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What's With the Light? - A Hilltop Challenge
by Jared Cohn
The mysterious Marshbanks light bulb |
Many of us walk by at least a half dozen times a day but never notice it. Others
notice it, but don’t have a clue about what it is. From high atop the
Marshbanks Hall bell tower, that symbol of Mars Hill College, extends an arm,
and at the end of this arm is a light bulb. What is the purpose of this contraption?
What is its history? The Hilltop invites readers to send in speculations, archival
or personal information, or historical commentary. Prizes offered for the most
original and for the most authentic information. Some students have already
offered input about the mysterious light bulb:
Robey Logan, MHC '04: “I’ve noticed it before, and the story
I heard about it was that it was used to warn campus security of a guy on Women’s
Hill or a woman on Men’s Hill after curfew. A long time ago the hill with
Huffman, Edna Moore and Stroup became known as Women’s Hill, and the hill
with Myers, Turner, Brown, and Gibson was considered Men’s Hill. Someone
would sit up in the bell tower with some binoculars, and when they saw someone
on the hill that wasn’t supposed to be there, he would flick on and off
the light. When security would see it, they would rush to the hill to get the
curfew breaker. Kind of like Morse code, they would know what hill to go to
with the number of flashes they saw or something like that.”
Dustin McCue, Senior: “Yeah, I heard about the light on the
bell tower. And I heard the light was there to light up the bell tower during
the night so people on campus could see the bell tower and it would light up the
quad; also to light up so people coming into town could see the bell tower and
know they were on the Mars Hill College campus.”
Abby DeBusk, Junior: “I never did know that there was a light
up there. Maybe it’s a light for the ringer of the bell. At night, how
is he supposed to see what he is doing in the complete darkness?”
Brandon Jeffs, Senior: “I don’t know what it is. I definitely
know it doesn’t work anymore, though. I’ve been here for four years
and not once ever have I seen it turn on. I’ve heard it was a warning
for campus security, and I’ve heard it was there just to be a light so
you could see things, although I don’t think that would ever work. It’s
just not big enough to light up the surrounding area in the quad.”
Many people have stories about what the light was really for. Every historic
place has some kind of mystery behind it that may never be solved, and maybe
this is one.
Bill States, Junior and campus security officer: I was told it was used when campus security had a dispatcher before having cell phones. The dispatcher would turn on the light and the Officer on Duty would know to contact the dispatcher.
Kathy Wallin, MHC '51; Alumni Secretary 1951-88:
I came here in 1951. Marshbanks in those days was the administration building. We had only one security guard for the whole college. His name was Pop Tolley. He didn't have a car. He walked around on campus. In order for him to know where he was needed, you'd call this number, and the lady who was on duty in Marshbanks would turn on the light, and regardless of where he was on campus, he would see the light and come and check with her and see where he was needed. The reason I know is, I used it. When I first came here, that's how we got hold of security. I had a number that I would call. She would turn the light on. He would see the light and check with her and see where he was needed. He was pretty fast on the trigger. It wouldn't take him long to get there. He was tuned to looking up there. You could see the Marshbanks light from many points on campus. That's why they put it up there probably. That is the way we used to get in touch with security.
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