Mars Hill: The Magazine of Mars Hill University - Spring 2014

Mars Hill, The Magazine - Spring 2013 1

A Semester of Transition and

Historic FirstsINSIDE

What’s In Store for Bailey Mountain?

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MAGAZINE STAFF: Editor: Teresa Buckner, Media Relations CoordinatorAssociate Editor: Mike Thornhill ’88, Director of Communications Contributors:

Rick Baker, Sports Information Director

Brady Adcock ’13Dr. Marc Mullinax ’77, Associate

Professor of ReligionCindy Whitt ’06, Administrative

Assistant for Student Development

Dr. Barbara Sims, Professor of Criminal Justice

MARS HILL UNIVERSITY ADMINISTRATIONPresident: Dr. Dan G. Lunsford ’69Executive Vice President: Dr. John WellsVP of Institutional Advancement: Bud ChristmanVP of Finance: Neil TilleyExecutive Director of Planning & Auxiliary Services: Dr. Grainger CaudleSpecial Assistant to the President for Strategic Initiatives: Dr. Joy Kish ’82Director of Human Resources: Deana Holland

Mars Hill [mahrz hil] noun 1. A site in Athens, also known as the Areopagus, where Paul used

persuasive reason and logic to preach Christ to the intellectuals of first-century Greece, as detailed in Acts 17:21 of the Bible.

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

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

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

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

Notices of changes of address and class notes should be addressed to the Alumni Office, Mars Hill University, P.O. Box 6792, Mars Hill, NC, 28754. Phone 828/689-1102. Fax 828/689-1292. E-mail [email protected].

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

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

Copyright 2014. All rights reserved.

Cover: Students (l-r) Amber Brown, Avery Burdette, Dominique Chavis, Alex Van Dusen, Rachel Clark, and Joshua Messer model their new Mars Hill University t-shirts on the

Upper Quad. Background: A cherry tree blooms outside of Blackwell Hall.


In This Issue:Letter from the President ..................................... 4

Mars Hill Celebrates First University Graduation ..... 5 Bestows Honorary Doctorates on Chapmans

A Semester of Celebration at the NEW U ................. 6 Scenes from Fall 2013, a Semester of Transition

Bailey Mountain ................................................... 8 From Historic Symbol to Community Asset

Dr. Emmett Sams ................................................10 A Legacy Beyond the Numbers

Amazing Alumni ..................................................14 Norman ’84 and Linda Judge-McRae ’86

New Buildings to House Nursing and Business .......17 Grant Allows Renovation of Huffman Dorm

Heart, Mind, and Seoul ........................................18 Dr. Marc Mullinax ’77 Describes His Sabbatical in South Korea

Lion Athletics ......................................................20 Fall 2013 Sports Recap

In Pursuit of Justice ............................................22 The New Criminal Justice Major at MHU

Call for Entries, Homecoming 2014 Art Exhibit.......23Faculty/Staff News ..............................................24Class Notes ........................................................27

Plan the work; work the plan.

It’s a time-honored strategy of business. Success in the world of private enterprise is usually the result of careful and strategic planning. Unlike a business, Mars Hill University deals in the “capital” of people: providing transformational educational experiences for both young people and working adults. And yet, much like a business, we feel that our continued success in this current season of growth and expansion will be tied to careful and strategic planning.

For this reason, in September 2012, the Mars Hill College Board of Trustees approved a five-year strategic plan for the years 2012-2017. Mars Hill’s transition to university status, accomplished in August 2013, was among the first of the goals spelled out in that plan.

In this issue of Mars Hill, the Magazine, you will have a chance to revisit the many events and happenings that have heralded the arrival of Mars Hill’s new university status. You will also get a glimpse of what the future holds for the institution, as called for in the points of the strategic plan. Continued expansion of offerings to students in terms of both facilities and academic programs are among the most visible of those points. Here are a few highlights:

• In December 2013, Mars Hill graduated the first criminal justice majors since reinstituting the major last fall. The program is growing rapidly and continues to draw students to the university.

• The Mars Hill University bachelor’s degree in nursing, to be called the Judge-McRae Nursing Program, is currently under development. This new program, planned to begin in the fall of 2015, is expected to fill a growing need for healthcare workers in western North Carolina and throughout the region, particularly at a time when hospitals are increasingly demanding four-year degrees for nurses.

• The building which will house the MHU nursing program is also under development. The as-yet-unnamed building will face Cascade Street and will sit on the site of Harris Media Center, which is due to be razed in the summer of 2014.

• The groundbreaking of Day Hall, the future site of Mars Hill’s business program, bookstore, and blackbox theatre, is planned for Homecoming 2014.

• Mars Hill’s efforts to upgrade and expand residence areas for its growing student population include the recent openings of Azalea Residence Hall and Dogwood Residence Hall. The institution has also received a $250,000 grant from The Cannon Foundation for the renovation of Huffman Residence Hall.

• Yet another new dorm is in the planning stages for the area long known as “Men’s Hill.” More information about that residence hall will be available in the near future.

I often say it, but it really is an exciting time to be part of Mars Hill University. As an alumnus, I am so proud to be associated with this fine institution and I hope you are, too. Thank you for traveling on this journey with us!

Dr. Dan Lunsford ’69 President



Top: Graduating senior Brady Adcock

’13 addresses his fellow graduates.

Middle: Bob ’45 and Rachel Chapman ’44 receive their doctoral hoods.

Bottom: Rev. David Smith gives the

keynote address.

Mars Hill, The Magazine | Spring 2014 5

Mars Hill University’s historic first graduation since attaining university status took place on Friday evening, December 20, 2013. The institution conferred bachelor’s degrees on 91 August and December graduates, and honorary doctorates on two long-time faculty members in a ceremony in Moore Auditorium.

The university bestowed honorary doctorates on Bob ’45 and Rachel Chapman ’44, a husband and wife who, between them, gave 89 years of service to Mars Hill before their retirement in 1991. Rachel Chapman was a business professor for her entire 45-year career. Bob Chapman served as the assistant registrar from 1947 until 1957, and as the college registrar from 1957 until 1991. During those years, he was also a professor of business. In all, he gave 44 years of service to the college.

The Chapmans continue to be active in the life of the university, and helped found the Retired Faculty/Staff Association.

Keynote speaker for the evening was Dr. David Smith ’69, honorary trustee of Mars Hill University and pastor of First Baptist Church of Lenoir, NC.

Smith told the graduates, “God never provides a detailed lifelong plan. Direction is provided day by day to those who are open to dreams calling us forward.”

He urged the graduates to look for opportunities to make positive change. “Don’t wait on Washington or Raleigh to change the world,” he said. “You are God’s appointed agent of change. It is really in the small, everyday acts that true change comes.”

Rev. Smith holds a bachelor’s degree in history from Mars Hill College, and a doctorate of divinity from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. He is a former missionary, and a former trustee and campus minister at Mars Hill College.

The most common majors for the graduates were education (elementary, middle, integrated, special), business (administration, management) and history. Three of the graduates were recipients of the first Bachelor of Science in criminal justice degrees issued by Mars Hill since the degree was reinstituted in 2013.

Mars Hill Celebrates First University GraduationBestows Honorary Doctorates on Chapmans

UFall 2013 was a semester of historic firsts for Mars Hill University. The campus swarmed with activity in celebration of its transition from college to university status, with a number of events marking the change.

University Celebration, August 26: Although the official transition date was August 15, the University Celebration took place after students returned for the fall semester. (1) Here, Dr. Dan Lunsford addresses the crowd. (2) Senior Brett Pardue sings the alma mater. (3) The M Hill Steppers perform. (4) The MHU Cheerleaders lead the crowd in cheers. (5) All celebration attendees gather for a historic photo.

Ribbon Cutting for Laurel Residence Hall, September 5: (6) The dorm, one of two residence halls completed during the fall semester, is located on “Men’s Hill” and holds 67 male students.

Ribbon Cutting for the Rural Life Museum, September 27: (7) The museum is newly renovated after being closed for a lengthy period. It is located in Montague Hall.

University Lecture Series, September 30: (8) Mars Hill introduced the University Lecture series with a presentation by John Boyle, II, founder and CEO of JL Boyle International, about national economics and the federal debt.

Homecoming 2013 and the 46th Annual Bascom Lamar Lunsford “Minstrel of Appalachia” Festival, October 6: This year’s homecoming theme was “The New U.” (9) Pictured here, President Dan Lunsford, Trustee Wayne Higgins, Trustee Chair Dixon Free and Student Government Association Treasurer Bill

Barrett participate in a ceremony burying a time capsule on the Upper Quad. The capsule is

due to be opened in


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Mars Hill, The Magazine - Spring 2013 7U2056, on the 200th anniversary of the university. (10) Traditional musiciansJamie Soesbee, Carol Rifkin and Arvil Freeman perform on the stage on the Upper Quad. (11) The Bailey Mountain Cloggers’ high energy routines are always a hit during Homecoming and the Lunsford Festival, and this year was no exception. (12) It was beautiful weather for the annual alumni lunch on the quad. (13) With both Lunsford Festival and Homecoming activites, October 6 was a packed day on the upper quad. (14) Homecoming royalty Brett Pardue and Shelby Johnson leave the field. (15) The university hosted a ribbon cutting on October 6 for Dogwood Residence Hall, which is located near Dixon-Palmer Apartments and houses 47 female students. (16) Here, traditional musicians Dr. Betty Smith and Roger Howell, and (17) the Trantham Family perform at the evening concert of the Lunsford Festival. (18) The 2013 Alumni of the Year Dinner honored two alumni from the senior college years and two from the junior college years (l-r): Jerrie Oughton ’57, Dr. Harold Newman ’50, Rodney Johnson ’72, and Alfreda Gerald ’85.

USDA Loan Ceremony, October 22: (19) Mars Hill University announced United States Department of Agriculture funding for two new building projects on the campus: Day Hall, planned to house Mars Hill’s business department; and a yet-to-be-named nursing facility. Here, Randall Gore, State Director of USDA Rural Development, presents the university with a certificate announcing a Community Facility Loan of over $32 million.

MHU Graduation, December 20: (20) Mars Hill University holds its first graduation since attaining university status.


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Mars Hill University’s location in the southern Appalachians continues to draw students from across the country and world. The campus is nestled within a majestic landscape, and with a simple glance out a window, your mind and spirit swell with passion. Truly blessed are those who have the opportunity to live, study, and work in such an inspiring environment. It seems that the mountains and valleys around Mars Hill are aglow with an antecedent beauty; a beauty that transcends the age of the institution and community, yet embraces their presence.

Long standing watch is a high place that has witnessed the birth, growth, and success of Mars Hill University. She stands tall with the outstretched ridges that grace Mars Hill with cooling summer shade, a vibrant autumn mosaic, and silent snowcap winters.

When I first arrived in Mars Hill in 2010 I was captivated by Bailey Mountain, the place that shared its name with our nationally recognized clogging team and one of our newest residence halls; the same mountain whose contours can be found in both the town and institutional seals. My mind wandered to an unoriginal thought,

unquestionably shared by thousands of other students over the course of Mars Hill University’s 158- year existence… How can I climb it?

Students have long scrambled to the summit of Bailey. In my various encounters with alumni, many recall exploring their backyard Eden. Stories of adventure and conquest ring from their lips while eyes glow with lifelong memories. In that first week in the fall of 2010, I continued to vocalize a question that none could answer.

This simple question led to the creation of the Bailey Mountain Foundation, whose goal is to bring together students and community members to improve access and recreational opportunities on the property. Bailey Mountain has a history of responsible care and stewardship. The Hoffman Foundation, created by late Mars Hill Professor Richard L. Hoffman, raised the proper support to purchase and reallocate 212 acres into a conservation land trust. This measure assured that a large portion of the Bailey would never be developed. It also provided consistent community access to wild nature.

After discovering the Hoffman Land Trust, I began making frequent visits into the difficult-to-reach paradise. Filled to the brim with wildlife and vistas, and located only steps from my home, Bailey Mountain offered an escape from the sometimes overwhelming chaos of life. My soul craved the pristine biosphere that continually offered provision and inspiration. I recognized that after these experiences I retained a spiritual high that re-centered my heart and mind. Blown away by the value that this place had obtained in my life, I felt an overwhelming need to share it with others.

That desire led me to consider the development of a sustainable trail system on the mountain. Winter on Bailey Mountain

By Brady Adcock ’13

How the Bailey Mountain Foundation aims to make the mountain more than just a symbol for a new generation of Mars Hillians.

Bailey Mountain: From Historic Symbol to Community Asset

Mars Hill, The Magazine - Spring 2013 9Mars Hill, The Magazine | Spring 2014 9

Such a project, I knew, wouldn’t be easy. Many hours of work and preparation would be needed to ensure the project’s long-term success. Luckily, the community is filled with engaged citizens who brought together time and energy to make this sustainable trails project a reality. Lee Hoffman of the Hoffman Foundation, and Dan Morris, MHU Director of Outdoor Programs, helped organize the information needed to develop a comprehensive action plan that was used to acquire funding for the project.

The overall design of the project was over six miles of hiking and biking trails within the 212 acres of the Hoffman land trust. The project plan included trails which would give ideal access to Hamp Gap for camping, and a rock site for climbing. Tools would be purchased for volunteers, bridges would span gaps and creeks, custom designed trail markers would keep hikers on the right path, and signage would be posted leading to designated parking areas. All these would be achieved while building community, offering service opportunities, and expanding the classroom.

After securing some grant funds (in collaboration with the town of Mars Hill) from the Rural Foundation in 2013, we were able to build community through improving outdoor recreation opportunities on the Bailey Mountain property! A Ranger program was developed with University students filling the ranks to provide continued service. Work study and service scholars could now work on the project as a form of service learning. The Ranger program is lead by Dan Morris.

Within the first year, dozens of First Year Seminar (FYS) classes have visited and volunteered workdays for the project. These FYS classes are comprised of first year college students, many of whom have not had the opportunity to do much hiking in the southern Appalachians. This project is offering opportunities for students to experience their new home a different way.

Many new studies are being published on the values of experiential learning and outdoor education. Ecology classes are beginning to use this access to explore the diverse life within our unique forest. It’s one thing to study pictures of plants in a book, but it’s entirely different to see how the tree grows in relation to other plants, and take the opportunity to experience the natural processes.

It has been an honor to see Bailey Mountain transformed into a community asset. As I neared graduation on December 20th, I reflected on the countless hours I had spent mapping, hiking, and working on the Bailey trails. It gives me great joy to know that the project will continue on long after I’m gone. My involvement with the Bailey Mountain Foundation has helped influenced my decision to accept a position with the U.S. Department of the Interior’s VISTA program to continue work in community and economic development in the southern Appalachians.

As one of the newest alumni of Mars Hill University, I feel privileged to return and enjoy the growing outdoor recreation opportunities in this community. Have no doubt that every time I visit, you can find me high on the Bailey ridges reflecting on the memories that impacted the course of my life. Best of all, I expect to run into current students somewhere on these trails, offer them a smile, and know that their lives are being impacted too.

Progress and pictures of the project can be found on the Bailey Mountain Foundation’s facebook page. If you are interested in getting involved, or have any questions, you can contact someone in the Ranger program at [email protected].

A student workday on Bailey Mountain.


Dr. Emmett SamsA Legacy Beyond the Numbers

Dr. Don Russell, Mars Hill University professor of mathematics, maintains that Emmett Sams, who taught math at Mars Hill College for 46 years, taught more students than anyone else in the history of the institution.

“He never missed a fall or a spring semester in all of his 46 years,” Russell said. “Plus, he normally taught at least one session in the summer.”

Mr. Sams often taught the beginning classes, Russell said, long after he had the seniority to choose an upper-level schedule. Those classes typically included 25 to 35 students. Furthermore, for the first 20 or so years of Mr. Sams’ career, six, three-hour classes per semester were considered a “full load.”

Being the mathematician that he is, Russell combines those factors to estimate that Mr. Sams taught over 13,000 students during his 46-year tenure at the college.

In numbers alone, Mr. Sams’ impact on the alumni of Mars Hill University is huge. But numbers cannot fully capture a legacy. A fuller understanding of Mr. Sams’ impact is evident in the emotion-laden remembrances of alumni, the heartfelt thanks in Mr. Sams’ collection of letters and cards from former students, the numerous awards for teaching, and in Mr. Sams’ own words, captured in letters, poems, publications, and presentations which he wrote through the years. These expressions show that the noteworthy feature of Mr. Sams’ career was not the number of students he taught, but the way he went about it.

Mr. Sams, who passed away April 2, 2013, taught mathematics at Mars Hill College from 1947 until his retirement in 1993. At his memorial service, held in Broyhill Chapel on May 6, 2013, numerous speakers shared their memories of a man who loved his family and his community and who served his church, Mars Hill Baptist, in numerous ways as a deacon and as a youth secretary. But Mr. Sams touched most of the people in his life as a consummate teacher, who loved imparting knowledge as well as a love for learning, and who left an indelible mark on the thousands of individuals he taught.

Nancy Medford Wood, who taught mathematics at Mars Hill from 1956 until 1992, shared an office with Mr. Sams for many years. She said: “[Emmett] was a very good teacher. He was very interested in his students. That was obvious from being in the office with him.”

(1920 - 2013)



“I think he cared more about how the students did then they did,” Russell said. “He wanted people to succeed. The other thing is, he could watch students and see who was having trouble and who wasn’t. I think he just had that kind of focus. He knew what concepts were going to cause problems and he was always willing to give students extra help on those topics.”

A native of Yancey County, Emmett Sams graduated from Mars Hill College, then a junior college, in 1939, and then completed his bachelor’s degree at Western Carolina University in 1941. He taught high school math in Burnsville and Mars Hill for five years before becoming a professor of mathematics at Mars Hill in 1947. He completed his master’s degree in 1949 at George Peabody College and later did further graduate work at Cornell University, North Carolina State University, and the University of Kansas.

In 1946, Mr. Sams married Violet Graham, and their daughters, Rebecca Sams (Ellis) and Paula Sams (Manning), were born in 1951 and 1953 respectively. Both are graduates of Mars Hill College (’73 and ’75), and both, like their father, are teachers.

Mr. Sams earned numerous awards during his career. He was the first recipient of the Gibbs Outstanding Teacher Award at Mars Hill College, in 1980. In 1983, he received the W. W. Rankin Memorial Award for Excellence in Mathematics Education from the North Carolina Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCCTM) , a coveted award which is presented annually to only one or two teachers statewide. He also won honors as an Outstanding Teacher of Appalachia (1990), and Outstanding Developmental Educator by the

Academic Enrichment Program at MHC (1992). In 2007, he was one of the few retired professors ever to be named Alumnus of the Year at Mars Hill College. Other honors include those from Who’s Who of America, Outstanding Educators of America, Community Leaders of America, American Men and Women of Science, Outstanding Contributions of NCCTM, and Who’s Who in North Carolina.

Perhaps the capstone award of Mr. Sams’ career was one that came just weeks before his death, when the faculty of Mars Hill University unanimously voted to bestow on him a doctorate of humane letters. Mr. Sams was aware of the award, but it was actually conferred after his death, at Mars Hill’s December 2012 graduation.

“Teaching is my life,” Mr. Sams wrote in the mid-80s, “and the mountain region is my love. I enjoy helping young people find themselves and prepare to lead. … Patience, concern, interest, and kindness, along with being fair, mean much to my teaching.”

Dr. John Hough, professor emeritus of education, was Mr. Sams’ student, even before he was his colleague. At Mr. Sams’ memorial service, Hough said: “[Emmett] was more patient than Job. When someone would not understand [something], he would explain it more simply a second time. If there were still questions, he explained it yet again. He never seemed upset, but he wanted to reach every one of the 40-plus students in the class.”

Hough said that Mr. Sams had the unique ability to take the fear out of mathematics and he was always open to scheduling extra sessions for students who needed it. “He was a teacher who could deal with almost all backgrounds and

Emmett Sams, as he appeared in The Laurel in 1949

Emmett and Violet Sams in the 1950s.


difficulties. He made you feel you were the most important person in his class,” Hough said.

“Emmett attended almost anything his students did and complimented us on our efforts,” Hough said. “I cannot go anywhere and meet former Mars Hill students that they do not ask about him. No teacher at this institution has ever had a greater impact on students!”

One of the ways that Mr. Sams showed support for MHC students was attendance at sporting events. In fact, Mr. Sams loved Lion Athletics and

is a member of the MHU Athletics Hall of Fame for “exemplary service to the Department of Athletics and to the student athletes of Mars Hill College for over 50 years.” He was honored as a tennis coach (1950–51), basketball score keeper (1947–1950), basketball clock keeper (1950–1986), football stat keeper (1947–1952), football/basketball sports information liaison with local newspapers (1947–1970), and basketball team driver (1947–1970).

It was in the classroom, however, and in the lives of students, where Mr. Sams had the greatest impact.

David Beaver ’86, now in his 29th year as a math teacher at North Buncombe High School, counts himself as one of the young people that Mr. Sams helped on the path to finding his calling in life.

Beaver, also a native of Yancey County, said that Mr. Sams went out of his way to form a relationship with him when he first came to Mars Hill College.

I met Mr. Sams for the first time in 1991 when I had the job interview at Mars Hill College. His initial impression to me was very kind and friendly in nature. After working with him for about four years at the college, I came to know him as one of the best people that I have ever met in my life. He had a positive attitude towards the world and a warm heart towards the people; and to me, he was not just a friend but a father. I remember during our first Christmas at Mars Hill, my wife and I didn’t buy any gifts for our son, Peter, because he wanted to verify whether or not Santa existed. When Mr. Sams heard about that, he brought a gift on Christmas day and told Peter that Santa had mistakenly delivered the gift to his house. Living and working at Mars Hill was truly a blessing for us. Our daughter Alice was born on Mr. Sams’ birthday. What a coincidence! Mr. Sams was very happy about that. It is a wonderful thing that Alice shares the birthday with one of the best people in the world.

After we left Mars Hill, we still kept in touch. Every year on my daughter’s birthday, I would call him. He always said to us, “I love you all,” and asked how the children were doing. He was so excited when I told him that Alice was majoring in Violin Performance at the Cleveland Institute of Music and Peter was studying at Columbia University Law School. He was very proud.

We have lost a great friend, a wonderful teacher, and one of the best human beings. We will remember him forever.

by Dr. Weihu Hong Professor of Mathematics,

Clayton State University, Morrow, GA.

Remembering....

Mr. Sams


“I wondered why he took any interest in me, really, because I didn’t live on campus, and I was not a good student. I didn’t even see myself as a person who could graduate from college,” Beaver said.

Due to his father’s ongoing illness, Beaver had to work at least one, sometimes two jobs, to pay for his tuition, in addition to bills at home. Eventually, Mr. Sams arranged for Beaver to have a job as his lab assistant on campus. That led to another lab job, and then a job on campus grading Mr. Sams’ papers. Their friendship included lots of talking: about math, about teaching, and about life.

“He just began to help me think about new priorities, and he helped me see past the next week,” Beaver said.

One day, as Beaver tells it, Mr. Sams said: “‘You’re going to be a teacher. You’re going to take the block and the methods class and I’m going to be your supervising teacher and you’re going to be a teacher.’ And I can remember thinking, ‘I’m going to be a teacher? Me? I can’t do that, I’m not worthy of that.’ But he kept talking to me about it, and he turned that thinking into ‘that’s your gift and that’s what you have to do.’”

And later still, when Beaver had completed his math courses, Mr. Sams got Beaver an interview for

a “temporary” position at North Buncombe High School. Beaver got that position, and 29 years later (in the same position, by the way), he wonders at Mr. Sams’ ability to discern his calling before he did.

“I am what I am by the grace of God,” Beaver said, “but there is no person that God used more to direct me into teaching than Mr. Sams. I only hope that I have made a similar impact on someone like he did with me.”

Quotes from Mr. Sams’ collection of cards and letters show that scores, maybe hundreds, of other students have similar, untold stories.

“I am so grateful to you for your loving support and friendship while I was a student,” said one letter.

“May God bless you in all you do, because you did bless my life!” said another.

And another: “Thank you for your care, kindness, patience, loyalty, stubbornness and most of all your friendship.”

Such quotes tell the story of a legacy more fully than facts or numbers alone ever can.

“‘Thank you’ just doesn’t seem quite good enough for all the help you gave me in my classes. I can honestly say that you were one of the best teachers that I have ever had!”

Former North Carolina Governor

Jim Hunt will discuss current trends in education as the next speaker for the

Mars Hill University

Lecture SeriesApril 15, 3:30 pm

in Broyhill Chapel

Join us on campus for this exciting event!


Rev. Linda Judge-McRae ’86 still remembers how “right” it felt when, as a junior in high school, she traveled from Raleigh, NC to visit Mars Hill College.

“I just loved it,” she said. She attended a Christian Student Movement meeting, spent the night in Huffman Dorm and fell in love with a college that was much smaller than any she had originally planned to attend.

She made the decision despite that fact that Mars Hill did not have one of the primary majors that she was considering.

“I was interested in nursing then, and really disappointed to find that Mars Hill did not have a nursing program,” she said. “I wasn’t quite sure what I wanted to do, but I just felt that Mars Hill was the right place for me. It felt like a good fit.”

Norman McRae came to Mars Hill from Robbinsville, NC, in Graham County. He came to Mars Hill to major in religion and become a minister. That

was the plan, anyway. But at Mars Hill, he says, he learned that ministry comes in many forms.

Today, over 30 years after their introductions to Mars Hill College, Norman and Linda Judge-McRae have found a life together and a mutual calling in a business that blends healthcare with ministry. (And yes, they adamantly say, business and ministry are compatible!)

Further, the success they have found there has given them the opportunity to make a gift to Mars Hill University that will make possible a nursing education for future Mars Hillians.

Norman first visited Mars Hill with his pastor and a friend. For him, the most memorable part of his first visit to “the Hill” was the Center for Christian Education Ministries, which was created and maintained by Rev. Sue Fitzgerald. In time, Fitzgerald, a long-time Mars Hill staff member, would prove to be instrumental in “thinking

Amazing Alumni

Norman ’84 and Linda Judge-McRae ’86


administration, and to found a nonprofit hospice in Maysville, KY.

Linda completed seminary and obtained a position in student ministry at a Baptist church in Lexington. But when the McRaes moved to Maysville, KY, there were no available church positions for an ordained female Baptist minister. At that point, Linda found herself returning to an earlier goal in her life.

“I thought, all right, while he’s doing that, I’ll go to nursing school!” She completed her associate’s degree in 1996 and later a bachelor’s degree in 2009.

There was yet another move in 1997, when Norman was recruited to work for a large hospice company in Knoxville, TN. There, Linda worked part-time as a nurse, and part-time at a local church.

Then, after 16 years of marriage, the McRaes entered a new venture: parenthood. They adopted their daughter Caroline, who was then 11 months old, from South Korea in 2002.

Now 12, “Sweet Caroline,” as they call her, is clearly the apple of her parents’ eyes.

“It was the best thing we’ve ever done,” Norman said. “We love her, heart and soul.”

When Norman’s company moved to Baton Rouge, the McRae family was faced with a big decision: move south? Or do something completely different?

For many years, Norman had nurtured the dream of a private hospice business, and over the years, Linda had caught his excitement for the idea as well. Now was the time.

Some people, Linda said, might question the decision to run a hospice as a for-profit company.

through” (as she would say) his calling to ministry.

“I wanted to be a minister. But I think Sue Fitzgerald helped me understand that you don’t have to think of being a minister in the traditional way,” he said. “She always talked about being creative in finding your calling.”

Norman majored in religion and English at Mars Hill, and started dating Linda Judge during his senior year, when she was a sophomore. Linda, meanwhile, struggled to find a major before deciding to major in English, and then attend seminary.

The influence of Sue Fitzgerald was also instrumental for Linda. Her example in ministry, as well as that of Rev. Marie Bean, then campus minister at Mars Hill, helped Linda decide that she wanted to prepare for a career in full-time ministry to college students.

The McRaes were married by Rev. Fitzgerald in December 1985, soon after Linda finished her college classes at Mars Hill. Linda then joined Norman at Southern seminary. (At that point, Mars Hill held graduation once a year, in May; Linda is therefore considered a 1986 graduate.)

Although both McRaes were at Southern seminary, they insist that their callings and their approaches to ministry at that point were distinct.

“We had very different callings,” Linda said. “We didn’t go to seminary thinking, ‘oh we’re going to work together.’”

It was in seminary where Norman was introduced to the concept that would form the basis of his career. “When I was in seminary, I took a class in bereavement counseling, taught by Hospice of Louisville,“ he said. “When I took that class, I really found my calling, which was hospice.”

After seminary, Norman served as a hospice chaplain in Lexington, KY. Later, he would have the opportunity to obtain a master’s degree in public

“The thing about Mars Hill is that it... taught me deeply that, whatever your job or discipline, life is about service. That’s what steered me toward hospice.”

Norman McRae

Norman McRae and Linda Judge, in senior photos, in 1984 and 1986


person that lays hands on a life. For me as a nurse, to be with a patient when he or she takes their last breath, to be with a family and support them, to take care of things that the family doesn’t need to be doing is such an honor. I think of that as holy time.”

The financial success of the business has allowed the McRaes to give back to their alma mater in numerous ways. Notably, Linda and fellow alumna, Rev. Mari Wiles ’84 (campus minister for Chowan University) founded the Fitzgerald-Bean Scholarship (named for Sue Fitzgerald and Marie Bean) for women who plan a career in the ministry.

And now, the McRaes look forward to seeing future nurses who not only have received an excellent education, but have spent

time learning service as a way of life at Mars Hill University. The Judge-McRae School of Nursing is currently in the planning stages and is due to begin at Mars Hill in the fall of 2015.

It’s that call to service that the McRaes remember as an overriding theme from their Mars Hill years, and it’s that experience that they want to re-create for future nurses in the region.

“The thing about Mars Hill, is that it grounded us in service,’ Norman said. “It gave me confidence and leadership skills, but it also taught me deeply that, whatever your job or discipline, life is about service. That’s what steered me toward hospice because I saw that as a great opportunity to serve, which it has turned out to be.”

Those life lessons are what they hope that future nurses will learn before entering the field of healthcare.

“We don’t just want well-trained nurses,” Linda said. “We want Mars Hill trained nurses.”

But for the McRaes, it was the obvious decision that would allow them to tackle hospice care with both compassion and excellence.

“I wanted to do it the way I thought it should be done, so I started it as a private company,” Norman said. “I had worked for a nonprofit board, and I knew the good parts of that, but I knew the constraints and challenges that come with that as well.”

The McRaes obtained investors, went into debt, quit their jobs and teamed up with National Healthcare Corporation based in Murfreesboro, TN, in 2003 to start Caris Healthcare.

Caris (from Charis, the New Testament word for grace) has now been in business for ten years. The business has grown from one location to 24 in Tennessee, Virginia and South Carolina, and the McRaes have found their joint mission in a business which has provided compassionate, personal, and excellent end-of-life care for innumerable patients.

The business has won numerous awards including the highest level award from the Tennessee Center for Performance Excellence and the Pinnacle Award for Business Excellence from the Knoxville Chamber of Commerce.

But for the McRaes, it’s not the awards that make their jobs worthwhile.

“I guess what I’m most proud of is that Caris provides almost 500 American jobs, and gives our employees the opportunity to do something that’s very worthwhile,” Norman said. “It is a ministry. It’s a job, but also, we’re ministering to people.”

Linda grows emotional when she discusses the importance of the work they are able to do at Caris Healthcare: “There’s something special about the first person that lays hands on a life, and the last

The McRaes are pictured at the 2013 President’s Recognition Awards, with their daughter

Caroline and Rev. Sue Fitzgerald.

Norman and Linda-Judge McRae


NEW BUILDINGS TO HOUSE NURSING AND BUSINESS

Artist’s rendering of the MHU Nursing building

Artist’s rendering of Day Hall, as seen from Bailey St. in Mars Hill

Mars Hill University has received a $250,000 grant from The Cannon Foundation, Inc., toward the renovation of Huffman Residence Hall on the campus.

Planned for completion in August 2015, the renovation of Huffman Hall is one of several residence hall upgrades accomplished or planned at Mars Hill to keep pace with the institution’s recent growth in student enrollment.

Huffman Hall is a 26,932 square-foot dormitory constructed in the 1940s, housing 136 students and staff. Total planned updates are estimated to cost $1.5 million. The university has already received donor gifts of $900,000 toward this project.

Additional fundraising efforts are also in place.

Since 1972, The Cannon Foundation, based in Concord, NC, has supported Mars Hill University with grants totaling more than $1.8 million.

MARS HILL RECEIVES $250,000 CANNON FOUNDATION GRANT FOR DORM RENOVATION

Huffman Hall

The Judge-McRae School of Nursing, set to begin in the fall of 2015, will provide a bachelor’s degree in nursing with a liberal arts focus, at a time when the demand for nurses with four-year degrees is growing in the region. The program, currently under development, is being made possible at Mars Hill University by a generous gift from alumni Norman ’84 and Linda Judge-McRae ’86.

The building to house the program is planned on the site of the former Harris Media Center, facing

Cascade Street in Mars Hill. It will be constructed using a low-interest loan from the United States Department of Agriculture, in addition to gifts from alumni and friends of the university.

In October 2013, Mars Hill University announced USDA funding for both the as yet-unnamed Nursing Building and Day Hall, a building planned to house Mars Hill’s business department, university bookstore and blackbox theatre.

Day Hall is named for major donors Troy Day ’48 and his wife, Pauline.


Return to KoreaAfter twelve years of teaching at Mars Hill, I was fortunate to return to South Korea and teach the 2012-13 school year at Ewha Womans University, an elite Methodist-associated university in Seoul. After I graduated from Mars Hill College (History) in the 1970s, I spent a life-changing two years teaching at a mission school in Korea. In the intervening years, as I went from graduate school to graduate school, I also worked in a Korean church in The Bronx, returned to Korea for several visits, and currently serve on the International Foundation Board of Ewha University.

So when it was time for a sabbatical respite from the Mars Hill classroom, it was only natural to seek a teaching post in Korea. Little did I anticipate how the year would be as busy as ever, preparing four brand-new classes, and learning how to teach all over again! The classes and students were such wonderful challenges; however, sometimes I would return home, and exclaim to my wife Grace, “That class is going to kill me!”

Life at EwhaEwha, which means “Pear Blossom,” was founded in 1886, one year after Protestant Presbyterian and Methodist missionaries began a new chapter of Christianity on the Korean peninsula. Ewha’s founder, Methodist missionary Mary Scranton, felt a strong call to educate girls in a society where female education was not valued. Then, boys mattered more; society invested more in its males. The school intentionally uses “Womans” in its name because such carries a special meaning. Founders thought that each individual woman is worthy of respect; to promote this idea, they chose the word “woman” to avoid lumping its students together under the word “women.” There are approximately 22,000 individual “woman” students at Ewha.

“Verbal Snapshots”• We lived only 30 miles from the North Korean

border.• We lived and taught at a top-tier university

where only the top 1% of women applicants are selected for admission.

HEART, MIND AND, SEOULby Dr. Marc Mullinax ’77, MHU Professor of Religion

MHU Professor of Religion Marc Mullinax spends a sabbatical year at the world’s largest women’s university in a city of 20 million, 30 miles from North Korea.


• I taught “Missions Theology” in a nation which currently sponsors the most foreign missionaries in all Christian church history.

• I attempted to teach Confucianism to those who grew up in the world’s most Confucian culture.

• I taught a required first-year course in Christianity to 103 women students in one classroom.

• My four courses:aMissions Theology (fall 2012)

aHistory of Christian Heresy (graduate-level course, fall 2012)

aWorld Religions and Korean Religions (spring 2013)

aChristianity and the World (a required first-year course, spring 2013)

• Fortunately, my students’ primary academic language was English, and Ewha actually seeks foreign English-speaking professors to serve its sizeable minority of students who need courses in English.

Similarities and DifferencesBoth Mars Hill and Ewha share a Christian heritage. There are, however, many differences between MHU and Ewha. Ewha has only intramural athletics, no “Greek” organizations, and no male students. It is 99% commuter, yet no cars are allowed on this very urban campus. And, unlike Mars Hill, there is required chapel; student attendants note who’s missing from assigned seats!

Gifts and ReturnOne of the gifts of the year came during office hours, which I held at a public coffee shop on campus. My classes were often occasions for students to think and reflect critically on matters of faith, perhaps for the first time. As a result, many came to speak about such matters during office hours, often pouring out their hearts, and in tears. Together we sought faithful paths out of the dark nights of their souls. It was a privilege to accompany them. How did my year away change me? My teaching changed. To manage a large class, I divided the class into “cell groups” of 3-4 students each, and assigned them to meet outside of class with pre-arranged discussion questions. Each student then wrote about her experience. I have “imported” this method to all my MHU classes now. In conclusion, my time in Korea lingers in my USA-life. I hear regularly from my former students, and look forward to regular returns to teach again at Ewha.

The author, Dr. Marc Mullinax, teaches at Ewha Womans University.

A pavilion for hikers on top of Nam-San, the mountain in downtown Seoul .

The Ewha University campus.

by Rick Baker

Isaiah Cuthbertson

Troy Harris


LION ATHLETICS: 2013 Fall Sports Recap

Baseballa Won their first two South Atlantic Conference

weekend series (Anderson, Newberry)

Men’s BasketballaIsaiah Cuthbertson set a new South Atlantic Conference record for most rebounds in a game with 24 on January 18 in a 64-54 victory over Catawba

aCarter Wright set a new school record nine 3-pointers in the Lions’ 92-84 win at Brevard

Women’s Basketballa Raised $1,017 at their Play 4Kay game

against Queens on February 15

a Volunteered at My Sister’s Place and Beacon of Hope in Marshall last fall

Cross Countrya Men win SAC title for 17th straight season,

finishing fourth at Southeast Regional meet

a Jessica Viscusi qualified for the NCAA Division II National Championship meet

a Both teams earned United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association Team All-Academic honors; five individuals (Brady Adcock, Kiel Bollero, Derek Gibson, Nathan Jones, Viscusi) earned All-Academic honors

Footballa Five players earned Daktronics or Don

Hansen All-Region honors, four earned Hansen All-America honors, Troy Harris named a D2Football.com All-America

a Troy Harris named one of eight finalists for Gene Upshaw Division II Lineman of the Year Award

a Began “Hero of the Day” program last fall, inviting local students to experience a collegiate football practice and eat with the team in the cafeteria after practice


Leah Taylor

Hudson Tucker


Golfa Men’s team finished in second place at State

Farm Intercollegiate in mid-October and second in King Invitational in September

Lacrossea Predicted to finish in first place in inaugural

SAC men’s lacrosse season by league’s coaches

a Finished 11-3 in 2013, earning the program’s 100th win against Rollins on April 28

Men’s SocceraFinished in sixth place in the SAC, upsetting

No.3 seed and eventual national runner-up Carson-Newman in the first round of the conference tournament

aSenior Leah Taylor named SAC Scholar Athlete

a15 student-athletes made the 2013 South Atlantic Conference Commissioner’s Honor Roll

Softballa Had the highest team GPA of any Mars Hill

athletic team for the second straight year with a 3.6 GPA

a Junior Robyn Stanek named to Capital One Academic All-District II Team, 2013

a 15 student-athletes made the 2013 South Atlantic Conference Commissioner’s Honor Roll

a Set a new team record with 28 total bases and tied a single game record with four home runs in an 11-3 victory over Mount Olive on February 8

Swimminga Men’s swimming finished in second place at

the 2014 Appalachian Swimming Conference meet on Feb-ruary 14-15, sweeping all four relay events

a Women’s swimming finished in eighth place at ASC meet

a Hudson Tucker qualified for NCAA Nationals

a Men’s swimming currently ranked 25th in College-Swimming.com poll

Tennisa Tatiana

Duliaby, Anna Rickenbaker, Euquerio Guerrero were named to 2014 SAC Preseason All-Conference teams

Track & Fielda Multiple school records have been set this

season by both men’s and women’s teams

Volleyballa Four players named to All-SAC team

a Ranked 10th in Southeast Regional Rankings on November 14

Sports Informationa Launched marshilllions.com in the fall with

an enhanced live stat and video platform plus many additional user friendly interfaces and social networking features.

Women’s Soccer

In Pursuit of JUSTICE...The Criminal Justice Major at MHU


The Criminal Justice Program at Mars Hill University was officially launched in fall 2013. Currently, there are about 60 students who are seeking either a major or minor in criminal justice. Enrollments for spring 2014 total 200 across both the traditional program at the Mars Hill location and the Adult and Graduate Studies Program (AGS) at the South Asheville location.

The first three graduates of the new major in December 2013 were Chris Ammons, Lacey Bradley, and Greg Lancaster. Chris Ammons was the first recipient of the Outstanding Criminal Justice Scholar Award with a GPA of 4.0. These early graduates were able to finish the new major in fall 2013 because they had been part of the concentration in criminal justice available through the sociology major.

The program is expecting great growth in numbers at both the Mars Hill and South Asheville locations. Future plans include offering AGS courses in the evening in Mars Hill.

The overall mission of the new major is to prepare students for a career in criminal justice or related occupations. The degree exposes students not only to the plethora of issues associated with the modern-day criminal justice system, but also to the many ethical dilemmas with which criminal justice professionals are often faced. Students come to understand the role that gender, race/ethnicity, and socio-economic status play in the production of crime and the social control of same, and explore the importance of the scientific inquiry for criminal justice policy making.

Because of its emphasis on oral and written communication and higher order thinking, it

also equips students with the skills needed to be successful in the pursuit of graduate education.

In fall 2013, Professor Taylor Brickley joined the faculty at MHU and is teaching courses in ethics, corrections, comparative criminal justice, and the introduction to criminal justice course. Dr. Barbara Sims serves as coordinator of the program and teaches criminology, juvenile delinquency and justice, courts and criminal justice, women and criminal justice, and the senior seminar. Dr. Craig

Goforth teaches police courses, victimology, and legal aspects of criminal justice. In addition, adjunct instructor Bob Kandra, teaches a course on terrorism, drawing from his experience with both the CIA and the FBI.

Additional program expansion is expected across 2014/2015 with course development in the areas of homeland security, GIS crime mapping, and criminal

justice public policy. The faculty is committed to quality programming within the framework of a liberal arts education. The curriculum is grounded firmly in theory, research methods, and statistics while, simultaneously, providing students with knowledge about the practical aspects of the criminal justice field. Students are exposed to the world of work through classroom presentations by field personnel, guest speakers for the meetings of the students’ Advocates for Criminal Justice Club, internship opportunities, and the required service learning component of the program’s senior seminar.

For questions about the program, contact Dr. Sims, at 828-689-1276 or at [email protected].

by Dr. Barbara Sims, Professor of Criminal Justice

Criminal Justice professors and graduates: Professor Craig Goforth, Graduate Chris Ammons ’13, Graduate Lacey Bradley

’13, Graduate Greg Lancaster ’13, Professor Taylor Brickey, and Professor Barbara Sims.


Were you an art student at Mars Hill, who has continued to develop your art throughout the years? Would you be interested in a forum to show and discuss your work with other interested alumni? If so, please consider submitting your work for the Fourth Annual MHU Alumni Art Exhibition.

Mars Hill University is looking for 2-D and 3-D recent alumni art. From all images submitted, we will select 12 to 18 pieces created in the past three years by two to four alumni artists to exhibit.

To be considered for the exhibition, please submit a non-returnable, 2014 Alumni Exhibition Application Packet containing all of the following parts:

1. Your contact information including phone, mail, and email data.

2. A CD of medium-resolution JPG images of 18 to 24 works that you would propose to be in the exhibition.

3. An artist biography (one-half to one page in Microsoft Word and also on the CD) detailing your artistic training and work. Be sure and mention your time and experience here at Mars Hill.

4. An artist statement (one-half to one page in MS Word and also on the CD) in which you define/describe your “artistic intent” and “aesthetic style.” The statement should explain to the viewer what you are seeking to accomplish with your work.

Please submit your 2014 Alumni Art Exhibition Application Packet to:

Ken Gregory, Assistant Professor of Art, Mars Hill University, Mars Hill, NC 28754 by May 15, 2014.

All submitters will be notified by email as to the chosen artists by email by July 15, 2014.

If selected, you will be responsible for presentation and delivery of your work with appropriate matting, framing, or bases and then assisting the Weizenblatt Art Gallery director with the hanging of the show on the Thursday prior to homecoming. You would be asked to attend the opening on Saturday of homecoming. Additionally, you would be responsible for taking down your work from the show on the last day of the exhibition four to six weeks later (closing date to be determined).

Dawn Branches, a photographic work shown by Sarah Elizabeth

Wilson ’13 during the Homecoming

2013 Alumni Exhibition.

Call for Entries... 2014 MHU Alumni Art Exhibition


JOHN CHASTAIN , Development OfficerJohn Chastain ’02 joined Mars Hill University as Development Officer in February 2014. He has been living and working in his native Florida since his graduation. Most recently, he served as a sales and marketing consultant for Austin Medical Equipment in Clearwater.

John will be part of the Office of Advancement/Alumni Relations. His position will involve engaging alumni and friends in more meaningful ways in the life of the university.

“Mars Hill holds a special place in my heart,” John said. “As a student, I really excelled and developed as person. I attribute many of the things I have today to Mars Hill and my time here as a student. I am very thankful to be back here working in Advancement and I feel like I am home.”

John lives in Asheville with his wife, Rhian.


JAIME MCKEE, Director of Alumni RelationsJaime McKee ’00 joined Mars Hill University as Director of Alumni Relations, in December 2013. She comes to the university from the Asheville Citizen-Times newspaper, where she was an online developer.

“I’m very excited to be part of the team at Mars Hill University,” Jaime said. “I hope to continue providing and planning opportunities for MHU alumni to connect with the university and with each other. In addition, I hope to put my social media and website development skills to use in creating even more opportunities for connection with younger alums, through an active online community.”

Jaime lives in Asheville with her husband, Kenny, and her son, Lucas.

ALUMNI SERVING ALUMNI

Jaime McKee ’00

John Chastain ’02


WELCOME NEW FACULTY AND STAFF

Scott Allen, Adjunct Faculty: English, MA, Appalachian State University, English; M Div, Westminster Theological Seminary

Travis Anderson, Men’s Assistant Soccer Coach, BS, Oregon State University, Exercise & Sports

Jacqueline Ballard, Mailroom Clerk, Southern Wesleyan University, Education

William Bowman, Adjunct Faculty: Business, MS, Georgia Institute of Technology Industrial Management

Taylor Brickley , Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice, MS, Armstrong Atlantic State University, Criminal Justice

Peggy Brooks, Adjunct Faculty: Psychology, PhD, University of Florida, Clinical Psychology

Olivia Buckner, Admissions Counselor, BA, Mars Hill University, Art Education

Rosalind Buda, Adjunct Faculty: Instructor of Bassoon, MM, New England Conservatory, Bassoon Performance

Tamara Carless, Telecounselor, BA, George Washington University, Russian Language & Literature

Philip Carroll, Instructor of Mathematics, MA, Wake Forest University Mathematics

Michael Ciavaglia, Visiting Instructor of Choral Music, DMA, University of Cincinnati Conducting

John Chastain, Major Gifts Officer, BS, Mars Hill University, Business Administration

Donald Collins, Adjunct Faculty: Math/Physics, PhD, Carnegie-Mellon University, Physics

Walter Cornish, Adjunct Faculty: Business, MBA, Cornell University, Marketing

Bradford Corpening, Visitor Services Attendant - Rural Life Museum, Masters, University of South Carolina, Instructional Media

John Davis, Adjunct Faculty: Chemistry, MA, UNC Pembroke, Chemistry/Education

Leslie Downs, Adjunct Faculty: Music, DMA, University of Oklahoma, Piano/Music

Sherry Fender, Assistant to the Dean of AGS, MLS, Appalachian State, Library Science

Elizabeth Finger, Adjunct Faculty: Social Work, MSW, University of Michigan, Social Work

Tifani Fletcher, Adjunct Faculty: Psychology, MA, East Tennessee State University, Psychology

Jessica Fuentes, Graduate Resident Assistant, BS, Mars Hill College, Elementary Education

Marlon Garren, Adjunct Faculty: Spanish Instructor, MA, University of Tennessee Knoxville, Spanish

Justin Gragg, Graduate Resident Assistant, BS, Mars Hill College, Business

Steven Grandy, Assistant Sports Information Director, BS, Wingate University, Sports Management

Kathryn Gubista, Visiting Instructor of Biology, PhD, University of Georgia, Ecology

Richard (Pat) Hagerman, Facilities: Housekeeping, BA, Indiana State University, Elem Ed P.E.

Andrea Heys, Adjunct Faculty: Music, MM, Louisiana State University, Voice/Music

Abigail Hickman, Adjunct Faculty: English, MS, Western Carolina University, English

Keziah Hohler, Security Clerk, AA, Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College, Early Childhood Education

Amy Humphries, Assistant Athletic Trainer, MS, Winthrop University, Human Nutrition

Michael Kennedy, Adjunct Faculty: Mathematics, MS, University of Vermont, Math

Mary LaBianca, Instructor of Physical Education, MFA, Mills College, Dance

Naomi Langsner, Visitor Services Attendant—Rural Life Museum, MSSW, University of Texas—Austin, Social Work

Loretta Link, Program Director, MA, Appalachian State College, Student Services

Justin Mabry, Adjunct Faculty: Music, MM, University of North Carolina Greensboro, Percussion

Jaime McKee, Director of Alumni Relations, BS, Mars Hill College, Computer Science

Kenneth McLeskey, Adjunct Faculty, MFA, University of Georgia, Painting

Mark Neely, Assistant Athletic Trainer, MS, Austin Peay State University, Exercise Science

Natalie Polinko, Adjunct Faculty: Psychology, PhD, Ohio University, Industrial/Organizational Psychology

Kathryn Potter, Adjunct Faculty: Music, BA, San Francisco Conservatory of Music

Dylan Price, Assistant Coach: Men’s Lacrosse, BS, Mars Hill College, Physical Education

Emily Reason, Adjunct Faculty: Art, BFA, West Virginia University, Art/Ceramics

Rachael Rogers, Telecounselor, BS, Mars Hill College, History

Harold Self , Telecounselor

Donna Sites, Administrative Assistant for Vice President for Advancement, AA, Central Piedmont Community College, Communications

Kelly Spangler, Adjunct Faculty: Social Work, MPA, West Virginia University, Public Administration; MSW, West Virginia University Social Work

Charles Steineger IV, Adjunct Faculty: English, MFA, Antioch Los Angeles, Creative Writing


Tyler Thompson, Graduate Resident Assistant, BA, Chowan University, Psychology

Michael Williams, Graduate Resident Assistant, BS, Chowan University, Physical Education

Florence Zinn, Adjunct Faculty: Apparel & Interior Merchandizing, MEd, Univ of Hawaii at Manoa, Education

Faculty and StaFFPUBLICATIONS...HONORS...ACHIEVEMENTS...PRESENTATIONS...

Dr. Belinda Eggen has been elected Region 8 Director for the North Carolina Association for Elementary Educators at the group’s fall meeting. This election also makes Eggen an executive member of the NCAEE board. NCAEE is an organization which champions the elementary (K-6) teacher/administrator/professor on state and local levels, and works for the betterment of public education.

Dr. Barbara Sims, Professor and Coordinator of Criminal Justice, was recently elected to the Executive Board of the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences (ACJS) as Trustee-at-Large. ACJS is one of two national criminal justice professional associations and Dr. Sims continues her service to ACJS, having over 20 years of experience to the association.

Dr. Ashby Walker, professor of sociology, authored a journal article with Desmond A. Schatz, Janet H. Silverstein, Kathryn A. Parker, Amy U. Aponick, and Henry J. Rohrs titled: “Framing food and diabetes: exploring the perspectives of youth with type 1 diabetes through photography.” ICAN: Infant, Child, & Adolescent Nutrition, December 2013.

Laura Whitaker-Lea, Assistant Vice President for Student Development, co-authored a book chapter, with D.Y. Young, titled “Successful development of socially responsible citizens.” In G. McLaughlin, R. Howard, J. McLaughlin & W. Knight (Eds.), Building bridges for student success: A sourcebook for colleges and universities. (2013). Norman, OK: Consortium for Student Retention Data Exchange.

New Faculty and Staff...

MHU APPRECIATES Blue Ridge

Bone and JointDuring the fall semester, Mars Hill University presented Blue Ridge Bone and Joint Clinic of Asheville with the Foundation/Corporation of the Year Award. The award recognizes organizations who support the mission of the university through ongoing service.

Earlier in the year, the MHU Athletic Training Department presented a service award to Dr. Jay Jansen for 15 years of service to the university’s athletic teams. Jansen is a sports medicine fellowship trained orthopedic surgeon at Blue Ridge Bone and Joint.

Dr. Jansen serves as the team physician for athletics and as the medical director for Mars Hill’s accredited athletic training curriculum. Jansen serves as team physician at all home and away Mars Hill University football games.

Jansen also performs on-campus injury clinics once a week during the fall semester, and every two to three weeks during the spring semester.

In addition, the continuing financial support of Blue Ridge Bone and Joint Clinic has allowed the Athletic Training program to upgrade training equipment.

Allen Shelley, head of the MHU Athletic Training Program,

presents a service award to Dr. Jay Jansen


1940s

Edgar James Wells, Jr. ’44 was inducted into the Duplin County (NC) Hall of Fame for a lifetime of service to the community.

1950s

James P. Gillespie, Ph.D. ’51 wrote Around the World and Headed South, (Lulu Press, 2013) his memoir of growing up as a twin son of Southern Baptist missionaries in China before the outbreak of World War II, and adjusting to life in America and China after WWII. The book includes chapters dedicated to student life at Mars Hill College. Lloyd Bailey, Ph.D. ’56 has been awarded the Order of the Long Leaf Pine. Bailey, who lives in Durham, is widely recognized as an authority on the history and geneaology of the Toe River Valley in western North Carolina. He has published 12 volumes of of the series, Heritage of the Toe River Valley, and has six more in preparation.Cecil Dobson Robertson ’58 and husband Daryl celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on December 29, 2013. The two were married in 1963 in Covina, CA.

1960s

Bill Rotan ’67 retired from First Baptist Church in Morganton, NC, after 33 years as minister of music.

1970s

Kenneth Peacock, Ph.D. ’70 has been appointed chairman of the American Council on Education Board of Directors’ finance committee. Peacock is also the chancellor of Appalachian State University, a position from which he will step down at the end of this semester.Susan Hensley, Ph.D., ’71 retired from Buncombe County Schools, NC, after 27 years as the Arts Education Supervisor. She is a former assistant professor of music at Mars Hill College.David King ’73 retired after 34 years in human resource management. Steven Chicurel, DMA ’77 has received a Lifetime Achievement Award from Estill Voice International at

Mars Hill, the Magazine of Mars Hill University welcomes your personal snapshots when you send in news of weddings, babies, accomplishments, etc. Send your photos to:

[email protected], or Alumni Office, P.O. Box 6792,

Mars Hill, NC, 28754.


the Sixth Estill World Voice Symposium at Harvard University, August 3, 2013. The Estill Lifetime Achievement Award “recognizes outstanding individuals who have made significant contributions to the field of voice. Recipients of this award have served as role models to others and have devoted their careers to the advancement of voice research, performance and/or voice education.”Bonnie Jayne Meadows ’78 retired in June 2013 after 35 years with Buncombe County Schools, NC.Barbara Boone Boyd ’79 of Black Mountain, NC, has published a CD of Bible readings called “Comfort from the South.” She said she began considering and praying about the project when people repeatedly complemented her beautiful and comforting voice. Boyd created the CD with the idea of distributing it, free of charge, to active members of the armed forces, but many other people have enjoyed the CD as well. Since “Comfort From The South” was published in July 2009, it has been sent to people in at least 35 states and 25 countries. The CD is available for mp3 download at www.comfortfromthesouth.com. A. Wayne King ’79 retired from Furman University after a 30+ year career, half as Director of University Housing and half as a development officer. Early in his career, he served as Director of Housing at MHU for three semesters. Upon his retirement, Wayne began utilizing his funeral director’s license in a new position at Gray Mortuary in Anderson County (SC). He remains active in his home church, Taylors First Baptist, where he is an ordained deacon.Larry Moore ’79 earned a Master of Worship Studies degree through The Robert E. Webber Institute for Worship Studies in Orange Park, FL.

1980s

George Anthony Henderson ’80 has been named Dean of Students at Vance-Granville Community College in Henderson, NC.Martha Louise Hill Moore, Ph.D.’80 earned her doctorate in psychology from Capella University.Geneva “Ginny” Barrett ’82 has accepted a new position as principal at Haw Creek Elementary. Previously, she was the principal of Woodfin Elementary. Both schools are in Buncombe County, NC.Janna Brendell, Ph.D. ’82 has been named the Richard E. Keasley North Carolina Middle School Choral Teacher of the Year. She teaches chorus at Waynesville Middle School in Waynesville, NC.

Class Notes


Audrey Leonhardt Reneau ’83 has been named the new K-8 Director of Curriculum & Instruction with Transylvania County Schools, NC.Miriam Stone Johnson ’88 has earned a second doctoral degree: a doctorate of education in K-12 education leadership and supervision from Jones International University in Centennial, CO.Roger Idstrom ’89 has joined Lipscomb University in Nashville, TN, as associate head men’s basketball coach.

1990s

Rev. Melanie Childers ’90 has received the Outstanding Local Leadership Award from the Association of Professional Chaplains. Childers is the director of pastoral care at Watauga Medical Center in Boone, NC.Kristina Langston Bonsager, Ph.D., ’92 has been promoted to associate professor of Spanish at St. Catherine University in St. Paul, MN.Chris Kouns ’92 is the head coach of the Capital University (Bexley, OH) Women’s Soccer Team, which made the NCAA Division III national semifinals for the first time in school history and finished the season ranked in the top 10 in two national polls. Wendy Campbell ’93 is the new Meals on Wheels Coordinator at Greer Community Ministries in Greer, SC.Mike Houston ’94 has been named the new head football coach at The Citadel in Charleston, SC. He was previously the head football coach at Lenoir-Rhyne University in Lenoir, NC.Patrick Crudup ’95 has been promoted to captain at Asheville Fire and Rescue Department in Asheville, NC. He has received numerous commendations and credential since joining the department in 2002.Heather Marie Hughes ’96 married Andrew Stone on May 11, 2013. Jason Wunsch ’96 was elected Town Commissioner of Fuquay Varina, NC. He was sworn in on December 2, 2013.Robert Waller ’97 has been hired as the new Curriculum Specialist for Cultural Arts/Academically or Intellectually Gifted for Buncombe County Schools, NC.Steven “Neil” Wilson ’97 has been promoted to investment officer at BB&T Investment Services, Inc., in Boone, NC.

Michelle Best obtained her MFA in Dramatic Arts from the Actors Studio program at the New School University in New York, NY. She has also landed a role as Constance, in the season finale of the Amazon Original Series, “Alpha House,” which stars John Goodman.Amy Tipton Allen ’99 and Josh Allen ’01 , have been named to positions in the Physician Assistant Studies Department of the University of Tennesse Health Science Center. Josh is an assistant professor and Amy is the academic coordinator and an assistant professor. They live in Memphis, TN.

2000s

Chelsea Long Lambert ’04 has been hired as a 6th grade language arts & social studies teacher at Brevard Middle School, Brevard, NC.Johnny Brown, Jr. ’06 married Rebekah Ann Owens ’12 on June 14, 2013. The couple lives in Climax, NC.Elliott Austin ’07 has been selected to join the Dekalb County Fire Rescue Department in Dekalb County, GA. Robert “Nathan” Medlin ’07 has been hired as women’s head basketball coach at Swain County High School, in Bryson City, NC. He lives in Bryson City with his wife, Amanda, and their two children. Amanda “Mandy” Inabinet ’08 married Derrick P. James on July 13, 2013. The couple lives in Winston-Salem, NC.

On January 11, 2014 Cathy and Jay Schwartz of Greenville, SC, hosted a special reunion of friends and spouses who relived memories of bonding at Mars Hill College. Attending were: Bob Allen ’76 and Linda Anderson Allen ’78 of Kampala, Uganda; Wesley Carr and Diana Thomas Carr ’78 of Columbia, SC; Sam Coates ’78 and Lucy Patterson Coates ’78 of Greenville, SC; Hal Hill ’78 and Mary Kay Stephens Hill ’78 of Glorieta, NM; Chris and Scott Miller ’78 of Acworth, GA, Marsha Fox Robertson ’78 of Greenville, SC, Cathy McGee Schwartz ’78 and Jay Schwartz, Greenville, SC and L.E. Williamson of Greenville, SC.

Andrew and Heather Stone

Class Notes


In Memoriam


Brent and Sable Davenport

1930s

Jarvis Berry Lawrence ’34 Garner, NC, July 23, 2013Mary “Elizabeth” Denham Stroupe ’35 Winston Salem, NC, November 4, 2013James “Jim” Hamp Brown, Jr. ’36 Greenville, SC, November 29, 2013Leta Susan Beaman Hardy ’36 La Grange, NC, June 20, 2013Elsie Baker Hodgens ’36 Jacksonville Beach, FL, July 21, 2013Kathleen Johnson Holt ’36 Burlington, NC, November 19, 2013Ruth Anderson ’38 Mars Hill, NC, September 5, 2013Mary Helen Gatlin Senter ’38 Raeford, NC, October 21, 2013Samuel Ray Buie ’39 Salisbury, NC, December 4, 2013Dessie McDavid Reed Ford ’39 Erie, PA, July 13, 2013Joel Newton Hinton ’39 Greenville, SC, December 16, 2013Loyce Katherine Myers Marklin ’39 Mocksville, NC, July 25, 2013David “Dave” Leonidas Middleton ’39 Asheville, NC, September 10, 2013Elizabeth A Carter New ’39 Asheville, NC, August 8, 2013Charles Alvin Taylor ’39 Pensacola, FL, January 18, 2013

Erika Leann Whicker married Scott W. Foreman on August 31, 2013. The couple lives in Mooresville, NC.Tammy Wallin Massey ’09 was recognized as the 2013-14 Madison County (NC) Schools Teacher of the Year. She has taught at Hot Springs Elementary School for the past five years, and currently teaches first grade.Cody Reynolds ’07 married Savannah Walker ’09 on May 3, 2013. The couple lives in Candler, NC.

2010s

Emilie Cathey ’10 married Matthew Presley, August 31, 2013. The couple lives in Clyde, NC.Ashley Seawell ’11 married Jonathan Bullington ’12 on September 28, 2013. Brent Earl Davenport ’08 married Sable Adams ’11 on October 5, 2013. The couple lives in Newton, NC.

Shawn and Becca Esworthy

Tyler Stephenson ’11 married Kristen Elizabeth McClure on July 20, 2013. The couple lives in Waynesville, NC.Bethany Bagwell ’12 has been hired as a math teacher at Brevard High School, Brevard, NC.Bradley Bassinger ’11 and Emily Ayscue ’12 married on August 3, 2013. The couple lives in Weaverville, NC.Shawn Esworthy ’11 married Rebecca Sellars ’12 on August 17, 2013. The couple lives in Hilton Head, SC.Shiloh Cindy Kusnierz-Rowe ’12 has been a science teacher at Henderson Middle School in Vance County, NC since December 2012. She is currently head of the science department and in charge of the National Junior Honor Society.

1940s

Francis “Frankie” Burroughs ’41 Falls Church, VA, December 12, 2012William Harvey McMurray, Jr. ’41 Black Mountain, NC, September 25, 2013Clarence “Louis” Shields ’41 Jacksonville, NC, July 3, 2013Dorothy Elizabeth Spencer Smith ’41 Columbia, SC, September 25, 2013Stanley Edwin Smith ’41 Dunn Loring, VA, October 6, 2012Robert Wilburn Timberlake ’41 Winston Salem, NC, January 1, 2014Marjorie Baker McMillan Aberson ’42 Winston Salem, NC, April 13, 2013Lona Belle Fox Davis ’42 Murphy, NC, August 23, 2013Carey “Carson” Duncan, Jr. ’42 Charlotte, NC, October 12, 2013Dr. Haggard “Sandy” Cowen Ellis ’42 Charlottesville, VA, September 11, 2013William Allen Pace, Sr. ’42 Hendersonville, NC, October 9, 2013Onell Opal Self Hall ’43 Greensboro, NC, December 2, 2013Claire Cox Thompson ’43 Berea, OH, July 19, 2013

In Memoriam


Nancy Rebecca Bowen Foster ’51 Spartanburg, SC, September 4, 2013Glenn Lindsey Gammon ’51 Fremont, OH, January 5, 2012Albert “Al” Conrad Stallings ’51 Carolina Beach, NC, September 22, 2013Kenneth Edward Weathers ’51 Spartanburg, SC, December 5, 2013Rev. William “Hugh” Bumgarner ’52 Monroe, VA, October 6, 2013James “Red” Dwight Carlton ’52 Lynchburg, VA, October 23, 2013Rachel Granger Gill ’52 Black Mountain, NC, January 22, 2014.Betty “June” Ebbs Gillepsie ’52 Alexander, NC, November 15, 2013Nancy Lee Wright Lyndon ’52 Plain City, OH, October 10, 2013Robert Stribling Nanney ’52 Charlotte, NC, May 15, 2012Jerry Postel Poovey ’52 Morganton, NC, January 10, 2014Joyce Ann Taylor ’52 Newport, NC, November 16, 2013BJ “Bob” Townes ’52 Greenville, SC, October 9, 2013Linda June Messer Cantrell ’54 High Point, NC, July 24, 2013Jimmy Carl Dixon ’54 Greenville, SC, February 24, 2013Oppie Gene Owenby ’54 Hendersonville, NC, June 24, 2013Rev. James Adrian Abston ’55 Vina, AL, June 2, 2013Nancy Elizabeth Penland Foxx ’55 Burnsville, NC, December 8, 2013Dr. Carl Jefferson Hedrick, Jr. ’55 Henderson, NC, July 10, 2013Hyman Gene Wells ’55 Woodbridge, VA, June 19, 2013Joyce Ann Stuart Battle ’56 Hayesville, NC, April 22, 2012Carl Lewis Buckner ’56 Mint Hill, NC, April 21, 2013Dorothy Ann Gosnell Moore ’56 Wilmington, NC, December 14, 2013Allen Copeland Harris ’57 Williamsburg, VA, May 26, 2012Rev. Elmer “Dean” Coffey ’58 Boone, NC, May 17, 2013Paul Charles Kisselbach, III ’58 Advance, NC, August 5, 2012

Howard “Stokes’ Wright ’43 Kings Mountain, NC, December 26, 2010Dora V. Hunter Barlow ’44 Rockingham, NC, April 4, 2013William Meeks Bell, Jr. ’45 Fayetteville, NC, August 21, 2013Dr. Ronald Callahan Hill ’45 Greensboro, NC, August 11, 2013Charles “Pete” Herbert Peterson ’45 Winston Salem, NC, August 21, 2013Cynthia Winona Hill Whitted ’45 Flat Rock, NC, May 17, 2010Dorothy “Dot” Eleanor Galloway Allen ’47 Burnsville, NC, October 28, 2013Bobbie Long Bell ’47 Fayetteville, NC, October 26, 2013Emma Jean Abrams Henderson ’47 Charlotte, NC, July 11, 2013Melba Jane Powers ’47 Simpsonville, SC, January 13, 2013Lois Virginia Foster Slate ’47 Jamestown, NC, June 24, 2013Nancy Banks Stump ’48 Charlotte, NC, January 12, 2014Eleanor “June” Waldrop ’48 Greenville, SC, March 18, 2013Geraldine “Gerry” Stephens Warfield ’48 Watkinsville, GA, July 3, 2013Geraldine Hartman Dixon ’49 High Point, NC, October 30, 2013Peter “Pete” Marion Mauney, Jr. ’49 Shelby, NC, July 26, 2013James Lewis Rivers ’49 Asheville, NC, October 4, 2013William “Bill” G.B. Smith ’49 Asheville, NC, October 9, 2013Robert Alexander Wade ’49 Aurora, IL, October 18, 2012

1950s

William Beardsley Frazier ’50 Raleigh, NC, October 15, 2013Rev. Gene Dillard Phillips ’50 Laurens, SC, October 9, 2013June Smith Renfro ’50 Charlotte, NC, September 27, 2013Mildred Iris Hendrix Stewart ’50 Arlington, TX, October 28, 2013Exene Phillips Walker ’50 Etowah, NC, January 13, 2014


Jo Ellen Ammons


Dr. John Philip Mason ’74 Colonial Heights, VA, September 28, 2013Richard Alan Sloan ’74 Farragut, TN, October 18, 2013Brenda Gail Hale Snyder ’75 Greenville, SC, September 24, 2013Donald “Don” Bryant Caudle ’76 Charlotte, NC, July 28, 2013Bob Leon Foster ’76 Cross Hill, SC, January 4, 2014Craig Kendrick Rathel ’77 Americus, GA, November 3, 2013Marcella Teague Morgan ’78 Barnardsville, NC, December 11, 2013

1980s

Barbara “Jean” Roberts Morgan ’82 Cullowhee, NC, April 11, 2010William “Bill” David Nix ’87 Brasstown, NC, June 19, 2013Joan Lewis Hufton Revis ’89 Asheville, NC, September 20, 2013

1990s

Margaret Jean “Jeanne” Middleton Cagle ’95 Waynesville, NC April 16, 2013Mark Jeremy Davis ’99 Asheville, NC, August 31, 2013

Dr. James “Bruce” Phillips ’58 Mars Hill, NC, October 29, 2013Julia “Judy” Elizabeth Brittain Reeves ’58 Concord, NC, October 16, 2013Martha Wray Deal Barrineau ’59 Kannapolis, NC, May 27, 2013Brenda Ann McCauley McClure ’59 Greenville, SC, October 26, 2013Jerry Allen McMahon ’59 Morganton, NC, September 17, 2013Billy Franklin Payne ’59 Candler, NC, September 18, 2010Linda Ellen Canipe Stout ’59 Gastonia, NC, May 27, 2012

1960s

Peggy Sue Brown McEuen ’60 Princeton, KY, March 16, 2013Melvin Daniel Allred ’61 Elon, NC, May 2, 2009William Roger Duncan ’61 Belmont, NC, March 8, 2009O. William “Bill” Hanner ’61 Pilot Mountain, NC, September 5, 2013Portia Janice Brown McCurry ’61 Fletcher, NC, February 27, 2010James “Gary” Morris ’61 Sandy Springs, GA, December 19, 2013Jane Helen Fogle Pierce ’61 Knoxville, TN, March 22, 2009James “Jim” Broadus Morrow ’62 Fairview, NC, June 15, 2013William “Graham” Hood, III ’65 Warsaw, NC, December 14, 2013Vernon James Ponder ’65 Mars Hill, NC, September 27, 2013Thomas Sadler Shinn, Jr. ’65 Leicester, NC, October 18, 2012Robert Rice Sinclair ’65 Clifton Forge, VA, August 18, 2013Clarence “Con” Redman Davis ’69 Marshall, NC, March 29, 2013James “Jim” Millard Little ’69 Charlotte, NC, August 12, 2013

1970s

Carol Irene Blankenship Johnson ’70 Asheville, NC, August 1, 2013William “Chip” Bethell Williamson ’73 Weaverville, NC, October 2, 2013

Faculty, Staff and Friends

Jo Ellen Williams Ammons was the devoted wife of current MHU trustee Justus “Jud” Ammons to whom she was married over 56 years. She was a trustee of Meredith College and worked closely with Jud to help build and decorate the couples’ many real estate projects. Along with Jud, Jo Ellen was a strong supporter of Mars Hill Lions football. The athletic center for Lions football, soccer, and lacrosse bears the Ammons Family name.

Dorothy Jeanne Weaver Roberts served for four decades on the Mars Hill College music faculty. She taught both voice and piano and directed the College Choir. Mrs. Roberts was also the minister of music at Mars Hill Baptist Church. Her husband, David, was the son of long-time foreign language instructor “Miss Nona” Roberts and the grandson of former President Robert Lee Moore.

Dorothy Roberts, 1985

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Mars Hill: The Magazine of Mars Hill University - Spring 2014

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Transcript of Mars Hill: The Magazine of Mars Hill University - Spring 2014