Funds generated by second year of proposed tuition hike may not be used to boost faculty salaries

John T. Bennett - Associate Editor

The Appalachian State University administration scored a key victory in its quest for a dual student-fee increase Friday.

The board of trustees (BOT) of Appalachian State approved a pair of increase proposals that will now move onto the agenda of the University of North Carolina System Board of Governors (BOG).

The BOT voted unanimously to approve a $300 tuition-hike that would see students pay $150 more during the next two academic years.

After dismissing an amendment proposal from Student Government Association (SGA) President Ryan Bolick, the board also approved a $329.50 student fee increase.

If approved by the BOG, students at Appalachian State will be forced to pay $479 more than the current rate during the 2001-02 academic year with the possibility of an additional $40 BOG-initiated tuition hike still looming on the horizon.

The potential BOG system-wide hike must be formally approved at the body's annual spring meeting. At that same meeting, the board will also decide the fate of the Appalachian proposal, a plan that has undergone a partial makeover in the last seven days.

Dr. Gregory Blimling, associate vice chancellor for student development, told SGA Tuesday evening that 60 percent of the funds from both years would be used to bring faculty wages up to competitive standards, with the remaining 40 percent being allotted for need-based financial aid.

In stirring up support for the tuition hike among faculty members, university officials laid out an identical plan for the Appalachian State University Faculty Senate.

Appalachian administrators dropped a bombshell on board members Friday when Chancellor Francis T. Borkowski announced that the structure of the plan no longer mirrored the proposals presented to SGA and theFaculty Senate.

According to Borkowski, the monies generated by the first year of the two-year tuition increase would still be designated for faculty salaries and student financial aid, but a decision on how to spend the funds from the second year will be delayed.

The change in the tuition increase proposal produced feelings of alarm and concern from several BOT members.

"This comes as a shock to me," said BOT member and Faculty Senate Chair Gayle Weitz. "I'm not so sure the senate will support the ... tuition increase, knowing that (the second year) isn't going for faculty salaries."

Weitz was not the only board member to express reservations about the revised proposal.

BOT member Roy Carroll questioned whether the BOG would approve a campus-initiated tuition hike if a member institution failed to clearly specify the manner in which the generated dollars from a potential increase would be distributed.

"I don't think we can express (the proposal) as an open-ended question," Carroll said.

Borkowski did not speak directly to Carroll's statement, saying only, "I think we can make our case (to the board of governors)."

Citing the possibility of a budget shortfall leaving the North Carolina General Assembly unable to distribute funds to UNC system institutions and an ever-changing financial picture, Borkowski told the trustees that university officials may decide to reallocate the funds generated from the second year of the proposed tuition increase away from faculty wages and need-based financial aid if greater needs emerge in other areas.

Holiday season offers chances to help others

Catherine Quill - Business Affairs Beat

As the semester comes to an end, many students dive into their books to prepare for their last exams, papers and projects, overlooking most holiday activities until they have returned home for the semester break. However, student groups and community agencies have organized a variety of service projects to benefit the holiday needs of the surrounding area.

The Hunger Coalition, an organization that is committed to decreasing hunger in Watauga County, is sponsoring the Sharing Tree and the Senior Sharing Tree.

Compton Fortuna, associate director of the Hunger Coalition, said that this time of year brings an end to most seasonal work that employs many local residents.

"The reason the Hunger Coalition is working with the Sharing Tree and the Senior Sharing Tree is because, at the holidays, people need a little extra help. It's a great way to remember the true meaning of the holidays and to give back."

The Sharing Tree consists of names of families that have children 17 years or younger, and the Senior Sharing Tree holds the names of senior citizens. The participants are unable to afford a Christmas tree. To help, visit the Hunger Coalition and choose a family or senior citizen to sponsor. The Hunger Coalition will provide the volunteer with all the necessary information. Call 262-1628 for more information.

The Watauga County Project on Aging needs volunteers to help serve refreshments at holiday parties for senior citizens. Parties are scheduled daily, Dec. 11-Dec. 15 from 10 a.m. until 12 p.m.

Sherry Harmon of the Watauga County Project on Aging said, "For many of these seniors, it's the only kind of holiday atmosphere they'll have. This benefits the volunteers as much as it benefits the people they're helping."

Call 265-8090 for more information.

The Appalachian Popular Programming Society (A.P.P.S.), WASU and The Appalachian are sponsoring Santa's Toy Box, a project that gives Christmas gifts to Watauga County children in need. Cascades Cafe in Plemmons Student Union holds the tree with angels that include the age and gender of a child.

Participants may choose an angel, buy a toy and place the unwrapped gift in the large red box by the tree before 10 a.m. on Thursday, Dec. 7. Toy guns or weapons are discouraged, and the gift should be under $25.

Justin Stiles, A.P.P.S. Heritage Council chairperson, said the mission of the project is simple.

"It's to help make spirits brighter," he said.

For more information, call 262-2855. The Women's Center has adopted one local family and one local elderly couple. Money, non-perishable food and unwrapped items are needed by Dec. 6 in the Women's Center on the first floor of the student union. The center also has a wish list of items that the family and couple need.

Volunteer David Nunn said, "I think we feel like it would be good if we got out and helped. It feels good for us and hopefully for the people we help."

Operation Christmas Child is asking students to fill a shoe box with a few inexpensive items such as socks, gloves, toiletries or toys, but no items that are war-related, breakable, or can leak or melt. After filling the box, wrap the lid and box separately and enclose a $5 bill for shipping.

The shoe box will go to a child in a war-stricken country. Boxes are due to the ACT Community Outreach Center by Tuesday, Dec. 5. Call the ACT Office at 262-2193 for more information.

Chancellor's Christmas plans center on family

Robyn Dailey - Chancellor/Advancement Beat

Appalachian State University Chancellor Francis T. Borkowski's holiday season will be full of treasured traditions and overflowing with family.

Borkowski said that what he looks forward to the most during the holidays is seeing his family, which consists of his children, brothers and sisters, nieces and nephews, and three-year-old granddaughter.

He said that usually the whole family comes up to Boone for Christmas, but this year the plans will be a little bit different.

Borkowski's oldest son Stanley is getting married in Columbia, S.C., on Dec. 30, so the family will use that time to see one another, rather than the usual tradition of congregating at the chancellor and his wife's home.

The chancellor has carried on many holiday traditions from his childhood.

"One of the main traditions that I carry on from my upbringing is a Polish tradition, and that is the breaking of a very, very thin wafer," said Borkowski.

The large wafer is broken before the traditional Christmas Eve dinner and is first done by the mother and father. After they break the wafer in half and hug, they proceed to hug each child until everyone has been greeted. The result is a stack of very small wafer bits.

Mrs. Borkowski's family is of Germanic heritage, so they have continued the Germanic tradition of a very large meal on both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. They will attend evening mass at a Catholic Church on Christmas Eve.

This tradition reverts back to one of the chancellor's strongest childhood memories of Christmas.

"As a youngster, it was our common practice to go to midnight Mass," said Borkowski. "One of the recollections for me, of course, was the difficulty I had as a youngster staying awake from 12 a.m. to 3 a.m. And then frequently after that, we would even stop in and see grandparents and relatives. I was always anxious to get up on Christmas morning. That's kind of a remembrance of mine, my difficulty in being able to stay awake for that service, which I rarely succeeded in doing."

During New Year's celebrations, the Borkowskis traditionally invite people from both sides of the family to their home. Anyone who is able to come congregates there and enjoys dancing and music.

Every year, the chancellor makes a huge pot of French onion soup and after the new year has tolled, everyone enjoys a big bowl of it. He started making it many years ago and has continued with the tradition out of popular demand.

The Borkowskis usually put up their Christmas tree right after Thanksgiving. The chancellor said that this year is the first year in a long time that he and his wife will put up the tree themselves, since the maintenance staff is usually responsible for decorating the chancellor's residence.

"My favorite memories, of course, are being with grandparents from both sides of the family on Christmas Day. I was an only child, so they spoiled me quite a bit," said Borkowski.

He said that many times his childhood Christmases in Ohio were cold and snowy. They were always full of many Polish traditions and foods.

Borkowski said that holidays are a wonderful opportunity for he and his family to spend time together and enjoy the festive spirit.

Sarah Sparks - Police Beat

As the number of students in the Boone area decreases during the holiday break, the number of robberies is expected to go up.

The Town of Boone and Appalachian State University police departments are focusing on prevention this year in hopes of reducing the number of break-ins and robberies to apartments and dorm rooms.

Captain Curtis Main of the Boone Police Department said police are encouraging students to think of safety and protection as they lock up their residences to go home for the holidays. Main said the problem is often that people overlook common-sense safety tactics in the rush to get out of town.

An example of simple things people could do to disguise the fact that they are out of town is canceling mail and newspaper deliveries. If this is not possible, students are encouraged to arrange for a neighbor to collect the mail and newspapers while they are away.

A pile of newspapers in front of a residence is a good indication to a potential robber that the inhabitants are not home, said Main.

Main also warned against closing blinds or turning off all lights. "The best way to make it appear that someone it home is to put lights on a timer so that they turn off and on at certain times of the day," said Main.

Another mistake that students often make is changing their answering machine message to say that they are out of town for extended periods of time. Main said that students should leave their normal answering message while they are away for the break.

If students are concerned about people getting in touch with them during the break, they should inform friends and other acquaintances of a number where they can be reached.

Other precautions that students can take include being sure that all windows and doors are secure. Doors should be made of a sturdy wood or metal and locked with a dead bolt.

Any damaged or bent screens should be replaced because they make it easier to enter a residence through a window.

One of the easiest ways for a burglar to enter a residence is through a sliding glass door. These doors should be secured with a commercial lock or by wedging a broomstick in the door.

Main suggested that students in apartments purchase spotlights to place outside of the residence to ensure the area is well lit.

Students can also ask neighbors that are staying in town to watch out for suspicious individuals around the complex or neighborhood.

The Boone Police Department suggests setting up a mini neighborhood watch system if at all possible.

Main said that although they are expensive, the ideal form of protection against robbery is an alarm system. Students interested in purchasing an alarm system should investigate different companies and ask for references.

In the event that a robbery does take place, it is important that the residents have a working list of valuables.

The list should have a good description of the items as well as any serial or model numbers. This information will aid the police department in locating stolen items, said Main.

Sergeant Stacey Sears of the Appalachian Police Department said that students living in both dorms and apartments should be sure to wait until the day of departure to pack their possessions in a vehicle. Vehicles packed with valuables make an easy target for a robbery, especially if the vehicle is parked in a remote lot such as State Farm or South parking lots.

The police department will provide daily foot patrol on each floor of the dorms during the break, making sure that no suspicious people are around or in the buildings while the students are away, said Sears.

Sears said that students in the dorms could do their part by locking their doors and being sure that all electrical cords are unplugged. The dorms will reopen to students on Jan. 3.

Elizabeth Frye - Multicultural Beat

People around the world have different ways of celebrating the holiday season.

In a recent interview with some of the foreign students living on the international floor of East Residence Hall, they discussed how they normally observe the holidays (if celebrating holidays during this time of year is something in which their families participate), and how they plan on spending their winter break this year.

Those interviewed included Yuka Obikane and Reiko Hasehira of Japan, Carla Ghanem of Germany, Francisco Fernandez of Mexico, and Pinky Shah of England. All of the students except for Shah celebrate Christmas in some form, whether as a religious holiday or as a social gathering.

Obikane and Hasehira explained that Christmas in Japan is a time people generally spend with their friends and significant other rather than with family. Hasehira said, "Only parents give gifts to the children; the children do not give gifts to the parents."

While Hasehira still receives presents from her family, Obikane does not. Obikane said that as a child she got gifts from Santa Claus but she no longer does. "Once I knew there is no Santa, there were no more presents for me."

Christmas trees are found in Japan, but they tend to be much smaller than the trees usually put up in America.

Ghanem's family, on the other hand, generally has a real Christmas tree during the holiday season in Germany. Christmas is a big family event for Ghanem. She said, "The whole family, if possible, gets together." Christmas in Germany is a bit different than Christmas in the United States because Santa Claus delivers presents on Dec. 6 rather than on the night of Dec. 24.

Christmas for Fernandez tends to be a very religious holiday. His family observes Advent, the four weeks leading up to Christmas.

"We make a candle wreath and have to light a candle each week of Advent and go to church the day of Christmas," Fernandez said.

He and his relatives also decorate a tree and set up a nativity scene. Santa Claus is not a significant figure in Fernandez's holiday season. He explained, "My family has never believed in Santa Claus."

Shah does not celebrate any holidays during this time of year. When she was in high school, she used to exchange gifts with people but stopped once she began attending college. "I don't really buy presents or anything anymore," she said. Her family still enjoys watching holiday movies on television, however.

The international students described some other holidays they generally celebrate during the winter. Obikane and Hasehira discussed the Emperor's Birthday, a ceremony in which the emperor of Japan appears before the public and waves. New Year's Day is also a big event for the Japanese. That day is another time the children receive gifts from their parents, and is usually spent with family instead of friends.

New Year's is more important than Christmas in Japan. A meaningful time of year for Fernandez occurs in January on the day the Wise Men are said to have appeared in front of Jesus Christ shortly after his birth.

Over break these students will be doing a lot of traveling. Both Obikane and Hasehira are visiting Florida and New York, where they will meet up with family members. Obikane is also going to Boston and Niagara Falls. However, neither of the girls are planning on doing anything specific to observe any of the holidays they typically observe.

Ghanem is traveling to Las Vegas to see her sister who lives there. Along with Ghanem's brother-in-law and nephew, they will celebrate Christmas together. Fernandez is going home to Mexico to spend the holidays with his family.

Shah is not sure what she will be doing over the break. She is returning to England in January, but her university there does not begin until Jan. 22. Therefore she has a lot of time to travel. S

he wants to visit New Hampshire, Vermont and Maine so that she will have seen the entire East Coast in her first trip to America, but she explained she will definitely be in New York on New YearÕs Eve. Shah said, "I might be going with people I know to New York City, but even if not, I'm still going."