Comedian smashes
watermelons and “posers’ at
Thomas Wolfe Auditorium
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d earn begins new season
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The Blue B anner
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Volume 42, Issue 3
Serving the University of North Carolina at Asheville sinec 1982
September 15, 2005
omosexuality a forgivable sin
Methodist
church
okays gay
membership
By Lisa Gillespie
Staff Writer
The United Methodist Church in
iVestem North Carolina held a
neeting protested by the Ku Klux
Clan on the inclusion of homosex
uals in all aspects of their church
September 4.
“I don’t think that the Methodist
!hurch should allow gays into
their church because the Bible
ays that homosexuality is a sin,”
laid Jason Ridenhour, freshman
itudent. “If you are a homosexual,
rou just should not be allowed to
>0 there. The KKK makes sense
lometimes. I guess they were
ight quoting the Bible about
Homosexuality.”
' Protestors from the KKK came
iom the southeastern states, but
lid not cause any trouble.
“As far as the KKK goes, I can’t
tand them,” said Matt Dufon,
unior student. “They have no
ight to use the Bible. They are
uch a one-sided, hate-all-but-
aemselves group.”
t In 1980, a motion was passed by
,the committee to prevent practic
ing homosexuals to become
ordained in the United Methodist
Church.
I don’t really have a problem
with gays attending church, and I
don’t see why that should be an
issue,” said Fleming Talton, fresh
man student. “But, I wouldn’t feel
comfortable having a gay preach-
Church law states that, “homo
sexual persons are individuals of
acred worth...God’s grace is
ivailable to all.”
“As Christians in general, we
ihould not be judgmental,” said
'Jicole Carroll, senior psychology
Itudent and president of the
laptist Student Union. “We
Transfer Students Arrive From Gulf Coast
would never discriminate against
anyone that was gay or lesbian.
They would have to know that we
do not believe that is right. They
would not be allowed to hold a
position. As long as they wanted
to come and they knew how we
felt about it, it would be fine if
they joined.”
In 1992 the UMC Commission
on Christian Unity and Inter-reli
gious Concerns said that the opin
ions stated in the Bible represent
ancient culture and not the will of
God.
“We love the people, but maybe
not the things they do,” said
Farrah Duncan, sophomore psy
chology student and president of
United Methodist Campus
Ministries. “We all sin, and that is
just their sin. No sin is greater
than any other. We are open and
we have programs on how to
include homosexuals in our
church.”
In 2004, the commission said
that the practice of homosexuality
was incompatible with Christian
teachings.
“We mostly do not believe in
gays and lesbians as a Baptist
denomination,” Carroll said.
“Most people in BSU do not agree
with it. A man shall not lie on a
man. Marriage is a sacred union
between a man and a woman. We
haven’t had an issue with it actu
ally; it has not been brought up. I
think most people know how
Baptists are.”
Every four years, a General
Conference of Methodist church
es from around the world is held.
“Most of us are pretty open-
minded,” Duncan said. “They
should be included, but not
ordained.”
The Methodist Church modified
the Book of Discipline, a book of
laws, to say that regardless of age,
gender, sexual orientation, or mar
ital status, every person is entitled
to the same human and civil
rights.
“I feel that it is a step in the right
direction as far as civil liberties,”
said Drew DeVore, junior student.
“It seems to me that taking the
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Alana Rade/staff photogfiapher
St. Paul’s Methodist Church, above, is one of many Methodist churches now allowing homosex
uals to join. Farrah Duncan, sophomore psychology student and president of United Methodist
Campus Ministries, below, said the church believes “no sin is greater than any other.”
step towards accepting gay cul
ture into religion is important in
bringing it into society. I would
hope that other religious factions,
whether it is Christian, Muslim, or
Hindu, take this as an example,
and consider it as a possibility,
and not an outcry.”
The Methodist Church charged
Rev. Karen Dammann with violat
ing church law in March follow
ing her coming out as a lesbian.
“It would be nice to see them
allow it (gays as clergymen), but,
these sorts of things take time,”
DeVore said. “It would be detri
mental if they were to take the full
step and accept them into the
church all at once.
“There would be a lot larger
protest within the Methodist
^1
m
church. I’m glad to here that they
are taking it slower and bringing it
Alana Rade/staff photographer
about in a fashion that will be
more acceptable in the long run.”
By Allie Haake
The Office®^'ST'^A!!missions is
illowing late entrance for students
iffected by Hurricane Katrina so
they can continue their education.
There may be more than 100,000
ollege students displaced by the
hurricane, according to Associate
Director of Admissions Leigh
McBride. Four students from
New Orleans and two students
from Mississippi have already
enrolled in classes at UNCA.
“Tve been in admissions here
for about 15 years, and I don’t
Iniow of a natural disaster that has
been this critical,” McBride said.
McBride said they are expecting
niore transfer students to enroll
during the upcoming week.
“We’re trying to do all we can so
•bey don’t have to interrupt their
education,” McBride said. “So far
"'e have been able to work with
everyone that wants to come.”
One student said everyone
should do what they can to help
bese students adjust. “I think
d s great that we are showing com
passion to these students by allow-.
Jl'g them to go on with their lives
uere in Asheville,” said Emily
“omeranz, sophomore political
science student.
McBride said she wants to get
ute students into their classes as
Quickly as possible.
We’re trying to get them in and
settled, and have other things like
paperwork come later,” McBride
said.
Amanda Scully, senior psychol-
°Sy student from Loyola
University New Orleans, said that
everyone at UNCA has been very
helpful.
“I walked in and was in the com
puter fifteen minutes later,” Scully
said. “It was a really easy process.
It was easier than going to college
for the first time.”
There has been tremendous
amounts of support from the stu
dents, as well as the community,
according to McBride.
“A lot of offers have poured into
the housing office here,” said
McBride. “Everyone is pulling
together to help these students. I
was helping one (transfer) student
in the advising office the other
day, and a student offered a tempo
rary room for the student.”
Scully said although she had
options all over the country, she
wanted to be with her family.
“Loyola is a judgment universi
ty, which means that it’s Catholic,”
Scully said. “Judgment schools
across the nation have offered us
to come for free this semester. I
could have gone anywhere,
including Chicago or Georgetown,
but I didn’t want to start over
somewhere on my own.”
Most of the students who have
transferred so far know at least one
person in the area, according to
McBride.
“Sometimes they have family in
this area, and they have just been
attending school in the New
Orleans or Mississippi areas,”
McBride said. “They’re really just
coming home to stay with their
family because their school is
closed down.”
The transfer students are all han
dling these changes in different
ways, according to McBride.
“I think all of these students are
grateful to have a place to go, but
they’re still dealing with a lot of
things like loss of homes and
cars,” McBride said. “Some of
them have driven all this way, so
they’re tired and worrying about
finances in the future. Each per
son is different.”
After living in New Orleans for
three years, Scully said that deal
ing with the disaster has been
extremely difficult.
“I don’t watch the news any
more,” Scully said. “It’s so upset
ting because that is my second
home. Seeing my friends’ homes
and lives destroyed was the hard
est thing to watch.”
One of the hardest parts for these
transfer students has been getting
in touch with their friends from
home, according to Scully.
“It’s hard enough transferring to
a new school and meeting new
people,” Scully said. “It’s a really
hard thing to do when all of your
friends are all over the country.
The big problem with my friends
is they all have 504 area codes, so
I can’t route through the New
Orleans telephone towers to reach
them.”
UNCA is very different from
Loyola. University New Orleans,
according to Scully.
“Everyone’s really nice, and that
helps a lot,” Scully said. ‘To be
honest, living in Asheville is total
ly different than living in New
SEE New Orleans page loj
Gas theft on the rise
at local service stations
By Rebecca Taylor
Staff Writer
Due to high gas prices in
Asheville, some people are
beginning to fill up their tanks
and drive off without paying
store clerks.
John Vail, 53, owns the
Exxon at 873 Merrimon Ave.
According to Vail, customers
are committing more drive-
offs than average since the rise
in gas prices after Hurricane
Katrina.
“Most people are honest, but
there are plenty out there that
will take your money,” Vail
said. “They will steal that gas
in a heartbeat.”
Gas prices would really have
to be high for some people to
even think about stealing fuel
according to Wesley Digh, a
senior mathematics student.
“I’d like to say that I would
never steal gas,” Digh said. “It
would probably have to be
pretty high. Most people are
going to go and get gas
because they need it get to
work or school. I think that
prices would have to get really
high before you could actually
see a change in people’s
behavior.
If someone is trying hard not
to be seen, this is a good indi
cation someone is going to
steal gas according to Vail.
“Somebody stealing doesn’t
want to be seen,” Vail said.
“They get behind the car and
pump, so you can’t read the tag
number. They just hope that
you will turn it on. If you do,
then that’s it, they have got
their fuel and they’re gone,
because they know that you
can’t chase them.”
According to Vail Americans
should not complain about the
high price for gas in this coun
try because other countries pay
the same amount all of the
time, and sometimes more.
“I’m charging $2.95 for reg
ular right now, which is fair,”
Vail said. “Europe has been
paying this money for years, so
we have been real lucky in this
country. We are the richest
country in the world, and we
get the best deals if you think
about it.”
If someone drives off of a lot
without paying, it is hard to
catch that person even if you
obtain a tag number.
Sometimes the tag number will
not trace back to that vehicle,
and if that happens the store-
owner is out of luck according
to Vail.
“You can get a tag number
off of a car, but that doesn’t tell
you who is driving that car,”
Vail said. When the tag num
ber comes back, you can tell
the police it was a white Volk
swagen, and then they might
trace it back to a blue car, and
SEE Theft page i oJ
Students
weigh job
options
By Paige Reinhard
Staff Writer
Whether at an on or off-campus
job, the main consideration for
many UNCA students seeking
employment is money.
“Money is a really big issue for
me, so 1 thought (working off-cam
pus) would be better,” said Caitlin
Swick, a sophomore literature stu
dent.
Swick just started working at The
Hop, an ice cream shop on
Merrimon Avenue, last week.
“I work about 20 hours a week, so
1 am going to see how that works
out with school,” Swick said.
According to Swick, she did not
look for an on-campus job.
“I just assumed that 1 would get
more hours off campus and it’s a
busier job so I figured I would meet
more people,” Swick said. “And
also, we get tips, and I doubt we
would get tips at on-campus jobs.”
According to the UNCA fact-
book, 1,277 undergraduate stu
dents, less than 40 percent, lived on
campus last year. The Career
Center Web site boasts more than
500 jobs available to students, with
salaries ranging from $5.15 to $10
per hour. Swick said she was not
overly pleased with her starting
salary, but she has high hopes for
the future.
“1 make six dollars an hour. I
was hoping for more, but maybe I
will get a raise. And we do get tips,
so that puts me at about 10 dollars
an hour, so that is good,” Swick
said.
Kendra Eaves is a sophomore his
tory student who has jobs both on
and off campus.
“1 work at the Distance Learning
Center at UNCA and at D.J.’s diner
in Fairview,” Eaves said.
According to Eaves, on-campus
jobs are a positive option for stu
dents seeking employment.
“It is good for me particularly
because I cannot work weekends,”
Eaves said. “And it is on campus
so it’s not as much traveling.”
According to the Career Center,
the IRS has an explicit definition of
what makes a ‘student employee.’
‘The IRS definition of an eligible
student employee is an individual
who is currently enrolled at least
half time and whose primary pur
pose is to receive an education.”
The Career Center Web site also
gives a list of different categories of
student employees.
Work-Study Student employees
must be enrolled in at least six
hours and are awarded on-campus
jobs through the Federal Financial
Aid program.
Student Institutional Employees
must be enrolled at least six hours
and do not have work-study awards.
Part-Time Student Institutional
Employees are students enrolled for
four to five hours who do not have
work-study awards.
Students can make up to $10 an
hour at any of the jobs.
According to Eaves, how much
money she makes changes week to
week.
“On a good day I make a lot of
money at D.J.’s, but I make the
same constant amount at Distance
Learning,” Eaves said.
Some students find other perks in
having jobs located off campus.
“I get paid commission for special
events and catering. I have a busi
ness card and a company e-mail
address and I’m on the website,”
said Allison Gains, a sophomore
economics student.
Gains works as a server with
Eaves at D.J.’s diner.
Eaves, however, said she prefers
working at the Distance Learning
Center because of the relaxed envi
ronment.
“I can do my homework and I
have to have the weekends off,”
Eaves said.