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The Pilot Friday, October 6, 2006 Page A3 Opinions GWU master plan creates a miasma of fact and fiction By Matt Tessnear matthewtl984@earlhlink. net In journalism, rumors are just rumors - until evidence can make them facts. I think that’s crucial to understanding what could happen to Gardner-Webb over the next de cade. Over the course of four years in Boiling Springs, I’ve heard plenty of rumors about how the administration plans to improve the GWU campus. While I’ve never received an ipvitation from the administrative staff, I do know that campus administrators get together from time to time to draw up a long-term plan for what should be done on campus. These proposals comprise what becomes the 10-year master plan or 15-year master plan. More than anything, it’s a planning session to compose a vision for GWU’s future. Facility development proposals are a big part of the master plan. Some of the rumored proposals are good, but some are ridiculous. The first proposal was the best of the crop. During my freshman year, which was the 2003-04 school year, it was my under standing that GWU had plans to build a new mathematics and sciences center on another parcel of campus land. The rumor suggested that Withrow Hall, the current math and sci ences building, would be used for a foreign languages building. A new building would be constructed on the soccer field adjacent to the LYCC. Such a proposal makes sense. I know the campus recently made upgrades to With row, but I agree that stuffing math and sci ence into an old, dingybuilding doesn’t say that GWU appreciates its math and science majors. Likewise, our language programs get no respect. ASL classes are held in Lindsay Hall, while foreign language classes are crammed into the classrooms at the bottom of Dover Library. Some foreign language offices are located in the Washburn House next to the library. There is currently no common loca tion for anyone associated with the depart ment. Giving Withrow to the foreign language department would do it a favor by consoli dating it into one building. A new math and science facility would allow for upgraded equipment and more space. Another plan called for a new campus center 15 years down the road. I like this idea because it may actually have some merit. Our campus is growing and we will need to increase the possibilities for one of the most important buildings on campus. The Dover Campus Center houses the cafeteria, the on-campus post office, admis sions offices, the campus shop and book store, meeting lobbies, work-study offices and Ritch Banquet Hall. The facility does the job now, but it will be less than adequate as enrollment increas es, With each passing year, the lines at meal exchange get longer at every hour. Fewer tables are empty in the caf at 5:15 p.m. on weekends. It’s harder to walk through the building. We need to expand, and a new campus center will be necessary at some point. So, these two campus-plan proposals aren’t crazy, but what about the rest of the supposed plans? They don’t give me as much hope. At one point near the end of last year’s home basketball schedule, I overheard sev eral fans in Paul Porter Arena who were dis cussing the university’s plan to build a new basketball facility because the current one isn’t good enough for our program. They discussed leaks in the roof, which I found to be nonexistent. They complained about the number of fans sitting around them. I don’t think that’s an issue either. It’s my under standing that GWU men’s basketball games normally take place with Porter Arena at 20 percent capacity. Now, I realize our teams have won 35 games the past two seasons, but that’s no reason to improve the facility for that team. The locker rooms in the LYCC are ade quate. The seating capacity in Porter Arena is adequate, and there are no major prob lems with the structure. While not taking a hit at our football program or our athletics department, I’m sure that enough donations from athletic supporters would get the job done. Apparently it did for an improved Er nest W. Spangler Stadium. Let’s cross a new basketball facility off the list of GWU needs. The craziest rumored campus upgrade was the proposal for a “GWU grand en trance.” This scenario started with a new driveway that would start on Main Street and weave its way through campus, back to the University Commons Apartments and Stadium Drive. This driveway would be paved and lined with a row of oak trees on either side. The rumor was completed with the idea that several things on campus would be altered in the process. I heard that the parking lot between Decker Hall and Dover Library would be wiped out, in favor of new trees and the roadway. The grassy area behind Withrow would also give way to an asphalt road way. Isn’t parking already a problem? How can the campus be improved by deleting parking? If anything, we need to add ad ditional lots on campus that can handle an increasing enrollment. These ideas may not seem irrational, but what does the main entrance really lead to? Apparently, the purpose of the project would allow all roads to lead to the clock tower! Yikes! ! How much money would such a project cost? The tuition hike during my seven se mesters at GWU has been pretty dramatic. I’d say GWU would be attempting to lead the nation in tuition increases, if it devel oped this project. Maybe this would add a visually attrac tive element to the campus, but the idea is completely pointless. One critical facility that GWU does not have, but should consider adding, is an in firmary/clinic. Most major colleges and uni versities have a building where students can go if they are sick or have health concerns. GWU students do not have this option. How can our university say it has great things in mind when it doesn’t have a simple health center for students? Expanding the crucial facilities on cam pus would be a good move for Gardner- Webb. Giving more room to each of our academic departments would show that everyone is on equal ground. These things speak well for the university. Building a new basketball facility to re place one that currently does the job does not speak the same positive language. Nei ther does a grand entranceway that chips away at what parking we do have. The en tire GWU family, from administration to students, should put a little thought into the decisions we make that ultimately affect what happens here in Boiling Springs. I realize that all of these, proposals are based on rumors around campus. But as a future GWU alumnus. I’ll be more moti vated to give back to the university if cam pus master plans have the future of Gard ner-Webb in mind. If the best interests of fiiture students are at the forefront of the university. I’ll give more money to GWU and come back to Boiling Springs for alumni events. So Gardner-Webb, what are the facts? Me (inil Jack Debate the Issues U.S. must not reward illegal immigrants By Jacob Conley America is a nation of immigrants. Almost every one who lives here now has ancestors who came to America from other coun tries. A majority of them came to this country legal ly- This is why the issue of illegal immigration is so important. I don’t mean to come across harshly, but the government needs to do more to crack down on ille gal immigration. There are several reasons why this is the case. The most important is that illegal immigration puts an undue strain on the econ omy. According to a study done by Rice University, illegal immigration costs the government $33 billion. This is partly because the government provides these immigrants with a number of tax-subsidized services. The Rice study provides a breakdown of how much each of these cost the tax payer. For example, the government spends $5.85 billion a year just on ele mentary education. Add an other $3.61 billion on hous ing. And the list goes on. Now, I’m all for helping people in need, but illegal immigrants need to follow the laws of the land. They do not. There are proper ways to become a citizen of the United States. People who wish to become citizens need to follow the proper procedures so that they can support the economy, not detract from it. It seems to me that the current U.S. immigration policies reward illegal im migrants for breaking the law, instead of punishing them. To me, this is ridicu lous. Just imagine if this kind of policy were enacted with other laws. What if people, instead of being fined for speeding, were given a cash reward? This situation is almost beyond contemplation, but that is just what is happen ing with the immigration problem, except the rewards are more costly than a myth ical speeding ticket. And the problem will just get worse. According to the Rice study, by 2050 the U.S. population will balloon to 420 million because of il legal immigration. Because of these increased numbers, the problem will get worse. What is the best way to stop this vicious cycle? Is it increased border patrol? No. Just simply stop re warding immigrants for en tering this country illegally. Maybe then the flow of im migrants will slow, or pos sibly stop. Process forces illegal action by immigrants By Jack Naish Throughout America’s history, we have been a place of refuge for immi grants across the world. ■ These immigrants have all been searching for a better life. The United States is known as a cultural melt ing pot, welcoming all tired, poor, huddled masses. Not only does America welcome immigrants, it re lies upon them. Immigrants represent an essential por tion of the American work force, contributing a great deal to the welfare of the economy. According to rapidim- migration.com, the U.S. government has predicted a shortage of 20 million workers by the year 2026. Were immigration laws more relaxed, America could draw an extensive la bor force from immigrants looking for a chance at life in the U.S. The laws that govern, current immigration prac tices contribute a great deal to the increasing number of illegal immigrants. Were the process less difficult and the govern ment more willing to coop erate, the number of illegal immigrants would rapidly decline. According , to CBS News, the government has spent over 20 billion dol- WISDOM ON WHEELS: Tasty fair food dangerous to liealth and budget By Jacob Conley Growing up on a farm was a great experience for me. We had your typical barnyard crea tures: sheep, cows, goats and the oc casional chicken. With these animals came the opportunity to exhibit them at fairs at the local and state level. I did this for many years and was able to fully experience the fair’s atmo sphere. But now that I am too old to ex hibit animals, what do I do to fully en joy the fair? It is not like I can drive the.bumper cars. I can barely drive my wheelchair without hitting the flagpole on the quad. My only recourse is to immerse myself in the wonderful world of fair food. With the Cleveland County Fair in town, I thought I would give you the list of things I plan to eat and why I risk major heartburn to enjoy these delicacies. First on my list is a fair classic, the Elephant Ear. Many people think that this is the same as a funnel cake, but there is a fundamental difference. The Elephant Ear is only topped with cinnamon and sugar swirled over ev ery bite, whereas the funnel cake is often topped with fruit such as apple or cherries. Up next, because I learned to al ways eat something green, is the deep- fried pickle. This item provides further proof that Southerners can fry anything (and we will see other examples of this later on this taste-buds tour. OK, let’s recap: I’ve had some thing sweet and something sour. Now it’s time to sample the most important food group: meat. This group is so vi tal that I could not decide on just one thing. I have narrowed it down to my top three: the deep-fried turkey leg, the faux Philly cheese steak and the Pol ish sausage sandwich. I can smell the greasy goodness and while my mind and wallet are begging me to stop, I buy all three. After all, I can save the rest until Sunday so I don’t have to in terrupt my Panthers game day routine to go to the caf As a reader, you might ask how I can be a connoisseur of fair food with out sampling cotton candy or the can died apple. Simply put, these items are not healthy and can cause cavities. Besides, I’m watching my weight. At this point I’m watching it go up, but at least that’s something. So if you are going to the fair just for the food, like me, take your Ro- laids and your wallet, but leave your conscience at the gate. lars over the past 12 years, trying to secure our borders with Mexico. Were the im migrants allowed to cross the borders more easily, think of how many ways that money could have gone to better use. With an escalating $8.5 trillion national debt, or the $81 million worth of dam age caused by hurricane Katrina, I believe we could think of something. We want yc Join the Pilot sti as a reporter o photographer. See your nam( in print and bui your portfolio Stop by the Pil office (CHS) a noon MWF. The Pilot Bob Carey and Nancy-Pat Dire Faculty Advisors Matt Tessnear Editor and Chief Ract ■yant Jacob Conley Sports Editor Rebecca Clark All Cunningham Jack Naish Staff Writers Haley Black Ashley Carter Joseph Fluty Kayley Potter Rachel Tucker Staff Pliotographers Pfione Number: 704-406-3533 P.O. Box 5192 piiot@gardner-webb.edu www.gwupilot.com Stephanie Kay Designer lel Lloyd and Katie Br Plioto Editors Ciara Lilly Sheyahshe Littledave Copy Editors
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