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Vol.L,No.8, Friday, Feb.4,1977
THE INSIDE STORY
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Two
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Three
Shorts
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Four
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'I'^hether it was planning a contempor-
J Wedding or searching for truth in In-
j'l thought and meditation, minimester
L'J'’ses took on all forms and descrip-
this year. For three weeks, MHCer’s
’® given a chance to take courses of
eific interest to them. Many found
^rses within their major appealing,
® some decided to go outside their
l|. d and do soniething entirely out of
element. Thus, one could find
'?ic students one flight up in Fine Arts
.'rig beginning painting instead of in
V.. traditional practice rooms, while
J'tical science majors graced the dance
learning mountain clogging. Some
j®'' managed to get outside of the class-
to take trips: business majors
,jl ®led to area firms and plants for e-
J^ation and study of management tech-
curious historians hitched a
(^^'with Dr. Harley Jolley along the east
k®at to view national parks and places of
jjj®''®st: organ maintenance students
a chance to see different church or-
K® in the area during their course.
L ''obably as exciting to some, however,
the fact that most courses only
I for two or three hours a day. The
V of the time was left for individual
for the courses, or if things worked
L *^ight, some free time for rest and re-
lf^®fion. Most found time to hit the hills
j^^nd campus with their trays or sleds
daily snows became as much a
of minimester as did the short
i,®feria lines. And, with the extremely
temperatures. Mars Hill students
‘ P®rienced some cold dorm rooms,
lunches and dinners in the cafe-
|ii3' and lukewarm visits to the college
The constant search for a little
Hi Was a somewhat unique character-
Of the 1977 minimester that had
I ®6n experienced in previous ones,
k^dents varied in their comments a-
ttig' fhinimester. Most seemed to like
Courses they had chosen while a
5f?'lfewfound their courses, instructors,
oth — boring.
TraveteEnrichleaching
By JONATHAN RIDDLE
Wanderlust is a word that, pehaps
better than any one, describes Bob Ab
bott’s lifetime of academic pursuits.
Such a desire to travel has meant that,
instead of laboring away in the musty
libraries of academia, this assistant
professor of German and Spanish has pre
ferred to go to the world for his education.
Born in Norfolk, Virginia, Abbott, in
terestingly enough, entered the Marines
after high school, if only for a short
while. His first college years were spent
at Old Dominion, but before long he
left to study at the Sorbonne, a division
of the University of Paris. After returning
to the United States, Abbott attended
New York University, obtaining a BA in
English Literature in 1952. He had put
himself through school, but his father
wanted to send him to law school at Wash
ington and Lee. After three semesters,
however, his father died, and he was
forced to drop out. In 1955 he returned
to NYU, taking a United Nations program
of study (including history, economics,
and sociology), through which he received
his Masters degree.
It just so happened that Abbott wanted
to travel again, so he took out a world
atlas, looking at underdeveloped coun
tries in particular. His interests led him
to make inquiries to several countries
about the possibility of gaining employ-
Bob Abbott’s face shows much of the en-
thuslam he feels for his students and his
teaching. (Photo by Sam Tunstall)
ment, finally deciding on a job in Quito,
Ecuador. There he had several responsi
bilities, including teaching Spanish and
American children English and Spanish
respectively, lecturing at night on Anglo-
American literature, and taking private
lessons in French, Italian, and Latin. He
enjoyed the two years there very much
— the people, the activities, and the en
vironment. As an added bonus he was
able to write a collection of short stories
during his stay.
He returned to the United States once
more in 1957, teaching for a year at
Deep Creek High School in Norfolk,
Virginia. There he led classes in French
and Spanish.
Wanderlust got hold of him once more,
though, for he then made several trips to
Europe, studying with a wide range of
teachers at different schools. Enjoying
Germany and France the most, Abbott
attended a translator school in Munich.
Periods of further travel throughout
Europe and America were interrupted
only by teaching stays at Virginia Beach,
Princeton, New Jersey, and Buffalo,
New York and by a 1959 adventure of
opening a language center of his own in
Virginia Beach.
In 1968 Abbott came to Mars Hill
College to teach, staying for three years.
He left in 1971 to take a trip to Europe,
remained unemployed for two more
years, then returned in 1974. What drew
him back and what keeps him here?
He likes the town of Mars Hill, the college
(of course), and probably most important
the continual contact with students for
whom he has a high regard. To occupy
the free time he has from teaching,
Herr Abbott likes to read, talk to people,
write, cook, and walk. Pay special at-
tion to that last one for wanderlust is one
of Bob Abbott’s favorite feelings, one for
which students can be truly thankful.
Three and one halt years of involve
ment in aspects of Student Government
came to an end January 21 with the
resignation of SGA President Patti Mills.
The move, which took most people by
by surprise, was anticipated by the for
mer president late in the fall semester
when she discovered that she would be
eligible to graduate at the end of mini
mester. According to Ms. Mills, “This
resignation comes with regret and yet an
optimistic eye for the growth of your
Student Government and its future."
She continues: “Let me say thank you for
the trust and support you have given me
in the past. I ask for your continued sup
port through your prayers as I leave my
college home and attempt to begin
my life’s vocation. I will always be proud
to say I had the opportunity to serve as
your President and will continue to be
concerned for your betterment at Mars
Hill College.”
Patti Mills entered Mars Hill as a
freshman in 1973, soon to be distinguish
ed by being elected class vice-president.
The next year she moved up one notch,
running unopposed for president of the
sophomore class. Junior year saw her
running, and, as usual, getting elected
as SGA, vice-president. It would be only
a matter of time before she was running
for President as “the students’ candi
date” . . . unopposed, of course. Obvious
ly, her political career at Mars Hill has
been a successful one primarily because
of her continued dedication to the solution
of student-oriented problems and her
contagious enthusiasm.
The “changing of the guard” brings a
new person to the president’s chair.
Vice-president Steve Webb. A transfer
student last year from LBW Junior Col
lege in Alabama, where he was senator
and later president of student govern
ment. Mr. Webb was elected last April as
vice-president. Because he and President
Mills worked together so closely, the pro
grams Webb hopes to implement corre
spond to those for which the former pres
ident worked. They range from forming
an association of student governments of
the seven North Carolina Baptist colleges
to working out any kinks in the Stu
dent Book Exchange. Additional goals in
clude obtaining academic credit for stu
dent leaders, working with Judicial Coun
cil to determine a more direct rneans of
dealing with students who steal books,
and continuing seminars for those in
volved in the various aspects of student
government.
When asked about his conception of
student government as opposed to Ms.
Mills, Webb replied that their ideas were
not all that dissimilar. According to the
new president the philosophy of student
government varies with the institution;
especially, when it comes to private col
leges, the attitude of administrators is
paramount, a condition which Webb
states is neither good nor bad. At the same
time, however, “the scope of student
government is limited to the vision of
its leaders.” Webb hopes to instill in
other elected officers the same vision he
has, providing them with a working phil
osophy of student government that will
enable them to better serve students.
Getting on with the business of effective
student government has always been a
challenge for SGA presidents. Steve Webb
as his predecessor seems to accept it
with enthusiasm.