The Banner
Volume XIV, Number 3
Proudly serving the UNCA community since 1982
February 9, 1989
Rainey holds meeting
to discuss abortion
by Vicki McCoy
Staff Writer
Asheville residents gathered
Jan. 31 in the Buncombe
Coimty Courthouse to debate
the issue of abortion.
Dr. Gene Rainey, UNCA
professor and chairman of the
Buncombe County Board of
Commissioners, introduced
the debate, saying it was the
first of a series of town
meetings on issues currently
facing Buncombe County.
"We may not change any
minds on this issue, but we
may learn to respect each
other more," Rainey said as
he introduced the panelists.
Before the debate began,
supporters of both sides of
the abortion issue displayed
literature, bumper stickers
and pins in the hallway
outside the courtroom. Inside,
the room was divided, with
the pro-life group seated on
the left and the pro-choice
group seated on the right.
About two hundred people
attended the meeting.
The debate featured twelve
panelists, who each gave a
brief statement about their
position concerning the
abortion issue. The panelists
were chosen based on their
involvement in either the pro
life or pro-choice movements.
Ileana Grams, associate
professor of philosophy at
UNCA, compared the
consequences of giving birth
to an unwanted or
handicapped child to having
an abortion. Grams asked the
audience to consider which
would suffer more.
Rachel Stein, professor at
UNCA, also argued for the
pro-choice side of the issue.
According to Stein, one out
of every four children will be
reared in poverty. "They are
doomed to lives of poverty,
neglect and abuse," Stein
said.
The Rev. James K. Solari
spoke for the pro-life group
on the biblical teachings of
the right to life. Solari said
that life was a right given to
man and women from God.
Solari also said that
abortion is murder in the
eyes of God. "If you can
abort a fetus, then you might
as well be able to kill a child
at any time in its life," Scolari
said.
Brinton Wright, president
of the North Carolina Right-
To-Ufe organization, said he
expected the U.S. Supreme
Court to overturn the
decision of Roe vs. Wade,
which legalized abortion. The
1973 court case legalized
abortion in all cases.
According to the Supreme
Court, he- said, unborn
children do not have legal
personhood.
The pro-choice activists
defended legalized abortion
because of the method of
illegal abortions performed
before Roe vs. Wade. Dr.
see MEETING, page 10
Underdog sponsors
Amnesty presentation
by Michael Molini
Staff Writer
Tonight at 7 p.m. in
Lipinsky Auditorium,
Underdog Productions is
sponsoring a multi-media
presentation featuring
Amnesty International.
Guest lecturer Steve
Herrick has held positions as
National Group Coordinator,
Southern Program
Coordinator and Regional
Coordinator for Arnnesty
over the years.
Also a former educator,
Herrick was recently honored
with praise from his peers at
an Amnesty meeting in
Atlanta, in recognition of his
work with the southern
region. He will speak this
evening on behalf of the
organization, its global
significance and purpose,
and its past achievements and
future goals.
Amnesty International is a
worldwide, human rights
movement Founded in 1961,
the organization has worked
hard under the creed that no
government should deny any
individual his or her basic
human rights. It has
attempted to secure and
protect the "Universal
Declaration of Human
Rights" put forth by the
United Nations over forty
years ago.
The Declaration calls upon
"every individual and every
social organization" to
promote a universal respect
for all human rights. This
task has directed Amnesty’s
efforts all around the world.
The organization attained
high recognition for its
dedication and performance
when it was awarded a Nobel
Peace Prize.
Specifically, Amnesty has
worked on behalf of over
25,000 "prisoners of
conscience" -- those
imprisoned because of their
beliefs, color, sex, ethnic
origin, or religion. The only
exception are people who
have used or have advocated
the use of violence in their
purpose.
Amnesty has worked to
secure and protect fair and
prompt trials for all political
prisoners. It has also tried to
end all forms of torture and
execution.
During the last few years.
Amnesty International’s pleas
have fallen onto the ears of
pop music fans both in the
United States and overseas.
Rock performers such as
the Police, U2, Peter Gabriel,
Bruce Springsteen, Tracy
Chapman, Sting, Stanley
Jordan and Lou Reed have
participated in various tours
to promote Amnesty. Last
see AMNESTY, page 10
Staff Photo-Stacey Higdon
Workers (left) cut down a tree in preparation
for construction on the Asheville Graduate
Center.
Staff Photo--Susan Dryman
Chancellor David Brown breaks ground at the
construction site.
Construction begins on graduate center
by Melissa Church
Staff Writer
The latest project on the
growing UNCA campus is the
construction of the Asheville
Graduate Center between
Phillips Hall and Lipinsky
Hall.
This graduate center, which
is run by the University of
North Carolina, will serve
students enrolled in graduate
programs through different
UNC system universities.
The addition of this
building will provide a new
opportunity for the graduate
center. "With the exception
of N.C. State’s program, it
will be the first time in the
history of the graduate center
that we’ve been able to have
all the graduate programs
here in one place," Dr. Gene
McDowell, director of the
Asheville Graduate Center,
said. "I think that’s important.
For the first time in five
years we can all be together
in one place, and interact
better."
Most of the graduate
programs offered are
completed on the UNCA
campus, McDowell said.
"However, some do require
a little bit of study on their
home campus. But it’s usually
not very much," McDowell ■
said.
Also, the graduate degrees
that are awarded here are
awarded by the universities
that brought the program
here. "For example, if you’re
in the Chapel Hill Social
Work program, the degree
that you get comes from The
University of North Carolina
at Chapel Hill," McDowell
said.
McDowell said one major
advantage and one major
disadvantage to the
construction of this building
was the fact that the UNCA
campus does not have enough
classrooms or faculty office
space. "On Monday through
Thursday nights on this
campus, every classroom is
utilized. We’re so crowded
that the graduate center, in
addition to using all the
classrooms that they let us
use here, we go downtown
and rent space," McDowell
said.
Six colleges offer graduate
programs on the UNCA
campus. These colleges are
Appalachian State, N.C.
State, UNC Chapel Hill,
UNC Greensboro, UNC
Charlotte and Western
Carolina.
"What this is really going to
provide for the graduate
center and for the university
... is much needed faculty
offices and classrooms,"
McDowell said.
The construction of this new
building has closed off two
student parking lots. "It is a
problem," McDowell said. "In
see CENTER, page 10
Basketball team surprises late-night swim
by Michael Gouge
Assistant News Editor
The women’s basketball
team returned from a game
Saturday night to find as
many as ten people, in
various stages of dress,
swimming in the pool.
"It scared us. We were
coming in so late, about 1:30
a.m., and we saw people in
the pool," said Head Coach
Mary Ann Myers, coach of
UNCA women’s basketball.
Myers said that of the ten
or so swimmers, "Not all were
naked. I saw a couple of
them yanking on their
clothes. Most of them were
wearing their underwear."
Myers said despite the
comedy of the situation it
could have turned into a
serious situation. "It’s really
dangerous. I’m sure they were
only out for a good time but
really it’s scary. A drowning
could have occurred and
there was no one around to
help them."
Myers said despite the
dangers of an accidental
drowning. Justice Center has
also been the scene of break-
ins. "We’ve had so much stuff
stolen, we are a prime target
down here." Myers said she
was concerned that with the
recent break-ins, the
swimmers could have walked
into a dangerous situation.
Security Chief Charles
Carreno said he has
"identified seven people (in
the pool incident). Two were
UNCA students and two
others were friends of theirs.
"We’re still working on how
they got in," he added.
Carreno said there were
items missing from the gym
and the swimmers were
"unauthorized to be in the
building." Carreno refrained
from further comment, saying
that security is still looking
into the incident.
Myers said that upon
discovering the swimmers,
"half of them ran and the
other half stayed." The ones
that left got into their cars
while members of the
basketball team got down
their tag numbers, Myers
said. Security then stopped
the vehicles before they left
campus, according to
Carreno.