 Cothran of Greenville, S.C., helped MHU see the realization of this initiative, and is driving us to dream big. First steps include implementing new technology, relocating the department to a premier location, and developing extensive programming to engage students in the coming year. The department has a new name: the Jeanette and John Cothran Center for Career Readiness. It’s now located in Day Hall, in the center of student traffic, with a welcoming atmosphere for students and inviting space for potential business connections. Over the summer, we rolled out a new career software program called Handshake. It is a stateof-the art program that connects students to the world of work and internships all over the country. 6 Mars Hill, the Magazine | Fall 2019
It makes it easy for each student to take ownership of and manage their career goals and job searches. On the agenda for the fall semester: •
symposiums on professionalism,
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career fairs,
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mock interviews with hiring managers and human resources professionals from surrounding companies,
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first-year dorm activities which invite students to focus on finding their “calling” or passions,
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graduate school fairs, and
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events to help students find a major which best suits their life goals.
These activities are designed to broaden and enrich the robust liberal arts education experience at Mars Hill, and ultimately prepare students for a fulfilling and rewarding professional life after college. The Cothran Center will work with students and faculty members on campus to develop programming and curricula alongside of internships. The center has already outfitted our First Year Seminar program with StrengthsQuest/ StrengthsFinder text and tests, a first step in partnering to develop core competencies. By collecting and quantifying these activities and outcomes tied to proficiencies, we will strengthen not only the students’ individual futures, but the position of the university as a whole, as we live our mission of connecting students to the world of work. Mission Statement of the Cothran Center: To help every student build the foundation for a meaningful life and career, and to be prepared to successfully navigate the job market. Right: Angela Brown (top) will serve as the Center’s Student Work Program Supervisor. Also pictured: MHU students Traylan Barton and Kaley Griggs.
The Jeanette and John Cothran Center for Career Readiness came about in large part due to a lead gift from John and Jeanette ’54 Cothran, who received the Philanthropic Impact Gift of the Year award this spring. The award is given to the donor whose gift has had the greatest impact on MHU during the past year.
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Return to Learn: Helping Student-Athletes Recover from Concussions by Lisa Wachtman, Senior Director of Student Persistence
In recent years, the long-term effects of concussion injuries have come to light in the world of professional athletics, where in some cases, multiple concussions have left athletes with symptoms such as depression, anxiety, chronic migraine, light sensitivity, and even neurodegenerative brain disease. To combat these effects, the Centers for Disease Control, many professional athletic teams, and the NCAA have instituted a protocol called “Return to Play,” which offers a graduated return to athletics, and allows the athlete’s brain to fully heal before he/she engages in full-contact athletics. Drs. Ann M. Peiffer and Jonna Kwiatkowski, professors of psychology, have been working with director of athletic training Allen Shelley, to strengthen a protocol for athletes at Mars Hill University called “Return to Learn” which assists students who are dealing with these injuries. Peiffer said, “It’s a pathway that mirrors the ‘Return to Play’ protocol, but puts students’ academic needs front and center for the faculty working with the injured athletes in the classroom.” The trio worked together to bring Dr. Mark Tommerdahl to campus to increase awareness of head injuries and educate people on the technology that is available to help monitor the brain’s healing. On Tuesday, April 23, a large crowd of faculty, staff, students, and members of the community—including those from several nearby
Allen Shelley, director of athletic training, and athlete Tyler Ferguson, demonstrate a portion of the concussion assessment using the Brain Gauge. The gauge emits a slight buzzing sensation and measures the amount of time necessary for the athlete to respond.
universities—gathered to hear Tommerdahl speak about what he has learned about brain injury and recovery, and how his Brain Gauge tool assists athletic trainers in knowing when a student’s brain has healed sufficiently to be cleared to play. Tommerdahl is co-founder of Cortical Metrics, the company that invented the Brain Gauge tool for assessing cognitive health, including concussions in athletes. Brain Gauge works to create a profile of brain health using touch receptors for input to the brain and measuring how quickly and accurately the person is able to react to a slight buzz to the fingertip. He is a neuroscientist and currently a faculty member at the University of North Carolina. Shelley has worked with Tommerdahl for about five years and currently uses his Brain Gauge to test MHU student-athletes who have signs of a concussion. Student-athletes at MHU sign an agreement to report to the athletic training (AT) staff if they or a teammate shows any signs of concussion. According to Shelley, “Our role in athletic training is all about the health and safety of our student athletes.” He says it is imperative that a student avoid a second concussion—even a slight one—before the brain fully heals from the initial concussion. “If they return to play too soon and have that second hit, they can suffer from Second Impact Syndrome, which can cause much more serious and long-lasting problems and could possibly be life-threatening.” Using Brain Gauge means the AT staff has a clear picture of how the brain is healing because there is no way for students to beat the test. “It’s not just about a safe return to play, it’s also about student success. They are students first and their success goes well beyond the field or court. We want to do all we can to keep them healthy.”
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Both Peiffer and Kwiatkowski are engaged in various aspects of research about the brain and incorporate their work into their upper-level psychology classes. Peiffer said she became interested in working toward a program to help academic recovery in addition to physical recovery because of what she understands about the brain. “A concussion is actually a serious brain injury that impairs learning, memory, and other daily functions, depending on the area of the head hit. The concussion interrupts how different parts of the brain communicate with one another.”
Before the Return to Learn protocol was put in place, when students received a concussion, AT staff would notify Judith Harris, the coordinator of disability services, who would let the students know that they could be accommodated in their course work. Unfortunately, due to the time delay in the application of this accommodation and in some cases lack of awareness by the students that they were in fact having difficulties, many students were using their injured brain unsuccessfully in the classroom when they really should have been resting it and letting it heal.
With the new version of Return to Learn, when AT staff notify She goes on to explain that Harris that a student has students don’t tend to report received a concussion, the concussions to their professors A physical balance test is also part student’s professors will also of the concussion assessment. in part because with an injured be immediately notified that brain, they may not be fully the injured athlete is on a aware of the effect it is having on their learning standard set of temporary accommodations. These and decision making. Even when their brain has temporary accommodations will bridge the injured healed enough to be cleared to play, there can athlete for at least 48 to 72 hours to be evaluated be lasting effects that impact academic success. by the doctor (typically occurs in 24 hours) and for Shelley agrees that this is something his staff Harris to develop an individualized accommodation sees, as well, and acknowledged that MHU needs plan based on the information from Brain Gauge greater coordination between AT staff, the disability and the doctor’s assessment. This individualized coordinator, and faculty. accommodation will meet the student’s need based Kwiatkowski approaches the problem from a on the particular injury and be in place until Return different angle as she pursues research on how to Learn is cleared. mindfulness practices such as yoga, meditation, Even if a student is cleared to play, AT staff will and breathing exercises affect overall performance not clear the student to even work out until in athletes. As part of her study, Kwiatkowski is the student meets with each of his/her faculty using Tommerdahl’s Brain Gauge to measure members to make a plan for success in making cognitive functioning before and after the up work they were unable to do while their brain semester’s activities to determine the impact on healed. All students with concussions, whether or overall performance in academics and athletics. not they are athletes, are eligible for individualized She predicts that these practices will help increase accommodation through disability service with focus and decrease stress. The goal is to raise submission of diagnosis. awareness for the benefits of mindfulness practices Tommerdahl is interested in continuing the and stress reduction techniques to student-athletes relationship with MHU and developing future and to all students. She explains that she has been research projects that expand the usefulness of connected with Tommerdahl because of his interest Brain Gauge on college campuses. in continuing to gather data about the brain across a variety of experiences. 10 Mars Hill, the Magazine | Fall 2019
MHU Legacies
Being Stern
The lives and careers of Drs. Larry and Teresa Stern
Larry and Teresa Stern, with their sons, Lucas and Marcus.
Teresa Metcalf was well on her way to a doctorate in early childhood education when, at only 23 years old, she was hired by her former faculty advisor, Dr. John Hough, to head a tutoring program in the Mars Hill College education department. That decision began a long and successful career at the institution. When Teresa passed away in December of 2018, she was honored as a conscientious and dedicated teacher and mentor to thousands of elementary education majors. In particular, she was lauded as someone who made a difference in the classrooms of western North Carolina, where for over three decades, she became the face of Mars Hill College. She administered
internship and student teaching programs which provided a link between college education and real-world experience for the next generation of teachers in WNC and beyond. Teresa grew up on Metcalf Creek, in the Paint Fork community of Madison County. She took summer courses which allowed her to graduate early from Mars Hill High School. She then sped through Mars Hill College in five semesters and three summers, receiving her bachelor’s degree at the age of 19. John Hough estimates that to finish in that time period would have required taking around 24 hours per semester. (The normal load is 15.) Mars Hill, the Magazine | Fall 2019 11
MHU Legacies “The max you were supposed to take was 20 hours, and she’d always take more than that,” Hough said. “I’d tell her she couldn’t do it because that’s what I was supposed to tell her. And she’d go to Dean Ralph Lee, and he’d approve it because he knew she could handle it. Every semester, we went through the same song and dance.” Teresa’s brother, Randall Metcalf ’71, and his wife, Cheryl ’71, both alumni of Mars Hill and retired teachers themselves, say the speed with which Teresa finished college was indicative both of the value she placed on education and the focus with which she tackled goals that were important to her. Plus, Randall said, academics came easily to her. “She was just that smart,” Cheryl said. “And she was kind of a workaholic sometimes.” It was 1971 when Teresa Metcalf joined the faculty of MHC. And it was at new faculty orientation that she met Larry Stern, another new faculty member who had come to Mars Hill from Florida State University. Originally from Ohio, Larry was a graduate of The College of Wooster, and had done his graduate work at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He had already taught five years at Florida State and in the evening college at UNC-CH. By December of that year, Larry Stern and Teresa Metcalf were dating and by July 1974, they were married. They bought a house in Mars Hill within walking distance of campus. The Sterns’ careers revolved around the college, and they and their sons, Lucas (born in 1982) and Marcus (born in 1986) made a life in Mars Hill. In all, she taught 38 years in the department of education, retiring in 2009 due to illness. Larry taught full time for 41 years in the department of political science, and part-time for three more years, retiring from teaching in 2015. Lucas, who is now director of institutional assessment at Gardner-Webb University, describes his parents as involved and loving parents, but very different individuals. “My mom would often take walks with us. She loved to be outside and had a great appreciation for all of nature, especially plants and animals,” he said. “Mom encouraged us in our faith through both her actions and speech, and frequently reminded us that we were children of God.”
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Lucas said his one-on-one time with his father tended toward building things together with Legos or puzzles. He said, “Dad is one of the best communicators and problem solvers I have ever met. He can hold a long conversation with anyone, and often does. Just about any problem you can think of, he approaches with wisdom, patience, and logic. He is generous with his resources, and his devotion, strength, and fortitude make him an inspiring leader.” Larry Stern is a person of faith, as was Teresa, but for much of their marriage, they were active members at two churches, attending together whenever they could. Teresa was the pianist at Paint Fork Baptist Church from her youth, and Larry was a Sunday school teacher, deacon, choir member, and elder at Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church in Asheville. In later years, the whole family went to Grace Covenant, but at all times, according to friends and family, their callings to Christian vocation was important to them and informed all they did. While Teresa apparently wanted to be a teacher from a young age, Larry said he wandered a bit before finding his passion in academia. He started as a physics major, then changed to math. Then came the 1960 presidential campaign, a race that Larry describes as a competitive, interesting race between two relatively young men. For the first time in American history, he said, the relatively new medium of television affected how Americans received information and how they viewed their leaders. The election itself was followed by a period of legal challenges because of irregularities in the polls. Larry said he voraciously followed the events of the unfolding election, and he was hooked. He loaded up on classes in political science, history, and economics, and majored in both math and political science. Over his 44 years as faculty member at Mars Hill, that eclectic education served him well. Larry was (and is) well known for his amazing ability to recall the facts of history, political science, economics, and sociology. Topics like the constitutional system of government, division of powers, school policy, financing, comparisons between U.S. government and policies and those of other countries, the cause and effect of particular happenings and how they affect future events—these are the things that
fascinate Larry Stern. And for over four decades, he shared his passion for these subjects with his students. Larry said his favorite thing about teaching was examining the issues he finds so fascinating, and seeing students catch the excitement of those concepts. “I enjoyed trying to get students to see that there’s a whole world out there of different ways to approach things that have already been tried, and they all have their advantages and their disadvantages,” he said. He was also for a time, in charge of institutional research at the college. In this position, his gift for facts, figures, and historical trends was an incredible asset to the institution. According to Dr. George Peery, who taught with Larry for most of his career, he was a “top flight” academician who was an extremely thorough and conscientious professor. “His quietness, his thoroughness, his unflappability, made him a calming presence on campus. I never saw him flustered. I never saw him lose heart or operate from a sense of fear. I never experienced Larry in a frenzy or publicly being uncertain of what he needed to say or how he needed to act, even in the midst of controversy or some emotional issue. And I really admired that,” Peery said. Larry Stern is passionate about sharing the information with his students and others “because it’s important to him,” Peery said. “And it’s important to him because he knows what it all means and he wants you to know what it means too.” According to friends and family, the profession of teaching and the topics it considers were certainly important to Teresa, but the students themselves were the passion behind her job. “She enjoyed the students,” Larry said. “She saw working with them as what the job was all about. “ Randall, Teresa’s brother, said, “She had very high standards and expectations for her students. But she was also very understanding. She was willing to help them when they had problems and help them work out solutions.” According to John Hough, “Terry,” as he called her, was a good teacher, and well prepared to the point of perfectionism. “She was extremely devoted to her students,” he said. “She wanted to be sure they were prepared to be outstanding elementary teachers, and she didn’t want to leave a stone unturned to be sure that she gave them the best possible education.” According to Hough, Teresa was largely responsible for the quality of the elementary education program at Mars Hill during her career. For example, he said, “I started the full-year internship at Mars Hill, but it was Terry that carried it out. It was Terry who made it a super program,” he said. “This is not to denigrate the contributions of myself or any others, but she was just so good at working with students and people in the schools.”
Larry and Teresa Stern soon after they started dating, at their 1974 wedding, and with their sons.
Larry described her this way: “She just cared about a lot. And she was willing to burn the candle at both ends for anyone or anything she cared about.”
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Stirring Commencement Address Tells the Class of 2019: “It Matters” Mars Hill University conferred degrees on 167 graduates in Moore Auditorium on the rainy Saturday morning of May 11, 2019. At this, President Tony Floyd’s first spring commencement, three students received the Master of Education, and three received the Master of Management, and 161 undergraduates received bachelor’s degrees. Members of the 50-year reunion class of 1969, which included President Emeritus Dan Lunsford, led this year’s graduates into the commencement ceremony. Keynote speaker Guy Sayles gave a stirring address, charging the graduates to “bet on love,” and to “wager that it matters.” Sayles, an assistant professor religion and philosophy, retired from the university as the academic year ended. Excerpts from the speech are below.
This morning, I make, and elaborate on, a simple but contestable claim: It matters. It matters: your life, their lives, and the life of the earth; who you are and who you become; what you do and what you leave undone. It matters how you spend or waste time; how you earn, invest, and squander money; and how you use or misuse your influence. It really does matter that you live intentionally, not haphazardly—living with awareness in each moment but not merely for the moment. It matters. That’s why we talk about calling and purpose. We have an intuition that existence is, or could be, or should be meaningful. We sense that our being here is significant. We feel that, despite abundant evidence to the contrary, something or Someone (I believe it is God) intends and invites us and everyone to flourish. ... Many interests, people, places, and experiences capture our imaginations, guide our pursuits, and shape our practices. 14 Mars Hill, the Magazine | Fall 2019
Top: Brenna Banks receives her diploma from President Tony Floyd; Bottom: Members of the class of 1969, including President Emeritus Dan Lunsford (right), led this year’s graduates into the commencement ceremony.
I think, though, there is a calling which pervades all of our callings. The calling is to be as fully, joyfully, and gratefully alive as possible. The second-century Church Father Irenaeus of Lyons said: “The glory of God is a human being fully alive”; surely he was echoing Jesus who said: “I have come that they might have life and have it abundantly.”... It matters that you say “yes” to this calling to be freely and fully alive. There is, likewise, a purpose which informs all of our purposes. Love is life’s purpose: being loved and loving—which necessarily includes being heard, seen, understood, and accepted while also hearing, seeing, understanding, and accepting others. Love
welcomes and delights in us as we are and then works and serves to make us who we can become. To be loved and to love is why we are here. As William Blake wrote: “And we are put on earth a little space/That we may learn to bear the beams of love.” It matters that you love and that you let yourself be loved. The calling: to be fully alive. The purpose: to love and be loved. ... The work of your life is to come alive while you live, to love, and to be loved. These things matter most of all. The jobs you will have—the tasks people will hire you to do and the roles they will pay you to play—also matter; but, even the best job, the one most aligned with your interests, gifts, and passions and even the one that pays well, gives you status, and contributes to your feelings of success—is still, some days, just a job, only a means to other ends, like putting food on the table, a roof over your head, gas in the car, and clothes on your back. There’s dignity in such jobs, which is why they also matter, but never forget that what matters most is the work of your life. Many people struggle these days to trust that it— anything—matters much. Fear fuels that struggle, and fear is the pervasive mood of our time. Fear makes us vulnerable to indifference, which insulates us from demands we feel inadequate to meet, and susceptible to insecurity, which masquerades as pretentious power in the disguises of deception and the costumes of control. Fear isolates us from people who don’t look, think, speak, and act as we do. It divides the world into us and them, insiders and outsiders, friends and enemies. Fear hardens our hearts to stone, because we can’t withstand their being broken-open by the immense beauty and intense brutality around us. It builds fortresses against new ideas because things are already more complex and confusing than we can manage. At its worst, fear causes us to create scapegoats to punish, humiliate, and victimize. We make scapegoats out of the strangers who perplex us and the marginalized who mirror our own dread of not belonging.
Dr. Guy Sayles You see, don’t you?, that fear hems us in, cuts the nerve of courage, and sidelines us from engagement. It drives into enclaves of sameness, leaves us listless in the face of opportunity or crisis, and, by means of digitally-delivered bread and circuses, numbs us to anything but outrage. ... I cannot prove beyond uncertainty that tenderness, gentleness, and kindness are more powerful than toughness, harshness, and selfishness or that hospitality, mercy, and patience are stronger than exclusion, judgment, and haste. I cannot demonstrate to you beyond the need for a kind of faith that hope emerges from despair, love casts out fear, and life is stronger than death. From my experience, though, I trust that they are. It is only honest to admit that this is a world of crucifixions, and it is a risk to confess that it also a world, because there is a God, of resurrections. I urge you to bet on love. Gamble on fullness of life, the reality of calling, and the adventure of purpose. Wager that it matters. Mars Hill, the Magazine | Fall 2019 15
Amazing Alumni
Journey to the
Top of the World By Keith Kramer ’88 Keith is a cardiologist who lives in Kingsport, Tenn.
Both my dad, Bob Kramer, who taught at MHU for over 40 years, and his mother (my grandmother), were firm believers in seeing the world to gain the best perspective in life. I’ve always felt that this was indeed a truth for me. With that in mind, I signed up to go on a trip with Wilderness Medicine Society, hiking in to Everest Base Camp (17,598 ft.) this past spring. Mount Everest–THE mountain–and the Himalayas have long been a fascination and bucket-list item for me, and I wanted to see them with my own eyes. I went in May, when the winds calm and those who climb Everest may summit. Although I would not be summiting myself, I thought it would be exciting to be in the region during climbing season. Typically the weather window each year is only about two weeks. This year, it happened to be even shorter, creating some issues with crowding high on the mountain. That crowding, as well as the deaths which resulted from wait times on the mountain, have been hot topics in the media this spring. Trekkers and climbers in the Himalayas must fly into and out of the Lukla airport, one of the most dangerous airports in the world. It is a small air strip on the side of a mountain at an elevation of 9,000 feet and with a downhill grade of 11%. The 16 Mars Hill, the Magazine | Fall 2019
flight to Lukla was amazing, climbing higher and higher with mountains in the distance which were even higher. My first sight of the massive snowcovered peaks of the Himalayas was breathtaking. From Lukla, my group of approximately 25 physicians and other medical personnel hiked approximately 47 miles to base camp, experiencing the Nepalese high mountain villages as we went. We had yak grilled cheese sandwiches in Namche, toured the hospital and talked with the Sherpa doctor in Khumjung, stopped at a beautiful monastery in Tengboche, and learned a new card game in one of the small colorful lodges called “tea houses” along the route in Dingboche. All along the way, we gained over 8,000 vertical feet in elevation. The hiking was physically difficult, more so than I anticipated. It was important to maintain the right pace while hiking. Because of the altitude, even speeding up the least amount would really affect my breathing. Our group had about 15 porters who carried our duffels and supplies. I found the work of the porters to be one of the most remarkable physical feats I had ever seen. These young men, most of whom probably weigh less than 150 lbs., carry about
that much weight on their backs tethered to their foreheads. I found it truly amazing when they passed those of us hiking up the trail with 20- to 25-pound backpacks.
and I celebrated reaching base camp the previous day. It was the coolest thing to be sitting in a bar halfway around the world with my new friends listening to my son’s music.
Part of the experience of the trip was learning about and having respect for the culture and the people of this region of the world, their rituals, and their ways of living. I found the Nepalese people to be very capable and very humble. Whether they are porters, tea house owners, or climbing guides, the people of this region rely greatly on tourism for their economy from hikers and climbers.
The group all ate dinner together on the next evening, which was our last night before departing back to Kathmandu. The gathering included all of the porters and other support staff, without whom our trip would have been impossible.
Most of the days we were hiking, the weather was cool but sunny. However, we awoke on base camp day to several inches of new snow with very cold and windy conditions and hiked most of the day in these conditions. We arrived at Everest Base Camp around noon, and stayed long enough to celebrate, hug each other, take several photos and look around the area. I, along with several others in my group, brought back a few rocks from base camp as a keepsake. When my father passed away, our family passed out stones as a way to commemorate the day. I kept one of those stones and brought it along on this trip. The morning after base camp, before sunrise, I hiked around 1500 vertical feet, to the top of Kala Patthar, 18,500 ft. and watched the sunrise over Everest and the surrounding mountains. It was exhausting, but truly magnificent! I placed the rock on top of the summit and thought of my dad as I thought he would have liked this place. That day, we began a long three days of hiking back to Lukla. We visited a pub in Namche Bazaar on the way down from base camp. One of my kids is a musician in a band. I brought along some of their music and a T-shirt and the bartender hung the shirt up and played their music while my friends
I miss the friends I made on this trip who shared this experience with me. It’s strange how close you can become with people when you are living in such close quarters, struggling a bit together, in addition to talking openly about your diarrhea, your cough, what you’re blowing out your nose, etc. Typically, I look to do adventures with my wife, Paige, and our children, Kellis, Andrew, and Ben. While they weren’t physically here, they were with me. They were in my stories to my friends on the trail and they were in my conversations over ginger tea in the evenings. Part of this journey was definitely spiritual for me. It’s hard to see the beauty of the Himalayas and not feel reminded that there is a God, and that you are close to Him. It was equally affirming in the interaction with the people of the Himalayan region, watching the way they live and care for one another–the way they cared for us as if they knew what this experience will mean in our lives. I wasn’t really sure I wanted to do a blog or write articles about the trip, but then I decided it would be selfish to keep this beautiful experience to myself. The story needed to be told. It was a great adventure! Namaste. For more journey details and photos: https://keithseverestbasecamptrek.home.blog/
Keith Kramer on the trail (left) and (right) at base camp with Everest in the background.
Mars Hill, the Magazine | Fall 2019 17
Student Perspectives
MHU Students: Seeing the World, Making an Impact During the spring 2019 semester, several MHU students visited locations near and far, trips designed to challenge their concepts of justice, education, and service.
Bonner students visit Elephant Sands in Botswana. They are: (front, l-r) Veronica O’Dette; Alex Christmas; Justin Eigel; (back, l-r) Sarah Shapiro; Deb Myers, Director of the Center for Community Engagement; Sadie Taylor; Brianna Estrada; Nathan Doucette; Rebecca Rhea; Sarah Johnson; Susan Stigall, professor of education. Photo courtesy of Susan Stigall.
ZAMBIA AND BOTSWANA, AFRICA In May 2019, I was given the opportunity to travel to Zambia and Botswana with the Bonner program. We worked with Homes for AIDS Orphans, an organization created to address housing needs within the Mwandi community. We were assigned to finish a project for an elderly lady, Maggie, who had waited 10 years for a home. Since the domiciles in this region are made up of termite mud, it was a dirty job. The sense of community in the village has left a lasting impact on me. Mwandi consists of about 9,000 people, but it seemed as though everyone knew and cared for one another. Everywhere we went, people were eager to greet us, shake our 18 Mars Hill, the Magazine | Fall 2019
hands, and thank us. I learned that it is important for a community to have unity amongst its people. According to Gabe Barrett, director of M25 Mission Camp, “Wealth is what you have leftover when someone takes all your money away.” While residents of Mwandi might not be as rich as many citizens of the United States, I have seen how wealthy they are. In order for our own communities to become more wealthy, we must prioritize people over profits and make a conscious effort to reach out to those in need. by Nathan Doucette
MONTGOMERY AND SELMA, ALABAMA A group of students led by political science Professor Heather Hawn went to Alabama in January, to visit the Equal Justice Initiative Legacy Museum and the National Memorial for Peace and Justice in Montgomery; and the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma; the site of the Bloody Sunday March in 1965, led by Martin Luther King, Jr. Right: An art installation at the NMPJ, which represents the suffering of African-American slaves. Bottom right: MHU students at the Edmund Pettus Bridge: (l-r) Marie Syvertsen, Gabriella Siegfried, Makenzie Bennett, Nautica Poole, Nyjeriya Edwards, Morgan Foushee, Digna Bermudez, Dr. Heather Hawn, Keila Mendoza Baez.
Going to Alabama and seeing the places where many people suffered, were discriminated against, and were murdered–all because of something as simple as their skin–broke me in every way possible. It opened my eyes to the pain and hurt African-Americans have felt for centuries and are still feeling today. I stood underneath the lynching monuments and fought back tears as I thought about every single name engraved before me. I grew up feeling so much pain because my parents were never there so my grandmother raised me. We were poor, so I felt as if the world owed me something for our struggles. But as I stood there, I realized that through all I endured in my life, I still had the privilege of being white. Today, African Americans experience the pain of economic poverty, racial inequality, excessive
punishment, and mass incarceration. The New Jim Crow still stands as a way to separate, discriminate and punish them legally. This experience not only allowed me to understand what needs to be done in order to work for a better future but showed me how much society enjoys covering up the past. Get educated so you can make a difference. by Nautica Poole
GUATEMALA Five MHU students were awarded scholarships from the Hester Center for Peace and Justice through the Chaplains’ Office to travel to Guatemala with PEG Partners, May 2019. PEG Partners is a U.S.-based non-profit organization focusing on issues of literacy, critical thought, and artistic expression, in partnership with Guatemalan schools and libraries. The trip focused on ways that different programs in Guatemala help improve the lives of people there. The students traveled to Guatemala City, Lake Atitlan, Panajachel, El Tejar, and Antigua. They visited four different schools and taught classes in dance, yoga, art, and soccer, and did one service project.
MHU students standing in front of Lake Atitlan: Jackson Courson, Bria Andersen, Naomi Jack, Tory Jones, Brenda Arellano-Perez.
The entire trip was an amazing and eye-opening experience. Probably my biggest take-away was just how deeply their culture and history was sewn into their everyday life. Everything from their diet to their clothes, and even their language, had some influence from the Spanish, a few hundred years ago, or the Mayans, a few thousand years ago. Being such a young nation ourselves, we do not have the same connection to our past. Our nation was founded on the principle of breaking away from how things were for a new and “better” future but we also lose connection to the past. Hopefully I will be able to visit again some day and if not, some place similar. I will always regard this as one of my best and most eye-opening experiences. by Jackson Courson
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Q and A with
Rick Baker MHU’s new
Director of Athletics
by Kohl Friery, Director of Alumni Relations
Rick Baker is a familiar face at Mars Hill University, having served MHU athletics as director of sports information for more than 24 years. Rick served as interim Athletic Director from January through May, 2019. He was named Athletic Director in May 2019 after an extensive nationwide search. Kohl Friery, director of alumni relations, caught up with Rick recently to find out about the connection he has built with President Floyd, the important lessons he learned from recently-retired A.D. David Riggins, and the things he does for fun. You’ve been at Mars Hill for many years, serving in athletics in many capacities, how is this new position different? Since 2003, I have worked on compliance, game day operations, and sports information, so moving into an interim position wasn’t really an unknown for me. I had been doing most pieces of the job already. Of course, the athletic director position 20 Mars Hill, the Magazine | Fall 2019
does bear a lot more responsibility. With Coach Riggins here, you could always bounce things off of him and use his experiences, but President Floyd has a different vision than in years past. It worked out well because I didn’t have to adjust from one administrative leader to another, instead I have been working with President Floyd since being interim A.D. It was a great transition for me. Has working in athletic administration always been a dream of yours? No, not really. However, my dad, Don Baker, was an athletic director at Lees-McRae for many years and he retired from there. I really just planned on being a baseball coach; I love it. What happened is my two small children came along (Jordan, now a rising junior at MHU; and Alexis, now a rising freshman at Asheville-Buncombe Technical College). My son turned three, and coaching baseball caused me to miss all three
birthday parties. I always thought I could return to baseball if I wanted to, but I really wanted to get into administration. While it does require a lot of hours, you’re not on the road as much. When I was coaching, the internet and email weren’t as big and kids weren’t on social media, so it required you to drive long hours and visit recruits. I really enjoyed administration once I started doing it, mostly because I am working with all of the different sports. I like being able to help as many people as I can. It fell into place for me. How has Coach Riggins’s leadership prepared you for this position? He was so good with people. When he walked into a room, he mastered the attention. He has that type of personality. That helped me a lot, learning to better speak to people and approach people. The other thing he did a good job with, he treated all coaches and athletes with respect. Even when he had to have a tough conversation with you, he knew how to correct what you were doing without tearing you down. He helped me with building relationships, which helps a lot with fund raising, retention of students and coaches, improvement of morale, and movement toward a common goal. My relationship-building skills are nowhere near what Coach Riggins’s were, but I did learn quite a lot from him. Mars Hill has had the same athletic director for a long time. What can Lion fans and alumni expect with this big change? My main goal is to spark community engagement. I want to get the Mars Hill community, Buncombe County, Weaverville, Yancey County, and all the towns that are close to us, more engaged. I want to get them involved with Mars Hill athletics and I want them to come to games. I’ve said for years if people would just come watch what we put on the field, our product is so good, they’re going to have a good time and they’re going to come back. I just have to figure out how to get them in the bleachers the first time. We need to bridge that gap. A big part of that is getting people in Asheville to realize that Mars Hill is not three hours away. We’re only 15 miles, a 15 minute drive, and it’s an easy drive and a nice drive.
What excites you the most about this position? I enjoy working with all of our coaches and student athletes. I get attached to those athletes because that’s how I coached. I was involved with our players’ lives. I am big on teaching life lessons every day, especially if they are doing something they shouldn’t be, like not going to class, or whatever might not be productive. I try and correct them, teach them, so when they leave Mars Hill, they’re ready for the world. I really feel that Mars Hill athletics makes a difference and makes them better prepared for when they leave here. What does the partnership between you and President Floyd look like for the future? First of all, I think he is a great fit for the university. He is exactly what we need. He’s got ideas and motivation, and he’s always thinking of ways to improve the university and athletics. He treats me with respect and listens to my ideas. We have a really good, trusting relationship. I know he wants what is best for the student-athletes at Mars Hill. That’s what means the most to me, that he wants the students to have the best experience at Mars Hill. He wants to improve graduation rates, facilities, and opportunities for the students. All of these ideas are to improve the student-athlete experience and that has created high morale. What does Rick Baker do to relax? My family and I have a small farm, so when I go home I usually tend to animals: four dogs, four cats, two Tennessee Walking Horses. My wife. Angel, decided last year that she needed to have two miniature Jerusalem Donkeys and my daughter had to have two Dwarf Nigerian Goats. You go home and feed for about an hour. It makes you forget. It’s easy to escape a bad day. The animals are always glad to see you. Other than that, I like to spend time with my wife and kids. Especially with not being home a lot throughout the year. I work long days, into evenings and weekends, so when I can get away from campus, I am spending time with my family.
Mars Hill, the Magazine | Fall 2019 21
Campus News AWARDS PRESENTED AT COMMUNITY SERVICE CONVOCATION G. MCLEOD BRYAN AWARDS Laura Boggess, instructor of environmental sciences, and adult studies student Hannah Stampe received the G. Macleod Bryan Awards for 2019 at the Mars Hill University Community Service Convocation, April 23. The Bryan Awards are given annually at Mars Hill University in honor of the late Dr. G. McLeod (“Mac”) Bryan, a member of the MHU class of ’39, and a professor at Wake Forest University. The Bryan Caring Awards recognize one student and one faculty member in the college community who make significant contributions to a better community and a better world. According to Caroline Twiggs, community partnerships coordinator for the MHU Center for Community Engagement, Boggess is a caring professional who has incorporated community engagement into her environmental studies courses. She teaches students about environmental protection by working with Ivy River Partners and Madison County Soil and Water. She is Above: President Tony Floyd poses also an an active with Boggess and Stampe (top) and Siegfried (middle). Below: Kenn member of the Kotara, chair of the art department, Bailey Mountain presents cash award to Stanek. Foundation, and has been involved with fund raising and trail maintenance for the property.
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Hannah Stampe is a social work major at MHU who took a lead role in creating an advocacy video for a community partner which related to the termination of Temporary Protected Status for 390,000 immigrants and the impact that has on communities. As a Youth Prevention Educator for Helpmate of Madison County, a local domestic violence center, Hannah travels throughout the county to educate middle and high school students about healthy relationships and safe dating practices. She also serves on a county-wide task force to end sexual violence. MICHAEL EMORY AWARD The Michael Emory Award was also presented at the community service convocation. The 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. The award is given in memory of “Big Mike” Emory, Mars Hill College class of ’94. Recipient Gabby Siegfried is not only an excellent student, but she has served as Freshman Class President, Sophomore Class President, Student Body Secretary, and Student Body President. In these capacities, she repeatedly advocated for students on the MHU campus with special attention given to underrepresented populations. She has volunteered for numerous committees for student engagement and campus improvement: Food and Service, SLAM, Student Development, University Choir and Chamber Singers. Gabby’s future plans include working with marginalized people, either through a nongovernmental organization (NGO) in a developing country, or here in the U.S. JOE CHRIS AND DONNA ROBERTSON AWARD Casey Stanek of Winston-Salem, N.C., was named the 2019 recipient of the Joe Chris and Donna N. Robertson Award at the convocation. The award recognizes a graduating senior in the fine arts with
MHU CO-SPONSORS APPALACHIAN STUDIES CONFERENCE Mars Hill University and the University of North Carolina at Asheville co-sponsored the 42nd annual Appalachian Studies Conference, held in March in Asheville. Several MHU faculty, staff, and students were involved as presenters and organizers for the conference, including Dr. Carol Boggess, retired professor of English, who was the conference chair; and Dr. Kim Reigle, professor of English, who was the program chair for the conference. The theme of the conference, “AppalachA’ville” looked at the larger region of Appalachia through the experiences of cities and financial centers. Among the topics explored were: what it means to be a vibrant twenty-first century city in the traditionally rural region of Appalachia, and how universities may engage with communities to be more inclusive and supportive and at the same time sustain Appalachia’s cultural roots, landscape, and values.
Participating or presenting at the conference were: front, l-r: Leila Weinstein, Program Coordinator for the Appalachian Studies Minor and the Ramsey Center for Appalachian Studies; Ryan Bell, Director of First Year Academic Success; (second row, l-r): Shay Sargeant, student; Jennifer Brown, cataloging librarian; Kim Reigle, associate professor of English and faculty chair of the Ramsey Center for Appalachian Studies; Robin Smith, student; Lindsey McIntosh, student; Marc Mullinax, professor of religion and philosophy; (back row, l-r) Carol Boggess, retired professor of English and regional studies; Rachel Mitchell, reference and electronic resources librarian; Laura Boggess, instructor of environmental studies; and Danielle Hagerman, assistant to the provost.
Awards, cont...
a strong commitment to his or her chosen field; promise in the fine arts; and demonstrated service to the arts, Mars Hill University, and the community. A cash award is presented to the recipient for the purpose of enhancing his or her development in the arts. The award is given in memory of Joe Chris Robinson, former chairman of the Mars Hill College Art Department who taught at MHC for four decades (1951-1991), and in honor of Donna N. Robertson, former college organist and retired Associate Professor of Music. Stanek graduated in May 2019 with a degree in visual communications design and a minor in business. She plans to attend the College of Design at N.C. State in the fall.
ERIN MAENNLE NAMED DIRECTOR OF THE MARS HILL FUND The Office of Advancement & Alumni Relations welcomes Erin Maennle as the new Director of the Mars Hill Fund. Erin is a 2018 MHU alum with a B.S. in business administration. Erin was named “Most Outstanding Business Graduate.” She was also a member of Alpha Chi and Rotaract, and was a Dean’s List honoree and a cum laude graduate. In her free time, Erin enjoys hiking in the WNC mountains, running, reading, and brunching at her personal favorite, Biscuit Head. Mars Hill, the Magazine | Fall 2019 23
Campus News
BIOLOGY STUDENTS WORK TO REESTABLISH NATIVE MUSSELS Boggess, an environmental studies instructor, has taken the lead in developing this partnership. Over the next few years, her students and others in the biology department will be monitoring this new population to see how it fares. These students will earn academic credit for the minor in environmental studies or major in zoology. Boggess said, “Freshwater mussels, which look a lot like marine clams, are easy to overlook but play an important role in stream ecosystems. They stabilize sediments and filter and clean water. The mussel we reintroduced is the WavyLaura Boggess and her students at work in Ivy Creek. rayed lampmussel (Lampsilis fasciola). It was once native to the Ivy River, and much of the French Broad River MHU has established a collaboration with the North Watershed, but went locally extinct, probably due Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC) to pollution and sedimentation of the river from to reestablish a population of native mussels in Ivy logging and run-off. If these reintroduced mussels Creek near campus. In April, MHU students in Laura survive, this will be the first population of mussels Boggess’s general ecology class released 200 young in the Ivy in 200 years.” mussels in Ivy Creek in Madison County.
MARS HILL CENTER FOR CERAMIC ARTS LEADS FIRST SUMMER WORKSHOPS MHU’s first Summer Ceramics Workshop Series kicked off in early June at the Mars Hill Center for the Ceramic Arts. The first workshop, “Thrown and Altered,” was led by potter Tara Wilson of Montana City, Montana. The workshops, as well as the new kilns and kiln building which make up the MHCCA, are funded by grants from the Windgate Charitable Foundation and are located in the rear of the Moore Fine Arts Building on the university campus. For more information on future workshops, contact professor Shane Mickey at dmickey@mhu.edu. Right: Tara Wilson (top) and a few of her students.
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Lion Athletics
ECKSTEIN, RIGGINS NAMED TO SAC HALL OF FAME The South Atlantic Conference inducted six members into its Hall of Fame during the 2018-19 season, including Mars Hill’s Craig Eckstein and David Riggins.
Athletic Center and Meares Stadium, Ponder Softball Field, Henderson Baseball Field, a new weight room in Chambers Gym, and most recently, the Jo Ellen Ammons Field House.
Eckstein was a member of the Mars Hill men’s cross country and track and field teams from 2001 to 2004. He was the Southeast Region Cross Country Runner of the Year in 2004, as well as the SAC Runner of the Year in 2003 and 2004. Eckstein is No. 3 all-time at Mars Hill in the 8k. He earned All-Region honors and was an NCAA championship meet qualifier in all four seasons as a Lion, and led his team to four SAC Men’s Cross Country Championship.
Riggins served on numerous NCAA committees. In 2018, the South Atlantic Conference created the SAC David Riggins Service Award. It will be awarded each year to an administrator from a SAC institution for their outstanding service to the conference.
After graduation, Eckstein became a cross country coach in Ohio, where he won several coach of the year awards. He teaches junior high physical education and owns Buckeye Timing, which provides timing and scoring services for school track and field meets.
GILBERT RECEIVES INAUGURAL RIGGINS AWARD Marty Gilbert ’99 is the first recipient of the David Riggins Service Award. Gilbert, an assistant professor of computer science at Mars Hill University, has served as the faculty athletics representative (FAR) for 16 years. During that time, he has served the SAC and Mars Hill in numerous capacities, including serving as chair of the SAC FAR Committee, serving on NCAA Division II Legislation Committee, and currently serving as a member of the NCAA Division II Management Council.
President Tony Floyd with
SAC HOF inductees David David Riggins served Riggins (top) and Craig as the head men’s Eckstein (bottom). basketball coach of the Mars Hill Lions from 1986-1999, and the Lions’ assistant athletics director from 1993-99. He was the athletics director from 1999 until his retirement in 2018.
His 1994 team won the SAC regular season title and he was named SAC Coach of the Year that year. Riggins is the Lions’ winningest men’s basketball coach and was inducted into the Mars Hill Athletics Hall of Fame in 2007. As athletics director, Riggins oversaw improvements including the Ammons Family
In addition to his committee service, Gilbert has voluntarily served as the coordinator and facilitator of the SAC Scholar-Athlete voting and nomination process since 2008. Gilbert said, “It was both a great honor and surprise to be the inaugural recipient of the SAC David Riggins Service Award. I worked with David for over 15 years, and during that time I witnessed how valuable he was to MHU, the SAC, and the NCAA. It wasn’t just about his service, either. It was about how selflessly he donated his time, efforts, and abilities for the betterment of others, specifically Marty Gilbert student-athletes.”
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Lion Athletics
CLARK NAMED WOMENS BASKETBALL COACH Briana Clark has been named the new Mars Hill women’s basketball head coach. Clark comes to Mars Hill after serving as head coach at Spartanburg Methodist College for the past eight seasons. During her tenure, she had a .628 winning percentage that included six regular season Region X titles, five Region X tournament championships, five Region X Players of the Year, and 21 Academic All-Americans. Clark was also named Region X Coach of the Year four times. She had a 100% graduation rate of student-athletes who played two consecutive seasons. “I am excited to be here and even more excited to dive into this amazing community. I look forward to working with the players and the staff to keep this basketball program moving forward,” Clark said.
Polizzi Named Assistant A.D. Monica Gordy Polizzi has been named the assistant athletics director. She will serve as director of NCAA compliance and remain serving as the senior woman administrator (SWA), overseeing much of the athletic department’s internal operations. She will step down as softball coach. Monica was hired as the head softball coach at Mars Hill in fall of 2011 and was named SWA in August of 2016. She is co-advisor to the Student Athlete Advisory committee, and represents athletics on many campus committees. She is also Monica Gordy Polizzi involved at the NCAA level, serving since 2017 on the Softball Regional Advisory Committee. She will begin a four-year term on the Division II National Football Committee in September. Monica’s teams have produced two First Team AllAmericans, 14 All-SAC players, and two SAC Scholar Athletes of the Year. 26 Mars Hill, the Magazine | Fall 2019
Clark graduated from Brevard College in 2007, summa cum laude, with a bachelor’s degree in exercise science. She will obtain her master’s degree in athletic administration from Arkansas State University in the fall. Soon after taking the reins of the women’s basketball program, Clark hired two assistant coaches: Kerri Gardin and Tiger Norman. Learn more about the bios of Kerri and Tiger at www.marshilllions.com.
Briana Clark
Kerri Gardin and Tiger Norman.
Williams To Head Athletic Communications Adam Williams has been named the new director of athletic communications, effective immediately. He will serve as the primary contact for all 22 varsity sports offered at the university. Adam joined the Mars Hill athletic department in the summer of 2017 as the assistant sports information director. He served in that role until the spring of 2019 when he was appointed the interim director of athletic communications. Adam has worked closely with the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) over the past two years in helping organize and produce the Lion’s Choice Awards, the end of the year athletic ceremony. In addition, Adam works seasonally with the Asheville Tourists minor league baseball team as an official stringer and videoboard operator.
Adam Williams
LION PRIDE ON DISPLAY AT 2ND ANNUAL LIONS’ CHOICE AWARDS The Mars Hill University Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) put together its second annual Lions’ Choice Awards that saw academic and athletic achievements recognized, Wednesday, May 2, in Moore Auditorium. Kicking off the evening, the academic achievements of the student-athletes were on display. Softball’s Casey Stanek and baseball’s Troy Hall took home the Female and Male Highest GPA awards while the women’s swim team claimed the Team Highest GPA award. Stanek was also named Female Athlete of the Year later in the evening. The senior tied a school record this past season with 15 wins. Women’s track and field’s Kylee Peck won Female Newcomer of the Year, while Javonte’ Cooke of the men’s basketball team won the Male Newcomer of the Year award. Heading into the first intermission, a new award was presented. Winning the inaugural Most Supportive Team award was the women’s lacrosse team, led by coach Kristina Llanes. Providing entertainment for the second year in the row was the Mars Hill University West African Percussion Ensemble with yet another lively, exciting performance that elevated the energy in the room. SAAC Co-Presidents Leah Hairfield (women’s soccer) and Jayson Moorman (men’s lacrosse/soccer) introduced another new tradition to the Lions’ Choice Awards; the Paper Plate Awards. The Paper Plate Awards were personalized awards created by the university’s teams for their respective coaches. Returning to the slate of events, the event saw its first repeat winners in the “Make It Yours” Community Engagement award and Faculty/Staff Supporter of the Year award. Both the Mars Hill baseball team, led by Aaron Rembert, and Dr. Craig Goforth won their respective awards for the second straight year. Another debuting award was the Athletic Trainer of the Year Award, received by Caleb Strother. Craig Rucker earned two awards on the evening, including the First Team Sports Performance of the Year award for his five touchdown performance versus Limestone in September, setting a South Atlantic Conference and school record. Fueled by that performance and consistency throughout the year that earned the junior wide receiver numerous post season accolades, Rucker was also named the Male Athlete of the Year. Claiming the biggest prizes of the evening, Man and Woman of the Year, was football’s Jake Sell and softball’s Jordan Harris. Both Sell and Harris will advance to the South Atlantic Conference ballot. Last year’s Man of the Year winner, baseball’s Zac Brown, was named the SAC Man of the Year in its debut.
Jordan Harris (top), and Jake Sell (bottom) were named Woman and Man of the Year at the Lions’ Choice Awards.
Wrapping up the evening was a passionate, inspiring speech by President Tony Floyd, where he recounted incredible performances from this past year and encouraged the Lions to ride the momentum and carry it over into the 2019-20 campaigns.
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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 news and photos to alumni@mhu.edu, or Alumni Office, P.O. Box 370, Mars Hill, NC 28754. 1940s
Rev. William “Bill” Franklin Revis ’47 and Martha Swann Revis ’47 celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary on February 18, 2019, with a family gathering in Elkin, N.C. The Revises met at Mars Hill and married on February 18, 1949. Bill is a Baptist minister, having pastored churches for 42 years before his retirement. The Revises have three children, six grandchildren and nine greatgrandchildren. They live in St. Cloud, Fla. 1960s
Dr. Larry B. Patton ’65 has authored a book titled, The Seven Churches of Revelation. A Baptist minister, Patton has pastored churches in the Carolinas and Virginia for 40 years. In 2013, he was named pastor emeritus of Stanley Baptist Church in Stanley, Va, after 23 years of service. He and his wife, Katie, reside in Mount Pleasant, N.C. 1980s
Dr. Ken Rivenbark ’83 owner of Rivenbark & Roper Antiques in Huntsville, Ala., was recently named to the National Small Business Association (NSBA) Leadership Council Advisory Board. NSBA is a nonpartisan small-business advocacy organization which promotes the interests of small business to policymakers in Washington, D.C. Dr. Donna White Gardner ’86 has retired after 29 years with McDowell County Schools, N.C. She began her career as a teacher in Yancey County Schools, then moved to Marion Elementary School. She has been the principal of West McDowell Middle School in Marion, N.C., since 2013. Kimberly Gasperson-Justice ’86 has been appointed as District Court Judge in Judicial District 29B, serving Henderson, Polk, and Transylvania counties. Gasperson-Justice has served as the Clerk of Superior Court in Henderson County since 2006 and has nearly 17 years of experience in private practice. She is also a retired major in the U.S. Air Force Judge Advocate General Corps.
28 Mars Hill, the Magazine | Fall 2019
Dr. Miriam Stone Johnson ’88 has retired after thirty years of teaching high school choral music, theatre arts, and English in the Oconee County School System (S.C.). She has also taught English at Limestone College and Tri-County Technical College for three years prior to her retirement. 1990s
Steve Jackson ’93 has been hired as an associate professor of communication and director of the Communication Research Institute at William Penn University in Oskaloosa, Iowa. Steve is a long time researcher in creative technology and robotics,and has developed an arts and technology curriculum that combines advanced engineering and artistic practice. Previously, Jackson worked as the director of film and television development for the nonprofit music education advocacy organization, The Music Path in Los Angeles, Calif. Nathan Bennett ’97 has been hired as the town manager of Mars Hill, N.C., as of February 2019. Previously, Bennett served as the county manager of Yancey County (N.C.) for ten years. 2000s Nathan Bennett
Dr. Andrea Rockel Rose ’02 and her husband, Jonathan, had a daughter, Catelyn Michelle Rose. “Catie” was born April 17, 2019, and weighed 5 pounds, 1 oz. She was 18.5 inches long. Andrea is an associate professor of biology at MHU and Jonathan is an assistant professor of political science. Andrea, Jonathan, and David Robinson ’03 Catie Rose. has been hired as the principal at Madison High School in Marshall, N.C. Robinson is the former principal of Madison County Early College High School.
Ricky Spradlin ’09 has been hired as the assistant running backs coach for the “Mocs” of University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. He joined the UTC staff in January 2019, after spending the previous two seasons as the running backs coach at North Greenville (S.C.) University. 2010s
Ryan Herrmann ’13 has been named the head lacrosse coach at Christ School in Asheville, N.C. Herrmann moved into the position after serving as assistant coach and defensive coordinator for the Greenies. Herrmann came to Christ School from
Mars Hill University, where he was assistant coach of lacrosse and where he played lacrosse for four years as a student. Kristen Pace ’14 has accepted the position of executive director of Bethlehem Ministries, based in Athens, Ga. Kristen traveled to Terrier Rouge, Haiti, where much of the ministry’s work takes place, to serve with the ministry four times as a student at Mars Hill. When she obtained her master’s degree in social entrepreneurship, she studied nonprofit development and management with a focus on Haiti. Kristen has served on the board of directors for Bethlehem Ministry for the past two years.
In Memoriam Since the last issue of Mars Hill, the Magazine, we have learned of the following deaths of alumni and other members of the MHU community.
1940s
Bruce Glazener ’47, Sarasota, Fla., June 8, 2017
Wilma Claudette Barlow Chastka ’41, Lenoir, N.C., February 21, 2019
Dolly “Jane” Ray Marett ’47, Brighton, Mich., January 15, 2019
Herbert Clarency Mayberry ’41, Winston-Salem, N.C., February 8, 2019
Freda Mae Church Rushton ’47, Greensboro, N.C., March 28, 2019
Sarah “Lucile” Lawton Dickinson ’42, Boynton Beach, Fla., May 7, 2019
Dr. Myrtle “Ellen” Dennis Tabor ’47, WinstonSalem, N.C., March 10, 2019
William “Bill” Howland Hussey, Sr. ’42, Weaverville, N.C., September 1, 2016
Lois Lorraine Jenkins Tuttle ’47, Bon Air, Va., February 14, 2019
Gwendolyn Collins West ’42, Wilmington, N.C., June 16, 2019
Jane Ellen Griffin Wells ’47, Woodland, N.C., April 14, 2019
Robert Wade Poole ’44, Winston-Salem, N.C., September 26, 2014
Vernon Lee McCurry, Jr. ’48, Greenville, S.C., March 3, 2019
Jassamine Marie Davis Barnes 45, Jacksonville, N.C., April 4, 2019
Sarah “Dickie” Katherine Phillips Bowerman ’49, Raleigh, N.C., March 26, 2019
Betty Jean Lazenby Murdock ’45, Statesville, N.C., April 4, 2019
Jo Edith Morgan Burchfiel ’49, Cullowhee, N.C., April 23, 2019
Elsie “Alwayne” McClure ’46, High Point, N.C., March 5, 2019
Jack Zennie Collins ’49, Burlington, N.C., March 7, 2019
Louise Ray Roberts ’46, Chapel Hill, N.C., February 1, 2019
Leon “George” Frazier, Jr. ’49, Beaufort, N.C., March 2, 2019
Alice Marguerite Womble Thomason ’46, Greensboro, N.C., February 14, 2019
Franklin Sellers Gribble, Jr. ’49, Jacksonville, Fla.,
William Taylor Charnock ’47, Hendersonville, N.C., April 6, 2019
Lucy Anne Pickett Terrell ’49, Durham, N.C., May 18, 2019
Mars Hill, the Magazine | Fall 2019 29
In Memoriam Nancy Rebecca Cook Welfare ’49, Staunton, Va., February 21, 2019 1950s
Eva A. Stanley Galyean ’50, Lowgap, N.C., April 21, 2019 Dr. James Pittard Gillespie ’51, Silver Spring, Md., August 16, 2017 Oscar Levi Lewis, Jr. ’51, Asheville, N.C., June 17, 2019 Joyce Isabel Daniel Slaughter ’51, Oxford, N.C., March 27, 2019 Penelope “Joanne” Patterson Taylor ’51, Newport News, Va., May 26, 2019 Jo Ann Dillard Cochran ’52, Pickens, S.C., June 1, 2019 Catherine Ray Fleming ’52, Yadkinville, N.C., May 29, 2019 Alan Wayne Gragg ’52, Asheville, N.C., April 12, 2019 Dwight Myers Holland ’52, Asheboro, N.C., May 20, 2019 Rev. James Arless Kisselburg ’52, Old Fort, N.C., April 1, 2019 Richard Levi Morgan ’52, Clemmons, N.C., January 22, 2019 Henry Lee Hardin, Sr. ’53, Palm Harbor, Fla., January 6, 2019 Dr. John Gambrell Lee ’53, Winston-Salem, N.C., March 26, 2019
Dorothy “Dottie” June Phillips Croker ’55, Annapolis, Md., April 13, 2019 Dr. Paul Gettys Gillespie ’55, Asheville, N.C., April 27, 2019 MaryJane Northen Sydnor ’56, Lynchburg, Va., February 12, 2019 JoAnn Huff Bane ’57, Emerald Isle, N.C., April 12, 2019 Carole Barger Blossom ’57, Hampstead, N.C., February 7, 2019 Carolyn Ruth Tolbert Jordan ’57, Statesville, N.C., February 3, 2019 Rev. Richard “Dick” Leo Markley ’57, Lake Wales, Fla., June 6, 2018 Nancy Lee Broyles Pierce Osborne ’57, Lakeland, Fla., April 12, 2019 Norma Jean Crew Waltman ’57, Virginia Beach, Va., December 19, 2018 David Franklin White ’57, Pfafftown, N.C., September 2, 2018 Barbara “Bobbie” Elizabeth Humphries Dickson ’58, Cheraw, S.C., March 10, 2019 Olga Sprinkle Malinoski ’58, Asheville, N.C., April 23, 2019 Johnsie Sue Russell Markham ’58, Wilson, N.C., February 9, 2019 Henry George Fulghum ’59, Fredericksburg, Va., April 27, 2019 1960s
Mary “Patricia” Hendrix Ballew ’54, Greer, S.C., June 1, 2019
James Wilber Cook ’60, Wilkesboro, N.C., December 22, 2018
Dr. Robert Guy Fulbright ’54, Lake Junaluska, N.C., June 25, 2019. (Expanded tribute in the spring 2020 magazine.)
Linda Beatrice Simmons Parker ’60, Greenville, N.C., May 15, 2019
Rev. Ronell Lester Owensby ’54, Gaffney, S.C., May 13, 2019 Lora Cornelia Hossley Spicer ’54, Richmond, Va., December 11, 2018 Joseph “Joe” Griffith Swann ’54, Stony Point, N.C., March 15, 2019 Roland Stuart Carlton, Sr ’55, Glen Allen, Va., February 7, 2019 30 Mars Hill, the Magazine | Fall 2019
Lee Burdette Daniel ’61, Newnan, Ga., March 2, 2019 Ronald Jack Rich ’61, Mars Hill, N.C., February 2, 2019 Mann Myers Drumheller, Jr. ’62, Columbia, S.C., April 16, 2019 James “Jim” Willard Flythe ’62, Gaffney, S.C., May 22, 2019
Jack Martin Ledbetter ’62, Charlotte, N.C., March 15, 2019 Judith “Judy” Ann Ferguson Shirley ’62, Waynesville, N.C., April 14, 2019 Theresa Nadine Davis Whitmire ’64, Brevard, N.C., May 31, 2019 Johnsie Teale Sellers Freeman ’66, Kannapolis, N.C., June 9, 2019 John Allen Ingle ’66, Irmo, S.C., May 16, 2019 Hugh “Rocky” Flynt Transou, Jr. ’66, Delray Beach, Fla., May 5, 2019 Lance Edward Cook ’67, Asheville, N.C., May 1, 2019 1970s
1980s
Richard Keith Barnard ’80, Warne, N.C., May 3, 2019 Thomas “Art” O’Neal ’80, Blenheim, S.C., April 6, 2019 Julie Jane Martin Godfrey ’83, Chesapeake, Va., March 14, 2019 Mary Marie Williams ’87, Barnardsville, N.C., April 2, 2019 1990s
Eugenia E. Allen Shealy ’91, Hendersonville, N.C., May 1, 2019 Hazel Elizabeth McMinn Duncan ’92, Hendersonville, N.C., January 12, 2019
Mary “Elaine” Pritchard Applegate ’70, Valdese, N.C., April 29, 2019
Niles “Lyn” Etchison ’93, Inman, S.C., March 5, 2019
Robert “Bob” Harvey Gregory, Jr. ’70, Cheraw, S.C., May 12, 2019
Virginia Presnell Miller ’93, Spruce Pine, N.C., January 15, 2019
Frederic “Fred” Henry McCall ’70, Hays, N.C., July 14, 2018
Clifton Howard Garland ’94, Biloxi, Miss., January 18, 2019
Warren Roberts, III ’70, Flat Rock, N.C., January 26, 2019
Netta Whitt Russell ’96, Weaverville, N.C., April 10, 2019
Dr. Gerald “Jerry” Ray Burkett ’71, Lexington, S.C., March 28, 2019
James “Jamie” Henry Eudy ’98, Fort Mill, S.C., February 11, 2019
Gloria Frankalyn Colburn Reese ’72, Lenoir, N.C., May 19, 2019 Douglas “Doug” Rivers Peacock, Jr. 74, Raleigh, N.C., April 25, 2019 James Edward Roberts ’74, Asheville, N.C., January 23, 2019 Lawrence Michael Smith ’74, Raleigh, N.C., March 13, 2019 Carrie “DiAnne” Bowen ’75, Tuscon, Ariz., February 17, 2019 Rachel Ann Passailaigue Porter ’76, Columbia, S.C., February 3, 2019 Mary Frances Reese ’78, Gastonia, N.C., February 28, 2019 Melvin “Tommy” Thomas Robertson ’78, Elizabethtown, N.C., June 22, 2019 Mitchell “Mitch” Dale Rutan ’79, Palm Springs, Calif., April 4, 2019
2000s
Derek Bryan Keeling ’03, Scott Depot, W. Va., December 12, 2018 John Elvin Gregory, Jr. ’05, Buffalo Jct., Va., March 11, 2019 Faculty and Staff
Dr. Samuel “David” Knisley, Retired Faculty, Weaverville, N.C., April 10, 2019 Pauline Cheek, Retired Faculty, Mars Hill, N.C., February 1, 2019 Dr. Virgil R. Gray, Jr., Retired Faculty, Bradenton, Fla., May 10, 2019 Betty Jean Farthing Hughes, Retired Faculty, Weaverville, N.C., June 12, 2019 Richard Gilbert Knapp, Retired Faculty, Asheville, N.C., January 23, 2019 Mars Hill, the Magazine | Fall 2019 31
PO Box 370 Mars Hill, N.C. 28754
You are Invited to The Dedication of the
Jo Ellen Ammons Athletic Field House
Friday, September 27, 2019, 5 p.m. Tour the facility and hear from coaches, athletes, and President Tony Floyd about the importance of this new facility to the athletic programs of Mars Hill University. The public is invited.