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THE HILLTOP, MARS HILL COLLEGE, MARS HILL, NORTH CAROLINA
The Hilltop
Plain Living and High Thinkin^'
“Poet Laura Yate”
Of Mars
Hill
Entered at the Post Office, Mars Hill, N. C., as Second Class Matter, Feb. 20, 1926
Member Southeastern Junior College Press Association.
STAFF
Editor
Robert Burnett
Associate Editor
-Virginia Ballad
Managing Editor Mark Taylor Orr
State Editor Arthur Ramsey
Religious Editor Florence Hatch
Sports Editor Billy Wright
Society Editor Alma Reid
Alumni Editor
Poetry Editor
Intercollegiate Editor
Faculty Adviser
-Frances Burnett
Frank Hunt
Bill Martin
-John A. McLeod
Business Manager Vance Hardin
Circulation Manager.. Robert Scruggs
Vol. VIII
MARS HILL, N. C., NOVEMBER 25, 1933
No. 4
Results Of The Poll
Although the results of the Hilltop poll are not comprehensive,
they reflect, in a measure, the opinion of the students concerning
the questions asked.
In the prohibition ballot, the votes for continuance and repeal
were practically equal with less than a fourth of the student body
voting. This scarcity of votes means either that the students do
not think of liquor enough to care to vote or that they don’t read
the Hilltop. We hope it is the former.
According to the returns of the War ballot, three students to
one would enlist, should war be declared.
In the last ballot, five out of six students voted to continue the
Laurel.
Just what do these returns mean? In the first place, the prohibi
tion question has been settled nationally. It now remains, as it has
always been, a personal choice. There is no danger of Mars Hill
College actually “going wet”; therefore this balloting means
little.
The results of the war ballot show that a large majority of
the students would enlist if war were declared. It is considered a
patriotic thing to come to the aid of your warring country by en
listing. But would it not ultimately be more patriotic if the in
habitants of a country would refuse to go to war, thereby saving
loss of lives, money, and most important of all—character. For
war as certainly as anything else destroys the character of a nation.
Of course all the countries would have to practice this plan before
:dt woi 11 d become successful. This idea is no doubt Utopian but not
at all unthinkable.
The outcome of the Laurel ballot was encouraging. Practical
ly every student who voted expressed a desire for the continuance
of the year book. The annual is an expensive luxury. To be a
success it must have the endorsement of every student possible.
This endorsement seems to have been obtained. But a Laurel can
not be published on endorsements. There must be sufficient funds
to cover the present debts on last year’s book and the expenses for
the new Laurel.
L. C. Chiles as editor and Bill Martin as business manager have
accepted a major portion of the responsibility of constructing a
Laurel. They promise a better book than ever before. The rest is
up to the students and various organizations on the campus to
furnish the money they owe.
Only with this done and the debts paid can the remainder of
the staff be chosen and actual work begun on the Laurel for 1934.
“One Among Many”
Have you ever heard someone say, “If Mars Hill just had
something like what they have at such and such a senior college,
it would be a lot better here”? We all have said it or heard it said
at one time or another.
But were we thinking when we made those statements? Prob
ably not, for that individuality and difference we condemned are
the keys to the success and continuance of Mars Hill College.
Hundreds of schools have the conventialities and trappings that
brand them as “regular” institutions. But that Mars Hill is an
outstanding, upstanding, long standing, and understanding college
cannot be denied. Many colleges possess the first three attributes
mentioned, but are utterly lacking in the last. Mars Hill has in a
personal sense the attribute of understanding—an understanding
of the students and their particular needs. This fact is a credit not
only to the school and its officials but to the students as well.
Applying the law of heredity to colleges, we perceive that
Mars Hill, being different, should graduate students unlike those
sent out from other institutions. This Mars Hill has accomplished,
and this Mars Hill will continue to accomplish as long as it re
mains an individual institution, inspiring the students to work for
the singular as well as the plural of the word credit.
It seems that the most abuse of Mars Hill and its methods
arises from those students who are content with the ordinary and
expected contributions of a school. They are so considerate and
thoughtful that they do not want the school to go to any extra
trouble to furnish them added advantages. Instead of adapting
themselves to the school they attend—they attempt to fashion the
school to their habits and likes or dislikes.
Should those students, who deride the school continually, put
one-tenth of the energy they burn up by talking detrimentally
By “Click” Elliott.
In the quiet of the morn, like a
thief, she silently enters into the
dormitories and still more silently in
spects the rooms! But, unlike a thief
—who takes all and leaves nothing—
she leaves in some conspicuous places
bits of poety for the occupants of the
room to feast upon.
Gingerly she inserts the key into
the door and as soon over the thresh
old she crosses, the beauty of the
room so enraptures her with awe that
her soul is filled with poetic inspira
tion.
Who is this person that leaves such
coy notes in our rooms, that are
signed L. Y. B.? Why, none other
than our housemother, Mrs. Burnett,
Mrs. Laura Yates Burnett, who has
styled herself the poet Laura Yate,
of Mars Hill.
And how the “young gentlemen
of Melrose and Brown” welcome her
visits. Think of it, young ladies!
They really anticipate her visits and
are sorely disappointed if a poem is
not left in their room after being in
spected.
Many of the girls in Spilman and
Treat and Rivermont wonder just
what these odes are.
As I strolled into the room of one
of our football heroes the other day,
my eye was caught by this verse:
TRAVELETTES
“Athletes are the best of men-
Get busy and clean your den.”
And still another:
“You are our renowned athlete a
Running with fleetest feet—
Cannot you with courage true
Leave a room both clean and sweet.”
After four or five visits:
“Will you look at this disorder
My, you cause me such a bother!”
or
“You are coming right along
Thank you, boys, is my song.’
And then for a dusty room:
~you don’twillow's.
And arrange your many pillows.
Books and papers on your tables,
I am really going to tell her!”
and
“Really you must clean, my dear.
This bad room within a year!”
Then to the cradlesnatchers:
“Get busy and watch your step.
Revive that latent pep.”
After cleaning:
“What an air of perfect order.
Faint I feel, or on the border.”
Even a poet has modesty:
“When pajamas I do see.
To retreat then I do flee!”
But
“If you clean more intensely,
I shall love you more immensely.”
or
“If you don’t clean up your room,
I shall write you to your doom.”
Then:
“This is now a finer air.
And you show that you do care.”
And
“Thank you for your true endeavor.
To make this room look more clever.”
So:
“My, you’re neat
Prom ceiling to floor—
Such a fine treat!
I you adore.”
Week by week these little remind
ers of cleanliness are looked for
ward to by the boys, and their ef
forts at cleaning are rewarded by
such as:
“Wish the girls could only see
What fine boys you really be.”
An Apology
The editorial department of this
publication regrets that the Nonpareil
election story, which appeared in the
last issue, was misplaced by mistake.
If you cannot swim, the place for
you is Salt Lake, only a street car’s
ride from Salt Lake City, Utah.
There, in water seven times saltier
than the ocean, you can splash about
with no fear of drowning, for it is
impossible to sink. If one gets his
feet above his head in the water, it
is practically impossible to regain the
lake bottom which covering is as salty
as the sand is sandy. Because of
the amount of salt in the water mak
ing it exceedingly dense the bather
becomes as light as a cork.
The approach to the resort is un
appealing. It is a built-up finger of
land with salt marshes on either side.
This salt is odiferous and disagree
able to the nostril of an unaccus
tomed tourist.
But once the lake is reached, the
air and scene change. Side show
barkers gyrate in front of their con
cessions. Shrieks from the roller
coaster, which is partly over the wat
er come fast and furious. The ex
panse of water looks like a million
pieces of broken glass, glistening
irridescently in the afternoon sun
with a sea gull balancing itself on
every fragment. These gulls add a
seashorish zip to this inland lake so
far from the ocean.
Salt Lake City owes its existence,
in a measure, to these gulls. Their
land overrun by grasshoppers, these
western farmers were beginning to
despair, when the gulls came to their
rescue. The birds latched onto the
pests and before long had rid that
section of them. As a token of their
appreciation, the townspeople erected
a stately shaft in honor of the gulls.
Salt Lake City is also the home of
the Mormon religion, founded by
Brigham Young, who had nineteen
wives and fifty-two children. The
Mormons have a temple and taber
nacle there. The tabernacle may be
visited by people professing other
creeds, but the Temple is strictly for
Mormons. There is even a secret en
trance to this latter building.
The tabernacle where organ con
certs are presented every Sunday, is
imensely interesting to a visitor. It
has a huge dome covering practically
the. entire structure. This dome is
not at all externally supported, but
is held together by pegs and raw
hide, as is the magnificent organ, one
of the best in the country. Nails
then cost $100 a keg and had to be
transported all the way from Chicago
by coach. The acoustics of the build
ing are so perfect that a pin dropped
on the rug of the rostrum may be
heard in the rear of the building.
Salt Lake City is Utah’s biggest
city.
^ M
Frosh’s Reaction
My heart you keep on t^ sp
But when I start to yield
You crawl into your shell- le
And all your feelings shientl
I cannot solve dilemmas
I’m dumb and shy and sci
Explain your tangled acti
So I can be prepared.
SCO!
jun
t i
ispl
it i
ti:.
Life to me is a cloak we
On the constant loom of
The design of our lives
to choose
Only the grade of the thi
We have to choose.
~|ie '
gth
Where Do They Go
From Here
Miss Ella Smith is now the dietitian
at the Baptist Orphanage in Frank
lin, Tennessee.
A former Mars Hill student. Dr.
Zeno Wall, is now pastor of the First
Baptist Church of Shelby, and presi
dent of the Baptist State Convention
of North Carolina. He is speaking in
Marshall on October 26.
Jasper Morgan, whose father is a
trustee of the college, is now an as
sistant in the Physics Department of
Duke University. After leaving Mars
Hill, Mr. Morgan spent three years
at Wake Forest. Later he received
his M. A. degree at Duke. He is now
studying for his Ph. D.
At the meeting of Western North
Carolina teachers Mrs. O. E. Roberts,
was made chairman of the association
of the French Teachers. Mr. Plem-
mons, also a Mars Hill student was
made Secretary of the association.
“Every time I have occasion to
compare the alumni of Mars Hill
with those of other Junior Colleges,
my pride in Mars Hill is enhanced.
I do not believe it has an equal in
this respect on the American Conti
nent.”
This is a quotation from a letter
about the school into maintaining the high standards of the institu
tion, they would grasp the opportunities afforded here and perceive
the personality and excellence of a school that is “one among
many
lian
to
ir’s
of
lew
ser
»c
ng
Lio
th
ibb
Lament
Evelyn Morganlirh
The trees are bare. The ea is i
Dark clouds rush low. Th
drear.
Harsh blasts sweep throui rst
green pine. ext
The ocean churns the wat op
)d
.d
mei
,S £
cli
The scope in view is dreai
And worn, and tired, and]- A
old; 1 e
Yet turbulent in agony h t
From Winter’s cruel ecstai of
ill’s
The sea gull’s shrill and sa
Bewails the days that sun [g ^
It flings a spray upon th
And hangs in mists above:
It beats its force against
It claws the sands with sa'
To soften granite, sweetei
And lull to sleep the we
whine. ; ^
■ ^ his
An Old Viol to
Sweet melodies float out i ega
A message tenderly. iui
A brawny, wrinkled, smilii efo
So full of jollity.
01*
Draws forth the bow bw
T- j har
hand.
sini
In quite a rhythmic moo
A never tiring mind does st
The pleasing notes are
A common place where men tai
Discussing current things k
No one would dare to pat ya
While notes vibrate fromV >
a
He plays the instrument sOjg,
The many friends adore,
To concentrate on every bci
And dream of dreams th
The day is done, with smili ’^j^
He counts his silver slow
Then tucks his violin in ca
Turned homeward footst ’
rie
air
He traces back, the day go ^
But soul with eagerness.
Turns wrinkled fact towa
sky.
The course of happine
Frank I^
cR
t
from Mr. H. P. Hunter, Pr
Cullowhee.
Two McLeansville schoo!
Miss Ora Jones, 27, and
Swanson, 22, were fatal!
on State Highway No. 10 a
miles east of here about
this evening when the smal
which they were riding was
a truck driven by P. L. B
Norlina, as the former ma
making a left turn from
way.
Miss Swanson, whose hoi
Lenoir, wms reported instai
in the crash, while Miss Joi
home was at Ossipee, died
route to a local hospital in
lance.
On investigation by coun
resulted in a manslaughter ■
ing preferred against Bol
told the officers that his
crashed into the left rei
coupe as it started to turn
left turn from the highwaj
a
tl
th
Horton Gragg, student a1
last year, is expected to g
hibition of stunting at tl
boro airport soon. Gragg
the youngest racing pil
southern states. He will
said to make four miles a