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SGA
Beat
Harrington
readies BOG protest
Sarah - Newell
- Staff Writer
Student Government
Association is planning demonstrations to protest a proposed $150 tuition
increase that will be voted on the University of North Carolina Board
of Governors March 6, said SGA President Xan Harrington.
“I’m going to try to get as many students as we can to go to
Chapel Hill [where the Board of Governors will vote] to demonstrate,”
said Harrington.
The Appalachian State University Board of Trustees gave its stamp of approval
Friday to the tuition increase proposal, which would benefit State Personnel
Act employees, during a conference call.
“I think it went the best I’ve ever seen it go for the students,”
said Harrington, referring to the conference call. Harrington was one
of two board members who voted against the proposal during Friday’s
conference call.
Of the monies generated, $1.2 million of the $1.8 million would go toward
increasing the salaries of some of the lowest paid SPA employees. The
remaining $600,000 will go toward financial aid, said Jim Deal, the other
board member who joined Harrington in voting against the proposal.
At the time of the teleconference, numbers were still not available to
inform trustees how many SPA employees would receive a salary increase
or how many employees were receiving welfare.
Harrington believes the legislation SGA senators passed Feb. 12 against
the tuition increase will have an impact on the Board of Governors.
“Until the Board of Governors meets, SGA plans to continue to distribute
information to let people know what stage of the game we’re in and
to get students involved,” said Harrington.
“As students we need to take one position or another. If you stay
neutral, your voice won’t be heard,” said Harrington. “That’s
why I’ve been so passionate against the increase.”
Police
Beat
Report: Number of
alcohol violations,
arrests up last year
Becky
DiVerniero - Staff Writer
Alcohol violations
have been on a steady rise since 2000, according to the 2001 Crime Statistic
Report released by the University Police.
Eighty-two alcohol violations were recorded in 2000, along with 25 related
arrests. In 2001, however, 119 violations were reported with 48 arrests,
according to the report.
The number of violations shows no sign of falling this year either.
“Just over the past weekend [Feb. 10-11], we had five alcohol violations,”
said University Police Sgt. Stacy Sears.
The climb in violations may be partially due to the department’s
proactive patrolling approach in residence halls, said Sears.
The University Police holds crime awareness meetings every month in an
attempt to hear student and faculty views of problems around campus, including
the ongoing alcohol situation.
“We [University Police] realize we’re not going to take [alcohol]
away, but we want to increase education on responsible drinking,”
said Sears. “There isn’t much to do in Boone, but we try to
find creative alternatives to drinking [for students].”
The Appalachian State University Wellness Center employs peer educators
who are available to speak to students about issues such as drinking and
drugs.
“[The information] is a little different coming from peers,”
said Sears.
Alcohol’s primary site of action is the brain, which it reaches through
the bloodstream. Unlike food, alcohol does not have to be digested.
It is immediately absorbed into the blood through the walls of the stomach
and intestines, according to a flyer distributed by the Wellness Center.
There are many misconceptions regarding alcohol. One such myth is the
strength of beer versus the strength of liquor.
“A 12-ounce bottle of beer has the same amount of alcohol as a standard
shot of 80-proof liquor or five ounces of wine,” according to a report
from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.
Gender differences play a big role in how quickly a person will become
inebriated, according to a Wellness Center handout.
“A 150-pound man who drinks the same amount as a 150-pound woman
will have a lower blood alcohol level (BAC),” reported the handout.
Another factor in the level of inebriation a person experiences is the
amount of time since their first drink. For example, a 150-pound male
who has consumed four drinks in two hours would have a BAC of .086 percent.
A male of the same weight, consuming the same amount but in one hour instead
of two, would have a higher BAC at .101 percent, according to The Encyclopedia
of Alcoholism.
Alcohol violations tend to be involved with other criminal situations,
said Sears. “If you look at vandalism and assaults, alcohol is usually
involved.”
Students charged with an alcohol violation must report to the Office of
Judicial Affairs to have their cases decided.
Students are not automatically presumed guilty, said assistant director
of the Office of Judicial Affairs Judy Haas in an interview with Dr. Jesse,
chair of the philosophy and religion department, posted on the Equity
Office Web site.
“A fundamentally fair process and the knowledge that we are seeking
the truth and not assuming that students are responsible before they get
to speak with someone in the office [can be expected],” said Haas.
The North Carolina law punishing 19- and 20-year-olds for possession of
alcohol was reconstructed in 1999. The penalty was changed from a non-criminal
act with a $25 fine to a class three misdemeanor resulting in a fine of
up to $200, according to the N.C. Governor’s Institute on Alcohol
and Substance Abuse Inc.
When aiding an inebriated individual, the Wellness Center suggests monitoring
their breathing and avoiding the administration of anything to the person
to sober them up, such as food, liquid or a drug, saying the only thing
that will work is time.
If the person has symptoms such as cold or clammy skin, or is taking less
then eight breaths per minute, they may have alcohol poisoning, according
to the Wellness Peer Educators.
If you believe someone has alcohol poisoning, place them on their side
to avoid choking and call 911.
Students who think they or someone else might have a drinking or drug
problem may visit the Wellness Center for information on how to get help,
and can receive non-punitive counseling, said Dale Kirkley, coordinator
of the alcohol and drug assistance program.
“It’s a student-friendly service,” said Kirkley, “It’s
confidential and non-threatening. We’re not trying to make assumptions
about you.”
Multicultural
Beat
Special
to The Appalachian
Bo Taylor
hosted a seminar Saturday on legend in dance, genealogy and the Cherokee
language
Speaker
focuses on Cherokee culture
David
Forbes - Staff Writer
Wearing
the full regalia of a Plains grass dancer, Cherokee speaker Bo Taylor
began a seminar focusing on the living culture of Native Americans.
The seminar, which took place Saturday in Sanford Hall, included portions
on legend in dance, genealogy and the Cherokee language.
Taylor, of the Eastern band of the Cherokee, is the archivist at the Museum
of the Cherokee Indian in Cherokee and does outreach programs like this
one in addition to his duties as an archivist.
Taylor also gave a religious Cherokee chant for a song on the band Creed’s
latest album “Weathered.”
“I’m trying to promote the Cherokee as a living, breathing culture,
not something dead in a museum,” said Taylor.
For the first part of the seminar, Taylor explained the myths and purposes
behind dances from the Cherokee and other tribes. For example, many dances
move counter-clockwise, which is both the way a snake coils and the earth
rotates.
For the second session, on genealogy, Taylor changed into more casual
clothes and explained much of the history behind the Cherokees’ movement
over the country and the criteria one had to meet to officially qualify
as a Cherokee.
“But what makes me different is the culture. The blood no, the language
yes,” emphasized Taylor. “Culture makes things real; it gives
identity.”
The final part of the seminar was an immersion course in the Cherokee
language.
Using only hand instructions and Cherokee words, Taylor tried to get the
audience to understand simple concepts like “drink,” “stop”
and “dance.” When an audience member got the instructions right,
Taylor would applaud and say “osda” (good).
The event was sponsored and hosted by the Native American Council, a student
group based in the foreign language department..
“We’re aiming at education, cultural preservation and appreciation,”
said Jennifer Sides, co-president of the council. “We’ve been
to powwows before, but this is the first event we’ve hosted on campus.”
“I think it was awesome,” said Sides. “[Taylor] has a great
way of communicating and understanding people’s desire to learn.”
Special
Report: Proposed Tuition Increase
BOT
looks past reservations, approves tuition hike request
Bethel Barefoot
- Chief Copy Editor
The Board of
Trustees approved a $150 tuition increase proposal for next year,
despite reservations on the lack of a clearly detailed plan of allocation.
“[The staff raises] will not be across the board,” said
Chancellor Francis T. Borkowski. About 1,000 staff members would receive
a raise from monies generated by the proposal, he said after some
discussion. There are currently 1,128 State Personnel Act employees
at Appalachian State University. However, a specific plan as to whom
the money would be allocated and how much those staff members would
receive had not been designed as of yet.
“We must have the information in front of us before we vote,”
said SGA President Xan Harrington, who questioned how the money would
be allocated.
“The concern of the students is we are asked to accept a proposal
without knowing the specifics of where the money is going and how
employees will be paid,” he said.
Suggestions the vote be delayed so the board could be presented with
a plan of allocation were rejected.
“We need to approve something, but on the condition of the presentation
of a detailed plan,” said board member Robert Fox Jr.
Fox later voted in favor of the proposal.
Following this discussion, an amendment was made to the motion to
have a detailed plan of allocation at the BOT’s March 22 meeting,
which will come 16 days after the University of North Carolina Board
of Governors makes a final decision on the proposal.
The 9-2 conference call vote Friday readied the proposal for an appearance
before the BOG Budget Committee Feb. 19. That panel will then make
recommendations to the full board, which will make a final decision
on the request at its March 6 meeting.
The vote was pushed through during the call because of the feasibility
of approaching the BOG later in the year due to a BOG committee review
of campus-based tuition increase requests, which may possibly bring
an end to the practice.
“We didn’t want to wait … and then not even have the
BOG consider the request,” said Borkowski.
The $150 increase comes on the heels of a two-year $300 increase to
bolster faculty salaries, which was implemented last year.
This proposed increase, which would be permanently set into the tuition
base, is earmarked for select low-paid staff members who are paid
by state monies and who are covered by the State Personnel Act.
The current average staff salary after taxes is $19,721, just above
the $17,650 poverty level for a family of four. With a rise in the
cost of health insurance benefits and in an area that has the third
highest cost of living in the state, many staff members hold extra
jobs and must apply for assistance, said Borkowski in a planned statement
intended for the upcoming BOG meeting.
With the downturn of the economy, the issue had to be addressed, said
Borkowski.
The university is at a difficult point where resources are needed
to pay the staff to retain their commitment and enhance the learning
environment for students in light of state budget shortages, and in
view of these problems, there is no other recourse but to place the
burden on students, he said.
Non-voting board member Peggy Ellis, president of Staff Council, said
staff members want to do everything possible to help students, but
the staff is in poverty.
If the increase request is approved at the BOG’s March 15 meeting,
in-state tuition at Appalachian will have risen from $982 to $1,581
in three years, sealing a 71.4 percent increase in tuition since the
fall of 2000. This number could rise again if the BOG approves a 4.8
percent statewide tuition increase.
The burden the tuition hike will place on students was also a point
of contention during the call.
Parents face the same economic difficulties as staff members do, said
James Deal Jr., who joined Harrington in voting against the proposal.
He also expressed a concern that every time a need for funds arose,
the BOT went to the students as a solution.
Dr. Roy Carroll echoed this concern, citing the long-term implications
of the increase. He said if money is taken from students continually,
the student body will be seen as a source of revenue and the pressure
will be on to continue to use them.
“[It’s] opening the can lid,” said Carroll.
Carroll also later voted in favor of the proposal.
SGA passed a resolution this past Tuesday calling for a withdrawal
by
the administration of the campus-based tuition increase. Harrington,
who also voted against the proposal, voiced his opinion Friday that
the BOT needs to send a message to the state the university will not
continually dip into the students’ pockets for revenue.
The increasing rate of tuition only creates more and more people who
will not be able to afford school at Appalachian, said Harrington.
“We need to reinvest in students,” he said.
Despite the approval of the proposal, Harrington was positive about
the meeting.
“If I was not there, the $150 would have passed, no problem,”
said Harrington. “I feel like I have made allies on the board—even
some who did not vote this down. I did have an impact.”
Harrington also promised from the Appalachian campus to the BOG there
will be student protests, and he will hold the board accountable for
their proposed tuition increase plan.
The chance of a refusal on the part of the BOG was a definite possibility
in Borkowski’s mind. However, he saw no other resource for funds.
“The staff wage [issue] must be addressed,” he said. “[The
tuition increases may be] the only logical thing to do. [I’m]
not happy with this decision, but there is no other recourse at this
time.”
Academic
Affairs Beat
Center’s
resources propel
senior to position with Pepsi
Chris
Bohle - Staff Writer
As the week-long
Career Success Series approaches, the Career Development Center is
reminded of one student in particular who took full advantage of this
series, launching a career with a major soft drink company.
Dorothy McLeod, a senior double major in marketing and management,
discovered the Career Development Center and its resources last year
as she was putting together her resume.
“I needed some help with my resume, so I scheduled an appointment
[with the CDC],” said McLeod. “We put it together, and I
later got an internship with Charter Communications.”
McLeod was also informed of the Center’s Online Career Account,
a service that lets companies look at your experience online.
“You give the Career Development Center your ID number and submit
your resume online so that companies can search for people they need
easily,” said McLeod.
With her resume intact, McLeod came out to the Center-sponsored Career
Fair last fall and immediately got involved.
“I helped out with the advertising and public relations series
during the fair, which really gave me an inside track,” said
McLeod.
When McLeod wasn’t busy helping out, she was busy talking to
the numerous companies who attended the fair, including Belk and Pepsi-Cola.
She was encouraged to discover Pepsi was interested in hiring younger
people.
“Pepsi currently has this college recruiting program in order
to bring in young students who will eventually replace some of their
older workers,” said McLeod.
About a week after the fair, McLeod was surprised with a phone call
from Pepsi, requesting an interview. She accepted and performed so
well they called her back again for a second interview, this time
hiring her on the spot.
McLeod, whose new job starts in June, will be working in Sales Operations
in Pepsi’s Roanoke, Va. office.
Brett Woodard, a career counselor at the CDC, reminds students that
anyone can have the same success if they use the center’s resources
wisely.
“Dorothy’s story exemplifies the success students can achieve
if they start early with the Career Development Center,” said
Woodard. “Our upcoming Career Success Series would be a great
way to get started on the right path.”
This year’s series starts next Monday and lasts all week, culminating
in JobFest 2002 on Tuesday, March 5. The series offers many different
workshops, as well as chances for students to win gift certificates
and other prizes.
And this year, one might just see Dorothy McLeod there, as she will
return to help out with the series one last time before heading off
to her new career. She hopes others will realize the benefits of the
Career Development Center and the Career Success Series and use them
to their full extent.
“A lot of people don’t even know about [the center], and
they think ‘Where in the world am I going to start?’”
said McLeod. “The Career Development Center will take care of
that.”
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