The Blue Banner Issue 11

The

Doc is

in

Avant-garde pianist performs Lapinsky Auditorium

pg

7

Memories in ink, more than skin deep

pg

10

UNCA honors bluegrass legend

Doc Watson PAGE 2

News Thursday, April 23, 2009

I’m doing this for you One woman’s punk-rock experience with Health Department Dentistry

online audio exclusive www.thebluebanner.net {The Blue Banner}

Page 2

Obama’s loan Doc Watson receives honorary degree plan will benefit students

By Michelle Peck Staff Writer

mwpeck@unca.edu

By David Milton Staff Writer

demilton@unca.edu

President Obama’s plan to replace private lending with direct government lending for college students and create more funding for Pell grants will benefit students and schools, according to a financial aid official at UNC Asheville.

“Our institution, up until last year, was a primarily direct-loan school. Our students borrowed directly from the government,” said Beth Bartlett, associate director of financial aid. “They didn’t have to worry about the banks.”

Last year UNCA began allowing students to take out loans from banks of their choice because of a mandate from general administration, Bartlett said.

“We have some students that took advantage of that,” Bartlett said. “At the same time we had some students that had checks that were late coming in because of the troubles that banks were having.”

Some of these students received emergency loans to continue their education, while their banks’ loan checks were missing, Bartlett said.

Obama’s plan to replace subsidized loans from private banks with direct government loans will save $94 billion over the next 10 years, according to data from the Congressional Budget Office, according to the CBO. The plan will also make Pell grants classify as mandatory spending, according to the CBO. The plan will increase mandatory spending by $293 billion between 2010 to 2019, according to the budget.

“A Pell grant is based on what they think your family can contribute,” Bartlett said.

“Your expected family contribution actually becomes how they determine how much Pell grant money you’re eligible for.”

See FINANCIAL AID Page 5

As graduation approaches, seven-time Grammy award winner and UNC Asheville’s newest honorary degree recipient, Arthel “Doc” Watson, spikes interest and debate in students.

Senior psychology student, Lindsay Diehl, 21, said she is excited to participate in commencement with all her family there, but has concern about honorary degrees.

“I think it’s weird that Doc Watson would get an honorary degree,” Diehl said. “I know this is a liberal arts school and we appreciate artists like him, but is his contribution the same as working your butt off for four years?”

Chancellor Anne Ponder will confer an honorary doctoral degree on the bluegrass musician at the spring commencement ceremony.

He got the nickname “Doc” during a live radio broadcast when the announcer said the name Arthel was odd, and he needed an easy nickname.

A fan in the crowd shouted “Call him Doc!” presumably in reference to the Sherlock Holmes sidekick Doctor Watson, according to his three-CD biographical recording, Legacy.

“I do admire Doc Watson. It is important to have someone at commencement to look up to and give you more drive to fulfill your goals outside of school,” Diehl said.

An eye infection caused Watson to lose his vision before his first birthday. He atDr. Les Purce tended North Carolina’s school for the visually impaired, The Governor Morehead School, in Raleigh.

Watson was later awarded the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.

“I am surprised Doc Watson is attending, but I think it is a wonderful opportunity,” said accounting major Christina Fesciane, 26.

Fesciane said Watson deserves an honorary degree, but she also shares Diehl’s reservations about it.

“It can be confusing that an artist receives a degree when you have been busting your hump for one,” Fesciane said. “It will all depend on the message of his speech.”

People must fulfill three categories before receiving honorary degrees, according to the Board of Trustees: recognition of scholarly or intellectual achievement and contribution to the world of arts, letters, science, drama, or music, for example; recognition of contribution to the civic, political, economics or cultural leadership of the Asheville community and/or specific interests in the development of UNCA; recognition of a speaker at a major university event such as commencement, or special convocation.

“He is an accomplished musician in the midst of a liberal arts community,” Fesciane said.

The university welcomes nominations of persons to receive

Courtesy UNC Asheville

Bluegrass legend Doc Watson will be presented an honorary doctoral degree at spring commencement.

honorary degrees from all persons interested in the welfare and stature of the UNCA: faculty, trustees, students and others.

The chancellor reviews the names of persons nominated or suggested and submits them to the Board of Trustees.

Health and wellness major April Bradshaw, 34, said she did not know until now Watson would be at commencement and is excited to see him there.

“He is a major pioneer in bluegrass music and should be honored for it,” Bradshaw said.

The speaker is Dr. Les Purce, president of The Evergreen State College, who will receive an honorary degree, as well.

Purce will give the commencement address to some 385 graduates.

UNCA granted the last three honorary degrees to Johnnetta B. Cole, a renowned educator and humanitarian; Ernest Gaines, a professor of English and writer-in-residence at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette; and Donald Sultan, a successful New York artist.

Skate park turns into multimedia art show Thursday, April 23, 2009

By Lorin Mallorie Staff Writer

lmmallor@unca.edu

Downtown Asheville’s Food Lion Skate Park transforms Saturday into a multimedia, interdisciplinary performance entitled BLACK WHOLE, which officials say explores the connections between life and landscape through image, sound and movement.

Presenting the project are The Black Mountain College Museum and Arts Center along with the City of Asheville, Moog Music and Centering on Children, according to the BMCMAC. “Multimedia is going beyond the screen, as media artists are becoming more interested in creating environments for their viewers to experience – to literally step in and experience,” said Hope Brainard, UNC Asheville senior multimedia arts and science major.

“Thematically, the BLACK WHOLE project deals with life and landscape,” said Alice Sebrell, operations manager at the BMCMAC. “Think of the idea of the black hole in outerspace, playing havoc with time and space.”

BLACK WHOLE features Brooklynbased dance artist Janice Lancaster, projection designer Adam Larsen and musician Jason Daniello, along with additional dancers from New York City and local skateboarders, according to the BMCMAC. “The integration of multimedia and the

{The Blue Banner}

Page 3

performing arts seems like a natural step,” Brainard said. “We are so used to seeing layers of information nowadays that, I feel, people sometimes get bored if they are not having a ‘sensory overload’ experience.”

The BMCMAC, established in 1993 and located at 56 Broadway, published 11 books and hosted and organized numerous programs and exhibitions, Sebrell said.

“Our mission is to preserve and tell the history of the college, but also to do programming that’s in the spirit of Black Mountain College, to continue its legacy,” she said.

Founded in 1933, BMC intended from the outset to be a progressive, experimental college with the arts at the center of education, rather than on the periphery, Sebrell said.

Small, and often underfunded, the colJason Herring - Online/Design Editor lege had an active work program and evTwo skaters take advantage of eryone lived together in an experimental Asheville’s Food Lion Skate Park, the community, Sebrell said. There were no location of the BLACK WHOLE. grades, and students established their own education – what classes were offered and sign, art, literary works and music,” she when they would take them. said. “It was always a kind of avant-garde The founding coincided with Hitler’s school.” rise to power in Germany, Sebrell said.

The BLACK WHOLE event, combinTherefore, particularly in the early years, ing music, image, sound and visual prothere was a strong European influence as jections, is completely in keeping with the artists and intellectuals fled the country, spirit of BMC in terms of its interdisciwith some ending up at BMC. plinary, experimental nature, Sebrell said. ”The aesthetic consciousness of the According to UNCA’s Brainard, creschool was always very modern, really ative multimedia projects often occur very forward thinking in terms of de- right on campus.

MMAS held last week’s Multimedia Arts and Science Juried Show, an annual exposition to showcase work students made in and outside of class, said Brenna Nicastro, 21 year-old multimedia arts and science major.

Junior Nicastro’s “Continuous Pattern,” was juror’s tie for best in show in the 3-D animation category, which, she said, is the

See BLACK WHOLE Page 6

Weekend Weather Thursday High: 71

Friday

Saturday

Sunday

Low: 49 0 percent chance of precipitation

High: 78 Low: 55 30 percent chance of isolated thunderstorms

High: 78 Low: 55 30 percent chance of scattered showers

High: 76 Low: 56 10 percent chance of precipitation

Take me out to the ball game

Thursday, April 23, 2009

{The Blue Banner}

Page 4

McCormick Field offers an outlet for fans of cheap beer and baseball

By Rhys Baker

Asheville Tourists’ Home Schedule

Staff Writer

rdbaker@unca.edu

Dollar beers at the Asheville Tourist’s McCormick Field are a quenching sign of the first Thirsty Thursday of the year.

“Thirsty Thursday brings a lot of people to the park. You get dollar beer, and everybody gets festive. It’s always a good night, people get loud and the team usually does pretty well,” said McCormick Field usher Clay Magidson.

“Thirsty Thursday is an Asheville tradition,” said McCormick Field usher Clay Magidson.

McCormick Field is the birthplace of Thirsty Thursday. Approximately 20 other baseball clubs use the Thirsty Thursday trademark, according to Magidson.

“Thirsty Thursday is an Asheville tradition,” Magidson said.

The Asheville Tourists beat the Greensboro Grasshoppers, 13-6, on April 16, the first Thirsty Thursday this year.

“The cheap beer always increases attendance, and it usually makes my job more intense,” Magidson said.

Magidson is a Tourist fan from Asheville. This is his second season working at McCormick Field.

“I run around so much (on Thirsty Thursdays) that I hardly get to see or do much, but there’s a lot of activity and everyone is having a good time, so that’s what we’re here for. That’s what we’re about,” Magidson said.

Magidson said he spends most of his time at McCormick Field serving people in the more expensive seats.

“Honestly, I used to come to Tourists games with my family every summer, all the time, but we’d never come on Thursday because there were so many drunks.

And now that I’m 21, it’s like, every Thursday,” said Reed Fornoff, a senior interdisciplinary studies student.

According to the Asheville native, a lot of people solely come to Thirsty Thursday for the cheap beer.

“I love baseball. A lot of people come here and get in a beer line and circulate, but I actually like watching the games,” Fornoff said.

His best memory of Thirsty Thursday is when he worked at Camp Blue Star near Brevard.

April 25 v. Greenville Drive 7:05 p.m.

April 26 v. Greenville Drive 2:05 p.m.

April 28 v. Charleston Riverdogs 7:05 p.m.

Ian Shannon - Staff Photographer

Alexandra Nielson, left, Alexander Mitchell, Jordan Samuels, John Ziegler enjoy dollar beers at Thirsty Thursday at McCormick field. The Asheville tourists beat the Greensboro Grasshoppers 13-6.

“They would bring a school bus full of counselors here,” Fornoff said. “We would come and just take this place over. We’d fill up a complete section.”

It would be ridiculous, according to Fornoff. He said the group was filled with British, Australian and New Zealanders, who didn’t have to worry about driving home.

“We got rowdy,” Fornoff said.

Thirsty Thursday is a great time to watch a baseball game, hang out and drink some beer, according to A-B Tech emergency medical services student Frank Sorrells.

He attended four Thirsty Thursdays since coming to Asheville.

“The second time I came here we were sitting up close to the box and these people came over and asked if I wanted to be in a wing-eating contest, and I said ‘Yeah, I definitely want to be in a wing-eating contest!’ So, during the fifth inning, we sat down and they gave us 45 seconds to eat as many wings as we could,” Sorrells said.

Sorrells did not win the wing-eating competition, but he still comes back to McCormick Field on Thursdays, hoping

for another shot at the prize.

“I didn’t get the gift certificate to Wild Wings, but I came in close second with five wings in 45 seconds so, it was pretty straight,” said Sorrels, who added that the contest was fun.

On April 16 the venue presented a lot of opportunities for crowd participation, including a wing-eating contest, a Tourists trivia quiz, a dizzy bat race, a baseballthrowing challenge and other activities and freebies, according to Sorrells.

“I had an excellent time. I have an excellent time every time I come. Everybody is just hanging out, having a good time, cheering everybody on,” Sorrells said.

McCormick Field usher Shaquitta Heinz worked her second Tourists game on April 16, her first Thirsty Thursday.

“There are a lot of people out here, so it’s not boring,” Heinz said. “Thursday is the busiest night of the whole week.”

Senior literature major Kimberley Beaver celebrated her birthday at Thirsty Thursday. She turned 22 on April 16.

“This is awesome,” Beaver said. “I like the energy,” she said as she sipped on a Highland Microbrew, while surrounded by friends.

April 29 v. Charleston Riverdogs 11:05 a.m.

April 30 v. Charleston Riverdogs 7:05 p.m.

May 1 v. Charleston Riverdogs 7:05 p.m.

May 11 v. Rome Braves 7:05 p.m.

May 12 v. Rome Braves 11:05 a.m.

May 13 v. Rome Braves 7:05 p.m.

May 14 v. Rome Braves 7:05 p.m.

Thursday, April 23, 2009

{The Blue Banner}

Student finds career direction Financial aid though creative teaching

By Pamela Stringer News Editor pdstring@unca.edu

“I never actually knew I wanted to teach, but I knew I wanted money for college,” said Sofie Ehlinger, a junior sociology student. “There was this scholarship that was for Teaching Fellows and I remember people from my high school being like, ‘Do you really want to teach?

Sofie are you serious?’ And I was like, ‘umm, yeah.’ But I really wasn’t.”

It took two and a half years before she said the teaching decision was certain.

“I taught a mini-lesson at Asheville High and got a huge high off of it. That’s the moment I knew,” Ehlinger said. “Fortunately or unfortunately, that was only a couple of weeks ago. But now I’m all in.”

The reactions to Ehlinger’s teaching decisions were unsupportive. There were a lot of people trying to dissuade her, even her parents. Her mother is a teacher and said Sofie could do something bet- Sofie Ehlinger ter, Ehlinger said.

“I had a teacher I know ask me to meet with her. She took me into her class and asked if I was serious that this is what I want to do. I said yes,” Ehlinger said.

“It’s pretty easy to convince yourself to do something when you’re getting your undergraduate school paid for. She was like, ‘I think you’re going to be absolutely miserable. I went in thinking I was going to change the world, and I spend most of my time on discipline.’”

Ehlinger said she ignored the unsupportive tones while the scholarship gave her a career path and something to work for.

“I’m glad I got the scholarship so I had some direction in my life because I’m not really super passionate about anything, but I’m really satisfied in things that I do,” Ehlinger said. “I figured no matter what I do I’m going to be satisfied and find joy in it. The more I think about it, teaching definitely is the right fit for me. There’s no monotony in the job if you’re doing it correctly.”

Emily Gustafson, a junior psychology student with a teaching licensure, said she’s impressed with Ehlinger.

“Ehlinger faced a lot of adversity and negative feed back. It’s incredible how she overcame it and stays positive,” Gustafson said.

High school students are either going to like someone or not, according to Ehlinger. She’s more concerned with colleague interaction.

“I’m trying to have more interaction with adults where I don’t sound like a complete jerk and an idiot,” Ehlinger said. “With high school kids, it’s whatever, they like you, they don’t like you, who cares. That’s not what you’re there for. You’re there to teach them, make them feel comfortable and make them feel like they’re in a safe environment. I don’t want to sound like an idiot in front of my principal.”

Ehlinger tutored elementary, middle and high school students over the course of her three years at UNC Asheville.

However, tutoring high schoolers is the most rewarding. Teaching high school will allow her to see the kids’ progression for four years, according to Ehlinger.

“To watch them get college acceptance letters, it’s almost like 13 years of schooling goes into that moment,” Ehlinger said.

“To see them come into the classroom and jump and scream and get excited for each other, that’s what you’re there for. Of course, that’s not it. You want them to be life-long learners and take what you’re teaching them out of the classroom. But, to see it culminate to that one point and watch them getting ready to graduate, it’s a huge deal.”

Teachers deal with teaching their content area, behavioral issues, parents and students with exceptionalities on a very low pay scale. Their work is devalued, according to Ehlinger.

“Teachers are stretched so thin now with testing, so I understand why teachers slip into that lecture every day and just concentrate on getting the information out,” Ehlinger said. “The people that are suffering for it are the students, they’re turned off from learning, they’re teachers are exhausted. It’s hard to be creative in the schools now.”

Ehlinger compared the state of education in North Carolina to a cartoon.

“I was watching “Family Guy. There was this sign and it said, ‘Welcome to North Carolina, first in flight, 48th in education.’ I thought it summed things up,” she said.

The Congressional formula for determining how much Pell grant money a student receives includes factors such as parents’ adjusted gross income, number of family members in college, savings, stocks and real estate, Bartlett said. Pell grants are designed to help those who can’t afford college, do so, she said.

Several recent UNCA graduates who incurred debt from direct government loans support additional, available Pell grant money and worry about paying off their loans.

“It is always a good idea to make it easier for students to go to college and pay off their loans,” said Ellen Cooper, 22, who graduated from UNCA last fall with a double major in sociology and literature.

Cooper works two jobs, but plans to attempt to get her loans deferred because she can’t afford them with her current employment, she said. She owes over $6000 in student loans, but is currently unable to pay for her health insurance, she said.

“I worked all through college, and my parents paid for some of it and I took out loans every semester,” Cooper said. “Now, I don’t know what I think is worth that much money.”

If graduate school requires more loans, Cooper will not go, she said.

“For the amount of work I did throughout college to make ends meet, along with scholarships and along with student loans, and to still have this much money to pay back after I graduated, it is frustrating,” said Leah Buell, 21, who also graduated from UNCA last fall as a history major.

Buell owes roughly $7,500 in direct government loans. She also works two jobs, and hopes to get loans deferred because she is unable to pay them with her income, she said. She said any plan to in-

Page 5

Continued

from

Page 2

crease Pell grant funding is a good thing.

“I think about my budget at least twice every day,” Buell said. “I worry more about being able to pay rent and put gas in my car than I worry about Obama’s expanding government.”

Although direct government student loan debt concerns Cooper and Buell, this brand of student loans is less complex and more stable than private subsidized loans, Bartlett said.

“So many of the banks are out of student lending now, that were in there last year,” Bartlett said. “Students have to be careful because if your bank goes out of business that means your loan is probably going to be sold to someone.”

Students with transferred debts often do not know to whom they actually owe money to, or where to pay it to, according to Bartlett.

Over half of UNCA’s student population, approximately 52 to 54 percent, receives some sort of financial aid, Bartlett said. The additional Pell grant money is especially important in a recession to those who need financial aid, she said.

Last fall, as a result of the slumping economy, UNCA students looked for employment through the Federal Work-Study program in unusually high numbers, Bartlett said.

“For the first time this year, we have had more students to ask for jobs or to complete all the hours that they were assigned, than we have had since the ‘90s,” Bartlett said. “We awarded more jobs than we had money to pay for.”

However, Federal Work-Study positions only allow a student to work for 10 hours per week, and compensation does not exceed $9 per hour in most situations, according to the financial aid office.

Thursday, April 23, 2009

BLACK WHOLE

Continued

focus of her studies.

The animation consists of a series of scenes involving falling and colliding prescription bottles, pills, daily medicine holders and syringes, according to Nicastro.

“I am a kidney transplant recipient and have been dealing with kidney disease from a young age,” Nicastro said. “The overall idea was to create a simple animation where the objects had a personal connection to a significant part of my life.”

As a result of her condition, Nicastro said she takes many different types of prescriptions. Her intention for the piece, she said, was to invoke a double meaning: one of negative repetition and one of objects turned into art.

“The repetitive motion and placement of the falling pills and medication bottles was a metaphor for the continuous ritual that any chronic disease patient must go through in order to maintain his or her condition,” she said.

While constructing this animation, Nicastro said the pills and syringes no longer invoked negative feelings, but became shapes and colors that made up an abstract composi-

{The Blue Banner}

from

Page 3

tion and enhanced its design. The final product was to create something positive out of the negative, she said.

“And while we might not get the intended reaction from our audience ­— I know mine came off as very depressing to some — that’s half the fun of making any kind of art. Seeing what people take away from what you create, good or bad,” Nicastro said. “We all just want to create art that moves others; MMAS students just have more technological tools.”

Brainard said her UNCA liberal arts education also gives her a broader range of knowledge, ideas and experiences to reference during the creative process.

On May 1, some senior MMAS students will project a spring semester project onto the steps of Ramsey Library starting at 9 p.m., according to senior Jordan Skowranski.

“There will be food, and it will be a great break from studying for exams at the end of the semester,” he said.

For more information, visit blackmountaincollege.org

“We can’t be our best if we don’t feel our best.”

Page 6

Drought in Western N.C. seeks rain for relief

By Morgan Weeks & Sarah Jessop

Contributing Writers & sjjessop@unca.edu

mlweeks@unca.edu

With all the rain falling recently, it might be hard to imagine that the Buncombe County area is under a moderate drought.

Drought is the deficit in normal precipitation for a region over a period of time, sufficient enough to cause visible impacts.

Precipitation for the year totals almost 6.3 inches, 4 inches below normal.

Like many things, droughts come and go, even though its destruction depends upon the atmosphere.

The drought is predicted to improve between now and July, in the mountainous regions of Western North Carolina, which includes Asheville and Buncombe County.

The lower-than-normal precipitation

Hungry Stressed No Time Don’t let hunger get in your way!

Point, Click, Eat @ www.blueridgetogo.com

There are lots of great reasons to take multivitamins.

Along with a balanced diet and regular exercise, they’re a good way to stay in good health. For just pennies a day, multivitamins may help lower your risk of cancer, heart disease and osteoporosis, and may prevent birth defects of the brain and spine. For a healthy, happy you, take a multivitamin every day. To learn more, call 1-800-367-2229 or visit www.getfolic.com.

Delivery from 25+ of Asheville’s Finest Restaurants

828.252.1221

and the warmer-than-normal temperature mostly causes droughts in Western North Carolina. Most precipitation that Western North Carolina experiences derives from tropical cyclones that make their way through the Atlantic Ocean.

These storms usually occur from June to November with a peak in early September.

Because most of these cyclones made landfall too far north or bypassed the East Coast entirely, North Carolina did not see much rainfall. Atmospheric circulations and climate anomalies are major contributors to the abnormal precipitation and temperature rates.

Although the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicts the drought to improve, Western North Carolina needs more frequent rain for the drought to completely subside.

– Morgan Weeks and Sarah Jessop are senior meteorology students.

Arts & Features Thursday, April 23, 2009

{The Blue Banner}

Page 7

Renowned pianist honors late mentor

Ian Shannon - Staff Photographer

Margaret Leng Tan plays the toy piano during her performance for the annual Dorr Lecture Series. Leng Tan is proclaimed as the world’s first professional toy piano player. She performed pieces composed by John Cage during his four years as faculty at Black Mountain College between 1948 and 1952.

Margaret Leng Tan played pieces from composer John Cage for Dorr Lecture Series

By Erin McWhorter Staff Writer emmcwhor@unca.edu

Avant-garde pianist Margaret Leng Tan entertains with the toy and prepared piano while paying tribute to her mentor, composer John Cage, in the annual Dorr Lecture Series.

“It makes perfect sense to bring these pieces back to Asheville and to have them performed by Ms. Leng Tan, who is recognized as Cage’s preeminent interpreter, especially since she had a close collaboration with him in the last 11 years of his life,” Samer Traboulsi, UNCA assistant professor of history said as he opened

Leng Tan’s first lecture and performance Wednesday night.

While serving on the faculty at Black Mountain College between 1948 and 1952, Cage composed several important pieces, Traboulsi said.

Cage passed away in 1992 after suffering a stroke in his New York City home.

“She was actually with the composer the day before his death discussing the performance of the work he had written for her,” Traboulsi said.

Leng Tan’s first lecture and performance in the two-part series, “Through the Silence: A John Cage Tribute,” featured music composed by the prolific Cage for

the prepared and string piano, as well as the toy piano.

“What I will do tonight in ‘Through the Silence’ is try to give you a short, encapsulated tour of some of Cage’s works, which represent him in his amazing diversity, his prescience and his genius,” Leng Tan explained as she began the lecture series.

Cage wrote “Bacchanale,” the first piece performed, in 1940 for the prepared piano.

Featuring the use of vintage weather stripping, screws and bolts placed between the piano strings, the idea of the prepared piano resulted from Cage’s experimentation with percussion and pianos, accord-

ing to Leng Tan. “‘Bacchanale’” is a very simple preparation,” Leng Tan said. “Many people do think that the prepared piano of Cage has the feeling of something Asian about it.

There’s something very primitive and primal about it.”

During the performance lecture, Leng Tan jokingly proclaimed herself “the world’s greatest toy pianist.” Leng Tan, born in Singapore in 1945, is the world’s first professional toy pianist.

Before performing Cage’s composition “Suite for Toy Piano,” she explained her

See PIANO Page 9

New dance company kicks off with performance Thursday, April 23, 2009

{The Blue Banner}

Page 8

By Alyssa Spencer Staff Writer afspence@unca.edu

The UNC Asheville dance department presented “Dancing Heads,” a show featuring several genres of dance, at the Walker Arts Center on April 17.

“I didn’t know so many different types of dancing were offered at UNCA,” environmental studies major, Robin Pesko said. “I loved the modern pieces. Each routine was very unique and different from the last, and I thought the whole show really showcased creativity.”

The performance included work from several dance classes and pieces ranging from salsa and jazz to modern and belly dancing. The show marked the first time Company!, the department’s new dance company, performed as a group.

“The company began in January of this year and is the first one we’ve had at UNCA,” said junior literature major and dance minor Baily Griffith, a dancer in Company!

Griffith is one of many students and

Pamela Stringer - News Editor

Members of UNCA’s new dance company showcase their first performance as a troupe at the Walker Arts Center on April 17.

community members involved in the company.

“The members of the company, who

were chosen by audition, created a lecture demo about the elements of dance that we present at different community

functions, such as Carolina Kids Day and different elementary schools around Asheville,” Griffith said. “Also, we perform pieces representative of different genres of dance that were choreographed by dance teachers at UNCA.” Fifteen routines comprised the show, and choreographers included UNCA dance program faculty Beth Chepke, Kelly Davis, Kathy Meyers and Connie Schrader. Guest choreographers Diana Cabrera-Stepanova and Maria Voisin, as well as student dancers also created routines. David Byrne’s music was featured.

“Because of space limitations, we in the dance program need to accomplish our choreography and rehearsal during our instructional time,” said dance department chair Connie Schrader, the show’s stage manager. “We begin our semester with that in mind, weaving the instruction of technique with the creation of the choreography.”

See DANCE Page 9

Face painting, dancing, fun raises money for Latino Scholarship Fund

Sulkiro Song - Staff Photographer

Jenni Shepherd plays with 3-year-old Hollin Hardy at the Latino Scholarship Festival on the Quad Saturday. HOLA member Alexa Ponton paints 4-year old Nina Monserrat’s face at the festival. UNCA Belly dancing group, the Munirah Dancers, dance in front of Ramsey Library at the event. The festival featured music, games, authentic Hispanic cuisine and belly dancing. The event raised money for a scholarship geared towards Hispanic students.

Thursday, April 23, 2009

Piano

{The Blue Banner}

Continued

Page 9

from

Page 7

status as a professional toy pianist as not only the result of “practice, practice, practice,” but largely due to Cage’s composition of the piece.

“It’s because John Cage wrote his ‘Suite for Toy Piano’ in 1948, right around the corner at Black Mountain College, as a dance. With this piece he really opened the doors for the possibility, to me anyway, of turning the toy piano into a real instrument because that’s the first ever serious piece of music written for the toy piano.”

Cage’s music calls for an emphasis and range in dynamics while utilizing the nine white keys of the toy piano. The piece, written in all seriousness, is complex in its patterns and highly sophisticated, yet also Ian Shannon - Staff Photographer very deceptive to the audience, according Margaret Leng Tan experiments with different sounds on the piano. She to Leng Tan. learned many experimental techniques from her late mentor John Cage.

“He knew what he was doing, because by writing these really extremes of dy- composition, takes 4 minutes 33 seconds and train whistle. I turn them all into real namics you try to do it and in the act of to perform, has three movements and is instruments and I’m playing them all totrying you will get a dynamic range than if meant to define silence as all of the sounds gether.” you haven’t tried, so he was very smart,” that are unintended, Leng Tan said.

Evans Chan directed the 2004 film, a she said as she prepared to sit in front of “Water Music,” a composition of the- music documentary. It features Leng Tan the toy piano. atric actions as well as musical influence, as well as excerpts of additional composOther well-known pieces composed required the use of the radio, birdcalls, ers and performers, including Cage.

by Cage and performed by Leng Tan in- whistles and the pouring of water.

“It is a challenge to play well on the toy cluded “In the Name of the Holocaust,” The second night of the 2009 Dorr Lec- piano and it makes it very easy to play “4’33” and “Water Music.” ture Series featured a short toy piano recit- well on the big piano after that. I mean “In the Name of the Holocaust,” com- al by Leng Tan, the screening of the film that seriously,” she said. posed in 1942, is both a prepared and Sorceress of the New Piano: The Artistry Former UNCA professors Laurence and string piano piece. The use of the word of Margaret Leng Tan and a question-and- Joyce Dorr, as well as the late James Topp “Holocaust” in the title is a play on words answer session with the pianist. and Paula Grillot endowed the annual lecmeaning the “Holy Ghost,” according to “You’ve got to come and see this,” ture series, according to Traboulsi.

Leng Tan. Leng Tan announced. “Because, I’m not Leng Tan performed Cage’s famous si- only playing toy piano, I’m also playing For more information on Margaret Leng lent piece, 4’33” as a centerpiece. The toy piano with bicycle bells, bicycle horn Tan, visit www.margaretlengtan.com

Dance

In addition to time constraints, adequate space creates a challenge for the dance department, according to Griffith.

“The biggest challenge for me as a dance student is space. We share the dance studio with aerobics, yoga, basketball coaches club and a host of other functions. This makes it difficult to find rehearsal time outside of class for students pursuing their own choreography,” Griffith said. “We do have limited space and resources, but in the end we make the best of it and I think what we produce is really outstanding.”

In addition to Company! members and students pursuing a dance minor, many students from other fields of study partici-

Continued

pated in the performance for fun.

“I was in the salsa class and it was great because I’m not a dancer and salsa doesn’t necessarily take prior dance experience,” said political science major Erin Callaghan. “You can pick it up pretty quickly. My favorite part of being involved in the department is learning other cultures through dancing.”

The entire show, which included many partner dances and physical contact among dancers, was very much a collaborative effort, according to Schrader.

“There were several student pieces, some of which were products of in-class compositions and some of which were created

from

Page 8

outside of class. Then there’s the work of costuming, and since we have no budget for costumes, the expenses for them are borne by choreographers,” Schrader said.

“Then there’s tech rehearsal, a six hour endeavor the day before, then dress rehearsal immediately before the show. All of this requires patience and courtesy of a huge number of people as we all work together to create 90 minutes of dance in concert.”

Griffith said she is proud to be both a dancer and a member of the production.

“Dance lends itself to expression of the individual through group movement,” Griffith said.

Campus Events TheatreUNCA presents Urinetown

Carol Belk Theatre Fri. and Sat., 8 p.m.

Sunday 2 p.m. $15 general admission $12 seniors $10 students

Art exhibit opening “The Eyes Have It: the Reciprocating Gaze” mixed media by senior Caitlin Rawlins Highsmith Gallery, Friday, 6 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, Sat., noon-midnight,

Chamber Music Concert

Lipinsky Auditorium $5 (students free with ID)

Sunday, 4 p.m.

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

Tattoos represent memories Thursday, April 23, 2009

{The Blue Banner}

By Meredi Wagner-Hoehn Contributing Writer

savvy_mer@yahoo.com

People memorialize the past through physical monuments constantly. For UNC Asheville student Tay Newbold, those personal memorials exist in her tattoos.

“All of my tattoos are memories,” the drama student said. “They’re things I never want to lose.”

The Pew Research Center discovered in a January 2007 study that 36 percent of 18 to 35-year-olds exhibit at least one tattoo. Newbold, 22, has 13 tattoos.

When Newbold’s dog passed away, she got a tattoo of his paw print.

“If you were in a battle and got a scar from it, it’s something you wouldn’t want to cover up. It’s something you’re proud of,” Newbold said.

The acute pain involved in getting a tattoo accentuates the meaning of the ink as well as the general excitement and personal investment, according to Newbold.

Despite the personal angle to the body art, about 50 percent of individuals approach inking superficially, according to Mark Ledford, a tattoo artist who’s worked at the tattoo parlor Liquid Dragon for two-and-a-half years.

“It’s often personal events, but in some cases it’s like they just want to get a new pair of shoes,” Ledford said.

Clients frequently request the tattoos which celebrities sport, according to Ledford. When they remain unsure of a specific design, they often choose templates from the wall of tattoo examples.

“What’s on the wall can be really good; that’s why we put it on the wall.

We won’t do it exactly like that. We’ll change it up a bit,” Ledford said.

Newbold said she always knows what tattoo she wants next, even while she sits in the chair and receives an inking.

“While I’m still getting a tattoo, I’m like, ‘Wow, I want a whole bunch more.’

But usually it wears off in a couple weeks. It takes about two weeks to get over for the average person,” Ledford said.

Newbold decides where to put her tattoos on her body through practicality and sentimentality.

Photo Courtesy of Chris Moore

22-year old Chris Moore displays his tattoos. Moore got his first tattoo in 2005.

“Usually, the first tattoo is psychological. Like when you’re 18, you go out and get that tattoo. A lot of times, with young ladies, it’s that ‘tramp stamp’ spot.”

- Mark Ledford, tattoo artist at Liquid Dragon “I had to put some on my back because there’s not another size on my body that’s big enough for me to fit them.

When they’re more personal to me, I put them in places I can hide more easily. I have a tattoo that’s a reminder to me that I can do stuff on my own and can handle things when they get hard, so I put it in a more visible place where I can see it every day,” Newbold said.

When Newbold worked in a tattoo parlor creating designs for people, a lot of women got work done on the inside of their hips. Women often request flowers on their feet, particularly in summer when more people saw that skin through flip-flops and bare feet, according to Newbold.

A new piece of art corrects an older mistake. Most frequently, people want to cover an old girlfriend or partner’s name, according to Ledford.

The slang term “tramp stamp” defines a tattoo on a woman’s lower back, often visible above the jean line and below the bottom of a shirt. Those previously

popular sales tapered off in the last year, according to Ledford.

“Usually, the first tattoo is psychological. Like when you’re 18, you go out and get that tattoo. A lot of times, with young ladies, it’s that ‘tramp stamp ‘spot. Now, young men are into the ribs – they’re the new 18-year-old male ‘tramp stamp,’” Ledford said.

Tattoo clientele often make the mistake of requesting a large amount of detail in too small of a location or in the wrong location altogether, according to Ledford.

“Seems like a lot of young ladies will want to get something done on their wrists,” Ledford said. “They’ll want some small details, and they want it on the skin which moves a lot. That’s an example of a type of skin that doesn’t take detail very well.”

Ledford also suggests considering future goals when deciding which tattoo to get where.

“If you want to be a bank president, don’t get a neck tattoo,” Ledford said.

Page 10

none of your

numbers just are numbers.

At U.S. Cellular,® we believe every number’s important.

That’s why we have My Contacts Backup for free.

So you can save, store and even transfer your numbers if you get a new phone. getusc.com

My Contacts Backup: easyedge Pay-As-You-Go users who incur data access charges for My Contacts Backup while roaming should dial 611 for a bill credit. ©2009 U.S. Cellular.

Sports Thursday,

April 23, 2009

Pearson leads Bulldogs into conference finals

By Dan Weller Staff Writer

djweller@unca.edu

Junior Natalie Pearson led UNC Asheville’s track and field team’s performance last weekend at the Big South Conference Track and Field championships.

“I am always amazed when I watch Natalie race,” said senior Morgan Weeks.

“She is one of the toughest racers I have ever seen.”

Pearson ran the 200-meter dash in 24.22 and 11.98 in the 100-meter dash to earn 13 points for the women’s team.

Sophomore Simon Haake scored points for Natalie Pearson the men on day one. He finished seventh in the javelin with a throw of 55.56 meters, and 31.77 in the discus.

On day one of the event freshmen Erin Putnam and Mackenzie Wheaton finished 12th and 13th, respectively, in the 10,000 meters.

Weeks competed in the heptathalon.

The event included 100-meter hurdles, 200-meter dash, 800 meter run, high jump and shot put.

On day two of competition freshman Emma Bussard took fifth place in the 300-meter steeplechase, earning four points for the women’s side.

For the men, freshman Nick Mozzone earned a point in the high jump finishing eighth. Freshman Sam Maynard and senior Andrew Burnette competed in the 800, and senior Adam Matthews finished ninth in the steeplechase.

Freshman Michelle Busse and junior Katie Olert competed in the 800.

On the final day of competition, Pearson finished fourth in the 100-meter dash and third in the 200. Bussard finished the 5,000 in 19:10 to claim 11th.

The Bulldogs earned a ninth place finish overall for the meet.

photos

See more of the women’s tennis team online at

www.thebluebanner.net {The Blue Banner}

Page 13

Chanticleers end Bulldogs’ tennis season

By Ryan Burtner Staff Writer rrburtne@unca.edu

The No. 5 seeded UNC Asheville Women’s tennis team fell to No. 4 seeded Coastal Carolina at the Big South Women’s Tennis tournament, last Saturday, 0-4.

“We were excited to play them again, because I felt when we played them earlier in the season, we didn’t play them as well as we could,” said Head Coach Lise Gregory. “Unfortunately we started off very nervous and didn’t do as good of a job as we could.”

In order for her team to avoid a repeat of the regular season loss, she said they would need to have a good start.

“Against a team this good, you need to get a good start against them,” Gregory said. “Coastal just played well. They were used to the situation. Our guys were not used to being in a position where they can win a match like that. Next year it’s going to be a little easier for us to handle. ” Freshman Devon Cavanaugh said she and her teammates knew Coastal would be a tough opponent.

“We had to play Coastal in the first round, and we went out there and played well. It was a hard contest and we were up in a lot of the matches,” she said. “We

just couldn’t stop them, because we had lost those four points and it put us out of reach.”

Cavanaugh won the No. 3 singles match against Coastal Carolina’s Kim Webb, 6-1 and 6-3. She said it was one of her toughest match-ups of the year.

“The girl I played in singles is definitely one of my toughest matchups of the year,” Cavanaugh said. “She’s a very consistent player with big strokes and a big serve. I can’t take anything away from her, she’s a great player.”

In the No. 2 doubles match, Cavanaugh and her partner Louise Bottomley won the first set against CCU’s Tina Petkova and Paty Cortes, 6-5. However, the match went unfinished due to tournament rulings.

“Louise and I were up and we were fighting hard, doing every- Devon Cavanaugh thing that we could,” Cavanaugh said. “Unfortunately, once you get through the first few doubles points, you’re done and you can’t finish up your match.”

Mateva and partner Nicole Schon lost the No. 3 doubles match 8-1 to Coastal’s Kim Webb and Maria Camberos. In the No. 6 singles match, she lost the first two

sets to Camberos, 6-1 and 4-3, with the match going unfinished due to tournament ruling.

Despite the loss, Cavanaugh said their coaches were very pleased with their performance.

“Coach Gregory just told us, ‘Don’t hold your heads down.’I do not want to see any of you guys with your heads to your knees, because you guys are a great team and you’ve worked so hard.’ Some of the girls were really upset, of course we all wanted to win, but coach said, ‘You need to be proud of yourselves, because I’m proud of you,’” Cavanaugh said.

Although the loss is difficult to bear, Cavanaugh said she’s eager to get started with her off-season training.

“Everyday I’m going to be working out, just trying to improve everything that I can,” Cavanaugh said. “Stay consistent with my strokes, serving and volleying.

Just come out playing strong next year.”

Mateva said she also feels very positive about going in to next year, her final season. With the same team from this year returning, she said she’s excited to see how they come back as a team.

“We definitely have big hopes for next year,” Mateva said. “We improved a great amount in the 12 months leading up to this season. We can improve just as much by next year and have an even better record.”

Men’s tennis falls in first round of conference tournament

By Randi Kitts Staff Writer

rjkitts@unca.edu

The men’s tennis team’s season came to a close when the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers handed them a 5-0 defeat in the first round of the Big South Men’s Tennis Championship.

“I feel like our team had great chemistry this year, and we really came together as the season progressed,” said freshman Alex Appelt.“We have a great foundation for the future of UNCA tennis.”

Coastal Carolina won its first and third doubles matches, putting them up 1-0 early in the match.

German Perez and Ernesto Ramos defeated Asheville’s Mauricio Correa and Nicolai Nonnenbroich 8-3.

CCU’s John Hairston and Joseph Withers also won 8-3 over Appelt and Alexander Greer.

Vlaskin defeated Nonnenbroich 6-4, 6-2 at No. 3 to put the Chanticleers up 2-0 at the start of the singles matches.

Withers won the No. 6 over Greer 6-1 and 6-1.

Perez and Tzetkov finished their matches simultaneously to seal the win for CCU. Perez defeated UNCA’s Jonas Brobeck 6-1, 6-1, and Tzetkov won 6-0, 6-2 over Appelt.

“Our season-ending record was not as strong as we would have liked it to be,” Appelt said. “However, we did have a lot of close matches, and I’m confident that in the years to come we will play the big matches a little smarter than we did this year.”

Asheville finished its season 5-16 overall and 0-7 in the Big South.

Comics, Etc... you can

Use

by Jason Howell

Thursday, April 23, 2009

{The Blue Banner}

B

lues

you can

Use

by Jason Howell

What Killed the Dinosaurs

by Sandy Igel

cartoons and videos in the Comics, Etc

see more

section online at

www.thebluebanner.net

Page 14

Thursday, April 23, 2009

{The Blue Banner}

Find the seven boys in this cleverly drawn illustration.

Page 15

Sudoku

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

This optical illusion from 1887 appeared in an advertisement for children’s health care products.

Mind

*!$%

Logic puzzles

online section weekly at

thebluebanner.net

A large fresh water reservoir has two types of drainage system. Small pipes and large pipes.

6 large pipes, on their own, can drain the reservoir in 12 hours. 3 large pipes and 9 small pipes, at the same time, can drain the reservoir in 8 hours.

How long will 5 small pipes, on their own, take to drain the reservoir?

Advertise

B

The

AND

B

with www.thebluebanner.net

The Blue Banner Classifieds Ask about special

hit mark the

student rates For a rate package call

828~251~6586 or e-mail Emily at

eagray16@ gmail.com

All majors are welcome at The Blue Banner and are encouraged to join us!

301

(2 credit hours) sign up for mcom (Prerequisite waived if interested)

Business majors Art majors • Illustrations • Photography

MultiMedia maj ors • Illustrations • Online content

e r u t a iter

L

contact:

jmwalcza@unca.edu

• Sell ads, get paid!

s r o maj

• Editorials • Commentaries • Reviews

Campus Voice Thursday, April 23, 2009

{The Blue Banner}

New cigarette tax lowers smoking rate, revenue Even though smoking remains one of the worst choices a person can make for their health, the new federal and North Carolina tax increase does little to help address the problem.

At the start of the month, the federal government increased the tax on cigarettes by roughly 60 cents, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Lawmakers passed it to raise money for children’s health insurance.

The NCSL also reports some of the reasons states want to raise the tax rate include increasing available money and deterring smoking.

While certainly laudable goals, the tax hike doesn’t make much sense.

If the purpose of raising taxes is to both deter smokers and to help health programs, then won’t one affect the other?

If more smokers quit because of the tax increase, then less money will be available to fund health projects. However, the NCSL states the federal budget will increase by an estimated $33 billion over the next five years with this new tax.

Maybe or maybe not.

By targeting smokers, lawmakers obviously want to get what looks like easy money. But the federal government might not be aware of who does the smoking, which affects available tax money.

People with a GED or less education have higher levels of smoking than those with undergraduate degrees or more, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Additionally, more people who smoke live below the poverty line than those above or at the line, according to the CDC. Because we know more education correlates with higher income levels, the federal tobacco tax really goes after poor people because they make up the largest amount of smokers.

Sure, advocates for the tax increase can argue raising the tobacco tax deters people from smoking, and for some it does. But the advocates fail to see they tax themselves out of money because tax levels will eventually reach a point where no one will smoke. And then where will the money come from?

Advocates need to stop citing health reasons for people to stop smoking as well. One group called the Tax Foundation says anti-smoking groups seek high-

weeks ago in the media. Rather than ban the product or educate people on what

By Tom McLean happens with too much soda, government Staff Writer would rather get more green out of it. tjmclean@unca.edu Lawmakers might also cite personal choice as a reason they can’t ban a product. Leave it up to the consumer and let the chips fall where they may. But if consumers get taxed to the point of not being er taxes to reduce the health hazards of able to afford a product, then they really smoking. The foundation says the groups don’t have much of a choice. should seek prohibition of cigarettes, not This point brings us back to poor peohigher taxes, if they really care about ple. With the CDC reporting so many less harmful effects. educated people smoking, and less educaOf course, prohibition will throw totion meaning less money, no reasonable bacco onto the black market which will person can deny the government exploits increase crime. But with nearly half a milthe poor by increasing these taxes. lion people dying each year from smokLawmakers might also hide behind this ing, according to the CDC, prohibition tax by calling it a sin tax. If they want to might not be a bad thing. But that will tax sins, they can do a never happen. Lawmaklot more than just single ers would rather have the out smokers. money.

With the current raise And North Carolina in cigarette tax, the fedIf more smokers would like a piece of the eral government wants cake, too. quit because of to raise money for At the beginning of the the tax increase, health programs. The year, lawmakers put forth Foundation wants a draft to the General Asthen less money Tax to know why smokers sembly which would inwill be available should be the focus of crease cigarette tax from the tax. to fund health 1.75 cents a cigarette to They question why 5.95 cents, or roughly projects. not tax other things in 80 cents a pack, accordsociety as well, while ing to the North Carolina also discussing how General Assembly. If the programs needing funddraft eventually gets submitted as a bill, the combined federal and ing shouldn’t be supported by one group state taxes will increase the cost of a pack of people. This point makes sense.

If government uses smokers to fund of cigarettes by $1.40. health programs, specifically children’s Additionally, the state recently called health insurance, then taxes should be for a smoking ban in public places with spread out across the board to fund the minors present, according to the N.C. General Assembly. This looks like a logi- program.

Government can raise food or clothing cal solution to stop the health concerns of taxes or could hold back a little more on cigarettes, but falls flat on its face.

A ban on public places with minors paychecks. These broader taxes would be means a smoking ban in restaurants, as less since they spread out across different several media outlets recently reported. areas and more people, as opposed to the And with lawmakers protecting minors one big tax on cigarettes.

The point being, no single tax should from smoking, they should also ban the discriminate against a group of people. bad foods.

With the obesity rates across the coun- And by heavily taxing cigarettes, the govtry, it seems a ban of bad food in restau- ernment targets the poor.

Smoking remains a harmful activrants will help curb this problem. But ity, but until some changes come around, with a ban, the state won’t see money.

Perhaps that’s why we saw lawmak- people can’t deny the exploitation of the ers discussing a tax on soft drinks a few government’s tax.

Page 17

Accident shows benefits of safe driving habits

By Jonathan Walczak Managing Editor

jmwalcza@unca.edu

Last Friday afternoon, I was driving with one hand, speeding and texting my roommate, when I looked up and saw a blue SUV swerve towards the guardrail in the opposite lane on Interstate 40.

As our cars were parallel, I looked to the left and saw the SUV hit the guardrail, flip in the air, as if something out of a movie, and come crashing down.

A trailer it towed careened across the road, blocking traffic.

When I arrived back in Asheville later that evening, I read online that the driver lost control when his trailer started to sway back and forth.

He and his wife were unharmed, but their 15-year-old son died in the crash, which also injured their daughter.

I’m not one to believe every little thing is a sign, but the irony of what I was doing when I looked up and saw the crash is not lost on me.

The driver of the SUV easily could have been looking toward my lane and seen the same thing happen to me.

It would be hypocritical of me to lecture on the danger of speeding, texting while driving or other risky behavior.

But this week, I drove carefully.

More than 40,000 people die every year in traffic accidents, probably including many of our friends.

Some wrecks cannot be prevented.

Many, however, are the result of preventable behavior, whether it be speeding or drunken driving.

These behaviors are selfish. They save a few minutes and allow for convenient communication with friends, but endanger the individual driving, passengers in the car and all other people on the road.

I’ve been in a few minor wrecks and seen several others before, including my ex-girlfriend crashing into a tree.

When I was a year old, a cop in New Jersey called my mom a few days before Christmas to tell her a drunk driver hit my

See CARS Page 19

Thursday, April 23, 2009

{The Blue Banner}

Page 18

Anti-Obama tea parties stray from roots Fox News commentators, racists hijack grassroots events April 15, tax day here in the United States, came and went but not without much fanfare.

This year, thousands of people across the country came to together at “tea party” rallies to protest many of the things they believe are wrong with President Obama’s newly introduced economic policies.

Some even called for the abolition of the IRS or the institution of a fair tax.

There was even a tea party in downtown Asheville that reportedly drew hundreds of angry protestors.

The 2009 version of the Boston Tea Party was not something that happened spontaneously, though. A conservative advocacy group called FreedomWorks originally promoted the tea parties. Eventually Sean Hannity and Glenn Beck of FOX News began talking about the protests and actually emceed rallies in different cities across the country. Former Congressman Dick Armey also took part in promoting the festivities.

One of the problems with the tea parties is that FOX News co-opted what began as a grassroots movement of people angry at the Obama administration and bailouts and turned it into a megaphone of the Republican party, lighting fires about issues like immigration and same-sex marriage.

Texas Governor Rick Perry even spoke about seceding from the union if the

Cars

By Patrick Zarcone Staff Writer

pwzarcon@unca.edu

country keeps going down the track that it’s on.

Instead of these protests being a cohesive group of people all voicing their dismay at a particular issue, it became a jumbled mess of conservative wedge issues.

Despite the fact that a conservative advocacy group backed the protests, the potential existed to attract people from all political, economical and social backgrounds. It’s certainly not just conservatives or Republicans who are angry about the bank bailouts or the budget deficit.

There are plenty of liberals, Independents, Democrats and Libertarians who are also angry.

Unfortunately, the organizers of these protests were apparently unaware that many Americans across the political spectrum feel the effects of the economic downturn, and they allowed the message to be taken over by outside interests.

In some cases, protestors took it a little too far. Online photo galleries of the

Continued

from

Page 17

Some wrecks cannot be prevented. Many, however, are the result of preventable behavior, whether it be speeding or drunken driving dad and I in a head-on collision less than a mile from our house.

None of this resonated with me like it should have, until last Friday.

The thought of receiving such a call, or causing it to be made in the first place, really bothers me.

We all drive recklessly at times.

But next time you’re tempted to speed, drive home after a few drinks or text while driving, like I was, think of the possible consequences.

Think of what it would be like for your loved ones or the loved ones of others to receive such a call.

And drive carefully.

It’s certainly not just conservatives or Republicans who are angry about the bank bailouts or the budget deficit. There are plenty of liberals, Independets, Democrats and Libertarians who are also angry. various tea party events across the country show many signs calling for Barack Obama to be lynched and hanged for treason, signs comparing Obama to Adolph Hitler, a sign that read “America’s Taxpayers Are The Jews For Obama’s Ovens” and signs claiming that Obama gives U.S. tax dollars to the terrorist group Hamas.

Perhaps one explanation for these signs comes from a posting from the Neo-Nazi group Stormfront’s Web site that said in part about the tea party movement, “this is the white revolution we’ve been waiting for...”

It would be unfair to say all those participating in the protests were bigoted, but it wouldn’t be unfair to suggest some

Letter to the Editor Story last week on meth arrest was irresponsible I was very upset when I read the “Meth on Campus” article in The Blue Banner.

How dare you name-drop? The kid’s life got ruined when the cops busted him, and you people had to take it a step further by putting his name in the paper next to a meth pipe.

Even if it’s public record, no one would know without looking into it. I am disgusted by the authors of the article and the utter amount of bullshit added.

You people are despicable and pathetic.

were. This is probably not what the organizers had in mind.

Rarely does blatant racism gain supporters for what is supposed to be a nationwide grassroots movement. It’s hard to find the connection between instituting a fair tax and calling the president a fascist or a Nazi.

Beyond the racial issues, it seems many people at the tea parties truly believed what’s going on is “taxation without representation.” What people don’t seem to understand is that in the 1770s, colonists were literally being taxed and governed from 4,000 miles away with no local representation. This is, in part, what caused the Boston Tea Party to happen.

Americans today are taxed and given the right to vote and elect who they want to represent them in Washington, D.C. While it’s true that there are plenty of politicians who don’t have the people’s best interest in mind, it’s also true that citizens are allowed to run for election.

There is nothing to stop these protestors from seeking office, and that might be a more effective use of their time, effort and money.

And really, what’s more American than standing up for what you believe, putting your money where your mouth is and running for office and trying to make a difference in the lives of your fellow citizens?

Rosebud Video Largest and Most Diverse Collection of Films in WNC

Great Selection of Environmental and Enlightenment Movies Monday Madness: All rentals $2.00 Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday: Rent 2, get 1 free (new arrivals excluded) 197 Charlotte St., Asheville 250-9500 Open Daily • 12-10pm www.rosebudvideostore.com

Thursday, April 23, 2009

{The Blue Banner}

The Blue Banner’s View Face the consequences The last issue of The Blue Banner reported on a student arrested and charged by police with possession and intent to sell and distribute methamphetamine. In an anonymous response to the article received by the Banner, we were criticized as “despicable and pathetic” for printing the name of the student.

Because of both the severity of the original article and the gravity of the charges in the letter, we felt compelled to respond.

The Blue Banner seeks to be the source for information on and about the UNC Asheville community.

At the same time, we seek to pursue a standard of journalistic excellence and integrity, not just for our readers but for ourselves, as well.

As a result, we feel our readers have a right to know the full story, not a sugarcoated version of the truth. Students need to know if their classmates or neighbors are bringing deadly controlled substances on campus.

Any student careless enough to threaten the safety of the university by bringing hard drugs into a learning environment

The

deserves the punishment and publicity that goes with it. We are not in the business of protecting criminals.

A campus citation for marijuana is one thing; hard drugs are a completely different story. As recently as last year, the university dealt with a student death related to drug use. Tragedies like these affect us all.

An arrest for distributing hard drugs does not ruin one’s life. When someone decides to make money off substances that kill our friends, relatives, coworkers and even complete strangers, it is all downhill from there.

By bringing these events out into the open, The Blue Banner hopes to create dialogue and awareness so they become less common in the future.

If you can deal with the moral implications of dealing meth, you can deal with your name being in the newspaper.

The Blue Banner would like to offer the writer of the anonymous letter the final word on the subject. But please sign your name next time.

If your opinion is worth having, it is worth admitting.

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

Page 19

Commentary on world affairs

Obama leaves behind childish foreign policy, sees quick results President Obama received much flak during the campaign last year for promising to open a dialogue with hostile world leaders, including Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

He said, in the face of massive criticism from the Republican Party, that a foreign policy based on the childish behavior of America’s leaders is a practical and moral failure.

Now, three months into his administration, Obama has proved the superiority of his position.

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez brought up the possibility last week of reinstating Venezuela’s ambassador to the United States, following years of antagonizing American officials, including referring to former President Bush as the devil.

Bush expelled Venezuela’s ambassador to the U.S. last September, following a similar expulsion of the American ambassador by Chavez.

The United States also opened indirect diplomatic relations with Iran after Obama took office.

In the age of terrorism, with the rise of the terrorist diaspora and the decline of traditional warfare with nations, America needs a foreign policy based not on bravado and bombs, but on dialogue.

It would be wrong for Obama to meet dictators without preconditions.

But with American interests at stake in countries traditionally hostile to this nation, an open dialogue of some sorts is necessary.

Iranian courts last week convicted a freelance American journalist with dual Iranian-American citizenship of spying.

Following the conviction, Obama ex-

By Jonathan Walczak Managing Editor

jmwalcza@unca.edu

In the age of terrorism, with the rise of the terrorist diaspora and the decline of traditional warfare with nations, America needs a foreign policy based not on bravado and bombs, but on dialogue.

pressed outrage and called on Iranian officials to ensure the fair and safe treatment of the journalist, Roxana Saberi.

Ahmadinejad followed suit, writing a letter to the Iranian court that convicted Saberi asking that she be allowed a full and fair defense at her appeal hearing.

With maturity and wisdom, Obama trashed a foreign policy consisting of the silent treatment on a grand, global scale.

A reasonable dialogue between world powers alleviates short-term concerns and builds long-term relationships Obama proved, with his administration’s foreign policy, that voters made the right choice in November.

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.

For up-to-date news, analysis and commentary visit:

www.thebluebanner.net

Now you can call more. And save more.

Unlimited calling to your top 10 numbers and our 80 million customers.

At no extra cost you can:

• Choose 10 numbers anywhere in America, on any network, even landlines.

With any Nationwide Family SharePlan® 1400 Anytime Minutes or more. Activation fees, taxes & other charges apply.* • Talk all you want with America’s Largest Mobile to Mobile Calling Family.

Over 80 million strong.

• Plus, get unlimited Night & Weekend Calling and no domestic roaming or long distance charges.

It’s the best value in wireless!

Get it all on America’s Largest and Most Reliable Wireless Network.

Already a customer? Visit vzw.com/myverizon to manage your account online and set up your Friends & Family® numbers today.

Buy any BlackBerry,® get one FREE! BlackBerry Storm™

19999

$

BlackBerry Pearl™

9999 $169.99 2-yr. price

9999 $169.99 2-yr. price

1999 $119.99 2-yr. price

$

$

$

– $70 mail-in rebate debit card.

– $70 mail-in rebate debit card.

Motorola Krave™ ZN4 Touch screen with interactive clear flip

BlackBerry 8830

BlackBerry Curve™

Call 1.888.640.8776

All phones require new 2-yr. activation on a voice plan with email feature, or email plan. Free BlackBerry of equal or lesser value.

– $100 mail-in rebate debit card.

Click verizonwireless.com

$130 OFF! NOW ONLY

4999

$

$99.99 2-yr. price – $50 mail-in rebate debit card. Requires new 2-yr. activation on a Nationwide Calling Plan.

Visit any store

VERIZON WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS STORES Open 7 days a week.

ARDEN 225 Airport Rd. 828-684-9140 ASHEVILLE 242 Tunnel Rd. 828-251-2335

HENDERSONVILLE 1602 Four Seasons Blvd.

828-692-1400

MARION 385 Hwy. 70 W. 828-652-1001 WAYNESVILLE 30 Town Canter Loop 828-452-9230

BUSINESS CUSTOMERS

1-800-899-4249

Verizon Wireless is proud to be the Official Wireless Provider of the 2009 National Champions. *Our Surcharges (incl. Fed. Univ. Svc. of 11.3% of interstate & int’l telecom charges (varies quarterly), 7¢ Regulatory & 85¢ Administrative/line/mo. & others by area) are not taxes (details: 1-888-684-1888); gov’t taxes & our surcharges could add 6%–27% to your bill.

Activation fee/line: $35 ($25 for secondary Family SharePlan lines w/ 2-yr. Agmts).

IMPORTANT CONSUMER INFORMATION: Subject to Cust. Agmt, Calling Plan, rebate form & credit approval. Up to $175 early termination fee/line, up to 40¢/min. after allowance & add’l charges apply for data sent or received. Friends & Family: Only domestic landline or wireless numbers (other than directory assistance, 900 numbers or customer’s own wireless or voice mail access numbers) included; all eligible lines on an account share the same Friends & Family numbers, up to account’s eligibility limits; set up & manage on My Verizon. Offers & coverage, varying by svc., not available everywhere.

Network details & coverage maps at vzw.com. Limited-time offers. While supplies last. Rebate debit card takes up to 6 wks. & exp. in 12 mos. © 2009 Verizon Wireless.

MOH1