Rankin
Science: A state of disrepair
John T. Bennett
- Associate Editor
When Dr. Vicki
Martin, chairperson of the department of biology, returned to her
native North Carolina after 16 years at the University of Notre
Dame, she thought she would be taking the helm of a department that
dealt with the science of life.
Instead, Martin
inherited a department that has been forced to master the science
of making the best of a bad situation.
If voters approve
a $3.1 billion higher-education bond referendum on Nov. 7, the Rankin
Science building, considered by many to be the Achilles heel of
the Appalachian State University campus, would undergo a major overhaul.
The bond would
generate some $82.3 million for Appalachian State for construction
and renovation projects, with $11.2 million tagged for a comprehensive
renovation of the 40-year-old science building.
Rankin was built
in two stages, with the older of the two wings being constructed
in the 1960s, and its sister wing a decade later.
Most of the
renovation work would take place in the older wing, but Martin feels
that the $11.2 million amount that would be generated if voters
approve the bond would not be enough to bring that portion of Rankin
up to acceptable standards.
"You cannot
renovate that old wing to bring it up to codes that are acceptable
for a biology department," Martin said.
According to
Martin, conditions in the facility have degenerated to the point
that the safety of students and faculty is in jeopardy.
"In my
estimate, (Rankin Science) is the worst building on this campus.
It is unsafe, and in a science laboratory, if the lab is unsafe,
then that could have serious consequences for the students and the
faculty working there," Martin said.
Martin's main
concerns are the current state of the ventilation systems in certain
laboratories, table tops that have become corroded by spilled chemicals
over years of use, faulty windows, and the use of unsafe desktop
outlets that serve a triple-function as sources for lighting, gas,
and electricity during lab projects.
"The bench
tops are not acceptable in today's teaching realm of biology. All
of that needs to be ripped out, and the labs need to be brought
up to code," Martin said.
"The labs
are not functional in a modern, scientific world." Along with
those problems, Martin also pointed to the sporadic nature of the
building's heating system, which often fails, forcing students to
wear heavy coats and gloves during the frigid winter months.
On the opposite
side of the spectrum, Martin said students have lost consciousness
during the warmer months due to excessive heat inside Rankin, which
has no central air conditioning unit.
Due
to a faulty heating system, students who attend classes
in the Rankin Science Building often are forced to wear
heavy coats to stay warm.
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Martin stressed
the need to make improvements to the facility due to the large percentage
of Appalachian students who complete their required general science
courses by taking classes in one of the three departments that are
housed in Rankin ScienceÑbiology, geology, and geography and planning.
Failure to
pass the $3.1 billion bond issue would paint a disturbing picture
of how North Carolinians feel about the state's higher education
system, according to Martin.
"If the
bond fails É they [the voters] are sending a message that they donÕt
have the concerns about the quality of education that is offered
in the UNC system," Martin said.
THE
RIGHT KIND OF SPACE
While Martin's
concerns regarding Rankin Science revolved primarily around safety
issues, other faculty members pointed to the lack of space available
in the building as being the number one problem that would be alleviated
by renovations that would be made possible by the bond.
According to
Dr. Howard Neufeld, professor of biology, Rankin Science in its
current state does not measure up to the requirements created by
ever-increasing enrollment in biology courses.
Neufeld also
said that in many situations, the space assigned for laboratory
assignments is not always what he deemed "the right space."
Conducting a
biology research lab in a room that was originally designed as a
chemistry lab hinders the effectiveness of the space to provide
a proper learning environment, according to Neufeld.
"[A lot
of the rooms] are designed for other areas, so we're [the biology
department] just making do with what we have," Neufeld said.
Neufeld said
that while the funds that would be generated by the bond are "absolutely
necessary," he was steadfast in his belief that the Appalachian
administration should undertake the Rankin Science renovation before
any other if the bond is approved Nov. 7.
"We've
been told we're the number one priority for the last five years,
if we are the number one priority, we ought to be acted upon first,"
Neufeld said.
Along with
the need for improvements in the sphere of adequate space, Dr. Fred
Webb, professor of geology, said the key to improving the bleak
situation that currently looms over Rankin Science is better maintenance
and renovation over time.
"As far
as soundness is concerned, it [Rankin Science] is probably a pretty
sound building. It just needs a lot of internal upgrading,"
Webb said.
"By taking
an exterior and over the years changing the layout of the inside
is basically what we are going to have to do [in the future],"
Webb said. "European
universities seem to get along pretty well with old buildings."
Webb said he has been in European higher education facilities that
are over 800 years old, but have undergone renovations as education
needs have evolved, allowing the structures to remain intact while
keeping the educational needs of students paramount.
"If we
renovate [Rankin Science], we can be perfectly handy for another
20 years," Webb said.
U.C.
debate centers around partying, safety
Officials
claim guests are to blame for problems, not residents
Sarha Sparks
-Police Beat
A group of police
officers, students, parents and other representatives gathered in
104 Whitener Hall for the October Crime Awareness Committee meeting
to discuss campus concerns.
The main topic
of discussion at the Oct. 25 meeting was the new student-housing
development, University Courtyard, which opened for the 2000-2001
school year on Aug. 10.
The eight-building
development houses 768 students, providing a number of safety and
luxury services such as security alarms and workout facilities.
The Courtyard
provides ideal housing for many college students, said Connie Pack,
district manager for Ambling Management Company.
Chief Bill Post
of the Boone Police Department agreed that many students view the
apartments as perfect living quarters, but pointed out that the
Courtyard started the year with some trouble.
Post reported
that the Boone Police received 280 calls from University Courtyard
from Aug. 10 to Oct. 24.
A majority of
the calls were noise complaints made by other residents. Five of
the calls were for minor assaults, nine were vandalism, and 24 were
drug or alcohol violations. The rest of the 80 calls were for miscellaneous
violations, said Post.
One of the main
concerns of both the police and the Ambling representatives is that
most of the problems at the apartment complex have not been caused
by residents, but rather by guests, said Pack.
Pack and site
manager Joy Rogers have addressed this issue by discussing the formation
of a student committee to handle issues and complaints. Rogers feels
that the residents are the most appropriate people to deal with
concerns, because the residents have to live with the concerns on
a daily basis.
Another concern
brought up at the meeting was that there are unauthorized students
living in the complex. According to Craig Freer, director of student
affairs for the Appalachian State University Student Government
Association, there are several Lees-McRae students living at University
Courtyard.
Pack said that
there were only three non-Appalachian State students (all from Caldwell
Community College) authorized to live at the apartment complex.
Rogers planned to look into the matter.
Freer also expressed
concern that some students at the complex were confused about rules
concerning drinking in the apartments. Freer said that students
complained of confrontations with the police leading to drinking
tickets for public drunkeness when the 21-and-older students were
drinking on their own balconies.
Captain Curtis
Main of the Boone Police Department confirmed that there was one
such incident where an inexperienced officer mistakingly wrote drinking
tickets to of-age residents, but assured Freer that the matter had
been corrected.
Pack encouraged
residents to be cautious about the activities within their apartment.
Drugs were found in one apartment by a maintenance man, which could
have led to drug violations for all of the roommates. No arrests
were made in connection with the incident, but the roommates were
split up and one moved out of the complex.
Pack and Rogers
pointed out that there are strict drinking rules, such as no kegs
allowed and no underage drinking or the owner of the apartment will
be held responsible. The rules are outlined on pages six and seven
of the lease, said Pack.
Pack laughed
that Rogers already has a confiscated keg in her office that they
have to dispose of because a resident broke the rules. Pack said
the resident will not be laughing, though, because they have to
pay a fine for the violation.
The Boone Police
and the Ambling representatives both said that the weekend activities
at University Courtyard have calmed down greatly in the past few
weeks. Pack said, "We always have problems with overactive
student partying in a new complex such as this one, but I have been
very impressed by how quickly these students have settled down and
gotten under control."
To help maintain
control at the complex, there is an on-site police officer, Officer
Fred Carrero, as well as Rogers and other staff members that live
scattered throughout the buildings.
The latest
concern at the complex is not the amount of party activity, but
rather the safety of the residents as they try to exit the apartment
parking lot, said Pack. There have been two accidents already as
residents try to turn out of the complex, causing the Ambling representatives
great concern.
Pack said they
have spoken with the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV), only to
discover there must to be seven traffic accidents at the location
before the DMV will address the issue.
Students and
parents of residents that are concerned about the traffic issue
should call the DMV to make complaints.
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