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| Oct. 21, 2004 | ||||
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Other sites of interest: Student Government Association Center for Student Involvement & Leadership Appalachian & the Community Together Multicultural Student Development |
Legal alternatives sought for downloading Appalachian State University received a subpoena this week from the recording industry to release the identities of three downloaders. University Attorney Dayton T. Cole said the names might not be released to the public if the parties involved choose to settle out of court. The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) announced three weeks ago its intent to subpoena the university along with 25 other schools in the latest round of lawsuits involving file sharing over the Internet. Interim Vice Chancellor for Student Development Cindy A. Wallace said the subpoena was a shame since the UNC system was looking for alternatives to dilute the problem. “We’ve put a lot of good faith effort out on the table and I think we were a bit surprised that this was the approach they took because we were clearly trying to show that we were working toward a solution, and I think the music industry knew that,” Wallace said. The UNC system is currently looking into having students pay to use certain peer-to-peer (P2P) programs. “It gives the student a legitimate outlet or a legitimate alternative to pursuing it in what is an illegal fashion,” Associate Director for Information and Technology Services Dr. Douglas B. May said. Four schools in the UNC system (North Carolina School of the Arts, North Carolina A&T, UNC Wilmington and Western Carolina) are already going through test phases with file sharing programs such as Ruckus, Cdigix, Rhapsody and iTunes, according to a UNC press release. NC State University and UNC Chapel Hill will start their own pilot experiment in the spring, according to the press release. Depending on the results of the experiment, P2P programs could eventually be open for student use in all 16 UNC schools. A program’s average cost is approximately $200,000, Student Government Association (SGA) President Miriam N. Makhyoun said. During that time, Associate Vice President for Legal Affairs David Harrison gave a presentation of the programs being looked at and the pilot experiment. “Basically, the campus purchases the server, which is around about [$200,000], and then the individual student can just choose to use the program or not,” Makhyoun said. “It can be used for courses, and it’s completely optional.” Wallace said students would have to pay a nominal fee for the program. The server’s impact on bandwidth, its format and its compatibility with off-campus Internet servers were issues that will need to be investigated as well, May said. SGA says 'no way' to poster sale ban The Student Government Association (SGA) approved a resolution Oct. 12 supporting the preservation of longstanding guidelines regarding third party poster sales at Appalachian State University. The resolution passed 31-8 after four rounds of debate. In August, Director of Student Programs Dave L. Robertson requested the removal of several posters from the Beyond the Wall poster sale in Plemmons Student Union. Robertson said the content of these posters were in conflict with university policy on drugs and alcohol. Robertson removed posters depicting marijuana, cocaine and violence after SGA Vice President Nick V. Albu e-mailed him to inquire about the poster sale and university policy. Senator Amanda G. Zeddy authored the legislation. “The student body of Appalachian State University values the importance of freedom of expression ” the legislation stated. “The dissemination of ideas that conflict with government and/or university policy is not unlawful and is an essential element of free speech.” “As such, posters, as a vehicle of free expression, should not be censored based on content,” the legislation stated. Before the vote, Robertson spoke before the Senate and defended his actions. “This is not a free speech issue,” Robertson said. “This is an issue of what the student union has a right to sell and a right not to sell.” Educators have a responsibility to create an environment conducive to learning and study, and that includes discouraging the use of illegal drugs and abuse of alcohol, Robertson said. “What are we communicating through what we sell?” Robertson said. Robertson suggested that students, faculty and staff form a standing committee that could make decisions regarding university sales, including bookstore sales and the poster sale. Paul A. Funderburk, president of Appalachian’s chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), spoke in defense of the resolution. “This is a free expression issue,” Funderburk said. “It’s restriction based on content.” The idea that selling something depicting an activity endorses that activity is a false conception, he said. Funderburk argued that the university cannot endorse a certain religion, yet religious posters are sold. “The university should not be making content-based policies, especially when [the content] is contrary to government policy,” Funderburk said. “College should be a place where students can protest government policy if they want to.” Opponents to the legislation argued the issue was an economic issue, not one of free expression. “This is a business relationship between Beyond the Wall and Appalachian State University – we have no right to intervene,” Senator David Humphrey said in debate. Senator Jason McAllister counter-argued: “If [the administration] starts censoring posters, where will they draw the line [in censoring] other things?” Pending an approval and signature from SGA President Miriam N. Makhyoun, the legislation will then be passed on to Vice Chancellor for Student Development Cindy A. Wallace for review. Homecoming takes masses to streets One hundred and ten university clubs and organizations have signed up to participate in one or more of Saturday’s Homecoming events. “Last year I think we only had 95 or 97 organizations participate,” Bethany A. LaPlante, Graduate Assistant for Office of Student Programs, said. Sixty-two clubs, 21 Greek organizations, 16 Resident Student Associations (RSA) and 11 university funded organizations will compete in the float contest, the kazoo band contest, the banner contest, the lip sync contest, the Homecoming king and queen contest or the tailgate bash. Thirty-five groups participated in the 24-hour Mardi Gras Dance Marathon Oct. 9 and 10. The service project raised $15,000 for The Watauga Youth Network and Parent-to-Parent Family Support Network, two local non-profit organizations. Last year the service project events raised $8,750. “There’s still checks rolling in,” Student Programs program coordinator Jenny Koehn said. “We nearly doubled it. It was super.” Many organizations participated in the event and more performed or offered services. Appalachian Popular Programming Society (APPS) provided entertainment, the National Pan-Hellenic Council provided most of the food and the Hispanic Student Association provided dance instruction. “Wellness Peer Educators provided smoothies which, believe me, went over big,” Koehn said. “Then all those dance teams [Appalachian Swingers, Black and Gold Elite Dancers, ASU Cloggers], it was great. I mean it was a difficult event. It’s not easy to dance for 24 hours but they were troopers.” Those groups who signed up to be in the parade Saturday morning will compete in either the float or Kazoo Band Contest. “Two years ago everyone wanted to be in a Kazoo band so we’ve ordered enough Kazoos so everyone can be in a band,” Associate Director of Student Programs P. Brad Vest said. “It just gets bigger and bigger every year. I think a lot of groups have fun at Homecoming once they start and get involved with it. It’s a great community builder.” Sixteen out of 20 residence halls will participate in Homecoming events. Numerous clubs and organizations will have tents set up on Duck Pond Field for the Mardi Gras Tailgate Bash Saturday from 12 to 2:30 p.m. Seventy-seven clubs nominated Homecoming queens and 72 clubs nominated kings. Those elected to Homecoming court will be introduced at tomorrow night’s pep rally.
County hosts 'meet the candidates' forum A “meet the candidates” forum hosted by the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce was held in the Boone Town Council Chambers Oct. 6. The forum began with each candidate expressing what he thought was the most pressing issue facing Watauga County. Democratic candidate Winston Kinsey said he felt the most pressing issue was that of law enforcement dealing with methamphetamine labs. “We have a very bad situation,” Kinsey said. Republican candidate Lewis Phillips said he thought growth was the most pressing issue. Republican candidate James Coffey agreed that growth was an issue Watauga County would face in the future. Coffey said growth affects every part of the county and that Watauga County is growing so fast it is hard to keep up. Democratic candidate William R. “Billy Ralph” Winkler said methamphetamine labs are the biggest problem right now. Winkler said the labs are a big danger and an embarrassment to Watauga County. “We need to rid ourselves of this cancer,” Winkler said. Republican candidate Allen Trivette noted the need for affordable housing brought up earlier in the Board of Education segment of the forum. Trivette said it is important to have affordable housing so people will want to come live in Watauga County. Democratic candidate Jim Deal placed an emphasis on education. Candidates also answered further questions regarding methamphetamine labs. All of the candidates said labs in Watauga County are a big concern and fully supported the decision to give Watauga County Sheriff Mark Shook money to combat the problem. Trivette said Shook needs more money and called for tougher laws. “We need to run every drug dealer out of Watauga,” Deal said. Kinsey said the efforts on part of Shook have been tremendous, but said there needs to be involvement other than law enforcement. He said there could be more educational programs about methamphetamine labs. The programs would inform people of the signs and symptoms of people involved with the drugs, Kinsey said. Coffey said he feels law enforcement is doing a good job and the programs financed by the money the county commissioners gave Shook are working. The candidates also discussed area transportation issues, specifically the possibility of building a by-pass to help alleviate traffic congestion. “I think the traffic situation is terrible,” Kinsey said. Kinsey said with Appalachian State University and the county growing, it’s a big problem and a bypass is needed. “We need to improve in a bad way,” Coffey said in regards to traffic. He said that if there is going to be a bypass built, a route needs to be decided, so construction can begin. Phillips said another route is necessary. Trivette said if a bypass is constructed, he feels it would have to be placed outside Boone city limits. ASU sends two students to SAVE advisory board Students Against Violence Everywhere (S.A.V.E.), a national anti-violence group, has selected two Appalachian State University students as collegiate ambassadors on the SAVE Youth Advisory Board. Freshman Mary Catherine Tee and junior advertising major Heather L. Wray join a six-member team that will serve as mentors for high school members while strengthening communication through the alumni. “In a lot of ways they’re thought of as extended staff so they can be called upon to do training for educators, administrators and students about the program mainly because they have recent and direct experience,” S.A.V.E. program manager Gina Boyd said. Both became involved with SAVE in high school. “I got involved with S.A.V.E. as a freshman in high school right after the Columbine incident occurred because I wanted to do something to prevent a similar tragedy from occurring in my high school,” Wray said. Although Tee had been president of her high school S.A.V.E. chapter for two years, she found new meaning behind her involvement after a friend was violently killed last summer. “One very important thing I have learned is that violence does not discriminate,” Tee said. “It can happen to any person and it can happen anywhere.” One of the girls’ major responsibilities was to plan yesterday’s 10th annual National S.A.V.E. Day. S.A.V.E. chapters across the state hold violence awareness activities to inform students about ways to keep their neighborhoods a safe place to live. ”I hope that others can learn that one voice does matter and that students can make a difference in the war against violence,” Wray said. “Students also need to realize that they have to take action in what they believe in and that they should be able to learn in a safe environment.” They will also be involved in organizing the National S.A.V.E. Youth Summit in April. “They both posses strong leadership skills and they have a personal mission to prevent youth violence,” Boyd said. “They go above and beyond what is called of an average college student, whether or not they have service requirements as part of their education, they do it because it’s something they believe in.” For the next year the girls will work on spreading the word of S.A.V.E. and the three elements of which the organization is made up: crime prevention, conflict management and service projects. “Through .S.A.V.E. I have been able to gain leadership skills and discover how to look at problems and create positive solutions,” Wray said. “I realized how important it is to be a positive role model for younger students and how to use my voice to encourage violence prevention in my community.” “I have gotten more out of my past years of involvement with S.A.V.E. than I had ever anticipated,” Tee said. “If I can make a difference in one person I will feel like I have done my part in making a difference in the world.” |
© 2004 ASU Student Publications
