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See Page 3
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See Page 5
Volume 33 Issue 8
The University Of North Carolina At Asheville
Highsmith to Change Location
JUSTIN MECKES/ASSISTANT PHO l O EDITOR
A construction worker for Highsmith Center works in the rafters during last semester’s renovations. Beginning April 2, renovation
on the dining hall’s parking deck will accomodate the organizations and the bookstore until the new center is complete.
Keith Cromwell
Investigative Reporter
UNCA officials will be closing
level two of the parking deck un
der the dining hall to house the
organizations and bookstore in
the Highsmith Center. The clos
ing is due to construction begin
ning April 2 on the new
Highsmith Center.
“It’s a small sacrifice to make for
the benefit of all the students,”
said Eric Larsen, a senior manage
ment major and president of
Underdog Productions. “It’sonly
a couple of years until we have the
new building we’ve waited 10
years for.”
Underdog Productions, the
bookstore, student activities, Stu-
dentGovernment Association, the
Outdoor Education office and
many other organizations will be
moved in the parking deck once it
is renovated, according to Mat
thew Jarvis, university construc
tion and renovation technician.
The game room and Chick-fil-
A will not be moved, but may be
closed down until the completion
of the project, according to Sharyn
McDonald Groh, director of stu
dent development.
“We may just not have that,”
said Groh, referring to the game
room and Chick-fil-A.
The renovated parking deck will
hold 12 professional staff rooms,
two meeting rooms, one work
room and seven student spaces,
according to Groh.
The parking deck area is smaller
then the current Highsmith Cen
ter.
“Highsmith Center as it is now
is 35,272 feet,” said Jarvis, in an
e-mail. “The second floor of the
dining hall parking deck that will
be converted to house Highsmith
occupants is approximately
19,327.”
Beginning next December,
Highsmith will be completely
closed so construction can start
on the new center.
Construction on the new center
will take three years, according to
Groh.
“It will be hard because the con
struction will disrupt the campus.
especially Mills and Founders
(halls),” said Groh.
The project will cost about $ 12.5
million, paid for mostly from the
Higher Education Bond Refer
endum money, according to
Groh. ,
On Nov. 7, North Carolina vot
er's approved the issuance of $3.1
billion in bonds, with the funds
to be used for improvements to
facilities of the state’s 16 public
universities and 58 community
colleges, according to UNCA’s
Web site.
UNCA will receive $49.9 mil
lion needed for constructing new
facilities and improving existing
ones, including $12.5 million for
Highsmith, according to the Web
site.
Conference Explores Queer Issues
had Eckard
^ews Reporter
Queer students at UNCA recently
liscussed what they said were nega-
ive classroom experiences at the
ourth Annual Gay, Lesbiar., Bi-
exual and Transgender Studies
onference March 23 and 24. A
3anel of students and teachers pre-
ented ways to better understand
low to serve the needs of all gen-
lers.
People do not usually identify me
gay or lesbian or bisexual,” said
ieather Talley, a junior sociology
najor. Talley said she could keep
>er gender identity obscure, but
'he finds herself having to take on
he role of educator when class-
oom discussions omit gender is-
ues.
Undeclared sophomore d R.
^olton said he did not have the
uxury of keeping his gender invis-
We in the classroom,
"How the instructor reacts is a
'ignal to other students how to
sact,” said Holton.
Dan Maddalena, senior history
^ajor, said there were times when
he felt uncomfortable in class. He
said he would like to find a balance
between “over-familiarity and let
ting bigotry fester in the classroom.”
Shanta Robinson, an interim co
ordinator for student retention, said
she chose to fight race battles in
stead of gender battles when she
attended school at UNCA. She said
she felt support during her student
career, but as an employee of
UNCA, some staff members have
been far less friendly.
“I have had students tell me that
professors have made comments
about gay people not fitting in, not
being welcome,” said Melissa
Burchard, assistant professor of
philosophy. “A lot of the references
are about how faculty and other
students see (diversity) as a non
issue, that it’s not important to pay
attention to gays because gay people
don’t matter and their needs don’t
matter.”
“We need to move from a rhetoric
of diversity to figuring out how to
make diversity a concrete reality, ’
said Burchard. “Everyone knows
how to say it. UNCA has really
good intentions. The hard part is to
See GLBT Page 10
"Gay Parades,
Sheep, and
Beer,” by
Shaun Cashman
See Page 8
March 29, 2001
Student Tuition
Set to Increase
$ 150 a Semester
Claire O’Brien
News Reporter
UNCA’s tuition will increase $ 150
a semester instead of $100, since
the increase will occur over two
years instead of the originally
planned three years, according to
Chancellor Jim Mullen. The deci
sion is the result of the North Caro
lina Board of Governors mandate.
“I don’t think that a $ 150 increase
is much to worry about. It’s not
really that much of an increase,”
said Heidi Plowe, a j unior environ
mental science major. “If it’s $150
as opposed to $ 100, that’s not some
thing that really concerns me.”
The increase will generate
$331,200 each year, according to
Eric lovacchini, vice chancellor of
student affairs.
Ail of the $331,200 raised each
year will go back to the students.
None of the money will go toward
athletics or salary increases, accord
ing to Mullen.
Academic affairs “gets the lion’s
share of the bucks,” said lovacchini.
The money will go toward every
thing from instructional equipment
to co-curricular programs, such as
first-year experience and under
graduate research programs, accord
ing to lovacchini.
Among the co-curricular activi
ties, which will receive a combined
$121,200, is the Teaching Fellows,
the Key Center, as well as Student
Travel Opportunities.
“There’s money in there for
multicultural programs,” said
Mullen.
A total of $30,000 a year will go
toward student wages for work-
study programs, in order to help
students who may not be able to
afford the increase.
Each section of the campus that
will receive money “has a big chunk
for student terpporary wages,” said
lovacchini.
Administration’s reason for allot
ting $30,000 a year is to increase
the number of on-campus jobs for
those students who need to work,
according to lovacchini.
“If you work on campus, there’s a
better chance that you’re going to
be involved” in campus events, said
lovacchini.
The Board decision to opt for the
two-year package was based on the
fact that NC’s budget operates on a
two year schedule, according to
lovacchini.
“The decision to change our tu-
ition-increase plan is bittersweet,”
said Ryan Southern, an undeclared
junior and former president of the
Student Government Association.
“The decision is less than favorable,
See TUITION Page 10
UNCA Creates New
Major Concentration
Angela Brock
News Reporter
WALTER FYLER/SIAI F PHOTOGRAl'HER
Empress IX Philomena of the Imperial Court of New York, accom
panied by her partner, Deryl Johnson, lectures about drag.
UNCA will offer a new class,
Introduction to Ethics and Social
Institutions (ESI 101) for the first
time in Fall 2001 as a part of the
new Ethics and Social Institutions
major concentration.
For those students who are inter
ested in the social sciences and phi
losophy in general, and not neces
sarily in one particular discipline,
this is an interdisciplinary major
that students can design for them
selves around a core of courses,”
said Jeff Konz, assistant professor
of economics.
The concentration in Ethics and
Social Institutions major concen
tration has a requirement of 18
hours of courses that involve the
social sciences and philosophy. Stu
dents must also take 21 hours of
required courses outside the major,
but they are allowed to choose these
classes, according to Konz.
This program will include courses
in.philosophy, economics, political
science, and sociology.
“As a political science student, I
know you can not study just poli
tics, you have to understand the
social economic implications and
results of policy, so this is a great
combination ofcourses,” said Claire
Rogers, a junior political science
major. “I also like the fact that this
major integrates so many different
courses, and allows such a wide
variety of classes to be taken.”
It may also include disciplines in
other fields, according to Konz.
This major concentration is in
interdisciplinary studies because
students are designing their own
program, according to Konz.
“It takes initiative from the stand
point of students to design their
elective program,” said Konz. “It
has to be coherent, butyou have the
flexibility of drawing from mul
tiple disciplines.”
Introduction to Ethics and Social
Institutions is also available to stu
dents for the general education ful
fillment in the social sciences, ac
cording to Konz.
“It is likely that the issues we will
discuss in ESI 101 are going to
See MAJOR Page 10
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