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W -1 — i UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA ASHEVILLE The Blue B anner 1 hui-sday, October 23, 2008 www.ihehluelianner.iiet \bl. 49, Issue 7 Zeis Hall voting station averaging 250 voters per day More than 350,000 voters cast ballots in first five clays ofN.C. early voting as candidates campaign across the state Jennifer Saylor Staff Writer JENNIFER.FREELANCE@GMAIL.COM For the first time in UNC Asheville’s 80-year history, the campus community can skip a special trip to the j.X)lls and vote on-campus at Zeis Hall, the new science build ing. By noon Tuesday, 1228 votes had been cast on cam pus. “Having UNC Asheville designated as a host site for one-stop voting is a wonder- Kenny George suffers setback Surgeons have amputat ed part of senior basketball player Kenny George’s right f(X)t, The Citizen- Tunes reported Friday. Citing George’s high school coach, the paper broke the news after a long period of silence from George and basketball coach Eddie Biedenbach. “This is a really ter rible setback for Kenny," Biedenbach said in a statement. “He worked so hard to get into the situa tion where he could play last year and was working hard to be ready for this season," George contracted a staph infection in his foot while attending basketball camp in August, and is ex pected to remain hospital ized in Iowa for another month, according to a re port on www.ESPN.com. Obama, McCain campaign in N.C. Sen. Barack Obama and rival Sen. John McCain both campaigned in North Carolina la.st weekend. McCain gave a thirty- minute speech before 7,000 supporters in Con cord Saturday. Obama spoke to 10.000 people at a rally in Fay etteville Sunday. Both campaigns are fighting for the state’s 15 electoral votes. Several polls show N.C. as the closest state in the nation. Gov. Sarah Palin, Mc Cain’s running mate, spoke at a rally at Elon University last Thursday. Sen. Jc)e Biden, Obama’s running mate, spoke Thursday at a rally at Meredith College in Ra leigh. ftil opportunity to serve the university community, as well as the greater Asheville com munity. by providing them the chance to exercise their right to vote,” said Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Bill Hag gard. From Oct, 16 to Nov. l.the campus community can both register to vote and cast their vote in room 018 of Zeis Hall. The voting station is open Monday through Saturday to students, teachers, campus employees and any Buncombe County residents. Zeis voting captain Eva Sclippa said she saw a steady stream of voters and even a few instances of voters wait ing in line since the station opened Oct. 16. "People seem really eager. They want to vcrte. We had five people waiting at nine." she said, noting the .station opened at 10 a.m, “It’s pretty easy,” said freshman student Ashley Kraus, who voted the first day the Zeis station opened. “It’s very accessible. Despite the convenience. Kraus acknowledged she found herself unprepared to make an educated choice atKHit several offices on a bal lot with more than 30 choices. She chose to submit an incom plete ballot. “I didn’t know enough in formation, and I didn't want to do a straight-party vote," she said. Sclippa said incomplete ballots are still counted. Another voting captain, Alan Escovitz. said the cam pus voting station can help voters avoid beiiu: caught un prepared. ■■'rhey can hwk at a sample ballot in advance," he said, pointing to a stack of yellow sample ballots by the door. “And they can always come here and ask questions." In addition to sample bal lots. one-stop voting at flNCA also includes curbside voting. Curbside voters pull their ve hicle into the designated area marked at Upper Lot 7A. the parking lot nearest Zeis. W hen a car rolls over a tube in the parking lot, voting staff inside Zeis hear a bell that lets them Events promote alcohol awareness I-.MM.Y ikAY- mOKMikAf’HY IvDIIOR Students took turn.s driving a golf cart while wearing drunk goggles Tuesday on the quad, among other activ ities promoting responsible partying including a alcohol-free social hosted by Founders Hall resident assistants. Gummy bears help demonstrate the danger of date rape drugs Cassidy Culbertson Staff Writer CJCULBER@UNCA.EDU Resident students downed a keg and played drinking games in Highsmith Univer sity Union Sunday. This alcohol-free event (the keg contained root beer) kicked off Alcohol Awareness Week. Founders Hall resident assistants hosted the social, which aimed to teach students about safe partying practices. “I think the Grotto party was educational in the fact that we learned about how much people drink in drinking games. I myself, totally sober, got caught up on questions and ended up drinking a lot more root beer than 1 wanted to. but as far as prevention I doubt it is effective," freshman Marie lackey said. Coordinators of the party covertly slipjred gummy bears in various drinks throughout Sunday evening, trying to imitate stealthy predators and other unexpected problems that arise when drinking in public. Each color gummy bear represented a different scenar io, including date rape drugs and alcohol poisoning. “1 was impressed at the end when I found three gummy bears in my drink, which were supposed to represent ‘roof- ies.’ That part scared me a bit. 1 think people will drink on college campuses regard less of how many efforts there are to prevent it,” Lackey, an 18-year-old from Burlington, said. It shcKked sophomore Cecelia McKoy how eas ily gummy bears were slipped into people's drinks without them noticing at all. she said. During the drinking games, party goers kept a tally of ev ery r(K)t beer or cream stxla they drank. The S(x;ial resembled a sce nario in which (teople would actually drink. McKoy said. The lights were dim, there was plenty to drink and eat and loud music playing. People were dancing and hanging out like they would at any party. Some students doubted the effectiveness of the serial, since the environment only mimicked a real party. “tThe social) sounds like eighth grade to me,” Gary Grubbs, a Psychology .student know someone outside wants to vote. A staffer comes out with pa|)crwork and a secure bind er, and curbside voters fill out the ballot from inside the car. Sclippa agreed the jtrocess is comparable to full service at a gas station. While some disabled people ii.se curbside voting, anyone can use it. including jreople who are elderly, sick or hav ing any kind of difficulty get- S.:t VOTING P.m;h2| Poll finds Obama leading in WNC Dylan Schepps Managing Editor dcschepp@unca.edu A recent |X)II conducted by UNC Asheville mass communication students suggests the Democratic party is poised to do well in Buncomlte County. “The results of the poll suggest that Asheville and the county are leaning to ward Barack Obama, and that Obama will bring Hagan and Shuler along with him, ” said Mark West, a professor of mass com munication whose classes conducted the survey. “The question, as al ways, is whether people are telling us what they really intend to do or whether they’re telling us what they think we want to hear. And the number of undecided voters in the presidential election - al most 18 percent - is still high enough to change the outcome of the election.” “One thing this poll indicates is that we’re un likely to see some sort of landslide, especially in North Carolina. The large number of undecided re- sjxmses this late in the election may reflect real indecision, or it may re flect a hidden preference for McCain,” The peril results indi cated that 38 percent of re spondents said they would vote for Shuler, 15 percent for Mumptrwer, and .34 percent said they were un decided. “Again, I would say that the election is far from decided. Mumpower’s primary strength is in the rural areas,” West said. Presidential Choice in Buncombe County Si 1 ALCOHOLp Obama McCain Undecided Other 42.5 29.7 17.8 0.9 No Answer 9.1 (values hy percentage) Sports Bulldogs top Charleston Southern Page 6 rts and eatures S.E.L.L.O.U.T brings laughs to Lipinsky Page 8 Weather # THURSDAY 58 45 SATURDAY 57 43 i ‘ f >, t.frh* , FRIDAY 56 50 SUNDAY 62 45
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Oct. 23, 2008, edition 1
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