Newspapers / Daily Tar Heel (Chapel … / May 26, 1988, edition 1 / Page 4
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4The Tar Heel Thursday, May 26, 1988 Minority students take a peek at college life By SUSAN HOLDSCLAW Staff Writer About 220 black, Native American Indian and Asian high school stu dents will experience life at UNC Thursday and Friday. These rising N.C. high school seniors will participate in Project Uplift, a minority recruitment pro gram sponsored by the University. They will spend two days learning about what academic, cultural and social opportunities the University has to offer. Begun in 1968 by the Black Student Movement (BSM) and Student Government, Project Uplift is designed to attract minorities to UNC, said Archie Ervin, assistant to the vice chancellor. Describing the program as an "intensive, systemized effort to increase the representation of minor ity students in the undergraduate population," Ervin said students are selected to attend Project Uplift through their high school guidance counselors. Most of the students who attend the program are among the tops of their classes, he said. Accord ing to a preliminary analysis, 60 percent of the students who attended the program last year were in the top 20 percent of their high school graduating classes, Ervin said. The UNC students who serve as counselors for the project are also some of the best the University has to offer, said Ervin. "We want them (the high school students) to look to their counselors as role models," Ervin said. "The counselors show them that they can be good students and have a good time, too." Ervin has a paid staff of 22 students 18 dormitory assistants and four activity coordinators who have helped plan the two days of activities. In addition, there are 15 student volunteers who will act as counselors. Together, the staff paints a realistic picture of college life for the project's participants, Ervin said. Project Uplift includes information sessions on completing applications for admission to the University and financial aid. The high school stu dents also attend classes and talk with faculty members and student coun selors to learn about student .life firsthand. Ervjn said the program emphasizes that students cannot "tread on their past laurels." He tells the students that being No. 1 in their high school classes doesn't mean much because there are 1,000 "No. Is" at Carolina. Project Uplift attempts to show these students the opportunities available to them on a predominantly white campus, Ervin said. "We are concerned that the image of the University among minorities is fairly accurate," he said. Ervin said evaluations show that parents and students are concerned with UNC's environment and how minorities ought to be treated. "We want them (the prospective students) to know that their views can be known, their input can be heard and they can help make changes," he said. Stephanie Beard, a junior from Mt. Gilead, is a second-year counselor for the project. "We're not trying to show that Carolina is perfect, because we all know it's not," she said. "We're just trying to give them a true picture of Carolina." Even if a student decides not to apply for admission to UNC, Beard said, she encourages him to enroll in college somewhere. Ervin emphasized that Project Uplift does not end when the students leave UNC after their two-day visit. Correspondence with the students continues through the senior year, as each student is contacted a minimum of three times and is invited to visit the campus again, Ervin said. Despite recent reports of a decline in the number of minority applica tions to the University, Ervin said there has been a "phenomenal appli cation rate" since he began working with the program two years ago. The actual application and enrollment figures will not be available until August, he said. The fact that Project Uplift has expanded shows that more minority students are being reached, Ervin said. Last year, the project brought 630 students to campus in three sessions. This year, Ervin said he anticipates 750 to 800 students will participate in the four sessions scheduled. They will be housed in Avery Residence Hall and eat in Lenoir Hall, he said. Project Uplift is the largest of the five visitation programs sponsored by the Office of University Affairs. It also receives funds from the BSM and Student Government. f?- n n i i i r building to be named for him Ofgfcii if! mmw ft!liIltfflMl 1 0H lie THE AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION MEMORIAL PROGRAM WERE FIGHTING FOR VOURUFE American Heart frf) Association This space provided as a public service. By KARI BARLOW Staff Writer Although UNC's chancellor is leaving June 30, Chapel Hill and the University will have lasting memories of Christopher Fordham when a new campus building and a section of a local highway are named in his honor. According to Bill Buchanan, a Department of Transportation board member, a section of U.S. Highway 15-501 is to be named for Fordham. The exact section of the road to be renamed has yet to be determined. It is likely to be a stretch "from (N.C.) 54, through Carrboro and Chapel Hill, to the Chapel Hill city limits on the Durham side," Buch anan said. "It was basically initiated by alums of the University. I think it's worth while because he is a quality educator and a quality person. I just think he's done a lot not only for the University but also for the state," he said. "Educators always have a building or a dorm named after them. To me, this shows a little more thanks. His influence has been felt throughout the community," he added. "Certainly we all have the highest respect for Chancellor Fordham. We felt we ought to support that," said Shirley Marshall, chairwoman of the Orange County Board of Commissioners. The new building, to be named Christopher C. Fordham Hall, is an $11.1 million biology and biotechnol ogy facility. It will be built in the area of Canington, Mitchell, Wilson and Coker halls and will will house faculty research laboratories, offices and space for molecular biology and biotechnology research. The plans for the building were announced Saturday by trustees chairman Robert Eubanks at a meeting of the Chancellor's Club, which met at the Smith Center. "No one has done more than Chancellor Fordham to bring the University's divisions of academic affairs and health affairs together," Eubanks said. "This building is a symbol of his success. This faculty research laboratory also stands as a reminder of the success Chancellor Fordham has had in increasing research funding for the University." Design plans for the building had been approved by the UNC trustees. Construction for the six-story, 60,000-square-foot building is expected to begin in June, with completion scheduled by late 1990. Not a lot of cash for a trip to Calabash. SEAFOOD RESTAURANT The cookin's timed in seconds. Hwy. 54 at 1-40 493-8096 967-8227
Daily Tar Heel (Chapel Hill, N.C.)
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May 26, 1988, edition 1
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