^ "‘■■'1^1. I-" ■'''
The Banner
Volume xin, Number 6 Ptoudly Serving the UNCA community since 1982. October 6,i988
Introducing Healthbeat
Date rape often
goes unreported
by most victims
The Banner introduces a
new column, HealthBeat, to
address issues dealing
with health and safety
in our society today.
In future issues, we
will feature such topics
as alcohol abuse. eating
disorders, nufrifion and
AIDS.
by Michael Gouge
Staff Writer
It happens to an estimated
one out of every four women
during her lifetime. Out of
approximately 1000 incidents,
only one will be reported.
These uncertain figures are
representative of the crime of
acquaintance rape, known also
as "date rape," according to
information provided by the
Rape Crisis Center.
Date rape is a crime that
rarely makes it to the court
room. Because of the social
context in which it occurs, it
can also be the most devastat
ing. Someone you know could
have experienced such a crime
and she may be passing her
assailant on the sidewalk every
day, facing her own question,
'Was it my fault?"
Kris Booker, the community
education coordinator of the
Rape Crisis Center, Inc., says
date rape usually occurs be
cause of an expectation of sex
by the assailant. This expecta
tion is formed perhaps by the
manner of dress of the female
or her mistakenly friendly
charm.
"In general, rape is motivated
by a need for power and con
trol. Rape is a crime of vio
lence. Not only of physical
violence, but of psychological
assault as well. The emotional
wounds are most often the
most serious," Booker said.
Often men don’t realize, or
accept, that sexual intercourse
with a woman without her con
sent is rape. Many men counter
to the question of forced sex
by justifying the action: ’she
teased me,’ ’I was drunk,’ ’I
spent a lot of money on her-
she owes it to me,’ ’1 have had
sex with her before,’ ’I got
carried away with my passions,’
’she said no, but meant yes,’
Booker said.
For men, sexual aggression is
seen as normal male behavior.
But there is a point at which
every man should draw the line
between aggression and assault,
she added. Booker advises that
any "mixed messages" or per
ceived expectations should be
addressed before situations
arise.
John Van Eyk, a UNCA
freshman, has seen the effect
date rape can have. Two
women close to him have been
raped by acquaintances. Van
Eyk also knew the men
involved.
"They were friends...they
violated [my] trust and friend
ship," Van Eyk said.
He stressed the emotional
scars left on the women.
"[They] lose their self-respect,
self-esteem and struggle with
the feeling that ’I could have
done more to stop it.’"
In both cases. Van Eyk said,
"The assailants would play on
the victim. The victims were
’manipulated’ by verbal and
physical abuse."
Scare tactics were used, ac
cording to Van Eyk, such as
trying to push the victim out a
moving car, telling her nobody
will believe her if she says
anything, or that she is a slut I
Please see RAPE, page 8 |
Environmental Science professor
receives grant to study tap water
by Joan Schnyder
Editor
. The Clean Water Fund of
North Carolina awarded UNCA’s
Environmental Science depart
ment a grant for a statewide
research project to determine
the severity and contamination
in North Carolina tap water
supplies, said Dr. Richard Maas,
assistant professor of environ
mental science.
The project will involve the
testing samples from people
who submit them to The Clean
Water Fund of North Carolina,
said Maas.
"To achieve the objectives of
the study, we need a very
large data base of tap water
samples from around the state.
We have analyzed about 800
samples so far," he said.
"The results will provide im
portant information on the
prevalence and severity of lead
contamination. This will be the
largest study of tap water con
tamination ever conducted any
where in the country," said
Maas.
The gathering of this infor
mation is vital because recent
data indicates that lead, at
even very low levels, can cause
brain damage and affect chil
dren’s mental development, said
Maas.
'I think this is vitally impor
tant research because it direct
ly effects public health, e^ec.-
ially infants and children," said
Maas.
A 1979 Boston study con
ducted by Needleman and col
leagues found slowed mental
development among 2-year-old
children who were exposed to
low lead levels before birth.
Similar research published in
the August 25, 1988 issue of
the New England Journal of
Medicine provides similar find
ings for older children.
This study, conducted by Dr.
Anthony J. McMichael and col-
leagues at the University of
Adelaide, Australia, looked at
the effect of lead exposure on
children’s abilities at age four.
The study included 537 children
in Port Pine, Australia, bom
during 1979—1982 to women
Maas gets the lead out.
living near a lead smelter.
The article states that "the
current analysis indicates that
cumulative environmental ex
posure to lead in early child-
hood is critical in effecting
subsequent mental
development."
The article suggests that
'’increased exposure to lead
Please see LEAD, page 8
Classic ‘Far Sides’ to run during Larson’s absence
by Kenneth Coxie
Staff Writer
Do you like "The Far Side?"
If so, get ready for classical
copies. Starting this week, The
Banner will be carrying classic
copies of "The Far Side" by
Gary Larson. Larson has asked
Universal Press Syndicate
(u/p/s), which handles his
publication, for a leave of ab
sence until January 1, 1990.
'He said he needed a leave
of absence to rest and to ga
ther new ideas for ’Tlie Far
Side’," said Michelle Talley, a
customer service representative
for u/p/s. "If I wrote a comic
strip every day of the week, I
would need a rest too," she
said.
While on leave, Larson will
be doing various activities to
recuperate his creative abilities.
"He will probably do a lot of
travelling. He’s on a safari in
Africa right now and he’s
probably gathering new ideas
for ’The Far Side’," said Talley.
Timeliness will not be a
problem for the classic copies.
They are very good. They are
as good now as they were
then. A comic strip of his na
ture just gets better," said
Talley.
The classic cuts will date
back to the early 1980’s when
the comic strip was only re
ceived by about 50 papers.
"He first started on The San
Francisco Chronicle. 1 do not
know it we will go back that
far. We will probably start
around 1982," said Talley.
'Many of the earlier clips
have been published in books,
calendars, and greeting cards.
They are licensed strips," said
Talley.
UNCA students had various
opinions about the re-mnning
of Larson’s cartoons during his
sabbatical,
Richard Wilson, a computer
science senior, said "I think it
is the best comic strip in pub
lication today. The humor of
the comic strip reaches so
many audiences and it is not
limited to any certain group. It
reaches older people, middle-
aged people, and college stu
dents as well," he said.
"One reason I like the strip
is that it is not politically
motivated like a lot of comic
strips are. It is pure comic
material on everyday things
people can understand" Wilson
said.
"I do not care if the upcom
ing cuts are older ones. I like
the comic and I will continue
to read it. If I have seen the
earlier cuts before, I probably
will not remember them any
way," he added.
As far as Larson’s leave of
absence, Wilson said, "I do not
think that Larson should take
such a long time. I understand
that every one needs a vaca
tion once in a while, but the
leave he is taking seems to be
a bit long. I think that some
one of his intelligence should
not have to take so long to
replenish his creative abil
ities.
"I think that a comic strip
writer’s first responsibility is
to entertain his audience. Lar
son should realize this. He has
a lot of loyal readers who read
his comic strip every day," Wil
son continued.
Nicholas Culianos, senior.
Repeats of former cartoons will give fans an opportunity
to enjoy strip during Larson’s sabbatical.
said, " ’The Far Side’ is an
escape from text books. It is a
different sense of humor. Gar
field relates to us; he is a
typical couch potato. ’The Far
Side’ is another world."
Culianos thinks Larson is
successful because he "is not
boring and repetitious. He has
a unique humor that I get in
spired,by. He does not get in
spired by world events or by
the year he lives in. He is to
tally off the wall.
"Inspiration is crucial. Wri
ters have different ways of
getting new ideas for their
writing. He has a responsibility
to his readers, but a year is
not that important," he said.
"I think that his style has
not changed at all through the
years. There is always the
chance of him coming back
with a totally different style.
If so, I will try to be as open
minded and understanding as
possible. His comics are like
re-runs of I Love Lucy. Are
they popular or not?" Culianos
said.
Coleman Ammons, a compute
science freshman, said "I like
’The Far Side.’ It adds spice to
an otherwise purely academic
environment. I spend a lot of
my time studying and ’The Far
Side’ helps me to laugh and to
take things less seriously," Am
mons said.
"I am used to reading old
classics. I really like going
back and seeing how my fav
orite comic has evolved. I have
never seen the earlier issues
that have had them. It might
even give me a chance to col
lect them," he continued.
He likes Larson because "he
thinks of things in a sarcastic
way. He is sarcastic in general.
As far as I can see, as long as
he can keep up his sarcastic
style, (the classics) will be all
right," Ammons said.
As far as Larson’s leave of
absence, Ammons said, "If you
spend enough time with any
thing, you begin to get over
loaded. A fresh break is always
good to regenerate the mind. If
he does not take a rest, he
might turn out material that
might be detrimental to him."
Ralph Patterson, a physics
junior, said "I like it. It is an
interesting comic strip. It is
humorous. I think that it is
kind of sarcastic, but it is sar
castic in a humorous way."
As far as running the clas
sics, Patterson said, "I think it
will be fine. No one looks to
memorize comics. It is like
reading Garfield. You can read
19 of them and not remember
any of them. Maybe, by picking
out the better cuts, the comic,
strip can actually be improv-
ed,"he said.
As for Larson’s leave of ab
sence, Patterson said, 'Man, if
you have the money, go for it.
I wish he would take me with
him."