vlarch 30, 2006
ielease of
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itina
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The Blue Banner — Serving the Universitv’ of Noith (Carolina at Asheville sinee 1982
Page 3
ideo discs
may cause
ormat clash
By Sam Laney
Staff Writer
3El
Sony expects its Blu-ray disc
ayer to launch in July, leading
le electronics industry and con-
mers to prepare for a media for-
lat clash similar to the release of
HS and Betamax.
Toshiba, who plans on taking on
ony with its HD-DVD players,
lid it plans to launch two models
$499 and $799 later this month,
ony said its first Blu-ray player
ill retail for $1,000.
Separate movie studios will back
ich format, with only Paramount
ictures announcing plans to
ilease movies on both formats so
“For the best quality TV or sound
stem, it’ll be just as well to get a
iguiar DVD,” said Mike Henning,
aUNCA alumnus who works at a
Officer joins campus community after Katrina
By Alana Rade
Staff Writer
3in-
fci
fd.
ical electronics store. “I’m going
) keep buying regular stuff. I’ll
' obably see if the prices go down
id wait and see which one does
Etter before I commit.”
Many DVD fans say they plan on
aiting until it becomes clear
hich format will support the most
lovies and a dominant format
nerges before purchasing new
scs. Ken Hanke, local film critic
r the Mountain Xpress, said he
ivns thousands of films, and buy-
g new versions of the same film
IS simply become comical.
“Most people I know, which is to
ly reviewers, film historians and
[lectors, are somewhat less than
led by the whole thing,” Hanke
id. “A lot of these folks, myself
acluded, have spent years acquir-
things in various formats only
) have to replace them with the
ew and improved one.”
For other film collections such as
lamsey Library’s, a new medium
only mean making more shelf
pace.
We’ll definitely wait until we
ee a clear winner. Eventually
ie’ll buy the new player and start
nother collection,” said Bryan
Sinclair, associate librarian for
ablic services at Ramsey Library.
Toshiba, with the help of Warner
lome Video, planned on launch-
ng the HD-DVD format ahead of
lu-ray later this month.
However, last Friday Warner
nnounced the films would not be
eady until mid-April, leaving
Toshiba’s player without software
Bd costing the company some of
ts lead over rival Sony.
Paramount and Universal
'ictures, the two other studios
acking HD-DVD, have not
announced any release dates for
itcir high-definition films.
No matter how much technology
SEE Discs page 41
Joining the UNCA Campus
Police after protecting his native
New Orleans in the wake of
Hurricane Katrina, Joe Jones
spoke about his experience with
the storm and its aftermath.
“When it comes to Hurricane
Katrina, there’s been so much bad
publicity about the police and
New Orleans, but there were a lot
of police officers there who really
did a heroic job and kept a lot of
people from losing their lives,”
said Jones. ‘There were a lot of
civilians down there that really
stepped up and lent a hand and
saved a lot of people.”
Jones said he thinks about
Hurricane Katrina often and the
situation that he and many othefs
went through, and said that given
the same situation he stands by the
actions taken.
“I think about it almost every
day,” Jones said. “I wouldn’t
change my role down there, I
would not have left. Knowing
what I know now I’d do it again.
“Most of the individuals in New
Orleans, law enforcement, search
and rescue, EMS, and individuals
who are still down there would do
it again. It was just a tragic situa
tion that was made bearable by the
job that a lot of folks did down
there.”
Jones, his wife and daughter
moved to Asheville after
Hurricane Katrina to start anew
and to spend time with Jones’s son
and his family, who were already
living in Asheville when
Hurricane Katrina hit.
U
It’s an opportunity to be with
family because I’d only seen my
oldest grandson twice before
the storm, and he’s three.
Joe Jones
Campus Police Officer
“It’s an opportunity to be with
family because I’d only seen my
oldest grandson twice before the
storm, and he’s three,” Jones said.
Though his family and daughter
evacuated before the storm, Jones
stayed in New Orleans at
Louisiana State University
Medical Center where he was a
security guard to help keep the
campus secure.
“It was a nightmare,” Jones
said. “I’m sure you heard about
the violence and everything that
was going on in New Orleans.
The LSU Medical Center campus
was right in the middle of the city,
and we had multi-story buildings
so people would try to get into our
area.
“We had to keep a constant vigil
to try and keep everybody out and
keep our people safe. It took about
a week before we were able to get
the folks evacuated, but every
thing turned out okay.”
Jones who lived in New Orleans
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Joe Jones, a native of New Orleans and former security guard at Louisiana State University Medical Center, relocated to Asheville after
Hurricane Katrina destroyed much of his hometown last August. He is now a police officer with the UNCA Campus Police.
his entire life except for during his
army service, said that he was not
surprised by what happened in
Louisiana and how the situation
was handled.
“New Orleans, to me, has been a
time bomb for years,” Jones said.
“It had been 40 years since a
major hurricane hit, and we
learned that the city didn’t learn
anything from the last hurricane.
To me, from citizens to the gov
ernment, everything was mishan
dled. We didn’t have enough citi
zens evacuate.”
Though Jones cares about his
hometown, the disaster he experi
enced during Hurricane Katrina
has made him decide to move on
from New Orleans.
“Aug. 28, the day before the
hurricane hit, my wife and daugh
ter left New Orleans and came to
Asheville because my son called
and he wanted the family to be
with him,” Jones said. “I got here
on Labor Day, Sept. 7, so it took
me a week to get out of New
Orleans and get here.
“It was an experience, some
thing I hope I never have to go
through again, that’s why I’m
staying here. I’m not going back.”
With Mardi Gras happening
about a month ago, Jones said he
felt that it was good for the city to
get back to at least some sense of
normalcy.
“I missed Mardi Gras, I’m a big
U
I don’t know how appropriate it
was this year to have Mardi
Gras or not, but the city has to
get back to some semblance of
being normal.
Joe Jonf:s
Campus I\)lice (Jfficcr
kid when it comes to Mardi Gras,
and I love it,” Jones said. “1 don’t
know how appropriate it was this
year to have Mardi Gras or not,
but the city has to get back to
some semblance of being normal.
On one level it may have been a
bad idea, but it may have been a
good idea for the morale of the
city, so I was glad to see it.”
Jones said he has enjoyed the
transition time, and although New
Orleans and Asheville are two
culturally different cities, he likes
the people of the UNCA commu
nity, and the city of Asheville as a
whole.
“The tradition of New Orleans
is just different than Asheville’s,”
Jones said. “New Orleans is based
on just having fun, and when
we’re through with having fun,
let’s have some more. Asheville
has a lot more traditional values
and the people here are a lot
friendlier than they are in New
Orleans.”
In his free time, Jones enjoys
fishing and learning his way
around Asheville, as well as meet
ing new people and having new
experiences.
“Moving to Asheville has been a
fantastic experience,” Jones said.
“I’m a people person, 1 love peo
ple and 1 love meeting new people '
and doing new things, so this has
been an opportunity to do both;'
And, if you have any ideas about'
a good fishing hole, let me know.’’'
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