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| Jan. 20, 2005 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
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Other sites of interest: Student Government Association Center for Student Involvement & Leadership Appalachian & the Community Together Multicultural Student Development |
BOG Chair urges no tuition increases The Board of Governors will vote in March on whether tuition rates will be raised again. This year, their highest-ranking member is voting against such a move. In a memorandum to the rest of the board, BOG Chair Brad Wilson urged the members to consider not raising tuition for the 16 schools in the University of North Carolina system. “My position is not based on the economic merits of the cases that will be made for tuition increases, but one of educational policy that is consistent with the heritage of the University of North Carolina to keep tuition as low as practicable,” Wilson said in the letter. Association of Student Governments (ASG) President Amanda Devore said that although the BOG might not accept campus-based tuition proposals, the board will still go through the process. The reasons why the BOG might not accept campus tuition proposals were laid out in Wilson’s letter, Devore said. “The reasoning is pretty much laid out in there,” Devore said. “[The BOG would] really like to look to the General Assembly for the funding. The students have had the burden placed on their backs for a few too many years in a row now and the state really needs to shift to funding those priorities.” Appalachian State University’s Board of Trustees already discussed and approved a campus-based tuition increase in December. Vice Chancellor for Business Affairs Jane P. Helm said the university would deal with whatever funds it did or did not receive. “We wouldn’t have much choice,” Helm said. “We definitely can’t do as much with less money. Yeah, we can manage, but we can’t move forward the way we want to go.” The BOG Budget and Finance Committee is considering another type of tuition hike: a set rate for each incoming class of freshmen that would stay with the group for their four years of school. No decision has been reached yet, and Wilson said the committee was looking into the feasibility of such a move. “If it makes sense, then I think that’s something we should consider,” Wilson said. Helm said she had not heard about the fixed-tuition rate, but added such a program would not come without its complications. “It’s very complex,” Helm said. “All of our systems would have to be rewritten. What will happen is, you’ll have all these different groups, and if you transfer in as a sophomore, do you come in under the sophomore of the old rate or the new rate?” “It wouldn’t be done by class then, because you’re a transfer,” Helm said. TO TOP
SGA loses another to resignation Appalachian State University Student Government Association (SGA) Treasurer Liam W. Cox resigned, becoming the fourth in a string of resignations and one dismissal of SGA cabinet members, last Thursday. “There were not any problems that made me decide to leave,” Cox said. In his letter of resignation, however, Cox said, “Seeing as many cabinet members whose contributions I greatly valued have fallen to the wayside I must resign as treasurer.” Cox said that he would assist in the training of a new treasurer. “We were very sorry to see Liam go, and I certainly could not say that it was expected,” SGA President Miriam N. Makhyoun said. “The lives of students who typically fill these types of positions are generally chaotic, and in parting, I told Liam to do what is best for him,” Makhyoun said. In December, SGA Director of Student Affairs Matthew D. Whisenant resigned. Whisenant’s position has been filled by freshman David C. Humphrey. Later that month Judd Watkins was asked to resign as SGA’s director of External Affairs, and in early January Director of State and National Affairs Howard R. Schreiber resigned his position as well. Makhyoun said Senator Jason Radford was appointed to replace Watkins. She said Radford offered a “fresh approach” to his position. “Jason is a person of action,” she said. “He’s a combonation of action and deep reflection and insight.” The positions of the director of state and national affairs, and the treasurer, remain open. “Some former cabinet members have realized that they don’t have to hold a position in order to be a leader,” Makhyoun said. “The cabinet has been shaken a bit, but it’s those who persevere within the organization who will reap the rewards of their term.” Applications for open cabinet positions are available in the SGA office on the second floor of Plemmons Student Union.
Weather policy up for review, revision As winter weather makes a swift return, a committee is reviewing the Adverse Weather Policy at Appalachian State University this month. The committee was formed after Student Government Association (SGA) Vice President Nick V. Albu sent a proposal to university administration members in December asking them to review the current policy. “One of our platform goals for this year was to review the Adverse Weather Policy,” Albu said. “Our main goal is to … make sure notification to students is effective.” The proposal suggests making changes to the policy’s accessibility to students, faculty and staff and to the protocol for determining cancellations and publicizing them. In addition, the proposal asks for review of the efficiency and effectiveness of the 262-SNOW hotline and discrepancies in accountability of class attendance for students. The committee’s first meeting was Jan. 7 and it will meet again tomorrow, Albu said. Problems with the current policy include ambiguity, Albu said. Also, several versions of the policy exist, creating more confusion, Albu said. Appalachian installed a new server for the 262-SNOW hotline during Winter break. “I think in the past, Appalachian had basically a no-cancel policy,” Foutz said. “With a larger percentage of students living off campus, there is more awareness [of the weather] our students are traveling in.” The new server and upgraded switchboard, which went “live” Tuesday, will allow the hotline to handle more calls, Foutz said. The 262-SNOW line could previously handle about three to five calls per minute, she said. Now the hotline is set to handle between 72 and 100 calls per minute. While the new server could potentially handle 700-800 calls per minute, doing so could potentially paralyze the telephone system in Boone, so the server is not set to handle full capacity, Foutz said. Jane Nicholson, associate vice chancellor for public affairs, is a member of the committee reviewing the Adverse Weather Policy. “[The 262-SNOW hotline] should not be the primary source for students [to find information about cancellations] because it can only take a small amount of calls,” Nicholson said. Nicholson said students should rely on AppalNET and the Internet as their primary sources for weather and cancellation updates. Dean of Students Susie L. Greene is also a member of the Adverse Weather policy review committee. “I think what we’re looking at is really clarification about the policy,” Greene said. The committee wants to provide more information about how the policy is made and clarification of the policy itself, she said. Greene said the committee is meeting again to review information from sources, such as AppalCART. The committee will consider not only cold and snow, but also “all types of weather that could affect school,” Greene said. She also wants to publish winter weather “tips” to help the campus better prepare for weather events.
Broome-Kirk bridge to be rebuilt A bridge located on Rivers Street next to the Outdoor Programs office will be closed for the next few months for renovations. Allison Kemp-Sullivan, the project manager, said construction will take four to five months. “This bridge was put in sometime after Varsity Gym was built, so it’s old,” she said. “I don’t know exactly how much, but at least 35 years old.” “It’s deteriorating underneath. It’s pre-cast underneath and you can see the concrete has deteriorated off. It’s just real dangerous, so it really needs to be replaced because it’s a hazard right now.” The bridge will be widened during the rebuilding process. The new dining hall will be built in place of Broome-Kirk Health and Physical Education Building, so a new bridge will provide greater support for delivery trucks. Taylor & Murphy, a construction contractor based out of Asheville will oversee the project, Sullivan said. The construction has had no immediate affect on Outdoor Programs, Coordinator Andrew Miller said. “Immediate effect right now is pretty minimal,” Miller said. Miller coordinates ground trips such as hiking and caving. “The effect is growing to grow substantially when we start running programs, come the end of January.” Outdoor Programs uses the bridge to move vans and equipment into the parking spaces near their office, Miller said. The program office will remain in Broome-Kirk Gymnasium. “We are having to come up with an alternate plan for staging our programs,” Miller said. MLK Challenge
Campaigns for donations to aid those affected by the tsunami that struck Southeast Asia have been in the forefront of everyone’s mind. Acceptance speeches during the Golden Globe Awards included pleas for continued help and George Bush Sr. and Bill Clinton have been seen combining efforts on a television commercial. Although the disaster seems so distant, many Appalachian State students are doing their part. Kappa Delta sorority set up a table in Plemmons Student Union last week and accepted donations. “We thought it would be a good cause,” junior elementary education major Megan L. Machega said. “We all watched the news and realized we wanted to help.” It seems that many feel removed from the tragedy, but the reality of the devastation became much more of a reality for the sisters of Kappa Delta. “We have a sorority sister [whose] family lives over there and two of her cousins were actually killed in it,” Machega said. “So we wanted to help support her but also help other people. It kind of hits close to home.” All the proceeds are being donated to Samaritan’s Purse. Other clubs around campus are helping as well. Appalachian & the Community Together is teaming up with the Student Government Association and the Language and Cultural Community of East Residence Hall to provide a dinner and bracelet fundraiser. ACT graduate assistant Julie Vaughan said the groups plan on organizing a typical spaghetti dinner. The groups are currently looking into selling bracelets at the dinner as well, Vaughn said. ACT, SGA and the Language and Cultural Community of East Hall are looking at Feb. 2 as a tentative date for the event. They are also hoping to host the dinner at Legends and ask for a $5 minimum donation. According to CNN.com the tsunami, which hit Dec. 26, was the strongest recorded since 1964. Since 1899, when the magnitude of tsunamis first began to be recorded, this one in Asia was the fourth strongest. Tsunamis have the potential to travel about 600 mph. A tsunami is a series of ocean waves created by some disturbance of ocean water. Most tsunamis, like this one, are attributed to earthquakes. The quake occurred more than 6 miles below the water’s surface as a 620-mile section of geological plates shifted. The death toll is currently at 150,754 people. Of these, 37 are Americans and there is still no estimate on how many Americans are missing, according to cbs4.com. Countries all over the world are pledging aid to help with tsunami recovery. Currently the United States has given $350 million.
Ambassadors begin annual membership drive The Appalachian Student Ambassadors are kicking off their annual membership drive for the 2005-06 school year. The organization, founded in 1977 by Fred Robinette, is open to students who have a minimum GPA of 2.5 and are willing to give at least one academic year of their services. The chief duties of a student ambassador include giving weekly campus tours to potential students, hosting Scholars Weekend, working alumni events and hosting the Chancellor’s Box at Appalachian State University football games. Students also have the opportunity to work closely with the chancellor’s office and the alumni and admissions offices. Ambassador Membership Chairperson and Vice President Sarah Davis Cagle has enjoyed being an ambassador for the past two years. “Being a student ambassador has given me the opportunity to share my love for Appalachian by representing the university in many ways,” Cagle said. “I have gained valuable leadership skills through the many different activities in which we participate as well as interactions with fellow ambassadors. Every ambassador brings a unique personality to the group which keeps everything fresh and a lot of fun.” The Ambassadors encourage all students interested to apply for the program. “Many people ask us what we are looking for in a candidate and it is very hard for me to give a specific response to this question,” Brandon T. Adcock said. Adcock, a senior, is in charge of membership publicity. “We try very hard not to place a specific mold on applicants as we want a diverse applicant pool,” Adcock said. “This way, there are always new dynamics brought to the group through different backgrounds, interests and experiences.” During the next week and a half, students will have several opportunities to gain information about the program. There will be a contact table in Plemmons Student Union from 10 a.m.-2p.m. Jan. 20-21, 24-26 and 28. A contact table will also be in Trivette Hall from 5 p.m.-7 p.m. on Jan. 19, 20 and 24. Applications will be available at those locations. There will be a mandatory information session at Table Rock Room in Plemmons Student Union Jan. 26 at 8 p.m. Applications are due Jan. 28 by 5 p.m. at the Visitor’s Center in John E. Thomas Hall. The Ambassadors program is limited to 40 members, so all ambassadors encourage applicants to apply as quickly as possible. For more information on the membership drive, visit www.ambassadors.appstate.edu or call (828) 262-2542. 'Anthology' helps students publish work There are very few non-profit, privately funded and self-sufficient organizations on campus. There are even fewer that began as a legacy of Appalachian State University students and are currently recognized throughout the state and other various locations in the nation. High Country Student Publishing, formed in fall 2001, features all of these traits. This year will mark the arrival of the fourth volume of “The Appalachian Anthology,” a book that HCSP has published each year to provide the students of Appalachian State the opportunity to publish their own works. “We have noticed a simple trend over the last three years,” President of HCSP Corwyn D. Sergent said. Sergent said the trend was that the number of submissions has increased every year since HCSP was founded. Sergent said he thinks the pending volume will be just as strong, if not stronger than the previous ones. Submissions for the 2004-05 volume of ‘The Appalachian Anthology’ were accepted Dec. 16. Submissions are read throughout January and are voted on by 15 of the active members Jan. 25. The final cut of selected submissions will be held Jan. 27, when members are able to condemn or defend pieces that feel strongly about. “On average we generally end up publishing 30 to 35 percent of the submissions we receive” Sergent said. After the final cuts have been made, HCSP will be taking on new members. The group also hosts poetry readings at Black Bear Books twice a month. “I think on a whole they’re (poetry readings) going well this year,” senior HCSP member Joanna Collier said. “I’ve been pleasantly surprised with the works that have been shared, I just wish that more people would come out for them.” Those interested in either joining the group or participating in the readings can find more information by e-mailing editor@highcounrtystudentpublishers.org or cs48292@appstate.edu. |
© 2004 ASU Student Publications
