998
The University of North Carolina at Asheville
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Volume 28 Issue 3
September 17, 1998
Quiet on
campus
By Sara Jones
staff Writer
\/
Beverly Modlin
UNCA’s first major
fundraising campaign which
began last January, continues
in its “quiet phase” this fall,
getting mixed reactions on its
prospective milhons.
“Fundraising is good, but it’s
lard to get $10 milhon. There
would have to be some reason
people would want to give
money to UNCA, other than
to help a bunch of grubby
kids,” said Martin Palmeri,
senior biology major.
Beverly Modlin, vice chan
cellor for univer
sity relations, said
that she is really
excited about the
campaign. Al
though it has
been a lot of
work, Modlin
said that the cam
paign has been
fun, and she feels
good about its
outcome.
Although the university has
not publicly announced an of
ficial goal for the campaign,
the campaign objectives, out
lining six different categories
of expenditure, add up to ap
proximately $10.5 miUion, to
raised over the course of
five years.
According to Beverly
Modlin, the campaign objec
tives cater to the causes for
which people would be will
ing to donate money.
Distribution of the funds
raised will cover the areas of
scholarships ($3 million), fac
ulty ($2 million), technologi
cal advances ($2 million), an
endowment for a new Center
for Community Citizenship
and Service Learning
($500,000), the Center for
Creative Retirement ($2.5
million), and $500,000 for
general use.
“We have all of these items
1 our shopping bag all the
time, so that whenever we’re
meeting with a donor, we are
ible to present any of the case
items at any time,” Modlin
said.
The specific categories, how
ever, limit the use of the funds.
“Most of the money is com-
mg in donor-directed, mean
ing that the donors are saying,
I want this to go to scholar
ships,’ or ‘I want this to go for
the Center for Creative Re
tirement.’ So, most of the
money at this point does not
have the flexibility for us to
redirect it,” said Modlin.
At the end of the campaign,
some areas may not have
enough funding, while other
areas may receive excess, said
Modlin.
“You can meet a campaign
goal but not meet the cam
paign needs,” said Modlin.
None of the funds will go
towards the expansion plans
for the Highsmith Center, said
Modlin. She said that many
donors feel that the state
should fund that sort of work.
People are more willing to
give money for students or
professors, or something that
appeals to them emotionally,
said Modlin.
Also, as the Highsmith Cen
ter will require
over $12 million,
anything the cam
paign could raise
specifically for the
expansion would
be hardly be no
ticeable, said
Modlin.
The second larg
est sum of money
the campaign is
expecting will go
to the construction of a per
manent building for the Cen
ter for Creative Retirement.
The center is a way of prac
ticing public relations by al
lowing the local community
to participate with the cam
pus, and it is one of UNCA’s
assets that make it nationally
recognized, said Modlin.
Also, if the Center for Cre
ative Retirement had a new
building, it would free up
space in Carmichael, Rhodes,
and Robinson Halls, said
Modlin.
“Well, the fiinds seem to be
well-routed,” said Laura
Branden, a senior manage
ment major. “They aren’t
improvements that we’ll see,
or even the freshmen will see,
but they seem to promote
long-term improvements, and
they support the university's
mission statement.”
Since the campaign is still
in its quiet phase, campaign
planners are petitioning only
donors whom they are very
sure want to give, and they are
not announcing any goals
publicly, said Modlin.
“There are two phases to a
campaign. There’s the quiet
phase and there’s a public
phase, and an event that hap
pens to mark those is the gala
event or the kick-off,” said
Modlin.
The point is to have an en
couraging amount when the
campaign is made public to
See QUIET page 12
Victims’ advocate
PHOTO BY TRAVIS BARKER
UNCA’s new victims’ advocate, Officer Vicli Harris, will assist UNCA faculty, students, and staff who are witnesses or
victims of a crime.
Federal grant funds new position
By Samantha Hartmann
staff Writer
The Public Safety Depart
ment initiated a new pro
gram, the Victim/Witness
Advocate Program, to as
sist all UN CA students, fac
ulty, and staff who are vic
tims of crime, witnesses to
a crime, or experience a cri
sis. Officer Vicki Harris,
whojoined thedepartment
in July, heads the new pro
gram.
“I serve as a voice for vic
tims,” said Harris. “I am
here to help with various
services, such as emergency
medical attention, counsel
ing, crisis intervention, and
court proceedings.”
Harris said she is available
to help from the beginning
stages of victimization
through the final stages of
recovery and prosecution.
The program is sponsored
by a federal grant from the
U.S. Department of Justice
through the North Carolina
Department of Crime Con
trol and Public Safety,
Governor’s Crime Commis
sion.
“We received a one year
grant, but it can be renewed
for a second year,” said Jerry
Adams, sergeant in charge of
investigations with the de
partment. “The evaluation
is based on the type and
amount of work done, and
the benefits ofthe program.”
Deborah Misch, a senior
art major, said she thought
it was a good idea to have
someone available who had
knowledge of the court sys
tem.
“People are often over
whelmed by a variety ofemo-
tions when they are victims
ofcrime,” said Misch. “They
do not need the additional
stress of dealing with the
complexities of the court sys
tem.”
Misch, who has been a vic
tim of robbery, said she re
members being frustrated by
the lack of information from
authorities.
“You are never told if a
criminal is caught, or if that
person will be convicted,”
said Misch. “We need more
programs like this for vic
tims. So often, it seems that
criminals end up being taken
care of better than the vic
tims are. I am not against
criminal rehabilitation, but I
do have trouble with people
in prison who are receiving
free health care, shelter, edu
cation, and opportunities
that victims do not have.”
“Officer Harris is going to
be able to offer more per
sonal attention to the cam
pus community,” said
Adams. “In the unfortunate
event that someone on this
campus becomes a victim of
crime, she will be there to
assist and provide the atten
tion that victims deserve.”
Susan Stader, a junior psy
chology major, said she was
happy to hear that this ser-
vice was available on cam
pus.
“It is good for people to
know that there is some
one right here on campus,”
said Stader. “It makes it
easier for someone to seek
help when a service like
this is accessible.”
According to printed ma
terial on the program avail
able in Public Safety, it is
not necessary to file a re
port before obtaining in
formation and referral as
sistance from the Victim/
Witness Advocate Pro
gram.
“You do not have to re
port a crime in order to
talk with me,” said Harris.
See SAFETY page 12
UNCA awaits professor’s return
By Samantha Hartmann
staff Writer
A UNCA faculty member,
Heidi Kelley, associate pro
fessor of sociology and direc
tor of international studies, is
recovering from a stroke she
suffered on Aug. 29.
She was experiencing un
usually severe headaches on
Aug. 28, according to Dwight
Mullen, associate professor
of political science and a per
sonal friend of Kelley’s.
“She was not feeling well
Friday,” said Mullen. “She
and her husband, Ken Betsalel
(associate professor of politi
cal science), thought it was
the heat or a migraine.
“They visited a doctor, but
he sent her home thinking it
was a headache,” said Mullen
“Her condition deteriorated
through the night, and she
was rushed to the hospital
around 3 a.m. Saturday.”
Mullen said the stroke was
very unexpected.
“This campus is small,” said
Mullen. “When something
like this happens, people re
ally come together.”
“There was no history of
anything like this in her fam
ily,” said Mullen. “She had
no previous symptoms.”
According to the National
Stroke Association’s website,
current statistics indicate that
there are nearly four million
people in the United States
who have survived a stroke.
“There is still so much we
don’t know about how the
brain compensates for the
damage caused by stroke,”
said the website.
“Stroke survivors sometimes
experience remarkable and
unanticipated recoveries that
can’t be explained.
“General recovery guide
lines show that 10 percent of
stroke survivors recover al
most completely, 25 percent
recover with minor impair
ments, and 40 percent expe
rience moderate impair
ments.”
Mullen said Kelley was
transferred from Memo
rial Mission Hospital to
Thoms Rehabilitation
Hospital.
“I have no idea how long
she will be there,” said
Mullen.
“She will have both
speech and physical reha
bilitation,” said Mullen
The faculty and admin
istration will meet today
to discuss and determine
the delegation of Kelley’s
duties during the time of
her absence.
Founders and students endure renovations
By Kjrsten Keane
staff Writer
While renovations for Founders Residence
Hall are nearing completion, some stu
dents are upset with the prolonged incon
venience.
“I thought (air conditioning) would be
here for the beginning of school,” said
Brandon Bucy, a sophomore political sci
ence major. “Here we are, sizzling in our
t>wn juices.”
“The original date for air conditioning
was Aug. 15,” said Pete Williams, UNCA’s
director of housing.
“We’re basically a
month behind.”
Air-conditioning units
were tested for leaks on
all floors Friday, and are
expected to be working
this week, said Williams.
Most of the people
have been cooperative
about the construction, said Williams, but
“we have a few students that haven’t been.”
“It’s been a very stressful time for every
body,” said Williams. “We appreciate the
people who have
been understanding
of the circumstances.
It’s not something
that was planned to
happen, but these
things do happen in
construction.”
“I have to imagine
that it was awkward
for the freshmen because it was their first
college experience,” said Alexis Stephenson,
“Here we are sizzling In
our own juices.”
-Brandon Bucy, sopho
more political science
major
a sophomore education major. “But some
times that’s the way life is, not always
perfect. ” Incoming students were not an
ticipating the incomplete renovation
projects.
“It was upsetting how torn up everything
was when we got here,” said Amy Macaluso,
a freshman resident. “The lounges weren’t
set up and it was sweltering.”
“At first all the construction in Founders
Hall was annoying,” said David Schlabach,
a sophomore computer science major.
“Then I started to think about it. I should
be used to the construction and noise and
other related events.”
In addition to air conditioning, rooms in
Founders received new furniture.
The new, larger furniture placed in
Founders Hall over the summer is not
really a problem, said Larry Minton, resi
dent director for Founders. . -
“I didn’t like it at first, but it grows on
you,” said Bucy. “I like the big desk area.”
“(Big furniture) might be a problem with
some students who are used to having more
See FOUNDERS page 12