INSIDE:
SPOUTS: Tradr feain sets records
p. 5
OPIHION: Senseless sham
P.2
The Blue
FUMES:
inlbe'30s
miiresfyies
pj
"The essence of greatness is the perception
that virtue is enough. " —Ralph Waldo
Emerson
BANNER
COMKS: Soap Summary
p. 6
WEA THER:Mostly sunny this
weekend. Highs in the 70s.
Lows in the 40s
VOLUME 23
UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA AT ASHEVILLE
NUMBER 24
Art As Social Commentary Is On Display In Ramsey Library
Chris Small
Staff Writer
Artwork created by UNCA students in the Art
473 class, “Perception and Vision,”is currently
displayed on the walls of Ramsey Library. There
will be a reception April 14, beginning at 6 p.m.
in Ramsey Library to celebrate the opening of the
exhibits, according to organizers.
“All of our projects are somewhat social com
mentaries, said Richard Merritt, a student in the
class.
The display is on the first floor of the library and
takes up about 80 feet of wall space. The wall will
later be torn down to create more space for the new
library.
“A lot of students are going through here that
wouldn’t necessarily go up to Owen,” said Nancy
Hayes, a librarian and member of the display
committee involved with this project.
“We thought it would be fitting to have concep
tual art and current themes, and also that the work
itself would be going on in the public eye,” said
Betsy Murray, a librarian also involved in the
project.
Ramsey Library gave each of the five students
$ 100 for expenses such as paint, glass, etc., accord
ing to Randy Marrs, a student in the class.
Merritt’s artwork is displayed in the center of
the wall. It uses paint, and the piece addresses our
society’s need to look into other peoples’ lives,
according to Merritt. “Our media is geared to
wards that [voyeurism], and my project is about
our human fascination to look, to peek,” said
Merritt.
There is a domestic violence scene depicted, and
viewers will have a chance to actually be a part of
the display, said Merritt. “You are going to be able
to actually open and close [the blinds on the
Randy Marrs hangs his photographic exhibition on tfie display wall in Ramsey Library.
Photo by Kara Merz
painting] to see the painted image,” said Merritt.
Jeff Hamilton, another art student, is displaying
his work next to Merritt’s. His concentration is in
ceramics. It shows angels and clouds with quotes
from Dante.
Jason Watson said his interest in Renaissance art
history led him to want to include in his artwork
the idea of the importance of different holy relics
in Europe .
“It’s based on the premise that ordinary objects
generally mean nothing until we give them mean
ing,” said Watson. “In doing more conceptual
pieces, [a difficulty is] how to get your meaning
across without blatantly stating it. It requires a lot
of trust on the viewer.”
Terry Ogilvie’s display features photographs of
cemeteries. Oglivie is retired, and taking this class
for fun.
“Terry journeyed to Mexico. He saw the decline
of the cemetery and how people were not main
taining it, and drawing a parallel to peoples’ lives
See "Art," page 8
UNCA Students Travel Abroad For Research Internships
Todd Hagans
Staff Writer
In order to fulfill a graduation re
quirement, four UNCA environmen
tal studies students are participating
in internshios this summer in foreien
countries.
Two students will work in a research
laboratory in France, one student will
assist an ornithologist in Spain, and
one student will do research on pollu
tion and hazardous waste in the United
Arab Emirates, according to Gary
Miller, director of UNCA’s environ
mental studies program.
Tara McMahan, a UNCA senior,
said she will be working for the Euro
pean Biological Control Laboratory
in Montpellier, France. McMahan
will do research on the gypsy moth.
“I am going to be working with the
gypsy moths,” said McMahan. “It
[the gypsy moth] is a really big people
pest. It totally devastates trees.”
Marshall Johnson, a UNCA jun
ior, will also study at the European
Biological Control Laboratory in
Montpellier, France. Johnson said he
will research biological pollutants such
as insects and weeds.
“They [the researchers at European
Biological Control Laboratory] study
biological pollutants like insects and
weeds that have come from one coun
try to another,” said Johnson.
Blair Musselwhite, a UNCA senior,
said she will study in Spain with an
ornithologist from Brazil. Ornitholo
gists are zoologists who specialize in
the study of birds.
Musselwhite’s research will focus on
the population, reproduction, and
nesting habits of different song birds.
Saeed Karmustaji, a UNCA junior,
will study m his native country ot the
United Arab Emirates. Karmustaji
said his research will focus on water
pollution and hazardous waste man
agement.
According to Karmustaji, he will
monitor the water of the Persian Gulf
to see what pollutants exist in the
water. Karmustaji said the ships and
boats that travel the Persian Gulf cause
the water to become polluted.
“They [the ships and boats] run on
diesel, and they create lots of oil and
pollution [in the water],” said
Karmustaji.
Karmustaji said there is a demand for
environmental researchers in the
Middle East, and that he will return
to the United Arab Emirates after
graduation from UNCA to begin his
career. Karmustaji said he inquired
about the position over Christmas
vacation.
Musselwhite said she became inter
ested in birds after she did research on
owls, and that she has a friend who is
an ornithologist. Musselwhite said
she wants to attend graduate school,
and possibly do her thesis on develop
ment caused by humans, and how the
development affects the habitats of
birds.
See "Interns," page 8
Fights Result In One Student’s Arrest And An Athlete’s Reprimand
^ ran from the building, arraigned April 4. The report said one of the this time because c
Will Rotfischild
Staff Writer
Two fights involving UNCA
students broke out on cam
pus last week, including one
in the Highsmith Center that
resulted in formal charges
from the building,
Reynolds said to her, “I know
where you live; I’m going to
kick your ass.”
According to Jeffrey
VanSlyke, UNCA director of
public saftey, Mapp filed as
sault charges against
Reynolds, and, while a war
rant for her arrest was being
being filed.
According to a UNCA Pub- processed, authorities learned
lie Safety incident report,
LTvfCA student Faye Latrail
Mapp accused Kisha
Reynolds, a student working
the information desk in the
Highsmith Center, of strik
ing her twice in the face.
The report also said as Mapp
there were already three out
standing warrants against
Reynolds — two for assault
with a deadly weapon and
one for failure to appear.
VanSlyke said Reynolds was
arrested, placed under $4,800
bond and was scheduled to be
arraigned April 4.
UNCA students also
squared off at the Rock-a-
Thon April 7, according to a
UNCA public safety report.
The Rock-a-Thon is a charity
event sponsored by Gamma
Phi Beta. Sorority members
rocked in rocking chairs for
24 hours to raise money for
Helpmate, a shelter for bat
tered women in Asheville.
According to the report,
UNCA j unior, Chad Lanford,
was sitting at the Rock-a-
Thon, in front of Highsmith
Center, when “several mem
bers of the UNCA baseball
team walked up.”
The report said one of the
women rocking asked the
group to donate money,
which it did. After an un
named member of the group
put some money in the pot,
another player said “What we
really should do is piss in it
(the pot),” according to the
public safety report.
Lanford and some of the
players then exchanged words
before Rob Esgro, a UNCA
baseball player, and another
student “each took a swing at
Chad (Lanford) and hit him
in the face,” according to the
report. The Blue Banner can
not name the other student at
this time because of conflict
ing reports about his identity.
"From our end, it's over,"
said Coach Bill Hillier. Rob
Esgro was the only baseball
player involved and he has
been reprimanded." Hillier
said Esgro was suspended for
two games and his parents
were contacted, all within 24
hours of the occurance.
Hillier also said he met "face-
to-face" with Lanford and
Esgro to resolve the problem.
Lanford did not press
charges, according to the in
cident report.
Wilson Takes
Marietta Job
Will Rothschild
Staff Writer
Larry Wilson, UNCA vice chancellor for aca
demic affairs, announced to the campus Tues
day afternoon he has accepted an appointment
as president of Marietta College in Marietta,
Ohio, effective July 1.
“This afternoon, officials at Marietta College
will announce my appointment as the 16th
president of that historic independent, liberal
arts college,” Wilson said in a written statement.
Wilson joined UNCA as a vice chancellor eight
years ago, and also served as interim chancellor
from January to June 1994.
Wilson said leaving will be difficult.
“The decision to leave UNCA has been trau
matic, for few colleges in the country have such
an extraordinary group of faculty, staff, and
students who share so completely our institu
tional vision and mission,” Wilson said. “In only
a decade UNCA has emerged from a ‘best-kept
secret’ to a college with increasing influence in
higher education.”
C. David Ferguson, chairman of Marietta’s
board of trustees, announced Wilson’s appoint
ment at a press conference Tuesday.
“On behalf of Marietta College, I’m delighted
to welcome Dr. Wilson as our new president,”
Ferguson said. “His experience and leadership in
a liberal arts environment will translate well as
our college prepares for the next century.”
Wilson has ties to Ohio, serving at Ohio
Wesleyan University for 24 years before coming
to UNCA in 1987. While at Ohio Wesleyan,
Wilson served as executive assistant to the presi
dent, acting provost, dean of academic affairs,
and chemistry professor and department chair.
Wilson was one of three finalists for the Marietta
job. The other two finalists were women, and
one had served as a provost at the school in the
80s, said Melissa Kerireigh, editor-in-chief of
The Marcolian, Marietta’s school newspaper.
“I personally met with all three finalists,”
Kenreigh said. “I think Dr. Wilson has a good
understanding of what’s going on at Marietta. I
feel like the campus will stand behind him and
try to make it a gooa start.
“I also felt like the faculty was split on
Gwendolyn Jenson (another finalist), who served
as a provost here in the 80s. A lot either really
liked her or they did not. I really liked her
(Jenson) because she has been here before and
she knows what Marietta is all about.
“I think Dr. Wilson has done his research and
has talked to a lot of people, but he’s never been
here before. That could be a positive or a nega-
tive.
Kenreigh said the staff of The Marconian will
run an editorial supporting Wilson’s appoint
ment in its next issue.
“Larry Wilson has been pivotal in the develop
ment of UNCA as a public, liberal-arts univer
sity, and has consistently demonstrated his strong
commitment to teaching, to learning, and to our
students,” UNCA chancellor Patsy Reed said.
“His understanding of the value of the liberal
arts to students and the communities they serve
has been of unparalleled benefit.”
An interim vice chancellor for academic affairs
will be appointed prior to Wilson’s departure,
and a committe will be formed to search for his
permanent replacement, Reed said.
Marietta College is a private, liberal arts college
with an enrollment of 1,300.
“I have always had great respect for the high
quality of education available at Marietta Col
lege, and after visiting the campus and learning
first-hand of its potential, Janie and I are eager to
join the community and continue the pursuit (of
Marietta’s dreams),” Wilson said.