Frozen safety circuit in engine triggers shutdown

Kara Hodge Staff Writer

Cold and wet, Appalachian State University junior Ben Tedder withstood freezing weather while suspended in air on the blue chair-lift at Hawksnest Ski Resort.

At approximately 9 p.m. Saturday, Hawksnest's blue chair-lift, which facilitates two intermediate slopes, stopped running due to a frozen safety circuit in the engine, according to Leonard Cottom, owner of Hawksnest.

"The wind and ice were the problem," said Cottom.

The lift was down for an hour and a half according to officials at the resort.

Tedder said he faced a 7 foot drop to the icy run below. He was one of the first chairs evacuated.

"We had to drop our equipment, then jump from the chair," said Tedder.

Hawksnest's snowmaking machines presented another problem for those stuck in midair. Stranded skiers were subjected to snow and ice from the machines while workers scrambled to rescue skiers and get the lift back into operation.

According to Cottom, the machines could not be shut down immediately because they run off a pressurized system that cannot be instantly turned off. In order to turn off machines facing the blue lift, the pressure driving them had to be redirected to the other snowblowers on the mountain. T

hat operation required manpower that was unavailable.

"Those who were involved in the snowmaking process were helping the evacuation team," said Cottom.

Snowmaking was not the only obstacle facing rescuers. With the 30 minute process for rigging evacuation equipment complete, the lift began to operate again.

After a moment of running, the lift stopped for a second time, forcing skiers to wait longer while staff put the evacuation system back up again.

Asked why the skiers weren't rescued before lift operators attempted to repair the machine, Cottom replied, "The lift evacuation can be hazardous to skiers and we thought that it would be faster to evacuate by operating the lift again."

Recent Appalachian alumna Kelly Chandler, a youth-ministry intern with Forest Hill Presbyterian Church, had seven group members stuck on the lift.

"I was frustrated with the lack of concern about the snow blowers and the cold," Chandler said. "Combine the wind and the snow, and everything was just so bad."

Some of her group members were stuck between the fourth and fifth lift poles, swinging 150 feet in the air while facing 40-mph wind gusts and 15-degree weather.

According to the National Weather Service, those two conditions equal a wind chill of 29 degrees below zero. Jason Cowan, a chaperone with Forest Hill said, "It seemed that the (Hawksnest) staff wasnÕt quite as concerned about the cold as I was."

"This crisis was the first like it in years,Ó said Cottom. But according to Tedder, this wasnÕt the first time Hawksnest dealt with a broken chair lift. Last season the same lift broke because a chair blew off the wire from wind gusts that were reported to be up to 50 mph.

Tedder's roommate, Seth Johnson, also a junior, was one of five people stuck on the lift for over two hours. Johnson was alone 50 feet in the air.

"Obviously I was unable to just jump down," said Johnson.

"I had to just stand there and wait for them to do something. They finally lowered him down with a harness," said Tedder.

The evacuation system, according to Cottom, is the only way that skiers can be lowered from the lift.

The system consists of a rope attached to a harness that the skier slides into and is then lowered to the ground. "The system is slow," said Tedder, "But Hawksnest did themselves a favor by giving out lift passes."

Nearly everyone who had purchased a ski pass Saturday was issued a replacement pass, though Hawksnest has a ÒCheck conditions, no refunds," policy.

Hawksnest Ski Resort officially closed at 9:50 p.m., over four hours before their regular Saturday closing time of 2 a.m. Hawksnest's ski lodge was packed with an entire lift full of cold skiers attempting to warm themselves and a host of customers demanding refunds and replacement tickets.

In spite of the amount of skiers rescued from the lift, Hawksnest Ski Patrol reported no cases of frostbite, frostnip or hypothermia. "I think the ski patrol handled the situation very admirably," said Cottom, ÒWe try our best to be safety first."

ASU comes together for MLK Challenge

Robyn Dailey Chancellor/Advancement Beat

In honor of Martin Luther King Jr., over 170 students, community members and faculty joined together on Monday, Jan. 15, the federal holiday that bears his name, to help the High Country community.

It was called the MLK Challenge. There were many different challenges throughout the day. The first was held at Legends at 8:30 a.m.

After everyone convened, 14 groups were assigned and each team was asked to come up with a name and pick a "challenge."

These challenges were community service project needs ranging from a dishwasher for the Hunger Coalition to painting a mural at the Genesis Wildlife Center.

Each team was given $70 to begin. The groups with fundraising projects solicited groups that had excess money. Each team was equipped with a cell phone and Appalachian State University van.

The teams were put together specifically to pair up individuals that did not previously know each other. Thi s was to encourage diversity and teamwork.

Ms. Tracey Wright, director of Multicultural Student Development, said, "For all of us to step outside of that normal comfort level for ourselves and to accomplish our goal was a powerful thing.

"Our local businesses were just phenomenal in terms of what they were willing to do," said Wright.

Many local businesses spontaneously donated supplies ranging from food to hardware. Many teams, with help from the businesses, were able to go above and beyond the original projects' needs.

"Every group exceeded the agency's expectations of what they would be able to do," said Jenny Koehn, Appalachian and the Community Together (ACT) community service coordinator. Koehn, along with other staff and student impACT team members, organized and oversaw the MLK Challenge.

This is the second year that Appalachian has held the challenge.

The concept of the event encourages students to take a "day on" to help the community rather than merely just a "day off" of school, according to Wright.

Koehn said, "8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. is a long day, but they did it. They worked really, really hard.Ó After the teams had completed the challenges, they met back at Legends to share their experiences, listen to speakers, and watched a video of King's famous "I Have a Dream" speech.

"I think that this activity is a terrific way to celebrate Martin Luther King's life," said Chancellor Francis T. Borkowski, who as a college student had the opportunity to meet Dr. King and hear him speak in the spring of 1955.

The next night, the university held a commemoration program in Grandfather Mountain Ballroom of Plemmons Student Union honoring the late Civil Rights activist. Harvey Gantt, former mayor of Charlotte, was the keynote speaker.

Koehn said, "Harvey Gantt said a lot of things that evening that really connected with the reason of why we were out there the day before."

The program included music, drama and speaking.

The chancellor congratulated all of the students that participated in the challenge and closed the program. Reflection Posters telling about each group that participated will be displayed on the first floor of the student union this week.

Wright said, "Some really big things happened in our community in a short period of time by a group of very committed, dedicated and fired-up individuals."

Gantt stresses importance of open dialogue in race relations

Leslie Hitchcock Contributing Writer

For some, the Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK) holiday is just a time to relax away from work, but for former Charlotte Mayor Harvey Gantt, it is just the opposite.

"Think seriously about the meaning of the holiday: is it just another holiday, or something to build a more diverse America?" Gantt said.

"You waste it if you don't see it as a time for reflection and a time for challenge."

Speaking to a Grandfather Mountain Ballroom filled to capacity, Gantt discussed things that, in his opinion, need to be accomplished by young African Americans in order to build a more diverse America: race relations, economic empowerment and involvement.

Gantt said it has become politically correct to be quiet about race, but in order for any progress to be made, open dialogue needs to be initiated.

Gantt's second piece of advice was to graduate. "Get serious (and you will become) an empowered African American middle class," he said. Gantt continued, saying that more people need to understand business, which is what influences America.

GanttÕs final piece of advice for young African Americans was involvement, something he said King would agree with him on. "We need your brains and intellect. There are people out there who need our help."

Gantt encouraged a commitment of involvement in the community, which is something he believes in. "I've gotten more out of my life by giving back to my community. ... The things that matter are priceless."

Disagreeing with those who say race relations have not progressed since the Civil Rights movement, Gantt said that to say that is to lie. "You haven't taken a drink from the colored water-fountain. That is progress."

Gantt, the first African American to be admitted to Clemson University, was born in Charleston, S.C. He met King in 1962 during his battle for enrollment at the university and was impressed with his "humanness."

Gantt said, "The way he shook my hand; there was a lot of compassion there."

However, most people do not understand the real MLK. Gantt feels that the media trivializes the holiday and glorifies King in a way that is not entirely true.

"He was too much of a risk-taker for politicians to be sure of him. Even in the African-American community, he was not always welcome."

King moved a lot of people "out of their comfort zones," said Gantt. "While he was not perfect, he achieved extraordinary things while working with ordinary people."

The MLK commemoration program, which took place on Jan. 16, was sponsored by the Office of Multicultural Student Development and the Office of Cultural Affairs.

A 12-year project, center to open summer 2002

Turchin Center will feature education wing, gallery space

Catherine Quill Business Affairs Beat

With plans to include about 11,000 square feet of gallery space, two terrace spaces for outdoor sculptures, a gift shop, an eatery, an education wing and a lecture hall, the Turchin Center for the Visual Arts will soon become a facility to be shared by students, faculty, staff, area residents and visiting tourists.

Hank Foreman, director and curator for the center and the Catherine J. Smith Gallery, said the building should be open in the summer of 2002. "The designer has been working on the plans. It will probably be open in June or July."

The Turchin Center is located on King Street next to the First Baptist Church in a building that was once occupied by Boone United Methodist Church, now located in a new building behind New Market Center.

"We've had it for a little over a year now," said Foreman, who also added that it was being temporarily used to hold the Holmes Convocation Center offices. Currently, art students are utilizing the back of the building for studio work.

"It's been useful space," he said.

The purchase of the building was made possible by a gift from Appalachian State University benefactors Lillian and Robert Turchin.

"This project has been underway for about 12 years," said Foreman. "It really intensified in 1995."

Original sites for the center proved to be unfeasible, mostly because of financing, and the building opened up about the same time officials were looking for a third option, said Foreman.

The first phase of the project will be completed next summer and will include a main gallery with exhibition space. A mezzanine will be constructed from the balcony of the church which will function as another gallery. ÒThe only thing that we're really adding is an elevator shaft and storage space," said Foreman.

The heating and cooling units for the building are presently located inside. "We're taking these out and putting them outside," said Foreman.

Phase two should be completed between 2005-2007. There will also be a sculpture terrace and a 150-seat auditorium.

This phase will hold much of the student art work. Although the Turchin Center will act as a venue for visiting artists, the building will have many more purposes.

"We already work in partnership with the art department," said Foreman. "We'll be doing classes and workshops. We want to bridge the art department and the community." Foreman said classes will also be held in the center. "It will be a teaching facility.

We're hoping this will become a bedrock," he said. Foreman anxiously awaits the opening of the building and hopes that everyone benefits from what the center will have to offer.

"It's a beautiful building, with its arches and copper ceiling.

I think it's nice to recycle a building. It has a history of its own. I think the location is great." The first exhibition, "Go Figure!

Manifestations of the Human Figure in Contemporary Art," has already been lined up, with confirmations from about 25 well-known artists.

"We want this to be a really open place," said Foreman.

"I think it' s a really great opportunity for us."

Fraternities kick off Spring rush

Elizabeth Frye Multicultural Beat

The beginning of the new semester at Appalachian State University also marks the start of Interfraternity Council (IFC) Spring Rush.

The Spring 2001 Rush kickoff day was yesterday and Rush events are occurring until Bid Day Feb. 2.

Justin Miller, IFC vice president in charge of Rush, explained that MondayÕs kickoff consisted of rushees (prospective members) visiting tables that the IFC fraternities set up from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. in Plemmons Student Union.

At these tables, the men signed up to rush and were able to interact with fraternity members to receive an initial sense of the fraternities. The next part of Rush is structured Rush, which occurred yesterday through today.

The structured Rush, Miller said, is when the IFC assigns each fraternity a time to hold its opening occasion. Each fraternity is given a different time for this event so that the rushees have the opportunity to visit every fraternity.

Open Rush comes after Structured and will take place starting tomorrow and continuing through Thursday, Feb. 1.

The IFC does not facilitate this part of Rush. Instead, the fraternities plan when and what they want their open rush events to be.

Some typical activities of this part of Rush include fraternity-house visitations, barbeques and going out to dinner with fraternity brothers.

Often the fraternities will hold "invite dinners" on the night before Bid Day (in this case Thursday, Feb. 1), Miller stated, where the fraternity members ask specific rushees to dine with them so that the members can get a final impression of those rushees.

The final component of the IFC Spring 2001 Rush is Bid Day on Friday, Feb. 2. The individual fraternities decide which rushees they want to invite to become pledges and find out when those men will be in their rooms or apartments.

A fraternity brother then visits the chosen rushee and presents a bid to him. A 2.25 cumulative GPA is required of the rushee in order for him to receive a bid. IFC members include Alpha Tau Omega, Delta Chi, Kappa Alpha, Kappa Sigma, Lambda Chi Alpha, Pi Kappa Alpha, Pi Kappa Phi, Sigma Nu, Sigma Phi Epsilon, Tau Kappa Epsilon and Theta Chi. According to Miller, each IFC fraternity will most likely take somewhere between eight to 15 new members during Rush.

Miller said, "I am excited about the Spring Rush and look forward to a good Rush this semester. I expect each frat to recruit good, new members and anticipate that the new members will see all the benefits that the Greek system has to offer."

National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC) members approach Rush differently than the IFC. Female member organizations include Alpha Kappa Alpha and Zeta Phi Beta.

Male member organizations include Alpha Phi Alpha, Kappa Alpha Psi and Phi Beta Sigma. Kelly Forney, NPHC president, said that the NPHC does not hold a "uniform rush."

Forney stated that having a Spring 2001 Rush is "up to each chapter." Those NPHC organizations that do decide to hold Rush this semester will advertise across campus so that those interested in joining them will know how to contact them.

The seven sororities of the Panhellenic Council (PHC) include Alpha Phi, Alpha Delta Pi, Chi Omega, Delta Zeta, Kappa Delta, Phi Mu and Sigma Kappa. While there will not be a formal PHC Spring Rush, each chapter is allowed to extend Continuous Open Bids depending on whether the chapter has met a quota set by Panhellenic.

The number of bids that each sorority may extend is determined by individual chapters' numbers and then approved by Brynne Johnson, PHC vice president in charge of Rush.

To get in contact with either Interfraternity Council, National Pan-Hellenic Council or Panhellenic Council, please call the Greek Councils office at 262-2525 or go by the office, located on the second floor of Plemmons Student Union near Outdoor Programs.