Serviog The Students Of The UniTersity of North Carolina at Asheville sinoe 1982 Volume IV, Number VII Thursday .March 1,1984 NCAA by ’85-’86 CINCA jumps to Big South By Dale McElrath UNCA is moving up in the world. On Feb. 23, the UNCA Board of Trustees una nimously approved a proposal by the athle tic department to join the newly formed Big South Conference and apply for NCAA Division II status. The Big South will include: Augusta (Ga.) College, Campbell, Arm strong State (Ga.), Co lumbus College (Ga.), Radford (Va.), Coastal Carohna and Winthrop. USC-Spartanburg is expected to announce it's membership in April. The move will require the addition of base ball, golf and cross country at UNCA for the 1984^85 season. "The baseball team will play at McCormick Field and the golf team will use one of the courses around here," said UNCA Athletic Director Ed Harris, "so we won't have to build facilities too soon." Next year the men's basketball team will begin playing a sche dule composed of 50 percent NCAA Division I and II teams and 50 percent NAIA schools. The women's team will continue to compete on the NAIA level because there are currently no programs for women in the Big South. "There's no women's program at this time, but there's a movement in that direction," said Harris. "Two or three of the schools want to start their women's program on an equal basis," Harris said. "I think there will be some discussion’ of that in our conference meeting in May." Until a decision is reached, the women will either remain in the NAIA or move up to NCAA Division II play. The men will compete within the NAIA during 1984- 85, but the Bull dogs will also partici pate in the Big South's five conference champ ionships in baseball, soccer, cross, country, tennis and golf next year. The Big South expects all conference members to achieve NCAA Divi sion I status by 1985- 86. Harris says that the move to the Big South is the right move at t - : 11 ill: this time. "Our problems with the independent divis ion of District 26 con tributed to the need tc consider the move now,' said Harris. "Lenoir-Rhyne anc Barber-Scotia are con sidering joining con ferences and are no willing to play us nex year. Gardner Webb alsi has decided not to pla; us next year," Harri said. The UNCA athleti budget must expand 1 fill the needs of the new programs. The athletic budget for this year is about $200,000. Next year this will increase to $350,000 and the pro jected budget for the 1985-86 school year is $600,000. To provide for this increase, UNCA's stu dent athletic fee will go from $36 per se mester this year to $47 per semester next year. It is expected to in crease to $50 per se mester in 1985-86. In addition to in creasing fees, the Athletic Department will also attempt to raise $100,000 through a scholarship fund raising drive. .f- I Gubernatorial Gumption: Neither the ice, nor snow, nor cold last Tuesda}'- could keep away five of the seven Democrats running for governor of North Carolina. Shown fielding questions in the Owen Conference Center, they are, left to right: Jimmy Green, Eddie Knox, James Ingram and Tom Gilmore. Rufus Edmisten was present also. See story on page seven. Photo by David Plunkett Highsmith hospitalized By Anna Paulette Witt UNCA Chancellor, Dr. William E. High smith, is not receiving visitors, but is doing well following a mild coronary incident Fri day, according to Dr. Alf Canon, Jr., direc tor of university rela tions. Highsmith suffered the attack about 1 p.m. while lunching at the Biltmore Country Club, said his secretary, Continued on page 12 $10,000 haul Pensa ponders first purchase Chip Pensa, left Photo by David Plunkett By David Proffitt Chip Pensa has dis covered a job that pays $60,000 an hour. The only problem is scarcity of employers. Pensa won $10,000 last Thursday night in a contest sponsored by Apple-Tree Chevrolet during home basketball games at UNCA. To win, Pensa had to make three successful shots -- a layup, a foul shot, and a shot from half-court. "The layup was the hardest," said Pensa, "because since it's the easiest everyone ex pects you to make it. "The half-court shot was just luck. I had practiced it before and never made it." Apple-Tree Chevrolet has sponsored similar contests before, said Krafton Locke, general manager.' "University officials approached Apple-Tree with the idea and we accepted' it since it was a community land of thing. Continued on page 12

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