Small group housing takes shape |
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Small group housing plans take shape
Joli Oliver
Staff Writer
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Designs have been tentatively approved for the small group housing project to be located across from Appalachian Heights Apartments at Greenwood parking lot.
The project, designed to accommodate an estimated 300 students, should be completed during the 1999-2000 school year at an estimated cost of $10 million. Financing will come primarily from room rental fees and parlor fees, which are house dues residents will pay to share housing costs.
Phase one of the project will include five structures to be located along the ridge above Kidd Brewer Stadium. Each structure will contain two four-story duplex style apartments to be adjoined by an elevator and living quarters for a residence assistant.
Each duplex will accommodate between 26 to 36 people, with six rooms on each floor and two persons per bedroom. The basement will open onto a patio and is planned to accommodate events that special interest groups would normally go off campus to rent space for.
The housing is primarily geared toward providing fraternities and sororities with on-campus housing, according to Vice Chancellor for Student Development Gregory S. Blimling.
"Essentially when [Greek organizations] are off campus, they have a great sense of autonomy," commented Blimling. "It would be nice to get their issues here [on campus] so that we can better deal with them."
According to Assistant Director for Student Involvement and Leadership Jim Street, members of the Greek organizations under his advisement are expressing an eager anticipation.
"The students are excited about the potential and opportunity this housing would hold," said Street. "It will foster a stronger sense of community among such groups."
Those duplexes not rented by Greek organizations will be offered to other special interest groups, like French students who live together and speak only French to enhance their studies, according to Blimling.
"The housing will accommodate people who want to join together for a common purpose," he said.
At present there is no final estimate for the housing fee per semester, because it is difficult to determine how costs will increase over the next four years, according to Director of Student Involvment and Leadership Berardino "Dino" Dibernardi.
"We don't know how much housing costs will increase in four years," said Dibernardi. "We are anticipating prices to be competitive with other housing costs on campus."
According to Blimling, the project is hardly a new discussion. Discussions for such a project began in early 1980. Plans for duplex-style apartments located at State Farm parking lot were abandoned due to budget constraints. Since that time, discusions have continued because of the continuing need for housing,
"At the beginning of the semester, we were at 102 percent occupancy," said Blimling. "We have such a demand for housing that we must address that need."
Students interested in the housing project may attend a committee meeting tentatively scheduled for next Tuesday. Architects and committee members will answer questions and address concerns. For more information, contact the Center for Student Involvement and Leadership at 262-6252.
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Alschuler, SGA discuss cheating
Beth Bliss
Staff Writer
Dr. Alfred S. Alschuler, professor of counseling and human development, presented the problems of cheating and student dishonesty at Appalachian to members of the Student Government Association this Tuesday.
"People [at Appalachian] don't think cheating is a problem, but it is," Alschuler said.
According to Alschuler, a 1993 survey conducted by a Rutgers University researcher examined the academic integrity of students at several universities, including Appalachian State. This survey was conducted to gain data to compare to a similar study conducted in 1962, Alschuler said.
As compared to the earlier study, the results of the 1993 survey were, "equal to or 100 to 200% worse than they were 30 years ago," Alschuler said.
According to Alschuler, the survey said that one fifth of students questioned had received "unpermitted help" on an assignment. In addition, one third had helped someone cheat, plagiarized, or falsified a bibliography; half had used "unfair methods" to obtain information about test questions; two thirds had copied another student's test paper, or had worked together with another student against the wishes of a professor; and three fourths had seen a fellow student cheat on an exam.
Alschuler said that he and Vice-Chancellor for Student Affairs Dr. Gregory S. Blimling further researched this problem in a 1995 article for College Teaching magazine.
In the article, Alschuler and Blimling cited several reasons why college students may opt to cheat. Among these reasons were "supportive norms" ("Everyone else is doing it"), "benefits" ("It helps me get better grades"), "costs" ("There is little chance of getting caught"), and "individual factors" (GPA improvement).
Alschuler said that only 15 percent of students at ASU consider cheating to be a serious problem. However, "It's not solely, or even primarily the students' responsibility [to stop cheating]," he said.
Alschuler said that some consequences do exist for faculty members who may confront cheaters. Alschuler himself was harassed, threatened, and taken to court by a former student whom he confronted about plagiarizing in a Master's thesis.
Alschuler told SGA members that an active participation by the student body is necessary if cheating is to subside. Alschuler said that faculty and students must "pool their knowledge" to decrease the amount of cheating at Appalachian.
"That's why I'm here," he said. "Participation by the faculty alone would create an adversarial relationship with students.
I recommend, ask, and urge [SGA] to create a committee to work with the faculty to create an anti-cheating environment to preserve [Appalachian's] academic integrity. That's the first step."
This has been recognized by SGA Academic Affairs committee chairperson Michael Hagerty. "It's important that we don't slam the university," Hagerty said. "This is not just an ASU problem, it's a nationwide problem."
Hagerty said that SGA has planned to form a committee similar to the one suggested by Alschuler in his address.
"We don't want Appalachian to be viewed as an institution known for cheating," he said. "We want to stop that before it happens. Our major concern is that ASU's reputation will be hurt."
Hagerty said that SGA members have already written letters to other UNC system schools asking for suggestions on how they have successfully reduced cheating.
"[This] has to start with the students, and that's what we're going to do," he said.
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IFC
sponsors Pumpkin Day
Darin Glass
Reporter
Look, it's The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown! Well maybe not, but it's The Great Pumpkin Day, sponsored by InterFraternity Council. The jack-o-lantern filled day will be held on Oct. 27, 1996 at the Wilcox Emporium behind Murphy's.
The big orange day will consist of games, prizes, and a pumpkin pie eating contest with representatives from the fraternities. Theta Chi, will donate the homemade pies. So watch for seeds flying as they dig into the pumpkin head.
Kids and adults are invited to the festival. There also will be a pumpkin race with plastic pumpkins down the river. People can wager $2 for their pumpkin of their choice to see which orange blob will make it to the end first.
"All the money made will go to the Watauga High Recreational Complex," said Matt Borjes of Kappa Alpha.
This will be the first year for the event. The idea got started last spring when Gary Childress, Watauga High, spoke to IFC on how to get more involved in the community.
"This is really good community involvement. We would like to give just a little back," said Matt Godfrey of Sigma Phi Epsilon.
Since Watauga High does not have an athletic stadium, this will help in giving them something to cheer about. They are still currently playing all outdoor athletic events at Kidd Brewer Stadium.
"Since they have to practice over at the Brendle's fields and other areas, it would be nice to have something to call home," said Godfrey.
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ACUS money comes back to ASU
Jennifer Sharpe
Staff Writer
ASU students who use the AT&T ACUS telephone system are actually giving money back to the university.
Dr. Al Rapp, associate vice chancellor for Administration, said that approximately 15 percent of each student's phone bill returns to the university.
He said the funds are designated to support changes in Appalachian's telephone system. "The university shares that money with the students. Funds have been used for fiber upgrades in residence hall wiring." Dr. Rapp said that recent projects included rewiring in East, Doughton and Coffey Halls.
Sophomore Mandy Neal said she uses the ACUS system and does not mind giving money back to the university. "It seems good because it helps us to get better service," she said.
Dr. Rapp said that many students feel this way. "All our surveys have indicated that students are very pleased with the service."
In support of the ACUS system, he pointed out that AT&T has been chosen by the entire UNC system, and its rates are extremely competitive . During a meeting with AT&T last week, representatives told Dr. Rapp that ASU students are paying between $.13 and $.17 per minute.
He said that the ACUS system offers additional services to students because it is the sole source for upgrades to Appalachian's telephone system. Dr. Rapp said that it takes a great deal of student telephone calls to fund a rewiring project costing around $100,000.
Future plans include using this fund to give each student a personal data port and to upgrade the cable service to provide almost 78 cable channels in every residence hall.
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The Community Action Corps is sponsoring a warm blanket drive to provide blankets to area homeless shelters. Blankets will be collected from 5-7 p.m. today in Cannon, East and Belk residence halls.
Blankets will also be collected at the gate during Saturday's Homecoming Game against Marshall. Families attending the game are encoraged to bring old blankets to donate to this cause.
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Mountain Pathways School is holding a haunted house fund raiser at the Powderhorn Theater at Horn in the West Oct. 21-30 from 7 p.m. until midnight.
Fraternities, sororities and other student groups at Appalachian State University are working with parents of school children on this event. The cost is $5 for adults, $3 for children under 12.
For more information, call 262-5787.
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Appalachian State University professor Joe Murphy's prize winning documentary "Shoes Required," will be rebroadcast Saturday at 11 p.m. on UNCTV.
Murphy's 28-minute documentary takes a comical look at people"s obsession with footwear and includes interviews with cobblers, shoe salesmen and a woman who keeps her shoes in her car trunk.
"Shoes required" won the Director's Choice Award at the Atlanta Film and Video Festival and is one of three documentaries featured on Murphy's film titled "Popular Passions."
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Classical guitarists Thomas Foster and Patrick Lui will perform in concert Monday at 8 p.m. in Broyhill Music center's Rosen Concert Hall. Admission is $5.
Foster has served on the faculty for the NCSA's summer program, and is currently on the faculty at the Community Music School of Winston-Salem. Lui represented Hong Kong in the first China Invitational Competition in 1988, placing second. In 1995, she was interim instructor of guitar at Arizona State University.
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Harry A. Nurkin, Ph.D., president and chief executive officer of Carolinas HealthCare System, will speak Monday as part of the Harlan E. Boyles Distinguished CEO Lecture Series at Appalachian State University.
Nurkin was named president and CEO of Carolinas Medical Center in 1981. In 1983, he was named president and CEO of the Carolinas HealthCare System. He received a B.A. degree in political science and a master's of hospital administration degree from Duke University. He earned his Ph.D. at the University of Alabama.
The event, sponsored by the John A. Walker College of Business, begins at 2 p.m. in the Broyhill Music Center's Rosen Concert Hall. The public is welcome to attend.
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