Vol. 6WNo. 10
Mars Hill College, Mars Hill, North Carolina
Big Brothers/Big Sisters: GMng Love
Friday, April 15,1988
JSie ChiMera
Iv^
'rifer
1‘^'re all responsible for giving a
the love we’ve received back
,^community; this is a great way
in " said Jon Diego one of the two
*^ °lfcMrs of a new program for
I .._%ill College students.
Diego and Lisa Rhodes are two
I ® •its who have taken their service
]■ community seriously. Together
I ®'^iave begun Mars Hill College’s
j ®®>other/Big Sister program, and
l^help^ other students to get in-
in the community in this uni-
®^ay.
fo*! purpose of the program. Lisa
*4s to promote positive relation
al between the college and cora
ls hjy and to help children by "plan-
le seeds” within them—to en-
them to believe in
1 telves.
ijon. one of the most important
stljts of the program is to "give the
® Someone to look up to."
a Ice the fall semester of 1986.
• %nd Diego have devoted a great
Mii%)f time to organizing and direc-
w^this service to families in the
* kunity. They first considered the
ladliility of having a Big Brother/Big
hl^ program when discussing with
iHflaut ideas for service projects.
eyiPlaut lined them up with a
viipman in the Ivy Ridge (govom-
|-6ubsidized) housing project who
I interested in seeing something
I for the children of the
neighborhood. Once a contact was
established in the area, the program
was practically off the ground.
"At first, people were a little ap
prehensive.” said Diego, referring to
the hours he and Lisa sp>ent knocking
on doors to find out which families
would be interested in their son or
daughter having an "adopted” big
brother or sister. “Now they’re really
cool about it.”
"We’ve gotten nothing but positive
feedback from the parents,” said
Lisa.
As coordinators, Diego and Lisa
are responsible for every aspect of
the program. This includes meeting
families who have expressed interest,
talking with students who would like
to be big brothers or sisters, pairing
up the college students with the
children, and overseeing group ac
tivities. To insure that oiperations are
flowing smoothly, Lisa and Diego
periodically check with parents,
children, and students, keeping up
good lines of communication between
all involved.
What exactly does a big brother or
big sister do? They commit them
selves to spending at least one hour a
week with their little sibling. Special
outings, helping with homework, or
just going to visit are good ways to
spend that time together. Big
brothers/sisters are encourage to
utilize the facilities and opportimities
on campus, such os basketball games,
tennis courts. Timberline entertain
ment, and special concerts. Off-
campus activities like going out to din-
do*
r^4hapel Doors A Labor of Love
iori
>r4
. —r-J promises to bo an
part of Mars HiU College’s
future, and an exciting feature
chapel will be the mahogany
hand-carved by President
carving the panels was
*®cding and consuming for Bent-
who was “totally outside of
,™self)’ while he worked.'The doors
comjJeted February 27, after
f™iheds of hours of carving. Bentley
devoted a great deal of space in
home to the project, and he and
jW. Bentley worked hard to keep the
|«ce wood dust-free.
1 (did) a lot of vacuuming my wife
W a lot of vacuuming, and still
(was) dust.” he said.
According to Bentley, the hardest
W of the undertaking was deciding
events from the Bible to depict
panels. He chose 21 Old Testa-
^^eeenes and 21 New Testament
with seven rows of three
*^®ch on both doors.
part of the
with the grain of
orio- Eden. Adam was
f2^“y,going to be in the
looking off; because of the
smoo f *^,^*1* grain, it made more
or him to look out forward.
“ a bush to hide his
Ih^ were slipups in the process,
• cut off Christ’s arm once,”
06y remembered. ’The particular
was Christ as a child in the
JWMth his arm raised. BenUey’s
sfipped and whacked the arm.
the carving shows Christ poin
ting at the people instead of off into
the air.
Once they were finished, the doors
were coated with Tung oil and hand-
buffed. Additional panels will be add
ed surrounding the carved part
before the doors are in place.
Bentley conceived the idea of carv
ing the panels to contribute something
personal to the chapel. "The chapel
will be a strong symbol of the re
ligious heritage of this college,” he
said.
Also interested in pottery, etching,
and oU painting, Bentley's artistic
abihties are varied. Wood particular
ly fascinates him, however, and in
spite of two panels he carved for his
Lake James house and an office
screen carved of basswood, the
chapel doors are by far his most
challenging project.
For the bigger parts of the carving,
Bentley used chisels, and more detail
ed work was done with a smaller
electric drill. He received no formal
training in woodcarving, but a wood-
carver named Dr. Collett heard about
the doors and volunteered some
technical tips to enhance them.
Bentley learned to use a microchisel
to carve eyes clearly in a character
no larger than a dime, and he used
other techniques Dr. Collett showed
him to highlight the figures in the
scenes.
The chapel will also feature stain
ed glass windows, exposed wood
beams, and beveled glass light fix
tures, but greeting each person who
enters will be the building’s most ex
traordinary distinction; mahogany
double doors carved by Mars HiU s
own Dr. BenUey.
ner or making a trip to the circus also
work weU.
"The best thing to do is just spend
time with them,” said Jon. “It isn’t so
much the money involved, but the
time.”
Most of the fourteen children cur-
renUy involved in the program come
from low-income, single-parent
homes. The opportunities that are
opened to them and the positive in-
fiuences they find in an older
“young” person can and do make
some dramatic differences in
childrens’ lives.
QuaUfications for prosjjective big
brothers and sistrs are few but vital.
The student must be committed and
responsible. A job such as this re
quires one to be dependable.
"They need to be organized and
have their priorities in order,” stated
Jon. "If they’re interested in serving
the community and showing some
love, it’s weU worth their time.”
Lisa stressed the importance of
dedication as weU. “If you have an in
terest, make sure it’s something
you’re going to go through with. It is
excruciatingly painful to the kids
when there’s no consistency. You’re
talking about litUe kids’ lives here,”
she said.
Other characteristics of big
brothers and sisters should be a deep
sense of caring and patience. It would
bo helpful if the student had some
typo of transportation, though it is not
mandatory. Other than that, students
should simply remember that they are
role models.
^ “It’s good for the students and the
kids,” Lisa said.
Lisa and Jon agreed that there was
a real need for more students to
volunteer their time.
“We need guys desperately,” Lisa
said. “But with the constant moving
of people in and out of Ivy Ridge,
we’re always needing more volun
teers, both male and female.”
Favorite moments for Lisa are
when she sees positive results in the
children she works with.
“They start running to you with
report cards, and they see possi
bilities of fulfilling their own goals
and dreams in life. When you hear
kids from this kind of backgroimd say
ing ‘I think I want to go to college,’ it
really means something to you.”
“One little girl that is about five
years old—just a little tyke—went
with us when we all went bowling.
She bowled with a granny shot that
took fifteen minutes to get down the
lane. But when it did, it knocked down
about half the pins. She was
ecstatic.”
That story seems typical of the Big
Brother/Big Sister program. With
little patience and a whole lot
determination, children are given
positive influence and the extra push
they need to see their own worth and
begin to reach for their potential.
If you are interested in becoming
involved in the program, just call Lisa
Rhodes (at 1107) or Jon Diego (at
689-9908) and let them know of your
interest.
^ ■ V ^ i..
—
V
of
"Big Brother" Don Bradley with his ^'Little Brother,” Billy,
On The Brink of Graduation
Laura Smithwick
Staff Writer
For the 202 Mars Hill seniors on
the brink of graduation, the excite
ment and anxiety are mounting. “I’m
obsessed with (graduation); I dream
of being robed in black and crossing
the stage, and everybody in the whole
auditorium stands and claps,” said
Jennifer Ledford.
Most seniors are looking forward
to the big event. Shannon Gerhardt
commented, “Mars Hill is a great
place, but I’ve been here for a long
time, and I’m ready to graduate.”
James Hudson summ^ up his feelings
with “Thank God,” and Chip Perry
sighed with relief as he said, “I am
very happy to be graduating.”
For some seniors, happiness is mix
ed with impatience. “It just can’t get
here soon enough,” complained
Tracy Jarrett, and Wendy Mangiun
said she is “Just counting it
down—alleluia!’’ A couple of
anonymous seniors shared that “get
me out of here” has been their saying
for the year.
Feelings about graduation are con
flicting for John Edwards, Treva
Miller, and Jennifer Ogle. Edwards
explained, “You’re ready for a
change, but you don’t want to leave
that security.” Miller said she feels
she’s “in a double bind” dealing with
anxiety about the future and happy
For some seniors,
happiness is mixed with
impatience.
Mars Hill, not finding a job, and, in
the words of Shelwyn Klutz, “getting
ready for the world.” Amy Aitken
also expressed her anxiety: “I’ve got
no money in the bank. I’m not
qualified to do anything I want to
do...and these are the best years of
my life.”
Seniors Beth Estep, Tim Burnette,
and Tom Cabaniss see graduation as
a milestone. As she trembled with an
ticipation, Estep said,
your life on hold imtil this moment.”
Burnette explained that his “parents
ment in (his) life.”
Whatever seniors’ feelings are as
feehngs about finishing at Mars Hill.
Ogle said simply, “I’m excited, but
I’m sad.”
Many seniors are afraid as they
face graduation. Some fears include
not finishing final assignments and
getting an “empty diploma envelope”
as a result, leaving the familiarity of
Chapel Construction Detailed
Stop the World
Set to Open
Becky Horner
Staff Writpr
Have you ever had one of those
days when you’re certain that you are
the only person in the world who has
ever experienced the things that you
You’ve put goii'g through? Are you tired of
television sitcoms that do not even
come close to reality? If your answer
main goal in life was to see (him) either of these questions is “yes,”
graduate,” and Cabaniss called his the MHC production of Stop the
graduation “the greatest achieve- ^ off is just the
thing for you.
Stop the World tells the story of the
graduation approaches. Mars Hill Little Chap, an ordinary man
has afforded them life-changing continually finds lumself caught
education and opportunities. “I’ll
miss my family here,” lamented An
drea German, and Donna Satterfield
Lisa Ramsey
Staff Writer
Construction on the Mars Hill Col
lege Chapol and Fellowship Hall is
well underway. According to Presi
dent Bentley, the foundation and
underground work will be completed
by the middle of this month.
On April 19, volunteers from the
Baptist Men of North Carolina will ar
rive to begin the actual work on the
strutures themselves. They will be
working on both buildings at the same
time with as many as 40 men working
at all times. President Bentley said
that he hopes students will also help
with the construction when they can.
The completion date for the project
is scheduled for July 15, 1988. ’The
buildings wUl be officially opened in
early September, but will be in use
earlier.
The Fellowship Hall and Chapel
will be connected by two covered
walkways with a prayer garden
separating the two structimes. This
garden will be filled with small trees,
shrubs, and seasonal flowers. In the
midst of this natural center will be
places for students to sit to study, talk
to friends, or simply to think. The
prayer garden will be a memorial to
Mr. amd Mrs. Raleigh Enghsh, who
donated the land on which the project
is being built.
The fellowship Hall will be a place
for receptions and other organiza
tional get-togethers. It will have a kit
chen and a room for bridal prepara
tions. It will also have an office for
the chaplain and six other rooms for
various other purposes. The floor will
be vinyl tile.
The Chapel will be a special place
to have chapel services that are
presently held in Moore Auditoriim.
It will seat 350 people in moveable
wooden/upholstered chairs. President
Bentley believes the use of the
moveable chairs wiU be very effective
Early work on Chapel ground is completed.
be turned to
up in the problems and dilemmas of
everyday life. He struggles in just the
same way that all of us do, and
said, “I’d like to take everybody with everyone who sees the play should
me.” least one situation in his life to
which they will be able to relate.
The show is a love story in the
tradition of musical theatre, but it
does not fall into the usual trap of
overdone romances. The plot is un
complicated, yet the action is in
teresting and exciting. Stop the
World, which was written by An
thony Newley and Leslie Bricusse,
features songs such as “I’m Gonna
Build a Mountain” and “What Kind
of Fool Am I.”
An added attraction to this show is
that it will be the final MHC perfor
mance of senior musical theatre ma
jor David Baldree, who will play Little
Chap. This role will give him a “fine
opportunity to show off all of his
talents,” according to Director John
Oertling.
The show will run April 15-19, with
shows at 8 p.m. nightly, and a 2:30
p.m. Simday matinee. Tickets are
available through the Owen Theater
box office (689-1239) daily from 1-5
p.m. beginning April 11, and reserva
tions are necessary since seating is
limited. Admission is $5 for adults, $4
for students and senior citizens, and
MHC students will be admitted free
of charge with valid ID.
since they can De turned to view
either the front altar or the balcony,
whereas pews could not be moved. It
will have a natural slate floor. Also, it
will house a prayer room for groups
like the FCA and two other rooms. A
balcony will be built in the chapel on
which a special, custom-built organ
will be placed: however, the installa
tion of the organ will not take place
for 12 to 15 months. A large stained-
glass design will be installed near the
back of the chapel with measure
ments of six feet in width and sixteen
feet in height. The design will be like
ribbons twisting upward and the col
ors will be brilliant blues and crim
sons. Tapestries in the chapel will be
a seven-foot long cherry table for
communion services. It will have
three stained-glass spheres backed by
foil for sparkling effect on both of the
sides, lenghtwise. The Chapel will
definitely be beautiful, according to
President, Bentley..
INSroE
Editorials p. 2
Just the Facts . p. 2
Culturefest Review p, 3
Briefly p.4