UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA ASHEVILLE
The Blue B anner
Ihursday, April 17, 2008
www.lhehluchanner.net
\'ol. 18, Issue 1 I
Seniors give it their all
UNC-ASHEVILLE
-1
> And Creativity
®iposium
Research
Jkssica Bi.y thk - Stafp Photograph!*
UNCA held the seventh annual Spring Symposium on Undergraduate Research on Tuesday. Above, students present their projects m the lob
by of Karpen Hall. Some 365 students presented research about topics ranging from air quality in Asheville to democracy m Latin America.
More than 300 students present research at annual symposium
Caroline Fry
Staff Writer
CMFRY@UNCA.EDU
Most senior college students
know that balancing classes,
work, extra curricular activities
and maintaining any kind of so
cial life can be difficult.
But some seniors went the
extra mile by choosing to do un
dergraduate research, much of
which was presented Tuesday at
the Annual Spring Symposium
on Undergraduate Research and
Creativity.
“Doing undergraduate research
your senior year is very challeng
ing,” said Jonathan Barnes, senior
environmental studies student.
“I personally had to give up ex
tra curricular activities to sched
ule 20 interviews with people
in the building industry, and the
time used for research definitely
competed with time spent in my
classes.”
Many students choose to con
duct undergraduate research their
senior year to pursue an area of
interest or to fulfill a degree re
quirement. Regardless ol their
motives, the quality of material
students present at the sympo
sium is very impressive, accord
ing to psychology professor and
co-director of undergraduate re
search Mark Harvey.
“Fm always very impressed
with our students. They consis
tently go toe to toe with some of
the best students in the country
every year,” Harvey said. “There
are always a wide variety of pre
sentations, and it is a great learn
ing experience for students.”
Some students like Barnes,
who chose to do his research on
green building techniques, decid
ed to do undergraduate research
for several reasons.
“1 chose to do my research on
green building technology be
cause 1 wanted to do exploratory
research and examine a new is
sue,” Barnes said. “1 wanted to
do the research for the experience
and credentials, as well as to put a
little padding in my resume. You
also graduate with the distinc-
Ske Research Page 2 I
Ladd named
new student body
president
Trevor Worden
Staff Writer
taworde1@unca.edu
UNC Asheville students voted
in new Student Body I’resiilent
Nick Ladd and Vice President An
drew Johnson during last week's
Student Government Association
elections.
The election ran from April 7 to
April 9.
Ladd spoke afterthe pollsclosed
April 9 about his goals with cle;ir
reasoning and a certain resolute
ness in his voice.
"It feels good," Ladd said. "I
wanted to make sure that me being
in office was something that the
student body was actually interest
ed in knowing that they voted for
me, for my ability to enact change,
it feels good."
Tristyn Card,
whose term as
president ends in
May, said leaving
is bitter-sweet.
“I had a won
derful time being
president. It was a
wonderful learn
ing experience.
It was great to be
behind the scenes
and see the on-goings of the uni
versity, but I have got to say I am
all kinds of relieved," Card said.
“It’s a lot of responsibility, it’s a
lot of pressure, it's a lot of people
looking at you expecting a lot of
things from you and you expect a
lot of things from yourself. I still
had my little cry moment.”
Johnson said he is looking for
ward to implementing his plans.
“1 am really excited about be
ing the new vice president because
I think there is a lot of things that
can be done for our campus. I am
ready to take charge and get things
done."
Students expressed their satis
faction with Wednesday’s results
after the polls closed. Karen Mori-
arty, junior drama student, said she
is happy with the results as well.
“1 voted for Andrew because he
is really involved on campus and
I have known him since his fresh
man year. 1 am not excited to sec
Tristyn go, but 1 know that Nick
worked with her and I think he will
Nick Ladd
STTiDiiNT Body
I’RITilDliNT
do a good job of picking up where
she left Tiff, not lilling her shoes,
hut picking up where she left oil."
I'rcslmuin student MiniiRla WiL
STTii said she is ple;ised with the re
sults.
"I am really excited. 1 knew ;i
couple people who were running
so I was l(H)king forwaril to see
ing them elected so they c;m make
changes at UNCA." Wilson s;iiil.
Ladd said he has a lot of ideas
for the cam|His in the upcoming
yetir ;uul looks forwiird to getting
started.
He saiil pix)\ iding schohirships
for the university's new he;ilth in
surance requirement is ;i top prior
ity.
"The lirst thing I wantctl to get
stinted on is a schohirship, if not
multiple .schohirships. for the re
quired health care that is going on.
In all of the committee meetings
that I have gone to. the major con
cern is the lew number of students
who were just able to come to
UNCA financially speaking, who
were just being covered by finan
cial aid with just enough money
from their various jobs. This extra
$600 would push them over the
edge and prevent them from re
ceiving an eiiucation," Ladil saitl.
“I don't want anyone to be revoked
from UNCA because they ciin't iif-
ford health insuiiince."
1 .add also vviuits to keep students
informed with direct speeches on
the steps ol the library to stutlents.
" There used to be an old tradi
tion of giving the “State of the Uni
versity" speeches, like the Slate
of the Union speech given by the
president. I wouki like to see, like
once a semester, going up on the
steps and saying how things are.
just getting out and trying to talk to
the students again," Ladd said.
Johnson said Card will be
missed by her colleagues.
“Lveryone is sad to see her go.
Nick Ladd is a great guy, but no
one can replace "Mama Card."'
Ladd echoed Johnson's praise.
“It’s rare that you see someone
who is willing to put in so much
time into something that they be
lieve. Tristyn has been a great asset
to this campus and I think we are
all going to be sad to sec her go,"
he said.
Underdog Productions pluns end-of-the-yeur extmvugunza
” , . „ ..n IID ” T-nmmiiter student bodv. time,” said freshman Student Sophomore
Dylan Schepps
Staff Writer
DCSCHEPP@UNCA.EDU
B is the time of year
UNC Asheville for all
students to bolster their
achievements and tie up any
loose ends, but for many on-
campus clubs and organiza
tions, it is the time to show
the culmination of their hard
Work with a year-end party.
‘We’re really looking for
ward to the Lawn Party this
year,” said Underdog Pro
ductions President Amanda
Pritchard. “We’re having
Jt''® music, a comedian, in-
tiatable toys, lots of food
and free stuff.”
The Lawn Party is an all
day event starting at noon
and ending late that night
featuring the blues/rock
run
give
band Porter Davis, mov
ie screenings, free give
aways and well-known
Saturday Night Live co
median Finesse Mitchell.
Underdog Productions,
in its 22nd year as a student-
organization, aims to
back to the students,
who inevitably and unknow
ingly keep it afloat, accord
ing to Pritchard.
“Student fees go to ev
ery student organization on
campus,” said the senior
psychology student. It s
basically put in a big pot
and people go to Campus
Commission and ask for the
money.”
Campus Commission ex
ists for the purpose of fund
ing student organization
sponsored activities, accord
ing to the 2007-2008 student
handbook.
Because UP is one of the
oldest student organizations
and because they consistent
ly use the money appropri
ated to them in responsible
ways, they are given one of
the largest budgets, accord
ing to Pritchard.
UP’s budget goes to host
ing “Up All Night” events
in the Highsmith University
Union, musical acts, come
dians and other activities for
the students.
“We have a very unique
student body,” Pritchard
said. “We have to play to
that uniqueness in order to
get student involvement in
what we do.”
The recurring slogan ex
pressed by the organization
IS "Because UP loves you,”
and is a fitting way to de
scribe the organizations in
tentions, Pritchard said.
Even though UP is dedi
cated to accommodating stu
dent requests, some aren’t
sure the organization serves
the majority of the student
body.
“I’ve seen the flyers
around campus and I get
the Facebook messages, but
I still don’t feel like UP is
doing much for those of us
who live off campus,” said
junior sociology student
James Anderson.
Anderson said most of
the events he secs featured
by UP are geared toward the
younger UNCA crowd, and
he is interested in seeing a
better representation of the
give
that
commuter student body.
“I agree it’s important
to keep the students living
on campus from going stir-
crazy, but if UP has so much
money, they can afford to
back to the students
don't want to spend
their off-campus time back
on-campus,” he said.
UP has 11 staff members
including a president, an
internal and external vice
president and a music com
mittee chair, among others.
They have specific duties,
but all work toward the
common goal of giving back
to the student body.
‘We’re very serious about
we do. We always
want to do a good job in our
events, but we also want
to have fun at the same
what
time,” said freshman student
and music committee chair
of UP Andrew Lection.
The UP office, located on
the second floor of the High
smith University Union,
docs not have the appear
ance of a typical office set
ting.
There are event posters
and random Internet clip
pings hung on the walls,
there is a wrap-around
couch for lounging and
two inflatable kiddy
pools overflowing
with an assortment
of candy.
Lection said the
UP office is a reflec
tion of the loose atti
tude the organization
See up Page 2 |
Sopliomore
unthropology
student Garth
Grinihall
takes a break
in the UP
office.
Features
The Blue Banner takes an in-
depth look at the prevalence ot
hard drugs on campus.
Full story on page 6
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