News
9,282011 I The Blue Banner I 3
Bear sightings facilitate warnings, curiosity
John McIntyre
jpmcinty@unca.edu - Staff Writer
The last few months have
been peppered with bear sight
ings in and around North
Asheville, according to city
residents.
Near the end of the school,
students at Asheville High re
ceived half an hour of free time
when the school was temporar
ily shut down due to the pres
ence of two bear cubs on cam
pus.
Recently, residents at Univer
sity Place Apartments on Bar
nard Avenue said they observed
several bears digging through a
dumpster in broad daylight.
However, UNC Asheville stu
dents should no be concerned
about the possibility of a life-
threatening encounter on their
daily walk to class, according
to senior and University Place
tenant Matthew Konishi.
“There were three cubs and a
mother bear. They were rooting
through the trash can in front
of UP and being quite blatant
about it. At one point, a car
drove through the parking lot.
All three of the cubs bolted,
and the mother retreated back
to the tree line and just stared.
As soon as the car was out'of
the sight, though, they contin
ued going through our trash,”
Konishi said.
Now at an estimated 5,000
or 6,000, the black bear popu
lation of Western North Caro
lina has nearly doubled in the
last decade, according to the
NC Wildlife Resources Com-
mision.
“One of the most frequent
calls we receive throughout the
year is, T have a bear in my
back yard, can you come get
it?’ We appreciate the opportu
nity to come out to your home
and collect a 200-500 pound
wild animal, but we decline.
There are so many bears in our
area, that it is not uncommon
to sight a black bear every now
and then,” said Keith Mastin,
an employee at the WNC Na
ture Center.
Bears that cannot find food
in their own habitat are more
prone to venture out of the wild
and into residential areas where
uncovered waste becomes a
quick snack. When bears dis
cover food that is easy to access
and high in fat or calories, they
become conditioned to return
to that food source, accord
ing to NC Wildlife Resources
Commission Officer Mike
Carraway.
“If you live close to a bear
habitat or in an area where
there is bear activity, you need
to put your garbage in a closed
garage or storage area, or keep
it in the house until you haul it
off. Don’t leave it outside over
night,” Carraway said.
In addition to uncovered
see BEARS on page 4
Ricky Emmons - staff Photographer
A black bear rummages at the WNC Nature Center, which features native plants and animals.
Enrollment decline linked to budget, SAT scores
Amber Beal
obeal@unca.edu - Staff Wrifer
Falling enrollment numbers
at UNC Asheville are occurring
due to budget cuts and a new
focus on SAT scores, according
to campus officials.
“The budget cuts have had a
positive impact on the demo
graphic of UNCA in that the
outs have allowed for smaller
class size allowing each student
Wore individual attention with
their instructor,” said Archer
Gravely, director of institu
tional research. “Also, during
a recession, it is a recurring
trend that public universities
receive more applications due
to the lack of jobs available and
students are more likely to stay
in school. UNCA is not the only
University of North Carolina
campus to experience enroll
ment flux.”
540 freshmen attended
UNCA this fall, down from 595
in 2010, according to institu
tional research.
“Personally, I believe that
since the economy and world
are geared more toward math,
business and science careers
could have something to do
with the dropping admission
rate since there is less emphasis
on a liberal arts degree today,”
said Sam Barbau, freshman
international studies student.
Institutional research re
cords the mean SAT scores for
the past five years for incom
ing classes. The score stays
above 1150 cumulatively, but
increases with each new class.
The writing portion of the SAT
score has maintained an av
erage overall score of 560-or
above. Within the UNC system
the average SAT score wavers
between 1070 and 1085 within
the past five year trend.
“While we have experienced
a decrease in enrollment of new
students we have been focus-
see DECLINE on page 4
Enrollment drop at UNCA
■ 2010 ■ 2011
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New freshmen
9.2% drop
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New transfers
8.1% drop
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