Newspapers / University of North Carolina … / Feb. 28, 2008, edition 1 / Page 1
Part of University of North Carolina at Asheville Student Newspaper / About this page
This page has errors
The date, title, or page description is wrong
This page has harmful content
This page contains sensitive or offensive material
UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA ASHEVILLE The Blue Banner Thursday, February 28, 2008 www.llu'bliu'banner.iu't \bl. 18, Issue 0 Gimme a break C ommunication Breakdown Understaffed fimmckil aid struggles while students fall through the cracks Ben Smith Editor-In-Chief BLSMITH@UNCA.EDU Rachael Williams received an e-mail from the cashiers office in late November that said she owed an outstanding balance to the university. The graduating senior remembered a neglected parking ticket and strolled into University Hall with $26 to pay the fee. The cashier informed her she owed more than $600. “Wow. pardon me, 1 didn t blow up any computer lab or anything.' she replied. Williams later discovered her N.C. Need Based Grant had been revoked since she wasn t enrolled as a full-time student, h'inancial Aid posted the information on her OnePort account but never sent her an e-mail or other notice about the change, according to Williams. Patricia McClellan, Dean of Academic Administration who oversees linancial aid. said the depailment sent c-mails to all students who hail their N.C . Need Based Grants revoked. "1 don’t know when it was that they had notified me on my OnePort account.” she said. "But 1 had gone my whole semester thinking everything was OK and it wasn't." Williams faced either raising the money, a financial impossibility, or not graduating. "My parents make nothing,” she said. "None of them went to college. My dad and 1 make the same hourly wage.” Innancial Aid administrative assistant Kelly Silliman called the N.C. Need Based Grant Board and convinced them to give the money back. With Silliman’s help, Williams graduated on Dec. 1.“^ with a degree in drama. Si a- ,\id Pauk 2 I University honors women’s history month mp™ft7 ET,, "photo couR'resY oi- Merriri Mosi.i-.y Alternative spring breaks gather students together for a good cause r h,- Hoina.” World Travel Fund, created Dylan Schepps Staff Writer DCSCHEPP@UNCA.EDU While many UNC Asheville students will spend their upcoming spring break partying, two alternative trips offer others service opportunities hundreds and even thousands of miles away. A group of 14 students, accompanied by one faculty member and one staff member, are traveling to Bolivia for 12 days to tackle a variety of issues. Another group of almost 50 students and faculty members are returning to New Orleans to work with Habitat for Humanity. Features “This is a great chance for cultural exchange and broadening our world past the UNCAcampus, said Linda Block, coordinator of lead-poisoning prevention at UNCA. Block is attending the trip to Bolivia along with Linda Cornett, professor of political science and director of international studies at UNCA, and is applying her expertise on lead-poisoning prevention to test the region. The students will most likely work with orphaned boys and girls, teaching English, dancing, sewing and playing with the kids, according to Block. “There are a lot of possibilities of what we may be doing. Block said. "It depends on what conditions we find when we get there.” Block said Americans who travel to the country gain personal benefit while contributing to a good cause. “The reality is that we are going to learn possibly more from them than they will from us,’ Block said. UNCA students are requesbng more opportunities to get out of the classroom and into the international community, according to Cornett, An anonymous gift of $ 100,000 is turning these requests into realities. The Mountains to the World Travel Fund, created in fall 2007, provides monetary assistance to students interested in global travel and volunteer opportunities. “This is the most exciting thing to hit the campus in the 10 years I have been here,” said Mark Gibney, political science professor and administer of the Mountains to the World fund. The group traveling to Bolivia is the first large group taking advantage of the new money offered by the fund, according to Cornett. The 14 students embarking on the trip come from different Si:h Break F'agh 2 | Rachel Letcher Staff Writer RELETCHER@UNCA.EDU UNC Asheville’s women’s studies program, in their interiiii year, will revitalize Women’s History Month this March by showcasing a political panel, an academic festival featuring faculty and the eighth annual f'-Word film festival; the "f” stands for feminism. “Women’s studies progrtim is definitely in a transition period, looking to see what our emphases are. Students have had very little to do with the planning of these events, which is not the goal by any means, but we have changed it this year,” said Alice Weldon, interim director of the women’s studies program at UNCA. Past Women’s History Month celebrations consisted of brown bag lunch discussions, afternoon and evening events, but with poor attendance. Sometimes as few as two or three people attended the event. The women’s studies faculty decided to use what the campus has, in terms of the accomplishments students and faculty have to offer. “1 take the blame for not having more opportunities lor students to be participating, presenting, to be highlighted as leaders or to have been in the planning process, that will change next year,” Weldon UNCA’sWomen’sHistory Month starts March 6, with two weeks of events dedicated to sports, health and fitness, including the Women’s Basketball Championship. Amy I.anou, the senior nutrition scientist for the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, as well as assistant professor at UNCA will give a lecture on fcxxl for optimal performance. “ The event we are really lo(Aing forward to is on March 21, which is the reception for women’s studies majors and minors and anybody interested in it, where we will get more publicity for students to meet the faculty and for people to understand what we do. A lot of people think that women’s studies is just about women hating men and it’s just not,” Weldon said. Women’s History Month should be carried out all year long, according to Weldon, “There is this growing tendency now to think that women have it all, that we have all of the rights and equality to work and rights over reproductive issues, and it is just not the case,” Weldon said. There is still history being made, she said. Women’s studies issues do not only include women getting closer to equality, but also issues involving race,disabilities, ageism, Water workout keeps early birds in shape Laura Epstein Staff Writer UBJARETT@UNCA.EDU By 7 a.m. on Feb. 21, the water aerobics group fitness class changed into their bathing suits, tied blue foam belts around their waists and tested the Health and Fitness Center’s pool for the temperature of the water. “This is the worst part,” said alumna Ann Joyner, climbing down the pool’s ladder. The blue foam belts keep the exercisers vertically upright in the pool while they work out. Along with the belts, foam dumbbells and special gloves are used to help with the workout. “The gloves add a little resistance because the water ,Sf.e Water Page 2 J Hm'KY Harmon - Stah- Fhouxirai’HI-.r W.t.r a.r„blo Instructor Solia Khline.r lo.n, dn,nbl«lls In hor rxorcis. rottlln. »ltb student Anne llnll. Weather Thursday 45 29 '..a- \ Saturday 7., y’ 54 30 Friday 52 32 Sunday 60 38
University of North Carolina at Asheville Student Newspaper
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
Feb. 28, 2008, edition 1
1
Click "Submit" to request a review of this page. NCDHC staff will check .
0 / 75