The Banner
Volume XI, Number 8
Proudly serving the UNCA community since 1982
October 89. 1987
A new look
This week marks the first week
of a broadsheet format for the
Banner. With this new format,
the Banner hopes to better serve
the UNCA community. A broad
sheet will allow us to include
more news and information for
students, faculty and members of
the UNCA community. We are
looking for input about the new
format, and we hope students will
offer suggestions so we can bet
ter improve the content and
appearance of the paper.
News in brief
Phi Beta Sigma integrates
TUSCALOOSA, ALA (CPS)—Phi Beta Sigma, a traditionally
blade fraternity, has for the first time in 140 years
become integrated. The University of Alabama fraternity
inducted Mark Brafford, a white student from Florida, into
the house two weeks ago.
Women buy more condoms
(CPS)—The University of Omaha’s health center says that
women students are reportedly a lot more interested in
the campus condom craze than men. The health center has
sold only 12 condoms since August, and all have been to
women, said Nurse Ruth Hanon.
Reagan program criticized
WASHINGTON, D.C. (CPS)—The Reagan administration has
formed a new college loan for students, but critics say
the Income Contingent Loan (ICL) is a “bad deal" for
students. The ICL is designed to let students repay their
college loans according to how much they earn after
leaving school.
SMU football to return
DALLAS, TEX. (CPS)—Southern Methodist University has
decided to 'play ball” again, but it won’t be until 1989.
The University’s football program was in jeopardy when it
became involved in a "pay for play" scandel. The NCAA
banned SMU from playing during 1987.
Dropouts earn less
WASHINGTON, D.C. (CPS)—It pays to graduate from
college. The U.S. Census Bureau reported that college
students who graduate earn an average of $672 more a
month than students who drop out of college before grad
uating.
Inside
There is both contentment and confusion among UNCA
faculty members about the merit pay system under which
they operate. Some feel that the system detracts from
actual in-class teaching, while others see the system as
working effectively.
No matter the opinion, however, there seems to be one
general consensus: improvements could be made in the
merit pay process. (See story on Page 3).
Weather
Friday Increasing cloudiness. Morning lows in the low to mid
30s. Afternoon highs around 60.
Saturday: Variable cloudiness with a slight chance of a shower.
Morning lows in the upper 30s. Afternoon highs in the
mid SOs.
Sunday: Partly cloudy; breezy and chilly. Morning lows around
30. Afternoon highs around 50.
The UNCA Atmospheric Science department provides
this information to the campus community weekly in
the Banner. The 24-liour weatherline service is also
available at 251-6435.
Some Departments exceed guidelines
for maximum number of required hours
By Julie Tilka
Staff Writer
Several academic departments
at UNCA exceed the limit of a
maximum credit guideline set for
major requijsments, resulting in
questions about the university’s
status as a liberal arts institu
tion.
"It’s a tough problem, sorting
it out, deciding what belongs in
the undergraduate level and what
doesn’t," said Paul Sweeney, cha
irman of the UNCA’s Academic
Policies Committee, which regu
lates course curriculum and
changes.
"We (UNCA) don’t really know
where we are" in terms of
whether UNCA is strictly a li
beral arts university or a univer
sity that makes exceptions to
meet demands by the public sec
tor by adding, for instance, ca
reer-oriented programs. Sweeney
said.
UNCA general education re
quirements were changed in the
fall of 1986, essentially adding an
average of 12 hours. The require
ments now range from 50-58 cre
dits, whereas they had, previous
ly, ranged from 35-47 credits.
Most majors that require more
than 120 credit hours specify in
their course description that the
students may not be able to fi
nish in four years.
Sweeney said the 60-credit
guideline is only that — a guide
line — not a rule. But, he added,
when a department exceeds the
limit, "you can be guaranteed
that that department chairman
will be asked why they are re
quiring so many hours."
Chemistry, communications, art.
management and computer science
are some of the departments that
have topped the guideline’s limit.
While some of the departments
have succeeded in reducing the
number of hours required, other
departments remain up to 30 cre
dits over.
The chemistry department, for
example, exceeds the 60-credit
guideline in its bachelor of sci
ence degree with a concentration
in clinical chemistry.
The increase in the general
education requirements essentially
squeezed out the number of elec
tive courses available to students,
according to Dr. Dexter Squibb,
chemistry department chairman.
■I’m in favor of the liberal arts
program," said Squibb, but “1
might package it a little
differently."
He added that he felt that
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Staff Photo—Chris AUison
Boo!!!
This house in Old Fort is a sure lure for adventurous trick-or-treaters this Halloween. It
provides the perfect atmosphere for a cold, windy Halloween night.
First in a series
AIDStaskforce dispels myths
By Michele Samuel
Managing Editor
Getting AIDS from holding
hands is just one of the myths
that the UNCA AIDS Task force
must work to dispel.
"Education is the key as far as
AIDS is concerned," said Dr. Eric
Pyeritz, member of the task force
and director of UNCA health
services.
There are a lot of misconcep
tions about AIDS," he said.
"There is no cure for AIDS,
and there is no vaccine to pre
vent AIDS," according to the
report by C. Everett Koop, the
U.S. Surgeon General.
The Red Cross reported that
you can’t get the AIDS virus
from casual contact or nonsexual
contact.
"This means that you can’t
catch AIDS from a cough, a
sneeze, a handshake, or a hug.
Nor can you catch it from the
food you eat, no matter who pre
pared or served that food," added
a Red Cross report.
The Surgeon General reported
that AIDS has not been
contracted from swimming pools,
toilets or household furniture.
"There are no known cases of
AIDS transmission by insects,
such as mosquitoes. Dogs, cats
and domestic animals are not a
source of infection from AIDS.
And, although the AIDS virus has
been found in tears and saliva,
no instance of transmission from
these body fluids has been re-
Please see AIDS page 10
‘General education requirements
should be cut back some to allow
more electives."
Squibb said he felt that the
department did not have a prob-
Im meeting the guideline until
the general education require
ments were raised.
Meeting American Chemical
Society accreditation is one rea
son for the high number of re
quired hours for the bachelor of
science degrees in chemistry.
Squibb defended the accredita
tion. He said a degree from an
accredited department is recog
nized around the country, and it
is the preferred degree for stu
dents striving to be professional
chemists or who plan on continu-
Please see MAJOR page 10
Professor
sued
for libel
By Julie Ball
Editor
An Asheville police officer filed
a libel suit last week against
UNCA professor Dr. David Hopes.
In the suit, officer Edward
Michael Hahn alleges that David
Brendan Hopes damaged his repu
tation by mailing anonymous let
ters to bis place of work.
The suit also alleges that
Hopes damaged Hahn’s reputation
by mailing an anonymous letter
to President Ronald Reagan.
The libel action was filed Oct.
21 in Buncombe County Superior
Court. No specific amount of
damages is requested in the suit,
but Hahn is asking for both com
pensatory and punitive damages.
This past summer, Hopes plea
ded guilty to five misdemeanor
counts of mailing anonymous let
ters and received a suspended
sentence. He was also fined SI00
and court costs and was ordered
to perform 50 hours of commun
ity service.
Hopes declined to comment on
the suit.
According to the suit, the let
ters contained several allegations
about Hahn which were received
by his employers and which dam
aged his reputation.
Four of the five letters con
tained the following allegations,
according to the suit;
1) An Oct. 11. 1986 letter al
leged that Hahn might have the
AIDS virus and suggested that he
be tested for the disease.
2) A Nov. 17, 1986 letter also
stated that the officer could be
carrying the AIDS virus.
3) A Dec. 10, 1986 letter inclu
ded explicit photos of nude males
engaging in sex acts along with
the question, "Does this bring
back memories?"
4) A Dec. 19. 1986 letter di
rected to the persormel depart
ment of Sears (where Hahn
worked as a security guard) al
leged that Hahn could be car
rying the AIDS virus and that he
should be tested for the disease.
The letters were signed "Craig"
and were all sent to the Ashe
ville Police Department, except
the Dec. 19 letter, according to
the suit.
The suit also alleges that
Hopes sent an anonymous letter
to President Reagan on March 25,
1987. According to the suit, the
letter read, "I have been a police
Please see SUIT page 10