Serving The Students Of The University of North Carolina at Asheville sinoe 1982
[Volume 3, Number 11
Thursday, November 3, 1983
iHfl
Enka scope enlarging at GNCA
The Magnificent Magnifier: Dr. Alan Comer, UNCA
associate professor of biology, explains the
intricacies of the scanning electron microscope
donated to the university by American Enka
Company. The instrument creates new research
opportunities for the science departments.
Photo by Pam Walker
By Leigh Kelley
UNCA students major
ing in biology now have
a sophisticated new
tool at their disposal
—a scanning electron
microscope.
American Enka Com
pany, a local textile
manufacturer, recently
donated the microscope
to UNCA.
Sylvia Boone Mast, a
scientist for American
Enka's research depart
ment, says the company
management decided to
donate the microscope
to UNCA because the
school was a worthy
recipient.
"It just seemed the
logical place to donate
it," she says.
Dr. Alan Comer, an
associate professor, of
biology at UNCA says
the microscope is very :|
useful to the depart-
ment.
"There are at least
three areas here that
it will be used for,"
he says.
"It will be used for
cellular biology class
es" to aid in learning
principles, says Comer.
Also, he says "stu
dents can take pictures
of cells with it."
Comer says the elec
tron microscope "will
be used by senior bio
logy majors for their
research projects and
members of the faculty
will use it for their
own research."
Mast says the
scanning electron mi
croscope has a higher
magnification than an
ordinary microscope.
"It makes an image
much larger than a reg
ular microscope does,"
she says. "It helps in
looking at surface de
tail and it has a
greater depth of focus"
than most microscopes.
Although the micro
scope is 11 years old,
it is still operable
and the company did not
want to just throw it
away. Mast says.
"So far it hasn't
given us any major pro
blems," Comer says.
"When it was moved
from Enka to here the
microscope had to be
taken apart and re
assembled . A tech
nician from Cambridge
Electronics, the people
Continued on page 8
Living in the nuclear age
By Ramona Huggins
Twenty million people
died during the Black
Plague in Europe. Over
40 million died in
World War II. After the
next war human life may
cease to exist altoge
ther, said Dr. Phillip
Bennett, speaking in
the Carmichael Lecture
HaU Oct. 27.
Bennett is an asso
ciate professor of phi
losophy for the State
University of New York.
He is also a member of
the Ithaca Society of
Friends which is spon-
sponsoring Ms lecture
tour which began last
June..
Slides of survivors
of the World War II
Hiroshima/Nagasaki
bombing illustrated
what could be the fate
of those who might sur
vive a nuclear attack.
The environment, as
well as human life
would suffer, perhaps
irreparably, from a
nuclear holocaust.
Bennett said that the
use of large numbers of
nuclear weapons could
deplete the ozone layer
which screens out
ultra-violet radiation
from the sun.
"Without the ozone
layer this radiation
would blind all animals
and humans as well as
cause severe sunburn to
plants and animals,"
said Bennett.
He said a 10 percent
depletion of the ozone
layer would kill all
one celled organisms
in the ocean. This
would have a devas
tating effect on the
food chain.
Bennett recommended
that people "come to
realize their inter
connectedness" and work
together to prevent a
nuclear build-up.
The sense of personal
powerlessness is strong
in people, Bennett
Said. However, there is
power in unity.
Traveling throughout
the east and midwest,
Bennett has been speak
ing in churches and
universities and to
peace groups
Whether or not the weather: Career Day, spon
sored by the UNCA SG, gave freshman Veronica
Johnson a chance to look >at the weather as an
occupation (rather than a preoccupation). Here
Boy Wall, UNCA senior atmospheric science stu
dent, counsels her about what courses she would
take for a meteorology major.
Photo by Sue Ives
Weather
Forecast courtesy of
the Atmospheric Science
Department.
INSIDE
Editorial 2
Sports 3
Features 4-5
Entertainment 6-7
Increasing cloudiness
today. Showers early
Friday, clearing and
turning much cooler.
Partly ctoudy Saturday.
Sunday, fair.
Highs Thursday and
Friday in the upper
60's, dropping to the
50's Saturday .and
Sunday. Low in the 40's
Friday and Saturday.