North Carolina Newspapers

The -Blue Banner The Uniuersity of north Cdrolina dtflsheuille Uolume 33 Issue 4 February 22,2001 Local authors read works at IDalaprops Feb. 18 See page 3 i ‘ (Hen’s basketball split two conference games See page 5 "Clear-cutting protest at Staples,” by Candice Carr See page 8 irlia- :eds, de fall, Ser- f the Vlin rters ;had rine fish ;per- lians :ions Res- but jr :d elhi ine’ ither ed Day ivere tical •adi- gate par :h,a ftax g in iarc :rib- ) to lore mo- OOO sen- pro 1 to pay. Dnal lises 1 the and Most athletic funds go to basketball ANTHONY GRECO/PHOTO EDITOR Junior forward Robby Joyner, a member of the basket- ball team, attempts to score a basket at a recent game. Keitti Cromwell staff Writer The athletic department spent $412,438 on com bined salaries and benefits and $700,000 on student athlete scholarships, accord ing to the athletic budget. Some students said they disagree with the amount of money spent on scholarships for athletes. “It seems that we can put that money into better facili ties, or something that ben efits the entire school, rather than just a few students,” said Danny Proctor, asopho- more atmospheric science major. In terms of each team, men’s basketball received the most funds. They received $103,000, plus $26,000 for recruitment. Women’s bas ketball received $65,000, plus $17,500 for recruit ment. In comparison, the men’s and women’s tennis teams both received $11,500, plus $1,000 for recruitment. The men’s soccer team re ceived $23,862, plus $3,000 for recruitment. The men’s and women’s cross country teams each received $31,343, plus $ 1,000 for recruitment, according to the budget. “I think teams should get equal amounts,” said Crys tal Gore, a sophomore art major and member of the women’s track team. The National Collegiate Athletic Association requires a minimum amount ofschol- arships and sports teams to be in Division I. The re quirements include main taining 14 teams, made up of seven men and seven women’s teams, and provide 25 scholarships for each gen der, according to Gore. “With the exception of the basketball players, most of our athletes are on a partial scholarship,” said Joni Comstock, director of the athletic program. UNCA students pay $399 in student fees toward the athletic program, the high est out of all 16 UNC-sys- tem universities. During the 2001 -2002 school year, ath letic fees will increase $22 per student. “Athletics are a part of ev ery university,” said Anne Moukperian, a sophomore political science major. “I do not think athletics are taken seriously on this cam pus, other than by athletes and those who are involved in athletics,” Last year, athletics received $1.1 million from student fees. The total athletics de partment budget was $1.8 million, according to Comstock. Most revenue for athletics comes from student fees, pri vate gifts or grants and the NCAA. UNCA athletics received $200,000 from game guar antees. Game guarantees are money the university receives from bigger schools for play ing a game at that school. Both men’s and women’s basketball teams play these games, according to Mike Gore, director of sports in formation. “This year, we went down and play the University of Texas, and we get a check from them for playing the game,” said Gore. “It makes sense for Texas because tliey need a home game. A home game for a school like that generates a lot of money.” Game guarantees “help our budget, but it also makes our team better in conference play,” said Gore. “When you play Texas in front of 10,000 people, it’s a little easier to come back and play Liberty.” The games are played in regular season, and count toward UNCA’s record. This year, the men’s basketball team played five guarantee games, according to Gore. “The teams that schedule us think they are getting an easy win, and a couple of times, we have fooled them,” said Gore. “We beat the University of South Caro lina and Mexico State Uni versity one year, and lost to Tennessee by three points.” Some students said the ath letic department should find other sources to make money. Playing these games “make it seem the athletic depart ment doesn’t care about the basketball team’s record, but rather all they care about is the money,” said Jessica Bulleck, a freshmen com puter science major. Athletic fees at other schools include $261 at Appalachian See BUDGET page 8 Drivers may be a risk for animals Claire O’Brien Staff Ulriter iliec ) in- •mei rliei thi 3nt( ead: :hei Both domestic and wild ani mals are possibly in danger of being killed by drivers speed ing around the campus area. The most dangerous areas for animals are on the side roads leading to campus, especially on Edgewood Road and Barnard Avenue, according to Ann Weber, professor of psy chology. “You cannot turn around without seeing little dead squirrels everywhere,” said Tonie Carlton, a senior po litical science major. Squirrels tend to dart out in front of cars. If drivers obey the speed limit, they can stop in time, according to Weber. Edgewood and Barnard roads are popular shortcuts to campus, but are also residen tial areas with a large number of those residents pet owners, according to Weber. If the residents have a pet, make it an indoor (animali, or kiss it goodbye,” said We ber. This is unfair to both the owners and the pets. If students, staff and faculty would obey the 20 mph speed limit, these deaths could be avoided, according to Weber. In December, one ofWeber’s neighbors lost their shepherd- mix dog, Lucy, to a hit-and- run-driver. The driver sped away after hitting Lucy, as the dog lay dying in the road, according to Weber. By the time neighbors reached Lucy it was too late. The dog died in the vet’s of fice. Just a few months before Lucy’s death, the same coupie lost their cat to a speeding driver, according to Weber. Jn the woods on campus, there is a small grave where a cat named Ike is buried, also the victim of speeding driver. Ike was hit on the road near the Physical Plant building. A frequent visitor to the cam pus, Ike’s favorite place to hang out was around Zageir and Owen Halls, according to We ber. Ike belonged n ii: 'd"--!'' couple living on I y'annis Sr. KAiHRlfN KROUbt/l-tni URES EDITOR An unleashed dog, owned by a UNCA student, could be at risk for injury or death by automobiles. Around class times, people follow the car in front of them too closely, pressuring the other driver to speed. Even if a person is going to be late to a class or meeting, there is no excuse for speed ing, according to Weber. “Just speeding in general, I have never seen anyone get pulled,’ said Cyrus Tashakkori, an undeclared sophomore. Unattended dogs running loose on campus “should be on a leash,” said Geneva Stork, an undeclared sophomore. There is a leash law that pro hibits students from leaving pets unattended on campus, according to Weber. However, there is no one for public safety to ticket, and they cannot hold the dog for the owner to pick up because the campus does not have the facilities, according to Weber. In order to remove the unat tended pet, public safety would have to call Animal Control, according to Weber. Many students “have seen [dogs] out for hours and hours in the hot sun,” and some of these dogs are left without shade or water, said Weber. The owner often wraps the dog’s leash around a tree, es sentially binding the dogs, with no give in their leash, according to Weber. The campus needs to find a solution that is “safe for ani mals first and convenient for owners second,” said Weber. One faculty member sug gested having a “Pet Day,” said Weber. It would be held on cam pus and students could bring their pets to an informal meeting to learn pet-care tips, said Weber. “Unless it is a bad (animal) and gets in people’s way, it adds character to the cam pus,” said Tashakkori. Privatization draws interest nngela Brock staff Writer Several UNCA students were involved with the distribution of flyers to promote aware ness of Sodexho Marriott Ser vices’ connection to prison privatization. “A box of burritos was dropped on the middle of the quad with a sign that said Tree Burritos’,” said a student, who wishes to remain anonymous. “Someone took a box to the cafeteria, and handed out burritos with a flyer.” The persons passing out the burrito flyers stood outside the cafeteria, but no one is sure ifanyone actually entered it, according to the student. “The flyer was anti-prison propaganda,” said the stu dent. Sodexho Alliance owns al most half of SMS. In Europe, Sodexho Alliance operates a high percentage ofprivate pris ons in many countries, ac cording to the SA Web site. Prison privatization involves the use of prison labor with out monetary compensation for the labor. SA invested in the Correc tions Corporation of America, a corrections service to gov ernment associations, accord ing to the CCA Web site. Some students said they are concerned about the use of prison labor to produce goods that UNCA’s cafeteria may use, according to the stu dents. The purpose of the flyers was to inform UNCA stu dents about the use of prison labor, according to the stu dent. “The flyers were just to let students know about the cor porations they support,” said another student, who wished to remian anonymous. “The student activists are not into property destruction at all, regardless of what has been said about students who op pose %-)dexho’s involvement with privatization.” There has not been any stu dent vandalism take place in the cafeteria by students who oppose Sodexho Marriott’s in volvement with prison labor, according to Sodexho Marriott employees. Profit is made off of the prisoners, thus some prison ers may get longer sentences, according to students. “I do not want my money to go towards private prisons, and I would like to support more local food sources,” said another student, who wishes to remain anonymous. “We want an alternative place on campus to buy food that can be ran by the students.” Program attains exemplary status Thad Eckard staff Writer UNCA’s teaching program received a high rating from the North Carolina State Board of Education, but did they not receive the scholar ship money due to them, according to Mark S i d e I n i c k , chairman and associate pro fessor of edu cation. “Schools that receive ex emplary status were supposed to receive scholarship money for stu dents becom ing teachers,” said Sidelnick. Although the programs qualify for rewards, they have not yet received anything. The program was never told how much they would receive for scholarships. “Professors in the educa- PHOTO COURTESY OF EDUCATION PROGRAM Nick Phillips, a senior history major, helps children at a school. tion department are not only my instructors,” said Tanner Gamble, a senior environmen tal science major. “They are also my colleagues now who I can come to when I need their help. I am extremely grate ful.” All the Board promised were “sanctions and rewards,” said Sidelnick. 1 he law men tioned “schol arship money,” but did not pro vide specific amounts. In stead, they im plied that par ticular amounts “would be de termined,” said Sidelnick. When the state realized that it had no money, “there was nothing to de termine,” said Sidelnick. The ranking places UNCA’s education department in a position shared by only three other schools in the state. The Board based this year’s See RATING page 10