Newspapers / University of North Carolina … / March 28, 1985, edition 1 / Page 4
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4/Thursday, March 28,1985/TKE BLUE BANNER * UNCA marketing student enjoys reenacting Revolutionary history 'i is«' " WTTJ.TAM MARQUIS’ traditional Scottish costiMe turns ■any beads when he «ears It to school. A real history buff of the eighteenth century, he travels to various historical sites for reenactnents with the Horth Carolina Highland Reglnent. He soaptlmes lectures at schools, Indudlng DNCA and eleaentary schools. 'Ele- maatary kids think the battle stories are marvelous, he said. staff photo by SyMa Hawkins By Jennifer Heglar Donning a blue hat top ped with a red yam ball, blue coat, vdilte ruffled shirt, blue and green kilt and red-checkered socks, student William Marquis looks as if he just step ped out of eighteenth cen tury Scotland. Marquis, a marketing management major, is a member of the North Caro lina Highland Regiment, a traveling revolutionary reenactment organization. He sometimes wears his kilt to class when he has a lecture or performance scheduled. "I get a couple of dou ble looks every now and then," he said, "and occa sionally someone will stop to ask me about it, but most of the time, I look just like everybody else." Marquis said his is a typical Scottish kilt, made of nine yards of pleated wool. "My wife made mine," he said, "and she swore she'd never make another one. They're very hard to make, and in the summertime, they're hot." Despite the discomfort of his uniform, however. Marquis enjoys his hobby. "I've Etlways been inte rested in history, and I got into the regiment a few years ago at Vance birthplace," he said. 'I got to talking to some of the people settled in the area of the British camp, and the ccngm2inder said, 'Why don't you come join us?'" Marquis said that even though he wears a blue coat, he is a redcoat in the regiment. "Somebody's got to be the bad guy!" he said. Everyone in the regiment has some knowledge of the Revolution. "Some know very little and some of us know a lot. It depends on your inter est," he said. "For me, it's fascinating to find out how people lived then. "Wherever I find materi al, I pick it up," he con tinued, pulling out seve ral items he has collected over the years. "These are 200-year-old glasses," he said, produc ing a small pair of spec tacles that cost him $18 at an antique store. "And this is a dollar," he continued. He demonstrated how he could break the circular ounce of pure silver into pieces to produce two bits, four bits, or six bits. Another seventeenth century coin, said Mar quis, was the ha' (half) penny. Women who performed do mestic chores for soldiers during a campaign received a ha' penny for each man she served each day. "That could buy her half a loaf of bread or a mug of near beer," a drink made of fermented pine straw and beer. Finally, Marquis held up a solid musket ball used in the 1700s. "Most men didn't die of their gunshot wounds," he said. "They died of infec tion because this bullet took their clothing into the wound. "Whiskey or rum were the only painkillers they had then," he added. This lack of anesthetics sometimes made visits to the doctor or dentist a horrlf3rLng experience. According to Marquis, dentists pulled teeth by driving a nail into the patient's gum until his tooth just popped out. "Back then, it was just get out the probes and dig," he said. Other early medical practices were just as painful and unwittingly harmful. To treat rabies, for example, doctors placed the offending dog's hair on the bite. Marquis said that he plans to speak at a UNCA history class in the near future. His next official reen actment will be at the Historic Homes and Garden Tour and Spring Festival April 13-14, New Bern, N.C. ■entary kids think the batae stories are marvelous," ^ raxxrng co sne servea eacn day. aprij. New said. staff photo by Sylvia Hawkins some of the people settled That could buy her half N.C. Oxford University lecturer will visit campus in April ByFrancine Holmes ^ philosophy, and eco- The Uterature and Com- ™CA Campus British Politics and nomlcs. ... , R^oT. whiz-v. aiivsnot By Francine Holmes A British lecturer will arrive at DNCA April 2, said Msrritt Ifoseley, as sistant professor of lite rature. Dr. Martin Holmes, a p)0- litlcal science lecturer at Oxford University in England and specialist in British political history will make three public ap pearances from i^rll 2-6. On April 2 he will speak on "British Foreign Policy and the Jews During World War 11" at 4 p.m. in Room 104 of the Humanities building. On April 3 he will speak on "British Politics and the News Media" at 12:15 p.m. in Room 104 of the Humanities building. On April 5 Holmes will speak on the "Anglo-Ameri can Alliance" at 12:15 p.m. in the private dining room of the Highsmlth Cen ter. All presentations are free and open to the pub lic. Holmes is a graduate of University College at Ox ford . There he received his bachelor's degree in politics along with his doctorate degree in poli tics, philosophy, and eco nomics. He currently lectures at Oxford University and is on the faculty at 13 Ox ford University colleges including Lady Margaret Hcill, Balliol College, Oirlst Church, and Magda len College. The British lecturer teaches summer school for foreign students from var ious unlversltites includ ing UNCA and North Caro lina State University. Holmes has cilso written several scholarly books based on his research. The Literature and Com munications dub, the Political Science Associ ation, and the Office of International Studies are sponsoring Holmes' visit to DNCA, said Mjseley. The DNCA Campus Commis sion, which allocates mo ney to worthy projects, is paying for part of Holmes' expenses, according to Moseley.
University of North Carolina at Asheville Student Newspaper
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March 28, 1985, edition 1
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