Serving the students of the University of North Carolina Asheville since 1982
Volume V, Number VII
Wednesday, October 17, 1984
Clarke and Hendon
debate national security
By Penny Kramp
'Tis the season to be
debating as national and
state candidates gear up
for the Nov. 6 election.
This Saturday the debate
moved closer to home as
ilth District Congressman
James McClure Clarke and
former Congressman Bill
Hendon squared off on the
issue of national secur~
ity.
The Asheville League of
Women Voters sponsored the
debate between the two
contenders for the 11th
District congressional
seat, which took place at
Asheville Buncombe Tech
nical College.
The nuclear weapons con
troversy was the hottest
topic of debate, with Hen
don advocating "peace
through strength," and
Clarke supporting a nu
clear freeze.
Hendon emphasized again
and again "peace through
strength."
"Nuclear forces are nec
essary to secure national
security," said Hendon.
Clarke said America must
work with the Soviet Union
to prevent nuclear war and
the arms ,race in space,
before we "wipe one anoth
er out."
Clarke warned even a
small nuclear exchange
would produce "nuclear
winter" with darkness and
freezing temperatures for
months.
Hendon said he opposes a
nuclear freeze because it
could not be verified.
"The Soviet Union, based
on history, is incapable
of telling the truth. I
would not take their word
on any issue,” said Hen
don.
Clarke said there is a
need to eliminate non-
essential nuclear weapons
like the M-X missile which
would cost in excess of
$20 million.
Hendon accused Clarke of
Continued on page 8
A political tradition:
the campaign debates
By Chris Streppa
Choice is the core of
our democratic society,
and debates have always
been a fundamental part
of the election choice
process.
But times have changed
since the days when a few
hundred people attended
the Lincoln-Douglas de
bates. Today, the mass
media beam political can
didates into millions of
American homes simultane
ously.
While Bill Sabo, lec—
turc»r in political sci
ence, and Alan Hantz, as
sociate professor of com
munications , agree tele
vised debates are "media
events," they both be
lieve debates play an im
portant part in the po
litical process.
"Debates [themselves]
haven’t changed that
much," says Sabo. Ironi
cally, he^ believes that
televised debates "are
one of the few things
that really bypass medi-
a*s interference•"
Political coiranercials
and news clips shrink
candidates to fit ad
time space. This distor
tion, explains Sabo,
makes it difficult for
voters to make "sophisti
cated" choices.
He believes debates
give viewers the chance
to observe and absorb a
candidate's words and i-
mage without "editorial
interference."
Moreover, according to
Hantz, "debates allow
people to feel as though
they've exercised their
duties and responsibili
ties as American citi
zens. "A viewer can feel
like a "participant in
the political process."
But Sabo and Hantz both
agree that debates rarely
have a direct impact on
Continued on page 7
m
SCEie FROM THE BLUE RIDGE PARKHAY: Fall «kes a visit
tX> AshevillG* staff Photo by SyMa Hawkins
PE requirement
debate continues
THE DXNAMIC DAHSELS OF IHE DMiN: (L-R) Pegg Downes,
Phyllis Betts, Katherine Whatley and Mary Lynn Manns*
(Stoxy on Page 3). Staff photo by Sylvia Hawkins
By Chris Streppa
The value of good health
and physical fitness is
not at issue for most UNCA
faculty members.
The controversy centers
instead on whether or not
physical education should
be mandatory for all stu
dents and, if so, what
courses constitute the
"best" program.
The physical education
requirement was missing
altogether, when the Task
Force on General Education
submitted its proposed
"core curriculum."
"I think that a sound
mind and sound body is a
wonderful objective," ex
plains Merritt Moseley,
assistant professor of
literature and chairman of
the Task Force. "But not
every wonderful objective
is within the scope of a
university."
However, William Bruce,
associate professor of
psychology and director of
the Health Promotions Pro
gram, defends the impor
tance of a required inter
disciplinary course.
He favors a two-hour
base requirement that
teaches students personal
health and fitness ases-
smnnt, possibly folitJwed
by one of two hours of
required "activities"
courses.
On the other hand, Jerry
Green, lecturer in physi
cal education and mens'
basketball coach, proposes
increasing the activities
requirement from four to
six semester hours.
It's not surprising that
faculty reactions are as
Continued on page B