Page Two, The HILLTOP Wednesday, December 10, 1986
D©
STUDENTS SERVE
IN CINCINNATI
by Cheryl Worley
Staff Writer
Christmas holidays are a time during
which most college students relax at home
and enjoy a break from the pressures of
school.
But a group of students from Mars Hill
college is an exception. They spend part of
their vacation working in the inner-city of
Cincinnati, Ohio. The students travel to
Cincinnati a week after Christmas for a
two-week stay, under the direction of
Thomas Plant, professor of sociology.
The students experience life in a com
munity very different from Mars Hill or
their hometowns. In the inner-city, where
the population is about 70% black, for
eigners come into the city through places
called port of entries. There, they live in
low income housing till they get jobs and
can move to a better place.
The community’s reaction to the stu
dents was at first very cynical. “They’re
just a bunch of middle-class kids coming to
stare at poor folks,’’ one person said. But
that type of reaction did not stop the stu
dents. They proved by their hard work that
they wanted to serve and help the people
there. The community soon accepted them
and even welcomed the different groups
that have come each year.
Suffering takes on new meaning for
many of these students. Rather than being
concerned with getting the latest style in
shoes, people in the inner-city are concern
ed with having shoes at all, or having food
and a place to sleep on freezing nights.
Each student works in an agency that
gives aid to people of the inner-city. The
agencies are funded by private individuals
and church groups. For example, Tim
Storey and Alan Kromer worked at the
Sign of the Cross Housing. And Neil
Routh and Kris Kramer worked at a street-
oriented Franciscan friary and The Free
Store, a work-site provider for the poor.
Skip Wood, a senior, went to Cincinnati
two years ago and worked in the St. Fran
cis Catholic Worker’s House, a soup kit
chen in the home of Jim Mullen. Every day
Mullen would serve 20 gallons of soup.
“Serving the people as in a restaurant,
rather than in a cafeteria, made them feel
more respected,’’ Wood said.
While working there. Wood met a men
tally retarded man named Arthur, who
could enter his apartment only by walking
up a fire escape and climbing through a
window. His only source of heat was a gas
stove, but he didn’t know how to light the
pilot light.
After befriending Arthur, Wood gave
him his Mars Hill address and phone
number so that he could keep in touch.
Several months later, Arthur called Wood
unexpectedly and showed up at the door of
Wood’s dormitory room. “My experience
with Arthur was the closest thing to having
my own child, because Arthur became so
dependent on me,” Wood said.
At the end of each day, the students
came back and cooked their own meal.
After dinner, they had a reflection prayer
time led by Plant. Students kept journals
and shared their experiences each day.
“Students go through a process of ex
perience and reflection,” Plant said.
“They share things that shock them or ex
press feelings about what they see.”
“That trip realty opened my eyes to the
world and made me think,” Wood said.
“It makes you very thankful and is
definitely worth the effort to go.”
Since going to Cincinnati, two students
have graduated and returned there full
time. Another is planning work there for a
term after his senior year.
“I really appreciate what it meant to
preach, not just to speak words, but to
reach out and care for other people,” said
a student majoring in religion.
SCHOLARS
RETREAT
by Vickie Millis
Staff Writer
When the top freshmen
scholars arrived on the Mars Hill
College campus this semester,
they were in for a rude awaken
ing. They probably had the idea
they would study books and
have discussions during the fall
retreat because they were sent a
book during this summer and
told to be prepared to discuss it.
Instead, the 45 freshmen, and
eight upper level scholars, work
ed four days for the forest ser
vice, digging fire trenches and
clearing off the Appalachian
Trail.
This is not unusual. Last
year’s beginning scholars laid
railroad ties around campsites.
The year before, the newcomers
repaired the Appalachian Trail
where it had washed out.
The first morning out the
students found out why they
were told to bring grubbie
clothes and work gloves. This
year, each scholar was handed a
(Continued on page 3)
TO
THE
EDITORS
Students,
ko,
’""ViMed from
We know that you are aware WiJlaski, a typ
APO has had its charter suspeni'®®''era| had ne
and why. The brothers feel that)* to follow
and the student body are entitle^"^°Untain.
an explanation. Soipe part.
The brothers wanted to community['^trow and I w
their enthusiasm toward the chap'''*'9 to fall of
in a letter to our Alumni. In our^p^'d Janine L
uberance we acted without thinks ’tie.
We neglected to take into account® At many pc
diversity of our membership- at eye-
meant the contents of the letter to ^ *6en, from G
viewed in a joking and narrow c£* '*'ent ahead w
text. Unfortunately, it was receivotj'^^'ocked the br
being in a distasteful and stereotype ^*^9tely there
manner. We would like to apoloP, han
for any personal anguish this lo** '^^hes
may have caused.
Mars Hill College is an excellent* -.v^uyn m
stitution, and we would never Pj snakes
posely do anything to blemish problen
reputation of the college or its profes
We realize that we cannot and as
what has been done; however, we® ®sicj0p,^^
eager to work to improve APO. ,
understand that the service projects*, dger
' he ac
^S^innace thai
Although m
Wc
Davie
was
uuuvi siaiiu iiiai me owl V1L.V J../1 vyj'' . ,
any other constructive act accic
done as a group of students But he
as an organization. This will g ® ^ee flew
benefit Mars Hill College and bi Jean I
® Came t
forward to a productive and brigk
future.
f
CURRICULUM
community. We hope that this is q '
a minor setback and we are look'*)! ^kly^
'tic'ohweii,
inte
>V cane.
^Way from
roc^'^®youngl
Sincerely,
Tom Sheffield
President, Alpha Phi Omega
unde
hot car
During the 1987-1988 academic year.
Mars Hill College will commence its new
general education curriculm. During that
school year we will be operating under two
curricula: one for students who will have
entered the college before June, 1987, and
another for those who enter after June,
1987. The General Education Transition
Committee is trying to make the transition
as easy as possible for both students and
faculty. To this end the Committee has
decided the following:
1. Next semester will be the last semester
that most of the courses designed to meet
requirements under the old curriculm will
be offered. As advisors you should en
courage your advisees to meet their gen ed
requirements under the old curriculm as
soon as possible. However, if students do
not finish their requirements by June,
1987, this committee will find substitute
courses in the new curriculm for these re
quirements.
2. Information about the transition and
a list of the equivalent courses will be sent
to you and the students before the pre
registration for the fall semester, 1987. If
you have any questions about the transi
tion you can address them to Mr. Chap
man.
ab,
THE HILLTOP STAFF
any
>ove
lok
Co-Editors John Anderso®
'6s
and sa
farther.”
Some e
John Anders- "u
Katherine Ma>”!''%ed on
News Editor Chris Chand
Copy Editor
Community Editor Gerry Gh^
Staff Writers James Pie®”
Cheryl WorW
Vickie M>"'’
Merry Burg^®*
Photo MikeMaschea'
Cartoonists Cal Con'
Wade Ast'J
Advisor JohnCamp^^
MW-