Newspapers / University of North Carolina … / April 26, 2007, edition 1 / Page 3
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News 1 he Hlue Banner — Serving the I’niversitv of North ( varolina at Asheville sinee 1982 Thursday, April 26, 2(K)7 SllANNA ArNKY - STAI-T PHOTCKiRAPHER tyton Crowhurst, freshman student, shovels trash during the Dumpster Dive at Student Government pociation’s semi-annual Greenfest. Students separated trash to be recycled out on the Quad to pro- ! better recycling habits on campus. SGA members said Greenfest is one of their most successful rams that continues to increase in popularity year after year as students become more environmen- ' aware. The event ran all week, encouraging students to participate in rummage sales and the like. HlYlSi JGA’s Greenfest encourages a week-long campaign for environmental awareness By Madison Hayes Copy Editor ;0M P;^:: Redii^i increase envi- ronmental awareness on campus. issues ■ As part of a local effort to take action on the global issue. Student Government (Station’s semi-annual I: lest brought environmental awareness and action to campus last week. It’s helpful to expose under- “lii.ite students to environmen- sues because we’re in this melting pot of ideas,” said Ji|>th an Barnes, junior environ mental studies student and execu tive for sustainability affairs for SGA. With its conception in 1991, ■Al O i tal |ss rh Barnes. ^™cfS began, it was a : ac Saturday cook-out event on the neii IV students and faculty andjstaff would come out and do campus greening activities,” Bamcs said. “It grew into a week of^vents over the past decade, mi^since then, we have started cojborating with other student ®*8|ni/ations, incorporating edu- cat^nal events, discussions, doc umentaries and the like.” Greenfest creates a medium tbough which students and the university community are able to Shanna Arnf.y - Staff Photographer Joe Wilkerson, junior environmental and economics student, helps separate trash during Greenfest’s Dumpster Dive where students work to encourage a more environmentally-friendly campus with recycling. //flitf®bnunicate global environmen V talisn -i on a local level, according J to Dave Malutich, senior envLron- 'tnaital co studies student and chair of ASHE. “We are the ones that need to be P^ing this issue,” Malutich said. “Greenfest creates a week t every semester that brings |les’ focus to these issues, and people out and involved on campus.” By taking part in environmental sm on a small scale, college ts can be one of the most ential groups on environ- :al awareness, according to itich. “On a small level, just looking the resources a university uses, Energy, paper and recyclable als, is a step in the right ion,” Malutich said. Students are becoming more are of their environmental impact and are looking for ways to become more environmentally active, according to Barnes. “Increasingly, students are con cerned about the environment, and they’re seeing that our actions have a direct impact on the environment with things hke climate change,” Barnes said. Although Greenfest is primanly aimed at environmental issues, the incorporation of other student organizations brings other issues to hght. according to Barnes. “We try to get other organizations to co-sponsor Greenfest, not only to get other students involved but to bring in other issues,” Barnes said. “Environmental issues are so broad they include things like social jus tice and human rights.” ASHE’s Strive Not to Drive cam paign, which was held in collabora tion with Greenfest, was another \ 'Vfli*'.-* Rumors of smoke-free campus fueled by administrative decision By Aaron Dahlstrom Staff Writer Health concerns prompted UNC Asheville administration to remove tobacco products from Rocky’s convenience store, spark ing rumors the campus could com pletely ban smoking in the near future. “As 1 came on board and started observing different areas that report to me, 1 looked over the convenience store as one of the areas that report to me and saw that we were selling cigarettes, which 1 felt was not in correct con gruence with our health and well ness philosophy throughout cam pus,” said Pat Hunt, vice chancel lor of finance and operations at UNC Asheville. Cigarettes will be removed from Rocky’s convenience store June 30. “That was the end of a fiscal year, and it seemed the proper time to sequence the closeout of an inventory,” Hunt said. The new administration felt it was unethical to sell cigarettes to students, said Bill Haggard, vice chancellor for student affairs. “It has been a longtime value at this campus to focus on health and wellness. We really felt ethically we should not make money off students in a way that adversely affected their health,” he said. Legal issues influenced the deci sion as well, according to Hunt. “Since some of our students are below 18, 1 was worrying about the underage effect and making sure that we properly carded,” she said. Hunt initiated the motion to remove cigarettes from the con venience store. Both Haggard and Chancellor Anne Ponder supported her decision, she said. Currently there are no plans for banning cigarettes completely from campus, but the ptissibility remains, according to Hunt. “What is next right this minute is that we have no additional plans to make this a smoke-free campus,” she said. “We have seen that it has been considered at some of our sis ter campuses and across the nation, but we have not entered into any discussions about it yet.” Haggard said he sees pros and cons of switching to a smoke-free campus. “I have mixed feelings about it. 1 know a lot of people are nonsmok ers, and 1 know a lot of people are smokers. 1 just wonder how realis tic it is to do that,” he said. Administration receives some requests for smoke-free residence halls but hesitates making that decision because they need time informing student smokers. Haggard said. “You are balancing people’s right to a choice as opposed to what is certainly a healthier envi ronment, and that is where 1 have difficulty,” Hunt said. “Those implications of a smoke-free cam pus require a lot of strong conver sation.” Numerous benefits exist for going smoke-free, according to Haggard. “It is a healthier campus for everyone because you eliminate the secondhand smoke situation. It is also a cleaner campus because you eliminate cigarette butts. It is amazing how much time and ener gy is spent picking those up,” he said. Drawbacks exist as well, accord ing to Hunt. “There is a stress level for peo ple who no longer have the abil ity to smoke. Without some bal ance of sensation products avail able to them, particularly faculty and staff who are here for quite a bit of hours, as well as students. quite frankly, where would they go to smoke when they are expected to be on campus? What do you give them for an alterna tive?” she said. Student smokers disagree with a nonsmoking campus. “It makes me want to punch somebody. There are designated places where people can go smoke, and nonsmokers can choose not to go there,” said Delaney Brown, freshman student. Students who do not smoke should not be exposed to second hand smoke, according to Charity Franklin, freshman. “1 don’t know about making the entire campus smoke-free. Those wanting to smoke deserve that right,” she said. “However, those who do not like cigarette smoke or who are allergic to it should not have to walk through it constantly on their way to classes. Maybe instead of having a completely non-smoking campus, we could have a smoking in designated area campus.” Haggard said he understands quitting would not be easy. “There would need to be some time to allow people to adjust. Those who suffer from nicotine addiction would need some time to go through a sensation program,” he said. “We would have to con sider offering some type of sensa tion program for tnembers of the university in preparation for going smoke-free because some people don’t have the freedom to leave campus. If there were a quick change, it would cause initial stress among some folks.” The campus community’s feel ings remain a key factor in such a decision, according to Haggard. “It would be a mistake to enter into this arbitrarily,” he said. “We would need to consult with folks before we did that.” UNC Asheville CAMPUS SPECIAL LARGE 1‘Topping Pizza Plus Tax & Delivery We accept the One Card*... Munch Money! way to promote the importance of college students’ environmental awareness, according to Malutich. “Strive Not to Drive was really successful,” Malutich said. “The chancellor rode her bike to school, there were a lot of people using the bus, and there were a lot of kids getting their bikes tuned- up on the Quad.’^ Greenfest helps to alleviate the idea that SGA is solely political in its efforts, according to Barnes. “Greenfest has always been an SGA event,” Barnes said. “It’s one of the things SGA does that’s not overtly piolitical. It’s a consis tent event that we do, and some times we don’t get recognized for it. It’s nice to have a diversity of events and causes that SGA can work on so we’re not stuck in this political turmoil.” Cards accepted M-F 8 pm -close, Sat/Sun 11 am - close Cash tips only, tips cannot be added to One Card ADD a Side to Your Pizza! Wings Breadsticks Cheesesticks Cinnamon Sticks 2S3-H81 Sun - Thurs Open til Midnight Fri - Sat Open til 1 am W.
University of North Carolina at Asheville Student Newspaper
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April 26, 2007, edition 1
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