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| Sept. 21, 2004 | ||||||||||
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Other sites of interest: Student Government Association Center for Student Involvement & Leadership Appalachian & the Community Together Multicultural Student Development |
Ivan, Frances leave rain, damage in Boone Wind and rain from Hurricane Ivan, coupled with the remains of Hurricane Frances, caused power outages, flooding and Appalachian State University to cancel classes last Friday. By 10 a.m. Friday, the Watauga district of Blue Ridge Electric Membership Corporation’s service area had 8,640 members without power. Blue Ridge Electric linemen were called in just before midnight Thursday as people began to report outages. Additional crews from sister cooperates Piedmont Electric Membership Corporation, Pike Electric and Carter Construction assisted Friday in restoring power. Numerous poles and power lines were down across Blue Ridge Electric’s service area by Friday morning. Renee Whitener, director of corporate communications for Blue Ridge Electric, said the downed power lines were very dangerous. “Downed lines can still be energized and therefore dangerous, even deadly, if you come in contact with the line,” Whitener said. As of 5 p.m. Friday, power outages stood at 6,144 in the Watauga district. Flooding and high winds affected the rate of progress for Blue Ridge Electric linemen Friday as they tried to restore power to members. Boone Fire Chief Reginald Hassler said damage caused by last Thursday’s storm was due more to wind than rain. Hassler said the ground was already wet from the rain Hurricane Frances brought. The rain from Hurricane Ivan made the ground very wet, making it easy for the heavy winds to blow over trees and power lines. Hassler said in one case a tree hit a house. The power outages many Appalachian State students and local residents experienced were mostly caused by the wind knocking down power lines. However, there was some flooding.
Hassler said in town there wasn’t a lot of flooding, but out in the county people were dealing with a great deal of water. Although the rain tapered off over the weekend, Hassler said Friday the Boone Fire Department was prepared for any further flooding. Hassler said Boone does not have a swift water rescue team, but if needed they can do some rescues with the vehicles they have. Appalachian State Vice Chancellor for Business Affairs Jane P. Helm said classes were cancelled Friday because the roads made it too difficult for faculty and students to get to class. There was no damage done on campus and no outages. Helm said in the 10 years she has been at Appalachian State, this was the first time classes were cancelled for something other than snow. Appalachian State students were encouraged to move their cars from both the Rivers St. Parking Deck and State Farm Lot Friday as a precaution to possible flooding. Barry D. Sauls, director of Parking & Traffic, said Friday that the water had risen at the State Farm Lot, but there had not been any flooding. “We feel pretty good at this point,” Sauls said Friday.
Bubble idea bursts for facilities enhancement plan Appalachian State University recently scrapped its idea for placing a bubble over Kidd Brewer Stadium as it prepares for changes in the athletic facilities enhancement program. Plans to install a bubble on the playing surface at the stadium were dropped after the university risked losing its warranty on the FieldTurf. The bubble would have been air supported and covered 80 yards. “That piece is no longer a plan,” Vice Chancellor for Business Affairs Jane P. Helm said. The bubble idea burst for a couple of reasons. The first is that anchoring a bubble on the FieldTurf would violate the warranty for the installed surface, since it would involve digging it up. “I think we weren’t aware of the complications of putting it in the artificial turf,” Helm said. Helm said the university did not know about the complications until after they had more research. Concern for player safety was another factor in dropping the idea. The anchors for the bubble would have been positioned at the 50-yard line, creating a potential risk for players during a game. “The manufacturer of the turf was quite concerned, and rightfully so,” Helm said. “When we took the bubble down, it would be very difficult because of the hazard of tripping over them from other players playing football. We didn’t want to do something that might be unsafe for them.” Instead, FieldTurf will be placed inside Varsity Gym to give outdoor sports the option to practice inside, Director of Design & Construction Clyde D. Robbins said. Placing turf inside the building was the initial idea, Helm said. Funding for the bubble would have come from a $55 increase in student fees approved in 2002. The funds will be used toward the turf in Varsity Gym. The university is also gearing up for the demolition of Owens Field House. Built in the 1950s, the field house is scheduled to be torn down at the closure of the 2004-05 football season. Robbins said construction for the new field house will take approximately 18 months and cost roughly $12.5 million. The new building will be twice as large as the current structure and will have three floors instead of the two in the current building, Robbins said. Helm said the building would expand outward, not upward. There was no money for a fourth floor, Robbins said. “I’m stuck with a program that’s very restricted,” Robbins said. Employees in the field house will be relocated to other areas of campus. “There are a lot of areas on campus where its not enough to put a whole group together, but with any project where we have to do swing space, we put the people where we can find space,” Helm said. “It’s quite likely we’re going to have to have some temporary places rented for them.” Director of University of Recreation Joe R. Carter said there would be enough room for relocated employees in Broom-Kirk Health and Physical Education Building. “There’s plenty of empty occupied space that’s not being occupied between classrooms that aren’t being used to the varsity basement,” Carter said. Will climb for job
“Political Party” will wed music and politics
together today in an effort to mobilize Appalachian State University
students for the upcoming election. “Political Party” is sponsored by the Student Government Association (SGA). “This election year is pivotal,” SGA President
Miriam N. Makhyoun said. “We want to build as much enthusiasm toward
political participation as we can.” Democrat Cullie Tarleton and Libertarian Brandon Derr, both running for seats in the North Carolina House of Representatives, will speak at the “Political Party.” Also appearing are Democrats Jim Deal, Winston Kinsey and Billy Ralph Winkler. Each are running for open Watauga County Commissioner seats. “I think the students ought to get involved in making decisions on who their leaders are going to be, from the President all the way down to the local level,” Deal said. United States Senate candidate Tom Bailey (Libertarian), Lieutenant Governor candidate Jim Snyder (Republican), state Senate candidate Jim Cain (Democrat) and candidate for Insurance Commissioner Robert Brawley (Republican) will be speaking as well. Candidates will have about 15 minutes to speak, Makhyoun said. After speaking, candidates will meet and greet the audience and answer questions, Makhyoun said. “Voter education is extremely important,” Makhyoun said. “This is a time where you can hear from Libertarians, Republicans, Democrats … and compare them for yourself.” Tables will offers voter registration, Makhyoun said. “I hope that those who are not registered to vote will get registered, seeing as how there are only a few weeks left,” Makhyoun said. Issues like education, terrorism and the economy have definitely energized young people, Deal said. Kinsey, now retired from teaching, taught history classes such as World Civilization at Appalachian for 35 years. “[The student vote] is extremely important because it sets a precedent that students are interested in politics,” Kinsey said. “They can make a big difference … there are a lot of votes there.” Boone, campus police work together Town of Boone Police joined forces with the Appalachian State University Police to try to promote student safety both on and off-campus, Maj. Larry C. Foster of the University Police said. Lt. Johnny R. Reese of Boone Police is the current liaison officer between Boone and Appalachian State University. Boone Police are working with Chancellor Kenneth E. Peacock and the Greek councils, guest speaking in criminal justice classes and serving as a back-up for the University Police. With both police departments interacting together, Reese hopes to help students adjust to an environment with an elevated level of police interaction. “I think [Boone Police] should get involved in the freshman orientation program because a lot of students have never had contact with the police. We want their first time to be a positive experience,” Reese said. With limited on-campus housing, the majority of Appalachian students reside in the town of Boone. Many people see the university as separate from Boone. “Appalachian State is a part of Boone and I am trying to unite the two,” Reese said. Off-campus partying is a regular event that often leads to Boone Police involvement. “We know people are going to have parties, we just want everyone to be safe,” Reese said. Reese suggests making sure everyone drinking is at least 21 years old and to designate a sober person in charge. “There is nothing worse than someone extremely intoxicated taking control of a party and then trying to communicate with us,” Reese said. When issuing tickets primarily dealing with alcohol-related situations, Reese strongly urges students to comply with officers. “Attitude has written more tickets for me because, to me, if a person still doesn’t understand what they’ve done wrong, then they possibly need to go through the system,” Reese said. Reese is also working closely with University Police on the persisting problem of pedestrian safety on-campus. “I monitor Hardin Street and I am trying to come up with a solution to fix the problem of pedestrians and drivers not paying attention to one another,” Reese said. Many people cross the road away from the designated crosswalks, fail to use the signal boxes and talk on cell phones, Reese said. “I try to follow the pedestrian signals to cross Hardin Street but half the time I push the button it never works,” sophomore elementary education major Andrea J. Gnisci said. Students can report if crosswalk signals aren’t working to either the University Police at 262-2150 or Boone Police at 262-4500. Taskforce works to make gay voice heard The Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual Taskforce (GLBT) strives to make Appalachian State University students heard through the continuation of their Voices Project started last spring. “The taskforce was started in 2002 to study and address concerns of GLBT students, faculty and staff at Appalachian,” GLBT member junior Teressa G. Cameron said. “Initially the composed a list of recommendations that were proposed to the university that targeted areas they felt needed to be addressed immediately and long term,” GLBT member junior Aaron D. Sperling said. “Since that time the taskforce has followed up on those recommendations with changes within policy for different departments.” “Currently, we are still working on those recommendations through different venues; some of that involves possible implementation, programming and building on what is already in place. I think as a student here on campus, it’s important to make sure that Appalachian is a comfortable and welcoming environment for everyone,” Sperling said. Modeled after a project by UNC-Chapel Hill’s Association of Student Governments, the Voices Project is the taskforce’s most recent attempt to give students that environment and a voice. “Voices is a program that allows the ASU community to go online and share how they perceive our campus climate to be. It is a place to express your voice, to share both positive and negative stories regarding GLBT issues. The comments shared on the Voices Project will aid the taskforce in creating ways to make our campus a more appreciative and accepting community,” Assistant Director for Multicultural Education Dejon J. Banks said. The project was created in the spring of 2004. Sperling said that the current focus is on marketing the project. “It was done at the very end of last semester. So, it’s just starting and we have had some response, but we hope to be sending out postcards and we have already electronic notices,” Sperling said. He said the focus is more of a survey, rather than a report. “It’s important to note this is not an official reporting system and the Equity office and the counseling center are both places to actually address those issues further,” Sperling said. “I certainly hope that students will have a positive response to the Voices Project. I feel that equality is a belief that all Americans hold true in their hearts, but unfortunately we are not all treated equally. Discrimination and prejudice is present at ASU, and it’s important that victims have a voice,” Cameron said. Poet Orr shares work through Visiting Writers Series The reputable poet Gregory Orr will be presenting some of his award-winning works at Appalachian State University tomorrow at 7:30 p.m. Preceding the poetry reading, Orr will be hosting "Poetry, Survival and Healing," a question and answer conference from 11 a.m. until 12:15 p.m. Both events are free and open to the public and will be in the Linville Falls Room of Plemmons Student Union. Books by Orr will be available for purchasing and signing. Orr's poetry reading is presented by Appalachian State University's Visiting Writers Series, of which Lynn Doyle is the co-director. Doyle is currently a professor at Appalachian State and a former student of Gregory Orr. Doyle holds Orr's poetry in high esteem, saying that her favorite poem by him is "Gathering the Bones Together." Dr. Joseph Bathanti, also a professor at Appalachian State, praises Orr's poetry. "Gregory Orr has terrific range as a poet. Regardless of his subject, epic or minute, his intense, lyric poems exemplify an uncompromising devotion to craft," Bathanti said. Currently, Gregory Orr is a professor of English and creative writing at the University of Virginia at Charlottesville. He is also the founder of the Master of Arts Program at UVA. In addition to UVA, Orr has also taught at the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor and the University of Hawaii at Manoa. Orr has described himself as a lyric poet. "My poems center around subjective emotion presented as vividly and intensely as possible," Orr said. Due to the unfortunate loss of his younger brother at age 12 and his mother at age 14, one of the most prevalent themes throughout Orr's poetry is "loss." "These experiences have me haunted by the mystery of loss and grief and how we go on past such losses, how we go on to love the world despite them," Orr said. When asked what inspires his writings, Orr responded that "Often a phrase appears in my mind and I just follow it." Orr's work has been recognized by various organizations including the National Endowment for the Arts, the American Academy of Arts and Letters and the Academy of American Poets. His poetry has also been published in various prominent magazines such as the New Yorker, the Paris Review and the American Poetry Review. Of the eight books Orr has written on poetry, he is perhaps most proud of "Poetry as Survival." Orr explains this work as being "about how poems and songs help us live and why." For additional information, contact the Visiting Writers Series or call 262-2871. Initiative, workshop put spark in wind The North Carolina Small Wind Initiative presents a variety of informational and hands-on wind workshops for students and the community. Wind energy is currently the least expensive way to produce electricity in the world and the technology has improved dramatically over the last 10 to 15, technology professor Dr. Dennis M. Scanlin said. The mountains of North Carolina have some of the best wind resources in the country. "We are really just trying to raise general awareness," non-degree student L. Cole McVey said. "For anyone who uses electricity we want to teach them a little bit about wind power." The organization received a grant from the North Carolina State Energy Office in order to fund two different workshops twice throughout the fall. The first will be held Saturday from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. and again Oct. 16 in Kerr Scott Hall. The introductory workshop will provide information about small wind technologies including how a turbine works, estimating annual energy output and more. "Basically we want to acquaint people with the technology and the potential that the technology has so they are going to be introduced to small energy and hopefully develop an increased interest in the technology," Scanlin said. Jim Green, a senior project leader at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory's National Wind Technology Center will lead the discussion. In a recent press release project manager Anthony Parker said "The North Carolina Small Wind Initiative and workshop series will provide a powerful opportunity for people to understand their energy needs and to learn about alternative ways to meet those needs." The other workshops are weeklong, hands-on projects taking place Sept. 27 through Oct. 1 and again Oct. 18 through Oct. 21. "Whether they are installers, students or homeowners, they can see the process of what it takes to get a turbine up from step one to connection," McVey said. At the Small Wind Initiative Research and Development Facility on Beech Mountain participants will build and install turbines. "I believe that wind turbines are a beautiful technology. They produce a resource that all of us use everyday, and they do it without producing any air pollution. They do it inexpensively and sustainably," Scanlin said. "So I think that all of us should learn a little more about and consider incorporating it into our states energy production system." Prices for the workshops range from $20 to $65 for the one day workshops and $268 to $525 for the weeklong workshops. For more information or to register go to the North Carolina Small Wind Initiative Web site. |
© 2004 ASU Student Publications
