Campus News

Campus News

Spring Theatre Performance to Take Place Outdoors

DOMINIC M. AQUILINO

April 21 – 24 7:30 PM Ellen Amphitheatre For tickets and info visit us at www.sartplays.com

Have you been missing live theatre performances during the pandemic? Make plans now to see the MHU theatre arts department’s performance of “Little Shop of Horrors,” April 22–24. The musical will be performed outdoors, at Ellen Amphitheatre (in front of Pittman Dining Hall), with appropriate social distancing in place. For tickets and more information, visit www.sartplays.com.

Community & Nonprofit Leadership Major Approved

As of early March, there is now a major at Mars Hill University specifically for students who want to work in the world of nonprofit organizations and community development. According to Deb Myers, director of the Center for Community Engagement, the community and nonprofit leadership major prepares students to work in the private nonprofit and public sectors and to pursue graduate study in areas like nonprofit management, social entrepreneurship, public policy, and more. “Students in this major will develop their abilities to make positive change in their community, region, and the world, learn to work effectively with people different from themselves, and enact principles of social justice,” she said. The interdisciplinary major includes courses on sociology, business, diversity & inequalities, working in community and government organizations and more. “Through academic study, community engagement, extensive fieldwork and a senior internship, students will pursue their personal interests and develop a strong portfolio of skills and references that will propel them to launch successful careers,” Myers said.

Alpha Chi Continues A Tradition of service

The MHU Alpha Chi Honor Society used its service project for this semester to show appreciation for some of the front line essential workers who teach at Mars Hill Elementary School. The students and their advisor, Dr. Laura Steil, math professor, prepared a poster with thank you and appreciation messages and purchased some supplies for the teachers and staff at the local school. Like most projects during the pandemic, the students had to work separately, but, still the project was in line with the goals of the Alpha Chi organization. “This project demonstrated that our Alpha Chi chapter is continuing to make scholarship effective for good, even in the time of COVID,” Steil said.

Trustee Wayne Higgins Donates New Goals

The Lions basketball teams are going pro, in a way. Trustee and alumnus Wayne Higgins ’75 helped fund much-needed new pro-style basketball goals for Stanford Arena in Chambers Gym. The new goals roll into place on a heavily-padded base and easily can be removed for volleyball or other court activities. The old shot clocks in Chambers have also been replaced with new, wireless ones mounted to the tops of the backboards.

Mullinax Publishes Book on Tao

Marc Mullinax ’73, MHU professor of religion, has published a book titled Tao Te Ching: Power for the Peaceful.

The book is a translation and commentary of one of the main spiritual texts of Taoist spirituality/philosophy. Mullinax said: “It [Tao te Ching] is the world’s second-most translated spiritual text, after the Bible. The text seems esoteric and mysterious for most first readers, but getting first-readers into the text was one of my goals. “There are a few major themes. First, all is connected. Second, life’s most important events happen in silence, stillness, and through the connection one has with all things/creatures. Third, Not-Meddling (in Chinese, WuWei) with the way things are. Realize that one’s power to change things is very limited, if one’s wish to change things is driven from ego, competition, or violating anything to which one is connected. Fourth, leadership. The person who feels their connection to Tao is a mis-fitting leader, meaning one who does not fit in our unbalanced and unjust cultures,” he said.