Vol. I, No. 5
MONTREAT COLLEGE, MONTREAT, NORTH CAROLINA
January, 1959
Prospects to be Entertained Feb* 20-22
A festive week-end is on the agenda for
February 20-22. In addition to the annual
winter party, there will be entertainment
for prospective students who will be visit
ing the campus. The prospects will stay
in the dormitories, attend some classes, and
become generally acquainted with the
college.
The Asheville Community Theater will
present its regular performance February
20. Some tickets will probably be avail
able to those prospective students who
would like to attend.
On Saturday night, there will be a gala
event planned by the Social Committee. In
stead of the regular party centered around
the patriotic characters of the month, there
will be a Mardi Gras masquerade party.
The more garish the costume the happier
the occasion will be for all.
This week-end promises to be a highlight
on the social calendar. Prospective stu
dents who plan to come are asked to fill
in the form on page 2 and return it as soon
as possible to Ann Bullard, Montreat Col
lege, Montreat, N. C.
World Wide Witness
The 1959 theme for the Presbyterian
Church, U. S., is “World Wide Witness.”
In keeping with this theme, the World
Missions Group of the S.C.A. is planning
to conduct a “School of Missions”, which
will be a special study of the mission fields.
These classes will be held on Wednesday
night at 7:15 during the month of February.
Lillian Buck, who heads this group, said
that the first study will be a general in
troduction to the overall work of world
missions. The following Wednesday night
Mr. Bennett will speak on the Middle East,
which is to be emphasized this year.
On February 18, the Rev. C. R. Stegall,
retired missionary to Africa, will show a
film about the mission work there. The
last study will be conducted by Mr. Ben
nett, who will present a challenge to young
people to consider careers on the mission
field.
IJ. S. - Russia Vie for Support of Iranians
“The United States is a fast moving
country, but what most Americans fail to
see is the fact that other countries are
moving just as fast.” So spoke our visitor
from Iran, Miss Gay Currie, in chapel last
week. Miss Currie, who serves as public
health nurse with the U. S. government’s
Point Four program in Teheran, Iran, was
on the last leg of her around-the-world
tour. This is her first trip to the States
in two years. She is connected with the
Iranian Orphanage to which the student
body chose to send a Christmas gift of
money.
Miss Currie is no stranger to Montreat.
In fact she claims this as her home. Bom
in Kiangai, China, she is the daughter of
Presbyterian missionaries, who are now
serving in Taiwan. She graduated from
Agnes Scott College, received her nursing
certificate from Presbyterian Hospital, and
obtained her masters from the University
of North Carolina.
A short, vivacious woman of 38, she held
her audience captivated as she told of this
country’s work in Iran.
Iran is situated in southwestern Asia, one
of the hottest spots on the map. Bordered
on the north by Russia, and in the west
by Iraq, it is in the midstream of western
and eastern cultures. In the section of
the world that is predominately Muslim,
Iran is surprisingly enough 50% Christian.
Miss Currie pointed out that though Iran
is very definitely influenced by Russian
culture, “the government is considered pro
western in its sympathies”.
The United States’ plan for aid to the
Iranians is in sharp contrast to that of
the Russians. The Communists spend mil
lions on road and waterway projects, but
labor, technical skill, and supplies come
from Moscow. This does little to help the
country’s economy. “The whole point of
the United States’ mutual aid security,”
Miss Currie said, “is to help the people
to help themselves.” Instead of building
dams for the Iranians, the United States
sends technical advisors who show the
Iranians how to build the dam for them
selves. Miss Currie, speaking as one of
these advisors, presented a hopeful pic
ture of American prestige abroad. She
challenged us to be ever aware of the
position the U. S. holds in the world and
act accordingly both here at home and in
foreign nations.
Library Shows Increase
Montreat College is very fortunate in
having Miss Virginia Buchanan as its
librarian. Under her administration the
library has continually increased its ser
vices to the student body.
As a result of the 1957-58 student body
project, which raised over $2000 for the
library, approximately 500 new books have
been added to the stacks. Some of this
money is also being used to bind outstand
ing magazines, which contain a wealth of
reference materials in the fields that Mon
treat offers majors.
Miss Buchanan’s staff is also in charge
of the audio-visual program, both for the
classroom and the Saturday night enter
tainment.
The library extends another service to
students this year by offering paper-back
books for sale. These books are available
at a very low cost, making it possible for
any student to keep abreast with modem
as well as classical writers.
Miss Buchanan now has her eye on the
Library of Congress, which offers free pub
lications of books on any subject to col
leges and universities. All a college offi
cial needs is authority from his congress-
—Turn to Page 5, Col. 2