Residence, from page 1
Photo courtesy J. Dillon Bryant
Student apartments are flanked by (clockwise from upper right) Hewlett, Hall '79, Galloway, and Belk residence
halls. This photo was taken from above Brooks Field. About 1,400 students live on campus now, with plans to
Increase that number to 2,000 by as early as 1990.
tional five-dollar activity fee in the fall, which
covers them for the whole year.
"We want residents to feel that there is more to
do on weekends at UNCW than go home,” said
Taylor. UNCW has been known as a "suitcase
school” in the past, and Taylor and her staff are
working to change that image. Wilmington has
plenty to offer students; they just have to know
where to go to find entertainment.
"We also try to let the students know that they
are not alone when they come to UNCW,” said
Taylor of her role in residence life. "There are
1,400 students living on campus, and we try to ar
range programs to suit as many as possible.” This
accomplishes more than one objective: Not only do
the programs teach students, they get them
together so they meet others and make friends.
"This is especially important for freshmen, who
may not know anybody on campus,” explains
Taylor. "Maybe they’re from New York, or the
western part of North Carolina. They don’t know
anybody. But through our activities, they meet and
make friends.”
Taylor and her staff are working to change the
image of on-campus living. This goes even so far
as to the name of the buildings: They are no longer
dormitories; they are residence halls. This might
seem trivial at first glance. But this phraseology
extends even to the Olympics. The Los Angeles
Olympic Organizing Committee had to stop using
the term dormitory when referring to the campus
facilities in which the athletes would stay. To
foreign competitors, the term dormitory had a very
bad connotation, and they had visions of staying
in a huge hall with a dozen or more in each room.
A simple name change helped the Olympics; it
should help UNCW as well.
But the image hasn’t stopped with the change
in name. The entire residence life effort has re
volved around making UNCW a better place for
its students to live.
Parents seem to like the on-campus living ar
rangements too. They know that their sons and
daughters are living in a place where people care.
There is always an RA to listen to problems and
complaints. It isn’t a "big brother is watching” en
vironment, but the residence halls and apartments
do have certain rules and regulations that students
i
Photos by Mimi Cunningham
must follow. When students or parents call with
a problem or a concern or a question, they get a
quick answer from the residence life staff. This per
sonal touch means a great deal to most students.
As one freshman said, "I definitely wanted to live
on campus, at least my first year. I signed up for
the lottery for next year too, because I’ve really
enjoyed living where everything is happening. I
don’t have to worry about parking a car, and I can
walk everywhere. I can’t say I haven’t had any
problems, but when I do, I know who to go to for
advice or answers.”
Some students obviously have complaints. They
are the usual ones about noisy neighbors and thin
walls. But, even if they are more severe, the
residence life staff is there to help resolve them.
What do students think of the new condomin
iums being built around the UNCW campus? "It’s
probably a good idea if you want to live off-
campus,” said one junior, "but there’s still no com
parison to living on-campus.” "I looked into it,”
said a sophomore, "but I couldn’t afford the rent,
even with a roommate. In the dorm, I pay for room
and board, so I eat in the cafeteria, which is a lot
cheaper than most places in town. Then I have
some money left over to have some fun.” "It’d be
nice,” said one freshman who had thought about
living off-campus next year, "but then I thought
about not meeting people like you do in the dorms.
So I’m coming back on-campus next year. I got a
place in the lottery.” "Sure, sometimes it’s noisy,”
according to a seasoned senior who graduates in
May, "but then, apartments aren’t exactly known
for their peace and quiet, are they?”
Valerie Newlin, a 1981 UNCW alumna, lived in
Galloway Hall her sophomore year, in Belk Hall
her junior year. She lived off-campus her senior
year. "It [residence life] is great for freshmen and
sophomores, and for kids who don’t know any
body,” she said. "Especially Galloway, where you
live so close to everybody, you have to get to know
them.” There were no social or educational pro
grams for resident students while Valerie lived on
campus. "The new activities they’ve got going now
should help keep kids from going home on the
weekends,” she said.
"All in all, I’m glad I lived on-campus. I met lots
of people, and I had a good time.”
In February the Alcohol Awareness Task Force at
UNCW held a demonstration of the effects of alcohol.
Two people volunteered to be the “guinea pigs” for
the test. Jeff Steinmlller, area coordinator for residence
life, was given 6 ounces of vodka over a period of about
IV2 hours. Donna Holden, managing editor of The
Seahawk, was given 4 ounces over the same period of
time. The demonstration went like this: New Hanover
County Sheriff’s Department deputies had the two drink
2 ounces within 5 minutes at the start, after a light meal.
Jeff chose to drink his in a bloody mary; Donna had
a screwdriver. After 20 minutes, the deputies con
ducted several exercises on the two, such as touching
their nose with their finger, leaning back with their eyes
closed, standing straight, walking in a straight line.
Both had their blood alcohol content checked with a
hand-held breathalyzer. Then Jeff drank 2 more
ounces, Donna 1; they waited 20 minutes, and perform
ed the same tests. Each had another “round” and per
formed the tests for a third time. The Alcohol Aware
ness Task Force put on the demonstration to show
students how quick and how varied the effects of
alcohol can be. By the time it was over, both Jeff and
Donna were definitely inebriated. In the photos here,
Jeff Is breathing into the breathalyzer and Donna is try
ing to stand up straight while performing exercises for
the sheriff’s deputies.
UNCW Saves Money
By Conserving Energy
UNCW is spending money to save energy to save
money. Does that sound confusing? It really isn’t,
once you find out what’s going on.
The university knew it wasn’t doing all it could
to conserve energy, so it hired an energy consul
tant who specializes in identifying areas in which
energy (and money) can be saved. The expected
savings to be gained from the suggestions will
more than pay for the cost of the consultant.
The housing office instigated the investigation
into how to save money by saving energy. There
are several projects either underway or being
planned that will save substantially, and will pay
for themselves in relatively short periods of time.
The concept of one of the major energy conser
vation measures being taken in Belk Hall and
Galloway Hall is simple, but carrying it out will
be complicated and technical. UNCW can save
$1,500 each year in Belk by heating water for
showers and other personal use with the heat
thrown off by the air-conditioning unit. The ex
pected savings will pay for the $4,000 cost of this
conservation measure. In Galloway, the same sort
of idea will be carried out, using the heat from the
boiler instead.
Small energy conservation ideas will save the
residence halls large amounts of money. Examples
include installing photo cells that will turn off out
side lights automatically in the morning and turn
them on at night, insulating and caulking to keep
the inside air from escaping, and installing more
energy-efficient light fixtures in the buildings. The
university will also experiment with motion sen
sors to turn lights on and off automatically when
someone enters or leaves an area, and water
restricters in residence hall bathrooms to cut down
on the amount of water being wasted.
FedersJ funding will help defray the cost of many
of these energy conservation measures. The univer
sity received a $68,312 grant from the U.S. Depart
ment of Energy.
Simply stated, UNCW has received money from
the federal government to help pay for energy con
servation measures which will, in the end, save the
university money. The payback period is three
years or less for most projects; all money saved
after that time won’t have to come from student
fees or state appropriations.
The university is in a no-lose situation in this
case, and the conservation efforts have already
begun.
Photo by Mimi Cunningham
UNCW’s Gospel Choir appeared on The Jim Burns
Show in February, Black Awareness Month. Here, they
enjoy a light moment with Jim Burns before the show.
Their performance, by the way, was fantastic!
Biology Professor Is Also
Researcher and Ornithologist
Jim Parnell is for the birds! And his ongoing
research on the nesting habits of colonial water-
birds proves it. A professor of biology at UNCW,
the Timmonsville, S.C., native is interested in dif
ferent species of nesting coastal waterbirds, their
numbers, habits and migrations.
"Colonial birds are those that nest in groups,”
explains Parnell, "including royal terns, least
terns, herons, egrets and gulls.” They originally
nested on the surrounding natural islands but were
uprooted when development began in the 1930s.
Numbers vary a lot, Parnell continued. "There
generally are more of each species now, than at the
turn of the century.” In the early 1900s, some
species were scarce because some, like the egrets,
were shot for their colorful feathers which were
used as decorations on women’s hats. Ironically,
the egrets only grow their plumage during their
breeding season.
1970s Census
A census had never been done before Parnell’s
first study in the early 1970s. He collected data on
the different species, estimated the number of adult
birds present and estimated the number or count