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Page Two, The HILLTOP, Wednesday, February 26,1986
Letters To The Editor
A Word With You
JUDY
SMITH
Co-Editor
JOHN
ANDERSON
Co-Editor
We the editors, as concerned
citizens, chose to deal in this issue
with the current nuclear waste
debate going on in Western North
Carolina. It is something which we
are sincerely concerned with.
Neither of us wish to see a dump-
site placed in this area, it has too
much to lose. We hoped to present
the subject in an informative and
helpful way. The future of this col
lege and this area may be influenc
ed dramatically by the final deci
sion as whether or not to locate a
dump in the area. It is our wish to
educate the student body so that
they may make their own decisions
about the issue and take a stand.
We have worked long and hard
as has our staff in bringing this in
formation to you. Personal thanks
should go to Mr. and Mrs. Bobbi
Tousey, local citizens who con
tributed much information of
value. We would also like to thank
our regular columnists and staff
who also focused on this issue.
Special thanks should go to The
Blue Ridge Environmental Defense
League, Channel 13 WLOS, The
Department of Energy, and the
Asheville Citizen
To the readers, we invite your
response and criticisms.
Nuclear Waste ■
Is it safe and are
there Advantages?
ED
HIX
Staff Writer
A major issue now at hand in
Western N.C. is the nuclear waste
proposal sites in Haywood, Bun
combe, and Madison counties.
When many Western North
Carolinians hear this, they im
mediately object and say it is too
dangerous and give it to someone
else. There minds conjure up pic
tures of leaking chemicals that
cause you to glow in the dark and
they fail to look at the possible ad
vantages and safeness the sites of
fer.
economically the sites bring in jobs
and also brings in revenue for the
state. There is also an environmen
tal advantage in that there are
many landfills with ponds of
chemicals sitting around that are
better off underground. There are
in fact 378,000 such landfills in
need of correction. Other sites
have toxic wastes in steel drums
that are buried and rust causing
leaks. The sites in Western N.C.
have the Crystalline rock which
reinforces the nuclear waste in steel
shipping casks.
One could go on and on and
argue the pro’s and con’s without
actually achieving anything. No
one wants nuclear waste in their
The three county sights are actually
secondary sights..
l o understand the safeness and
advantages you have to ask the
question of why Haywood, Bun
combe, and Madison counties are
potential waste sites. The EPA
(Environmental Protection Agen
cy) determines this through the
sites environmental and geological
setting. The three county sites are
actually secondary repository sites
which will not be constructed until
the year 2000 and emplacement of
waste will begin 6 years after. They
are considered because they consist
of Crystalline rock which has
potential for isolating nuclear
waste. They also do not have a
high population density for the
square mileage.
One advantage is that
area and they they want to give it
to someone else. True a nuclear
waste dump is scary and fatal if
leaked but no one cares to propose
other alternatives. Either we leave
the mess we have now or have safer
sites that are made safe through
the geographical and environmen
tal setting. We have to pick on hav
ing a site in our area or leave the
chemical ponds and leaking bar
rels. We can no longer avoid the
issue but we have to choose the
lesser of evils.
The information provided by the
writer does not neccessarily reflect
his complete opinion concerning the
issue but has provided the reader
an opposing view so he may make
his own decision.
Serving Mars Hill College Since 1926
Judy Smith & John Anderson
Co-Editors
Dear Editors,
First of all, we would like to
congratulate you on certain things
in Volume LIX, Number 7 which
we liked. New additions to the
paper such as the “Insider” box
and the “Coming next issue” box
are good ideas as is the enlarged
quote in John Andersons’ front
page article. Your layout seems to
make better use of space and thus
makes the HILLTOP more “pro
fessional” than other recent edi
tions. But other than that, we find
little more than S.G.A. propagan
da and garbage.
A certain item that really got
under our skins was the self-
centeredness of DeeAnn Peterson
in her article and Owen Robert
sons’ “humorous” way of handl
ing the space shuttle in
cident ... one of the worst disasters
of the 20th century. Miss Peterson,
if her brother is affiliated with
NASA, should be able to see the
gravity of the situation when this
one incident has brought the space
program to almost a standstill.
Granted that the media took ad
vantage of the sitution by taking
certain liberties with the privacy of
the shuttle families, but it seemed
like you turned the entire issue into
a push for the Red Cross and could
not even express your condolences
to the families. Robertson, in all of
his oddness, must have a really sick
sense of humor toward the incident
and also in the way President
Reagan handled the matter. Of
course I can understand since he
was commissioned to play “devils
advocate” and if Reagan would
have went on with his State of the
Union address, Mr. Robertson
would have condemned him for
not having more feelings toward
the families involved.
Now, as far as the supreme god
and right-hand to administration,
Mr. Scott Barron and his S.G.A. is
concerned, we see nothing wrong
with keeping the students up-to-
date on the S.G.A. but feel they at
tend to frivolous matters such as
the student weight room. Things
such as the HOT water in the
men’s dorms, or lack there of
should be addressed. We haven’t
had hot water after 8 am since
we’ve been back. Problems like
these should be on top of the list of
priorities for S.G.A. involvement.
If the “jocks” want to prove their
“manliness”, let them take cold
showers after a work-out in one of
their two weightrooms. Most
students pay as much as (if not
more than) these Mars Hill He-
men for this schools’ facilities and
that includes a warm shower in the
morning. Hopefully, his weight-
room modernization will fall dead
as did the way Barrons’ “No
Smoking” bill did.
Also, a potentially good feature
such as “Uncle Huey Reports”,
has fallen victim to mediocrity as
has S.G.A. Batter the students in
Myers Dorm for parking and slap
the hand of Physical Plant for let
ting men break their necks on the
ice they so conveniently left. We
think that all Security Personnel
should be required to give out
tickets rather than leaving it all to
R. Sauer. On a randomly selected
night last week, we followed
Security around campus on their
12 AM rounds during which they
drove by 4 unticketed, illegally
parked cars in front of Myers
Dorm, not to mention 2 in Gibson
parking lot, and 6 in Huff
man/Stroup lot including one non
staff car in STAFF parking which
had been there all day. What’s
wrong old men, too cold out there
for you to do your job? We mean,
how can MHC students feel safe
when you can’t even do a menial
job such as this?
We found little of anything else
in the paper that had any substance
and if you editors are honest with
yourselves, you see our point. By
the way Miss Judy Smith, how
much did you have to twist your
boyfriend’s arm (Jim Parks) to get
him “to agree to fill the position of
Lay-Out Editor”? It seems more
honest to say “I was stuck with all
these empty editorships so I threw
my leadership problems to those I
can control easier such as my
boyfriend and other friends.”
However, Mr. Parks has done
more already for the HILLTOP
layout than John Anderson, the
previous layout editor, and we do
not question his qualifications.
And also, why did all of the Laurel
photographers get into your staff
box? Must have been a typo-error,
huh?
Let us leave you with this one
thought, is it not the quality of the
content you print that makes a
newspaper? We’re sorry if our
editoral “steps on some toes” but
it is something we feel strongly
about and in our observations,
something others feel also. Thank
God for freedom of speech!
Sincerely,
Aunt
Emma and Toto
Dl
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footba-he
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Ei
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ing
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the
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I am shocked at
response candidate Jam
gave to the request for
partisan cooperation
the nuclear waste dumj
February 8th issue of th
Clarke said such coopers
“just not worth the
energy.” Perhaps he
devote his time and en
toward his own politk
tions. Clarke obviously
make a political
this vital issue.
Well, if that is what
fine, but the people she
that Mr. Clarke was in o
W.N.C. [Western North
was put on this list. Wha ^TE
then? Nothing!! I
Clarke’s inaction and
leadership have shortclS
of us. If he had acted“st c
were named to the
wouldn’t be in the fix ' of
now! ®op'
Mr. Clarke needs tc’®”
political “chip” off hii’^^fi
and put that shoulder tO'^ ^
of the public bandwagi^**ty
the dump instead o
obstacles in its path. He
that he cannot back a
responsibility and th«
blame others. The |With
W.N.C. should not all ont
political slight-of-hanc
tinue. We have to figW^^f'f
together. Thank goodne*^''®
rent Congressman has sU^®
leadership on this issuej
are
he (
am
can
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Matthei
Campus Candids On
Nuclear Waste
KRISTY CROW
Staff Writer
In the last issue of the
HILLTOP, we introduced the col
umn ‘‘Campus Candids” by Kristy
Crow As we explained in the
editorial of that same issue, this
column will be a forum for student
opinion. Kristy’s assignment is to
go with tape recorder in hand and
compile student response to ques
tions dealing with issues which
may be of concern to them.
We hope that through this col
umn Mars Hill students will ex
press their concers to the student
body and administration as a
whole. We appreciate the response
thus far and look forward to a suc
cessful semester.
The Editors
How do you feel about North
Carolina having nuclear waste
dump sites?
I am against North Carolina
having Nuclear Waste dump sites.
Because of the waste in the moun
tains and wildlife. I think they
should put it in the deserts. There
is not as much traffic in the desert,
and they should not transport it on
1-40 because so many people travel
the highway. There is also more
localized people here in North
Carolina.
Tammy Lindsay-sophomore
1 don’t think we should have it. I
don’t think it is environmentally
safe. 1 think they should suspend
the program of Nuclear Energy.
Tom Cabaniss-sophomore
1 don’t think it is a very good
idea because geologists have
already decided it is not safe.
Chris Hollefield-Sophomore
I think it is very bad for the
plant life and people. Heck, who
knows what else.
Tommy Cook -Senior
I think it would ruin the
tourism, and that having sites
would junk up the state.
Peggy Crilly-Senior
I really don’t think it is a good
idea because North Carolina
Mountains are some of the most
beautiful mountains I have ever
seen. They say it won’t mess them
up, but this idea of having
something that later could come
back and haunt us is hard to
understand.
Nelson McDaniel-freshmem
I feel that it is really not
necessary for them to dump
nuclear waste in this area. I feel
there are other suitable areas with
less of a population.
Greg Goodwin-freshmen
I am very much against it
because I feel that there are more
suitable places in the country. I
feel they could put it in Wyoming
where it is mostly desert. This is a
growing area with greater expecta
tions, and a nuclear waste dump-
site could hurt that.
Scott McNeil-freshmen
Help k©n
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Use your hei the
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Give a h(
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Forest Service, U.$
SPACED-OUT: 2001.4 by OWEN ROBERTSON
Managing Editor Deeann Peterson
Sports Editors Stuart Jolley
Robby Parham
Copy Editor Keith Kimble
Layout Editor Jim Parks
Staff Writers Terrie Boisvenue
Kristy Crowe
Jeff Fitzgerald
Amy Gaskin
Georgia Harrington
Trina Hollister
Joy James
David Meier
Brenda Smith
Cartoonist Owen Robertson
Photographers “Corndog”
John Edwards
Greg Googer
“Gumby”
Ronnie Hayes
Cynthia King
Pam Megathlin
Advisor “Dad”
The opinions expressed herein do not necessarily reflect those of the
administration or members of the HILLTOP staff.
^ O ™ps