Fall 2009
Volume 12, Number 1
From These Stones – Spring 2009
1
Magazine Staff EDITOR :: Mike Thornhill ’88, Director of Communications ASSOCIATE EDITOR :: Teresa Buckner, Media Relations Coordinator CONTRIBUTORS :: Rick Baker, Sports Information Director Ophelia DeGroot '58, Director of Alumni Relations/Special Asst. to the President Ray Englebert, Director of Planned Giving Donna Kull, Director of Corporate & Foundation Relations
Mars Hill College Administration PRESIDENT :: Dr. Dan G. Lunsford ’69 VP OF ADMINISTRATION :: Bob McLendon VP OF INSTITUTIONAL ADVANCEMENT :: Bud Christman VP OF ACADEMIC & STUDENT AFFAIRS :: Dr. John Wells
From These Stones: The Mars Hill College Magazine is published regularly by the Office of Communications. It is distributed, without charge, to alumni, donors, and friends of the college. Notices of changes of address and class notes should be addressed to the Alumni Office, Mars Hill College, P.O. Box 370, Mars Hill, NC 28754. Phone 828.689.1102. Fax 828.689.1292. Email alumni@mhc.edu. Letters to the editor and all other correspondence regarding the magazine should be addressed to the Office of Communications, Mars Hill College, P.O. Box 6765, Mars Hill, NC 28754. Phone 828.689.1298. Fax 828.689.1105. Email mthornhill@mhc.edu. Postmaster: Send address changes to the Alumni Office, Mars Hill College, P.O. Box 6665, Mars Hill, NC 28754. Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
2
From These Stones – The Mars Hill College Magazine
Fall 2009 Volume 12, Number 1
In This Issue 4
Capital Campaign Exceeds Goal
5
Around Campus
7
The Gentle Mental Giant Says Goodbye
12
Athletics News
14
Former Chaplain & Family Make a Difference
19
A Hollywood Homecoming
20
Class Notes
Values & Vision effort raises millions
New VP, faculty news, high ranking, mission trip, spring grads
A look back at the life and impact of Papa De
Student athletes win awards; play golf at homecoming; baseball field plans
Burgins minister to India
Make your plans for homecoming weekend
Keeping up with fellow alums
From the Editor This is the second issue of From These Stones that has come packaged in this smaller size. We’ve had good reviews from many of you about the change. But it’s only one part of a process to make sure we make best use of our resources as we continue to stay connected with you, the alumni and friends of Mars Hill College. The online version of From These Stones, which many of you have viewed in the Alumni section of the MHC website at www.mhc.edu, is getting an overhaul. For the past couple of years, it has been merely an online replica of the print magazine. Starting with this issue, though, it grows into a more full featured online magazine, with extended versions of some of the articles in the print issue, links to supplementary information, additional photos, and more. And beginning with the Spring 2010 issue, we’ll be printing and mailing fewer copies of the print issue in an effort to keep in check the ever rising costs of printing and mailing; to minimize our waste of the precious natural resources used in producing a printed magazine; and to acknowledge the shift in the way many of our readers prefer to stay connected. If you’re not already on our email list, we encourage you to add your name. There are a few ways to do so: fill out the Alumni Info Form in the Alumni section of the website; subscribe to the Inside MHC e-newsletter; or send an email to alumni@mhc.edu. We promise not to clutter your inbox with a bunch of useless junk; but we will send you Inside MHC and notify you with important updates, such as when the new online From These Stones is available. As always, we look forward to hearing from you with comments, suggestions, class notes information, and anything else you care to share with us. Thanks for reading. Mike Thornhill ’88 Director of Communications
From These Stones – Spring 2009
3
Capital Campaign Exceeds Goal A state-of-the-art science facility, a roomy suite-style residence hall which can house over 100 students, plans for the region’s first LEED-certified academic building, upgrades to numerous facilities and almost $11 million in scholarship endowment funds are a few of the results of the ambitious Values & Vision Capital Campaign Mars Hill College has pursued over the past five years. College officials celebrated the successful campaign on June 5, having raised over ever fundraising effort. That amount, original $35.5 million goal for the will continue to be used of new facilities, improvement of and the funding scholarships.
conclusion of the Values & Vision $38 million in the college’s largestwhich far surpassed the campaign, has been and for the construction the expansion and existing facilities, of student
The theme for the campaign echoed the theme of Dr. Dan Lunsford’s tenure as president of Mars Hill College: “preserving the past, assuring the future.” According to Lunsford, the funds provided through the Values & Vision Campaign ensure that preserving the past and assuring the future will be more than a catchphrase. “When this campaign began, the Mars Hill College trustees and advisors worked with faculty, staff, students, administrators, and alumni to identify major areas for capital improvement,” Lunsford said. “The faithful alumni and friends of Mars Hill College have provided the resources to address those needs. In so doing, those donors have ensured that Mars Hill College will maintain its position as a thriving academic institution which is capable of serving the needs of its students into the future, while remaining true to the mission of its founding and subsequent history.” A total of 7,289 donors contributed to the campaign, providing 24,438 individual gifts. Over 50 percent of the total raised was contributed by ten major donors. Campaign projects include: Renovation of Nash Education Building (formerly Memorial Library) Construction of Bailey Mountain Residence Hall, featuring suite-style modern living areas for upperclassmen at Mars Hill Almost $11 million in endowment funds, to go toward new and existing scholarships Construction/renovation of the Jud and Jo Ellen Ammons Family Athletic Center, and the W. Scott Merrill Press Box Construction of the Ferguson Math and Science Center Renovation of Wall Science Building to connect to the Ferguson Building (nearing completion) Construction of Day Hall, with design and implementation expenses for Leadership in Energy and Efficiency Design (LEED) Certification (in the planning phase) Renovation of historic Owen Theatre, to include handicap accessibility, a new black box theatre, a ticket booth and lobby, and a set design area (in the planning phase) 4
From These Stones – The Mars Hill College Magazine
Around Campus New VP Joins MHC Ranks
Dr. John Wells joined MHC this summer as Vice President for Academic and Student Affairs, following the retirement of Dr. Nina Pollard. Wells comes to Mars Hill from Young Harris College in Georgia, where he served as Provost/VP for Academic Affairs. He also served Young Harris as Interim President for a year and guided the college in its transition to fouryear status. Dr. Wells is an undergraduate of Carson-Newman College and holds MA and PhD degrees from the University of Tennessee. Prior to his work at Young Harris, Dr. Wells was on the faculty at Carson-Newman and also served as Dean of Social Sciences there. He is well published and has been very active professionally with presentations at professional conferences—most notably in his field of study, political science. Mars Hill College President Dan Lunsford said he was delighted to welcome Wells to the administration of the college. “Dr. Wells has excellent academic credentials and administrative experience at institutions similar to Mars Hill. The experience he brings gives me every confidence that he will be a positive force in building on the program base built by his predecessors, most recently Dr. Nina Pollard.” Wells said: “As a native of our southern Appalachian area, I have been familiar with Mars Hill College and its strong academic reputation for a long time. I am excited about being a part of an academic community that values the education of the whole person—mind, body, and spirit.” In a statement to the campus community at Mars Hill, Wells said he was “struck by the warm and cordial atmosphere” of Mars Hill College. “I look forward to the years ahead as relationships and experiences with new colleagues unfold,” he said.
Faculty Moves In preparation for the new 2009-2010 academic year, Mars Hill College has added three new full-time faculty members: Dr. Janet C. Fortune, associate professor of education. Fortune has served as an associate professor of education at Greensboro College for the past two years; prior to that, she held positions at NC State University, UNC Pembroke, and Berea College. Dr. Miriam Freeman, professor of social work. Dr. Freeman comes to Mars Hill from the University of South Carolina, where she has served as a professor of social work since 1986. She has also served at Warren Wilson College, Smith College, Columbia College in South Carolina, the University of Wyoming, and the University of Texas at Austin. Maria D. Moreno, assistant professor of French. Prior to her position at Mars Hill, Moreno was a teaching assistant in the Department of French Studies at Brown University. She has taught French, Italian and Spanish in several college and language school settings, including the University of Arizona, the Universidad de Los Andes in Venezuela, Lycee Henri Moissan and Lycee Jean Vilar in Meaux, France, and Centro Venezolano Americano in Venezuela. Several faculty members recently were promoted, and two have been granted sabbaticals: Dr. Deborah R. Morris was granted tenure, and was promoted from Assistant to Associate Professor of Education. Promoted from associate professor to professor were: Dr. Gregory Clemons, Spanish; Dr. Thomas Destino, Education; Dr. Scott Pearson, Biology; Alan Smith, Biology; and Dr. Phyllis Smith, History. Promoted from assistant professor to associate professor were: Cathy Adkins, Music; Gordon Hinners, Spanish; and Jane Sibley Renfroe, Art. Brian Tinkel was promoted from instructor to assistant professor of music. Dr. Richard Cary, professor of art, was granted sabbatical leave for the spring 2010 semester and Dr. Kathryn Newfont, professor of history, was granted sabbatical leave for the 2009-10 academic year.
U.S.News Ranks MHC 36th Mars Hill College has again placed among the best colleges in the South in rankings compiled by U.S. News & World Report magazine. The 2010 “America’s Best Colleges” rankings, which were released today, placed Mars Hill 36th among baccalaureate colleges in the south. This is the sixth year that Mars Hill has placed in the top tier of colleges in the U.S. News rankings. From These Stones – Spring 2009
5
Mission Trip to Costa Rica “We were there to change the wall, but the wall changed us,” student Kasey Boston said during a chapel service at Mars Hill College recently. The alternative spring break trip to Puriscal, Costa Rica, was arranged by Christian Student Movement and LifeWorks, allowed students to engage in a project through the international service organization Cross-Cultural Solutions. For several months before the trip, students held fundraisers to raise money for their travel expenses. In all, 15 students and staff made the week-long trip, during which they painted and repaired a cemetery wall that was central to the small rural town, painted park benches and volunteered in local English classes. For Mars Hill student Kaitlyn Allen, the trip to Costa Rica was the continuation of her ongoing dream to be involved in missionary service work. That dream began when she made three trips to Gulfport, Mississippi to help with the cleanup after Hurricane Katrina. “Those trips changed my life for the better. Each time I’ve gone on a service trip, it changes me, and gives me a new perspective. It opens my eyes to new ways of life,” she said.
137 Receive Degrees at Spring Commencement “I had a vision for what my college experience would be,” said Jessica Blanford, graduating senior at Mars Hill College. “I never expected to fall in love with everything about it. What a privilege we have had to be in this place for a time.” Blanford, a history and religion major from Concord, NC, was one of 137 graduates to receive bachelor’s degrees from Mars Hill College on Saturday, May 9 in Moore Auditorium. Of those 137 graduates, 117 were students in the traditional program and 20 were adult ACCESS (Accelerated Credit/Continuing Education/Summer School) students. Graduates hailing from North Carolina numbered 85, while 45 students were from other states, and 7 were international students. Twenty-six were minority students. The most popular majors, in order of popularity, were: business administration, elementary education and physical education. A famous phrase formed the foundation of remarks by adult ACCESS student Karen Goins. Goins, an elementary education major from Connolly Springs, NC, quoted Dr. Martin Luther King’s “I Have A Dream” speech as she told of her struggle to fulfill her lifelong dream of being a teacher. The first time she had attempted to obtain her degree, she said, she was unable to finish her course of study. Returning to the ACCESS program last year gave her the chance to complete the dream that had begun for her in childhood. Rondon Bacchus, a computer science major who hails from Trinidad and Tobago, said he felt that he was welcomed to Mars Hill College, although he was a total stranger to the area and the culture. He also praised the “fertile” liberal arts environment, which he said caused him to grow and become a more holistic person. “It challenges you to come out of your comfort zone, while providing you with the tools needed to broaden your horizons, and become an independent thinker,” he said. “As a result, I am now a proud ambassador of Mars Hill College, and I vow to promote the prestige of Mars Hill internationally as I continue my life journey.” Among the spring graduates was Shamia Terry, pictured here with her grandmother, Oralene Graves Simmons, who in 1961 was the first African-American student admitted to Mars Hill College. Mia is the oldest of Simmons’ grandchildren, and so, the first to graduate from college. 6
From These Stones – The Mars Hill College Magazine
The ‘GENTLE
MENTAL GIANT’ Says Goodbye
by Teresa Buckner
How big is your heart? Will it require a post mortem to find out, or do your daily actions and words reveal your heart? Thought-provoking reflections like this one formed the opening salvo to each class taught by Ramon DeShazo (pronounced “Raymun”), a professor of English at Mars Hill College from 1939 until 1957. According to Robert Chapman, former registrar at Mars Hill College, the “daily thoughts” that DeShazo used to begin each lesson encouraged students to think beyond the subject area to the deeper issues of life. Each “thought” was composed of an adage, some snatch of poetry or a bit of scripture designed to challenge a student’s thinking on any topic ranging from friendship to education to the investment of money and time. “He used the daily thoughts to expand a student’s wisdom, and to get them thinking about things and how you could interpret them in different ways,” Chapman said. One former vice president referred to DeShazo as the “gentle mental giant” for his keen intelligence, as well as his love for teaching and concern for students. The daily thoughts revealed DeShazo’s passion to see his students develop not just as individuals of intellect, but as people of moral and spiritual character as well. It was one of the ways he imparted a gentle wisdom and love to his students that remains in the memories of those who knew “Papa De.” DeShazo passed away on April 20, 2009, in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, where he had retired after a 40-year teaching career. Although he spent his last years in Murfreesboro, friends say DeShazo never lost his devotion for Mars Hill. Per his instructions, his graveside memorial service was held in the cemetery of Mars Hill Baptist Church, where he was a very active member during the years in Mars Hill. He was buried with his beloved wife Opal, who died in 2000, and their baby girl, Edyce Grace. Long known as a person of generous spirit, DeShazo was generous to Mars Hill College in his death. He left the entirety of his estate to a scholarship fund that he and Opal endowed with a $100,000 gift in 1996 “to assist deserving students who are majoring in English.” DeShazo is remembered by his former students and colleagues as a scholar who had a great appreciation for beautiful language and beautiful music. He was a gentleman, an adoring husband, a devout From These Stones – Spring 2009
7
Christian, and a strict but loving teacher. According to former colleagues, DeShazo always knew that he wanted to be a teacher. Even when he was growing up in Coldwater, Mississippi, he would play school with neighborhood children, and he would always pretend to be the teacher. After earning his
According to Rachel Chapman, a former business teacher at Mars Hill, DeShazo’s exacting standards in the classroom were sometimes not appreciated by his students until much later in life. “So many people have said, ‘I never knew what he was doing for me until long after he was my professor,’” she said.
of “Papa De.” The story of that nickname dates back to the early years of DeShazo’s tenure at the college, when he and Opal served as house parents in Brown and Melrose Men’s Residence Halls. Most of the house mothers went by the title “Mother”; for example “Mother Smith” or “Mother Jones.” But, according to Helvey, that was a title that just didn’t seem to fit Opal DeShazo. “At the time, Opal DeShazo was very young, and she was always just modelbeautiful,” said Helvey. “The boys in the dormitories decided they just could not refer to her as ‘Mother DeShazo.’ So, they started calling her ‘Mama De,’ and that made Ramon, ‘Papa De.’”
…an inspiring teacher who is close to the hearts of his students in whom he has instilled the Mars Hill spirit…
bachelor’s degree in English at West Tennessee Teachers College (now Memphis State University) in 1936, he started teaching English at a large high school in Hamburg, Arkansas. He quickly was promoted to the job of principal. While teaching in Arkansas, he began graduate studies at Peabody College in Nashville, where he earned a master’s degree. In 1939, after only three years at the high school level, DeShazo brought his young wife to western North Carolina, and began teaching at Mars Hill College. Robert Chapman and his wife, Rachel, were both students at Mars Hill in the ‘40s when DeShazo was about five years into his career at Mars Hill. Although neither actually had him as a professor, they were well aware of his reputation. “He was very, very strict,” Robert Chapman said. “And he insisted that his students be on time for class.” DeShazo was famous for locking the classroom door after the last bell had rung for changing classes. “Students could be admitted after that, but not without making a spectacle of themselves.”
8
Doris Helvey, a current trustee at Mars Hill College and a former student of DeShazo’s, remembers that exactitude characterized his wardrobe and his manner of speech as well as his teaching style. “He was immaculate in his dress, and very precise in his speech and pronunciation,” Helvey said. “He was a strict disciplinarian in his classroom, but also loving and kind.” Strict discipline and loving kindness might be a difficult combination for some people to adequately express, but according to Helvey, both were clearly evident in DeShazo’s relationships with his students. “By being that strict, he taught us that we could be better people,” she said.
In addition to serving as a house mother, Opal DeShazo worked in the college library and the alumni office, and also served as a secretary in the registrar’s office. It was in the college library, where he had an after-class job, a young Robert Chapman became acquainted with “Mama De.” “Oh she was a very outgoing individual who had what you might call a bubbly, effervescent personality. Ramon on the other hand was friendly, but much more reserved in his manner,” he said.
Also evident was DeShazo’s passion for teaching. “His life was his teaching, and he also was an excellent coach of debating,” Rachel Chapman said, noting that his students in the forensics and speech clubs at Mars Hill College were successful in winning many contests based on their oratory skills.
It was a match that worked, apparently. According to numerous former students and acquaintances, the DeShazos’ marriage was a match of obvious mutual devotion. “They loved each other greatly,” said Jack Floyd, a former Mars Hill College student who maintained a lifelong friendship with DeShazo. “Those two were as close any two people I’ve ever seen. They were two people who kind of breathed as one.”
Given DeShazo’s exacting reputation, it may be surprising that most students knew him by the endearing name
Though they knew DeShazo by reputation as a professor, it was as a couple that Robert and Rachel Chapman knew
From These Stones – The Mars Hill College Magazine
the DeShazos best. Their best memories come from the days when they lived “across the furnace room” from the DeShazos in the Robinson House, then located where the Blackwell Hall parking lot sits now. “We did so many things together,” said Rachel Chapman. “They were some of the best friends we had here. We liked to do the same things and we just enjoyed being together.”
deck of poker cards. “We used to play bridge,” Rachel says, laughing, “but we would have some rook cards on hand, in case anybody came.” On campus, Ramon and Opal DeShazo’s rapport with students was evident when the 1950 Laurel was dedicated to the popular couple. In the dedication, “Papa De” was hailed as “an inspiring teacher
In contrast to bridge, the card game “Rook” was considered just a game, because it did not use the standard 52-card
Though DeShazo would never physically be a father, he was a tremendous father figure to numerous Mars Hill students. One of those students was Jack Floyd, who DeShazo referred to as “my oldest son.” “I once told Papa De, ‘Even though you lost this little one, you’ve got children all over the world,” Floyd said, recounting the many people who contacted DeShazo in his later years to express what he had meant to them as a professor and friend.
One of the “many things” the Chapmans and DeShazos shared was a love for seeing concerts and movies together in Asheville. But the couples also shared what seemed at the time to be a deep, dark secret. “At that time, it was taboo for the staff of the college to play cards,” Robert Chapman said, chuckling with the memory, “but we did love to play bridge with Ramon and Opal.” At one point, Chapman said, the Chapmans and DeShazos were part of a six-couple group who met on the sly to play bridge on a regular basis. “We called ourselves the ‘Dirty Dozen.’ But you can be sure,” Chapman said, “that when we played bridge, all the blinds, the draperies, and the shades were drawn.”
Opal gave birth to the couple’s only child, a daughter, Edyce Grace, who was stillborn. “I believe Ramon really wanted very much to be a father,” Robert Chapman said. “It was really a heartbreaking time for them.”
who is close to the hearts of his students in whom he has instilled the Mars Hill spirit. He is a man in whose friendship we have always found an overflowing cup of service, guidance and love.” Part of DeShazo’s devotion for the town of Mars Hill may have been that it was the location where he and Opal lived in the early years of their marriage. It was a place of happy times and good friends, but also of enormous loss. In 1949, after a difficult pregnancy,
According to Floyd, one of the characteristics that made DeShazo so special was his sincere affection for his students. “I think his students respected his ability to like them, and to make them feel special. He and Mama De were both like that. They just truly made you feel that they were your papa and moma away from home.” The characteristics of the man also bred a deep respect in those who knew him, Floyd said. “People always felt that he could impart knowledge and wisdom to them just in speaking. He was a person of great sincerity and honesty, and he was a very godly man. That came out often in conversations with him.”
From These Stones – Spring 2009
9
In their college years, Dr. James and Doris Helvey both knew and respected DeShazo as their professor and their speech and forensics coach. But it was in the final years of his life that the Helveys developed a close friendship with DeShazo. “Over the years, I kept up with him, and I called him at least once or twice a week,” Doris said. “As his eyesight failed, I was one of the people who made calls for him and took care of other details in his life.” The Helveys, then, were a natural choice to conduct the memorial service honoring their former teacher. James Helvey, an ordained Baptist minister, was the officiating minister, with help from Doris Helvey and Rev. Robert Melvin, another former student of DeShazo’s. According to Robert Chapman, it was by design that DeShazo’s memorial service was led by former students. “Shortly after Opal died, Ramon had a long conversation with Rachel and me, and asked if we would be responsible for his service in Mars Hill,” Robert Chapman said. “When we were planning Ramon’s service, we decided it would be quite appropriate to have as many of his former students as possible to participate in the service.” Another of the friends who brightened Papa De’s waning days was Beth Bridges, an alumna of Mars Hill College who “re-met” DeShazo in 2001 at her 50th class reunion.
Although she lived in Ireland, Bridges and DeShazo formed a fast friendship that revolved around their mutual love of poetry and beautiful music. In his final years, she was known to call him every day and read to him over the phone. Bridges wrote a moving eulogy that Doris Helvey read at DeShazo’s memorial service. In it, she described the gentle character of the man, which did not grow bitter, even with the onset of diminishing eyesight and old age. She wrote: “The test of a person’s character is most difficult during these last, trying years of illness and helplessness, and Ramon certainly passed that test with flying colors. I often marveled at his unfailing cheerfulness and thoughtfulness despite his constant pain, the frustration of blindness and the boredom of having no one at the nursing home with whom he could really converse about the things his still keen mind enjoyed. … Patient and gentle always, he stayed true to all the ideals he had taught his students. …” Melinda Bacurin, a neighbor in Murfreesboro, also considered Papa De her close friend. As a resident liaison at Adams Place Assisted Living Center, Bacurin helped DeShazo with the difficult transition to assisted living, and took special interest in him during his residence there. During that time, Bacurin saw first-hand that DeShazo’s gentle spirit, keen mind and
penchant for teaching never left him. “Ramon would occasionally remark that he didn’t know why God was keeping him here on earth,” she said. “I told him that perhaps he still had more teaching to do.” At a luncheon at Mars Hill Baptist Church prior to the memorial service, Bacurin recounted a story in which, ten days before his death, DeShazo was hospitalized when a tornado swept through Murfreesboro. As the staff hurriedly evacuated patients from their rooms and moved them to safety in the hallways, DeShazo commented that their work reminded him of the poem “Departmental,” by Robert Frost. He later recommended that staff members look up the poem, which describes worker ants swiftly and hurriedly cooperating to perform the duties of their livelihood. “So,” Bacurin concluded, “our beloved professor was still teaching, even at the end of his long life.” How big is your heart? Ramon DeShazo asked his class many years ago. On the day he used that particular “daily thought,” the reflection ended with a singular emphatic blessing: “May the epitaph of our lives read: He was a man with a big heart!” If our epitaphs are written in the respect of friends, colleagues and students, Ramon DeShazo, it seems, accomplished that mission.
Do you know a high school student for whom Mars Hill would be a good fit? Let the Admissions Office know about her or him.
10
ALUMNUS OFFERS TOURS OF NEW MADISON COUNTY COMMUNITY Mars Hill College alumni and friends will have the opportunity to tour during Homecoming The Preserve at Little Pine, a private residential community near Marshall. Owner Jack Fisher is a Madison County native and Mars Hill alumnus. Fisher said “We wanted to highlight Madison County as the true jewel of the Blue Ridge Mountains, and Mars Hill College is definitely a focal point within the county and within western North Carolina.” In addition to upscale home sites, 80 percent of the Preserve’s 1,800 acres are to be held in a conservation trust. According to Fisher, that trust is part of what will make The Preserve a unique residential community. “We put 80% in conservation because we feel like it preserves the integrity and character of the property, maintains wildlife habitat and protects views for all concerned,” he said. “The easement is permanent and is recorded as a restriction on the property in the county records.” MHC students and faculty are welcome to use all the resources the Preserve has to offer including a mountain top lodge, a retractable-roof observatory containing one of the largest dark-sky telescope on the East Coast and an equestrian center. Agricultural tours on the property include a hops yard, a vineyard, and a “heritage garden” of traditional mountain plants. Other plots are devoted to sustainable agriculture practices such as “lasagna gardening,” a way of growing vegetables in a small space with layered compost. Tours of the Preserve, including the observatory and several nationally recognized showcase homes, will be available for early Homecoming attendees on Friday, October 23, from 12:00pm to 4:00pm. For more information about The Preserve at Little Pine, and registering for the tour, please call (828) 689-1295.
MARS HILL COLLEGE ANNOUNCES SOLAR ENERGY PROJECT Mars Hill College will develop a major solar energy project at the campus in cooperation with FLS Energy, a solar energy company based in Asheville. The project involves installation of 75 solar thermal collectors to serve three important college facilities: Pittman Dining Hall, Gibson Residence Hall and Brown Residence Hall. The solar thermal systems are designed to generate energy to provide more than 3,000 gallons of hot water per day to meet the domestic hot water requirements for these facilities. The solar project at Mars Hill will be one of the largest in the state and will generate more energy than any solar project yet developed for a college, school or university in western North Carolina. MHC Vice President of Administration Bob McLendon said the benefit to the college of the solar project, as well as other recent green initiatives on campus, is two-fold. “Our college wants to be a good example of environmental stewardship to our students and community,” he said. “But also, we want to be financially responsible. Remember, the facilities we construct today will last throughout the 21st century. Sometimes initiatives that cost a little more at the outset result in tremendous savings over the long haul.”
MADISON COUNTY’S HISTORY AS BURLEY PRODUCER DRAWS GRANT FUNDS The North Carolina Tobacco Trust Fund Commission has granted Mars Hill College $50,000 to be used for planning costs for a conference and retreat center on the campus. The grant funds are given by the Commission to promote economic development in areas that were once largely dependent on tobacco production. “The Inn at Mars Hill” will offer conferences and retreats on the campus that capitalize on the resources of the college and the community. Many of these programs are anticipated to promote the culture, history, natural history, and agricultural heritage of the region. Tentative plans place the inn in one of two prospective locations on the campus, both of which are near Broyhill Chapel on Highway 213. According to Loretta Shelton ’98, MHC Director of Conferences and Events, and Project Director of this planning initiative, the inn will provide on campus housing for its numerous annual workshops and conferences. During the summer months, guests can be housed in unoccupied dorm rooms, she said. However, during the academic year, the programs must be held off campus since the college has no available space for visitors. “The Inn at Mars Hill would allow us to hold these programs on the MHC campus and expand our offerings.” 11 From These Stones – Spring 2009
The 2008–09 academic year was a productive one for Mars Hill’s student athletes and coaches. As we move into 2009–10, here’s a quick look back from Rick Baker, MHC’s Sports Information Director. Mars Hill Athletics placed 92 student-athletes on the SAC Honor Roll. As a department Mars Hill had a 3.00 overall grade point average with 12 of the 19 sports carrying over a 3.0 G.P.A. • Sophomore Frankie Waters, a rising junior from Brevard, N.C., qualified for the NCAA Division II Nationals in the hurdles. Waters is also a standout wide receiver on the football team. • Head women’s basketball coach Jennifer Nance was named the department’s Senior Women’s Administrator. • The Lions have new soccer head coaches. Ken Miller was tabbed the women’s coach while Ian Clerihew was named the new head men’s soccer coach. • Men’s Tennis qualified for the NCAA Division II Regionals after winning the SAC Tournament. • Football, ranked 24th in Lindy’s Poll, opens the season at North Greenville University on August 29, at 7 p.m.
2008-09 MHC Award Winners Lacrosse Attack Danny Farmer David Hodgins
Baseball FIRST TEAM Brian Williams SECOND TEAM Mike Dobre Devin Presnell Men’s Basketball ALL-SAC SECOND TEAM P.J. Gore ALL-FRESHMAN TEAM Dallas Johnson SAC SCHOLAR-ATHLETE: Tony Blake Men’s Cross Country First Team Justin Baker Trey McCain Joel Barnett Will Mikolajczak. Second Team Aaron Thomas Josh Corbin
Midfield Brent Hann Specialist Kris Frier Defense Chris Cudmore, Mars Hill Goalie Nick Sigona, Mars Hill Honorable Mention Andrew Hewett, Mars Hill Player of the Year Danny Farmer, Mars Hill Freshman of the Year Chris Cudmore, Mars Hill Coach of the Year Sean Woods, Mars Hill
All Freshman Joel Barnett
2009 DSC Champions Coach of the Year Mike Owens 2009 SAC Champions Football First Team - Offense Tyrea Allen First Team - Defense Chris Dowdell Deshun Nesbitt Second Team - Offense George Washington Eric Nelson Josh Sims Michael Pinkerton Second Team - Defense Stan Galbraith Offensive Freshman Of The Year John Brown All-Region Deshun Nesbitt
Men’s Soccer Second Team Rondon Bacchus Ernest Sobers First Team Daktronics All-Region Rondon Bacchus Third Team NSCAA All-Region Rondon Bacchus Men’s Swimming Swimmer of the Year Carson Fackler Coach of the Year Teddy Guyer Men’s Tennis MEN'S FIRST TEAM Alessandro du Besse Koeche Smith SAC Player of the Year Alessandro du Besse 2009 SAC Tournament Champions
Men’s Golf Second Team Nate Lockey
12
Women’s Basketball ALL-SAC SECOND TEAM Brittini Young, Mars Hill
From These Stones – The Mars Hill College Magazine
Women’s Cross Country Second Team Angela Woodward All-Freshman Team Angela Woodward USTFCCCA Individual All-Academic Team Angela Woodward USTFCCCA All-Academic Team Women's Cross Country Women’s Soccer Second Team Abby Martin Misha Price Academic All-Region Abby Martin All-Region Abby Martin Softball FIRST TEAM Ashley Seawell Ashley Harber SECOND TEAM Paige Brantley Rebekah Huff Ashley Angell Anna James Women’s Tennis WOMEN'S FIRST TEAM Erika Pinate WOMEN'S SECOND TEAM Patty La Rovere SAC Freshman of the Year Erika Pinate Volleyball ALL-FRESHMAN TEAM Evie Tafunai, Mars Hill Athletic Training Caleb Lott and Brian Reyes selected to present a Case Study at the Mid-Atlantic Athletic Trainer's Association Annual Meeting and Clinical Symposium at Virginia Beach on May 15-17. Chelsea Daughtery and Mary Jackaway were also selected to present a Case Study at the Mid-Atlantic Athletic Trainer's Association Annual Meeting and Clinical Symposium at Virginia Beach on May 1517.
MHC Athletics Golf Tournament Where:
Grove Park Inn, Asheville, N.C.
When:
Sunday, October 25, 2009.
Format:
Foursomes can choose to play in the Captain’s Choice format or the best ball format.
Why:
Proceeds go to the endowed athletic scholarship fund.
Amenities:
Gifts, prizes, long drive contest, putting contest, closest to the pin contest, breakfast and post tournament lunch provided.
Sponsorships:
Available at various levels.
Cost:
$150.00 per player — includes green fees, cart rental, breakfast, lunch, contests and prizes.
For more information call: David Riggins (828) 689-1215 or Byon Morrisey (828) 689-1149 Get your former teammates or MHC buddies together to comprise a foursome and reserve your spot in the tournament. This will be a great day of fun while we provide educational opportunities for deserving young people.
All Pride Members: Please join us for lunch on the Wren Deck before the home football games. Make plans to be there!
The Renovation of Don Henderson Field Mars Hill College is in the midst of raising funds to upgrade its baseball facility. The upgrades include completely renovating the dugouts, backstop, bleacher seating, and operations box, as seen in the architect’s rendering below. With a demanding schedule, the Lions baseball team turns to its alumni and fans to help support a winning program. If you’re interested in helping out the Mars Hill College Baseball program, please feel free to contact Ray Englebert, in the Advancement Office at 828-689-1435. There are naming opportunities available for the stadium, dugouts, seating, and game operation box.
Follow the Lions 24 hours a day, seven days a week, on the official website of MHC Athletics: sports.mhc.edu. The site provides in-depth, detailed information on all 19 varsity sports. You can also receive Lion Athletic News in your email by sending a note to MHC SID Rick Baker (rbaker@ mhc.edu). Keep in mind you will receive a great deal of information on a daily basis.
From These Stones – Spring 2009
13
RETIRED CHAPLAIN AND FAMILY MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN INDIA by Teresa Buckner
If you want to see Max Burgin’s heart, ask him about the people of India. He will tell you a story of abject poverty, want and hopelessness. He will tell you about children who wander the slums of Bangalore in search of food and shelter, and families in Bangarapet who are too poor to care for their own. He will tell you about a culture where children are sometimes literally thrown away by the very people who should love them most. And then, with eyes alight and hands gesturing at points of emphasis, he will tell you about his friends George, Nithianand and Prem, who run orphanages and farm ministries in this country of marvelous and terrible contrasts. And he’ll tell you about the providence of God, which he believes has led him and his wife, Mickie, to involvement in three ministries which seek to better lives for some of India’s poorest people. “I think God has a plan for people’s lives,” Max said. “I don’t mean down to the tiniest degree, but there’s an overall plan. You’re not here by accident.” Dr. Max Burgin is an alumnus and trustee of Mars Hill College who retired as a chaplain after a much-decorated 30-year career in the military, during which he attained the rank of colonel. For the past 17 years, he has served as the pastor of Lattimore Baptist Church in Cleveland County. For a life of service to the men and women of the military, to their church family and to the people of India, Burgin was named as the 2008 alumnus of the year at Mars Hill College. Burgin and his wife, Mickie, have also become missionary liaisons, if you will. What began as an interest in the work of friends has developed over a period of nine years to three growing ministries in Bangalore and Bangarapet, India. Shelter and education for homeless children, a decent living for hard-working farmers, and a place of worship for a fledgling 14
Christian congregation are some of the fruits that have matured from the Burgins’ connection to these people who live so far away. Max believes it was no accident that led him to Bangalore, India in 2000 as a clinical pastoral educator under the auspices of the Southern Baptist International Mission Board. Max took a four-month leave of absence from his church to work in this city of over 6 million people. During those months in India, Max and Mickie became fast friends with two of Max’s students: George Fernandes and Nithianand Thambi. Through these friends, Max had opportunities to preach in various locations around Bangalore, and the Burgins became acquainted with village life in India. “You just can’t believe how poor these people are. I just can’t describe it. They make their food over a fire. They live in houses with no stove, and dirt floors. And they could not believe that we would go in and sit down and eat or have tea with them,” Max said. “And that made us different.” One weekend, they went with Nithianand to a village a few miles away from Bangalore called Bangarapet. Although very primitive, Bangarapet is actually part of a group of villages that are home to about 400,000 people. In and near Bangarapet, Nithianand and his brother Prem, had started a cooperative farming ministry to help the local farmers improve their farming methods and cooperate to sell their products. Max, who has always farmed beef cattle in addition to being a pastor, found the ministry intriguing. “They were doing what I like – farming. Prem was doing things like teaching the local farmers how to compost and use it to grow crops.
From These Stones – The Mars Hill College Magazine
He was also showing them how to improve their breeding,” he said. The farmers around Bangarapet raised water buffalo, animals which generally give milk which is lower in quantity than that of American dairy cows, but higher in protein and fat. The Burgins bought six pregnant water buffaloes and gave them to poor families in the area. The gift came with the understanding that those families would, in turn give a pregnant cow to another family at a later date. In this way, the Burgins hoped their gift might keep giving. They also met the five children that Prem and his wife Leela had found in various locations around South India and adopted into their family. Prem had found one of the children in a trash dump, Max said. In the face of an overwhelming need, Prem and Leela were making plans to begin an orphanage in one of the villages near Bangarapet. In doing so, they had no shortage of potential residents. Children in India are routinely abandoned if they are handicapped, deformed, or simply too dark in color. (It is considered an advantage in Indian society to be light-skinned.) Then sometimes, children simply have the misfortune of being born to families who already have too many mouths to feed. Still other parents love their children very much, but send them to an orphanage to live, so they can be near a school. Even after they returned to the United States, the Burgins maintained communication with George and Nithianand, learning as time went on, that George, too, had started an orphanage of necessity in Bangalore. “George said that he was helping to be sure that some children went to school and were fed and clothed and things like that,” Mickie said. “And I offered to get him some help.” “Some help,” turned out to mean devoting considerable time to fundraising for the ministries in both Bangarapet and in Bangalore. Meanwhile, the orphanages began to grow – particularly the one in Bangalore. Mickie said: “First thing you knew we had maybe 10 children, and then first thing you knew, we had 40 children and now we have about 60 children. So we went from just helping them out in the slums to having to get a place for them to live.” In 2006, the Burgins returned to India to see their friends, and to find out how the ministries were faring. “By that time, we’d gotten so involved in some of this that we felt like we ought to back and see,” Mickie said. It was during this trip they learned that Prem had been unable to start a church in one of the villages near Bangarapet, as he had hoped. The “village matron” had forbidden him to hold services.
“The Hindu faith is supposedly very inclusive, but they have a real problem with Christianity,” Max said. During this second visit, Max had the opportunity to speak to the village matron who had opposed the church. Max has no human explanation for why he was able to sway her opinion. “In a little bit, she came and knelt down in front of me and said, put your hand on me and pray,” he said. “I prayed, and then she told them, you can start Sunday school.” In another village one of the women told the Burgins, “I wish you would build us a church. I am tired of having to travel so far to go to church.” When Max asked her where it would be possible to build a church, she ran over to a particular spot and told them, “Right here. I’ll give you the land.” Later she volunteered to pay for some of the bricks for the building. According to Mickie, these gifts came from a woman who, together with two other women, earns one dollar each day to make 1000 bricks. “How could you say no to a request like that?” Mickie asked. The Burgins have seen to it that a church has been built in that village, in honor of Max’s parents. They hear that the church has become a source of great pride for the villagers. The Burgins have also hired a native Indian man named Anand to be the pastor of the church. Anand lives with his wife and two daughters in a home that, according to Max, measures about 12 by 15 feet. “They all sleep on the floor, the father, mother and two daughters. It just hurts me to think that somebody is giving himself to the Lord and to see that he lives in such a small place,” Max said. He hopes to see an addition added to their home in the near future. In 2008, the Burgins returned to India yet again as part of a medical mission trip with their daughter, Kelli Mayfield, who is a physician and an alumna of Mars Hill. “I had wanted to go for awhile,” Kelli said, “but the opportunity had not arisen until then. I wanted to help to do what I could to let these people know that someone cared for them, that someone was reaching out to them in Jesus’ name.” The trip was originally planned as a way for Kelli to provide medical treatment for the children in the orphanages. But, as the idea evolved, the medical clinics expanded to include several villages around Bangarapet. In the end, Kelli and her parents held medical clinics each day for a week, aided by Nithianand, Prem and their families. Luckily for the Burgins, anyone can buy drugs in India without a prescription. Kelli made a list of commonly needed drugs, bought them From These Stones – Spring 2009
15
at a local pharmacy and set up a clinic in the open air of the village. At times, the clinics moved indoors, but all week the people crowded in and brought their loved ones to see “Dr. Kelli”. According to Kelli, the clinics were overwhelming, both in terms of the number of people seen and in terms of the emotional toll. “On the first day, we saw over 300 people. That night I cried, not from the work of it, but because I felt like I was throwing a glass of water on an inferno.” According to Mickie, Kelli saw illnesses ranging from colds to leprosy. One handicapped child had an infection so severe that even after several days of administering antibiotics, Kelli had to ask the interpreter to tell the child’s parents that she would probably die. One family brought a young boy to Kelli, explaining, through the interpreter, that he had fallen out of a tree and could no longer walk. “He was paralyzed,” Kelli said. “And they wanted me to make him walk again.” Later, the Burgins learned that the villagers were astonished by Kelli’s methods. What seemed like routine medical exams to Kelli and the Burgins were shocking for the villagers for one reason -- Kelli touched her patients. Although the caste system which existed for so long in India is no longer officially in existence, the idea that sick or poor people are “untouchable” is thoroughly ingrained. As a result, doctors rarely touch their patients. Rather, they diagnose based on reported symptoms. “When I started examining people, I just did what I do naturally as a physician,” Kelli said. “How can you heal and not touch someone?”
16
Since the 2008 trip, the Burgins have raised over $93,000 in pledges through their church and other churches. These pledges should continue to come in over a period of three years, and will go mainly for land and construction costs for the orphanage in Bangalore. Funds for daily operating costs are an ongoing need. “Our goals for the future include building a home with sufficient room for at least 50 children,” Mickie said. “Right now they’re just cram packed into a place smaller than our house.” They also have plans to help the orphanage in Bangarapet to begin a silkworm farm on the land surrounding the home. In this way, the orphanage could make money and, hopefully, be self-sustaining. “If they can get this farm going, hopefully that will get them enough to keep their home going. They also plan to raise vegetables and things like that for the children to eat.” Mickie said. The Burgins hope to keep reaching out to the people of India. Through the money they have raised, and through their visits, they have been able to extend their arms across the globe and provide in effect, what Kelli provided those few days on the streets of Bangarapet – a human touch in Jesus’ name. Anyone who is interested in helping the Burgins to fund the ministries in India, may contact them at 167 Stroud Rd., Ellenboro, NC 28040. Donations should be made to Lattimore Baptist Church. “Dr. Kelli” holds one of her small patients while the child’s mother explains his symptoms at one of the medical clinics the Burgins held in a village near Bangarapet.
From These Stones – The Mars Hill College Magazine
Lunsford Festival Set for October 3 This all-day festival celebrating regional music and dance traditions is the second oldest folk festival in western North Carolina and was named in honor of cofounder Bascom Lamar Lunsford. Lunsford was a musician and folklorist who dedicated his life to collecting and promoting the music of the Southern Appalachians. Through his work he became known as the “Minstrel of Appalachia.” The festival, which is now in its 42nd year, brings out the region’s finest musicians and dancers. Daytime activities include a main stage featuring over 15 performances, a gospel stage, a traditional ballad and story swap, lots of jam circles, and dancing. Food vendors will be setup up on festival grounds. At night there will be a spectacular concert featuring different performances by the region’s best- ballad singers, dancers, and string bands. Join us in honoring the rich cultural traditions of the Southern Appalachians!
NEH Challenge Grant The Liston B. Ramsey Center for Regional Studies is finishing other year of fundraising to help support and preserve the Southern Appalachian Archives. The Archives are full of rich history which includes photographs, documents, publications and other artifacts which provide a glimpse into the life and culture of the Southern Appalachian region. For the 2008-2009 academic year, the focus was on the Gertrude M. Ruskin Collection of Native American artifacts. This collection highlights items from the Cherokee Nation. The 2009-2010 academic year will draw on the James G.K. McClure Farmers Federation Collection which has more than 3,000 photographs, manuscripts, scrapbooks, publications and recordings. The Farmers Federation emphasis offers a unique glimpse into the region’s longstanding agricultural lifestyle along with its religious foundation. To aid in the preservation of these collections and others like them, Mars Hill College was rewarded a Challenge Grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities. Fundraising for the NEH Challenge Grant is ongoing and for the 2008-2009 grant year the goal is $330,000. To date, approximately $252,000 has been raised toward this goal, with $78,000 to be raised by August 31, 2009. The response to the fundraising effort has been very positive and has already made a significant impact on the Ramsey Center. With the support and generosity of Mars Hill College Alumni and the Mars Hill Community, we have seen many gift opportunities. If you would like to show your financial support, please contact Ray Englebert at (828) 6891435, or via email: renglebert@mhc.edu, for more information on other giving options, such as real estate, insurance, charitable trusts and annuities.
Sign up to receive Inside MHC, the bimonthly e-newsletter from Mars Hill College. Find out the latest happenings on campus, information about upcoming alumni gatherings, and much more. Get on the list. Go to www.mhc.edu and click on Alumni, then fill out the simple subscription form. From These Stones – Spring 2009
17
Newman Recognized with Baptist Heritage Award Dr. Harold Newman ’50 of Fayetteville, NC, was honored on April 28th as Mars Hill’s recipient of the 2009 North Carolina Baptist Heritage Award. The award recognizes individuals who represent exemplary service to the organizations associated with the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina. Dr. Newman is in his second term as a trustee of Mars Hill College. Following graduation from Bowman Gray School of Medicine, he left for military service in the south Pacific. Back in the states, after completion of a five year residency at North Carolina Baptist Hospital, Harold and Ernestine Newman settled in Fayetteville. For the past 45 years, the couple’s impact on the community and beyond has been legendary. On separate occasions, Harold served as Chief of Surgery and Chief of Staff at both Cape Fear Valley Medical Center and Highsmith-Rainey Memorial Hospital. In addition to affiliations with many professional organizations and service at Snyder Memorial Baptist Church, he has been deeply involved with the Baptist Medical –Dental Fellowship, Since 1974, Dr. Newman has made 22 international medical mission trips, working primarily as a “relief surgeon” in Gaza, Nigeria, Brazil, Thailand, Ghana, and Indonesia. Beginning in 1992, Harold and Ernestine made 14 trips to the Sanyati Baptist Hospital in Zimbabwe. While Harold tended to the medical needs of the area, Ernestine worked as a Bible teacher. While touching lives throughout the globe, Dr. Newman is quick to note that his greatest sources of pride are his children - Beth, a professor at Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond, David, a Greensboro surgeon, Chris, Greensboro ENT specialist, and Alex, a Cary family physician.
Bryan Caring Awards Presented Student Kayla McCurry and sociology professor Laurie Pedersen have been awarded the G. MacLeod Bryan Caring Award from Mars Hill College. The Award is given each year to a Mars Hill College student and a faculty/staff member, in recognition of outstanding service to the community. The award is named for G. MacLeod (“Mac”) Bryan, a graduate of Mars Hill College and professor at Wake Forest University, who not only worked tirelessly for the cause of peace and justice, but has influenced countless others to join the cause through the years. Guest speaker for the awards banquet was Bren Dubay, Executive Director of Koinonia Farms in Americus Georgia, a Christian farm community based on common work and service. Koinonia is the birthplace of Habitat for Humanity, Jubilee Partners, and other ministries which advocate for peace and justice around the world.One of the co-founders of Koinonia, J. Martin England, was a Mars Hill College professor of religion. The other co-founder, Clarence Jordan, was a friend of Mac Bryan and the two shared a commitment to “the social application of Christianity,” Bryan said recently. Bryan and his wife, Edna, in fact spent short periods at the farm community in its early years. In addition to serving as a professor of sociology at Mars Hill, Laurie Pedersen is involved in numerous community and campus activities. She serves on the Madison County United Way Board, organizes the annual Clothesline Project, a domestic abuse awareness campaign; leads a program called Take Back the Night, a program to promote rape awareness; has led two fall break service projects; and actively supports Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project, Madison Farms, Laurel Valley Watch, Mars Hill College’s Difficult Dialogues and the Bonner Foundation. Kayla McCurry is now a senior religion and philosophy major from Burnsville, NC. She is actively involved in My Sister’s Place, a Madison County shelter for abused women and children, and A Vet’s Place, a shelter sponsored by the Asheville Community Christian Ministry to minister to veterans. She has also participated in service work at A-Hope Homeless Day Center, Jubilee Partners, a ministry to refugees in comer, Georgia, and on a Bonner Scholars trip to Uganda last summer. On campus, she is active in helping plan events such as Hunger Week, a series of events on campus to raise awareness about local and global hunger. 18
From These Stones – The Mars Hill College Magazine
Thursday, October 22 2:30pm
National Alumni Board Executive Committee
Carter-Humphrey House
7:00pm
Chili Cook-Off
Wren Patio
8:00pm
Lion’s Growl
Meares Stadium
9:30pm
Fireworks
Meares Stadium
10:00pm
Dance
The Loft
11:30am
National Alumni Board
Sams Dining Room, Pittman Dining Hall
2:00-5:00pm
Registration
Blackwell Hall Lobby
2:00-4:00pm
Ramsey Center tours
Renfro Library
Friday, October 23
2:00-4:00pm
Ferguson/Wall tours
Ferguson Math & Science Center
5:00-7:00pm
Alumni Jamboree
Wren Patio
5:00pm
Women’s Soccer vs. Lenoir-Rhyne
Meares Stadium
7:00pm
Men’s Soccer vs. Wingate
Meares Stadium
7:00pm
Volleyball vs. Newberry
Chambers Gym
7:30pm
Organ Recital: Kelly Grooms ‘99
Moore Auditorium
8:30pm
Alumni Gathering
Wild Wing Cafe, Asheville
Saturday, October 24 9:00-10:30am
Alumni Band rehearsal
Meares Stadium
9:00am-1:30pm
Registration/Coffee
Blackwell Hall Lobby
9:00am-4:30pm
MHC Bookstore open
Bookstore, Main Street
10:00-11:00am
Class Reunions: Classes of 1969, 1984, 1999
Ferguson Math & Science Center
Class of 1949
Peterson Conference Center, Blackwell Hall
10:00am-12:00pm
Ramsey Center tours
Renfro Library
10:00am-12:00pm
Ferguson/Wall tours
Ferguson Math & Science Center
10:30am
Lacrosse game
Belk Field
11:00am
MHC Choir/Alumni Choir
Broyhill Chapel
12:00-1:30pm
Lunch Adults $7.50 Children (3-10) $5.00
Quad
1:00pm
Former student athlete reception
Wren Patio
1:30pm
Homecoming Parade
NC Highway 213
2:30pm
Football vs. Lenoir-Rhyne Adults $10 Students $5
Ammons Family Athletic Center/ Meares Stadium
Halftime:
Halftime: Alumni Band performs with Mountain Lon Marching Band Recognition of Alumni of the Year
6:00pm
Alumni of the Year Dinner
Redway Dining Room, Pittman Dining Hall
Tickets for football game and meals may be purchased at the event with the exception of the Alumni of the Year Dinner. Reservations for the dinner may be made by contacting Ophelia DeGroot at (828) 6891438 or fdegroot@mhc.edu.
From These Stones – Spring 2009
19
CLASS notes Class notes information is compiled from alumni submissions, news media reports, and other announcements. The Alumni Office welcomes pictures and/or news of weddings, babies and events (advanced degrees, career changes, church or community honors, etc.) from our alumni. You may e-mail fdegroot@mhc.edu or mail to Fifi DeGroot, Alumni Office, P.O. Box 370, Mars Hill, NC 28754.
1940s
1960s
1948 John and Gloria Lee ‘49 Gibson celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary in January. The Gibsons are owners of Autodex Publishing Company and live in Huntersville, NC.
1965 Jim Sides has published a religious novel entitled Almost Home. He will be holding a book signing during Homecoming.
1949 Dale Hooper celebrated his 80th birthday in July by making his first sky dive. Read an account of his adventure in the online version of From These Stones at www.mhc.edu.
1967 Patsy McDowell Morrison retired in June after a 42 year teaching career. She and husband Tom live in Brookneal, VA.
1970s 1950s 1950 Mike L. McGee has been named Pastor Emeritus at Morningside Baptist Church, Spartanburg, SC where he pastored for 17 years . Since retiring in ‘96, he has served as Interim Pastor in 11 Baptist churches in Spartanburg area. He and wife, Jo ’50 met as students at MHC and in May, 2009 will celebrate 57 years of “marital bliss”. All 4 of their children attended MHC-—David ’76, Cathy (attended ’75 & ’76 then graduated USC in ’78), Sarah ’79 and Carol ’80. 1950 Lacy Thornburg retired at the end of August following a long career in public service, the last 14 years as a U.S. District Court judge in western North Carolina. 1952 Jerry Poovey married Connie Milhoven in April. The couple lives in Valdese, NC. 1952 Robert P. Reese and Bobbie Jean Thompson ‘53 celebrated their 55th wedding anniversary in March. Friends and fellow classmates are invited to call them at (865) 522-6455.
1970 Ford West, president of The Fertilizer Institute, and Keith Leggett ’80, senior economist at the American Bankers Association, were both speakers at the Far West Agribusiness Association in Spokane Washington on August 5. What are the odds of having two speakers on a program in Spokane, WA, that are both MHC alums? 1973 Nancy Buchanan Crane has been appointed executive director of the Pediatric Cancer Foundation, a national nonprofit based in Tampa, FL. 1974 Bob Stamper transferred to Trenton State College in New Jersey, Graduating with a BS in Criminal Justice. After 30 years as a criminal investigator, he has retired. Bob and his wife, Mary Jo, now own and operate the Aska Lodge Bed & Breakfast in Blue Ridge, GA. Visit them at www.askalodge.net. 1977 Stephen Sasse has been named head football coach of Point Pleasant Beach High School in Ocean County, NJ.
1980s 1959 Miles H. Plowden III has published Crackers of the Scrub, a book that explores pioneer life in the Lake Wales, FL, area.
20
1980 Dr. Michael Sitton, who has served as Dean of the College of Fine Arts at Eastern New Mexico University since 2005, has been appointed Dean of the Crane School of Music at the State University of New York at Potsdam, begin-
From These Stones – The Mars Hill College Magazine
CLASS notes ning in July. In his continuing work as a composer, one of Sitton’s recent premieres was a choral anthem, O quam metuendus est, commissioned by the Episcopal Chapel of St. John the Divine in Champaign, IL, and sung during a fall 2008 reunion of alumni in celebration of the chapel’s recent completion project. He also continues to be active as a solo and collaborative pianist. 1981 Rev. Dr. Mildred “Bonnie” Hines has been appointed to serve the Western/West Africa Episcopal District that includes Ghana, Liberia, Togo, and Cote d’Ivoire. She is the first female bishop elected to serve in the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Zion Church. 1982 Church music leader Mark Cabaniss has been named new head of Word Print Music. Mark Comes to Word from several years as President of Shawnee Press and prior to that, an executive at Brentwood Music. Not only has Mark had a long and successful career in the Church Music Industry, he also has extensive experience as a church Worship Leader, having just finished a term as part time minister of music at a church in the Nashville area where he resides. 1982 Michael Kelly was promoted last year to vice president of Macy’s Incorporated Learning and Development Division. 1985 Todd Camp has been named superintendent of the Metropolitan School District of North Posey County in Poseyville, IN. 1986 Susan Odom Midgett participated in the “Escape from Alcatraz Sharkfest” open-water swim in San Francisco Bay, CA, in August to help “free” the children in Haiti. The purpose of her swim, dubbed S.O.S. for Haiti (Susan’s Open-water Swim), is to raise $100,000 for an adequate medical and dental clinic at Vilaj Espwa (Hope Village) in Les Cayes, Haiti. As this issue of From These Stones went to press, Susan was very close to reaching her fundraising goal. You can find out more information about the project and how to contribute at her website www.sosforhaiti.blogspot.com. 1986 Walter Ruff has been appointed to the North Carolina Council on Developmental Disabilities. 1988 Carol Bennett has completed her doctorate program at Western Carolina University in educational leadership curriculum and instruction.
1989 Jonathan E. Diego, Esq. recently became a partner in an Atlantic City, New Jersey law firm. The name of the firm is now Miksis & Diego attorneys at law. Jonathan graduated from Rutgers School of Law in 1993 and has practiced law in New Jersey during his entire legal career. Also, Jonathan recently traveled to Barcelona, Spain with his wife, Linda, where they enjoyed a vacation experiencing the sights, sounds and flavors of Spain. They will celebrate their 10th wedding anniversary in November 2009.
1990s 1990 Connie Metcalf Harris received the degree of Master of Public Administration from UNC-Pembroke in 2007. In February 2009 she accepted a position with the North Carolina Division of Aging and Adult Services as Adult Programs Representative. 1990 Shane F. Lynn has joined Owens Insurance Agency of Greer, SC, as vice president. 1992 Christopher Kouns has been promoted to associate head coach of the women’s soccer team at the University of Cincinnati. 1992 Christiaan Ramsey, principal of Mars Hill Elementary School, was named Madison County Schools Principal of the Year last October. 1995 Suzanne Dean Burne and husband, David, welcome the addition of twin daughters, Grace Kimberly and Megan Mae, on January 24. They join big brother, Thomas, age 6. Suzanne is currently a stay-at-home mom in Montclair, VA. 1999 Patrick Anderson is now the baseball coach at Hofstra University.
2000s 2002 Heather Cyre Gillette graduated from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro in May with a masters degree in library and information studies. She works in the Z. Smith Reynolds Library at Wake Forest University as a Library Specialist. 2002 Andrea Rockel earned her PhD in microbiology from Wake Forest University. 2003 Jamie Ballance married Bryan Robinson in June. Jamie is a family drug treatment court From These Stones – Spring 2009
21
CLASS notes coordinator in Wayne and Lenoir counties in North Carolina. 2003 Eric Bebber married Elizabeth Fortenberry in November 2008. Eric is an urban missions coordinator for the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship. The couple lives in Washington, DC. 2003 Amanda Marie Johnson and Brandon Bryant ’01 were united in marriage on May 24 in an evening outdoor ceremony performed by Pastor Sam McLamb at Claxton Farms, in Weaverville. Amanda is currently employed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency based out of Washington, D.C. as an external affairs specialist. Brandon is a general contractor and the owner of Red Tree Builders, Inc., a certified green builder company. The couple will reside in the Asheville area. 2005 Rachel Greybill received a Master of Divinity degree from Candler School of Theology, Emory University, during commencement activities in May.
2005 Matthew David Wilson received his Master of Arts in Christian Education from Campbell University in May. 2007 Kathryn Bolton married Derek Osborne in January. The couple lives in Redmond, OR. 2008 Matthew Kupstas started an Americorps Vista position in August for Davis & Elkins College in Elkins, WV. He is assigned to develop an Appalachian Studies program there. One of his many responsibilities will include the development of an old time music and dance club. 2008 Andrea McCrary married Daniel Wallace in April. Andrea is employed at Old Salem. 2008 Nicholas Tracy has been named assistant baseball coach at Georgia Southwestern State University. 2008 Dustin Whitlow is working for NATO as a systems administrator in Mons, Belgium. He is still running, and recently competed in his first half-marathon and marathon.
In Memoriam Since our last publication we have received word of the passing of the following members of the Mars Hill College family.
1920s Gordon, Dorothy, ’23
1930s Danner, Mae, ’33 Robinson, Ruth, ’33 Caston, W. Frank, ’34 Fleetwood, Madeline, ’34 Schranz, Edna, ’34 Sturgis, Frances, ’34 O’Quinn, Harold, ’37 Hane, Sainte, ’38 Teague, Rev. Jarvis, ’38 Thomas, Martha, ’39
1940s Holt, Claire, ’40 Richards, Irmeth, ’40 Welch, Henry, ’40 Bender, James, ’41 Hall, John Lyman, ’41
22
Harkness, Marjorie, ’41 Helms, Catherine, ’41 Nolan, Paul, ’41 Sparks, Homer, ’41 Allgood, James, ’42 Derrick, Eunice, ’42 Dickey, Harry, ’42 Staton, Marshall, ’42 Carlton, Margaret Sue, ’43 Day, Frederick, ’43 Fish, James, ’43 Huff, Henry, ’43 Lemonds, Newman, ’43 Moore, Clifton Hal, ’43 Phillips, Eloise, ’43 Broughton, John, ’44 Coleman, Maxwell, ’44 Huffman, Frank, ’44 Hunter, Edgar, ’44 Leonard, Frances, ’44 Richardson, Ella, ’44 Gidney, Pauline, ’45 Morgan, Cecil, ’45 Parker, Edith, ’45 Sumner, Nellie Irene, ’46 Bunch, Robert, ’47 Scalf, Dorothy, ’47 Swann, Edith, ’47
From These Stones – The Mars Hill College Magazine
CLASS notes Flack, Glenn, ’48 Swayngim, William, ’48 McCracken, Hubert “Bert”, ’49 Thomason, Martha, ’49
1950s Dukes, Victor, ’50 Ellis, Fred, ’50 Evans, Dr. Tom Edwin, ’50 Wadewitz, Rachel, ’50 Craig, William, ’51 Dixon, Elizabeth, ’51 Garrison, Herbert, ’51 Hunt, Ralph, ’51 Rowland, Betty, ’51 Threatt, William, ’51 Wallin, Kathleen, ’51 Hall, William, ’52 Rector, Caroleen, ’52 Bell, Kay, ’53 Riddle, Rev. Wayne, ’53 Griffin, Rebecca, ’54 Mills, Pat, ’54 Whitson, Zane, ’54 Scott, Roger, ’56 Baker, Ray, ’58 Parker, George, ’58 Biggs, George, ’59 Young, James, ’59
1960s Anderson, Ralph Franklin, ’61 Champion, Andrew, ’67 Holt, M. Joy, ’67 Broadway, Benjamin, ’69
1970s Ambrose, Linda, ’73 Bowman, Frederick, ’74 Cody, Shirley, ’74 Mallette, Gary, ’74 Rimmer, Nannette, ’74 Battey, Toni, ’77 Wilson, Debra, ’78
1980s West, William “Jeff”, ’80 Moffitt, Dorcas, ’83 McGillen, Connie, ’86
1990s Williams, Christine, ’89 Rice, Anthony, ’91
2000s Kelso, Brandon, ’09
The Mars Hill Heritage Long ago people in the hills of western North Carolina knew the importance of a Christian education And with sacrifice and commitment to the reality of God provided for dedicated study So that since 1856 students have followed paths through the mountains to Mars Hill College Some from nearby counties others from far away to develop their skills and learn the ways of life
To fill their callings in making a living and sharing their blessings in serving others
Guiding many into the ways of our Creator with a deepening appreciation of their own gifts
Here they made friends found life long companions formed everlasting relationshipss with devoted teachers and stafff
To be used in manifesting the wonders of God’s goodness in grace and truth
Who equipped them well to minister to the needy around the world as leaders and helpers
Enabling many to know the eternal hope and divine peace that spiritual faith provides
In government and churches schools and homes offices and factories wherever humans lived
For each to enjoy the assurance and strength of fellowship with the Lord of all 6/6/09 - James Helvey ’48
Mars Hill College PO Box 370 Mars Hill, NC 28754
For more details, contact Gordon Benton, Director of Church and Community Relations Mars Hill College, (828) 689-1276, gbenton@mhc.edu