• Format
  • Publications (documents)
• Type
  • Text
• Source institution
  • Western Carolina University
• Identifier
  • HL_WesternCarolinian_1982-07-22_Vol46_No37_01

A Talk With Dr. Chambers Page 5 FREE Tree I Carepa^ * Western Carolinian Voice of the Students 3 IVolume XLVI Issue 37 July 22, 1982/Cullowhee, North Carolina Phone 227-7267 Construction Creates Handicap Problems by: M.J. SCHt 1/ I Ik- handicapped section ol the North Carolin; State Building (ode, established in March 1973. give; very precise standards dealing with the accessibility ol al public building constructed after September I, 1973. Its purpose is to recognize that handicapped people are citizens and that physical barriers should not interfere with their ability to enter and exit public buildings (or buildings constructed by state funded interests). Western Carolina University has made a real effort to comply with the building code with all its new construction since 1973; although many of the buildings on campus are too old to have met building code standards and arc only marginally accessible. Arrangements are made through Dr. Glenn Stillion and Dr. Barbara Mann of the Student Development office to ensure that handicapped students at Western are not faced with barriers when they attempt to reach their scheduled classes. With a little bit of schedulcjuggling on the parts of Drs. Stillion and Mann.and on the part of the student, things usually work out. There is currently one notable exception, however, and the university is prevented from doing anything to change the situation. The new Hunter Library is beautiful, pleasant, and inaccessible to the University's wheelchair-handicapped students. Any student who has been in the library recently is surely familiar with the rigamarole involved in getting in the place: in through Stillwell, down the stairs, outside, over, and up more stairs, then around and over to the spiffy-looking new main entrance. To most students this is annoying. To a small percentage, however, it prevents independant entrance to the library altogether. It is true that this is not a permanent problem, as the university and the contractors have every intention of meeting the building code with the completion ol the library. In the interem, however, handicapped students (who cany average class loads, and who are expected to complete assignments regardless ol accessibility problems) cannot get to the library's resources without the cooperation ol at least one other person. I he problem is the barrier across the sidewalk thai leads from the handicapped parking place in front ot the old library entrance to the library's new main entrance. There is a brick wall, approximately eighteen inches high, across the sidewalk, supplimcntcd by a plywood barrier some live feet beyond the wall. I here is a reason for this barrier; it is intended to prevent students from entering the area where the covered walkway is being removed; a place where someone could be injured while construction is going on. The alternate entrance route, however, is certainly less than convenient lor handicapped students. Ihev must enter through the fire door in the library personnel office, on the east side of the library. Although the stairs in front of this door have been temporarily ramped, the ramp (which was actually built to aid construction) is too steep for a handicapped person to use without assistance. Futhermore, the fire door is generally kept locked, so prior arrangements must be made to enter the building through this door. Handicapped students should be aware that it is this university's policy to protect their interests and ensure that they can get to all the places on campus where they need to be. In this instance, however.the terms of the contract signed with Haywood Construction Company (the firm doing the construction on the library) specifically prevent the university from interfering with how the construction is accomplished. Although the Student Development Office will make sure that these students find the help they will need to enter the building, the barriers will remain until construction is completed some time shortly before the ■• . JS1-^ Temporary construction at Hunter hinders Accessibility of Library to handicapped students. begin ing of fall semester. The accessibility problem is not the fault of the university, nor did Haywood Construction intend to impede anyone's use of the library when the safety barriers were installed. However, people in wheelchairs have a harder time than most protecting their independence, and the type of assistance they will require in entering the library is just the type of situation they prefer to avoid. A Very Intense "Cullowhee" Experience by: DOBORAH L. SAl FLEY The University of Southern Mississippi recently cited "The Cullowhee Experience" as one of the nation's outstanding gifted programs in a study of programs for gifted and talented education. For twenty-five years this program has enriched the lives of students. The criteria for admision is very strict, yet there are many students who are able to meet them. "I he Cullowhee Experience" strives to broaden a student's experience beyond that of a normal classroom. I he program consists of three components: Academic. Recreational, and Residence Life. The academic component, besides being the core of the pi ogi am. consists of themes for each grade level. The recreatii al component consists of a cultural arts recreation class and a physical recreation class. As pan of the recreational component this year, the students will attend the World's Fair in Knoxville. Tennessee. The residence life component provides the students time and opportunity to develop independence while staying away from parents and home. The daily schedule consists mainly of academic courses, as expected; but does provide time for the students to make friends and tour the campus. I he stall consists of other public school personnel and teachers from cullowhee High School. Many graduate students connected with the program are .indent,, at WCU Are these s'.udents, with above average IQ scores, normal oi are they intelligent enough that the instructors do not have to teach them.' "They're more disciplined because, one...they're more responsible lor themselves and two...you can reason with them." says Jerry Franson. w ho teaches one of the ninth grade level classes. Mary McLendon. a sixth grade teacher feels that They're harder to keep in line because they're so stimulated." It seems that discipline- wise, the gilted students are about the same as any other child in a classroom. Hut what about their skills academically'.' Is it harder to teach gilted students than to teach regular classes'' "Harder", says Mary Mcl.endon "because they have facilities to learn more while finding their potential". Bill Sink, also a sixth grade teacher feels that "As a class they arc able to go further, they have a wide range ai abilities." Rita Goebel, who teaches at Cullowhee High School during regular term, says that "planning for a day is like planning for a week." Overall the teachers find instructing these students stimulating and enriching. Rita Goebel describes it as "a very intense experience." Airport still an erosion problem for the County. Look for continuation of Airport story in next week's Carolinian. WCU Hosts Football Camp by: J. SCHLTZ For the past 13 years WCU has held a camp for football players to improve their skills. Directed by Coach Waters, the camp trains 190 players in two 3lA day sessions. The participants, who range in age from 10 years through high school, undergo offensive and defensive coaching, as well as hard physical training. Shortly after breakfast the players hit the field for intensive day-long practice. During the program the players work on their strong points. The program covers all area of football. The benefits include top-notch coaching, and extensive training concentrating on the fundamentals of football. The staff includes a combination of WCU's coaching team, and several high school coaches from throughout the tri-state area. The coaches also introduce the campers to collegiate athletics. "We treat the campers like they were college players", said a member of the staff. "We believe that the camp definitely improves their skills as players." The campers are not strictly from the Carolinas. Some come from as far away as Chicago and Florida. The enthusiasm among the campers is tremendous. "I thing it's great but it's alot of work," said one of the players in the camp. Another camper felt that it's great to learn about college life. Eight soldiers died as a result of Irish Republican Army bombs planted at two popular London parks Tuesday The first explosion occurred at 10:45 am at Hyde Park, just a half-mile from Buckingham Palace. Without warning, a bomb hidden in a parked car went off, sending six-inch nails flying through a contingent of Queen Elizabeth ll's Household Calvary on their way to the daily changing of the guard. Two soldiers were kilted and twenty-three were injured in the explosion. Two hours later, the Royal Green Jackets military band was performing for an audience of children and elderly persons from a bandstand in Regants Park. Again without warning, a tremendous blast destroyed the banstand. "I was just sitting in a deck chair lookingatthe band when everything seemed to blow right up in the air - the bodies, the instruments, everything." said a witness. In claiming responsibility for the attacks, the IRA said "Now it is our turn to properly invoke Article 51 of the U.N. Statute and properly quote all Thatcher's fine phrases on the right to self-determination of a people." Article 51 was used by Mrs. Thatcher as the justification for sending England's military to retake the Falkland Islands from Argentina. Supreme Court Justice Byron White was attacked last thursday in Salt Lake City by a man screaming about pornography and forced busing. The Justice was waiting to give a speech when the man ran up and hit him in the back and head. Several members of the Audience seized the man and carried him from the room. Remarking that he got hit harder when he played World News Focus against Utah in football, the former University of Colorado stat gave his speech anyway. Charged with assaulting a Justice was 57 year old Newton Estes of Kay sville. Utah. He told the FBI that he struck White to force a trial where the issues of pornography on television and forced busing would be examined. "He's causing four-letter words to come into my living room through the TV set," exclaimed Estes to reporters. The Senate unanimously confirmed George Shultz as the nation's 60th secretary ol state last Thursday. The 61 year old former secretary of labor, budget director, and secretary of the Treasury was approved by a vote of 97-0. Praising the decision by the Senate, President Reagan said the "swift action augurs well for the continued cooperation between the Congress and executive branch and for strong leadership at the State Department." Senator Howard Metzenbaun(D-Ohio) did express concern over Shultz's business dealings with the Arab world as president of the Bechtel Group. This week, both houses of Congree gave final approval to a bill funding more thana dozen federal agencies and major domestic programs through the end of the fiscal year on Sept. 30. Tagged at $5.5 billion, the emergency measure includes appropriations for student loans and a repeal of the $75 a day tax deduction Congress voted itself last year. Two years earlier, more costly versions of the bill have been vetoed by President Reagan. The Reagan Administration has decided not to pursue negotiations with England and Russia aimed at ending all underground testing of nuclear warheads. A committee composed of representatives from various federal agencies including the Departments of State. Energy, and Defense cited two reasons for the decision. First, it was felt that adequate verification procedures did not exist. Second, the government is developing new weapons systems and wants to retain the option to test them. These include the MX and Trident systems. The negotiations were to deal with the only allowed category of nulear testing-underground and less than 150 kilotons. The decision is unrelated tot he strategic arms reduction talks in Geneva between the United States and

The Western Carolinian is Western Carolina University's student-run newspaper. The paper was published as the Cullowhee Yodel from 1924 to 1931 before changing its name to The Western Carolinian in 1933.

• Creator
  • Western Carolina University
• Format
  • Publications (documents)
• Type
  • Text
• Date
  • Date original: 1982-07-22
  • Date digitized: 2018-11-19
• Extent
  • Dimension: 15" x 11.5"
  • Pages: 6 pages
• Subject - Topic
  • College student newspapers and periodicals
  • Cullowhee (N.C.) -- Newspapers
  • Universities and colleges -- North Carolina -- Cullowhee -- Newspapers
• Location
  • Jackson County (N.C.)
  • Cullowhee (N.C.)
• Source institution
  • Western Carolina University
• Source Collection
  • WCU Students Newspapers Collection
• Identifier
  • HL_WesternCarolinian_1982-07-22_Vol46_No37
• Repository
  • Western Carolina University Hunter Library