The Blue Banner issue 10

Volume 50, Issue 10

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Thursday, April 16, 2009

www.thebluebanner.net

University of North Carolina Asheville

meth

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campus Police arrest a UNC Asheville student on drug related charges.

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Juggling new school Students share the ups and downs of juggling.

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UNCA travel abroad student sends word from the other down under.

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News Thursday, April 16, 2009

Travelogue: New Zealand page 18 {The Blue Banner}

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Police arrest student on meth possession charge Such incidents uncommon throughout Asheville’s urban environment, police say

By David Milton & Lorin Mallorie Staff Writers & lmmallor@unca.edu

demilton@unca.edu

Asheville police recently charged a UNC Asheville student with possession and intent to sell and deliver a controlled substance, and possession of drug paraphernalia.

“When we arrest college students, it is normally surrounding an event,” said Melissa Williams, community relations manager for the Asheville Police Department.

“Like an event at the Civic Center where people are smoking a lot of weed or doing mushrooms.”

This arrest was not made in an event, according to police. According to police, freshman Dylan Ellison, 19, was charged with possession of methamphetamine and psilocybin, the psychoactive in some forms of hallucinogenic mushrooms, according to police.

While methamphetamine and psilocybin constitute a portion of drug arrests in Asheville, marijuana and crack cocaine are generally the two most common, Williams said. Asheville’s urban environment is a deterrent for potential methamphetamine production, she said.

“Meth is more of a rural crime,” Williams said. “You need the space and security to do it. You can’t have a meth lab in an urban area: there’s too much smell, too many chemicals needed.”

Many of the collegiate-age crimes the police department sees are vandalism crimes like graffiti, Williams said. In the wider population, the majority of charges the APD makes are for misdemeanors.

“Most of the crime the majority of the time, is misdemeanors: drunk in public, panhandling, misdemeanor larceny,” Williams said. “Violent crime is not the majority of the crime in Asheville.”

Most drug charges in Asheville are possession charges, not trafficking charges, Williams said.

“Generally, it is more of possession,” Williams said. “We have more people doing drugs than actually selling drugs.”

Stock photograph

Finding meth on at a college is a rarity, according to Melissa Williams, community relations manager for the Asheville Police Department.

“Poverty obviously plays a big role in crime. We see more people who are living in our public housing areas being arrested for drug-related crimes, whether it be for trafficking drugs or for using drugs.”

– Melissa Williams, community relations manager for the Asheville Police Department While Asheville’s urban environment provides a barrier to a major methamphetamine problem, it also leads Asheville toward problems with crack cocaine.

“Making crack can be done anywhere,” Williams said. “Crack cocaine labs don’t explode. People take cocaine, and they can make crack in an apartment.”

Demographics also play a role in crime, Williams said. Education, income and socioeconomic status all matter in the context of drug crimes.

“Poverty obviously plays a big role in crime,” Williams said. “We see more

people who are living in our public housing areas being arrested for drug-related crimes, whether it be for trafficking drugs or for using drugs.”

When the economy worsens certain patterns of property crime and interpersonal violence increase, according to Keith Bramlett, UNCA sociology professor. Along with property crime, he said, sexual assault reports rise and domestic violence is inclined to escalate within the family.

“The crime rate is correlated with economic downturns, but we are not always

able to neatly separate out all the different effects,” Bramlett said.

People are trying to get money, he said, just trying to survive out there.

The Pisgah View neighborhood in Asheville, the largest of the Asheville Housing Authority developments, contains 262 apartment units, according to the Housing Authority of the City of Asheville.

In the last year, almost 3 percent of drug arrests in the entire city occurred in Pisgah View, according to the mapAsheville Crime Mapper, a publicly accessible crime database provided by the city.

Around 5 percent of aggravated assaults and slightly over 6 percent of rape arrests also occurred in Pisgah View, according to the database.

The statistics require careful interpretation, according to Bramlett.

“We need to be alert, keep our senses, but at the same time understand that not everyone is equally impacted by the potential victimization,” he said. “There are people who live in really unsafe neighborhoods in Asheville, but most people in Asheville don’t.”

As a community, residents need to inform themselves on where crime is occurring and what can be done in those areas to make it safer for those who live there, Bramlett said.

“But it is not isolated just to people in poverty,” Williams said. “That is the majority of it, but people from all economic strata can get involved with, or addicted to, drugs.”

In an economic downturn, the crime rate goes up, so people think everyone is less safe, Bramlett said.

When police arrest any student for drug possession, it is a matter of concern to the university, said Cortland Mercer, 21, newly elected UNCA student body president.

“It is concerning to me, frankly, any time a student feels like they have to turn to drugs for whatever reason,” Mercer

See DRUGS Page 6

Thursday, April 16, 2009

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Students embrace tradition during religious holidays

By Rhys Baker Staff Writer

rdbaker@unca.edu

Jewish and Christian UNC Asheville students celebrated Passover and Easter last weekend.

The annual UNCA Outdoors’ Easter egg hunt took a rain check on Easter Sunday.

It will be on April 16 from noon until 4 p.m. on the Quad according to junior Cammie Jensen, a UNCA Outdoors trip leader.

UNCA Outdoors organizes the annual egg hunt. Reagan McCannon is in charge of organizing it this year, according to Jensen.

“We usually hide upward of 400 eggs that are filled with candy, prizes and discounts for outdoor trips,” Jensen said.

The Highland Acting Company performed the musical Godspell during Easter weekend at the Orange Peel.

They added an original act called “Ressurrectio,” according to Intervarsity Christian Fellowship member Elizabeth Lockerman.

“I went to church in the morning, and in the afternoon I saw Godspell with my mother, my husband and his mother,” Lockerman said. “The show was great.”

Most students go home for Easter, so ICF stays inactive for the holiday, Lockerman said..

“I have to head home to Chapel Hill for the weekend to see my family,” saisenior

Sulkiro Song - Staff Photographer

Derek Cronin as Judas Iscariot and Jason Garris as Jesus perform Godspell, a musical, at the Orange Peel on Easter. Sherri McCready, top left, plays Socrates in Godspell. Sophomore Rebecca Freeman, Sophomore Kyle Rodal and Elizabeth Lockerman, bottom left, attend a baptism at the downtown YMCA on Easter.

psychology major Olgierd Pucilowski.

Pucilowski has family coming in from across the country to celebrate Easter together. Easter and Christmas are the only times that happens, said Pucilowski, whose family is Polish in origin.

“In Poland we’re pretty religious when

it comes to Easter. We have more customs than there are here in America. We go to church early Sunday morning with a basket full of different kinds of foods and chocolates. We get it blessed by the priest with holy water and we take it back and eat brunch,” Pucilowski said.

Pucilowski pointed out that UNCA students don’t get any time off for Easter, and he thinks that is unfair because most other schools in the state get an Easter holiday.

See EASTER Page 6

Weekend Weather Thursday High: 64

Friday

Saturday

Sunday

Low: 41 10 percent chance of precipitation

High: 70 Low: 50 30 percent chance of precipitation

High: 68 Low: 45 0 percent chance of precipitation

High: 66 Low: 51 40 percent chance of scattered thunderstorms

Thursday, April 16, 2009

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Student leads NC College Democrats Not so

out of the ordinary April snow

By Heide Penner Staff Writer bmpenner@unca.edu

Junior Bradley Hardy continues his ascent in leadership by winning the recent presidential election of the College Democrats of North Carolina.

“A good leader is an evolving creature,” Hardy said. “I realize that no one person can possibly make all the changes that I want to see in our government and in our world, but I do have confidence in the people I work with every day who are fighting for the right issues.”

Hardy works to spread the message of the Democratic Party among youth, according to good friend and freshman, Matt Hutton.

“Bradley truly does care about advancing all the goals of the party. He’s passionate about expanding our membership and making our message heard,” Hutton said.

Hutton met Hardy on the North Carolina Democratic Party’s Eastern Caravan canvassing three years ago.

“He loves talking to people about politics,” Hutton said. “Bradley is a great speaker and leader. He can motivate a crowd and isn’t afraid to step up to the plate.”

Hardy sees chances for change in everything.

“Every day is ripe with opportunities to make a difference in the lives of our senior citizen neighbors who need their yards raked, to tutor the young child struggling with algebra, to buy some groceries for the family down the road whose father was laid off from work,” he said.

Hardy hopes to accomplish change by increasing the accessibility of politics on college campuses throughout the state.

“I want to see college students across this state being turned on to local, state and national politics,” he said. “I want to strengthen communication between every campus in the state — from UNC Wilmington to Appalachian State — so that College Democrats from every walk of life are able to work together cooperatively and effectively to bring about the change that we all worked so hard for in the 2008 presidential campaign.”

One of his major goals remains issues that plague students.

“I want to address the issues that affect young people the most — reducing college tuition rates, ensuring that there are lucrative and green-friendly jobs available

By Morgan Weeks Contributing Writer mlweeks@unca.edu

Cassidy Culbertson - Photography Editor

Bradley Hardy, a junior history student, reads before class.

“A good leader is an evolving creature. I realize that no one person can possibly make all the changes that I want to see in our government and in our world, but I do have confidence in the people I work with every day who are fighting for the right issues.”

– Bradley Hardy, College Democrats of North Carolina president for graduates and making certain that the rights of every individual are protected,” Hardy said.

Though only 21, Hardy has an experienced political résumé, holding five previous office titles including North Carolina Obama delegate for last year’s Democratic National Convention.

Despite his experience, Hardy said he sees himself as a spectator rather than a participant.

“I have no ambitions for higher office, but regardless of what my future holds,

I will always be making my own special contributions in my own special way,” he said. “Each day I try to do the best that I can in whatever role I am in — whether it be as a student, a grandson, a mentor or as president of the College Democrats of North Carolina.”

Hardy serves as an advisor to UNC Asheville’s chapter of College Democrats.

“I will always continue to serve UNCA in recruiting young Democrats to change the world,” he said.

Snow in April? As rare occurrence as it might seem, snow and ice does happen in the early spring months. These winterlike conditions do not happen every year, but more like every three years.

The average spring-time temperature is 62.3, degrees with April 12 being the average last day for temperatures falling below freezing.

Even with this average, one has to remember that even though spring technically begins March 20, April is still a transition month between winter and spring.

Since it is a transition, the opportunity for cold air and moisture to come into the area is a high possibility.

As seen from last Monday’s snow storm that moved through the Asheville area, which dropped anywhere from a half inch to three inches of snow.

As we head into the end of April, instead of chilly weather and snowflakes falling from the sky, we will be more likely to see thunderstorms rolling in over the mountains. As the saying goes, April showers bring May flowers.

– Morgan Weeks is a senior meteorology student.

Thursday, April 16, 2009

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Bike team hits the road

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The team looks to recruit new members coming off good season

By Michelle Peck Staff Writer

mwpeck@unca.edu

The bike team is on the rise again, racing Lees McRae last weekend and ranking high in time trials with some earning spots in the national championships.

“There has been a bike club in the past, but it has been kind of inactive,” Hinkley said. “Last spring, Neal Beckett, Corey Scheip and Royce Breckon got the club going again. I approached them about the possibility of getting a racing team going, and they were very receptive to the idea.”

The team is welcoming any new riders in the fall, according to Jebediah Hinkley.

Hinkley says the team feels good about the conference championships in Brevard and will be active in the fall for people who want to join.

“Anyone is welcome to join the team, whatever their level,” Hinkley said. “We do not have tryouts, and the more people we get involved the better. The season is winding down now, but conference championships are coming up on April 18 in Brevard.”

Dennis Pike, member of the Tri-Cyclist Team in Carrboro, has raced against the Bulldog’s bike team.

“Road, mountain, cyclocross and track are all forms of riding,” he said.

“With USA Cycling, you have to apply to be an official club.”

With Hinkley’s help, UNC Asheville’s bike team is an official USA Cycling club.

“I got our club status with USA Cycling and helped to organize some riders with help from Dave Peter who is a UNCA/N.C. State engineering student,” Hinkley said.

Members of USA Cycling have the opportunity to compete in more than 2,500 mountain bike, road, track and cyclocross sanctioned events.

Last weekend the team raced at Lees McRae. There are A, B and C divisions based on the rider’s experience.

Lee Meroney won the Men’s C division. In the men’s A division, Hinkley was 10th overall and in division B he placed fourth. In the team time trial,

UNCA ranked fourth.

Over the summer, Hinkley worked with mountain bike racer Alexi Decosimo to get UNCA jerseys and shorts for the team.

“We had a number of riders who raced mountain bikes in the fall including Royce and Alexis. Alexis actually qualified for national championships, where she finished 10th out of all the Division II riders in the nation,” Hinkley said.

The USA Cycling Collegiate Mountain Bike Riding National Championships will be in Truckee, Calif., in October.

Hinkley says he thinks the team is doing well considering many other schools have fully-financed teams, coaches, traveling budgets and scholarships.

This spring the team has been very active on the collegiate road racing circuit and has eight racers: Drew Cistola, Lee Meroney, Brendan Dillow, Dave Peter, Mike Small, Ryan Mayette, Travis Fender and Jed Hinkley.

“Mike Small is 47, and Dave Peter is 38, but since there is no age limit for club sports they can compete, which is really cool,” Hinkley said. “Dave used to race at a very elite level, and Mike is a category two rider, which is very high.

We also have some other riders who do the group rides but don’t race.”

Freshman Suzanne Young and senior Daniel Smith do not regularly ride but say they enjoy other outdoor activities and can appreciate the bike team’s dedication.

“I do not ride bikes often anymore, but I really like horseback riding and white water rafting,” Young said.

Smith said he would like to participate in a Friday mountain bike ride.

“We ride together on Tuesdays and Thursdays,” Hinkley said. “The Thursday ride is open to anyone, and the Tuesday ride is more geared towards racing.

There is also a mountain bike ride led by Royce on Fridays. We also often get together to ride on the weekends.”

Photos contributed by Jed Hinkley

For more information on the bike team, visit unca.edu/cycling

Jed Hinkley rushes through a climb during the race against Lees McRae last weekend. The UNCA bike team, who travels to Brevard next week for the conference championships, poses for a shot.

Thursday, April 16, 2009

Easter

“It’s not really the student’s decision if their family is religious and wants them to stay for that break,” Pucilowski said.

Monday is a holiday for Appalachian State to the delight of Whitten Stone, an ASU student from Eden.

“I like having the Monday after Easter off because my family is religious, and it is nice to spend all day Easter with them. Sometimes we go to the night service at church,” Stone said.

The Asheville chapter of Hillel, an international Jewish organization, organizes community and campus events for the Jewish community, according to sophomore literature and education student and Hillel member Rebecca Levy.

“Passover is the story of the exodus from Egypt and Moses leading the Jews out of slavery,” Levy said. “It starts with a Seder, which means ‘order’ in Hebrew. It’s basically an ordered meal.”

Hillel organized a Freedom Seder this year, according to Hillel president and senior biology major Jennie Burrowes.

Freedom Seders were started in the ‘60s and ‘70s as a way to bring blacks and Jews together.

They are based on the traditional Passover Seder, and the idea is to unite minorities on the central idea of freedom, according to Burrowes.

At a traditional Passover Seder participants wash their hands, light candles and bless and consume their food and drinks in unison with 15 ritualistic songs of ascent, according to Burrowes..

“Our idea with it is that we bring a lot of different people together and talk about what it means to be free, and at the same time, talk about what injustices and slavery, in a sense,

Drugs said. “I would like to see our university have better outlets for them.”

Professionals in the counseling center at UNCA do an adequate job with helping students cope, Mercer said.

But he wishes the university would look at student drug arrests from a broader social perspective and analyze the social or economic constructs that would lead to such arrests.

Responsibility comes with being a student though, Mercer said.

“I recognize that any type of college set-

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are still present in our society,” Burrowes said.

Amelia Solkoff, freshman and Hillel member, attended the Freedom Seder.

“I really enjoyed the film clip that Jennie played, which pretty much just summed up Passover and said, ‘you need to do something, it’s not just in our past.’ We have to overcome oppression now,” Solkoff said.

According to Burrowes, members of the Asheville Jewish community open their homes for students to go to their Seders.

Rabbi Cabelli of the synagogue Congregation Beth Israel opened his Seder to local students.

“I went to Rabbi Cabelli’s house with eight other students,” Burrowes said. “They made a lot of food. There was turkey, salmon, broccoli, snap peas and a Sephardic traditional kind of spinach quiche, but it was different than that.”

Burrowes said she was unfamiliar with the Sephardic quiche because she follows Ashkenazi, another Jewish tradition.

Sephardic is Middle Eastern and Spanish while Ashkenazi is European.

“Passover is my favorite Jewish holiday, mainly for the food,” Solkoff said. “It’s like Thanksgiving for Jews. The problem is, they taunt you with the food. You have to wait long periods of time before you actually get something to eat.”

Solkoff’s father told her about Seders that would last more than five hours, until 2 a.m.

“I did nothing for Passover. I’m a horrible Jew; I didn’t really get my act together,” Solkoff said.

Levy worked on the evening of Passover.

“I had my own thing with a friend. We made matzo ball soup, Passover crackers and green vegetables,” Levy said.

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Students’ opinion of new Web site Name: Jonah Freedman

Major/year: environmental studies/ junior Opinion: The new Google e-mail is easier to get to. I wish they’d put the quick links back.

They should keep putting the events on the home page. I like it, it’s pretty.

Name: Michelle Barbeau Major/year: creative writing/ senior Opinion: It sucks. Why are they changing it now? My e-mail wouldn’t work for two days, that wasn’t fun. Why do they keep fixing things that aren’t broken?

Name: Jonathan Manhard Major/year: Spanish, biology/ sophomore Opinion: I like it. It’s really nice. What I’ve seen of it, I’ve liked.

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ting is an opportunity, when students leave the more restrictive environment of their parents’ home, to have a lot of freedom,” Mercer said. “With that comes more responsibility.”

The college environment creates a climate of personal freedom for young adults, and drug experimentation sometimes happens as a result, Mercer said.

But the UNCA student population does not have a major drug problem, he said.

“I don’t think we have a drug problem, but people do dabble in those realms,” Mercer said. “And there are lessons to be learned.”

Name: Kimberly Hersey Major/year: theater, education/ senior Opinion: The layout is less user-friendly. It’s more for prospective students and parents, rather than current students because they took away the quick links. The colors are crap.

But, I like the new pictures.

Arts & Features

Highsmith exhibit hosts new media Thursday, April 16, 2009

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Campus Events

Movie Night

Role Models Highsmith 104 Friday, 7 & 9:30 p.m.

Saturday, 7 & 9:30 p.m.

National Jelly Bean Day

Jelly bean giveaway UNCA Quad Wednesday, noon Susan Terry - Staff Photographer

Wray Bowling, senior multimedia art and sciences student, admires a fellow classmate’s work in the MMAS student exhibition April 10. Top, Tyler Monroe, 17, Owen High School senior watches a 3-D animated feature. Brittany Jencks, 19, freshman art and MMAS student watches a feature with her mother and little sister.

Multimedia art students exhibit work in Highsmith Union

By Nick Robinson Staff Writer nhrobins@unca.edu

Student-made pieces, including packaging for a six-pack of beer and an interactive Wii remote display, filled the Highsmith Union gallery in the Eighth Annual Multimedia Arts and Sciences Juried Student Exhibition last Friday.

“Lots of people are turning out. It’s great,” said Matt Metcalf, a junior and MMAS major, at the gallery’s opening.

Metcalf’s submission to the 3-D animation category was a short titled “Glow,” which he described as an “abstraction on purpose in life.”

“It’s a humanistic piece,” he said. “As far as animation is concerned, it was an experimentation on dynamics and the physics of how objects interact with each other in a 3-D world.”

“Glow” tied for Best of Show in its cat-

egory with Brenna Nicastro’s animation “Continuous Pattern.”

One mixed-media installation piece especially hypnotized showgoers: “Zenotopia Kiosk” by Chas Llewellyn won Best of Show in the installation category.

“I’ve never seen installation art before.

It reminds me of Wall-E a little bit,” said Christina Jones, a junior MMAS student.

“The video’s cool, but I like the actual installation the best. It’s really steampunkish,” said Metcalf.

Another piece that got the audience involved was Marshall Green’s “Wii Paint,” an interactive display that required users to hold a Nintendo Wii remote that interacted with a computer projecting an image onto a wall.

“I’d describe it as an interactive dynamic art piece,” said Green, a senior.

“It’s kind of geared toward being a music visualizer.”

In the category of 2-D animation, the show’s entrants commonly employed motion typography in their submissions.

“The project was typography animation done in Adobe After Effects,” David Howard said of his project “Bluebird,” which he did for Multimedia Design II. “It took me a third of the semester.”

Howard said that he did all the narration in the short himself.

“I’ve got a little studio set up in my dorm room,” he said.

The Best in Show for the 2-D animation category went to Sasha Hussey for “Mr. Crooked Spine,” a non-typographical piece.

Other Best in Shows included Sarah Durgin’s “Family Portrait” in the category of digital art, Michael Bagwell’s “Chainsaw” in the category of 3-D modeling and Drew Ratliff’s “Bittman Imperial Stout” for print design.

Wacky Wednesday

Write on rice jewelry Highsmith lower lobby 4-8 p.m.

Lawn Party

featuring music by Who’s Bad (Michael Jackson cover group) and comedy by Dave Coulier (Uncle Joey from Full House) UNCA Quad, noon-midnight, April 25

For more campus activities, visit: www.unca.edu/ barker/

Student band releases CD at Grey Eagle Thursday, April 16, 2009

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By Alyssa Spencer Staff Writer

afspence@unca.edu

Asheville residents The Baker Family Band celebrated the release of their new CD, Old Civilizations Put to the Sword, at the Grey Eagle Thursday night.

“I’m a pretty tough music critic, but I’ve seen The Baker Family Band perform numerous times and I’d say this was the best show they’ve done,” said senior literature major Michelle Barbeau.

The band members, who all attended UNC Asheville, include husband and wife Stuart and Elizabeth Baker and their “fake kids,” bassist Nathan Ribner, drummer David Barrett and guitarist Danny Resner.

“I consider myself the mother and Stuart the father. We call ourselves The Baker Family Band because we’re all like a family. We spend more time with each other than anyone else,” said Elizabeth, who plays keyboard and sings.

Citing Neil Young, Wilco and Radiohead as their biggest influences, the band describes their music as “indie-pop Americana.”

“It took us a little bit to establish a band and a distinctive sound,” said lead singer Stuart, who plays guitar and banjo. “We originated when my wife and I moved Ian Shannon - Staff Photographer to Asheville and started performing with (Left to right): Danny Resner, Stuart Baker, David Barrett and Nathan Ribner rock out at The Baker Family Band’s CD various musicians, some of which were release party inside West Asheville’s Grey Eagle Tavern & Music Hall.

David and Nathan. David is in the group because he was in a band with me called Goodman. “And, The Royal Bangs were Talk Show Hosts. When that dissolved we just loud and exciting. They had me danctransferred some of the songs over to The ing through their entire set.”

The whole show was a big success, acBaker Family.” cording to Stuart.

The band, whose previous releases in“This show was definitely our best and clude Transaction and Bakers Can’t Be favorite show we’ve had thus far,” StuChoosers, played in many East Coast art said.

“The crowd was amazing. The venues, but the Grey Eagle remains their highlight of the night was when members favorite place to perform, Stuart said. of the audience filled the entire stage on — “The overall atmosphere at the Grey the last song, singing and dancing with Eagle is really conducive to creative performance, and we feel very comfortable us. Kovacs and the Polar Bear set a nice on their stage,” Stuart said. “It also has vibe for the rest of the evening. And The Asheville,” Barrett said. “And, after the to know who we are. We’ve got a great the best sound setup that we’ve played. I Royal Bangs are always fun to see live. It tour we’re permanently moving to Austin, following here, and we’re going to miss that about Asheville.” can always hear all the instruments and was great to have them at the show and Texas, the music capital of the world.” we hope to play with them in the future.”

Although they hope to gain exposure The new album will be on iTunes and my voice very well on stage, which is unThe Bakers are planning a summer tour and are excited about the move, The in local stores in May, according to the common at other venues we play.” to promote their new full-length album.

Baker Family said they are going to miss group.

The opening bands, Kovacs and the Po“We’re going on a tour beginning in Asheville and their fans. lar Bear and The Royal Bangs, also drew May and we’re going to be going through “We like playing in Asheville because Selected songs can be downloaded for in a large crowd. all the major cities of Tennessee and then most of our friends live here and it’s alfree from www.sonicbids.com/bakerfami“Kovacs and the Polar Bear did have a up north through Chicago, back east to ways fun when they come out to shows,” lyband.

To get a CD, contact the band few technical difficulties, but they played New York and Philadelphia, and then Elizabeth said.

“We wanted to build a at thebakerfamilyband@gmail.com, or right through them and were great,” said back down to Atlanta, Athens and finally base while we lived here and get people come to an upcoming show. senior environmental studies major Katie

“I consider myself the mother and Stuart the father. We call ourselves the Baker Family Band because we’re all like a family. We spend more time with each other than anyone else.”

Elizabeth Baker

Thursday, April 16, 2009

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Hungry

By Meredi Wagner-Hoehn Contributing Writer

savvy_mer@yahoo.com

None of the girls in grade school liked heavyset Pete.

Now, at age 45, Pete maintains a happy, long-term marriage.

Pete also maintains a healthy weight of 170 pounds after dropping from 300 pounds at the worst of his food addiction days.

“Food addiction in many ways is a symptom, because food addicts don’t know how to deal with life in a certain manner, and so we eat food.

We have uncomfortable feelings, and we don’t know what to do with them,” said Pete, who preferred his last name remain undisclosed due to his participation in 12-step programs.

While eating disorders affect every part of an individual’s life, their close relationships often feel the blunt of the impact because of the necessary interlacing of emotion with the disorder.

“The behaviors are not about food; they’re about feelings, about our ability to manage our emotions,” said Natalie Frost, director of Treatment, Healing, Education Center for Disordered Eating.

Some common traits of eating disordered people include dishonesty, low self-esteem, selfish behavior, codependency and the propensity to blame others, according to Pete.

“Those are all real problems in a relationship,” said Pete. “Low self-esteem and feeling useless and worthless is an excellent breeding ground for jealousy, which is very damaging in relationships.”

Pete entered his first marriage fit and toned. But after securing a

Meredi Wagner-Hoehn - Photo Illustration

Addiction doesn’t only imply drugs and alcohol. Many people suffer from food addiction as well.

“Food addiction in many ways is a symptom, because food addicts don’t know how to deal with life in a certain manner, and so we eat food.”

— Pete partner, he no longer felt an extreme need to be in-shape, and his food addiction took control again.

“I was always thinking about what I wanted, what was in it for me, and didn’t take a lot of time to think about what she wanted,

or what I could do to support her or be a team player.

Whatever problems were going on with our relationship, it was all her fault; it wasn’t my fault. Those behaviors are very much consistent with food addiction,” Pete said.

Pete felt criticized as a similar situation initially arose with his second wife.

She attempted to regulate his diet.

“When she prepared a meal, I’d eat what she prepared, but we weren’t together all the time. Anything I didn’t eat when I was with her was made up for many times over when I was not with her,” Pete said. “There was a lot of angry criticism coming, and I would just tell her, ‘I hate myself, too.

I can’t stand myself. I don’t want to be this way.’”

Often, a spouse reacts with anger and judgment as their partner displays signs of a food disorder. They believe the individual makes a conscious and purposeful decision to starve, vomit or binge-eat.

“It’s partly the lack of knowledge that leads to that tendency to criticize and blame,” said William Bruce, a psychology professor at UNC Asheville. “We used to have mental hospitals in the United States that would try to intimidate people into sanity, would try to drive them sane.

“They thought it was a rational choice to hear voices and talk in this crazy way, so let’s let this person sit in a tub full of ice water, all tied up for a while, and see if they don’t realize it’s better to be sane. That’s the same attitude; the person can choose.”

See FOOD ADDICTION Page 11

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By Erin McWhorter Staff Writer emmcwhor@unca.edu

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Thursday, April 16, 2009

is that it is a confidence booster if you are able to see other people mess up occasionally, too. The second reason, he said, makes you strive harder to be as g o o d as the

Vamps, cascades and the showerhead are just three juggling techniques Mike deCamara taught himself from observing videos online.

“I don’t think juggling is something that is for certain people and not for certain other people,” deCamara said. deCamara, a returning student at UNC Asheville, has navigated his way through the field of juggling solely through practice and observation of online videos.

“It’s kind of frustrating sometimes,” he said. “But if you have the determination to keep practicing, it comes easy enough.” deCamara began by learning the basic patterns and numbers associated with juggling. The standard three-ball pattern is where any juggling beginner should start, according to deCamara.

“I’ve seen people learn to juggle in twenty minutes who couldn’t do it before,” deCcamara said.

After many hours of practicing the threeball pattern, also known as a cascade, he sought to learn more intricate patterns of juggling.

A pattern such as the showerhead, a rotational form of juggling that combines the concept of the cascade with the single ball vamp, is now a work in progress for deCamara, as well as some behind-theback techniques.

“I’m kind of a big nerd about juggling now,” he said as he explained the significance of being able to juggle unbalanced clubs.

Erin McWhorter - Staff Writer deCamara favors juggling around other Returning student Mike deCamara practices juggling four balls. deCamara people for two reasons. The first, he said, taught himself to juggle by watching YouTube videos and tutorials.

people you see around you.

A goal of deCamara’s, as he continues his juggling endeavors, is to achieve the ability to juggle and do tosses as part of a pair.

“I know it’s easy for a lot of people to just try to learn and give up,” he said. “But, once it clicks it feels like it’s the best thing ever.”

One place to find not just a pair of jugglers but an entire group is the Asheville Juggling Club meeting, which meets in the Montford Community Center on Saturdays.

Travers Thurman, 19, learned to juggle at a younger age, but became serious about it during the past three years. Thurman is a freshman interested in the university’s mechatronics engineering program.

Open to all jugglers within the community, the Asheville club also includes the four members of the local performing troupe Forty Fingers and A Missing Tooth.

Walter Beals, a member of the troupe, has juggled for the past 15 years.

“I started by playing Hackey Sack, and I really got into the whole object manipulation,” Beals said.

Forty Fingers and A Missing Tooth will be performing at HATCHfest later in the week, as well as at LAAF in the fall said Keith Campbell, another member of the juggling group.

“I guess I learned to juggle when I was in middle school,” said Campbell, 36. “I have been doing it seriously and performing for fun for about five years or so.”

Somali hip-hop artist transcends Western stigmas {The Blue Banner}

Thursday, April 9, 2009

By David Milton Staff Writer demilton@unca.edu

Somali-Canadian rapper and musician K’naan released his critically acclaimed second studio album, Troubadour, in February.

Troubadour misses the quality-challenged handful of characteristics that defines a “successful” rap album in the age of top 40 hip-hop. Egotistical orgasms, constant sexist banter and money-worshipping, gun-waving fanaticism take the backburner for something different.

On the second track of the album, “ABCs,” K’naan delivers a scene-setting rattler for the Western listener. He snatch- K’Naan’s new album is in stores. es the reader out of their iPod ear buds and drops them in a So- terrorize the ocean, to never know a single mali ghetto devoid of an day without a big commotion?” K’naan Album system with asks.

Review education But “Somalia” ends on an almost celharsh words, sharp brass ebratory note, of how he survived the cainstrumentation and a chanting children’s lamities of war and injustice, chorus.

Directly following the uplifting “Soma“They don’t teach us the ABCs, we play lia,” in which K’naan raps entirely in Engon the hard concrete,” the children chant. lish, the album’s darkest track, “America” K’naan adds, “These streets ain’t paved features two verses by K’naan in Somali with no gold; Matter fact, someone stole and contributions from American rap artthe light bulb.” ists Mos Def and Chali 2na, in Somali.

K’naan’s Somali roots pervade throughHis sole verse in English is piercing. out the album. In an ode to his native naReferring to an over-consuming, indebted tion titled “Somalia,” K’naan tells tales generation of Americans, he raps “back of geniuses gone gangsters but without to the land of educated, where people get the glorification that comes with similar robbed and they celebrate it.” themes in American rap songs, quite posThe only thing Western in the entire sibly because K’naan’s message stems album is the language in which K’naan from reality. speaks.

In “Somalia” K’naan even says he “So what you know about the pirates

Food Addiction The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders specifies three types of eating disorders: anorexia nervosa, bulimia and binge-eating disorder.

“I believe very strongly that I am physically addicted to sugar, flour and wheat in the same way a heroin addict is physically addicted to heroin,” Pete said.

The 12 step community uses the terms “obsessive” and “compulsive” to describe the disorders. Ironically, those terms often apply to strong intimate feelings for another individual, as well.

“Think of that narcotic effect when we first fall in love,” Frost said. “That is, again, an experience in our brain chemis-

try – that idea that we can’t live without this object of our affection. That seems so similar to some people’s relationship with food.”

Food disorders frequently serve as physically detrimental to a relationship.

“I got large to the point where to be physically intimate was painful for her,” Pete said of his first marriage.

Health risks amass for eating disordered individuals. Anorexics risk death through starvation. Bulimics jeopardize the health of their teeth and digestive system. Bingeeaters often become obese, hazarding heart instability, increased blood pressure and diabetes. A host of other, less fatal ailments frequently accompany each disorder.

Page 11

learned the English language to share the stories of his Somali childhood.

The track concludes with a statement on the stale material the American hip-hop genre often offers. K’naan rhymes that mainstream artists are “yapping about yapping,” and gives the more respectable underground artists slightly more credit because they are, at least, substantively “rapping about rapping.”

The theme of surviving a third-world existence persists, but the context changes. “Fatima,” is a love ballad about K’naan’s neighbor’s daughter in Somalia as a young teenager.

The girl he speaks of doesn’t sound like a fictional character, judging by the depth of his narrative. He raps about the plans they made to come to America, and their painful separation.

“Then one day, she never came to meet me,” K’naan raps, before informing his listener why: “Damn you shooter. Damn you the building, whose walls hid the blood she was spilling. Damn you country, so good at killing and damn you feeling, for persevering.”

He addresses one verse directly to his lost youthful love, rapping to her, “Fatima, Fatima, I’m in America…you would have loved the parks in Connecticut.”

It is refreshing to hear an artist break the ever-strengthening pop-music mold that shapes the hip-hop of the 21st century.

Lil’ Wayne, the top-selling rap artist of 2008, is no doubt a talented, codeine-sipping prophet, but how many verses can he spew about his riches to an increasingly

broke audience?

Socially conscious rap slipped from the mainstream because it doesn’t sell. Record executives don’t put content above profit. Tupac started out rapping about the woes of desperate, poverty-ridden teenage mothers abandoning their children, but that didn’t last until his death.

Lil’ Wayne recorded a song in 2006 titled “Georgia Bush,” which supplied the genre with an angry, well-articulated attack on the federal government’s inadequate response to Hurricane Katrina. But the lyrics of this song are not engrained in the minds of young Americans like those of “Lollipop,” Wayne’s simple ode to oral sex.

The sad part is that this country didn’t make this album, or this artist. American hip-hop is an art form in danger. While a small fraction of American rappers – Brother Ali, Lupe Fiasco, Talib Kweli, , Jurassic 5, and a few others – produce high quality hip hop, it is a rarity.

Troubadour is a polite slap in the face.

K’naan, in a language still new to him, runs circles around his Western counterparts. His raps deliver substance with innovative poverty poetry and a story that is gangster as well as positive.

The album ends on a note of empathy.

K’naan raps “People Like Me” from the perspectives of a struggling American soldier in Iraq, a corporate-world female worker laid-off for not allowing sexual advances from her boss and finally from the perspective of his cousin, who never made it out of Somalia.

Continued

“They can be financially devastating,” Pete said. “They can make it where one person has to become the caretaker for the other.”

Occasionally, one person’s food disorder twists a significant relation’s eating habits.

Bruce recalled a young woman whose anorexia resulted in her mother eating larger portions.

“The daughter would get her mother to buy this big heaping plate of food and insist that her mother eat it and that she would take one or two bites herself. The daughter would sit there and watch her mother eat with this vicarious pleasure,” Bruce said.

Sometimes the spouse, parent, sibling or friend promotes the disorder. The psycho-

from

Page 9

logical community labels these individuals “enablers,” according to Bruce.

“Some people, in order to feel valuable to another person, will latch onto someone who has problems so they can help them. They need the other person to have a problem,” Bruce said.

Emotional isolation often accompanies eating disorders. An individual’s insecurity finds sanction in the illness.

“When you’re not fully present, it’s hard to engage in a relationship because you just don’t relate,” Frost said. “When you believe that you’re deeply flawed or some part of you is unacceptable, you work really hard so it doesn’t show. Intimacy is of course about being seen and known and welcomed for who you are.”

Sports Thursday,

April 16, 2009

Fights, Goals and Canadians: NHL playoffs are here!

Page 17 {The Blue Banner}

UNCA downs Furman at McCormick

By Randi Kitts Staff Writer

rjkitts@unca.edu

UNC Asheville’s baseball team pleased the home crowd at McCormick Field on April 8 with a 4-1 victory over Furman.

“We finally put a complete game together, pitching wise and defensively,” said sophomore infield player Mike Vaughn.

UNCA’s pitching gave up only two hits the entire game. The Bulldogs strong defense allowed for a slow night offensively, as they only collected four hits on the night.

UNCA senior catcher Reed Kreiser claimed the first hit for the Bulldogs with a double in the second inning. Vaughn followed with a single to put Kreiser on third base.

Furman fought its way out of the jam by picking off Kreiser from third, then forced UNCA second baseman Catlin Carter to groundout into a double play to end the inSusan Terry -Staff Photographer The young Bulldog squad ran away with the game early on against Furman. ning.

The men say the team’s youth hinders its success this season.

Later in the eighth, sophomore outfieldUNCA then allowed Furman to rally “I think our biggest weakness is that er Beau Zinman placed himself in scoring when the Bulldogs gave the Paladin’s we are young, and young teams struggle,” position with a line-drive that dropped into their only score with an error from freshVaughn said. “But we keep working hard centerfield. man third baseman Jordan Lurie. and keep battling.”

Furman then found itself in a jam after Harrington extiguished the rally when The Bulldogs did just that as Kreiser walking two straight batters. With the bas- he caught Furman’s catcher Matt Hemingcapitalized on Paladin third baseman Brian es loaded, Furman couldn’t pitch itself out, way swinging with a strike out to finish Harrison’s error and advanced to second and UNCA pushed the lead to 4-0 after a the game. base again in the bottom of the fifth. third straight walk from Furman’s Spencer With the win, Harrington picks up his Vaughn then gave UNCA its first lead Hale. second save of the season for the Bullof the game with a giant home run over The Bulldogs showed patience and dogs. the leftfield wall, bringing Kreiser home leadership in the game, a sign of the Schumer collected the win for UNCA and putting the Bulldogs up 2-0 before the young team’s improvement over the sea- and improved to 1-5 for the season. Goldsclose of the inning. son, Baatz said. berry took the loss for Furman, his fourth “The pitchers threw very well and re“We are a pretty young team with only this year. ally gave us a chance to win,” said sopho- three seniors,” he said. “A lot of our playThe Bulldogs advanced to 6-26 overmore infield player Danny Baatz. “The ers are still getting better as each game all, as Furman dropped to 13-17 with the hitters also came through when we needed goes by.” loss. them to.”

The young Bulldogs showed their imBaatz said the young team still needs In the bottom of the seventh inning, proved strength and focus when they over- to gain more experience to improve and Furman’s relief pitcher Marc DeDecker came a Furman rally and finished out the develop in order to eliminate any mistakes walked Vaughn. Carter followed him with game with authority. in the future. a sacrafice bunt which advanced Vaughn At the top of the ninth, UNCA’s Grier “Because we are so young we make to second.

Harrington walked Marcus Rose. In re- some costly mistakes, but with experiBaatz singled and stole second on De- sponse, Harrington forced Furman’s short- ence, those mistakes will start to disapDecker’s failed pickoff attempt, allowing stop Connor Lind to fly out to rightfield, pear,” Baatz said. “If we just keep playing Vaughn to score again and increased the and then forced Harrison to ground out to hard and doing the little things right, then lead to 3-0. second. we will improve.”

Page 12

Sports Calendar Thursday Track and Field Big South Conference Meet at Radford Tennis - Big South Conference Tournament at Winthrop Friday Baseball at Gardner Webb Tuesday Baseball at Florida State April 24 - 25 Baseball v.

College of Charleston

Rosebud Video Largest and Most Diverse Collection of Films in WNC

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Thursday, April 16, 2009

{The Blue Banner}

Page 13

UNCA’s four-game winning streak screeches to a halt on the road

By Ryan Burtner Staff Writer

rrburtne@unca.edu

The UNC Asheville’s women’s tennis team’s four-game winning streak came to an end this past weekend, as they dropped both matches against ETSU and Winthrop, 1-6 and 0-7 respectively.

Sophomore Stephanie Schon said the losses put an end to a streak the women battled hard to keep alive against tough teams.

“They didn’t go as well as we hoped for, but I don’t think it puts us down at all,” Schon said. “Winthrop is defi- Stephanie Schon nitely the best team in the conference and ETSU is a very strong team. I don’t think they blew us away at all. We were a lot closer than the score indicates.”

The Cancun, Mexico native said the UNCA and Winthrop rivalry isn’t just exclusive to basketball.

“They are obviously number one in the conference and have a strong team, but we really want to beat them,” Schon said.

“Next year we are just going to go out there and want to beat them even more, because we know that it was such a tight match.”

The Bulldogs lost all six of their singles matches and all three of the doubles matches.

Schon said the scores of the matches mislead those who didn’t get to watch UNCA play.

“Even though the turnout was 7-0, there were one or two points that could’ve gone either way which would have made a difference,” she said. “Unfortunately, it didn’t go our way.”

Schon lost her singles match to Winthrop’s Sara Abutovic, 2-6 and 6-7. In doubles, Schon and her partner, junior Tania Mateva, lost to Abutovic and Paula Pereira, 4-8.

She said she feels the two loses aren’t a setback, and that this season has already been a success, even though it isn’t over yet.

“I feel like we’ve already won two or three matches that we lost last year,” Schon said. “We’ve already exceeded our expectations.”

Hard work is one of many factors in the team’s winning record this season, she

We were the underdogs in a lot of the games we played this year and I feel like those things really made a difference for us.

There’s really no one who scares us at this point.

– Stephanie Schon

said.

“We go out everyday and put all our energy into what we do,” Schon said.

“We’re very competitive, and we have a really strong foundation with an excellent coaching staff.”

Even though the Bulldogs weren’t faPhotos by Susan Terry - Staff Photographer vored in a few of their matches this seaThe women look to rebound from the losses in the conference tournament. son, Schon said this only gives the team more motivation. reflect how close the matches actually “We were underdogs in a lot of the were. games we played this year and I feel like “We lost 7-0, but that doesn’t actually those things really made a difference for mean we got killed,” Cavanaugh said. us,” Schon said. “There’s really no one “You look at that and think ‘Oh well, they who scares us at this point. A lot of teams got blown away,’ but that wasn’t the case are underestimating us and they feel like at all. We actually went out there and had it’s a given match, but any given day, any- a few really close matches. It’s anyone’s one can beat you.” game out there.”

Freshman Devon Cavanaugh said the Winthrop won because they are just a two matches on the weekend were some better team, Cavanaugh said. of the toughest they played in the sched“It wasn’t that we weren’t playing well ule this season, especially the Winthrop or that it was an off day, sometimes people match. are a tiny bit better than you and that’s the “We played one of our toughest match- difference between a win and a loss,” Caes of the season,” Cavanaugh said. “We vanaugh said. “We fought as hard as we fought, but we didn’t end up on top. They could.” had a lot of power. They’re a powerful As for the instant success she experiteam and we’re not really used to that and enced so far this season, she said it came we didn’t do as well as we had hoped.” as a shock to her.

They’re number one in the conference She said before coming to school she for a reason, she said. did not expect too much from her first sea“We went out there and we had a lot son at UNCA. Leslie Smith fought hard against Winof really close matches,” Cavanaugh said.

“I was just hoping that we could go out throp but dropped both her sets.

“We are capable of beating them and I there and actually reflect how good our think we can next time we play. It was team was through our conference match- top four of the Big South Conference this just the case of them being a tiny bit better es,” Cavanaugh said. “We have done a year,” Cavanaugh said. “We lost some than us.” good job of that. We were ranked really close matches, like the one to GardnerCavanaugh lost the No. 3 singles match low, but have climbed up through the Webb and Liberty, but we know we can to Winthrop’s Sandra Herrera, 3-6 and standings. Each match we won was a step- beat those teams. We know we have what 6-7. ping stone towards the top.” it takes.”

She and her partner Louise Bottomley She expects her team to go far in the lost their doubles match to Herrera and upcoming Big South Conference TournaThe women finish their season ThursLisa Wilkinson, 6-8. ment, Cavanaugh said. day at the Big South Conference Cavanaugh said the score does not “We beat two teams who are in the Tournament in Rock Hill, S.C.

Comics, Etc...

Thursday, April 16, 2009

{The Blue Banner}

Page 14

What Killed the Dinosaurs

by Sandy Igel

B

lues

you can

Use

by Jason Howell

Thursday, April 9, 2009

{The Blue Banner}

Sudoku

Page 15

The rules to play Sudoku are quite simple. Fill in the blanks so that each row, each column, and each of the nine 3x3 grids contain one instance of each of the numbers 1 through 9.

Puzzle answers published in the

Comics, Etc

online section weekly at

thebluebanner.net

Mind

*!$%

Logic puzzles

During a recent Cluedo weekend, four games were played. In one game Miss Scarlet used the spanner, but not in the library. In another game the rope was used in the study, but not by Colonel Mustard. During one game the gun was used in the conservatory, whilst in another game Professor Plum was not to be found in the library. Colonel Mustard was never in the conservatory and Mrs White never used the rope. The lead piping may or may not have been used in the kitchen.

Can you determine who used what and where?

Campus Voice Thursday, April 16, 2009

{The Blue Banner}

Organic food stimulates the health, economy While organic food might conjure up images of good wholesome foods, in some situations organic might not be the way to go, either because of minimal health benefits or economic reasons.

Perhaps the biggest difference between organic food and regular food is the way farmers produce the food.

With regular or conventional farming, fertilizers, insecticides and herbicides are used to grow food, according to a report by the Mayo Clinic titled “Organic Foods: Are They Safer?”

Organic farmers use natural fertilizers, crop rotations and hand weeding to produce food. People might want to avoid the chemicals, and can do so by buying organic, but it brings up a dilemma.

Nutritionally speaking, no finalized data exists showing organic food to be better for you, according to the Mayo Clinic. Additionally, the Mayo Clinic reports the USDA doesn’t claim organic to be better for you either.

“If you get your organic food locally, it’s more likely to have been ripened on the plant and will probably taste better,” said Amy Lanou, assistant professor of health and wellness. “If you get one of the large produce companies in California, for example, and it’s picked two weeks before you eat it, it’s going to taste different.”

Lanou further discussed the relationship between produce and nutrients.

“On the nutritional end, it matters how live and rich the soil is,” she said.

So why does the organic market continue to grow in grocery stores and markets?

For one thing, marketers love the term organic. If you imagine eating rich foods while sitting in the green field and under the blue sky the food was made in, then the marketers probably reached you. But just because organics don’t necessarily bring better nutrition doesn’t mean you should cut out organics.

Definitely the way organic farmers produce their crops helps the environment. Organic farming preserves the environment while conserving resources, according to the Mayo Clinic.

As far as pesticides matter, experts say they contain negligible health risks, according to the Mayo Clinic.

But Consumer Reports takes issue with this.

whole-plant food consumption and the issues related to the way foods are grown

By Tom McLean are secondary to that,” Lanou said.

Staff Writer Clearly, if the Mayo Clinic reports pestjmclean@unca.edu ticides having minimal health risks while Consumer Reports says some fruits and vegetables should always be bought organically, then it’s a cloudy debate even They list several fruits and vegetables the experts can’t agree on, which brings like apples, cherries, spinach and pota- us to buying locally and seasonally.

People can often find good deals on toes as produce people should always food by going to tailgate markets when buy organically because even after washfood is in season, according to Lanou. ing, pesticides stick around, according to Also, buying locally helps the local USAD research. economy and also reduces greenhouse However, they don’t say whether or gases.

For example, Lanou discussed not these foods are safe to eat. They simbuying apples from Hendersonville rather ply have higher levels of pesticides after washing compared to other fruits and than Washington state because the purchase would be local. vegetables.

Buying season“The safe level of pesally reduces the cost ticides is zero,” Lanou of produce because the said. “If there’s somePeople don’t stuff you buy generthing that older individualways need to ally came off a farm or als shouldn’t consume and babies shouldn’t buy organic just out of garden just days consume, then probably ago. This also means because of the adults shouldn’t consume less time from plant to label. Sometimes plate, which means betit either.”

So by buying these ter tasting food. the best stuff foods organically, people But meat and dairy comes from will avoid the ill effects remain foods people an area’s local of chemicals. True, but really should try to eat avoiding pesticides costs organically as often as farms. money. possible.

On average, buying For one thing, buythe above produce oring organic meat means ganically costs around 50 percent more, you avoid toxins in non-organic feed according to Consumer Reports. If you and the added hormones and antibiotics, want to eat organic, you’ll have to pay a which hinders human immune systems, premium, and such a premium remains a according to Consumer Reports. luxury. They also discuss buying seasonAlso, non-organic dairy cows receive ally and locally, but we’ll get to that in a bovine growth hormones, which get into minute. the milk, according to Lanou.

In our current economic situation, most Unlike produce where you can peel people cannot afford to buy organic food. away the skin to avoid pesticides, meat They simply lack the means. And there contains whatever chemicals used doesn’t seem to be much of a push to throughout the body, so people should get organic foods to poor people. When heed this advice. people can’t afford organic produce, they People don’t always need to buy ormust buy the cheaper fruits and vegetaganic just because of the label. Somebles. And no intelligent person would times the best stuff comes from an area’s make the argument of totally avoiding local farms. Of course you can still spend conventional produce if people cannot money on organic food, but the next time buy organic.

“A very, very important part of main- you do, think about where it comes from taining health is increasing the fresh, and think about other options.

Page 16

Students, staff need an on-campus day care facility

By Pamela Stringer News Editor

pdstring@unca.edu

In my STAT 185 class last semester, a woman had to bring her kid to class quite often because of her flaky babysitter. The kid was adorable and quiet, so it was actually a much-welcomed distraction to a boring class. However, it made me wonder why UNC Asheville doesn’t have the facilities to help student mothers.

UNCA’s unique atmosphere lends itself to many nontraditional students, some of whom have children. And, on days when Buncombe County Schools close due to snow and the university doesn’t, teachers and students with children in school either cancel or miss class to stay home with them. Or, in some cases, they bore their kids to death by bringing them to class.

There are 100 Health and Wellness Promotion students, 190 psychology students, 73 sociology students and 128 students seeking a teacher licensure, according to information from UNCA. More than 400 students seeking to graduate with a major involving mental and physical stimulation. These students and faculty should come together to start a day care program on campus.

Not only would it give future teachers hands-on experience working with children and seeing the development process, instead of reading text about it, it would also give other students a chance to observe, make observations and hopefully conclusions on child interaction and behavior.

Think of all the research papers that could be written.

With economic times as they are right

See KIDS Page 19

Thursday, April 16, 2009

{The Blue Banner}

Page 17

Hockey playoffs promise action, athleticism D Championship deserves more attention than other sports

You probably won’t hear too much talk about it on campus, and you won’t even see it unless you happen to have the television channel Versus or the DirecTV package, but the National Hockey League playoffs are here.

The NHL playoffs are both similar to and completely different than other major sports’ postseasons. Hockey playoffs, just like in the NBA, feature eight teams from two conferences and are seeded one through eight. Just like the NBA, there are four rounds, including the championship, and all feature a best-of-seven series.

Unlike baseball, basketball or even football, playoff hockey is truly another level of sport. The intensity of a playoff hockey game is above and beyond anything you’ll see in any of the other major sports. Perhaps only a soccer match in Europe, Mexico or South America between rival teams is on par with the postseason in the NHL. What makes playoff hockey so much different, and, thus, more intense and entertaining than the playoffs in other sports, is the tradition and the passion of not just the players, but the fans, too.

All 16 teams that make the postseason vie for the Stanley Cup, the championship trophy. The Stanley Cup, unlike the championship trophies in the NFL, NBA and MLB, is not re-created each season.

A new trophy is not given to the winning team every year. The names of the players, coaches and managers of every winning team are engraved on the Cup. The tradition began in 1924 when the Montreal Canadiens won.

The Stanley Cup is not the only tradition that playoff hockey has, though. The playoff beard is perhaps the best-known and most emulated postseason tradition.

Hockey lore says that the playoff beard originally came about with the New York Islanders in the 1980s. Traditionally, the players on all playoff teams stop shaving once the playoffs start and do not shave again until their team is no longer playing. Fans usually take part in this tradition, as well.

Speaking of fans, come playoff time, hockey arenas become home to some intense crowds. Football fans, certainly raucous, fail to match the intensity of

By Patrick Zarcone Staff Writer

pwzarcon@unca.edu

NHL Standings Eastern Conference

It’s faster, more precise, the hits are harder and the importance of all aspects of the game are magnified. An entire series can change based on one pass, one goal, one save or the play of one goalie or one player. the fans in some of the greatest hockey towns.

Some of the more well-known traditions include the “Orange Crush,” where fans of the Philadelphia Flyers wear all orange to the Flyers home playoff games, the “C of Red” in Calgary where fans wear all red, Vancouver’s “Towel Power” in which fans create a moving wave of towels and Detroit’s “Legend of the Octopus” where, for good luck, fans throw a dead octopus on the ice before the game.

Other commonly-thrown items include dead rabbits, rats and folding chairs.

You certainly don’t see that in any other sport.

The other thing that makes playoff hockey so exciting is simply the fact that it’s hockey. It’s faster, more precise and hits harder. These features magnify the importance of all aspects of the game.

An entire series can change based on one pass, one goal, one save or the play of one goalie or one player.

Hockey, in general, is not a high-scoring affair so, while a team might take 35 shots, only two or three might go in. To someone who doesn’t watch hockey, that may sound boring, but it’s actually not at all. It’s one of the reasons why playoff

1. Boston Bruins 2. Washington Capitals 3. New Jersey Devils 4. Pittsburgh Penguins 5. Philadelphia Flyers 6. Carolina Hurricanes 7. NY Rangers 8. Montreal Canadiens

Western Conference 1. San Jose Sharks 2. Detroit Red Wings 3. Vancouver Canucks 4. Chicago Blackhawks 5. Calgary Flames 6. St. Louis Blues 7. Columbus Blue Jackets 8. Anaheim Ducks hockey is so much fun. You never know which of those 35 shots might go in, and, when it does, it’s a pretty awesome thing to behold. One goal can completely deflate an entire arena of 20,000 fans who were only seconds ago yelling and screaming, or it can make 20,000 people erupt in complete euphoria.

A lot of people may not know much about hockey, and the sport certainly has room to grow here in Asheville and the rest of Western North Carolina. But slowly and surely people throughout the central and eastern part of the state are coming to realize how exciting a sport this is and how thrilling the playoffs can

be. Hockey as a sport is not nearly as big in the South as it is in the rest of the United States and all of Canada, but its popularity is growing, and that’s a good thing.

The hockey postseason comes at a bad time for gaining new fans since both the baseball season and the NBA playoffs are underway. It’s too early for baseball games to matter. The NBA playoffs, still too predictable, should encourage you to give hockey a chance. With the matchups in place, grab yourself a Labatt Blue, grow a playoff beard, buy a dead octopus and enjoy the best postseason sport around.

Thursday, April 16, 2009

{The Blue Banner}

Page 18

Dining in the morning, diving in the afternoon

From left to right, environmental studies student Emily Antoszyk stands on Fox Glacier off New Zealand’s South Island; Antoszyk at a sheep sheering facility; Maori women performing at the hangi, or a Maori feast, on the North Island.

New Zealand strikes right urban-rural balance

By Emily Antoszyk Contributing Writer eaantosz@unca.edu

Here’s some trivia: In what country do sheep outnumber people four to one? I’ll give you a couple of hints: It is called Aotearoa by the native Maori people; it is the home of Hobbits, whales, and The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe (or at least the filming).

Give up? It’s New Zealand, and as portrayed in the movies, it is truly magical.

In July 2006, as a rising sophomore, I boarded a 16-hour flight to Auckland, New Zealand. To be honest, I was a mixture of nerves and excitement – I never spent five months so far from home before. Upon my arrival, I met up with about 25 of my American peers also studying abroad through the AustraLearn program. We spent three days getting oriented in Rotorua, a hot spot for geothermal activity in the middle of the North Island. We went to a traditional Maori hangi (feast and performance with song and poi/stick dancing), soaked in the hot springs, repelled into and spelunked around some caves and zorbed down hills. Then we all dispersed to our respective schools, most of us leaving for the University of Auckland or the Auckland Institute of Technology.

Living in Auckland was a big change from living in Asheville. Of the country’s population of about 4 million, more than 1 million reside in the greater Auckland area. The city itself is beautiful, located on the water with lots of green space. During the orientation period, I was lucky enough to meet several other adventurous spirits interested in exploring the entire country. Every weekend, this

core group of four other people and I would rent a van and then hike, camp, swim and just generally enjoy the arresting beauty that characterizes the entire country. Several New Zealanders joined in our escapades on occasion, but for the most part only foreigners joined us. I quickly learned, in talking to my classmates, that many native New Zealanders had seen less of their country than I had!

Although we spent most of our weekends on the North Island, there was a two-week holiday in the middle of the semester. (Americans called this spring break; Kiwis laughed at us because it is a break intended for studying) during which two of my friends and I took a whirlwind tour through the more rugged South Island. We started our break with a bang — going skydiving our first day. I am deathly afraid of heights, and this is something I never thought I would do – proof that studying abroad can make you step out of your comfort zone. Jumping out of a plane at 13,000 feet between the ocean and the mountains really puts things into perspective.

After the skydiving episode, we headed counterclockwise around the coast, tramping on a glacier, snowboarding, hiking, touring breweries and the Cadbury Chocolate Factory, contemplating art in museums and experiencing the beauty of the country’s many botanical gardens. Our days were packed.

I could go on about my experiences all day. The one thing I always tell people interested in going is that pictures do not do it justice. When I saw photos before arriving, I did not think landscapes in the colors shown could actually exist. But they do, and they are actually more vivid in person.

In New Zealand I discovered kindred spirits that I am still in touch with today. I got to know the Kiwis (native New Zealanders) and their “no worries” attitude towards existence. I expanded my horizons doing things that I never thought I would do. And most of all, I became more of myself. I would encourage anyone interested to check it out; it changed my life!

The New Zealand fern, or koru in Maori, symbolizes rebirth and new beginnings.

Thursday, April 16, 2009

{The Blue Banner}

A Word From Student Government

Kids

Continued

from

Page 16

If we can find private donors to make up the extra $7 million for the N.C. Center for Health and Wellness, we can find the donors and money for a day care center, too. now, how would UNCA pay for all of this? Well, the program would charge a nominal fee to the parents, to cover the cost of three or four full-time professionals to run the program. Then, the aforementioned departments could create a participatory class, wherein students would be there to interact with the participants and pick up the slack.

Having the center open from 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., five days per week would mean possibly three to four salaries ranging anywhere from $30,000 to $45,000.

Then, if supplies for food, utilities and other miscellaneous costs are added in, what’s an extra $300,000 or so per year to UNCA? If we can find the private donors to make up the extra $7 million for the

The

Page 19

N.C. Center for Health and Wellness, we can find the donors and money for a day care center, too.

In fact, I’d bet there will be some space in that state-of-the-art facility to house a day care center.

The day care center would give the parents a chance to visit their children during business hours, which would make everyone involved happier. If parents’ weren’t concerned about the state of their children, classes, class participation and overall productivity would greatly increase.

Most importantly, UNCA should have the backs of its own. Faculty, staff and students should have the option of an on-campus day care center to make their lives a little easier.

Blue Banner Editorial Board

Karpen Hall 019 (828) 251-6586 banner@unca.edu www.thebluebanner.net Aaron Dahlstrom, Editor-in-Chief

Emily Gray, Business Manager

Jonathan Walczak, Managing Editor

Cassidy Culbertson, Photo Editor

Pam Stringer, News Editor

Cassady Sharp, Assistant News Editor

Dylan Schepps, Arts&Features Editor Sam Hunt, Assistant Arts&Features Editor Greg Hicks, Sports Editor

Matt Starkey, Assistant Web Editor

Jason Herring, Design&Web Editor

Michael Gouge, Faculty Adviser

The Blue Banner is UNC Asheville’s student newspaper. We publish each Thursday except during summer sessions, finals week and holiday breaks. Our office is located in Karpen Hall 019.

The Blue Banner is a designated forum for free speech and welcomes letters to the editor, considering them on basis of interest, space and timeliness. Letters and articles should be e-mailed to banner@unca.edu. They should be signed with the writer’s name, followed by year in school, major or other relationship to UNCA. Include a telephone number to aid in verification. All articles are subject to editing.

SGA executives promise to make good on communication goals As the newly elected student body vice president at UNC Asheville, our public information officer asked me to write an article for The Blue Banner. I will probably flood the reader with information, but my goal is to inform the student body.

While campaigning for the election, I made many promises. I spoke about a better connection with the student senate and the president, diversity and a need to form a better connection with the student body as a whole. So let me elaborate a bit on how I’m trying to fulfill these promises.

First, I want to address the relationship with the student body. This article is my first real foray into creating a better bridge for information.

In the Mercer-Purohit administration, we hope to work closely with The Blue Banner in order to present the student body with more information. Through weekly articles, we hope that you all get a feeling for what we are working on and know that the office door is always open to come in and express concerns.

Additionally, The Blue Banner talked to us about having a regular reporter at every student senate meeting. This is something I hope the student body responds to. We are also talking about the logistics of providing recordings of our meetings.

However, I want to know what the student body thinks about these ideas.

I invite every person who reads this article to come find our office, seek me out and sit down with me to discuss their thoughts on SGA and what they would like to see change on this campus.

Next, I want to address my work with the student senate. I intended to hit the ground running if I was elected, and I tried to just do that.

Within the first week of being sworn in, I put together folders for all 15 of the newly elected senators. These folders included things such as the definition of diversity that the UNCA Diversity Action Council put together. This way, our senators are immediately faced with the necessity that diversity be at the forefront of their minds as it is at the forefront of this university’s mind.

The senators also partook in other ac-

ByAsha Purohit Sga Vice President

adpurohi@unca.edu

In the Mercer-Purohit administration, we hope to work even more closely with The Blue Banner in order to present the student body with more information.

tivities I organized, such as an administrator scavenger hunt and a training session. President Cortland Mercer required us to read the constitution cover to cover and set up a meeting with him.

Through all these activities, senators are getting more information and training immediately. And now, if any student asks a senator about the constitution, they will know the answer.

I hope this beginning indicates how Cortland and I will run the student government. We have already established a good avenue for communication.

Cortland and I have had regular meetings so that we are up to speed on what each of us is working on. Additionally, these meetings help to clear the air in an office that has been previously known for being a petri dish for drama.

We aim to root any of this out of the office so that we focus on serving the students when inside the walls of our office rather than fretting over gossip mongers.

This next administration is getting off to a bright start, and I’m excited to see where it takes us.

The next SGA meeting takes place Wednesday at 9 p.m. in HUU Rooms 221-224.

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