VDLUME Lll, Number 4
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SEPTEMBER 7, 2QDD
UNCW enrollment hits all time high
Administration trying to find ways to accomodate
Serving it
up
Volleyball
season
gets under
way at
Wildcat
Classic/17
Todd Volkstorf
Staff Writer
For the third consecutive year, the
UNCW has ranked as one of the top 10
southern pubUc universities according to
U.S. News and World Report. UNCW
ranked eight in the study and ranked 25
among all public and private universities
in the south; an achievement which ad
ministrators say reflects the university’s
reputation. UNCW’s student enrollment
is at an all-time high with potential for
further growth, leaving some students and
administrators wondering how the univer
sity wiU be able to accommodate its grow
ing population.
Associate Provost for Enrollment Af
fairs Dennis Carter has been at UNCW
for 23 years and has seen the tremendous
growth first hand.
“Throughout the 90’s, we have been
one of the two fastest growing (schools)
in the UNC system. It has been between
us and UNC Charlotte,” Carter said.
Students choose to come to UNCW for
various reasons. The most popular reason
listed on the present freshmen survey,
which is conducted by The Office of Uni
versity Planning, Institutional Research &
Facilities Management, was geologic lo
cation. Other reasons included the majors
that UNCW offers and its size.
Molly Markham, a recreation major
from North Carolina said she chose
See Increase, Page~
I
Although
UNCW
has the
largest
campus in
the state in
terms of
acreage,
rapidly
dwindling
classroom
space due
to increas
ing enroll-
is
a
to
e
ment
posing
hazard
t h
university’s
future
growth.
UNCW
and UNC-
Charlotte
are the two
fastest
growing
campuses
in the
state.
James Flint/ The Seahawk
Colleges inform students of meningitis threat
INDEX
Campus News»....«»»
OP/ED
Classifieds..................
A & E
......13
The Scene...........».»»
Sports
17
SDMER STAHL
STAFF WRITER
The Center for Disease Control (CDC)
in Atlanta, Georia released a report in July
stating that universities need to make stu
dents aware of the threat of menigitis in
college dormitories. While meningitis is
a potentially fatal disease that has touched
base on some college campuses through
out the United States, it has yet to affect
the population of UNCW and school offi
cials are working hard to keep it that way.
We need to inform all students that the
best way to prevent disease is to wash your
hands... frequently,” said Dr. Albert
Abrons, Medical Director of Student
Health. He said that meningitis can be vi
ral or bacterial. Viral meningitis is more
common and less serious, as no antibiot
ics are needed.
“Bacterial meningitis has a mortahty
rate of 10 to 12 percent of those who get
the disease. It (the chance of getting the
disease) peaks in the first two years of a
person’s hfe and then again between the
ages of 15 and 24. This is why it concerns
college campuses. I’m pretty sure its three
to six times more prevalent in freshman
dorms, due to the fact that these people
are living in close quarters,” Abrons said.
He said that 10 percent of the general
population carries the bacteria in their nose
but do not get the disease, which is spread
through saliva, sharing drinks, kissing, and
other forms of contact. College officials
are worried about a rise in the disease due
to the increase in “rave parties” and the
use of the drug ecstasy. Abrons said that
when some people take this drug they put
pacifiers in their mouths to keep their teeth
from clenching. As they pass the pacifiers
to the next person, some people have
passed the disease.
The CDC reported that the rate of men
ingitis in college dorms is 4.6 per 100,(XX)
and in order for there to be a required,
mandatory vaccination the rate must be
10 per 100,000. The center also reported
that meningitis strikes 3,000 Americans
per year and of that number, 300 die.
Among college students, 100-125 cases
per year are reported and this number re-
See Disease, Page 5