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Hill, N.C. 28754
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Building's Opening Highlights Homecoming
itsgj^ ^^day, October 14 will be a busy day at Mars Hill. The school will celebrate
Th with a full slate of activities during the day and evening.
Hall tjf ”^§Hlight of the day’s activities will be the formal dedication of Blackwell
pi'b.„s new $1.5 million administrative center. Ceremonies for the event
Hag g on a patriotic note at 11 a.m. with the presentation of a new American
newly landscaped center quadrangle by the Wood-
ne World. Two Asheville chapters will make the presentation.
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Pfesifjg floor entrance officially opening the new structure. Dr. Blackwell,
Hsq emeritus of the college, served as president from 1938 to 1966. He had
the Mrs. Hoyt Blackwell, for whom the building innamed, will cut a ribbon
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Others participating in the ceremony will be Dr. Otis Duck, Mars Hill
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^ oiember of the faculty at Mars Hill since 1928.
stivit; president of the college. Dr. Fred B. Bentley, will preside over the
‘•airing “ chairman of the Board of Trustees; Harold Austell of Greenville, S.C.,
''''asihgJJ *He Board of Advisors: and Dr. James Kessaris of Hendersonville, co-
I The Alumni Association.
'’''UseH building will allow the major administrative offices of the college to be
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th,
e °ne roof for the first time in the history of the school. Five areas with-
'^dding will give special recognition to individuals or families. The con
ference center on the first floor will be designated as the Peterson Conference
Center in memory of Myron C. Peterson, Jr., son of Mr. and Mrs. M. C. Peterson, Sr.
of Asheville. The Development Suite, also on the first floor, will honor Mr. and Mrs.
Guy Carswell of Charlotte. The Admissions Suite of the middle floor will honor the
late Carl G. Fox of Hickory. The President’s Suite, on the top floor, will honor Mr.
and Mrs. Rom Sparks of Charlotte, and the President’s Conference Room will pay
tribute to the late Mrs. Rose Addie Deaver Logan, who served the college as a trust
ee for many years.
Other events surrounding the building’s dedication include an exhibition of 60
woodblock color prints by famed Japanese artist Ando Hiroshige. The delicate co
lor prints were completed during the middle of the 19th century and are valued at
$15,000. They were given to the college by Dr. Burt P. Johnson of Cary, who will be
on b_and to discuss the prints and answer questions about them. The prints will go
on exhibit at 8:30 a.m. and may be viewed until 2:30 p.m. in the first floor conference
center of the new building.
An additional highlight of the weekend will be the luncheon in the college
cafeteria honoring the Alumnus and Alumna of the Year. This year the college will
honor Walter Glenn of Statesville and Mrs. Jeanne Hoffman.
See HOMEj page 5
Craftsmen,Musicians to Gather for Annual Festival
Pi
N ./Eleventh Annual
Lu annual Bascom La-
t ^Pce t^®*ord Mountain Music and
founded by Luns-
Prim • Hill pharmacist Ed How-
'^Seti^ ^''Hy as a time for folks to get
a!^®^rato.P^®y their favorite tunes.
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® Utug 'Heir way of life, and especially
Vo traditions could be pass-
‘he older generations to the
n
in , hlng tn
% ®Hract^*j ■ Hallad singing - has
higg;. , many participants as
‘8 to some officials, one of
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8«noo niH
in Hying out. To prevent
Povvj,, h niaintaining the traditions
>0,
®Vn’ .H'etok^ Lunsford, Friday even-
'on'hg will feature a special
mi ballads and ballad singers
togf^hre . 3tre beginning at 7 p.m.
hiUtiig'h.Hustrialization mass
tion. traditional unaccom
panied ballad singing took place in near
ly every part of America. Now, they re
main alive in only a very few places.
One of these places is the Sodom Lau
rel section of Madison County. First
documented in 1916 by English folk
song collector Cecil Sharp, the Sodom
Laurel community remains one of the
extremely few “living” communities of
ballad singers. They have continued to
receive attention from folklorists at
the Library of Congress, the Smithson
ian Institute, the N. C. Folk Music and
Archives, and numerous folklife festi
vals.
The singers who will participate in
Friday evening’s activities represent
four generations of ballad singers in the
same community. They are Cas Wallin,
Evelyn Ramsey, Berzilla Wallin, Dellie
Norton, Sheila Rice, Darlene Cody, and
Bobby McMillan. Festival officials have
also persuaded Dr. Cratis Williams,
well-known Appalachian scholar, to be
the master of ceremonies for the even
ing.
The ballads sung by these tradition
alists are long narrative songs which
can be traced back to 17th and 18th
Century England, and their significance
lies in both their words and the tunes.
Though the songs have changed in some
ways they are still recognizable to his
torians and retain their references to
castles, and lords and ladies. The bal
lads have been passed down in the So
dom Laurel community orally; that is,
they were never written down or learn
ed from books.
Tbe Lunsford Festival will open offic
ially Thursday evening, October 5, with
an evening of mountain dancing in
Moore Auditorium. The festival contin
ues through Saturday, with craft exhi
bitions, woodstove cooking and home
making demonstrations, workshops in
many mountain musical instruments,
street dancing, jam sessions, and a spec
ial event for children. These activities
will be held on the lawn between the
Country Boutique and Bridges Cafe
teria from 10 a.m. through 4 p.m.
Saturday evening, musicians and
dancers will gather to honor the memory
of Mr. Lunsford and to carry on the tra
dition he began nearly half a century
ago. “The Minstrel of the Appalachias,”
will begin at 7 p.m. In keeping with
Mr. Lunsford’s wishes, none of the
events during the three days are compet
itive, but rather serve as a time of cele
bration and learning.