PAGE TWO
MARS HILL COLLEGE HILLTOP
FRIDAY, MARCH 7, 191:5^^, M^
7A
?/7
The "protest" two weeks ago was, to us,
a healthy indication that students at Mars
Hill can get stirred up over issues that
concern them without resorting to violence
that marked the protests of a few years
Contrary to what many people outside the
campus community feel, we do not feel that
the protesters should be roundly damned
for their actions.
We feel that the issue was well handled
by both sides. The administration was
patient and the protesters made their view
known without a disruption of campus life.
However, there is a note here that we feel
should not go unnoticed. That is, the
leaders of the protest were woefully un
prepared to go against the administration.
The administration of a college commun -
ity is based on the governmental system
of our nation and state. There is little
if any, regulation or administrative pro -
cedure that has not already been proven
in a court of law. This is known as legal
precedence, and it is a powerful weapon in
establishing an administration in which
human rights are involved.
The students seemed unaware of this, as
indeed they seemed unaware of many of the
regulating principles of the college. In
fact, it seemed that the students were
almost naive in this matter. A careful ex
amination of an establishment is mandatory
when protesting that establishment.
To begin, the college is not governed by
the Student Government Association. The
college is an independent corporation
charted and ratified by the State of North
Carolina. It is governed by its Board of
Trustees who have complete legal authority
for the operation of the college.
The president is elected by the trustees
and is the chief educational and adminis -
tratlve officer of the college. He is
responsible to the trustees for the manage
ment, supervision, and government of the
college and for interpreting and carrying
out the policies of the Board of Trustees.
We feel that it should be understood
that President Bentley was acting in ac
cordance with his position and within the
boundaries established when he suspended
Robin Harvey. The students were also
within their rights to protest the action.
We feel the foregoing was necessary be
cause we feel that the students involved
did not understand how this college (and
others) are governed. We think th&t for
them to assume that the college and its
administrators are governed by the student
Government Association was a mistake that
a well informed student would not niake.
However, the SGA has made inroads in
making students' desires known to policy
making administrators.
Inasmuch as our state and national gov—
ernment works through its legislative body
so should the students of this college.
After all, students are here to learn and
to prepare themselves for life in the
society we live in and this is as importait
a part of life as any other.
Yet the student leaders did not know the
names of their student representatives.
To admit this was, in our opinion, a ser
ious mistake. It showed that they were
not concerned with the way we are governed
except when it directly affected them.
This is not the purpose of an education.
While we admire the students for coming to
the aid of a fellow student in trouble, we
think that they should have taken the time
to prepare themselves more thourghly.
It would have been more effective if the
students Involved could have presented not
only a petition protesting the suspension,
but a document to be presented to the SGA
which would in turn present it to the
policy making officals of the college. If
the students are vitally concerned, this Is
still a viable avenue. If they were just
emotionally taken up with their friend's
troubles, then we suspect the issue will
wither and die.
The protest has raised issues beyond the
suspension of Robin Harvey. Every student
on campus should know the rules which gov
ern him or her not only on this campus but
in the society which he or she will enter
upon graduation. A copy of the charter
and bylaws of the college can be obtained
as can student handbooks which outline
the operation of the SGA as well as other
rules and regualtions concerning student
activities.
SGA elections will be held soon. The
time couldn't be riper for a thorough ex
amination of how the system works. It is
also an excellent time to find out which
candidate best represents your own point
of view. Question each candidate to your
own satisfaction. Then make sure your vote
goes to the one which best represents you.
up by one ear.
dog screamed in
vious pain but
"protector"
smiled and said "I'®
not going to hurt you-
The other dogs a'
round campus and h®
were corralled in th®
old tennis courts
They were then drag?
ed and half choked
process with a lo°?
around their necks
a small box whet®
they were all cramine*^
in like so many sat'
dines. They were the®
all taken off to wh®
knows what fate.
I tried to hav®
something done abou®
it but no one had e'
nough time to listeni
after all, they'f®
"just dogs". Well/ ^
hope some of you wh®
own dogs have a bi*'
of trouble sleepit?
as you think of
own beloved pet beiu^
treated in such ^
manner.
It's too late no'^'
By the time you
this letter thoS®
dogs who everyone
iettei
from
'^nat mud
‘'Sen the
near
book de]
jibrary,
sometl
abov
Maybe s
''^Ikway?
I real!
|i-on will
going
but
^6nce of
’^uld su
^eat ben
’Ybody w
that d
^budent^
•'faiSin
Jbures s-
7 Bapti,
®ssage S'
^i[^torio V
..J^nied 1
a
Johns
joyed petting
Sine
, new
®5in abc
playing with at u>u® ®^nesday
John H. Campbell time or another,
.nd'
to the editor
for many were remi
ers of a pet at
that is seldom
tha®
Dear Editor;
I would like to
address this article
to anyone on or a-
round this campus who
has even the slight
est touch of love and
sympathy towards the
innocent and unpro
tected .
Anyone who heard of
or saw "Mr." Fairies
rounding up the num
erous dogs on the
campus should cer
tainly have felt
nauseated, angry and
somewhat rebellious
at the cruel and in
humane way in which
these helpless anim
als were abducted. I
personally witnessed
our "beloved upholder
of truth, justice and
the Mars Hill Way"
capture one of -these
animals. Our "pro
tector" weighing in
at well over 200 lbs.
courageously took on
his adversary, a
small flop-eared mutt
weighting all of 15
lbs., by picking him
now, are more
likely dead.
Finally, I wo®
like to thank all
the "concerned
dents" at Mars
College for stand®®
by and doing nothi®^
Some of you
heard to say:
body should do so®®
thing." That "sO®®
body" should
been YOU!!!
ha
,ve
Jeff Wood
Dear Editor
Tonight, as
slogged my way
letters pg.3
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EDITOR
ASS'T EDITOR..
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Hilltop Staff
.SARAH
.BEN live!
^ .VERNON THOMASON, CHUCK
JOHN CAME®^ ■
DAVID MCGEE, JIM
geo^
ERIC GARNER, SUSAN
DICK NEWSOME MARK
..BECKY STONE, JEAN
;RYL THOMAS, BELINDA
LISA SAMPSON, SHAWN
CHARLi:
DAVID HA
RUTH ROLEDER, CHARLIE
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