Newspapers / University of North Carolina … / Oct. 13, 2005, edition 1 / Page 9
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r9: T [)05 — -October 13, 2005 r llie Blue Banner — Sening the University of North Carolina at Ashe\ille sinee 1982 Campus Page 9 3rock iccorj prock’s career in teaching is ®mething he takes very serious- ' and he works hard to facilitate city,«^ccess in his students. have worked in the field for i'ersi®brt periods of time, but find :he li one of the most reward- heaid b careers,” Brock said. 'hgisi One of the greatest rewards of ‘ccorj Aching is that it allows him to lend more time with his family. ] now have young children, so benefits and receiving sub- luri Ts Jntial time off during the sum- gtr tboy: mntei le fa )ney, neri] Opinion CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8 Lack of political activism plagues campus Meet the New a By Brett Albers Staff Writer I can teach in the morning and then enjoy the Blue Ridge Mountains in the afternoon. Nothing beats that. Dean Brcx:k Computer Science Chair er remain a nice bonus,” Brock id. Ted i^Unlike bigger institutions, NCA provides a distinctive ibero mosphere for both teachers and ■enaa udents alike, according to (nek. *'1 have been to larger universi- Duntal ;s and it is just not the same. I el the faculty has a deep-rooted terest in the students to provide n sad^m with the best education pos- iile,” Brock said. UNCA’s emphasis on liberal 1 ^s is helpful to students as well, 'ergd Icording to Brock. “Students here focus not only f their area of study, but also on taining a broad liberal arts edu- 'ion,” Brock said. efoUti One problem with teaching at a jibMj Sailer university is the limited iioiint of space provided for rtain departments, according to onijii nek. 1 think a never-ending wish 1 faculty here is to have more dee. I would love an expansion my department for more com- ter and working space, but I 'd that is a minor need,” Brock erseHd. Any student on campus, regardless of his or her major, could benefit from taking a com puter science course or two, according to Brock. “I would like to see more stu dents in our introductory courses that are not computer science majors,” Brock said. “We have two or three courses that are fun and students will learn much more than they ever expected.” The 21st century relies a great deal on computers to create a functioning world, and it remains clear that they will be an essential staple of our culture from here on out, according to Brock. “The average home today usu ally contains more than 30 com puters. Many just do not realize that computers are present in microwaves, televisions and cell phones as well as many other common appliances,” Brock said. Brock recognizes both the ben efits and downfalls of living in such a computer permeated soci ety. “People should be more aware of all that computers make avail able, both the good and bad. A look into the area of computer science can provide some of these insights.” With constant political chaos involving everything from natural disaster relief to U.S. Supreme Court justice nomina tions, I begin to wonder exactly what sort of impact people Albers of our age could have. College campuses have been the springboard for many political movements that have reached our nation’s political and social spot light. For me, however, this ideal belief is just not realistic anymore. The 2004 election was a golden opportunity for the largely apathet ic 18 to 24-yeai-old voter base to show we actually care. We had every opportunity in the world to get out there and make our voices heard. There was a significant increase in voter participation for the elec tion as compared to years prior, and I’m not complaining about that. But coming from my perspec tive, it seems as if we could have done more. I came to UNCA expecting to find a politically charged and active community. It seemed that activism on cam pus was at an absolute high during the 2004 presidential election. I’m sure membership in political clubs of many different beliefs was very high in comparison to non-election years. But as the election drew closer, I Ti O impM tha ordiil hevilli iraoii tthes d tha g.- ■■STi'-hU m V ardK at tin )rkii| :*i-, 'T|; • Vv.ilSv'' 'xietf ?opli iwel- ■AN\ ictifl oaeC' ^uad Its.’ inue, /suits I 92 9j I isbea ideal ellai /here these place rfert Dine- began to notice the lack of vocal activity from many of these groups. I know for a fact, that it is a misconception of far too many progressives and liberals that “the truth” will enlighten voters and lead them to making correct deci sions that favorably affect their own well-being. This is simply not the case. Lack of political activism from college students was one of the most detri mental factors in Kerry’s defeat. Rather than portraying what beliefs the Democrats wanted to uphold if they were elected, most Kerry supporters spent the whole campaign telling everyone why President Bush is so wrong. It bothers me to see such an apa thetic and ineffective approach to politics from a generation respon sible for building the future of this nation. We are at an age now in which our decisions and actions could greatly affect the world around us. That responsibility is a power that not many are ready to deal with. Whether you are a bleeding- heart Liberal, a Populist Progressive or just an everyday moderate Democrat, it’s time to realize that the only way the Republican Party will be defeated is not by adjusting to their stan dards, but by setting our own. So let’s do this the only way we know how. We are college stu dents. We know how to reach other college students. So, the next time you feel as if your voice is not heard, know that the reason why is not because you are not speaking loud enough, it’s because you are not saying it the right way. ii )? Faculty Members It bothers me to see such an apathetic and ineffective approach to politics from a gen eration responsible for building the future of this nation. Rather than telling our oppo nents what they have done wrong, we need to realize that it would be more effective to tell the world what we, as progressive thinkers, have done right. This is where the clubs and organizations on our campus come in. You can not build a grassroots movement with monthly meetings and a member sign-up once a semester. Yes, you might feel good if 35 freshmen sign up at the beginning of their first semester, but how many of those students actually get involved? All I suggest is that we join together as a campus and a com munity to successfully voice the varied goals and views of all the people attending our college. We won’t all agree on every thing, but if we work together rather than fight with each other, then we will achieve progressive change for the better of all Americans. It is time for our generation to take action. If we want change to occur, we must learn that we can not achieve these goals by com plaining. We are college students. We have a reputation of speaking our mind, so let’s not forget that. Otherwise, the 2008 election will seem oddly familiar. Patrick Bahls Mathematics Assi.stant Professor Why did you aime to UNCA? UNCA is precisely the sort of sch(X)l I wanted to teach at: it's small, oftcring small class es and the opportunity ftir close, personal interaction with students. Moreover, the focus on undergraduate edu cation appeals to me. While I enjoy my re,scarch immen.scly, teaching is my top priority. Previous experience? -1 ,spxmt three years as a jx)st- doctoral a.ssistant professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign -1 spent four years as a gradu ate instructor at Vanderbilt University Opinions on UNCA so far? I like what I've seen. The school has proven mueh as I expected so far. a Yes, we've got Free Checking at Carolina First! • No monthly maintenance fee • Free debit card • Free Internet Banking • Free check safekeeping » Open with as little as $50 And a Free Gift! CAROUNA FIRST takebanhutg petsonaJiv. 74 Patton Ave Asheville, NC 28801 828.253.5505 1871 Hendersonville Rd Asheville, NC 28803 828,274.8099 m 150 Weaver Blvd Asheville, NC 28787 828.645.9393 X' 1-800-476-6400 www.carolinafirst.com
University of North Carolina at Asheville Student Newspaper
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Oct. 13, 2005, edition 1
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