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PAGE 5 Ramsey cafe firing leads to student protest www.thebluebanner.net Thursday, February 26, 2009 Volume 50, Issue 5 University of North Carolina Asheville Bulldogs win big Homecoming weekend Travelogue: Student’s adventures in Brazil PAGE PAGE 13 18 UNCA H O M E C O M I N G C elebrates

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Page 1: The Blue Banner #5

PAGE 5

Ramsey cafe firing leads to student protest

www.thebluebanner.net

Thursday, February 26, 2009Volume 50, Issue 5

TheB BUniversity of North Carolina Asheville

Bulldogs win big Homecoming weekend

Travelogue: Student’s adventures in Brazil

PAGE PAGE13 18

UNCA Homecoming

Celebrates

Page 2: The Blue Banner #5

NThursday, Februray 26, 2009 {T h e B l u e B a n n e r }

ewsPage 2

Will stimulus package give Asheville a boost?

page 10

By Rachel LetcherContributing Writer

[email protected]

Battling the bulgeJokingly calling herself the health fascist of

her household, Melissa Himelein smiled from her office chair in Carmichael Hall at UNC Asheville while taking a mid-morning break from teaching. Her free-weights rest on her filing cabinet, ready for some between-class work-out routines.

“My kids make fun of my health focus, but grudgingly put up with it. Besides, I’m a softy on sweets, as long as it’s just once per day,” the 49-year-old said.

If it was up to her, she would only buy healthy snacks for her 11-year-old twin girls, Emma and Kenzie. Luckily for the pre-adolescent girls their dad furnishes the cupboard with the classic cheese spread and peanut butter cracker packs.

On a typical family weeknight in between school and soccer practice at the Himelein house, mom and dad enjoy a filet of tuna, edamame and bok choy while Emma and Ken-zie have their own meal of cheesy rice, carrots, apples and bread.

“Ironically, my daughters are terrible eaters-completely unadventurous,” she said laughing.

Himelein participated in triathlons while in graduate school in Kentucky and uses her passion with the Asheville community through the establishment of her Family Pro-gram Getting Into Fitness Together to facilitate awareness about the rising problem of childhood obesity.

North Carolina ranks five out of the 50 states for the high-est rate of obesity in children ages 10 to 17, according to the 2003-04 National Survey of Children’s Health Data. Almost 20 percent of adolescents are obese in North Carolina, ac-cording to the survey.

Himelein’s dedication to the GIFT program gives lower income families in the Asheville community the opportu-nity to educate themselves about the obesity issue and work together with UNCA students to maintain a healthier life-style.

About four years ago, an article in Sports Illustrated sparked her interest in childhood obesity. She said the article exposed all the facts about the intense problem our nation faces. She ran upstairs and told her husband about her idea of establishing a program where her psychology students could get involved in teaching the program.

“Obesity got more interesting to me when I had children

because I really had an up close and per-sonal experience of how hard it is envi-ronmentally to fight the culture. If left to their own devices, I have no doubt that my kids would drink soda, eat doughnuts, sit on the couch and watch TV and play as many computer games as possible,” she said. “I was stunned at how much ef-fort a parent would have to make to fight against that cultural requisite.”

Always interested in personal health and health promo-tion, Himelein participated on the cross country and track team at Brown University all four years of college and later, in graduate school, completed several triathlons.

Growing up in the small town of Gowanda, N.Y., she said her parents were more health conscious than most at the time. All but one of Himelein’s four older siblings also run marathons.

Himelein’s determination to produce the GIFT program at UNCA reached many of her psychology students and in-fluenced their habits of maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

Junior psychology student Angela Kelly participates in

Melissa Himelein

By Michelle PeckStaff Writer

[email protected]

Campus Recreation hosts event celebrating Black History Month

Campus Recreation and the Intercultural Cen-ter hosts ‘REC-ognizing Your History’ to celebrate Black History Month at the Health and Fitness Cen-ter for late night programming Friday at 9 p.m.

“Very few individuals know that Campus Rec-reation as a profession was founded by 22 African-American professionals from 11 historically black colleges and universities from Louisiana in 1950,” said Jill Moffitt, director of campus recreation. “The idea sprang from the Campus Recre-ation department and was pre-sented to the Intercultural Center as a fun and engaging program to celebrate Black History Month.”

Black History Month originated in 1926 by Carter Godwin Woodson as Negro History Week. Woodson selected the month of February in refer-ence to Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln, who were both born in that month.

“We want students to know that the contribu-tions of African-Americans have helped create a vibrant field with student development, student engagement and healthy behaviors as primary ob-jectives,” Moffitt said. “We hope this event creates that awareness in a fun and exciting way while pro-moting the programs, activities and services of the Campus Recreation Department and the Intercul-tural Center.”

Moffit said she wants students to understand and appreciate the history of the recreation profession.

“We hope that students begin to make connec-tions with the efforts of creative and courageous men and women from the 1950s and their mod-ern day experience in college,” Moffitt said. “The work of these individuals penetrated and changed the campus experience in profound and meaning-ful ways that are very relevant today. Contributions of African-American leaders transcend time, af-fect change and collectively add to a more vital, caring and charismatic world. The Campus Recre-

Jill Moffitt

See REC-OGNIZE Page 3See GIFT Page 6

1960 1970 1980 1990 2000

30

20

10

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U.S. obesity ratesAdults

Children%

Teacher forms program to get families working out together

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Thursday, February 26, 2009 {T h e B l u e B a n n e r } Page 3

By David MiltonStaff Writer

[email protected]

Student arrested on DWI, property damages charges

REC-ognize your history eventsFriday 8 p.m. - midnight

Human FooseballInflatable Twister

Bungee Cord Relay Group Fitness Classes

Kayak Water PoloHealth Parity SeminarKayak Roll Session

Wii SportsRacquetballDoor PrizesFree Food

Pamela Stringer - News EditorRobert Rives’ Subaru Forester was hit in an alleged drunk driving incident in the Founders Hall parking lot.

See DWI Page 7

A UNC Asheville student, arrested on charges of drunken driving and underage drinking, allegedly struck a wall and two cars in the Founders parking lot on Feb. 11, campus police said.

“He was so inebriated he didn’t remem-ber,” said UNCA campus police investiga-tions sergeant Betty Jo Bayne.

The incident occurred shortly after 11 p.m.

“In a year and a half, this is the first one,” said Steve Lewis, chief of police, referring to Ryan Beierlein’s DWI charge and resulting property damage. “We mostly see marijuana and some underage drinking, not this.”

The two parked cars Beierlein alleg-edly struck were both student-owned.

Sophomore student Robert Rives said his 2001 Subaru Forester suffered exten-sive damage from the accident.

“The drunk driver pulled into the park-ing lot and after hitting a brick wall, hit my car first, and from what I hear he may have hit it one or two more times,” Rives said. “I have a couple of busted taillights and the hatch door is broken-the lock is smashed in so I can’t get in the back.”

Originally upset about the incident, Rives said he now looks on the positive side of the situation and the reality that nobody was seriously hurt.

“I was a little bit angry,” Rives said. “But the story just sounded so ridiculous I couldn’t help but laugh a little.”

Beierlein also allegedly hit another car,

according to campus police. History stu-dent, Patrick Brown said his 1999 Pontiac Bonneville was the other car hit in the in-

REC-ognizeC o n t i n u e d f r o m P a g e 2

ation profession is no different, and we just want students to know how much pride we take in our history and in our work.”

Friday will include numerous events and is open to all students at no charge.

“The day kicks off with a Health Parity seminar in HFC 205, where Sharon K. West will be talking about health disparities among cultures in the Asheville community,” Moffitt said. “The bike shop will be represented, door prizes will be given, and we will ask students to complete a 2-minute questionnaire and receive a free hot-cold mug provided by Association of Outdoor Recreation and Education.”

Representatives from REI, an out-door apparel company, will attend the event along with the National Intramu-ral Recreational Sports Association,

which will provide banners, photo-graphs, history and other information regarding the founding of campus rec-reation.

This educational information will be spotlighted in the Lobby as students enter the facility, she said.

Aubri Brodfuhrer, a psychology major, said this event will create more participation at the HFC from the stu-dent body.

“More events like this would bring more people out to the gym. Maybe they could add a rock climing competi-tion,” said sophomore Karis Roberts.

“I don’t use the gym on campus very often, however, I think it’s great that the HFC hosts these types of events to get students involved and active,” Brodfuhrer said. “I have only heard of other health fairs held at the HFC, so I think they could have more events like

this to get students up and moving.”Brodfuhrer, like many students, is

excited to try new things at the event. “This sounds like a great event to

learn some interesting things while having active fun with peers,” Brod-fuhrer said. “I’m excited for all the games and especially for the kayak roll session becuase I’ve been interested in trying it for a long time.”

Moffitt hopes that “REC-ognizing Your History” will be successful and continue to happen annually.

“We hope to make this an annual event that improves each year,” Moffitt said. “We won’t know until we see the result of our efforts. We hope people will come check it out and learn more about the African-American men and women who founded a profession that now serves 5.5 million students nation-wide.”

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Thursday, February 26, 2009 {T h e B l u e B a n n e r } Page 4

By Rhys BakerStaff Writer

[email protected]

Ditch the car, hop on the busMandatory environmental class considered

By Lorin MallorieStaff Writer

[email protected]

As the nation’s fresh administration hits hard with a new environmental agenda, students discuss the possibility of a more aggressive policy on environ-mental education in the UNC Asheville curriculum.

“Members of society need to be envi-ronmentally well-informed to behave in responsible manners and to elect politi-cal leaders who will make wise decisions that bear on our interactions with our en-vironment,” said J. William Miller, envi-ronmental studies department chair.

“Our well-being and perhaps exis-tence may depend on how we choose to live in our earth environment,” said Miller, who has been at the university for 20 years.

A liberal arts school at a public price, Mill-er said UNCA has the strongest environ-mental studies depart-ment he’s seen in two decades of teaching. Collectively, the de-partment acknowl-edges the importance of an informed public

regarding current and continually devel-oping ecological concerns.

UNCA students suggested Intro to Environmental Science as an additional ILS course. Currently, ENVR 130 is of-fered to all majors as a cluster course or elective.

Junior Georgia Frierson’s concentra-tion is environmental management and policy. Due to continually modified re-search, propaganda and global policies, Frierson suggested the creation of an environmental studies class focusing on contemporary issues instead.

Some aspects of the ENVR 130 course may not benefit the average student’s en-vironmental awareness, she said.

Associate Provost Edward Katz sug-gested students communicate their ideas to two faculty groups, the Faculty Senate

J. William Miller

See ENVIRONMENT Page 7

The Asheville City Transit System add-ed a park and ride shuttle to its bus service. Free parking at Biltmore Square Mall and Goodwill Industries on Patton Avenue will be provided for patrons of the buses. The service is called Hop & Ride, and its first day of action was Feb. 14.

The Hop & Ride program is designed to help commuters in South and West Asheville avoid the hassles of parking and driving in downtown Asheville, according to the city of Asheville’s Web site.

UNC Asheville students ride city buses for free with a UNCA One Card. A trip on the bus costs $1 without an ID.

John-Carl Brew, junior and chair of Ac-tive Students for a Healthy Environment, lives at The Grove and catches the bus about once a week to get downtown. He used to ride the buses more.

“I used to live in West Asheville right by the Goodwill. If I moved back, I could use the park and ride service, but I did live close enough to the Goodwill to walk,” Brew said.

The service will only be of use to UNCA students who live in South and West Asheville and need to commute into town or to the other areas on the affected buses routes.

The Hop & Ride will service bus routes 1 and 9. Each location will have 10 park-ing spaces located near a bus shelter.

The Hop & Ride for Route 1 will serve residents of West Asheville. It arrives at Goodwill between 25 and 30 minutes past the hour, every hour, from 5:30 a.m. until 6:30 p.m.

The bus operates Monday through Sat-urday. It goes through Haywood Road, West Asheville, the North Carolina Divi-sion of Motor Vehicles, Goodwill, the Hop & Ride location, Malvern Hills and Sul-phur Springs Road.

The Hop & Ride for Route 9 will serve residents of South Asheville. It arrives at Biltmore Square Mall every hour on the hour from 8 a.m. until 6 p.m.

The bus operates Monday through Sat-urday. It goes through Merritt Park, Cling-man Avenue, Haywood Road, Pisgah View Apartments, Ingles Market, Brevard Road, the Western North Carolina Farm-er’s Market, I-26 exit 33 Hotels and the Biltmore Square Mall Hop & Ride.

Brew condones the use of buses be-

cause he believes that mindful behavior is necessary in the era of climate change.

“Even if riding the bus hasn’t been proven to prevent wide scale damage to the climate, it at least encourages the prac-tice of considering the impacts of your de-cisions,” Brew said.

The Hop & Ride increases the capac-ity of the Asheville City Transit System by decreasing traffic in downtown Asheville. This is great because the city of Asheville plans to make itself into a hub of sustain-ability in the United States, according to John Stevens, a UNCA chemistry profes-sor and the chair of the Blue Ridge Sus-tainability Institute, which has the motto, “Knowledge Into Action.” The BRSI’s headquarters are in downtown Asheville.

According to Stevens, the purpose of the BRSI is to collect and build upon knowledge that can be used to provide leadership for sustainable growth in West-ern North Carolina through the area’s bio-diversity and its pioneering history of eco-logical awareness and self-reliance.

The City of Asheville’s Web site states

that Asheville buses provide a service for Asheville bikers in order to support more sustainable transport options. Bikes can be taken onto the city’s buses whenever pos-sible for no extra charge. Stevens supports the development of bike-friendly commu-nities.

“Another interesting example of what is happening around the world is the city that is being built in the Middle East, which is being designed to have a zero-carbon footprint - this is a city that is being designed with no vehicles being allowed. Here in WNC we need to be more bold in our thinking as we engage in the new green economy,” Stevens said.

The Asheville transit system provides 24 bus routes that extend around Bun-combe County from Black Mountain and Warren Wilson College, to Weaverville, to the Asheville Regional Airport and to the NCDMV.

For more information and routes visit ashevillenc.gov

Cassidy Culbertson - Photography EditorTrevor Hall, 19, boards the Asheville City bus in front of Govenor’s Hall.

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Thursday, February 26, 2009 {T h e B l u e B a n n e r } Page 5

Students rally behind fired Ramsey employeeBy Cassady Sharp

aSSiStant neWS editor

[email protected]

A student-led boycott shortened the lines at Cafe Ramsey this week after the alleged firing of one of its employees.

“We are demanding that, if Bernice McMillan’s firing was a direct result of her call to close down Ramsey Cafe early during the snow storm of Feb. 3, that she be offered her job back,” said Student Body President Nick Ladd.

Although McMillan’s case is still under an appeals process, UNC Asheville’s con-tracted food service company, Chartwells, fired McMillan for closing Cafe Ramsey early the night of Feb. 3 when evening classes were canceled due to inclement weather.

Once the city busses quit running, her usual mode of transportation, she left with a ride a little after 7 p.m., according to Students for Conscious Consumption, a coalition of student-led activist groups and organizer of the Cafe Ramsey boycott.

SFCC met last week with Dean of Stu-dents Jackie McHargue and Danny Dawk-ins, dining services director and campus liaison for Chartwells.

McMillan’s firing prompted the coali-tion’s list of demands for Chartwells in-cluding an anonymous survey for employ-ees, improved working conditions and a contingency plan for emergencies.

“We protect our students and faculty, but not the people who feed us,” said co-alition member Ellie Little.

UNCA does not employ dining service employees, however, so university clos-ings or delays do not apply to the food service staff, according to Dawkins.

“There are 1,100 students living on this campus and we have to feed them. That is our number one priority,” Dawkins said. “If every associate was able to close a din-ing facility whenever they wanted, there would be students on this campus with nothing to eat.”

Since McMillan’s case is still pend-ing, Dawkins could not say much due to Chartwell’s corporate confidentiality stan-dards, but he did say McMillan’s decision to close Cafe Ramsey violated Chartwell’s policy regarding inclement weather.

“Any associate can make a decision, but there is always a way to make that decision,” Dawkins said. “I have never, in 12 years, left anyone stranded. I have slept here and drove around to pick em-ployees up and take them home.”

Extreme incidents, like a school shoot-ing, are exceptions to an associate autono-mously closing a dining facility, Dawkins said.

Sophomore Lena Eastes considers Mc-Millan a good friend, and strongly advo-cates for her job reinstatement.

“Bernice needs her job back,” Eastes said. “It is what anyone would have done for their safety.”

The Cafe Ramsey boycott officially started last Wednesday.

A few students from SFCC and Food Not Bombs, an organization offering al-ternative food options, set up a small table in front of the library and gave out break-fast pastries and coffee.

While providing free food, coalition members also encouraged students to

sign the petition boycotting the cafe until Chartwell’s meets SFCC’s demands, in-cluding the reinstatement of McMillan.

“The vote was unanimous to go ahead with the protest for today. I wanted to make sure there was a consensus among the group, and no one was strong-arming anyone else,” Ladd said.

The boycott only applies to Cafe Ram-sey, excluding the dining hall and High-smith union.

“One of the Cafe Ramsey workers came out to read the petition and see what we were doing,” said sophomore and SFCC member Emily Rhyne. “Some of the em-ployees are worried that if a boycott is in-stated, they might get laid off.”

The boycott also addresses the larger issue of how Chartwells treats their em-

ployees, Eastes said. Many employees would like to speak up about working con-ditions but worry about the consequences, she said.

“A big reason I choose not to be on the meal plan and live off campus even though I am a sophomore is because I don’t like the way they run things.” Eastes said. “I don’t like the way they treat the people there.”

One of the most important implemen-tations SFCC demands is an anonymous survey for Chartwell’s associates, accord-ing to Rhyne.

“They feel like they can’t talk because their jobs are in jeopardy,” Rhyne said. “We are trying to improve their working conditions and represent them, but in or-der to do that we have to have an open line of communication with them.”

An annual survey is already in prac-tice which employees report to an outside third party, according to Dawkins.

The third party then communicates feedback to the vice president of Com-pass, Chartwells’ umbrella corporation, and it trickles down to regional positions such as Dawkins’.

McHargue also volunteered as a uni-versity outlet for staff feedback.

“Our associates do not have to follow the confidentiality guidelines that I do,” Dawkins said. “They can say whatever they want about the situation.”

The Facebook group, “No Ramsey Cafe Day”, consists of more than 800 members.

Dawkins said he worries about the hearsay coming from various members’ posts.

“There are some things on Facebook that are just not true. One post says that one of our associates was fired who is working right now,” Dawkins said at the meeting last Tuesday.

Chartwells publicly stated that they communicated reinstatement to McMillan, but she has yet to respond. McMillan also never responded to The Blue Banner’s re-quest for an interview.

“We have a duty to serve the needs of the students and the faculty of UNCA. We have protocols in place to balance both re-quirements, and they were not followed at this particular location,” the company said.

Ladd said SFCC wants to break down

Susan Terry - Staff PhotographerStudents enjoyed free bagels and coffee while boycotting the cafe on Feb. 18.

See CHARTWELLS Page 6

Members from SFCC discuss demands with Chartwells representative.

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Thursday, February 26, 2009 {T h e B l u e B a n n e r } Page 6

Unemployment plagues AshevilleBy Dylan Schepps

artS & featureS editor

[email protected]

With the U.S. government’s passage of a nearly $900 bil-lion economic stimulus package, Asheville residents question how and when the local economy will benefit from the proposed plan.

“Businesses and people are planning on weathering the up-and-down fluctuations of our cur-rent market,” said Eileen Buech-er, director of UNC Asheville’s Career Center and career coun-selor of 20 years. “They’re get-ting creative because everyone is just kind of waiting around to see what happens.”

The Rankin Vault, a local bar and restaurant, features a buy-one-get-one-free on food “reces-sion special” seven days a week, according to owner and manager Joel Hartzler.

The special runs between 3 and 7 p.m. and enables custom-ers to buy one menu food item and receive a second of equal or lesser value for free.

Hartzler moved to Asheville in 2007 after owning and running two bars in Portland, Ore.

He and childhood friend Chad Smoker opened the bar in July and agree downtown businesses need to get creative in order to be successful in the current eco-nomic climate.

“It’s hard to make money on food, whether you’re running a special or not,” Hartzler said. “We’re hoping that offering people a great deal on a late lunch or early dinner will generate a boost in all of our sales.”

Hartzler, along with many downtown restaurant owners, make up the third largest economic sector in Asheville.

Health services and private education, government (federal, state and local) and leisure and hospitality make up the three largest industry sectors for Asheville’s economy, according to the Asheville Chamber of Commerce.

The Economic Development Coalition, as part of the Asheville Chamber, recently completed their second-quarter staff report for 2008-09, including a comprehensive local economy overview.

The mission of EDC is to help businesses succeed in Asheville, according to Senior Vice President Ben Teague.

“I am optimistic about Asheville’s (economy),” Teague said. “Our current economic trend follows the rest of the nation, but I remain optimistic about the future, given our diverse econom-ic position. Our economy has wide-ranging contributors, from manufacturing to health care to retail and tourism to professional

services.”Teague remains optimis-

tic, but statistics show local unemployment rates follow-ing current national trends.

National unemployment increased by 125 percent from 2007 to 2008, accord-ing to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

In the city of Asheville, unemployment rates in-creased by more than 175 percent from 2007 to 2008.

Similarly, Buncombe County and N.C. unemploy-ment spiked 175 percent from 2007 to 2008.

“The job market typically changes every three to five years,” Buecher said. “The dips in employment were in 1983, 1992 and then now. A lot of what we are seeing is just the natural ebbs and flows of the market.”

Of the 15 N.C. metro-politan statistical areas, the Asheville unemployment rate is the third lowest at 6.2 percent, behind Raleigh-Cary (6.1 percent) and Dur-ham (5.8 percent), according to the EDC report.

However, the December job losses equaled 1,400, and the decline is the largest sin-gle-month drop on record.

The sector hit hardest is the professional and business ser-vices, according to Buecher.

“Typically, in a tough economy, the things that are cut first are marketing, consulting, telecommuter and things of that nature,” Buecher said.

Buecher said the consistent influx of retirees to the Asheville community makes it difficult for recent graduates and young pro-fessionals to find employment in Asheville.

“Asheville is competitive, and it always has been competi-tive,” Buecher said. “We have a very strong retiree community, and a lot of them are now looking for part-time work.”

Buecher said there is no shortage of diverse individuals mov-ing to Asheville on a yearly basis, and Teague says this can only benefit the local economy.

“Outside of our economic make-up, the core assets that brought us this far haven’t changed,” Teague said. “We still have the mountains, an innovative workforce and an entrepreneurial spirit. The chamber and the EDC are strategically poising our-selves to capitalize on opportunities now and in the future.”

the GIFT program. She said her excellent experience last year taught her about man-aging kids and the issue of childhood obesi-ty. Himelein made the program worthwhile, according to Kelly.

“She knows how to relate to people. She is really good at getting down to your level and making exercise seem fun and some-thing you want to do,” Kelly said.

James Cathers, 40, senior psychology student, says the GIFT class ranks high on his list of best classes.

“If you haven’t gotten grass stains on your pant legs in a while, it feels so good to just play,” he said. “And Dr. Himelein obvi-ously loves doing this. You can just kind of see how she approaches the GIFT program itself. “

Challenges arise with any program, and for Himelein, her most difficult moments, so far, include not enough time.

“It’s really time consuming. I sometimes get worried that I am going to get too old,” she said.

Himelein said her dream is working for a non-profit organization, training students while the organization deals with the com-plicated logistics.

As GIFT approaches its third anniversary from March 17 to May 5, Himelein assures herself every year gets better and better.

“It has been a really valuable teaching experience. Where else are you all wearing T-shirts together, screaming with your pro-fessor?” she asks, laughing. “It is wonderful for me as community service as well as for the course that I teach.”

GIFTC o n t i n u e d f r o m P a g e 2

Unemployment rates across the U.S.

Highest unemployment ratesMichigan 9.6 percentRhode Island 9.3 percentCalifornia 8.4 percentSouth Carolina 8.4 percentOregon 8.1 percentWashington, D.C. 8 percentNevada 8 percent

Lowest unemployment ratesWyoming 3.2 percentNorth Dakota 3.3 percentSouth Dakota 3.4 percentUtah 3.7 percentNebraska 3.7 percent

ChartwellsC o n t i n u e d f r o m P a g e 5

the barrier between the university and the dining services staff.

“We feel like the staff should be pro-tected by university values just as students and faculty are protected by these values,” he said.

Most visitors to the boycott table knew McMillan and were upset she was not working at the cafe any longer, according to Rhyne.

“The students want to trust Bernice as a person they have grown to love over the years,” Ladd said. “There is more trust for Bernice than the administration from which students have often felt disconnected.”See UNEMPLOYMENTPage 7

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Thursday, February 26, 2009 {T h e B l u e B a n n e r } Page 7

From Feb. 19 issue The Blue Banner, incorrectly spelled As-sociate Vice Chancellor for alumni rela-tions Kevan Frazier’s name in the home-coming preview article.

Negro History Week began in 1926.

Ethanol plants use nearly 4 gallons of water to make 1 gallon of ethanol, ac-cording to The Rush to Ethanol.

Corrections

EnvironmentC o n t i n u e d f r o m P a g e 4

and the ILS Oversight Committee, and he included his office in these interactions.

The environmental studies department is quick to acknowledge the difficulties in instituting a new core-curriculum course, including the possible displacement of an existing ILS class.

However, without doubt, Miller said, education is the answer to all the world’s ecological issues.

“Not only do we have a changing cli-mate but we are also seeing a lot of resource deficiencies,” said Corey Scheips, 21, a senior environmental studies major.

Scheips encourages all students to educate themselves on renewable energy. Some of his friends, he said, take three showers a day because they are unaware of exces-sive water consumption’s negative envi-ronmental impact

According to Scheips, UNCA’s liberal arts education taught him the communica-tion skills necessaryto help educate others on environmental issues.

“Many people don’t realize the severi-ty of our water supply,” said Scheips, who plans to focus on hydrogeology, the study of groundwater contamination and sub-surface movement, at graduate school.

Groundwater is the largest viable source of fresh water. Some desert areas, like Las Vegas, are using the groundwater faster than it’s getting recharged, he said.

This problem could result in civil wa-ter wars in the future, Scheips said.

According to the university, envi-ronmental studies is UNCA’s third most popular major. Due to new environmen-tal initiatives stated during the first week of President Obama’s term, students look forward to an expanding job market de-spite the world’s economic downturn.

“Without a doubt, our politicians need to understand what’s going on with the environment,” Miller said, citing the dev-astating effects generated by eight years of Bush’s environmental deregulation.

“Unfortunately the vast majority of things that he and his administration per-petrated on the American public were devastating,” he said.

However, the early indications of Obama’s administration make him hope-ful, Miller said.

In an official White House statement, The Obama-Biden New Energy for America Plan promises to create 5 million new jobs over the next 10 years, investing $150 billion in private efforts for clean energy.

The plan promises to dramatically re-duce dependence on foreign oil, put 1 mil-lion Plug-In Hybrid cars on the road by

2015 and ensure 10 percent of America’s electricity comes from renewable sources by 2012.

The president’s plan implements an economy-wide cap-and-trade program to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 80 percent by 2025.

According to the Center for American Progress, a cap-and-trade program sets an enforceable limit on the amount of greenhouse gas pollutants a company is allowed to omit.

Ultimately, the limits become stricter, allowing less pollution over time compa-nies meet until the ultimate goal.

For critics leery of the initial cost of the cap-and-trade program and the New En-ergy Plan, Scheips encourages them see the big picture.

“It’s going to cost money, in the short run,” he said. “It will cost a good bit of money up front, but in the long run, we will save money and save energy – a chain reaction.”

“It is definitely going to take some pio-neers to go out of their way financially to get it going,” Scheips said.

According to Miller, America’s oppor-tunity to do just that is now.

“It’s the developed world that has a responsibility to see how we use these resources and that we use them wisely,” he said.

Corey Scheips

DWIC o n t i n u e d f r o m P a g e 3

cident. “My car was parked and he ran into it

in the lot behind Founders,” Brown said. “It was just minor damage. It is just a dent in the side.”

Brown is filing a claim with his insur-ance provider to cover the damage done to his car, but he is not worried about the minor damage, he said.

“I’m filing a claim with my insurance, but that is about it,” Brown said. “I’m glad the damage wasn’t worse.”

Neither Brown nor Rives personally know Beierlein, they said.

Brown occasionally sees him around campus though, he said.

“I’m just glad he was caught,” Rives said. “Everything was fixable, and I knew I wasn’t going to pay for it.”

In all 50 states, a blood alcohol con-

centration of 0.8 percent is considered too impaired to operate a vehicle and warrants a DUI or DWI charge, according to Moth-ers Against Drunk Driving, an anti-drunk driving advocacy group.

According to MADD, a first time drunk driving offender, on average, has driven drunk 87 times prior to arrest.

A 2005 American Journal of Preventive Medicine study estimated that Americans took 159 million alcohol-impaired trips in 2002.

Of the 159 million trips, roughly 18 million involved drivers under the legal drinking age.

A N.C. Department of Health and Hu-man Services study concluded that in 2002 and 2003, 14.5 percent of DWI offenders were between 15 and 20 years-old.

Teague said the EDC plans on assisting a large electronics manufacturing com-pany seeking a facilities expansion in the River Arts District in the next one to two years.

Buecher encourages all students and alumni to use the Career Center and take advantage of career and internship fairs hosted by UNCA.

“It’s a given in our culture now to work on a debt,” Buecher said. “Looking at the (stimulus) package, it seems like we’re looking at long-term benefits rather than short-term.”

UnemploymentC o n t i n u e d f r o m P a g e 5

For more information on times and dates, visit www.unca.edu/

career

Page 8: The Blue Banner #5

Thursday, February 26, 2009 {T h e B l u e B a n n e r } Page 8

Homecoming2009

photo courtesy of Debbie Griffith

photo courtesy of Jamye Cooper

photo courtesy of Jamye Cooper

see more Homecoming pictures online at

www.thebluebanner.net

Page 9: The Blue Banner #5

See TAILGATING Page 12

Students and alum join for tailgate eventUNC Asheville tailgaters came to-

gether on Homecoming weekend, enjoy-ing food, games and booze before the women’s basketball game.

“I love tailgating because everyone comes out and it’s a lot of fun,” said se-nior Alex Seebeck and member of the Homecoming court. “Drinking is one thing, but in terms of getting excited for a game, it’s a lot easier to have a bunch of people out.”

According to the university’s tailgat-ing policy, the purpose of the event en-courages responsible socializing and a safe environment for Homecoming game attendees.

The Homecoming Committee coordi-nated the beer and wine tailgating event, consisting of members from the alumni department, Students Activities and In-tegrative Learning, the housing depart-ment, catering services and the Greek or-ganizations, said UNC Asheville alumna and SAIL employee Sarah Giavedoni.

“We’ve been meeting since last No-vember trying to get stuff organized for the entire week,” Giavedoni said. “This event specifically wasn’t as difficult to organize as other ones because this is our third year doing tailgating, at least with alcohol.”

Both Seebeck and junior Ryan Doug-las manned the grill for the alumni spon-sored tent, which gave away food and non-alcoholic beverages to tailgaters.

Alongside the food, many students were seen sporting wristbands giving them the privilege to drink openly on campus. Alcoholic beverages were on a BYOB basis.

“We have half a dozen staff members who have been trained to check IDs,” said Giavedoni. “The students are really cooperative about it. The ones that are underage aren’t drinking, and the ones that are overage were eager to get their bands.”

Sulkiro Song - Staff PhotographerDean of Students Jackie McHargue and UNCA nurse Linda Pyeritz watch as ther-apy dog in training Lark hugs Rocky the mascot. Middle, A.J. Jessup, Ray Mon-talvo, Casi Culbreth, Cale Bunell and Nathalie Vry enjoy food and drinks during the tailgating festivities. Ryan Douglas and Alex Seebeck man the grill.

Quizbowl students crush competition

In addition to their strong knowledge of trivia, Robert Meehan attributes his team’s flawless victory at the fourth an-nual Big South Conference Quizbowl to the friendship of the tight-knit, five-member group.

“We’re all pretty good friends, so dur-ing the tournament we were all laughing and joking around, you know, keeping the adrenaline down. But when it came down to the actual rounds, we were all business,” said the senior. As the team’s only remaining member from 2006, Meehan emerged as the team’s leader.

Meehan is a huge contributor to the team, according to team member and junior Jennifer Guilford.

“Robert was a huge factor in our win, with the most toss-ups answered out of any competing players,” she said. “His success is probably attributed to Wiki-pedia.”

Guilford hardly exaggerates Mee-han’s contributions.

The senior scored 260 points, more than the total combined scores of four of the day’s competing teams, according to the tournament’s Web site.

The tournament took place at Gardner-Webb University in Boiling Springs. The event, which had seven team entrants, consisted of six rounds. This “round-robin” format allowed each team to compete once against the oth-ers. The UNCA team won all six of their rounds.

In addition to UNCA, Presbyterian College, Radford University, Virginia Military Institute, Winthrop University and the reigning three-year champions, Liberty University, all participated with Quizbowl teams.

By Nick RobinsonStaff Writer

[email protected]

Arts Features&Thursday, February 26, 2009 {T h e B l u e B a n n e r } Page 9

By Erin McWhorterStaff Writer

[email protected]

See QUIZBOWL Page 12

Page 10: The Blue Banner #5

Ian Shannon - Staff PhotographerManager of Octopus Garden, Shane V., stands in front of the store’s tobacco water pipe collection. Asheville smoke shops offer a variety of collectible items.

Thursday, February 26, 2009 {T h e B l u e B a n n e r } Page 10

By Taliaferro PollockStaff Writer

[email protected]

As Asheville grows, the city continues supporting a substantial amount of smoke shops throughout different regions of the community.

Although it may appear that the growth of these companies in such a small vicin-ity would cause a lack of demand for each business, it only makes them stronger by popularity.

“As far as competition goes, we refer customers to other smoke shops if need be, and other smoke shops refer custom-ers to us,” said Shane V., the manager for Octopus Garden who has been associ-ated with the business since they started 15 years ago and who wishes to keep his last name anonymous. “There is no point in having animosity towards other shops when we can just as easily help each other out and see positive results that way.”

Octopus Garden continues to use this tactic while running a business, and watched their company grow from one store to five stores throughout Asheville. These stores are located on Merrimon Avenue, North Lexington Av-

enue, Tunnel Road and Patton Avenue.Many of the smoke shops find it im-

portant to support local artists by selling their merchandise in their stores and see it as a way of contributing to the commu-nity.

“Almost all of our glass, beads, in-cense and body oils are made locally,” V. said. “We are very appreciative of the community supporting us; we wouldn’t have five stores if not for that.”

According to smoke shop employees, being in the business gives them the op-portunity to stay close to musical and ar-tistic connections.

“Working in this business has defi-nitely allowed me to keep a strong con-nection with the music community,” said Debra Wells, the owner of Instant Karma, located on Lexington Avenue.

Wells moved to Asheville in 1995 in order to open Instant Karma.

“I had been touring with The Grateful Dead for years, selling merchandise in the lot (outside of the concert), and when Jerry (Garcia) died I found that opening this store was a way to anchor my loss,” Wells said. “Jerry died in August, and I bought the store in October.”

According to Wells, Asheville locals that sold merchandise with her on tour now sell their merchandise in her smoke shop.

“I have sold my shirts and fine art prints through Instant Karma for years,” said an Asheville artist who goes by “Fozzie.” “What we do is more than just business; it’s a community here in Asheville. We help each other out.”

Working in the smoke shop industry in Asheville is not only helping its em-ployees maintain relationships, but it also helps them form new ones.

“Since working at Octopus Garden, I have met various musicians and artists that I might not run into,” V said. “When I was working at one of our previous locations, I had the opportunity to meet Bobby Weir (one of the founding mem-bers of The Grateful Dead), and I sold him a Jerry Garcia tobacco pipe.”

It only took the owners of the smoke shop Wonderland, located on Patton Av-enue, a few visits to Asheville to realize how much opportunity lies within the city’s smoke shop industry, according to Abbey, who wishes to keep her last name anonymous and whose parents moved

here about a year ago to open shop.“Even after being in the same busi-

ness in Philly for 35 years, and then West Palm Beach for 15 years, there is some-thing about the atmosphere here, with the mountains and everything, that gives off a very unique sense of possibility,” Ab-bey said.

While the smoke shops in Asheville continue to do well, they give credit to their loyal customers for their success.

“I appreciate my customers so much because, if they weren’t shopping with us and standing on that side of the counter, then I wouldn’t have the privilege to be standing on this side of the counter,” V. said. “Since our customers have allowed us to open five Octopus Gardens in differ-ent areas of Asheville, it’s like, ‘Now we can bring the store to you.’”

Those who stroll through smoke shops in Asheville find they are full of positive interactions. The priority is more than business, but also the enjoyment and friendly interactions, said V.

“Although we are a corporation, the people allow you to still have a laid-back atmosphere in the business world of Asheville,” V. said.

Thriving smoke and memorabilia shops pepper Asheville

Page 11: The Blue Banner #5

The Blue Ribbon, a hair salon for men and women in West Asheville, takes the experience of getting a haircut and adds an ice cold PBR while sitting in the bar-ber chair.

“We serve customers a Pabst Blue Rib-bon when they sit down,” said salon own-er Beth Adams. “I decided to serve PBR because I like it, and it’s cheap. Beer is our equivalent of other hair salons’ wine as a refreshment.”

Adams, who opened the salon this past July, said she wanted to own a business with a laid-back vibe and an atmosphere conducive to Asheville’s relaxed environ-ment.

“I want customers to walk in and feel like they can just sit down, play cards, talk about whatever they want, drink a beer and get a good haircut,” Adams said.

The salon is decorated with old-fash-ioned furniture, a Pabst Blue Ribbon horse lamp and refrigerator. Customers

can sit and wait on a couch near a maga-zine rack or on stools at the old-fashioned counter.

Adams plays old rock ‘n’ roll and country music.

“I don’t feel like I’m here to get my haircut,” said junior Jon Hall. “I feel like I’m at a friend’s place, lounging and drinking a cold one.”

Adams said she hasn’t received any negative comments about serving beer, nor did she need to get special authoriza-tion to do so.

“As long as it’s a complimentary bev-erage, and we’re not selling it, then it’s fine,” Adams said. “People love the Pab-st thing. Some people come in here and have a beer at ten in the morning. They are limited, though. We give one beer per person, and we do ID.”

The salon’s staff includes four stylists, including Adams, and prices range from $5 to $26 for cuts and $45 and up for col-oring.

“Prices are reasonable, and we can save you money here,” Adams said. “If

you don’t want a shampoo you don’t have to pay for it, and if you don’t want a blow- dry you don’t have to pay for it. So there’s no pressure in walking out the door with your hair all done if you’re getting ready to just go to the grocery store.”

Adams, a first-time business owner, said the hardest parts of opening were getting permits and naming the salon.

“I’m glad the beginning process - deal-ing with the city and getting permits - is done,” Adams said. “It was hard coming up with a name, too; that came last-min-ute. Someone suggested Blue Ribbon, so we just went with it.”

Adams said despite the business’ slow start, she now has several regular custom-ers and business is great.

“Our clientele is pretty even between women and men,” Adams said. “We get a lot of families - we get more kids than I thought we would. But everybody who comes in is laid-back.”

Hair products, such as Goldwell, KMS and Joe Grooming, are for sale at the front of the salon behind the counter and candy

dish.“This place is so quaint,” senior Mary

Anne Craver said. “The interior is so welcoming and cozy. It seems like a great place to work.”

Adams said that she encountered little negative feedback since opening the sa-lon.

“The only negative comments we have run into is at first we were walk-ins only, and we changed that over because people wanted to make appointments. Really the only negative feedback we’ve had is from people who walk in and we can’t fit them in. But for the most part, if people have to wait a little while, they’re okay with it.”

The Blue Ribbon, located at 506 Hay-wood Road, offers a 10-percent discount to customers who ride bikes and sells gift certificates in all amounts. Punch cards offer a free haircut after the seventh one.

“People need to get a different price point than a high-end salon or a Super Cuts. They need something in between, and I think that’s where we fall in,” Ad-ams said.

Wine? Champagne? How about a Pabst?

By Alyssa SpencerStaff Writer

[email protected]

Susan Terry - Staff PhotographerA sign listing prices for hair cuts and a 10 percent discount for bike riders seeking a hair cut at the salon. Salon owner Beth Adams chats with a customer.

Thursday, February 26, 2009 {T h e B l u e B a n n e r } Page 11

West Asheville hair cuttery offers a free PBR with any haircut

Page 12: The Blue Banner #5

Thursday, February 26, 2009 {T h e B l u e B a n n e r } Page 12

Compared to the decidedly intense event, all members agreed that their prac-tices are surprisingly relaxed.

“We have practice twice a week for about three hours, though we don’t al-ways use the full time,” said Joseph Blair, the team’s other junior. “Practice is actually pretty relaxed. We always joke around and have a good time.”

Their practices felt “laid-back,” said Blair.

“People come in, get food and leave. It’s basically just a bunch of triviaphiles hanging out,” he said.

Meehan also emphasized the team’s focus on their shared passion.

“The practices are way more relaxed than people think they are. We’re just a bunch of people who came together because of a love for trivia, and we’ve all become good friends because of it,” Meehan said.

The team has two other members, sophomore Josh Siary and senior David Coates.

“We are trying to recruit more people to Quizbowl, especially in the upcom-ing semester as Robert is leaving and a large number of our team enter their se-nior year,” said Blair. “For anyone who’s interested, Tuesdays around 6:30 p.m. in HU 103 is the best time to drop by.”

“Freedom”

by

Patrick Henry

at juanjustice.com

Good Read

FREE BOOK

At the event, Verizon Wireless pro-vided music via a mobile karaoke booth, some students brought their own grills and food and several people brought their pets.

The new Rocky mascot made an early appearance at the tailgating event, according to Giavedoni, although his official introduction was at the men’s basketball game later that day.

The event lasted from 12:30 p.m. to 2 p.m., based on the university’s policy of tailgating, which constitutes that tail-gating may only occur two hours before game time and must end when the game starts.

“The idea is that the students will go straight from here to the game,” Giave-doni said.

The university’s policy limits al-coholic consumption at Homecoming tailgating events to individuals of legal drinking age, and only malt beverages and unfortified wine may be consumed within the designated areas and time frames.

“I think that it’s good. Big campuses have it, so why can’t we have it, too,” said junior Sophie Foscue, an attendee of the event. “If you’re 21 why can’t you drink at the tailgating party? That’s what tailgating parties are about.”

TailgatingC o n t i n u e d f r o m P a g e 9

CampusEvents

Multicultural EventsMOVIE: Banished (discussion after viewing)Highsmith 104Thursday, 8 p.m.

Comedian (UP)Steve HofstetterHU GrottoFriday, 9 p.m.

Movie NightCadillac RecordsHighsmith 104Friday, 7 & 9:30 p.m.Saturday, 7 & 9:30 p.m.

Theatre UNCA presentsThe Bear and The Pro-posalCarol Belk TheatreFri. and Sat., 8 p.m.Sun. 2p.m.

University Wind EnsembleLipinsky AuditoriumSunday, 4 p.m.$5 general admissionstudents free with ID

For more campus activities, visit:

www.unca.edu/barker/

Susan Terry - Staff PhotographerCasi Culbreth, Nathalie Vry and Dustin Brendle recycle finished beer cans at the homecoming tailgating event in the Karpen Hall parking lot.

QuizbowlC o n t i n u e d f r o m P a g e 9

Correction:In our Feb. 12 issue we

ran a story stating Mills Hall has faulty fire alarms. The alarms go off as a result of

student tampering, not from faulty equipment, said Vollie Barnwell, director of Housing

Operations.

Page 13: The Blue Banner #5

By Dan WellerStaff Writer

[email protected]

Page 13

SportsThursday, February 26, 2009 {T h e B l u e B a n n e r }

By Randi KittsStaff Writer

[email protected]

See TRACK Page 14

Senior forward Reid Augst and fresh-man guard Matt Dickey scored 21 points each Saturday evening to help power UNC Asheville past Coastal Carolina for a 74-63 vic-tory at home.

“Senior night is always emotional,” said team manager Thomas Love-joy-Henkel. “Since Reid is the only senior this year, it was even more emotional, but to have such a great student turnout, combined with a huge win, just made it an incredible night for him.”

Augst moved into 22nd place on Asheville’s career scoring list, scoring one more than former holder Guy Batsel to give him 1,077 points. With this victory, the Bulldogs (14-14, 10-7 BSC) secured a quarterfinal home game in the upcoming Big South Conference Tournament.

The men will be either the third or fourth seed in the quarterfinals of the tournament that begins in March.

“I think we performed well against a very talented Coastal team,” said red-shirt sophomore forward John Williams. “Being at home will give us a major advantage. The fans are amazing this year and our team definitely feeds off of their energy.”

Williams contributed 18 points and had a career-high seven blocked shots. Fresh-man guard John Primm also pitched in with seven points and seven assists.

Red-shirt junior forward Joseph Harris led Coastal Carolina (11-17, 5-11 BSC) with 32 points and 12 rebounds.

Junior guard Mario Edwards contribut-ed 11 points and eight rebounds, and guard Logan Johnson dealt out eight assists.

UNCA took control early in the game and went on a 24-0 run, holding the Chan-ticleers to 11 points for more than nine minutes.

Dickey posted nine points for the Bull-dogs during the run.

Edwards finally ended the dry spell by

hitting a 3-pointer to make the score 33-14 at the 3:13 mark.

Harris’ six points in the final two min-utes made it 36-23 at halftime.

“For one of the first times this season we came out with the aggression and pas-sion to build a big first half lead,” Love-joy-Henkel said. “The emotion certainly helped, but rebounding was the key.”

The Bulldogs carried their momen-tum into the second half behind the play of Dickey, who scored eight points on a 20-10 run in the first eight minutes.

A 3-pointer from Coastal senior guard Steven Sexton brought the game to within three, making it 63-60 with 3:40 remain-ing.

“We have to give CCU a tremendous amount of credit for hanging in the game and continuing to play,” Lovejoy-Henkel said. “They started getting offensive re-bounds, getting second-chance opportu-nities and started making perimeter jump shots. All of that together got them back in the game.”

A 9-0 run from the Bulldogs sealed the win in the closing minutes of the game.

Dickey capped the run with a one-hand-ed dunk in transition to push the score to

72-60.“A good team works on all the little

things day by day to improve, and that’s what we are trying to do before the Big South Conference Tournament,” Wil-liams said.

‘Dogs roll over Coastal Carolina Pearson powers track team’s indoor season

The UNC Asheville men’s and wom-en’s track and field teams will bring their indoor season to an end at the Big South Conference Meet in Clemson, S.C., Feb. 26-27.

“The season has gone pretty well so far,” Head Coach Jesse Norman said. “It’s gone a little better than last year. We’re healthier than we were last year and I see that we are making improvements every week.”

Norman said the entire team is compet-ing well this year.

“Emma Bussard, a freshman, has done really well so far,” Norman said. “Sam Maynard, for the men, has also come in and filled a big hole for us.”

Senior distance runner Morgan Weeks is also very optimistic about the way the Bulldogs began this year.

“The indoor season has gone well. It has been a good start for many of the freshman to see how collegiate level track meets are held,” she said. “As for the upper class-men, many set new personals records and have been working really hard to get better for the upcoming outdoor season.”

The Bulldogs kicked off their indoor season strong as junior sprinter Natalie Pearson won the 200 meters and finished second in the 55 meters in the Appalachian Open on Jan. 17.

Weeks set a personal record in the 55-meter hurdles with a time of 9.89 sec-onds at the event.

The Liberty Fast Times Invitational, held on Jan. 24, yielded the same results for Pearson.

Pearson took first place in both the 60-meter dash and 400-meter dash. Her time of 57.76 in the 400 is the fastest in school history.

Freshman distance runner Sam May-nard finished second in both the 800 and the mile with times of 1:59.54 and 4:27.40,

UNCA downs High Point

Page 14

Photo courtesy of Cecillie BartlettJohn Primm runs down court late in Saturday’s game against Coastal.

Reid Augst

Matt Dickey shoots a three over CCU’s Mario Edwards on Saturday.

Photo courtesy of Sarah Goldenstein

Page 14: The Blue Banner #5

Senior guard Ana Baker scored 20 points in Saturday afternoon’s game to lead UNC Asheville to a 68-59 victory over High Point University at the Justice Center.

“I felt that we received a lot of contributions from everyone. We had a good game plan that, I think ,we executed very well,” Baker said.

The senior player also pulled down six boards and dished out five as-sists in her final home game.

Fellow senior player forward Jessica Monroe contributed 13 points and grabbed seven rebounds.

Sophomore forward Lindsey Mont-gomery had her second straight double-double with 11 points and 12 rebounds.

Sophomore guard Kendall Shepard finished with 11 points and pulled down six boards.

The Bulldogs (10-16, 7-6 BSC) came out strong, quickly outscoring the visitors 10-2 by the 16:23 mark.

High Point called a timeout and an-swered the Bulldogs with a 13-4 run.

The Panthers capped the run with a layup from High Point’s sophomore for-ward Amy Dodd which gave High point a one-point lead.

“We have a good coaching staff that will prepare us to win each game,” Baker said. “We have good leadership, and we have a team that’s passionate about win-ning.”

Sophomore guards Jurica Hargraves and Frances Fields led High Point (11-15, 7-6 BSC) with 14 and 17 points, respec-tively. Fields also contributed eight assists to the game.

A 3-pointer by Hargraves tied the game up 44-44 at the 13:24 mark in the second half.

Baker and Jessica Monroe responded for the Bulldogs as they put them up by six with just over 11 minutes left.

High Point pulled within three on a jumper from Fields with less than 10 min-utes remaining.

The Bulldogs returned with an 8-2 run to go up 61-52.

Baker and Montgomery led the way

as they scored all eight points during the run.

“We are an undersized team, but we are still capable of playing big,” Baker said.

High Point failed to come back, as they only came within six points of the Bull-dogs for the remainder of the game.

UNCA secured the win by hitting seven of their last eight free throws in the final two minutes.

“It was great for homecoming week-end that both teams were able to win. The girls won their game, which in turn helped pump the fans up for the men’s game that followed,” senior atmospheric science stu-dent Joseph Phillips said. “School spirit, and the night’s festivities, were all height-ened that much more with both teams’ victories.”

The Bulldogs defense played well throughout the game as they held High Point to just 33 percent (21-of-63) shoot-ing from the field and 17 percent (2-of-12) shooting from beyond the arch.

“We played really well as a team and played good defense down the stretch,” sophomore guard Chioma Okoli said. “We rebounded well, and this was a well

deserved win for us.”UNCA travels to play Big South Con-

ference leader Liberty on Saturday eve-ning at 7 p.m.

“If we play like we did Saturday, I think we will be more than prepared to continue winning games. We need every-one to give 110 percent,” Baker said.

Thursday, February 26, 2009 {T h e B l u e B a n n e r } Page 14

respectively. Burnette came in seventh in the 800 and freshman middle distance run-ner Michelle Busse finished fifth.

On Feb. 1 UNCA competed in the Nis-wonger Invitational in Johnson City, Tenn.

Led by Pearson, who got third in the 60 meters, the Bulldogs placed well. Busse finished 16th in the 800 and Bussard came in 11th in the 3000.

The Dick Taylor Invitational in Cha-pel Hill also brought strong results for the Bulldogs.

The Bulldogs finished strong in the field events as senior thrower Daniel Corriher and junior thrower Keith Scruggs placed first and second in their respective shot put divisions.

Senior sprinter Dane Corriher finished 13th in the 400 meters with a personal re-cord of 51.20.

With the Big South Conference Meet ap-proaching, the Bulldogs are excited about finishing strong, according to Weeks.

“It’s going to be tough again this year with a small team like we have,” Weeks said. “Overall we are going to do really well on both the men’s and women’s sides.”

TrackC o n t i n u e d f r o m P a g e 1 3

By Randi KittsStaff Writer

[email protected]

Baker, Bulldogs dominate High Point

Photos courtesy of Sarah Goldenstein

Linda Aughburns drives past High Point defenders for a second half layup.

Ana Baker

UNC Asheville’s Jessica Monroe defends against High Point’s Jurica Hargroves in the first half.

Page 15: The Blue Banner #5

Puzzle answers published in the Comics, Etc

online section weekly at

thebluebanner.net

Comics,Etc...Thursday, February 26, 2009 {T h e B l u e B a n n e r } Page 15

What Killed the Dinosaurs by Sandy Igel

SudokuThe rules to play Sudoku are quite simple. Fill in the blanks

so that each row, each column, and each of the nine 3x3 grids contain one instance of each of the

numbers 1 through 9.

Melvin & mah

by Sean Sawyer

Page 16: The Blue Banner #5

Ever question whether or not you’d go to prison? Well, statistics show more peo-ple serve time than you might think.

Last year, the Pew Center on the States and the Public Safety Performance Project released data showing more than one out of 100 adults sit behind bars in America. Although a high number, it reflects a grow-ing trend across the United States, taxing society almost to its breaking point.

Prison populations nearly tripled be-tween 1987 and 2007, according to the Pew study. With the increase of inmates, states must spend more money to keep prisoners locked up.

“For this detention facility alone, my budget to run this facility is $12 million dol-lars annually,” said Major Glen Matayabas, operator of Asheville’s Detention Facility.

In 2007, all money spent on corrections across the 50 states hit $49 billion, ac-cording to the Pew study. They expect this money to increase by $25 billion in 2011.

This amount of money does little in re-forming prisoners, which means we need change in our prison policy.

According to the U.S. Department of Justice, of 15 states releasing a total of 272,111 inmates in 1994, roughly two-thirds went back to prison within three years. The department lists this as the lat-est national figure on former inmates re-turning to prison.

“You just can’t be a revolving door,” said Matayabas.

Keeping people locked up doesn’t nec-essarily keep crime down. Many inmates commit crimes after release, sending them back to prison and keeping costs high.

Even though society may say we need to lock up every criminal, prison remains ex-pensive. Figures showed the average cost of keeping an inmate locked up ran around $23,876 in 2005, according to Pew.

This cost affects you.States spend money on a number of

things, such as transportation, health ser-vices and higher education.

Between 1987 and 2007, states in-creased spending on higher education by 21 percent, according to Pew. During the same time, states increased spending on prison correction by 127 percent. Well, if two-thirds of released prisoners return within three years, then the states really don’t get their money’s worth. These num-bers also say something about our society. Do we care more about locking people up than education? What do we value?

Also, many prisoners have families. When parents divorce, someone must pay child support. And while the responsi-bility of child support sits on an inmate’s shoulders in prison, many find they cannot make the payments.

For example, Pew cites a 2001 Mas-sachusetts study that reported more than three-quarters of the state’s inmates failed to pay child support during the previous year. Massachusetts might only be one example, but the point remains that others suffer while prisoners serve time.

So we have states spending huge amounts of money on something that doesn’t work well. We have former prisoners committing crimes after release, showing prisons don’t change behavior as expected. And we have families struggling because of lack of child-support payments. We need a change in this system. Interestingly, this change could start before a person ever commits a crime.

The Pew cites a study following children into adulthood and found the children attending pre-kin-dergarten classes commit-ted less crime in childhood and adulthood, while also increasing high school graduation rates, em-ployment and salary. The benefit-cost ratio ran at 16 to 1, according to the study. This solution demonstrates a preventive example of dealing with crime.

A publication titled Confronting Con-finement: A Report of The Commission on Safety and Abuse in America’s Prisons dis-cusses violence in prison. The publication discusses how some prisons contain more inmates than they can handle, causing stress that almost guarantees violence in prison.

Confronting Confinement recommends rehabilitation and productivity programs which reduce violence and change be-havior. The publication also recommends programs where criminals learn why they commit crimes and the consequences of their actions, which could lower recidi-

vism rates by an estimated 10 percent.“The answer is not always just building

a new facility,” said Matayabas. “Some of that money needs to go effectively for sub-stance abuse and drug rehabilitation.”

Also, prisons can focus on community and family bonds in order to reduce vio-lence, according to Confronting Confine-ment. These good suggestions get to the core of the problem. Instead of throwing money at it and hoping for the best, we need prison reform to focus on changing behavior not only for the prisoner’s sake, but for society as well. We must remember behavior learned in prison can potentially spill into the streets.

If this doesn’t seem like enough to change policy, then society can also focus on the health costs. Every year, a released 1.5 million inmates carry some kind of life-threatening disease, according to Confront-ing Confinement. In addition, the publica-tion estimates some 350,000 inmates suffer from mental illness.

Aside from the medical costs of treating these conditions, these medical conditions affect public safety as well because inmates return to society. Even though they may be

criminals, don’t we have a responsibility to maintain their health in order to re-habilitate them for return to society as well as for our own health?

“We use an acronym. It’s called SSQC,” said Matayabas. “And what that means is, to run a safe facility, it just has to be safe, it has to be secure, it

has to be quiet and it has to be clean.”The publication recommends screening

and testing inmates at every prison and jail across America in order to find and treat these high rates. Prisons should also focus on the mentally ill for the same reasons, according to Confronting Confinement.

But if we don’t think we have a respon-sibility to our prisoners, then let’s keep throwing money at them. Let’s keep run-ning high-population prisons so they can spread disease. And let’s keep up the over-crowding so violence rates remain high. You see, when one of every 100 adults sits in lockup, we have a problem on our hands. And while prison might not direct-ly affect you, it certainly affects the society around you.

CampusVoicePage 16{T h e B l u e B a n n e r }Thursday, February 26, 2009

By Tom McLeanStaff Writer

[email protected]

See Jobs Page 17

By Jason HerringdeSign & Web editor

[email protected]

Hard time: Reconsidering the costs of prisons American dream hides an ugly reality

Senior year is a time for college students to take stock of their abilities and begin the steady march forth into the labor force. Armed with an education and determina-tion, we set off into the land of opportu-nity looking for our slice of the American dream.

The American reality, however, is that the new job landscape that we will be marching through is littered with the casualties of the economic downturn. In May, seniors enter the worst job market for graduating seniors since the 2001 recession.

Gone are the days of picking and choos-ing between eager employers. Welcome to the age of “Take what you can get.”

Employers are trimming their labor forces and instituting hiring freezes at an increasing rate in an effort to buffer them-selves from an uncertain economic future. North Carolina’s unemployment rate hit 8.7 percent in December, the highest recorded rate since June 1983 and 1.5 percentage points higher than the overall United States rate, according to N.C. Today, a monthly re-view of the state’s labor market conditions.

For some businesses, simple trimming is not enough. In the last year, 26 businesses closed in Buncombe County, resulting in the lose of approximately 507 jobs. Almost half of those jobs were lost in the last three months according to the North Carolina Employment Security Commission.

Even in good economic times, job-hunting, especially for first timers, can be a stressful rite of passage. These days the hunt is all about being prepared and being on your game.

The fields are crowded with hunters all

We need prison reform to focus on changing behav-ior not only for the

prisoner’s sake, but for society as well.

Page 17: The Blue Banner #5

aiming at the same target and only some are going to hit the mark.

Today’s graduates are not only compet-ing with other recent graduates; they are also contending with more experienced workers who recently re-entered the job market due to layoffs and closings. But it’s not all doom and gloom.

While total national employment is ex-pected to grow more slowly in the coming years than in the previous decade, we can count on our aging work force to guarantee plenty of future job openings, according to

the Bureau of Labor Statistics. As baby boomers shuffle off to retirement, they will leave behind millions of empty cubicles, uniforms and storefronts. The new labor-ers will rush to fill the ensuing vacuum.

In the meantime, you don’t have to throw your hands up in defeat or plan a lengthy retreat to your parents’ basement. Common sense and dedication, along with the tools you’ve learned in school, are your greatest assets in a challenging job market.

Be aggressive in your job search and don’t put it off; companies must hire new talent to ensure growth and will be looking for the brightest and the best. Be flexible and have reasonable expectations. Consid-er part time work and internships to bol-

ster your resume and get your foot in the door. Attend networking events and take advantage of already established networks like your Facebook or MySpace accounts. Take advantage of the Career Center and all of its services and resources.

And then there is always graduate school.

The UNC Asheville Career Center and the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce will host “How to Find a Job in Asheville” at the Chamber of Commerce on March 23 from 4 p.m. - 7 p.m. For more information go to www.unca.edu/career/howtofinda-jobseries/home.html

Thursday, February 26, 2009 {T h e B l u e B a n n e r } Page 17

By Patrick ZarconeStaff Writer

[email protected]

JobsC o n t i n u e d f r o m P a g e 1 6

College is the curse of the drinking class

While UNC Asheville allows students 21 and older to consume alcoholic bever-ages in certain areas on campus, the uni-versity strictly prohibits the distribution and sale of alcohol on university grounds. It may be time to change that.

According to the alcoholic beverage pol-icy at UNCA, alcohol and unfortified wine can only be consumed in certain areas and only by those of legal age. Anyone with the intent to sell, distribute or host a party where alcohol is served and charge a cover fee is in violation of university policy.

But should this be the case?Other colleges in the University of North

Carolina network allow the sale of alcohol under certain conditions and in particular places. For example, UNC Greensboro has seven areas designated as performing arts venues where alcohol can be served as long as the correct permits are on display.

UNCG also allows certain sponsored functions held on campus to serve, sell or distribute alcohol with the permission of the chancellor and the correct alcohol per-mits on display. UNC Chapel Hill also has designated performing arts venues where the sale of alcohol is allowed to those 21 and older.

Those are just two examples. UNCA, on the other hand, has no such rules in place. In fact, perhaps unbeknownst to much of the UNCA community, and somewhat un-related to the above, any alcoholic bever-age that exceeds 14 percent by volume is against policy.

What I am suggesting goes further than simply allowing alcohol to be sold at Lip-insky or Carol Belk. Alcohol should be sold at the Highsmith University Union in both the food court and at Rocky’s.

This is not a new idea, but it is one that

many on campus would agree is workable. It is also a bit of old UNCA folklore. In my three years here, numerous times peo-ple said there used to be a bar on campus back in the 1960s, 1970s or 1980s.

Vice Chancellor of Stu-dent Affairs Bill Haggard said he is unsure whether that is true or not.

“My honest answer is that I don’t know,” he said in an e-mail.

Tom Lawton, the gen-eral counsel at UNCA since 2003, works on the alcohol policy. Haggard said we might see changes to the policy in the near future, but not to expect anything drastic.

“I do know that Mr. Lawton is working on a revised alcohol policy,” Haggard said. “I anticipate the revised policy will still prohibit sale.”

Lawton would not answer questions re-garding the alcohol policy and asked not to be quoted for this article. Instead, he point-ed me to a North Carolina General Statute and promptly ended the interview.

Chapter 18B, Section 18B-1006(a), ti-tled “Regulation of Alcoholic Beverages,” only allows alcohol under the circumstanc-

es mentioned earlier in the article and pro-hibits the sale of alcohol on college cam-puses under any other circumstances.

It seems strange that, in some instances, the sale of alcohol on college campuses is perfectly legal, but in other cases, it is not. Since it is apparent that a school bar is not legal as of now, the next question is: Why?

Some people may be concerned that a school-sanctioned bar or a convenience store that sells alcohol on campus would encourage underage drinking. Haggard expressed such concerns and said he is

personally opposed to the sale of alcohol on campus because many of those who live in the dorms are underage.

While underage drink-ing is not something to encourage, it is important to be realistic. It does happen, and it will con-tinue to happen whether alcohol is sold on cam-pus or not. There are many other arguments to be made both for and against the issue.

Some people might also worry about binge drinking and the impact of readily-available alcohol. The truth is that allow-ing students to buy a beer from Rocky’s does not necessarily mean that it would encourage more binge drinking or under-age drinking.

There are many people who simply enjoy drinking beer and do not necessar-ily need to drink 12 beers in order to have fun. These are the people that would get the most benefit out of the availability of alcohol on campus.

If UNCA sold alcohol at Highsmith, it would not only encourage social interaction among students, it would also be a nice way to relax after a long day of classes, tests, papers and studying. On top of that, who would not like to have a beer or a glass of wine while watching a comedy show or a poetry reading at The Grotto in Highsmith? That sounds like an evening out on the town minus the cover charge or the price of a ticket. It would be more economical for students, and alcohol sales would bring a ton of revenue to the university.

Not only would more students have a good time while at university events, it would also be a lot safer to have students buy their beverages on campus and con-sume them on campus. Of course, prob-lems might arise when people have a little too much to drink, but that happens any-way. It would not necessarily increase just because Rocky’s sells six packs.

As for anyone who thinks that the idea of a campus bar or a campus convenience store that carries alcohol is something new, it is not, as one UNCA junior told me.

“I would definitely support a school bar or responsible alcohol on campus in gen-eral,” said Parker Green, 22. “Overseas, many schools have university bars where students get a good deal on drinks and a great place to socialize. Here what do we have? The caf?”

The most obvious obstacle to this hap-pening is the North Carolina statute. May-be it is time that lawmakers re-evaluate the laws, especially in these tough economic times. Maybe the sale of alcohol would bring in enough new revenue to ease some of the budget problems; more revenue means less money that the state needs to hand out to public institutions.

If UNCA sold alcohol at Highsmith, it would not only encourage

social interaction among students, it

would also be a nice way to relax after a long day of classes,

tests, papers and studying.

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Selling alcohol on campus ferments responsible consumption

Page 18: The Blue Banner #5

After studying abroad as a sophomore, I developed a serious travel bug. The idea that more adventures could be mine if I made them was a consuming thought, and by 2008 I was ready to go abroad again.

Coincidentally, just as I formulated these ideas in my head, I saw a flyer on campus for a program called Living Routes. The idea to travel to Brazil and study Permaculture was a passing thought that quickly became a reality.

I departed for Brazil in June 2008 with a few key Portuguese phrases and a vague idea of what it meant to practice permacul-ture. Before heading to IPEC (Instituto de Permacultura e Ecovilas do Cerrado), where I would be taking the course, I met up with a friend from New Zealand and several oth-ers who would join me at the school.

We began in Rio de Janeiro, where we

spent several days seeing art, visiting or-nate churches, eating wonderful food and exploring. Then we headed to the Pantanal, a massive tropical wetland and biodiversity hotspot. In the Pantanal, we saw all sorts of indigenous animals, including the blue ma-caw, caimans, toucans and the capiberra. We even fished for and ate piranha!

After Rio and the Pantanal, it was time to head to the eco-village. In total, about 20 of my peers and I (mostly Americans with a few Brazilians, Londoners, a Puer-to Rican and a Venezuelan) spent three weeks at IPEC learning the principles of permaculture and specific techniques of green building. At IPEC, we also had certain integrations into Brazilian culture such as Portuguese and capoiera classes.

Living at the school was the first and only time in my life where I have not felt completely conflicted about my lifestyle. It was wonderful to feel a holism in ex-isting, conserving water, composting toi-

lets, feeding food waste to the pigs, eating local, not driving anywhere and utilizing solar energy. It was such a good, healthy feeling, and the working bees (in which we built a cob oven and a keyhole garden) increased the ties we all felt to the earth.

While there, I spent much of my time out-doors. Even the classrooms were outdoors; sometimes we held class at a giant mango tree. There were fresh bananas, monkeys in the trees and beautiful fauna. It empowered me to be around so many people focused on greater global sustainability.

Leaving IPEC was a shock, and I felt immediately wasteful. Luckily, my trav-el mates and I transitioned back into the mainstream by first trekking through na-tional parks (Chapada dos Veadeiros and Chapada Diamantina), easily some of the most amazing places I have seen. Then we headed down the coast to Salvador, Itac-are and Arrial d’Ajuda, all coastal towns. In Arrial, we stayed with a professor from

IPEC, continuing our permaculture educa-tion by helping him build a composting toilet on his farm.

Back in Rio, the second time around was very different from the first. About two-and-a-half months after arriving, our Portuguese was passable, and we had a friend to stay with in the city. We felt re-laxed, like we were getting into the swing of the culture.

I can now be a certified permaculture ap-prentice through the skills I obtained study-ing in paradise. The diversity of life in Bra-zil continually amazed me, and not only the wildlife, but also the diverse human popu-lations in places like Rio and Salvador.

Overall, my many great adventures completely removed me from my comfort zone. I traveled in a country where I spoke little of the language. The experience so empowered me that now I feel like I could do it anywhere!

Page 17 Thursday, February 26, 2009 {T h e B l u e B a n n e r } Page 18

College is the curse of the drinking class

If UNCA sold alcohol at Highsmith, it would not only encourage social interaction among students, it would also be a nice way to relax after a long day of classes, tests, papers and studying. On top of that, who would not like to have a beer or a glass of wine while watching a comedy show or a poetry reading at The Grotto in Highsmith? That sounds like an evening out on the town minus the cover charge or the price of a ticket. It would be more economical for students, and alcohol sales would bring a ton of revenue to the university.

Not only would more students have a good time while at university events, it would also be a lot safer to have students buy their beverages on campus and con-sume them on campus. Of course, prob-lems might arise when people have a little too much to drink, but that happens any-way. It would not necessarily increase just because Rocky’s sells six packs.

As for anyone who thinks that the idea of a campus bar or a campus convenience store that carries alcohol is something new, it is not, as one UNCA junior told me.

“I would definitely support a school bar or responsible alcohol on campus in gen-eral,” said Parker Green, 22. “Overseas, many schools have university bars where students get a good deal on drinks and a great place to socialize. Here what do we have? The caf?”

The most obvious obstacle to this hap-pening is the North Carolina statute. May-be it is time that lawmakers re-evaluate the laws, especially in these tough economic times. Maybe the sale of alcohol would bring in enough new revenue to ease some of the budget problems; more revenue means less money that the state needs to hand out to public institutions.

By Emily Antoszykcontributing Writer

[email protected]

Lessons learned in Brazil put student’s life into perspective

Emily Antoszyk - Contributing PhotographerParticipants practice Capoeira, a Brazilian style of martial arts. Top right, young boys play drums on found objects in the Rocinha favela, Rio de Janeiro. Bottom right, horse-back riding through the Pantanal. To see more pictures or read Antoszyk’s blog from her trip to Brazil, visit eantoszyk.blogspot.com or picasaweb.google.com/Emillia9.

Passport to...

Page 19: The Blue Banner #5

The war over resolution 19 began at the November meeting of the University of North Carolina Association of Student Government Associations.

The resolution is entitled, “An Act En-couraging the Board of Trustees of the North Carolina Community College Sys-tem to restore Universal College Access.” In a session of the student government office that lasted several hours, we nailed out the bulk of resolution 19, which would not successfully pass through UNC ASG’s General Assembly until two months after its first introduction in November.

Given the controversial tinge now as-sociated with under and undocumented persons in the United States, resolution 19 was obviously a hot button issue. One of the major arguments in support of this resolution is that UNC system president Erskine Bowles took no action on closing the system’s current “open door,” univer-sal access policy. As it stands, students who are under or undocumented are al-lowed entry into UNC schools. They do, however, pay out-of-state tuition and are, in most cases, classified as “out-of-state for documentation purposes.” Essentially, undocumented students subsidize the edu-cation of all other in-state students, just as out-of-state students do.

The true fight commenced during the November meeting. Due to a plethora of bureaucratic issues, many delegates lacked sufficient information regarding resolution 19. While I was busy taking minutes, the committee quickly devolved into speaking in us-and-them terms. After three very vo-cal delegates killed the resolution in com-mittee, several other delegates, including those from UNC Chapel Hill and N.C. State, scrambled to see if we could get sup-

port to revisit it in committee and possibly have it come up in General Assembly.

The scramble for support was futile as incredibly un-businesslike delegates re-ferred to other strange activities they would rather be doing. In General Assembly we again tried to get some support behind having the bill discharged from commit-tee to be heard. Andrew Johnson, student body vice president, motioned to have the bill discharged. However, due to confu-sion regarding what actually occurred in committee, the delegates withheld support for the motion.

Over the next two months I worked with Doucette and two groups on campus that have been integral in working for this cause: HOLA ad NCC4CA (North Caro-lina Coalition for College Access). When the January meeting in Fayetteville rolled around, we came out with guns blazing. Everybody in support of resolution 19 held their breaths as it made its way through committee. The instant the committee de-cided it would report on it favorably, and thus bring it into General Assembly to vote upon, elated supporters bombarded me with phone calls and text messages.

The next step was to get it through General Assembly. We all held our breath again. In General Assembly the committee reported favorably on the resolution. Then the assembly moved into rounds of de-bate. The opposition was caught off-guard, and the resolution quickly passed unani-mously while the opposition attempted to wrangle their information. They failed to present any negative debate.

Furthermore, resolution 19 proceeded to the Board of Trustees of the community college system, and was enacted, which prevented the opposition from gaining a foothold in their attempt to reintroduce and vote it down.

Thursday, February 26, 2009 {T h e B l u e B a n n e r } Page 19

The Blue Banner Editorial Board Karpen Hall 019 (828) 251-6586 [email protected]

www.thebluebanner.net

Aaron Dahlstrom, Editor-in-Chief

Jonathan Walczak, Managing Editor

Pam Stringer, News Editor

Dylan Schepps, Arts&Features Editor

Greg Hicks, Sports Editor

Jason Herring, Design&Web Editor

The Blue Banner is UNC Asheville’s student newspaper. We publish each Thursday except during summer sessions, finals week and holiday breaks. Our office is located in Karpen Hall 019.

The Blue Banner is a designated forum for free speech and welcomes letters to the editor, considering them on basis of interest, space and timeliness. Letters and articles should be e-mailed to [email protected]. They should be signed with the writer’s name, followed by year in school, major or other relationship to UNCA. Include a telephone number to aid in verification. All articles are subject to editing.

Emily Gray, Business Manager

Cassidy Culbertson, Photo Editor

Cassady Sharp, Assistant News Editor

Sam Hunt, Assistant Arts&Features Editor

Matt Starkey, Assistant Web Editor

Michael Gouge, Faculty Adviser

SGA fights for the rights of undocumented students

By Asha Purohitexec. of external affairS

[email protected]

A Word From Student Government

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