2/Thursday, February 7,1985/THE BLUE BANNER
Daily average concerns
What does an average person do on an average day
in an average town in this not-so^average land of
ours? People with a passion for averages have col
lected some facts about what some of them do.
According to the book, Anerican Averages, the
following things take place on an average day in the
United States:
• 5CX) million cups of coffee are drunk.
• 1,253 people are arrested on marijuana charges.
• 1.6 billion cigarettes are smoked.
• People drink 90 million cans of beer.
• Drunk drivers do $18 million worth of damage.
• 68,493 teenagers come down with VD,
• Everyone of us, on the average, produces 6
pounds of garbage.
• 1.1 million people are in the hospital.
• 5,200 people die.
• 1,070 people die from cancer.
• Tobacco chewers chew 1.3 million packages of the
stuff.
• One American in eight has a beer.
. 2,740 kids run away frwn home.
• Fires kill 32 people.
• 63,288 cars crash, killing 129 people.
Statistics such as these interest us. We like to
discover what the rest of the country is up to. We
like to see how our actions and lives con^>are to the
acJtions^aiid-the lives 6£ others .
Perhaps we even gain comfort from learning how
many people share our less than healthful habits. We
probably also try to ignore, however, the possibility
of connections between some of these habits and our
nation’s high rate of alcohol-related destruction, as
well as its high incidence of death from cancer.
Being average has never been a laudable goal; but
these statistics indicate some averages fr(M which we
might well earnestly seek exclusion.
Editor Anna Paulette Witt
News Editor Penny Kramp
Sporti Editor Dale McElrath
Features Editor David Proffitt
Arts/E'ntertainrrrentEditor .; ..............................i... ChrisStfeppa
Photography Editor Sylvia Hawkins
Advisor Cathy Mitchell
STAFF
Phil Alexander
Jennifer Heglar
Cathy James
Donna Jarrett
Lee Matthews
Leslie McCullough
Donna Obrecht
Betsy Phillips
Michele Samuel
Anne Snuffer
Joan Sterk
Greg Thompson
Cheryl Walker
Debra Weeks
Colin White
Anna Wilson
THE BLUE BANNER is the University of North Carolina at Asheville student newspaper. We publish each
Wednesday except during sumnner sessions, finals week, and holiday, breaks. Office: Carmichael Humanities
Building. 208-A Phone: (704) 258-6586 or 258-6591.
Nothing in the editorial or opinion sections necessarily represents the position of the entire BANNER staff,
the staff advisor, or UNCA’s Student Government Association, administration or faculty. Editorials represent
the opinion of the editor and/or of a majority of the seven-member editorial board. Letters, columns, cartoons
and reviews represent only the views of theit authors. The editor makes the final decision about what the
BANNER prints. ‘ *
The BANNER welcomes letters to the editor and articles, and considers them for publication on the basis of
interest, space, tastefulness and timeliness. Letters and articles should be typed double-spaced, or printed legibly.
They should be signed with the writer's name followed by year in school, major or other relationship to UNCA.
Please include a telephone number to aid in verification.
All submitted articles or letters are subject to editing. The BANNER regrets it cannot guarantee the return of
any article submitted. Deadline for submissions is Friday noon.
College Pross Service
SM.VIVMM VSt SQUAtS R&raRT SUCC^ M mR POPUUTtOtl-
Due to limited space, letter and opinion writers should restrict
their submissions to 500 words in length.
Dear Editor;
We are responding to Chuck Green
wood’s letter that appeared in the last
edition of The Blue Banner.
First, we would like to dispel the
illusion that Mr. Greenwood created by
stating that pool hours are "auctioned
off." The Athletic Department has made
it a policy to share facilities with
the community, particularly the pool,
because there are many unused pool
hours, despite the increase in hours
where it is available to students,
faculty, staff, and yes, the community.
Total hours that the pool is open
have risen from 15/week to 35/week.
'Hiese 35 hours do not include the times
a Masters swinmiing club, two Buncombe
Parks and Recreation swim teams, a
McDowell County high school swim team,
Christ Schcx)l, and UNCA PE classes oc
cupy the pool.
Many of these times are either very
early or late in the day, and hence are
unattractive to others. We cannot af
ford to staff hours when the pool is
not utilized by several people. Per
haps Mr. Greenwood expects the pool to
be open all day to accomodate just one
swimDner? We do our best to target pool
hours for times when the most people
can use it.
The .only adjustments of recreation
al use hours that have been made as a
result of swim team use, are two days
per week that Christ School uses the
pool until 5 p.m., plus three scheduled
swim meets.
These changes were posted at the
beginning of the semester. Other
closings are due to holidays and bas
ketball games. The arrangement with
Christ School is ten5>orary, ending Feb.
15, when Monday and Wednesday hours
return to 4-8 p.m.
We have a great facility and it
seems foolish not to maxiisize its use
fulness by allowing other groups to use
it during off and idle times. This
certainly does not strike the depart
ment as being "inconsiderate." Just
the opposite, as a matter of fact!
If it were not for this policy of
sharing, many high school students and
other youngsters would not have the
opportunity to develop their swimming
skills or to be part of a swim program.
There are other reasons for this
policy. One is that the funds derived
from these sources subsidize our
operations. In other words, if it was
not for this outside income, the $27 a
year that sutdents pay, would not be
enough for the Athletic Departtaent to
staff expanded hours (.for a net in
crease of 10 hours a week); or. provide
front desk equipment check-out, sign-
in, and building supervision.
The latter tfo are are services
which we feel make the gym a more
secure and smooth running facility.
People in the past wondered why we did
not just open the pool and allow them
to sidin at their own risk* >Aside from
the issue bf liability, stiate regula
tions require that a pool larger than
1800 square feet must be staffed by a
qualified lifeguard.
Let!s not forget the value of com
munity relations. Opening our facility
to Asheville residents is our way of
showing appreciation for their support
of our programs.
If we provided only what his $27
fee would cover, Mr. Greenwood would
not be satisfied. Any of the staff
would have been more than willing to
respond to Mr. Greenwood’s questions
and suggestions, but none of us were
approached by him on the matter.
OUR FIRST PRIORITY IS ALWAYS THE
UNCA STUDENT! Anyone who has questions
or suggestions, or is dissatisfied,
please talk to us. We are always will
ing to make every attenq>t to meet your
needs. '
Helen J. Carrol, Interim Athletic Dir.
Dede M. Allen, Pool Manager