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Volume 29 Issue 5
March 4, 1999
)uld
Commuters iminfonned
Boards outside of academic
PHOTO BY CARRIE ENDERS
buildings are one way the university tries to tell students about upcoming events.
Commuters say access to campus events limited
By Emma Jones
staff Writer
PHOTO BY CARRIE ENDERS
A bulletin board in one of
UNCA’s academic build
ings is crammed with
notices for upcoming
events.
A method of informing UNCA
commuters of campus events has
not yet been developed, but the
problem is being addressed, ac
cording to Eric lovacchini, vice
chancellor of student affairs.
“I think the most feasible solu
tion is a combination of technol
ogy and hard copy,” said
lovacchini. “I don’t think just one
thing gets everybody’s attention.
Though approximately two-
thirds of UNCA’s 3,200 students
live off campus, most organiza
tional information and campus
news is posted primarily in resi
dential student areas, according
to one commuter.
“I don’t know when any of the
club meetings are,” said Katherine
White, asophomore environmen
tal studies major. “The only way
you really see that information is
on the posters in the dorms. Com
muters really don’t have access to
that.”
A recent Student Government
Association (SGA) survey polling
commuters around campus indi
cated that other commuters saw a
similar trend in the lack of infor
mation flow, according to
Alphonso Donaldson, SGA presi
dent. This problem has been
present for some time, and SGA
and the administration have pro
posed ideas for solutions.
“I think if there was a commuter
group dedicated to getting com
muters involved on campus, then
they could spread information
around to the rest of the commut
ers,” said Donaldson. “Word-of-
mouth is a wonderful thing.”
In the past, there have been vari
ous commuter groups that usually
served a need for a specific group
of commuters, according to
lovacchini. The most recent of
these was a group called Encore.
This group was made up of non-
traditional-age students with
families, according to Donaldson.
Promoting on-campus childcare
was one of their main focuses.
“After one thing or another, it
kind of fell apart,” said
Donaldson. “We haven’t had a
strong commuter base since then.
It’s kind of frustrating.”
Often, having easy access to cam
pus information is crucial for class
requirements, according to Tracie
Pressley, a junior management
major .
“When I was taking humani
ties, and we had to do cultural
events, I never knew when any
thing was happening,” said
Pressley.
With the newly-installed fiber
optics on campus, the university
is better able to provide some
type of school-wide bulletin, ac-
See COMMUTE page 10
DMV leaves
drivers open
to junk mail
Privacy disclosure forms for all
vehicle owners not an option
By Krystel Lucas
staff Writer
The North Carolina Division of
Motor Vehicles (NCDMV) can
not afford to inform the public
about the release of personal infor
mation contained in motor vehicle
records for use in surveys, market
ing and solicitations, according to
the NCDMV spokesman.
“If people don’t want their per
sonal information to be available
to the public, they need to fill out
the Privacy Disclosure Form
(PDF), and send it off,” said John
Parks, spokesman for the
NCDMV. “There are 6.9 million
registered vehicles in this state, and
it would be too costly for the DMV
to send the PDF to everyone in the
state.”
Information about the PDF state
ment is available in license offices
and on the DMV Web page, ac
cording to Parks.
“I think it is dishonest not to
inform the public that their per
sonal information is being re
leased,” said Rachel McDonald, a
sophomore.
If the PDF is not available to
individuals until they renew their
license, title, registration or identi
fication card, mass marketers will
have access to vehicle owners’
records, according to the NCDMV
Web page.
“The information will be made
available to mass marketers,” said
Parks. “This includes names, ad
dresses, and the year and model of
your vehicle.”
“I’m against any form of surveys
or selling off people’s names and
information for any reason,” said
Eric Moncrief, UNCA graduate
from Hendersonville.
The division is authorized to
implement procedures to ensure
that people may “opt-out” and pro
hibit the use of motor vehicle record
information for various commer
cial activities, according to the fed
eral court case Condon vs. Reno.
“I’m a victim of mass marketing
phone calls,” said Susan Stader, a
junior psychology major. “I think
it is pitiful. We all have a right to
know (the PDF) is available.”
If the PDF is provided to the
public and license holders do not
object to distribution of selected
information from their motor ve
hicle records, the state may release
the information for any purpose,
according to Condon vs. Reno.
“I am not due to get my driver’s
license renewed for another three
or four years, and I wouldn t have
See DMV page 10
UNCA re-examines policies for disabled
By Mike Bryant
staff Writer
i UNCA’s policies and services for an in-
■ creasing number of disabled students are being
studied and evaluated by the university, accord
ing to Amy Justice, assistant director of smdent
■ development.
' “The number of disabled smdents on die
campus has almost doubled in the past two
years,” said Justice. “The number of disabled
students has increased from approximately 30 i
in
1997 to about 60 in 1999. Disabled smdents
constimte roughly 2 percent of die present sm
dent population.”
“A disabled person is one who has a physical or
mental impairment which substantially limits a
major life activity, has a rerard or history of such
an impairment or is regarded as having such an
impairment,” according to die Americans With
Disabilities Aa of 1990 (ADA).
An evaluation of the university’s present disabil
ity policies and services will provide faculty and
staff with the opportunity to discuss current and
future guidelines for meeting the needs of
disabled students, according to Ericlovacchini,
vice chancellor of student afKurs.
“It is important that the university remain
sensitive and proactive regarding the needs of
those smdents who have documented disabili
ties,” said lovacchini. “We feel that we have been
diligent in our efforts to correct the shortcomings
and mistakes made in this area in f)ast years.
The university’s commitment to comply with
the ADA has not come without CO ncems among
faculty and staff, according to lovacchini.
“University officials are confident that
UNCA is in compliance with the requirements
establishedby the ADA,” said lovacchini. “How
ever, there is debate among some faculty and staff
as to what extent the university can extend itself
over and beyond diose requirements. The re
sources of the imiversity must be utilized as
effectively as possible for the benefit of all sm
dents. Some feculty have expressed concern in
incidents where special accommodations have
had to be made for those smdents identified as
disabled in their classrooms. These faculty mem
bers believe such accommodations are not
fair to other students.”
UNCA requires smdents to identify them
selves to the coordinator of disability services
before consideration of disability services can be
initiated, according to Justice.
“Smdents have the responsibility to identify
themselvesasdisabledwith the university, said
Justice. “The services and accommodations
provided for a disabled smdent are based on
documentation and/or consultation with diag
nosing professionals. The student must present
documentation of the disability by an appropri
ate professional to receive disability services.
The university does not provide any disability
di^nostic services for students, according to
Justice.
“I am not aware of any fi'ee services for diagnos-
ingdisabilitiesinthisarea,”saidjustice. Thecost
for such services can start at $300 in western
North Carolina. In addition, it may take at least
See DISABLED page 9
UNCA to be part of college smoking study
By Dru Martin
staff Writer
j A study by a Denver, Colo., re-
J search firm will take place at UNCA
' this fall to examine the aspects of
jsmoking on college campuses.
:i UNCA was chosen as one of five
. (Colleges to participate in the survey
I due to a connection that Vicki
jSrunnick, UNCA counselor and
[substance abuse consultant, has with
the Denver research firm Bacchus
■ (and Gamma.
Bacchus and Gamma know the
smoking industry is strong in this
partofthecountry, saidBrunnick.
“I was really glad we beat out some
of the bigger schools for this study.
The Center for Disease Control
(CDC) provided Bacchus and
Gamma with a grant so the study
could take place, according to
Brunnick. The research is based on
social norming demonstrational
studies by sociology professors, ac
cording to an information sheet
from Bacchus and Gamma.
“Their theory is that students and
people, in general, have percep
tions about what they think is go
ing on, and in reality everybody is
not drinking and smoking,” said
Brunnick.
“I do not think it is going to be
more effective than any other ciga
rette smoking study, said Steven
Ingram, a junior computer science
major. “Facts are facts. If people are
going to smoke, then they are going
to smoke.”
“I think the thing they do not
always look at in studies is the
social aspects of smoking,” said
Arami Bolick, a senior literature
major. “They tend to look at the
physical addiction of it all, but I
think so much of it can be a
lifestyle issue. You begin to de
fine yourself as a smoker after a
while.”
“During the week of April 12,
the health department will con
duct a student drug use survey,”
' said Brunnick. “We have par
ticipated in that before, and it
takes a look at all substances.”
Brunnick will be accompanied
by Keith Ray, chair and associ
ate professor of the health and
fitness department, to Denver
from March 11-14 to find out
See SMOKING page 10
PHOTO BY TRAVIS BARKER
Some UNCA students stand outside Karpen Hall smoking
Wednesday.