The Banner Volume XIV, Number 4 Froudly serving the UNCA community since 1982 February 16, 1989 Asheville Police disagree with Brown by Micbael Gouge Assisiani News Editor In the Dec. 8 issue of The Banner, Chancellor David Brown stated that he "sees the Asheville Police Department as the law enforcement agency in charge of the safety of the students with the security office serving as a supplement to that protection." But according to Maj. J.H. Breedlove of the Asheville Police Department (APD), that is not the case. "We feel that the primary responsibility is with the security people working at UNCA." Breedlove further ejq)lained, "We do have a responsibility to UNCA, but that’s secondary. If they have people there and if they need assistance or help, it’s their responsibility to call us." Breedlove said any entity, such as a college or hospital, that provides a security force receives only supplemental assistance from APD. Breedlove said in creating a security force, "they realize there is a need present in their facility that is greater than the average public." That, Breedlove explained, "indicates they have t^en the primary responsibility (for security)." Breedlove confirmed that the police would always provide assistance, but the main burden of protection lies with the security forces. Commenting that APD has to protect a large jurisdiction already, Breedlove stated, "1 would hope you realize if those others entities I mentioned are expecting that level of service from the police department, the cost to the taxpayers of this city would be astronomical." Breedlove said, "I have become aware of the difference in opinion regarding UNCA’s security." The police department "sent a letter to Mr. Brown stating our position. In his reply he indicated that there was no problem with our level of assistance." Yet, the SGA feels strongly that the campus does have a security problem. In a recent resolution, SGA presented Brown with recommendations to improve the security of the campus. According to the resolution, the main points SGA advocates are the staffing of the security office 24 hours a day and the addition of trained law enforcement officers to the staff. Chris Sampson of the SGA see Police, page 10 Student Government to hold elections by Scarlet Bell News Edilor The Student Government Assocation (SGA) will be accepting nominations through Feb. 22 for the SGA elections to be held March 6 and 7, said Donna Hudgins, elections commissioner. Offices are available for president, vice president, treasurer and senators, she said. "There aren’t many qualifications (for candidacy). But, the biggest one is that the person (who will be running for office) realize how much time goes into this," she said. Hudgins said the SGA president and vice president devote at least 20 hours a week to their office, and senators spend at least 10 hours per week on the job. "It takes a lot of time," she said. Other than the amount of time SGA officers spend in the office, there are other qualifications for the job, according to Hudgins. Students interested in running for president, vice president or treasurer must be either a junior or a senior, have a 2.0 grade point average, have attended UNCA for two semesters and be registered for at least six credit hours, Hudgins said. Students interested in a position as a senator must , have a 2.0 grade point average, be registered for at least six credit hours, and be within six hours of being a senior, junior or sophomore by the end of the spring semester, Hudgins added. The campaign period will last from Feb. 20 until March 1, and candidates are allowed to spend no more than $50 on their campaigns, according to elections procedure. 'The $50 includes materials candidates are given and publicity they receive from organizations on campus," Hudgins said. To keep track of their expenditures, Hudgins said candidates must keep receipts of their campaign spending. However, she said it might be tough to catch minor offenses in overspending and that she will be concerned mostly with major offenses. "Candidates are required to keep receipts and to submit them no later than 24 hours after the opening of the elections polls. The problem with this is if it’s a small violation, it’s impossible to catch. But, what we’ll be looking for is the blatant violations (of the policy)." For example, Hudgins said she might become suspicious if a student submits receipts for 100 sheets of paper arid then finds 2,000 posters for the candidate posted around campus. In preparation for the elections, the SGA will be sponsoring several forums so that students can meet the candidates, Hudgins said. All candidates will be available to meet students at mixers on Feb. 27 from 11:45 see Election, page 10 Uncas Winston is the newest member of the UNCA athletic department. Winston will oversee Staff Photo--Susan Dryman the Bnlldogs as the basketball tournaments begin. UNCA chooses “Winston” as mascot by Vicki McCoy Staff Writer UNCA has a new mascot. His name is Uncas Winston. Uncas Winston, Winston for short, is a three-month- old English bulldog that has been chosen to represent the UNCA athletic teams and the school, said Chris Curry, Winston’s owner. According to Curry, English bulldogs are very rare in the United States. "They were originally bred as sporting dogs in England, but there aren’t that many in this country," Curry said. Curry has been interested in UNCA’s athletic program and other sports for several years. "I’ve always been interested in athletics," Curry said. According to Curry, she has played tennis and professional golf. She is also the owner of the St. Petersburg Cardinals baseball team. Curry said she felt UNCA needed a team mascot. According to Curry, Valerie LeMoignan, director of physical education, and Didi Allen, assistant athletic director, helped Curry choose Winston as the team mascot. "We watched him (Winston). We chose him because he was especially laid back," Curry said. LeMoignan and Allen also helped Curry select a name for Winston. He is named Uncas after UNCA, and Winston after Winston Churchill, Prime Minister of England during World War II. Curry said Winston has see Mascot, page 10 Federal aid is denied to drug users (CPS) - In a move some student advocates are calling reminiscent of "1984’s" Big Brother, the federal government said Feb. 3 it would start asking students who get Pell Grants to prove they don’t use illicit drugs. TTie measure was pubhshed in the Federal Register, the list of regulations and rules the government produces to enforce federal laws. The drug rule, which will automatically go into effect if it’s not formally challenged within 90 days, was created to implement the Drug-Free Work Place Act of 1988. It asks that all federal grant recipients like weapons manufacturers, highway builders and apparently even students work in "drug free" environments. Applying it to students, said Sheldon Steinbach of the American Council on Education, the campus presidents’ lobbying group in Washington D.C., was "a strained interpretation (of the law) that strikes me as being beyond the pale of what was intended." The U.S. Dept, of Education, which issued the rule, disagrees. Somehow, students will have to swear they’re not drug abusers. "We’re deciding if students will have to sign a separate form or just check a box on the grant application form," said department spokesman Jim Bradshaw. "But they will have to certify they are drug- free and not using the funds for drug related activities." If students lie on the form, Bradshaw said, they could lose their grants. Still, no one knows how to determine if they are lying. "We don’t have the resources to check on every student," Bradshaw admitted. "We’ll base our information on tips that students have gotten involved in drugs or on newspaper articles about drug activities," Bradshaw said. Past convictions for drug possession or sales shouldn’t affect a student’s Pell Grant application, Bradshaw said, but it is an issue the Education Department is considering. "If the money is going to be used for drugs, then it’s better if they hand it to someone who would make good use of it," said a Pell Grant recipient at San Diego City College, who asked that her name not be used. "It’s great," she said. But Kevin Harris, organizing director of the United States Student Association in Washington D.C., called the regulations "an invasion of the personal right to privacy," and a poor signal for the new Bush administration to send to students. "I think you’ll hear a large outcry from students in opposition to this reflation," Harris predicted. "It’s another signal of Big Brother looking down on the student population. They want to blame youth for the drug problem. It’s crazy." In fact,- students are not the only ones being attacked in the war on drugs. In early January, Florida Gov. Bob Martinez announced that, starting in August, all new state employees -- including faculty members, adminstrators, staffers and student workers at State University System of Florida campuses -- would have to pass drug tests before being hired.