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The Blue Banner
Septembers, 1996
The Blue
Banner
Editonal
What are you waiting for?
The time of sweet summer mornings and long gentle evenings
has once again faded away into September and we are reminded
harshly of reality as it splashes us in our faces and shocks us into
submission. Tyranny is back.
Of course, no university is a democracy and even if UNCA
were, no democracy is perfect. But the injustices seem to have
multiplied like rabbits over the summer and taken on a much
larger space in our lives than they once did.
Frankly, we’re fed up. And it’s only the second week of classes.
We suspect that there are lots of changes that you, the student
body, would like to see as well. But it’s not up to us to demand
change, it’s up to you.
Be like Rosa Parks and refuse to sit in the back of the bus. Be
like the American revolutionaries who dumped their tea in the
Boston Harbor. Be like Gandhi and walk hundreds of miles to
the sea to make your own salt rather than submit to an injustice.
It’s the little principles that must be fought over as strongly as
the large ones, because little injustices grow and grow.
Are you sick of paying fifty bucks a year for a parking space that
seems to exist only in the imagination of Jeffrey Van Slyke? Why
don’t YOU tell him so? His phone number is 251-6710.
Are you sick of paying three hundred and fifty bucks a year in
athletics fees so that they caa treat women unfairly? Why don’t
YOU tell them so? Tom Hunnicutt’s phone number is 251-
6926.
If you think UNCA was built for the students, and not for the
administration, why don’t YOU complain to the chancellor?
Patsy Reed’s phone number is 251-6500.
Think the Blue Banner is a really crummy paper? Why don’t
YOU write a letter and tell us so? We’ll print it, which may be
a lot more response than you’ll get from the tyrants. And that
brings us back to our first point. It’s not up to us to foment
change. This newspaper is only a tool for airing a wide variety
of opinions and ideas. Real change is up to YOU, YOU, YOU.
But we have faith. We know that YOU can do it.
And after you’ve finished fixing this university, you might try
complaining to your representatives in the larger world for a
while. If YOU don’t let your voice be heard, someone whose
voice is louder and stronger will step in front of you. They’ll get
their way, and you’ll be left in the cold. It’s September out there
as well.
We’ll just remind you of who to get in touch with, when YOU
feel ready to let YOUR voice be heard.
Sen. Jesse Helms Sen.Lauch Faircloth
P.O. Box 2944 P.O. Box 2137
Hickory, NC 28603 Asheville, NC 28802
704- 258-3667 704-254-3099
Rep. Charles Taylor
Jackson Bldg Pack Sq
Asheville, 28801
704-251-1988
Editorial Board
Catherine Elniff
Michael Taylor
Renee Slaydon
Jennifer Thurston
Jeanette Webb
Michael DeLorm
Editor-in-Chief
News Editor
Features Editor
Sports Editor
Copy Editor
Photo Editor
Staff
Rafrica Adams, Bob Buchanan, Aimee Campbell, Brad Davis,
John Hodges, Trish Johnson, Jay Malinoski, Kyle Phipps,
Mark Plemmons, St. Clair Ready, Alex Self, Jason Wicks,
Monica Williams
Wendy McKinney
Marissa DeBlasio
Thomas Estes
Advertising Manager
Business Manager
Circulation Manager
Mark West, faculty advisor
The Blue Baimer is the student newspaper of the University of
North Carolina at Asheville. We publish each Thursday except
during summer sessions, final exam weeks and holiday breaks
Our offices are located in Carmichael Hall, Room 208-A.
Our telephone number is (704) 251-6586. Our campus e-mail
address is UNCAVX::BANNER.
Nothing in our editorial or opinions sections necessarily reflects
the opinion of the entire Blue Banner editorial board, the faculty
advisor, or the university faculty, administration or staff.
Unsigned editorials reflect the opinion of a majority of the Blue
Banner editorial board. Letters, columns, cartoons and reviews
represent only the opinions of their respective authors.
The Blue Banner welcomes submissions of letters and articles for
puTjUcation. All submissions are subject to editing and are consid
ered on the basis of interest, space, taste, and timeliness.
Letters must be typed, double-spaced, and must not exceed 300
words. Letters for publication must also contain the author’s
signature, classification, major or other relationship with UNCA.
The deadline for letters and classifieds is noon on Tuesday. If
you have a submission, you can send it to:
The Blue Banner
208A Carmichael Hall
One University Heights
Asheville NC 28804
Temple of the tree or bowl of vegetable medley?
Kristi Howard
Columnist
Sometimes it’s good to
have the stability of things that
never change. When the world
seems to be spinning out of
control, it’s nice to know that
some things remain constant.
But sometimes it’s also good
for the soul to experience
change, because it helps you
change your perspective.
As the new school year be
gins, I can’t help but notice
that UNCA is a mixed bag of
things that have changed since
last semester, and things that
have remained the same.
Probably the change that
has caused the most headaches
is the parking situation. I
don’t mean to step on the toes
of whoever is in charge of the
parking lot construction be
low Highrise, but wouldn’t it
have been easier just to pave
the “gravel pit,” instead of dig
ging a big ugly hole?
Maybe I’m wrong. All I
know is that if you dare to
leave campus on a weeknight
and come back expecting to
park near Highrise or Mills,
you will probably be sorely
disappointed. And you will
have to walk home, in the
Maybe the design was in
tended for dramatic effect, and
I’m just too dense to get it. Or
perhaps it is a special tree, ex
ulted above all other trees, and
lighted so that all the other un
worthy trees can gaze day and
night on its greatness.
Thankfully, the aforemen
tioned plaza connects to steps
that lead down the hill to the
cafeteria. This is a change I
applaud, since it keeps me, and
Maybe the design was intended for dra
matic effect and I'm just too dense to get it.
dark, from however far away
you had to end up parking.
I don’t mean to gripe, but
come on, guys, how long can it
possibly take?
On a more pleasant—but
somewhat bewildered—note,
the plaza next to Rhodes/
Robinson is certainly a beauti
ful change.
But why, might I ask, are
those spotlights pointing up
into the tree? Is it so that,
when
you’re
hurrying
from a
night
class to
Dante’s
to grab a
Snapple before “Seinfeld”
comes on, you’ll be able to
look up and make sure there
are no psychotic squirrels wait
ing to drop nasty bombs on
your head before you pass by?
Would common sense not
dictate that the spotlights be
used to light the path that runs
next to the “tree plaza,” or the
bushes across from it, where a
person could conceivably hide?
Or why not shine them across
the kinda’ dark, kinda’ spooky
quad? That might make it
seem safer at night.
anyone else fond of heels, from
having to navigate that treacher
ous, loose gravel covered slope.
Speaking of the Caf, that is
one thing that hasn’t changed a
bit. I’m talking about the cre
ative way the folks at Marriott
have of serving up leftovers.
Have you ever noticed how one
day we’ll have corn, the next day
peas, the next carrots, and then—
ta-daa!—vegetable medley?
It’s not quite like high school,
where my friend Steven once
found a spaghetti noodle in his
hot-dog chili, but it’s close.
Don’t get me wrong—I
know how hard it must be to
feed so many people with so
many different tastes, and still
keep it nutritious. I’m not say
ing the food is bad, just that it
hasn’t changed.
And finally, somewhere in
a kind of gray area between
changing and remaining the
same, is the path of worn-down
grass marching proudly across
the quad to Lipinsky.
New grass was sewn there
in the spring, and yet the path
has returned, worn by the drag
ging feet of countless students
trudging bleakly to Humani
ties lecture—yet another part
of UNCA that hasn’t changed
a bit.
So on that note, I’ll end my
rant about what has and hasn’t
changed here over the sum
mer.
But I know that if I need a
change of scenery. I’ll head on
down to the Temple of the
Tree, to gaze up into its wise,
brilliantly lighted branches.
And when I feel like every
thing is way too hectic, and I
need some stability to ground
me. I’ll go to the Caf—and
treat myself to a nice bowl of
vegetable medley.
U.SA-land of the free, home of the terrified
James Hertsch
Columnist
How wise, how great, how
noble are our leaders. As
Americans, we can feel safe
knowing that our elected offi
cials have only our best inter
ests at heart, and would never
cross those interests.
In the last two years, these
courageous men and women
have worked “to secure the
blessing of liberty for ourselves
and our posterity,” passing
laws insuring a prosperous,
free nation.
Right. If you buy that, you
probably also invested in Last
Action Hero, and continually
buy those collector’s plates
because, of course, their value
will go up.
The past several years have
been filled with government
at its worst, the politics of
fear, the politics of hypocrisy,
and unconscionable inroads
on American civil liberties.
Between the Republicans
and the Democrats, we have
seen irresponsible governance,
and a frighteningly paternal
istic bent from our govern
ment.
Let us start with the most
recent of these inroads: the
Defense of Marriage Act.
In response to a possibility
that the Hawaiian courts
might legalize same-sex mar
riages in that state. Congress
went all atwitter with fear.
Traditional American Val
ues were under assault! Call
out the Army! Call out, the
Navy! Call out Jesse Helms!
In a fit of terror at the im
pending attack by the gays and
lesbians of America, Congress
passed a law stipulating that a)
other states don’t have to rec
ognize same-sex marriages if
they don’t want to and b) the
federal government wouldn’t
acknowledge these marriages
for the purposes of taxes, ben
efits and free congressional
junkets to Disney World.
Now, if you’ll pardon me a
second, doesn’t this seem just
a tad paranoid? Allowing a
few same-sex couples to get
married would hardly mean
the end of the American way
of life.
As a matter of fact, such mar
riages would enhance Ameri
can life, adding yet another
ingredient to the much-
vaunted melting pot.
But, Congress and the Presi
dent, in their infinite wisdom,
decided that such couples are a
threat, and, as such, nixed
them before the fact.
God forbid that somebody
choose whom he or she wishes
to marry! Such an exercise of
liberty is clearly dangerous.
Secondly, Congress passed an
anti-terrorism bill.
Interesting piece of legisla
tion, that. Seems that much of
it was subsumed into an anti
crime bill, and it includes little
provisions like making it un
lawful to raise money for
groups officially designated as
“terrorist groups” by the gov
ernment.
Freedom of association, any
body?
One of our longest-standing
beliefs, deeply rooted in the
First Amendment, is a person’s
right to champion unpopular
causes. It’s political speech, pure
and simple, and the designation
“terrorist group” could easily be
abused.
As a matter of fact, it is pre
cisely those people supporting
those groups who must be de
fended—unpopular views must
not be silenced.
To do so turns on its ear every
thing we stand for as a nation.
Everything.
Therefore, we must not re-elect
the incumbents in Congress.
They have responded to the fear
sweeping the nation, and have
enacted—
Actually, I would argue that
Congress has enacted the laws
we demanded as a people, the
laws we clamored for when mad
bombers blew us out of our tight,
suburban coccoons, or when a
new group, such as gays and les
bians, called for rights and liber
ties the majority already enjoys.
And that’s what it comes down
to in the end. Us. The constitu
ents. For too long, we have
allowed ourselves to be stripped
of our civil liberties, one by one.
In fact, we sometimes cheer ec
statically when these liberties are
reduced.
After all, somebody engaging
in a same-sex marriage or un
popular political activities is
clearly an evil influence on our
society.
Only somebody in that posi
tion would need these rights.
Only somebody in prison already
would need habeas corpus.
Only somebody who has com
mitted a crime needs his
Miranda rights read.
Unfortunately, this mental
ity breaks down when it’s one
of the rest of us who finds him
self on the wrong end of the
law, or in an uncomfortable
spot.
Before you know it, your pri
vacy, your free speech, your
freedom of religion are swept
away, and you are bound in
shackles of iron, as surely as if
you had been imprisoned in
the Tower of London.
But, the part which stings the
most, the part which you’ll
never escape is this: you asked
for these shackles. You put them
on yourself, when you screamed
and writhed in the politics of
fear.
You asked for protection form
the Internet “pornographers,”
from same-sex marriages, from
the terrorists, or Commies, or
whoever the bad guy of the
week is. And look where it’ll
get you.
We have to take a stand against
the politics of fear, because we
do stupid things when we’re
afraid.
We have to remove the bars
from our political windows.
We need to face our fears—
sometimes they’re not that bad
at all, just imagined beasts in
the shadows.
And, like the monster under
the bed of our childhood, they
might just go away if we say
“boo” back.
And, perhaps, it’s time we
decided to live free—and fear
less.