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Yolume 38 Issue 3
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The University of North Carolina at Asheville
September 25, 2003
NEWS
BRIEFS
Kristen Ruggeri
News Reporter
UNCA
The university invites grade
Ichoolers from Western North
hrolina to campus for the 17th
Ifflual Super Saturday program,
fhe program incorporates 28
lourses including dance for musi-
lil theater, ancient Egyptian cul-
Ire, veterinarian science and many
Lore. UNCA faculty, public school
jcachers, upper-level UNCA stu-
lents, as well as other professionals,
lill teach the courses. Tuition is
|5) per class and $45 for children
IfUNCA employees. Courses be-
lin Sept. 27 and continue every
lamrday for six weeks.
CAMPUS CRIME
I Campus police arrested two stu-
lents for underage possession of
llcohol and charged them each with
I university citation. Officers also
Issued a state charge to an underage
Itulent for driving after consum-
’ alcohol. Campus police filed
laiversity citations on three stu-
lents for property damage in a dorm
loom. An additional student was
Issued with a university citation for
Icfusing to pay for a meal at the
Jlining Hall. Two students were
lliarged with misdemeanor simple
Ihysical assault for an incident at
pkst Ridge residence hall.
ASHEVILLE
Protesters against the Grove Park
nn’s plan to build a high-rise build-
ng downtown are currently hold-
ng a petition drive. Many critics
7 the building will look out of
lace in Asheville and the City
ouncil’s decision was not public
lough. The City Council voted
uesday in favor of granting the
in an option to buy the land just
f of Pack Sq uare for $702,000.
khough the vote was six to one,
arty Summers, an Asheville resi
st who is part of the petition
dve, said he’s already collected
aout 15,000 signatures.
Buncombe County leaders as-
gned the Pack Square Conser-
ancy Organization to redesign
ck Square and City County Plaza
a large park. The Conservancy
oposed guidelines for the square
at forbid the construction of any
lildings higher than the Jackson
•tiding in that area. The Conser-
ncy says the architects for this
oject will work alongside their
a professionals to make sure ev-
Campus dispatcher loses batde with liver problems
Ryan Sniatecki
News Reporter
COURTESY OF UNCA CAMPUS POLICE
The late Michael Gray.
Campus police dispatcher Michael
Gray died of liver failure at the age
of 42 Sept 8.
“His greatest fear was that he was
going to die and not have succeeded
in finishing his degree,” said Kae
Davis, UN CA graduate and a friend
of Gray’s. “He didn’t want to bur
den anyone with the concept that
he was sick. For that reason, most
people didn’t know Michael was
ill.”
Gray’s mother died of a heart at
tack 10 days before his death. Gray
took steps to help her by moving a
table out of the way so his father
could perform CPR and by calling
911, according to Lou Caliendo,
campus police chief
“Basically, the last dispatching he
did was bringing EMS tohisMom,”
said Caliendo.
Gray completed a UNCA degree
despite health problems that forced
him to leave school several times.
He returned to campus after gradu
ating in 2001 in order to serve
UNCA as a campus police dis
patcher before passing away this
month.
“He knew life was going to be
short,” said Brian Butler, assistant
professor of philosophy. “He
struggled through wanting to go to
school, and it was a heroic struggle. ”
Gray continued to return to
UNGA over the course of several
years in order to finish his philoso
phy degree.
Gray’s determination to complete
the philosophy degree, with a reli
gious studies minor, came from his
desire to understand the greater
workings of the world, according to
Davis.
“Every time he left he would have
to catch up with departmental
changes, with knowledge that just
doesn’t sit there ifyou’re not facing
it constantly,” said Butler. “It’s
much easier to go through four
years straight and do everything by
the book.”
Panic attacks threatened Gray’s
success several times during his
undergraduate career, but he suc
ceeded with the help of faculty
members and other students.
“We’d sit down at the table and
we’d do 20 logic problems and he
would get all 20 right,” said Butler.
“I’d go, ‘hey, now you’re taking the
test’ and write three of the same
exact logic problems on a piece of
paper, hand it to him and walk
away.
“I'd watch him panic and not be
able to do it. It was just abotit as
Science professor receives national grant
JAY ADKINS/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
UNCA set to recieve $330,000 scanning electron microscope
• Bill Miller, environmental
studies professor, is the recipient
of a national grant that will pay
for a scanning electron micro
scope.
• This microscope creates
magnified images via an electron
beam rather than conventional
light waves and is able to
produce three-dimensional
images up to 200,000x magnifi
cation with a resolution of five
nanometers.
• Objects may only be studied
if they conduct electricity.
Viewing non-conductive speci
mens requires that they be
coated with a thin layer of gold
and placed within a vacuum.
Erin Bereit
News Reporter
The UNCA science department
received a $412,000 grant from the
National Science Foundation to
establish a Center for Nondestruc
tive Chemical Analysis. The center
is scheduled to open July 2004.
“This is great for everybody,” said
Bill Miller, an environmental stud
ies professor. “It’s going to contrib
ute a lot to research. There are a lot
of students who are a part of our
research efforts. This is going to
help the students learn research
techniques that they can use later.
It can also help them on the re
search projects here.”
The new center will include a state-
of-the-art environmental scanning
electron microscope (ESEM), anx-
ray energy dispersive spectrometer
and other accompanying equip
ment. The new ESEM will be the
first type of high-tech instrument
in the Asheville region available for
use by students and university fac
ulty, according to the UNCA Web
site.
The new center is slated for more
in-depth research by students and
faculty as well as by the Mossbauer
Research Group. Research con
ducted by faculty and students in
clude investigations of prehistoric
pottery, regional bedrock and in
sect species. The Center will make
some research possible that would
not be possible without the new
equipment.
“This will be important in student
research and my research studying
insects that you cannot tell apart
morphologically,” said Tim Forrest,
associate biology professor. “Per
haps using the scanning electron
microscope will enable us to tell
them apart.”
Professors will also use the new
equipment for UNCA science
classes. It will enable science stu
dents to see and learn more than
ever.
“The scanning electron micro
scope allows us to look at very
minute details of a structure,” said
Forrest. “It gives students an expe
rience that few get.”
The ESEM is unique in that it
keeps specimens from being dam
aged during investigation, and it
allows for on-going observation of
the same sample at different stages
of an experiment, according to the
UNCA Web site. The new center
that will house the ESEM will also
See MICROSCOPE Page 8
See GRAY Page 8
Clarification of
a previous Blue
Banner article
Jason McGill
News Editor
The Blue Banner wishes to write
an addendum to a story from the
Sept. 1 8 issue. The story “Financial
aid office alters scholarship policy
on off-campus housing” deserves
further clarification not given dur
ing the time of publication.
Editorial decisions altered the
manner in which Hilary McVicker’s
article read. Initially, McVicker
placed student quotes by seniors
Tasha Daniels and Jolene Haymans
towards the end of article. By mov
ing comments from Daniels towards
the beginning of the article. The
Blue Banner staff inadvertantly
caused an imbalance in the article.
Due to spacial issues, McVicker’s
article ran much shorter than what
was originally submitted. I’he deci
sion to cut back on article length
coupled with an imbalance resulted
in a distinct bias against the finan
cial aid office. It should also be
noted that trimming the article also
forced Haymans’ comments out of
context.
This unfortunate situation became
amplified due to the lack of fact
checking. The Blue Banner did not
verify certain facts with the finan
cial aid office following initial re
search. Unfortunately, what origi
nally began as a credible, hard-news
article became a misreptesentative
piece. The Blue Banner strives to
report in a responsible fashion and
has taken steps to better do so based
upon this incident.
north CAROLINA
Hurricane Isabel swept through
p® North Carolina coast Sept. 18
jusing the death of three residents.
*0 people died due to falling trees
N a utility worker was electro
cuted. In addition, about 189,000
••stomets in North Carolina were
411 without power as of Sept. 20.
olunteers across the state traveler
r the coast to offer food and other
resistance to hurricane victims. Ex-
Ptrts estimated losses at $ 1 billion
r 3 result of the hurricane, half of
••e expected cost of damage pre-
I 'tted before the hurricane.
College hopefuls visit the Asheville mall
Adam Pollock
News Reporter
See BRIEFS Page 8
Local high school students and
others seeking post-secondary op
portunities shopped for their fu
tures during College, Night at the
Asheville Mall Sept 18.
“It’s just about opening the doors
to higher education,” said India
McHale, UNCA’s assistant direc
tor of admissions.
The program, coordinated by the
Carolina Association of Collegiate
Registrars and Admissions Offic
ers, showcased 140 post-secondary
institutions, along with representa
tives from the North Carolina Col
lege Foundation and the U.S.
Armed Forces.
Admissions personnel from
UNCA, with co-sponsorship from
Buncombe County, McDowell
County, Madison County and
Asheville City Schools, hosted Col
lege night while the Asheville Mall
provided free space for the event.
Most College Night organizers
said they viewed the event as a
success, and many participants said
that the event helped them signifi
cantly.
“It gives schools all across North
Carolina, as well as outside of the
state, an opportunity to come in
and offer their information to in
terested students,” said Christi
Hollifield, the Regional Reptesen-
tative for the College Foundation
of North Carolina.
.j
HILARY MCVICKER/ST AFF PHOT OGRAPHER
See MALL Page 8
Leigh McBride, associate director of UNCA admissions, assisted
numerous visitors during College Night at the Asheville Mall.
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