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The University of North Carolina at Asheville
www.unca.edu/banner
Banner
Volume 27 Issue 6
February 26, 1998
UNC-CH requires
freshmen to own
computers in 2000
UNCA administration has
no plans to follow suit
By Amelia Morrison
staff Writer
The administration of the Uni
versity of North Carolina at Chapel
Hill (UNC-CH) announced on
Feb. 12 that it will require that all
freshman entering the university in
the year 2000 own a laptop com
puter.
“It is kind of nice to usher in the
2Ist century by requiring laptop
computers,” said UNC-CH Chan
cellor Michael Hooker.
According to Thomas Cochran,
UNCA associate vice chancellor for
academic affairs, the UNCA ad
ministration has no plans for imple
menting personal compi^iter own
ership requirements. “Ourposition
is that it is not
something we
want to man
date,” said
|C o c h r a n .'
Mandatory
purchase of
laptop com
puters is not in
the cards for
UNCA.”
Hooker said
that incoming freshmen at UNC-
CH who own desktop computers
will be required to purchase new
laptop computers, and the exact
cost of the required computers has
not been determined. The price of
laptop computers currently ranges
from $1,000 to $5,000.
“I don’t think it is fair because
many families cannot afford that,
and a lot of people already own
desktop computers that I think are
just fine,” said Lisajackson, a sopho
more biology and Spanish major at
UNC-CH.
Michael Hooker
According to Hooker, UNC-CH
will offer low-interest loans and
increased financial aid to those who
cannot afford the cost of the new
computers.
“We are trying to level the playing
field for those who cannot afford
laptop computers,” said Hooker.
“1 think the computer require
ment is necessary, in order to assure
that everyone who graduates from
Chapel Hill has equal experience
using and access to computers,”
said Jaime Luton, a sophomore
public policy analysis major and
secretary of the Academic Affairs
committee at UNC-CH.
Hooker said that he expects other
universities to adopt similar com
puter requirements in the near fu
ture.
Wake Forest University has re
quired that all incoming students
own laptop computers since 1995,
and Western Carolina University
adopted a similar computer require
ment in 1997.
“Years down the road, everybody is
going to be doing what we are do
ing,” Hooker said.
Cochran said that student owner
ship of computers at UNCA will
likely become universal without an
ownership requirement from the
administration.
“It will be mandatory in the sense
that all students are going to feel
like they must have one,” said
Cochran, “As more computing be
comes integrated into instruction
and labs, it will be a necessity to
have access to or have your own
computer.
“In the case of Chapel Hill, I think
it is probably more public relations
than necessity,” Cochran said.
Director of University Comput-
See LAPTOP on page 8
Drug violations rise system-wide
PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY PRESTON GANNAWAY
Ninety-eight percent of the drug violations in the University of North Carolina system during the 1996-97 school
year involved marijuana. Possession of marijuana was the most cited offense, marijuana trafficking ranked second.
By Nicole Miller
staff Writer
According to the latest annual
drug report released by the Uni
versity of North Carolina Gen
eral Administration, the num
ber of student drug violations
reached an all-time high in
1996-97. The system began
keeping records on drug viola
tions in 1988.
Drug violations rose from 495
in 1995-96 to 579 in 1996-97.
The lowest number of viola
tions was in 1991-92, when 98
violations were reported. Vio
lations have risen steadily since
1991-92.
Of the 579 drug violations
within the 16-campus UNC
system last year, 541 involved
possession of marijuana, and
24 involved trafficking mari
juana. Fourteen percent of the
reported violations related to pos
session of other substances, with
the most frequent being
Rohypnol (the “date rape drug”)
and mushrooms.
The UNC General Adminis
tration stressed that the report,
released on Feb. 12, does not
reflect actual drug use at the con
stituent universities. The admin
istration said that the report was
intended to show what the uni
versities are doing in the way of
prevention programs and activi
ties.
“The report is a monitoring de
vice for the Board of Governors
policy on illegal drugs,” said
Cynthia Bonner, associate vice
president for Student Services and
Special Programs at UNC Gen
eral Administration.
The Board of Governors policy
requires that the universities pro
vide drug education, interven
tion, and counseling programs,
and it requires schools to apply
at least minimum sanctions
against violators.
The annual report, compiled
from individual institution re
ports, “gives the general admin
istration an idea ofwhat is going
on in terms of education,” said
Bonner.
Pulley said that the general
administration’s main concern
is student welfare. Intervention,
education, and treatment of drug
abusers are more important than
simply seeking to punish offend
ers, she said.
Of the 579 cases in 1996-97,
schools permanently expelled
five students, temporarily sus
pended 78 students, placed 405
on probation. Seventy-eight
cases were dismissed, and 13 cases
have not received sanctioning at
the time of the report. All pen
alties imposed were in compli
ance with the UNC policy on
illegal drugs.
For the past two years, UNCA
has reported three drug policy
violations per year. Winston-
Salem State University and
Elizabeth City State Univer
sity were the only two system
schools with fewer violations
than UNCA.
The three UNCA drug of
fenders in 1996-97 were sen
tence by the student conduct
system to probation and par
ticipation in UNCA’sdrugand
alcohol rehabilitation program.
Appalachian State University
(ASU) had the highest number
of reported violations, rising
from 73 in 1995-96 to 135 in
1996-97. However, school of
ficials attribute the increase to
Stronger enforcement of the
school’s drug policy, and the
See DRUGS on page 8
iANNAWAV
rs Matt
I time
Big South champs for asbestos continucs
By Gene Zaleski
staff Writer
leville
PHOTO BY TRAVIS BARKER
The UNCA men’s basketball team clinched the Big
South regular season championship with a wm over
Winthrop on Feb. 21. Robert Stevenson (pictured
above) scored 20 points. See story on page 6.
The Office of Facilities Manage
ment is surveying all campus build
ings for the presence of the carcino
gen asbestos.
Floor tiles containing asbestos were
reinoved from residence halls in the
Governor’s Village over Christmas
break.
According to UNCA Safety Of
ficer Tom Goddard, the Governor’s
Village still has a number of tiles
containing asbestos.
“The Governor’s Village has vinyl
floor tile underneath carpet in some
areas,” said Goddard. “It does not
pose a health hazard or risk because
it is what we call contained or en
capsulated, because the carpets are
on top of it.”
Goddard said that the tiles con
taining asbestos are not dangerous
because they are not friable, which
means that the asbestos is pulver
ized into tiny particles. He said that
only friable asbestos poses danger.
“The only exposure a person could
have would to be to takea jackham-
mer and break up the floor,” said
Goddard. “We try to determine
what is likely to happen and what
probably will happen. No resident
should be doing anything that could
disturb the asbestos.”
“It is not considered a safety haz
ard,” said Pete Williams, director
of housing and residence life. “The
tiles themselves are safe. It is only in
the removal of
the tiles that
would be harm
ful to anyone.”
The floor tile
was tested in
Founder’s Hall
in December
and was found
not to contam
asbestos.
The other resi
dence halls were
built recently
and should not
contain the as
bestos compo
nent, said
Goddard.
“Building material used after 1978
does not contain asbestos, said
Goddard.
Goddard said that the building
contracts for the South Ridge resi
dence hall and West Ridge resi
dence halls specified that the build
UNCA Safety Of
ficer Tom Goddard
said that the as
bestos currently
on campus does
not pose a threat
to the UNCA com
munity.
ings would be asbestos-free.
According to Goddard, UNCA
classroom and administration
buildings are currently being tested,
and some have been found to con
tain non-friable asbestos similar to
what is in the Governor’s Village.
“Parts of Carmichael Hall and
Phillips have vi-
nyl asbestos
floor tile, which
contains about
two to five per
cent asbestos,”
Goddard said.
“We have
checked the me
chanical rooms
and boiler
rooms first, be
cause that is
where the asbes-
tos was more
likely to be,”
said Goddard.
“In some areas
where it has
been identified that there is no as
bestos we put up a sign that says,
‘There is no known asbestos in this
room.’”
“If floor tiles contain asbestos we
make sure the tile is washed and
waxed,” said Goddard. “This is the
primary concern if the asbestos is
not friable.
Goddard said that extra care has
been taken to remove asbestos from
locations on campus before con
struction or significant renovation
is undertaken.
“When there is construction work
to be done, then an abatement will
be done to remove the asbestos,”
Goddard said. “Qualified abate
ment contractors come in and re
move it to give us a space free of
asbestos.
The most recent asbestos abate
ment project done on campus was
in the sports medicine wing of the
Justice Center.
“The space they went into had a
molding that was sprayed on and it
contained small percentages of as
bestos,” said Goddard. “It was re
moved by an abatement contractor
prior to that space being renovated.”
Goddard said that the asbestos
currently on campus does not pose
a threat to the UNCA community.
“I cannot swear to youthat I know
where every bit of asbestos is, but
we are in a process to determine
what is and what is not asbestos
laden,” said Goddard.
“This does not mean the build
ings are unsafe,” Goddard said.