| NPHC
week kicks off Groups support education, community service University signs 25th exchange pact Forum addresses crime, safety issues |
In the News... | |
NPHC
week kicks off
Groups
support education, community service
Jeremy Ball
Staff Writer
This week, the Appalachian State University chapter of the National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC) is sponsoring NPHC week to help inform students about the role the organization serves on campus.
Nakia Hardy, the president of the NPHC at Appalachian, says that "this week is a week to allow students to learn what the NPHC is about, why it is here, and what the five orgainizations on campus who are a part of it can contribute to Appalachian’s campus." The NPHC is a national organization which was founded at Howard University in 1930 to serve as a coordinating body for the eight national, historically African-American fraternities and sororities.
Five of those fraternities and sororities are represented on campus: Alpha Phi Alhpa, Alpha Kappa Alpha, Delta Sigma Theta, Phi Beta Sigma and Zeta Phi Beta.
Hardy says that although they do serve social functions, the primary focus of the organizations in the NPHC is community service. She says that the organizations are oriented to African-Americans, but "right here at Appalachian, our goal is to be of service to the Appalachian community."
This year NPHC has helped out with voter registration, threw a back-to- school party, sponsored an all-purpose service drive, and it threw a step show and a tail gate party for homecoming. Continuing with the theme of service, NPHC week is focused on educating the entire campus.
In order to help inform students, the focus of the week is on education, using the theme "Different Colors United to Walk the Path of Education."
On Monday night there was a speaker from Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity who is an alumnus of the fraterntiy and currently a succesful architect. He spoke in I.G. Greer Auditorium.
Tuesday’s event is a campus-wide clean up starting at 4:30 p.m.
On Wednesday, there will be an information session in the Linville Falls Room in the Student Union at 7 p.m. The session will be focused on answering questions about the Greek organizations within NPHC.
InterFraternity Council, Black Student Association and NPHC will be co-sponsoring a talk given by Terri Cook on relationships and self-esteem. Hardy says that the talk will focus on how to build self esteem so that you can have productive relationships, whether with a Greek brother or sister within an organization or with other friends and family. It starts at 6 p.m. in the Linville Falls Room.
NPHC, Council for Cultural Awareness and Appalachian Popular Programming Society’s Stage Shows will round out the week with a regional step show in Farthing Auditorium on Saturday starting at 8 p.m.
Fernando Little, the president of CCA and a senior from Charlotte, says that the goal of the step show is to bring something to Appalachian’s campus which has never been here before. Although there have been step shows on campus, this show is a much larger event, featuring groups from universities all over the region.
Little says that he hopes to make this an annual event. "I’m really excited about the response we’re already getting. Students are excited," Little said.
Students can buy tickets in advance for five dollars or for seven dollars at the door. All Greeks get in for five dollars, as well. Non-student tickets are seven dollars.
All students who partcipate in at least three events will get a free ticket into the step show.
After the show, there will be a post-step show party in Legends. It will start at 11 p.m. The cost is three dollars and it is BYOB.
Hardy says that she feels that most students are uneducated about the role that NPHC serves. She hopes that this week will serve as an opportunity to let them know that it is an important part of the university and serves an important purpose.
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University signs 25th exchange pact
ASU News Bureau
Next summer, six faculty members from Appalachian State University’s Department of Communication will spend part of their summer teaching at the University of Gdansk in Poland.
The trip stems from Appalachian’s latest agreement with a foreign university, bringing the total number of exchange contracts to 25. This agreement, signed by ASU Chancellor Francis Borkowski and the president of the University of Gdansk in October, formalizes faculty and student exchanges between the two institutions.
Appalachian has also "adopted" a school of journalism established three years ago in Warsaw. ASU will send used communication textbooks to the institution.
"Gdansk is a hotbed of international and political activity," Borkowski said. "I think Poland will move to the forefront of leadership in eastern Europe."
"This (exchange agreement) is an avenue for our students to come to understand the development of eastern Europe and to witness what is happening," Borkowski said.
The formal agreement makes it easier for Gdansk students to attend ASU and receive credit hours towards their program of study in Poland, said Dennis Grady, political science and criminal justice department chairman.
Appalachian has participated in a variety of informal projects with University of Gdansk officials and town leaders in the past. Currently, political science professor Marvin Hoffman is involved in programs training future Polish government leaders. Hoffman is spending the academic year in Gdansk, teaching courses in research and American government. He is also providing technical assistance to the mayors of local governments in Poland.
Professor Daniel German, also of the political science and criminal justice department, will deliver a lecture in May 1997 on his research comparing American and central European media at the Warsaw Media School.
Two exchange students from Gdansk are currently working on master’s degrees in public administration at Appalachian. When they graduate, they will be the first American-educated public administrators in the Gdansk region.,
Longin Pastusiak, a member of the Polish Parliament, has been teaching courses on the transformation of eastern Europe during summer classes at Appalachian for the past three summers. He is helping to draft a constitution for his home country.
In 1995 Pastusiak coordinated a $112,000 U.S. Information Agency grant which brought Polish officials to Boone to see first-hand how local government operates.
While in Poland, the chancellor met with the presidents of Poland and Hungary, visited Jagelloian University and spoke with the Polish prime minister and minister of education.
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Forum addresses crime,safety issues
Darin Glass
Reporter
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Captain Larry Foster of ASU Police discussed campus safety at a forum sponsored by SGA. (Photo by Marvin Evans) |
A campus crime forum was held Wednesday at I.G. Greer Auditorium in light of several crime related incidents which have occurred during the fall semester.
Representatives were on hand to answer questions concerning safety and crime. The representatives were Director of Public Safety Roy Tugman, Capt. Loretta Harmon and Capt. Larry Foster from the University Police, Vice Chancellor for Student Development Gregory Blimling, Student Government Association President Kaye Cranford, Barbara Daye of Student Development, Director of the Equity Office Melissa Barth and Dan Jones of the Counseling and Psychology Services Center.
The questions centered around the off-campus assaults and the truth behind them. Blimling was concerned about false information that has been circulating on campus.
"There has been a lot of misinformation going around about the two female students who have been sexually assaulted. All the information that we have given out to sources like the Appalachian have been true," said Blimling about the incidents.
Daye stressed that, "We make sure that there is no personal information about the student and we notify the media directly about what has happened."
"We meet every week with the university to report on any crime which has taken place," Foster said. "We are not trying to hide anything and are looking out for the students."
The issue of implementing audible alarms on all the blue lights was discussed, and the designing of the sirens is already in progress. The system would cost around $1,000 and Blimling said they would seriously consider the option.
Another measure to increase safety is moving Mountaineer Escort under the supervision of the police station to help maximize its effectiveness for students. The service was having trouble with volunteers not showing up for work, and this way they can provide a better service.
"While all the preventive measures are helpful, it is still up to the individual student to help protect themselves," Barth said. "Most of the rapes that occur are by someone that the person knows. We need to all work together to help make sure that the person knows when things have gone too far and where they can go to get help."
Another question that was raised was the fact that there were no lights on the path up to Mountaineer Apartments. Blimling said that Appalachian owns New River Power and Light, and that they would try to install the lights. New River installs all the lights on campus.
Barth restated that, "ASU has zero tolerance for these types of crimes and that we are looking out for the students."
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Xide to speak at fall commencement
ASU News Bureau
Xie Xide, former president of Fudan University in Shanghai, China, will be the guest speaker for the Dec. 15 commencement at Appalachian State University. The ceremonies begin at 2 p.m. in Varsity Gymnasium.
Xie is a professor of physics at Fudan where she continues research on the theory of semiconductors. She was president of Fudan from 1983-88. She currently serves as an advisor to the university.
Xie was educated in the United States during the 1940s, receiving her Ph.D. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She has been a Fulbright Scholar and received honorary degrees from universities in England, the United States and Japan.
During the Chinese Cultural Revolution, she was sent to the countryside for "rehabilitation" with other academics who were criticized for their work by the government.
Xie helped Appalachian establish ties with Fudan, which has led to an agreement between the two institutions to explore and develop faculty and student exchanges.
This is Xie’s second visit to Appalachian. She will receive an honorary doctorate from Appalachian during commencemt exercises.
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The Office of Student Development regularly surveys incoming freshmen to better understand their needs and backgrounds. Appalachian’s 1996 Freshman Survey represents the responses of 627 entering students surveyed during Phase II orientation held at the beginning of the Fall 1996 term.
This survey depicts approximately 30 percent of the entering class, allowing for a margin of error of plus or minus four percentage points. The survey asked a number of questions about student’s behavior in the year prior to college entrance and about predicted behavior in the first year attending Appalachian State University.
The pie graphs indicate research conducted by the Office of Institutional Research during Phase I orientation held in the summer of 1996.
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Appalachian and the Community Together, or ACT, is coordinating Hunger and Homeless week now through Friday.
This week’s events are planned to raise awareness about the needs of the hungry and homeless in our area and beyond. Canned goods will be collected for Habitat for Humanity, Hospitality House, the Hunger Coalition and OASIS.
The week’s events will culminate on Friday, when Todd Wright, Appalachian professor and jazz musician will perform with his students and other area musicians. The concert begins at 8 p.m. in Legends. Admission is $3 per person, with proceeds benefiting the four area agencies.
Tickets can be purchased at the Information desk in Plemmons Student Union or at the Farthing Auditorium Box Office. Tickets are also available at the door. For additional information, call ACT at 262-3032.
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The Watauga County Hunger Coalition is looking for volunteers to help at its Community Thanksgiving dinner on Nov. 28.
Volunteers are needed from 8:30 a.m. until 2 p.m. to help set up the fellowship hall, serve food and clean up. Volunteers can work two hour shifts, or all day if they prefer. The dinner will be held at the First Baptist Church located at 375 W. King Street in Boone.
If interested, contact the Watauga County Hunger Coalition at 262-1628.
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The Bachelors of Technology Club invites students to tour the new Career Center, located in the John Thomas Student Services Building.
The tour will be conducted today at 5 p.m. Students who want to learn more about available internships and jobs are encouraged to attend.
For more information, contact Terry Cooke at 266-9687.
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Wake Technical Community College is introducing a course for students to learn French through interaction with French-speaking people in their native lands.
"Travel for Adventure," is a one week, non-credit class in which students will travel to Quebec to learn French through interaction with Quebec natives.
Students will learn French through formal language instruction, as well as through informal activities such as visiting local families, making trips to local stores, attending a high school play, using public transportation,or watching an assigned TV program.
The course is open to students who have taken at least two quarters of French at Wake Tech, or have equivalent experience with the language. The cost of the class will include tuition, travel expenses, accommodations, and most meals.
If interested, contact the Director of Community Programs at (919) 662-3449 by Jan. 17.
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