February 13, 1997

Diversity Week set to begin
Campus groups unite to promote cultural awareness
Beth Bliss
Staff Writer

"Unity through diversity" will be the central theme of Diversity Week, a five-day event co-sponsored by the Student Government Association and other campus organizations.

According to Jenny Ruggieri, SGA Student Affairs chairperson, the event is organized with the hope of promoting diversity that exists within Appalachian's population.

The week's activities will begin with a round table discussion on Monday, Feb. 17. Co-sponsored by SGA and the Black Student Association, the event will be held in the Roan Mountain Room in the Student Union from 7 to 9 p.m.

According to Ruggieri, discussion facilitators plan to "throw a couple of issues of diversity out and let people come and discuss (them)."

"It's going to be a healthy discussion about diversity on campus," she said.

A Diversity Fair will be held on Tuesday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Student Union's Grandfather Mountain Ballroom.

Ruggieri said Diversity Week co-sponsors contacted clubs and organizations across campus to participate in the event.

"Not every club will be there," she said. "We targeted the ones that don't get a lot of publicity (on campus), such as the Native American Council and Intervarsity."

Ruggieri said this event should not be considered another Club Expo, as it is allowing clubs that are not well-known on campus to display their diversity.

The Multicultural Center will hold an open house on Wednesday from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Ruggieri said students can investigate the center and see what it has to offer.

"Some people don't even know we have (a multicultural center)," she said. "(This) is really a promotion for the center."

The Native American Council will give a presentation on Thursday from 8 to 9:30 p.m. in the Roan Mountain Room. Ruggieri said the Council will present various songs and dances from the Native American heritage.

The week will conclude on Friday, Feb. 21 with the play "Black Men Rising," which will be performed at 7 p.m. in the Linville Falls Room in the Student Union. The event is sponsored by Cultural Affairs and African American Student Development.

In addition to these activities, Ruggieri said, APPS will be showing the Spike Lee film "Girl 6" on its new movie channel. The film will be shown at various times throughout the week on channel 5.

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Blimling explains Judicial Board ruling
SGA also hears concerns about overprescription of drugs in infirmary
Beth Bliss
Staff Writer

Vice-chancellor Dr. Gregory Blimling fielded questions concerning the recent decision made by the University Judicial Board at the Student Government Association's meeting Tuesday evening.

Blimling informed the Senate of the ruling made by the board in the case of an alleged assault that occurred Jan. 19.

Blimling told SGA members that the University Judicial Board found the evidence presented to be insufficient and could not conclude that an assault had occurred.

"Because somebody makes a charge doesn't mean it's true," he said.

Blimling said the case was sent to the University Judicial Board instead of the Student Judicial Board due to the severity of the accusation.

When asked if the alleged victim will file criminal charges against the accused, Blimling said the victim has not yet lodged such charges. However, if the alleged victim wants to raise such charges, Blimling said she can do so at any time because rape is a felony charge.

Senator Rolondo Enoch asked Blimling if the victim will also be charged for lewd, indecent or obscene conduct. Blimling said he could not discuss the status of the alleged victim.

Following Blimling's address, Director of Student Health Services Dr. William Derrick spoke about the current status of Health services.

Derrick said Health Services is currently working to improve two main student complaints: waiting time and overuse of the antibiotic amoxicillin.

According to Derrick, the problem of having to wait to see a doctor is not limited to Appalachian's Health Services; rather, it is a problem faced by all university health care facilities. Derrick said students tend to come at the most convenient times, usually right after a class, and this can lead to a long wait.

Derrick said Health Services has taken some steps to decrease waiting time. "We have tried to spread out times by offering appointments," he said.

In addition, Derrick told SGA members that many students have come to Health Services with concerns that amoxicillin is over-prescribed for infections.

"We are not over-prescribing (amoxicillin)," Derrick said. "(But) we are probably guilty of prescribing amoxicillin frequently, and there's a good reason for that."

According to Derrick, the most frequently observed condition in students is an upper respiratory infection with a sore throat, which often indicates the presence of Group A, Beta Hemolytic Strep bacteria.

Derrick said amoxicillin is effective in destroying this bacteria, but students have claimed that they have developed a resistance to the drug because they have taken it so frequently.

However, Derrick said health service faculty shy away from higher level drugs for simple infections such as this because frequent use of such medications may make them ineffective if they are ever needed for more serious infections.

Derrick said the future of Health Services depends on many things, especially the student fee cap which limits the amount the health service fee can be raised each year.

According to Derrick, Health Services is investigating various ways to generate revenue through charges for certain services or products.

When asked if Health Services has considered allowing students to use family or personal insurance to pay for services, Derrick said Appalachian has not considered that a viable option because it could prevent some students from attending school here.

Derrick said the process used by Appalachian is the most efficient form of health care: Students pay up front and receive care as it is needed.

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Counseling center offers variety of free programs, services
Jeff Sprouse
Staff Writer

Each year, nearly 1,000 Appalachian State University students take advantage of the services offered by the Counseling and Psychological Services Center. Another 1,000 or so have contact through center-sponsored programs such as Outreach and "Ask Uncle Sigmund." So what makes the center so popular?

First, any student currently enrolled at ASU may receive counseling services, free of charge. Second, the center is fully accredited by the International Association of Counseling Services, Inc.

The center provides a number of group therapy programs. Those include groups for sexual abuse survivors, persons with body image and eating disorder problems, low self-esteem, gays and lesbians, building interpersonal skills and women's therapy.

The center also offers individual counseling, where the individual can talk with a counselor "about personal concerns that interfere with academic development or that facilitate personal growth," said Dan Jones, director of the center. Sessions such as these usually last 50 minutes, once a week.

Also in the Wellness Center is the Substance Abuse Education Program, where "individual consultation and counseling is provided to those students with personal concerns related to alcohol or other drugs," said Jones. Group counseling is also available.

While the concerns of those individuals that take advantage of the center are varied, the most common concern, according to Jones, has to do with interpersonal relationships. "Students come in with low self-esteem or bouts with depression, and it is almost always linked to a relationship," said Jones.

When asked if the consumer-driven holiday of Valentine's Day contributes more patients to the Center, he responds, "No, not really. There may be a few who feel that they have been neglected by their significant other, but there is no significant increase in cases of depression."

Concerning holidays in general, Jones stated since the University is closed during the major holidays, there are no visitors to the center. "However, in January, we do see a lot of students coming back depressed after a conflict within their family," Jones said.

The center also offers family and couple counseling, for "students when their issues seem related to their primary relationships," Jones said.

The center also sponsors programs outside of the clinical setting. One such program is "Ask Uncle Sigmund," a kind of "Dear Abby" column, which can be found on the ASU Gopher system. "Uncle Sigmund" will answer questions about personal problems, relationships, stress and alcohol or drugs. All questions are answered by professional counselors.

Also, every Monday at noon, a program called "Lunch with Uncle Sigmund" takes place in the student union. Each session deals with a specific topic, taught by an expert in that particular field.

If Uncle Sigmund does not meet your needs, and you wish to see a counselor, you can come in through the Walk-In Clinic. The Walk-In Clinic operates Monday through Thursday from 1p.m. to 5 p.m. and Fridays from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. During the initial visit, a counselor will determine how and where your needs can be met.

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Charlotte man searches for ASU "hero"
Vanessa Urruela
Editor-in-Chief

John Cutter of Charlotte is looking for a hero.

The person he wants to find rescued a Charlotte boy who was involved in a serious skiing accident at Hawks Nest Ski Mountain last year.

On Jan. 25, 1996 Jon Barrett Purdue, age 13, was skiing around 9 p.m. when he fell and was seriously hurt.

A member of the ski patrol rescued Purdue, who was airlifted from the mountain, and even went to visit him in the hospital.

Purdue's family never got the name or any personal information of the patrol member. They credit part of their son's recovery from injuries including a ruptured spleen to his prompt rescue.

Cutter said the ski patrol person was a white male with sandy brown or "blondish" hair.

He thinks the man was around six feet tall and is possibly named or has the nickname "Chip" or "Chuck."

This person may or may not still be a student at Appalachian.

Anyone with information about the ski patrol member is asked to call Cutter at (704) 334-2849. Cutter's e-mail address is "kcutter544@aol.com".

There is a $100 reward for anyone who gives information which leads to the person's identification.

Cutter said Purdue is feeling much better now and is thankful for his rescuer's help.

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In the News...

Renovation Projects Underway

New theater seats and a recording studio are among the renovation and small construction projects currently underway at Appalachian.

Farthing Auditorium's 23-year old seats are due to be replaced this spring, with the addition of a new center aisle to meet accessibility requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act. The center aisle will result in 50 fewer theater seats, bringing the auditorium capacity to 1,700 seats. The project will cost $313,772.

A music recording studio, which is being added onto Broyhill Music Center, begins construction this month. The studio is designed to provide professional recording experiences for students and to attract recording industry professionals to conduct production work at Appalachian. The building will be constructed with $245,000 in state funds. Almost $400,000 in private funds will be needed to equip the facility with recording equipment.

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Debate Kicks Off Diversity Week

Appalachian Diversity Week kicks off Monday with a round table discussion on current diversity issues on campus. The debate will be held from 7 to 9 p.m. in the Roan Mountain Room of Plemmons Student Union.

Diversity week continues on Tuesday with a Diversity Fair, where clubs and organizations come out to promote diverse interests on campus. The fair will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Grandfather Mountain ballroom of Plemmons Student Union.

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Students Named to Who's Who

Thirteen Appalachian State University graduate students will be named in the 1996 of "Who's Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges."

Appalachian's students are listed along with outstanding students from more than 1,900 other colleges and universities in the United States. Students honored in this year's edition are Alice Adams, Eric Biribuze, Franklin Carico, Katrice Goodman, Robert Helfenbein, Lakajai Hill, Lamonda Horton, Ramonda Horton, John Jackson, Charlotte Redden, Beth Schlayer, Yuma Tomes and Shannon Winston.

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Outdoor Theater Auditions

The Institute of Outdoor Drama will hold auditions for 13 outdoor historical dramas March 22 at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Auditions are open to anyone 18 or older with previous theater experience. Jobs require a 9-12 week commitment, including two weeks of rehearsal. Staff skilled in design, installation and maintenance of equipment for sound, voice reinforcement, special effects and lighting are also in demand.

To request an application, send a self-addressed stamped business envelope to: Auditions Coordinator, Institute of Outdoor Drama, CB#3240, NationsBank Plaza, UNC-CH, Chapel Hill, N.C. 27599-3240.

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Easter Holiday Correction

Appalachian State University will observe the Easter holiday March 28-31, not March 29-April 1 as printed in the Student Handbook of Rights and Responsibilities.

The Office of Student Publications regrets the error in publishing the wrong dates.

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