No alternatives to tuition increase

The North Carolina General Assembly issued a mandate to Appalachian State University. The state's legislative body has ordered Appalachian to do its part as a state-funded institution by helping pay North CarolinaÕs deficit.

The General Assembly order calls for Appalachian to give $1.3 million over the next 5 months to help pay down the state's debt that has amassed some $500 million.

The state finds itself trapped in a financial abyss due to untimely tax cuts, several costly lawsuits, and the $83.6 million Hurricane Floyd relief package. The deficit means the General Assembly will not be financially able to allocate monies to Appalachian State or any of its 15 University of North Carolina (UNC) system brethren. This means each of the 16 state-supported universities must look to other sources to fill the monetary void.

In late December, the Appalachian State Board of Trustees (BOT) approved separate administration proposals, with one calling for an increase in tuition of $150 over the 2001-02 and 2002-03 academic years and another that would elevate student fees by $329.50 during the former. The two proposals now fall onto the docket of the UNC System Board of Governors (BOG). According to Gail Hearn, executive assistant to the chancellor, both plans must be approved first by the BOG Budget Committee Thusday, then by a majority vote of the entire board Friday.

Just as the General Assembly is asking Appalachian to do its part to see that North Carolina is able to claw out of debt, we feel the BOG must do its part to ensure Appalachian is able to generate funds that will allow it to remain competitive in areas such as faculty salaries and need-based financial aid. The only way for university officials to retain and hire top-rate faculty members is to possess the monies needed to pay them salaries that are in line with other universities comparable to Appalachian State.

The North Carolina Constitution states that a higher education in North Carolina should remain as inexpensive as possible. We certainly agree with this notion and do not feel students should be forced to shoulder the burden of a state deficit, but we see no alternative but for the BOG to approve both the tuition and student fee increases. Doing so will allow Appalachian officials to recruit high quality faculty and keep our top professors from being lured away by an institution that can offer higher wages.

XFL: all the hype that money can buy

James Nix

Ask yourself one question.

What commercial has everyone seen at least 500 times in the last two months?

Unless you have been living under a rock or do not watch TV at all, you've seen this commercial.

And no, it is not the Subway commercial showing the guy who lost 200-and-something pounds.

It is the preview for the XFL, the new football league co-owned by the major television network NBC and the World Wrestling Federation (WWF).

You know the one I am talking about, the one with the guy getting hit by the wrecking ball, as a voice in the background says "No fair catches."

If you have not seen this commercial, you have at least heard about the new "Xtream" football league once in the past year since Vince McMahon announced it during a press conference in New York.

If you did not know that the first games played in the XFL took place this past weekend, the Las Vegas Outlaws sent the New York/New Jersey Hitmen home with a 19-0 loss Saturday night.

Does anyone know who won the Pro Bowl?

So just what is this new ÒXtreamÓ football league?

Well, basically, it's just like the National Football League (NFL), only with a few rules changed.

What a novel idea. Slightly change a sport that America already loves, and cash in on it.

Touche', Vince, touche'.

The XFL is truly a brilliant idea and I have no doubt it will enjoy tremendous success.

I also have no doubt that it would have enjoyed that same tremendous success without all that hype that preceded this weekend.

Why was there not ever this much hype about rugby? It is its own extreme football, and they donÕt even wear pads.

I donÕt know about you, but I got pretty tired of it. Every time I flipped past NBC, there was that anti-aircraft gun shooting off footballs.

Why all the hype? Why did most conversations I overheard in class consist of "I can't wait until the XFL starts. It's going to be so awesome"? Why does something need that much hype?

Was there this much hype before the first game in the NFL? My guess would be probably not.

The Super Bowl was hyped up, as it always is, but not to the extent of the XFL. The XFL hype was also drawn out for a long time, and thatÕs what made it irritating.

Sadly, this is the direction the world is moving in. Things are hyped up beyond reason almost as a safety net to ensure profit. The XFL could have been a big failure, but NBC still would have gotten its ratings this weekend and the sold-out crowds would not have gotten refunds.

Hopefully, now that the XFL is finally underway, all that wonderful hype will die down.