iday, December 9
ILLTOP
r. -V, XV«*!W
BRUAm
“S ■°.ryiONS PAGE
T.
[Icket costs are still uniook at Mike’s biting review of
'ever, students of the V weeks of the Clinton admin-
ncpected to have a ticki this issue’s BABBLE ON.
not the normal chanceDER’S WEBB takes a heart
^pus producdons tot home. Check out what a
reason for to is ^e to (q about the career of
^AGE2
ertory Theatre is a profe*
ter which is located on tWR'T'Q
of Mars Hill CoUege —
5 of SART is the proout*
plays, and "Slavery Chai^“®> ^^ke a look at the new
129th new premier. SAF^ach. as well as give you the
^ performs sununerthe^ the scores for men’s and
Egion, but is hoping to ^jasketball and the upcoming
arlong performances. RJICKSPORTS PAGE 3
-e BACK PAGE
L out this week’s crossword
rell as where you can go for
and fun in this issue’s LET’S
B RECREATE PAGE 6
sue’s QUICK NEWS gives you
look at the two new dramatic
jwhat’s going on at the gallery,
pA REPORT PAGE 4
Student Newspaper of Mars Hill College • February 4,1993 • FREE, Take One I
Long time band director leaves college
amid rumors and accusations
RS HILL
by M. Scott Roten
editor in chief
"I want the students and faculty to know
my gratitude to them for the incredible sup
port of the band vfiile I was there."
And with that in mind. Dr. Peter J.
LaRue closed the door on his sbc-year career
as band director and instructor at Mars Hill
College.
LaRue tendered a letter to Leininger just
as the Christmas vacation was getting imder-
way stating LaRue’s request for a terminal
leave of absence, according to Dr. C. Earl
Leininger, Dean as well as Vice President of
the college.
With such a seemingly sudden decision,
rumors and doubts ran rampant across the
campus.
"Rumors are rumors are rumors," said
President Fred Bentley. "Dr. LaRue found
it necessary to leave and we granted it."
Leininger affirmed that position by say
ing that there were no formal complaints
lodged against LaRue for any type of mis
conduct.
When asked whether or not there was
the possibility of LaRue returning, since
there seemed to be no problems with his
employment, Leininger said that issue was a
"moot point. If he [LaRue] wanted to be here
he would not have left."
There had also been rumors as to the
nature of the strength of the band program
and whether or not cult-like activities had
been occurring.
"LaRue was raised in an extremely
strong work ethic and that was reflected in
his professionalism in his music pro-
gram...Cult is the wrong word to use," stated
Amber Luckadoo, student representative to
the committee to hire a new band director.
"When you have a group of people with
common interests spending hours and horns
together, you form a bond that is incompa
rable to any other. That’s what makes us
musicians."
LaRue began his work at Mars Hill in the
Fall of 1986. He replaced Raymond Babelay
whose career as band director had spanned
a decade and a half. With the transition
from a retirement-aged director to the 30
year old LaRue, there was a little getting
used to.
"It took LaRue a few years to adjust and
for the students to adjust to him, but into his
third year, it seemed everything had settled
down," said Dr. Wayne Pressley of the music
department. In those early years of LaRue’s
time here, Pressley said that the numbers of
students wasn’t what made the band great,
but the quality LaRue was able to bring out.
"LaRue did a lot of stuff that wasn’t re
quired for his job. He volunteered to take
on the supervision of the student teachers in
music, and he worked especially hard to get
jobs for graduates...He also was responsible
for reviving the summer camps," said Pre
ssley. Pressley also talked about how the
little things that LaRue did were so import
ant. LaRue was responsible for the updat
ing of the marquee outside of Moore
Auditorium.
Pressley praised LaRue’s abilities as a
very active recruiter who took the bitiid to
high schools around the area, and as far away
as Gaston Co., N.C. and Hickory, N.C.
The greatest of LaRue’s talents was the
way he personally wrote or arranged all the
music for the band pieces. "If I were doing
LaRue
it, I would be happy with the 50’s music and
hirmg someone else to write the stuff for me,"
said Pressley.
Student reaction to LaRue’s leaving
ranged for good to bad, but for the most part
they hated to see such a strong leader leave.
"He was more than just a band director.
He was so intent on bringing the musicality
out of every individual. He wanted us to be
all we could be and he would settle for not
less, and we loved it," stated Luckadoo. She
accounted for the range of opinions in the
music department by saying that each musi
cian "marches to a different drum as with any
kind of fine arts. You would be hard pressed
to find two musicians the same. That’s what
makes each so wonderful."
The classes LaRue had been teaching
have been taken by other members of the
music department, but where is the "Pride of
Mars Hill College," the Marching Lions
heading?
□ SEE "LARUE" PAGE 2
Large Number of Community Life
Events Planned This Semester
Semester
by Andrea Deaton
staff writer
The Curriculum Committee
which organired the Community
Life Program, or "Green Card"
events has approved more events
for this semester than any semes
ter before.
There are 54 opportunities
for students and community
members to experience a variety
of cultural activities. This
greater number of activities has
come about because there were
fewer events scheduled last se
mester and more applicants for
this semester.
Dr. Larry Stern, chairperson
of the Curriculum Committee
said, "because of the quality of
the nominated events, the com
mittee offer additional Commu
nity life events this semester,"
Last week the Symposium
Committee offered a series of
films, lectures and demonstra
tion about the Vietnam Conflict
and its impact on our society in
the past, present and future.
Three professors spoke on
Vietnam, its hmd, culture
and effects on our society. This
year marks the 20th anniversary
of the end of the conflict.
Other new events this semes
ter include: Two hunger aware
ness events, a public debate
April 6 sponsored by the newly
re-organized Debate Club, a
Business Week lecture April 15,
and a Good Friday program en-
itled "Stations of the Cross"
Kpril 9. Also, there are still four
CultureFest entertaining per
formances (See "Dear Friends"
article).With this greater num
ber of activities scheduled, a
greater burden will be placed on
the student monitors who hand
out green cards. Monitor Mi
chael Roten says, "you’ll just
have to bear with us because
with so many activities being
planned, there will be a greater
chance of the green cards not
arriving on time because we will
have to schedule around our
classes and plans."