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Business
Affairs Beat
Nate
Grubbs - The Appalachian
Fenced
off as a safety precaution, Plemmons Student Union is currently undergoing
a major facelift as a solarium is added.
Student
union solarium addition will revive under-used area, says Arnold
Solarium slated for ‘03 completion; bookstore project to follow
Shea
Kuczko - Staff Writer
Formerly idle space
on the Sanford Mall side of Plemmons Student Union is in the early phases
of a solarium addition, a project slated for a January 2003 completion.
The project’s planner, however, pointed to several factors that could
lead to construction delays.
“We cannot proceed in wet weather,” said Kelley Ingram, facility
architect.
“[This winter’s weather has been] wreaking havoc on us.”
By erecting the solarium, university officials aim at alleviating overcrowding
in Plemmons Student Union. The solarium will also serve as a meeting area
and lounge. The enclosure will be erected at the south-side patio and
balcony area, near Dr. W.H. Plemmons’ statue and the steps leading
to Sanford Mall.
The enclosed area will extend out to the rock wall that overlooks Sanford
Mall. The two-story glass walls will give visitors the sensation of being
outside, yet allow them to enjoy the view in a temperature-controlled
environment year-round.
No construction will be done on the mall itself. The fenced-in section
of the mall is necessary due to safety precautions.
Associate Director of Student Programs Phil Arnold referred to the student
union as a type of community center on campus. He said he believes the
space in front of the student union is currently
underutilized.
More than 7,000 people visit the student union on an average day, while
originally the center was only designed for 5,000 daily.
Recognizing the crowded conditions that can often be found in places such
as Crossroads Coffeehouse and McAlister’s Deli, Arnold said the new
solarium would be an excellent overflow area.
The solarium will include tables and sitting areas. More tables and chairs
will also be located on the spacious balcony.
In addition to helping solve the overcrowding problem, Arnold said he
believes the addition will be a social relaxation area.
Wall sculptures representing Linville Falls and Grandfather Mountain will
surround visitors.
A fountain and live trees, plants and ferns have also been included in
plans. The solarium will be “heavily landscaped,” said Arnold.
A stage for live entertainment will also be built in the solarium.
Student Programs hopes to have music and other forms of entertainment
on specific days.
A PA system and surround sound will be installed to make the entertainment
the highest quality possible.
Construction in the student union area will continue after the solarium
is opened with the start of an addition to the University Bookstore, which
will take approximately six months longer to finish.
Expected completion date is June 2003, depending on the weather.
Statewide budget cuts are not a concern for the project.
Plans for the solarium were “drawn up years ago, when the economy
was good,” said Arnold.
Construction has proceeded without major setbacks. It is uncommon to put
any hold on a project as major as the solarium construction, said Arnold.
The $2.5 million addition is being funded from reserve funds, requiring
no increase in student fees.
SGA
Affairs Beat
Additional
dollars for scholarships not coming next year
SGA
bill co-author:
Administration did not seek alternative funding sources
Sarah Newell -
Staff Writer
Student Government
Association President Xan Harrington announced last week the dollar amount
of Chancellor’s Scholarships will not increase despite senate-passed
legislation requesting more and equal funding for the award.
Currently, the scholarship awards money in amounts up to $4,500 per year.
This covers less than two-thirds of the cost of tuition, room and board.
There is also a discrepancy between the amounts of scholarship money recipients
receive.
Funding for the Chancellor’s Scholarships is generated through University
Bookstore revenue and money from New River Power and Light.
Any excess monies credited toward operating expenses goes toward the scholarship.
Money is also generated through the Appalachian State University Foundation,
which contains money contributed by individuals and can have restrictions
about usage.
“We’re very disappointed that more funds weren’t allocated,”
said Tim Young, a senator representing Coffey Residence Hall and one of
the coauthors of the SGA-approved bill.
“We were both sort of expecting it, what with the current financial
situation the university is in, however,” Young added.
The piece of legislation, which was passed by the senate in late November,
requested the distribution of scholarship money be even. Currently it
is tiered, with upperclassmen receiving less than freshmen.
According to the legislation, “sophomore, junior and senior Chancellor’s
Scholars maintain the same responsibilities and expectations to the Honors
Program, but receive a lower full amount than freshmen Chancellor’s
Scholars.”
The Chancellor’s Scholarship is the most prestigious scholarship
Appalachian awards, yet unlike most other universities in the University
of North Carolina system, it does not cover the full amount of tuition,
room and board.
“One of the major points of the legislation was to look for alternate
means of funding, and I don’t think the administration was doing
that,” said Young.
“[Robert Rountree, co-author] and I may talk to other schools and
see how they got the funding for their scholarships.”
Clubs
| Organizations Beat
Black
& Gold Elite Dancers gear up for national competition
Team’s
preparation for competition began in February,
says advisor
Crystal Thompson
- Staff Writer
After two months
of planning and preparation, Appalachian State University’s Black
and Gold Elite Dancers will head for national competition on March 31
in Daytona Beach, Fla.
“The dancers started practicing and preparing for nationals at the
beginning of February,” said advisor Wendy LeVeau. “The whole
month of March is dedicated to nationals.”
There will be a total of 300 teams competing at nationals. The Black and
Gold Elite Dancers team consists of 12 dancers, most of who are freshmen.
“There are a lot of young freshmen on this team. There’s only
one graduate on the team. That and the inexperience is our weakness. The
squad does a combination of cheerleading and dancing, and they don’t
do lifts and throws, but it is still a hard routine, and they are a small
squad. Those are some of their strengths,” said LeVeau.
While the entire squad did not attend nationals last year, two of the
dancers went to watch in order to gain experience.
“If they don’t place well this year, the dancers may stay and
watch to give some of the younger dancers experience. If they could place
in the top 50 percent [it] would be phenomenal. Four years ago, the team
placed in the top 10,” said LeVeau.
In past years, the team has not been able to go to nationals because of
financial reasons. Now, however, it is mandatory for them to go every
year.
“The trip is funded by a car wash that the squad had and donations.
The spring fundraisers will pay for the camps,” said LeVeau.
“It’s mandatory to go to at least one camp during the summer,”
said LeVeau.
All the dancers have to try out every year.
Anyone is welcome to try out for the squad, even if they do not have experience.
Most of the returning dancers will try out in the spring and the new dancers
in the fall.
The Black and Gold Elite Dancers will hold tryouts for a new team captain
on April 15 and team tryouts April 22-24.
“To be captain is a three-part process. They have to come up with
a dance routine [and] teach it to the team because the teaching aspect
is so important, and then they have to participate in a formal interview,”
said LeVeau.
The squad votes on all the other officers: assistant captain, secretary
and treasurer.
The squad will hold a carwash fundraiser on April 27, and the team banquet
will be held April 28.
Faculty Senate Beat
Faculty
follow lead of SGA, approve free speech motion
Legislation
calls for expansion of free speech zone
Sean
Oakley - Staff Writer
Faculty
Senate approved a motion Monday calling for the establishment of the
free speech zone to include the entire campus, while tabling the second
half of the motion which included the distribution of printed materials.
“The current free speech area is the amphitheater right next
to the student union,” said Sen. Patrick Rardin, member of the
Welfare of Students Committee. “The problem is that the amphitheater
is out of the way and has a limited seating capacity.”
The motion, drafted by the Welfare of Students Committee, states:
“Resolved, that Free Speech Area for non-amplified speech include
the entire campus for students, staff and faculty of Appalachian State
University.”
The idea of a free speech zone is a relatively new idea at Appalachian
and would only include non-amplified speech, said Rardin. The proposed
free speech zone would be an area where demonstrations are allowed
without prior consent of the administration. Including the entire
Appalachian campus in the free speech zone would allow more student
access and awareness, said Rardin.
The second part of the motion, regarding the distribution of printed
materials, states: “Restriction on anonymity, time, place and
manner of distribution of printed materials on campus be removed,
excluding residence halls and academic buildings.”
“The restrictions are applied selectively without standards,”
said Rardin. “Since the policy is not applied in every case,
only applied in sensitive cases, the policy should be cut.”
Under current university policy, printed materials must first be approved
by the administration before being distributed.
“Printed material has to be located in specific areas designed
for it,” said Rardin. “The name of the organization that
is publishing the material also has to be on it.”
There is a fear the abandonment of this policy would mean students
and faculty members would be constantly barraged with flyers.
Yet according to Rardin, there were a number of flyers distributed
last semester that had no organization listed on them.
There were also other instances, such as a mid-September protest on
Sanford Mall where students were wearing masks and passing out flyers.
This anonymity was against university restrictions, but the restrictions
were not enforced. The protestors also had no permit.
“The idea is that if the policy is not consistently applied,
just scrap it,” said Rardin.
If the policy is not consistently applied, drafters of the motion
said they fear the administration can use the policy as a vehicle
to suppress some speech while ignoring other speech that should also
be restricted.
Student Government Association recently passed a similar motion regarding
students’ freedom of speech.
Police
Beat
Survey:
Students split over drug, alcohol use
Becky DiVerniero
- Staff Writer
The results of
a recent online survey show a common misconception among students
about alcohol and drug use on campus, said Dale Kirkley, coordinator
of the Alcohol and Drug Abuse Program.
The Health Survey was conducted in November 2001. E-mail addresses
were selected at random, and 1,600 students were sent the survey.
The confidential survey was completed by 631 students.
“It was a pretty long survey,” said Kirkley. “So to
get that many people to do [it] on their own time was to me a pretty
good accomplishment.”
The survey ran as part of the CAMPUS grant Appalachian State University
received from the Governor’s Institute for Alcohol and Substance
Abuse in August 2001.
Nine other North Carolina schools, including East Carolina University
and North Carolina State University, also received the $8,000 allotment.
North Carolina First Lady Mary Easley presented each of the schools
with their respective grant Aug. 28, 2001.
“I ask every college in North Carolina to address the issue of
underage drinking on their campuses,” said Easley in a press
release issued by the Governor’s Institute.
“We have a responsibility to provide a positive living and learning
environment for our students,” said Kirkley.
The grant was issued to allow the individual schools to fund new ways
to address alcohol on campus.
“It’s oriented towards developing campus and community strategies
to address high risk alcohol abuse,” said Kirkley. “Each
school is working on developing their plan for what they’re going
to do within their own community.”
Although each of the 10 campuses was given the grant to develop an
individual plan, all schools were issued the same survey last November.
This was Appalachian’s first online health survey.
Previously, graduate students would go into classrooms ever other
year and conduct a similar survey for the Wellness Center in which
the return rate was much higher, said Kirkley.
“My preference is in the classrooms,” said Kirkley.
The survey results will be used to plan programs and health educational
efforts, said Kirkley.
“The purpose is to think about ways in which we can change or
adjust the environment around us,” said Kirkley.
“It can mean the way law enforcement does things, or the way
the university offers activities and recreation to the students. It
gives us information so that we can create a safer, healthier environment
for student success.”
The survey showed a misperception among students, many thinking alcohol
and drug use was very common on campus, said Kirkley.
Of those surveyed:
- 25 percent never drink
- 41 percent are light drinkers (average two drinks per occasion)
- 30 percent are moderate drinkers (average six drinks)
- 4 percent are heavy drinkers (average 8.6 drinks)
As far as drug use, 63 percent reported no use of tobacco and 88 percent
claim to have never used other drugs.
“Part of the use of the survey is to share with students accurate
information,” said Kirkley.
The results are similar to previous surveys conducted by the wellness
center, said Kirkley.
“It simply is further confirmation…that the majority of
students report moderate or non-use of alcohol and non-use of other
drugs,” said Kirkley. “We’ve found that the pattern
and consistency is there and that should be more convincing to the
student body that this is accurate.”
Several prizes were randomly awarded after the completion of the survey.
Twenty students were awarded $25 each and a grand prize of a free
parking space was given to one student.
“I think the incentives helped the return rate,” said Kirkley.
Results of The Health Survey will be used to feed the Aware campaign.
Aware uses the information gained from surveys to develop new ways
to reach students about alcohol and drug use.
Such approaches include posters that can be found around campus announcing
“Most Appalachian students drink 5 or less drinks when they party.”
“Students need to know and deserve to know the real truth about
substance use among their population on this campus,” said Kirkley.
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