iruary 8, 196!
the Mars Hill College
LORE
hiUtod
^‘Those who make -peace
ful revolution impossible^
make violent revolution in
evitable.^^
—JFK
Vol. XLIII, No. 11
MARS HILL, NORTH CAROLINA
March 8, 1969
Palmer
Alumnus White Will Become
Student Activities Director
by Mike Mills
Perry White of Raleigh, a ’68
with King Col- MHC graduate, has been named
iiant display of by President Bentley and approv-
iccess with th« by the trustees as Mars Hill’s
take this op- Director of Student Activities.
'The appointment is to be effec-
tistics of activf Aug 15.
Dr. Bentley said he feels that
students need and activities coor-
Pt*. Avfl. "^tnator to help provide them a
447 20.3 *'^uch larger voice in planning all
415 18.0 aspects of campus life.
305 13.1 A well-liked student remember-
230 10.0 by most upper classmen. White
189 8.5 chosen for his wide expe-
55 3.3 lienee in both student and ad-
59 4.5 ^inistrative affairs. He served in
tbe Student Government Associa
tion for two years as attorney gen-
®^al, and he was honored in the
1968 edition of “Who’s Who
Among Students in American Col
lages and Universities.’’ He ma-
Jored in biology, received a B.S.
•logree, was a member of the
1'ouring Choir and appeared in
Numerous drama productions.
White was awarded an assist-
aaceship to Purdue University and
Enrolled there last fall; however,
be underwent siu-gery in the mid
dle of the term and did not re
turn. The fact that his father,
official of the Baptist State
Convention of North Carolina, was
billed in an auto accident in Oc
tober also influenced his decision
^ut to return to Purdue. He has
been living in Raleigh with his
l^uther and younger sister. A
brother, Morris, is currently an
bIHc sophomore.
In the new post White wUl co-
ordinate various student activi-
ties. He will have a voice in the
^fitting and modification of stu-
bont regulations (such as dating
*'Ules) and will initiate new activi-
bes. For example, some students
Campbell
Campbell
King
Pembroke
“Uncle Rudy’
id then came W
is a native of
irolina and is
ddie Miller Fai>
1 Reeves’ hope*
ling field some-
irn North Caro-
marked a yeal
revamping of
>all and Rudf
iber one facto!
to have a sue-
great start fo!
wish to organize a ski club next
year. They can get assistance
from White, who will work close
ly with the dean of students and
whose office will be next door to
the SGA office on the ground
floor of Spilman.
When asked why the coUege
needs the new position. Dr. Bent
ley stated emphatically, “This
campus is dead, and it doesn’t
need to be dead!”
He said he realizes that stu
dents presently are having to go
through too many channels to ex
press their views. He feels that
the administration has a responsi
bility for broadening the lines of
communication and for being more | v
receptive to student needs. i,'.
He further explained that both
current students and recent grad
uates have prompted him to cre
ate the new post. Through letters
and dormitory “bull sessions” they
have expressed a need for the type
of liaison which he envisions the
new director as having between
the student body and the admin
istration and faculty.
He said he feels that many stu
dents “know Perry” and believe
he will be able to bridge the gen
eration gap between students and
college administrators. He asked
that students begin immediately
to offer their suggestions in the
area of campus student activities.
These ideas and suggestions may
be addressed in care of the of
fice of the Dean of Students.
Dr. Hoffman Named
New Academic Dean
Perry C. White
. New Staff Member
Dr. R. L. Hoffman
. . . New Dean
Aid Sought
E
SERVICE,
CATION
irs Hill
Fire has recently destroyed the
trailer-home of the two grand
children of Mr. and Mrs. Buckner,
proprietors of Greenvalley Res
taurant. The children are in dire
need of clothing. Students are
asked to donate money at the
designated places in the Student
Center and at the Hilltop office.
Have a heart and help these kids.
Richard Lee Hoffman, assistant
professor of political science and
a member of the faculty for 10
years, has been named assistant
academic dean for the remainder
of the school year and the sum
mer session and will become act
ing dean at the conclusion of sum
mer schooL
The two appointments, announc
ed by President Bentley in a reg
ular faculty meeting Tuesday, fol
low 18 months of work by a spe
cial committee assigned to find
a successor to Ralph M. Lee.
Last week the committee im-
animously recommended Dr. Hoff
man to a joint meeting of the
executive and finance committees
of the board of trustees. The rec
ommendation was unanimously
accepted.
Dr. Bentley said Dr. Hoffman,
as assistant dean, will have “prime
responsibility for coordinating and
developing programs and propos
als for foundation and government
support. In that capacity he will
be an ex officio member of all
faculty committees. He also will
become director of a Community
Development Institute which is to
be established in the very near
future . "
In recommending him the spe
cial committee expressed its con
fidence “that Dr. Hoffman is ad
mirably qualified to Ccirry out the
duties of acting dean.”
»Dr. Bentley added he hopes “all
of us will realize the difficulty
of the task which Dr. Hoffman is
inheriting and will pledge our full
support to him for this next
year.”
The newly appointed adminis
trator, who will be 37 on Mar. 17,
is a native of Waynesboro, Penn.
He attended Mercersburg (Penn.)
Academy, graduating in 1951. His
imdergraduate career was inter
rupted by a tour of duty in the
Marine Corps (1954-57), but he
received a BA degree in social
studies at East Carolina College
in 1958. He later studied a year
at the University of Pennsylvania
and has earned the MA degree in
American history and the Doctor
of Philosophy at the University of
North Carolina in Chapel Hill. The
latter degree will be awarded in
June.
He first joined the Mars Hill
faculty in 1959, was away during
1960-61, but has been officially
affiliated with the college ever
since.
Last year Dr. Hoffman formu
lated a proposal to the Reynolds
Foundation of Winston-Salem for
the establishment of acommunity
development program at Mars
Hill, including the initiation of an
internship type course in com
munity development.
With a $21,375 grant from the
foundation he inaugurated the
program at the beginning of the
current academic year and has
directed it in addition to teaching
political science.
He also is director of a Leader
ship Training Institute established
here during the current year with
a $9,000 grant from the local Of
fice of EJconomic Opportunity.
The program is concerned primar
ily with training local leaders for
government agencies and commu
nity action programs.
Dr. Hoffman is married to an
MHC alumna, the former Jeanne
Threat. They have two young
sons.
Dr. Lee To Establish Institute of Christian Ethics Here
ojdltop's Note: Dr. Page Lee Is from
rj,*^nsbopo and received his B.A. from
College. He attended South-
{.••ern Seminary and earned his Th.D.
CiS.'S Southern Seminary. With the ex-
»?*«on of 1964-1967, he and his wife
four children have lived In Mars
since 1961. Response to Dr. Lee's
“hnents are welcomed.
ream
Of
Within a few days Mars Hill
ollegg will receive funds from a
°hndation for the establishment
^ an Institute of Christian Ethics.
, purpose of the institute will
a to provide the 1500 clergymen
interested laymen in this reg-
with a theological library, a
aenter for sharing in a study of
^anunon problems and a center
for
continuing theological educa-
Furthermore, it wiU seek to
atablish rapport with the clergy-
®n so that Mars Hill College can
^Pand its ministry to the people
this
region.
. The basic programs of the insti-
ate will be a weekly seminar for
niinisters and a Christian ethics
. in “Church and Commun-
for about 15 students. A good
^antion of the funds will be spent
.a building up our library hold-
PSs on Christian ethics and Ap-
’^®^achian studies.
Next fall the ministers’ seminar
will be initiated through a study
of the problem of poverty in Ap
palachia. This will be followed in
the spring by the students’ course
in Church and Community. Stu
dents for this course will be
screened from a growing number
who are already interested. It is
hoped that this will provide the
experience that many are seeking
so that their final decision wUl be
to stay in the ministry. Many are
now leaving the ministry because
they cannot see a role for active
social participation. This will pro
vide the opportunity for the stu
dent to redefine the church and its
positions in the community.
This poverty that your institute
and many others focus on, is this
a real problem or a ffdjrication?
Many reputable sources claim it is
a hoax being perpetrated on the
public.
Yes, poverty is real and some of
those who dispute it are the very
ones benefiting from the O. E. O.
programs. The facts are that Mad
ison County has a per capita in
come of $725 a year, with 63.7
percent of the families under $3,-
000. Furthermore, over 70 per
cent of all private housing in the
county is substandard. Perhaps
those who deny the fact that pov
erty is a real problem are too pro
vincial to see the relative wealth
of other regions in our country.
For many middle-class college stu
dents the pioverty is what Michael
Harrington calls physically and
psychologically “invisible.”
Concerning the students—I have
felt for a long time that we need
to relate to the community and
need to bend over backward to
get the students to break out of
their provincialisms. The whole
educational process should involve
the students in the larger com
munity and its problems. I am
very much in favor of the em
phasis on community life which a
growing number of faculty mem
bers are making now.
I am not concerned so much
with the recruitment of students
as I am with what we do with
them once they are here. Some
that come with low S. A. T. scores
can be developed into real stu
dents. I would rather see us deal
effectively with the ones we have
and then let them be our recruit
ing power. As for the expense of
school I can foresee the day that
we will have merit scholarships
for those that cannot afford to
come. But today, rather than
blame the students for not exer
cising their potential, I would ac
cept part of the blame for not
challenging them.
How do you challenge a stu
dent?
Not through fear of failure. An
effort should be made in the class
room, through individual contact,
to challenge and stimulate inter
est. A professor can apply pres
sure through pop tests and fear of
failure, but this becomes a game
and enables the student to spot
the teacher.
In relation to student challenge
and responsibility to what degree
does the student have the right to
make dememds?
In essence the student has the
right to dissent, but this does not
include destruction of property
and infringement on the rights of
others. Our society has similar
laws. But a college has a right to
establish and demand compliance
with a set of mores. Student free
dom and student maturity stand
in a dialectical relationship, i.e.,
the maturing process requires
freedom and freedom requires ma
turity. In short, the college can
not expect complete maturity
from students, and students can
not expect total freedom from the
college. We live in the tension-
filled area where the college must
learn that maturation requires
freedom and students must under
stand that freedom depends on
maturity.
M. H. C.’s direct relationship to
this is that, maybe, many of what
are called Christian traditions are
no more than cultural condition
ing and not in direct relationship
to the Christian faith. I favor an
atmosphere of more freedom be
cause it is under these circum
stances that a person can be his
real self and mature into the stu
dent we were referring to earlier.
(Continued on Page 2)