Issue 3 | Vol 63 by The Blue Banner

September 10, 2015. | Issue 3, Volume 63 | thebluebanner.net

The student voice of UNC Asheville | barely meeting deadline since 1982 | thebluebanner.net

In this issue

NEWS

Apple fest diversity panel pg. 3

Features

the story behind happy, the guardian of the 'before i die..' wall pg. 7 chakra guide pg. 8 meet the staff pg. 12

sports

SUP Yoga pg. 6 sports game stats pg. 7

opinion Page 19

Hiking Guide by June Bunch

advice to freshmen from upperclassmen of 1979 pg. 20

study abroad pg. 22

find us digitally / @thebluebanner / www.thebluebanner.net / issuu.com/bluebanner / instagram.com/uncabluebanner / Blue Banner Television on Youtube

September 10, 2015. | Issue 3, Volume 63 | thebluebanner.net

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NEWS

The Blue Banner Fall 2015 Editorial Board

Growing pains: UNCA evolves to meet changing demands PHILLIP WYATT A&F Staff Writer pwyatt@unca.edu

Students will see a few more Frisbees flying across the quad this fall. The university welcomed its largest enrollment ever this semester, with 3,700 students from 37 states and 23 countries. Many students chose to live on campus- 763 new and 664 returning. “The increase in demand for on-campus housing has been due to the number of current students wanting to live on campus and the large number of incoming students as freshmen

and transfers,” said Vollie Barnwell, director of housing and student life operations. To accommodate the steady increase in enrollment over the past few years, UNC Asheville constructed Overlook Hall, the university’s seventh residence hall, in 2012. Housing around 300 students, Overlook allows at least 40 percent of students to live on campus, according to university data. “There have already been conversations about what our next phase of on-campus housing would look like,” Barnwell said. Barnwell said an outside company recently completed a

market study to research and verify the increased demand of student housing, and decide what style of housing should be considered for the university’s next construction phase. Some students say they are finding it difficult to secure parking on campus. Eric Boyce, assistant vice chancellor for public safety, said a total of 2,629 parking spots are available on campus for students, faculty and staff, visitors and service vehicles, as well as spaces for 30-minute parking and motorcycles. During the 2014-2015 school year, 4,787 parking passes were issued, Boyce said.

“Our campus definitely has parking issues,” said Madison Postlewaite, psychology student. “I take morning classes specifically so I don’t have to deal with parking issues.” Although her home is a four-minute drive from campus, Postlewaite said she allots 15-20 minutes to find parking. “I constantly have trouble finding a parking spot. I’ve been late for class even when I arrive with plenty of time,” said Elisa Sullivan, new media student. “It’s my biggest concern with UNCA right now. Since I started in 2010, they haven’t made any new parking structures or areas where students can park.” Read more on page 7

To lift or not to lift: U.S.-Cuba tensions seem to loosen LARISA KARR A&F Editor lakarr@unca.edu

Commentary

“I’m not saying break the law, but break the law,” Jon Elliston said as he offered his opinion as to whether or not Americans should visit Cuba. Elliston presented the first of several lectures, “Reconnecting with Cuba,” in UNC Asheville’s World Affairs Council series held this fall. Elliston, an investigative journalist and historian with Carolina Public Press, said he has visited the island nation more than 20 times and is fascinated with the country. “I initially got interested in Cuba when I was working at the Cuba desk for a research group in Washington called the National Security Archive, a nonprofit that collects declassified documents,” Elliston said. “We were getting a lot of materials declassified about particular events in the 1960s between the United States and Cuba and I started studying it in college and

in grad school and started making trips in the ‘90s.” America’s normalization of relations with Cuba came on December 17, 2014, a day cited as being as significant to Cubans as the Cuban Revolution on January 1, 1951, and the 26th of July Movement, when Fidel Castro overthrew the Batista dictatorship in 1959. “If you had told me a year ago that this would have happened, I would never have believed it,” Elliston said. He said the reason for his disbelief was there were no positive developments nor a relationship between the United States and Cuba for more than 50 years. According to Elliston, Cuba is a country that people lie about all the time. The embargo on Cuba implemented in 1962 cost the country an estimated $116 billion in economic losses, Elliston said. This, in addition to the United States blowing up Cuban airliners, killing civilians and burning

sugar cane fields in the 1960s makes the Cuban case for reparations strong. President Obama made the decision to remove Cuba from the United States’ list of countries that support terrorism. As such, this is a major political development working on ameliorating the stigma Cuba has gained as a hotbed for violent, anti-American radicals since the ‘60s. Cuba has served as a place of refuge for many people who are considered dangerous and “terrorists” by the U.S., including Black Panther activist Assata Shakur, Puerto Rican rebels and bank robbers. One of the first actions Obama condoned was a prisoner swap, in which two American citizens held by Cuba were swapped for three of five Cuban intelligence agents accused of espionage against the U.S. in 1998. Obama also relaxed travel restrictions to Cuba, making it easier for Americans to go there and do business. So far, U.S.

FACT:

The United States pays Cuba approximately $4,085 a year to lease the 45 square miles that the Guantánamo Bay Naval Station occupies. Cuba has not accepted the payment since 1959. via CIA World Factbook travel to Cuba is up 50 percent this year and shows no signs of slowing down. The benefits for both countries, including educational exchanges and free trade, would open up a huge new market for agriculture both in Cuba and in the southern U.S. “I had several friends who travelled to Cuba from time to time when I lived in Tennessee. I’ve heard different stories depending on why they were there and when they were there, but I love what I’m hearing. It sounds so positive,” said Jeanie Hale, an event attendee. There are, however, several more barriers hindering Cuban-American relations from even being close to normal, ElRead more on page15

Editor-In-Chief Timbi Shepherd, jshephe3@unca.edu Enterprising Editor James Neal, jneal@unca.edu News Editor Emma Alexander, nalexand@unca.edu Sports Editor Harrison Slaughter, jslaught@unca.edu Arts & Features Editor Larisa Karr, lakarr@unca.edu Copy Desk Chief Tamsen Todisco, ttodisco@unca.edu Layout & Design Editor Makeda Sandford, msandfor@unca.edu Asst. Layout & Design Editor Jennifer Barnes, jbarnes1@unca.edu Multimedia Editor Maddie Stagnaro, mstagnar@unca.edu Social Media Editor Michael O’Hearn, mohearn@unca.edu Opinion Editor June Bunch, kbunch@unca.edu Photography Editor Blake Willis, bwillis2@unca.edu Copy Editors Devric Lefevre, dkiyota@unca.edu Kathryn Gambill, agambill@unca.edu Advertising Manager Amber Abunassar, aabunass@unca.edu Faculty Adviser Michael Gouge, mgouge@unca.edu Staff

Gordon Gellatly, Jason Perry, Matt McGregor, Phillip Wyatt, Curtis Ginn, Holden Mesk, Maddy Swims, Sam Shumate, Ashley Elder, Becca Andrews, Roan Farb, Johnny Condon, Jordyn Key, Meredith Bumgarner, and Carson Wall. Follow Us: @TheBlueBanner The Blue Banner @thebluebanner

Have a news tip? Send to jshephe3@unca.edu The Blue Banner is UNC Asheville’s student newspaper. We publish each Wednesday 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 emailed to the editor-in-chief or the appropriate section editor. Letters should include the writer’s name, year in school, and major or other relationship to UNCA. Include a telephone number to aid in verification. All articles are subject to editing.

September 10, 2015. | Issue 3, Volume 63 | thebluebanner.net

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Apple Fest rings in autumn, harvests community energy ASHLEY ELDER News Staff Writer aelder@unca.edu

Hendersonville celebrated its local apple industry by offering food and festivities all weekend long, leading up to the King Apple Parade on Labor Day. Carly Owenby, a 22-year-old Henderson County native, said the apple festival is an event that she looks forward to every year. “I enjoy seeing family and friends as well as looking at all the different shops,” Owenby said. Owenby said her favorite part is trying all the different apple-flavored recipes. Locally-grown apples appeal to her as well. “My family loves Honeycrisp apples, and it’s definitely neat to know they were grown right down the road,” she said. She said she has always been a participant in the Apple Festival. This year Owenby helped sell candles at the Element Tree Essentials booth. “I enjoyed getting to know various customers and enjoyed seeing the apple festival in a different light,” she said. Owned by the Cole family,

Riverview Farms has been selling apples at the festival for the past 22 years, and Talley could be found in their tent every year. Talley said it has been a great weekend with lots of sales. “Our weather has held out. People are very happy this weekend,” Talley said. People are very interested in apple varieties for various recipes, she said. There are 25 different varieties on the street this weekend. “People are going from farm to farm, trying different types and looking at what varieties they like,” she said. “They are asking a lot of good questions about what kinds of different apples are good for different things such as eating, baking and cooking.” Talley said the apple that people ask for the most is Honeycrisp, but they have sold the most Galas. She said most apple growers also have specialty foods that they make -- jams, jellies, breads, cakes, pies, fritters and even apple ice cream, which is very popular. “I like the hectic bustle. People on the street, asking

Photo by Ashley Elder - Staff Writer

The King Apple Parade was the grand ﬁnale of Hendersonville’s Apple Fest

lots of questions and kids every-

Listen, we need to talk:

Students open up about diversity concerns BECCA ANDREWS

News Staff Writer randrew1@unca.edu This past Thursday, new steps were made in the conversation about diversity on campus. Starting the Conversation, an hour-long event in the Laurel Forum hosted by the Diversity Action Council, included a panel of eight students who shared their personal experiences. Then the rest of the hour was opened to discussion with the people in attendance. Anne Jansen, an assistant professor in literature and language, kicked off the event by

briefly describing the goals of the event. “We are here to sort of start the conversation about diversity this academic year. This is part of a series with different events geared towards different audiences. We wanted to invite students, faculty and staff and administrators,” Jansen said. “We thought it was important to start with student voices -that’s what we’re all about here at UNC Asheville.” Set up in the back of the room was the Post-it Project, a place where everyone could write down microaggressions

they had experienced on Postit notes and display them on a poster, Jansen said. Microaggressions are instances of brief discrimination, whether or not it is intentional. They can be verbal, behavioral or environmental, and communicate hostile, derogatory or negative ideas that a person does not belong or is not invited. “We believe acknowledgment is a first step toward change,” Jansen said, “and so we will use these to help us see what all your experiences are.” The student panel then took the floor providing many differRead more on page 16

where,” Talley said. “I love that

kids can run up and down the street. There are lots of families. It’s definitely a family event. You see absolutely all kinds of people here.” Cheryl Gudger-Thompson, North Carolina Apple Festival board member said Apple Fest is good for the entire community. “It’s a community event and we benefit a lot of local folks in many ways, from non-profits, to apple growers to the businesses on Main Street,” Gudger-Thompson said. Ten percent of the vendors have to be non-profit organizations, she said. “We rotate them out every few years so that everybody gets a chance,” Gudger-Thompson said. All the orchards are invited to attend. There are 15 orchards at the festival this year, and Gudger-Thompson said there has to be a certain percentage of local apples at the festival. “We have the board of directors and an executive board that work together so there is no one person who makes all the decisions,” Gudger-Thompson said. “We are here for the benefit of Read more on page14

Happenings Thurs.,Sept. 10

sept. 10 - 15 Tues.. Sept. 15

Alsarah & The Nubatones in Concert

Leadership Asheville: Gina Sanchez

Lipinsky Hall 125/Auditorium 7 – 9 p.m.

Reuter Center 102 The Manheimer Room 6 – 10 p.m.

Sat., Sept. 12

Asheville History Center Lecture

Reuter Center 102A 3 – 5:15 p.m.

Sun., Sept. 13

Matthew Neill Null Book Talk Reuter Center 102A 3 – 5 p.m.

Wed., Sept. 16

Study Abroad Fall Fair Highsmith Union 159 Alumni Hall 10 – 4 p.m.

Mon., Sept.14

Climate Change Talk: Mark Anderson Sherrill Center 417/ Mountain View

2 – 6 p.m.

@TheBlueBanner

September 10, 2015. | Issue 3, Volume 63 | thebluebanner.net

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NEWS

Courtesy of UNC Asheville News Services

#CHANSTALLATION Week Events

Chancellor Grant reaches out to students in Brown Hall. tural Center. Celebrating community partnerships and Kick-off Event and Founders Day Celebration, noon- co-hosted by the YMI, join us for this festive gathering in 1:30 p.m. on the Quad, enjoy ice cream on the Amazing honor of Installation Week. Cycle and help us break the record for the largest selfie! Celebrate Founders Day with cupcakes and view UNC The Next Chapter: A Literary Celebration in Honor of Asheville’s history in exhibit at Ramsey Library’s Blowers Our New Chancellor, with readings by faculty, alumni Gallery. and students, noon-1 p.m., in Ramsey Library, Whitman Drumming Workshops featuring Ra-Kalam Bob Moses Room. and Jason Marsalis, 11 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., Lipinsky Raku Kiln Firing Demonstration, 2-5 p.m., Owen Hall, Hall, Room 018 Sculpture Patio. This low-fire ceramics technique producPanel Discussion on The Intellectual Impact of a Liberal es unpredictable patterns and vibrant colors. Arts Education, moderated by WCQS News Director David Stargazing, 8:30-11 p.m., Lookout Observatory. Hurand, 6-7:30 p.m., in the Humanities Lecture Hall. PanPre-registration for this event is required; online regiselists include UNC Asheville alumni and faculty members. tration opens at noon on Sept. 8, at lookoutobservatory. A light reception follows. unca.edu.

Monday, Sept. 14

Thursday, Sept. 17

Tuesday, Sept. 15

Panel Discussion with faculty and students on Undergraduate Research and the World, noon-1 p.m., in Karpen Hall’s Laurel Forum. Community Reception, from 6-8 p.m., at the YMI Cul-

Friday, Sept. 18

“We Are Changing the World Expo” featuring campus and community partners’ projects, 2-4:30 p.m., on the Quad. Music, yard games and food offer an afternoon of activities for the whole family.

Photo by Amanda Cline - Contributor

Model Classroom Sessions, 3-5 p.m., Rhoades Robinson Hall, Rooms 103 and 106. Join UNC Asheville faculty members for a variety of 30-minute lectures ranging from human rights to moonshine. New Media Opening Reception featuring student work in animation, video art, installation and interactive design, 4-6 p.m., Zeis Hall, Second Floor Lobby. Concert featuring UNC Asheville Music Faculty, 7:158:45 p.m., on the Quad (seating available, rain or shine). Join us for a contemporary and jazz program headlined by Bill Bares on piano.

Saturday, Sept. 19

Installation Ceremony of UNC Asheville’s 7th Chancellor, Mary K. Grant, 10-11:30 a.m., Wilma M. Sherrill Center, Kimmel Arena. Reception & Picnic, noon-1:30 p.m., on the Quad. Women’s Soccer, 7-9 p.m., Outdoor Greenwood Soccer Field. For tickets and ticket prices, visit uncabulldogs.com. For more information, event updates and to RSVP for the ceremony and campus picnic, visit installation.unca.edu.

September 10, 2015. | Issue 3, Volume 63 | thebluebanner.net

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SPORTS

Women’s volleyball faces temporary setback after loss to WCU All that

grace

CHRIS JONES

Sports Writer cjones5@unca.edu Western Carolina University made quick work of the Bulldogs on Tuesday, Sept. 1, in the Ramsey Center, defeating the visiting UNC Asheville women’s volleyball team 3-0. Jo-Leigh Vervelde, Catamount sophomore, backed the WCU sweep of the Bulldogs with a triple double of 21 assists, 11 digs and 15 kills. With the loss, UNCA’s record drops to 1-3 for the season and keeps Frederico Santos, UNCA women’s volleyball head coach at 99 wins. “We didn’t perform at our best tonight and Western Carolina was able to capitalize on us not playing well. We will have to work on and practice to be more consistent and playing in sync together as a whole,” Santos said. Christine Lakatos, Bulldogs senior, led the UNCA team with eight of the team’s 29 kills in the match. Lakatos had 10 digs, senior Catherine Pfeiffer and senior Cat Fischer had 12 digs apiece. The team, as a whole, had 29 kills and 58 digs. The ﬁrst set was 2025, second set 15-25 and the third set 21-25, all going in WCU’s favor. The ﬁrst set started off tight as the teams were tied 14-14, then the Catamounts went on a 11-6 run to close out

Pole fitness provides exercise and expression ERICA WILLIAMS Contributing Writer

Bryn Pfeiffer, senior, prepares to serve the ball. and win the set. The second set was all Catamounts, as they ran away with the set and won the set 25-15. The third and ﬁnal set was a back-and-forth affair as both teams changed leads eight times and tied scores 10 times in the set. In the third set, everything was even until the score quickly changed from 1414 to 16-14, when Catamount Jo-Leigh Vervelde scored two kills in a row to start off a match winning and closing 11-7 run. “We played a great match out there. I’m proud that the team executed on the game plan we set and practiced on. Everyone played great and it was a fun match to watch, especially when

everyone was out there hustling and diving on the ﬂoor out there,” said Travis Nead, WCU assistant volleyball coach. “You always want your team to try and play at the best of their abilities and it makes you feel great when they perform well in that aspect of play.” The win improved WCU’s record to 2-2 for the season. Alyssa Zupan, Catamount freshman, and Savannah Kohlhagen helped the Western offense with eight kills each. Sophomore Kaycey Cermin scored seven kills and tied the team with ﬁve blocks. “Our team’s freshmen played fantastic for us today, so did

Photo by Chris Jones - Staff Writer

the rest of our team. We started off playing really good and we kept it going for the rest of the match,” said Karen Glover, WCU head coach. “I’m very proud of each and every one our staff and players in this win. Jo-Leigh played great tonight and was one of the reasons we earned the sweep tonight. We can hope to use this win as momentum and bring it with us in our next match.” UNCA returned home on Friday with a win over Montreat College and will next host the UNCA Invitational, September 10-12, in the Justice Center.

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Women’s volleyball against Montreat College Freshmen Perspectives

The room glows with a bright but unobtrusive light that reflects from mirrored walls, illuminating the darkness of nightfall behind a small glass door. The artists climb up red silk ribbons and glide from one to another, weaving shapes in the air like spiders spinning a glimmering web. “Aerial arts are a way to explore movement and fitness off of the ground,” said Waverly Jones, aerial arts instructor and performer. Massive crash pads clutter the floor as a reminder of the dangerous components this art form entails. The aerialists and participants at the Aerial Space studio are some of many in North Carolina. “I teach and perform on apparatuses such as aerial silks, aerial hammock, aerial hoop (also referred to as lyra or cerceau), aerial trapeze and Spanish web at Aerial Space in West Asheville,” Jones said. Jones said she works with pole fitness at other studios and teaches aerial lessons at Warren Wilson College. From High Point, North Carolina, Jones said she moved to Asheville when she was 19. The single-room studio appears small until the walls stretch vastly upward. Where the mirrors end, a pastel purple pigment begins to run up the surface. From the extended ceiling hangs two large hoops, eight long ribbons and two trapeze Read more on page 15

September 10, 2015. | Issue 3, Volume 63 | thebluebanner.net

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Students conquer boards, breath and self ASHLEY ELDER News Staff Writer aelder@unca.edu

Instructors Page Nevel and Abigail Simpson taught Stand Up Paddleboard Yoga on Tuesday, Aug. 25, challenging students to find balance on the water. “As someone who has a deep passion for the water, a minute knowledge of yoga and a non-existent sense of balance, Paddleboard Yoga was not only fun and engaging, but butt-busting,” said Shelby Putnam, UNC Asheville sophomore. In the Student Recreation Center, instructors taught from the side of the pool, while participants posed atop paddle boards attached to lane lines so they would not drift away. “Where else can you attempt a headstand and have virtually no fear of falling?” Putnam said. She said the class went at a comfortable pace that got everyone acclimated to standing on water, and then moved into a slightly more acrobatic dynamic. The SUP Yoga class was sponsored by Asheville Adventure Rental company. Laura Istvan, Informal Recreation Coordinator, said “They were super awesome and let us borrow all eight paddle boards for free for our event.”

“If you’re looking for something different and challenging, and if you’re not afraid of getting wet, I definitely recommend Paddleboard Yoga,” Putnam said. Jack Huber, junior environmental policy student, said SUP Yoga was a great experience. “It was extremely humbling because sometimes, when you practice yoga, you get to a point where you think some of the poses you learn when you first started have become easier,” he said, “but trying SUP yoga creates a whole new challenge for you.” Huber said yoga has transformed his performance on the soccer field as well. “One of my teachers told me that I would start to score more goals, and sure enough, I scored in back-to-back games last spring,” he said. Huber said it is not so much about the physical benefits, but more the mental and emotional advantages yoga gives him. This helped him in soccer because the game isn’t always comfortable or easy, and yoga has taught him stay calm and focused through all the highs and lows. “In yoga, you learn to get through hard poses that you don’t want to do, or poses where your body is begging you to return to child’s pose,” Huber said.

Photo by Ashley Elder - Staff Writer

Paddle Board Yoga

An old student learns new tricks TAMSEN TODISCO

Commentary

I have never been a sporty person. I grew ttodisco@unca.edu up in a family that emphasized music and the arts over athletic pursuits. In my rural Vermont K-12 school, there was a pre-set division between the jocks and the hippies. Even though I detested the Grateful Dead, my love for theater and chorus sent me right into the hippie category. I did some yoga as a theater warm-up and practiced abs-yoga with Rodney Yee via VHS tape. I did enjoy skiing (cross-country and downCopy Desk Chief

hill), snowshoeing, kayaking, and other activities, as long as there was no competition involved. After moving to Asheville in 2008, I briefly dabbled in jogging and soon gave it up. This year, I am determined to make the most of my college experience. As a 32-year-old senior who transferred here with an associate’s degree from A-B Tech, I am considered a non-traditional student. My anxiety kept me from participating in the past, but I decided to get involved and make every penny of my tuition work for me. I followed Campus Recreation on Instagram and Facebook. For the weeks of welcome, I decided to try Stand-up Paddleboard Yoga. I like longboarding and thought I might have the balance needed to stay on a floating board. After asking for help finding the way to the pool

September 10, 2015. | Issue 3, Volume 63 | thebluebanner.net

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SPORTS stats By Harrison Slaughter, Sports Editor

Volleyball Sept. 4 Montreat College UNC Asheville

Final 0 3

Women’s Soccer Sept. 4 Alabama A&M UNC Asheville

Goals by Period Final 0-0 0 3-3 6

Men’s Soccer Sept. 8 UNC Asheville Wake Forest Sept. 10 - Sept. 15

calendar

Sept. 10 Volleyball vs. University of New Orleans

Goals by Period Final 0-0 0 4-1 5 Justice Center 7 p.m. Sept. 11 Volleyball vs. The Citadel Justice Center 7 p.m.

widely used green building From page 2 ratings system Sullivan resorts to following stuin the world, dents to their vehicles in order to se- accrediting 1.85 million square feet cure a parking spot. of construction space every day, acIf students cannot find parking on cording to the LEED website. campus, Boyce suggests parking at Sustainability efforts in renovation the Health Services building at 118 are extending to other structures on W.T. Weaver Blvd. and catching a campus. A 24-kilowatt solar photoride to central campus via the univer- voltaic system, including 112 panels, sity’s shuttle system, which services was installed on Overlook Hall in the lot every 12 minutes. 2014 to supply usable solar power to Boyce said he does not believe a the residence hall, Todd said. Overparking dilemma exists on campus, look is also equipped with a geotherbut planning is underway for the de- mal well for heating water. velopment of more parking on cam“UNC Asheville continues to have pus. the lowest energy usage per square “Parking is one of the factors to foot of any of the UNC System consider in the university’s growth schools,” Todd said. and is part of the master planning The university’s green efforts have process,” Boyce said. not gone unnoticed by the student The UNCA campus is also expe- body, Sullivan said. riencing an increase in eco-friendly “It’s great the college is implementand sustainable improvements in ing these environmentally friendly building infrastructure and develop- additions to do whatever is possible ment. Rhoades Hall, one of the first to use less nonrenewable resources buildings constructed on campus in and help our environment,” Sullivan 1961, received a complete makeover said. in 2012, according to UNCA’s buildSullivan said she would like to see ing timeline. future renovations to Owen Hall, A new plumbing system was in- where frequently broken air condistalled to salvage water and a geo- tioners create a humid studio space thermal heat pump was buried in the for art students during hotter days. campus quad to provide hot water to “Students are doing manual labor the facility. and intensive work for projects,” SulEnergy-efficient windows, LED livan said. “I’m taking classes in a lighting fixtures and a gypsum inte- packed room full of students and it’s rior wall covering aid were installed, 90 degrees outside and the AC unit is along with an enthalpy wheel for en- broken for an entire week.” ergy recovery and a minimal amount The university is considering renoof visible HVAC equipment. vations to Highsmith Student Union “We have been very intentional in the future. Todd said updates to during major renovations or con- Owen Hall are also planned, continstruction of new building to follow gent on the passing of a state bond best practices as they relate to sus- program by legislature and voters. tainability and energy efficiency,” A celebration for Rhoades Hall’s said director of campus operations LEED Gold certification will be held David Todd. in the TD Bank Atrium in Rhoades These enhancements generated Monday, Sept. 28, at 4 p.m. Students, a LEED Gold certification from the faculty, staff and the public are enU.S. Green Building Council this year couraged to attend. for Rhoades Hall, evidence of the university’s strides towards a more green and eco-friendly campus. LEED certification is the most

Renovations

Sept. 12 Volleyball vs. Alabama A&M Justice Center 2 p.m. Volleyball vs. South Carolina State Justice Center

7 p.m. Sept. 13 Mindful Flow Yoga Meditation Room 468 Sherrill Center 4 p.m. Sept. 15 Wake Up Yoga

Meditation Room 468 Sherrill Center 7 p.m. Sept. 16 Abs Blast Room 351 Sherrill Center 12 p.m.

September 10, 2015. | Issue 3, Volume 63 | thebluebanner.net

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Arts & Features Guardian of the Wall

The story of a local Asheville legend

KATIE CROOKS Contributor kcrooks@unca.edu

Commentary

Every day, thousands of locals, tourists and business people pass a plywood wall that reads, “Before I Die…” each on their way to make or spend money. “Before I die I want to…” Go to Greece! Fall in love! “Would you help a veteran?” Earl Grey, known as “Happy,” asks, interrupting upper-middle-class dreams. Most quicken their pace and mutter a rushed apology. Others fix their eyes into the distance, staring determinedly at nothing ahead of them. Some smile sympathetically and stuff a dollar into his blue plastic coffee can, an American flag poking through the lid. “Every person that pass me, I reply the same, ‘God bless you,’” Happy says. “Those who give make up for the ones that don’t.” Nearly 50 years after his military service ended, Happy is still fighting every day on Biltmore Avenue from 9:30 a.m. until 8:30 p.m. to support his family. “This is my home and I wouldn’t give it up or trade it for nothing in the world. I love Asheville,” Happy says. “Once you come here, you can’t ever leave here. You become a fixture of the city, you be stuck.” On March 12, 1967, Happy says he received his draft notice from the U.S. Army. Fresh from childhood, Happy was plucked from his home in

Photo by Jordyn Key - Staff Photographer Earl H. Gray, “Happy,” loves interacting with people and telling his story to passersby outside the “Before I die” wall.

Asheville and thrown into the jungle of Vietnam. “I had to come to realize, without a shadow of a doubt, that it was real,” Happy says. “I was actually in combat. And my thing was, I was there to save life, not take life.” After serving in the Army for 10 years, Happy came home to North Carolina. He lived in Charlotte for 15 years before moving to New Orleans with his wife. In 2005, Hurricane Ka-

trina sent them back to his beloved city, Asheville. Displaced by the storm, and partially missing a leg due to a nasty brown recluse spider bite, Happy says he turned to the streets of downtown to make a living for his family. But the donations of kind pedestrians aren’t enough for him to afford insurance for his medical needs. “I gave the government 10 years of my life and I have to fight them for disability for

my time,” Happy says, banging his fists against the arms of his wheelchair, as if Washington could feel his struggle all the way from Biltmore Avenue. Unable to access insurance, the cancer, high blood pressure and diabetes have slowly taken their toll on his body. “If you put your life on the line and you survived it, and you come home, you shouldn’t be spit on. You shouldn’t be called nothing. You should be

This could be you but you're playin'!

buy an ad today email amber abunassar at aabunass@unca.edu

called a hero,” Happy says. “No one who have put their life on the line for this country should be submitted to not getting, not receiving, what they due.” But Happy isn’t defeated. While battling the government, his body and negative stereotypes stacked against him, Happy has found solace in God. “A few years ago, I asked God to let me speak in the wilderness, not knowing that he was

Read more on page 17

September 10, 2015. | Issue 3, Volume 63 | thebluebanner.net

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Faculty and staff incorporate meditative practices into the classroom

chakra guide

Inquiring about Inquiry ARC

MATT MCGREGOR

A&F Staff Writer mmcgrego@unca.edu

ick Chess and John Wood responded to an unspoken need info by eclecticenergies.com when they organized a group meditation and discussion for UNC Asheville faculty and staff six years ago. When 20 people arrived, they say they knew they had tapped into a veritable hunger for silence, stillness and an openness to possibility. The learning circle continues to meet regularly, sitting for 10 minutes, followed by discussion. The faculty and staff who attend say they incorporate a variety of meditative practices into the Muladhara classroom. “It’s an enterprise about being huThe Root chakra is man, a scholar, awake and cultivating about being physically openness,” says Wood, professor of there and feeling at sociology and anthropology. “Somehome in situations. times in class I’ll just say, ‘Let’s just stop, If it is open, you feel breathe and get in touch with our bodies, the soles of our feet,’ and I don’t talk grounded, stable and about it as meditation. It’s just to bring secure. us back to the present.” Chess, professor of honors arts and sciences and director for the center of Jewish studies, suggests meditative practices provide students the opportunity to let go of the internal judgment and reactivity that may prevent one from seeing the world from another perspective. Swadhisthana “We found that these meditative The Sacral chakra is practices help us watch our minds obabout feeling and sex- jectively and see when judgment is triguality. When it is open, gered. We can see it, watch it and let it your feelings ﬂow freely, go long enough to listen on another’s terms,” says Chess. “It’s developing anand are expressed other way to become self-aware of the without you being process of how we come to know things over-emotional. and attaining intellectual humility, such as the recognition that the way I see the world is not the whole world.” UNCA’s Inquiry ARC Program adopted these meditative practices as

Anja The Third Eye chakra is about insight and visualization. When it is open, you have a good intuition. You may tend to fantasize.

Sahasrara The Crown chakra is about wisdom and being one with the world. When this chakra is open, you are unprejudiced and quite aware of the world and yourself.

You’re invited: Wednesday Critique Sessions 2 - 3:10 p.m. Karpen Hall 012

part of the reflection aspect of its critical thinking emphasis. Lorena Russell, director of the UNCA Inquiry ARC program and associate professor of literature and language, says mediation in the classroom improves learning and teaching skills. “It may seem odd to think of meditation with critical thinking,” Russell says. “Why would you want to empty your mind and create a void when critical thinking should be about filling it with ideas? But I’ve found the mind actually functions a lot better if I can just take some time to sit quietly and breathe.” Russell perceives meditation similar to refreshing a computer. She says the practice alleviates students’ stress of rushing from class to class and keeping up with the workload. Asking them to stop, she says, allows them a few minutes of calm, which recharges their minds. Ameena Batada, assistant professor in the health and wellness department, speaks not just to the intellectual benefits of meditation, but to the physiological benefits as well. “When we are constantly stressed from school, work, home or our car is breaking down and we are having trouble getting to places – whatever it is, we aren’t allowing our bodies to rest,” Batada says. “Our bodies are weathering from the stress and then physiologically we have heightened cortisol. This creates midsection adipose, which results in what is killing our society: heart disease.” Batada says meditation may counteract these physical stress responses, and she integrates many different forms of meditation in the classroom, such as taking her class to the lookout observatory where she asks her students to write what they hear from moment to moment. “There are different practices such as mindfulness meditation, or loving kindness meditation,” Batada says. “Sometimes I’ll just tell my

Photo by Matt McGregor - Asst. A&F Editor

Rick Chess says he organized a meditation group for faculty and staff at UNC Asheville.

class we are going to sit for five minutes at the beginning of every class because I want them to develop attention skills.” Chess emphasizes strengthening of focus as a product of meditation, comparing it to a mental version of lifting

Thymus The Heart chakra is about love, kindness and affection. When it is open, you are compassionate and friendly, and you work at harmonious relationships.

weights in the gym. “Instead of working out your muscles you are working out your brain,” Chess says. “At first you can see how good you are at sustaining attention, then respond to that with meditation. If one Read more on page 16

VISHUDDHA The Throat chakra is about self-expression and talking. When it is open, you have no problems expressing yourself, and you might be doing so as an artist.

? k c a b k l Don’t hide behind Yik Yak! Speak your mind at one of our nna ta Wednesday critique sessions or write a letter to the editor, Timbi Shepherd at jshephe3@unca.edu

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Arts & Features Don’t dream it, be it Professor calls students to action JASON PERRY

A&F Staff Writer jperry1@unca.edu Avram Friedman, 64, has been working for something bigger than him his whole life. It all started when he was young. “I was raised by parents who were political activists themselves,” Friedman said. “My mother used to take me to the United Nations to protest against nuclear weapons and (for) the civil rights movements.” Friedman recalled his experience protesting as a child as one would recall playing in the park or remembering a good baseball game. Protesting and fighting for a bigger cause is a normal part of Friedman’s life. Friedman said he was impacted by historical figures early in his life. “I saw Martin Luther King Jr. speak when I was in my teens,” Friedman said, eyebrows raised, still amazed by the experience. “It was very moving. You really felt like you were a part of something bigger than yourself.” Friedman said he was able to learn values from the experiences he saw. It was something that was not taught in school. “I got any early schooling on the meaning of justice and injustice,” Friedman said. “I think that is at the heart of it all.” Friedman said he got involved with the anti-war movement in the 1960s and the anti-nuclear power movement in the 1970s. It was the anti-nuclear movement that, Friedman said, started his life of activism. “I was arrested trying to shut down a nuclear power plant outside of Portland, Oregon, in 1979,” Friedman said. “I was arrested for trespassing. We hopped over the fence, all 300 of

us, and we were arrested. There was a thousand people who attended but 300 of us was arrested.” Friedman entered the realm of civil disobedience when he was arrested, and he has used the protest tactic multiple times since. Diana Kruk, vice chair of Move to Amend, said she really admires people who are willing to get arrested for a cause. “I think that those kinds of actions need to be happening

Photo courtesy of CSPAN. Avram Friedman represents the Canary Coalition on CSPAN.

in order to effect any kind of change,” Kruk said. “I think that we are beyond the point of just staying in the confines.” Friedman said the arrest was planned, and he does not think protesting or civil disobedience can be successful unless it is planned. He said it is all about media attention. “It is much like planning a play. You are actually staging something and the purpose of it is ultimately publicity,” Friedman said. “In most cases, except in civil disobedience, we will go to the authorities including police, we might go to administration on campus and tell them what we are doing and ask them for a permit.” Friedman said that the people who witness the protest in perRead more on page 17

September 10, 2015. | Issue 3, Volume 63 | thebluebanner.net

German corner About the Germans, in German, for our German students. By Jana Mader, Professor of German, Department of Modern Languages and Literature

Folge 15: Kaffeeklatsch Die Deutschen lieben Kaffeeklatsch. Ob die Bayern, die Hessen, die Sachsen oder die Ostfriesen: Sie verabreden sich gern zu Tratsch und Kaffee. Rund 150 Liter trinkt jeder Deutsche im Schnitt pro Jahr, mehr als von jedem anderen Getränk! Briten, leidenschaftliche 5-Uhr-Teetrinker, lehnen “kaffeeklatsching” schon aus Gründen der Tradition ab. Dennoch ist das Wort im “Oxford English Dictionary”, mit den Ableitungen “klatsch”, “kaffeklatscher” und “kaffeeklatsching”. Ein anderes Wort ist “Damenkränzchen”. Aber auch Männer können sich zum Quatschen verabreden! Und Tee darf auch getrunken werden! Kuchen sollte allerdings nie fehlen.* *The German Club meets every other Friday (starting Sept. 4th), 3:30-5:30, KAR127, for “Kaffee und Kuchen”. Become a member and join our German Kaffeeklatsch!

September 10, 2015. | Issue 3, Volume 63 | thebluebanner.net

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beat from the Street Joseph Blomberg, originally from Wisconsin “I’m from the Northwoods, from a small town of 519 people. That’s why I am the way I am. So it was kind of crazy. I’m gay too, so there’s that as well. A little of this, a little of that. It’s an amalgam. I live in Fort Lauderdale right now and I could shoot my brains out. I love it up here. I’ve got a handful of friends that live in Fort Lauderdale and it’s turning

By Larisa Karr | Features Editor | lakarr@unca.edu Many stories lurk throughout Asheville, whether they are behind the Vaudevillian jazz-folk played by buskers around Pritchard Park, the colorful businesses decorated with funky, hand-made crats or the laughter echoing from a patio as locals and tourists alike enjoy delicious beer.

into the new Miami or whatever. I mean, it’s not bad.” What brings you to Asheville? “My partner of 28 years, Gary, and I, have some property in Weaverville we’ve been trying to build on forever, this and that. Now things have gotten really good for us and that means we’re so freaking busy. We’ve had the property for 10 years but we haven’t been back for a while. Last time we were here it was a year ago last summer. I ran into some friends here that I knew from Fort Lauderdale.” “To me, it was like opening up a treasure chest. When we were in our RV and driving here for the first time 10 years ago, we went through Savannah first after Midnight Graffiti. We were expecting Savannah to be like Asheville, a little eccentric, but it really didn’t hit me like I pictured it.

It’s not a bad city but I was expecting more. So we stumbled upon Asheville, which we didn’t know, really. We had heard all about it, top 10 in everything, like places to eat, places to hike, best local produce. I step out and I thought this is what I thought Savannah would be like. I really did. So that led me down to Asheville.” What would you say are some primary inﬂuences on how you look? “Well, the ﬁrst thing people say to me is, ‘Oh my god, I love your hair.’ Debbie Harry. I’m a male Debbie Harry. Bob Marley. I’m obviously in love with him. I think that would sum it up: a male Debbie Harry. She’s still living. She just turned 70. She should’ve been dead 30 years ago. I can’t believe it. You gotta love her. She’s still rockin’, still singin’.” Read more on page 17

Kai Ihsan Muhammad, originally from Brooklyn, hitchhiker/guitarist/ troubadour What three words would you use to describe your style? “Eccentric, original and comfortable.” Who would you say inspires you? “I don’t really know. Myself.” If you could do anything in the world of fashion, what would you be? “I’d be a designer/model.” What are you doing in Asheville? “I was visiting a friend here, and now I’m about to leave pretty soon to play music and give smiles to people.” What would say has been a very inﬂuential moment in your life so far? “Realizing the good in people.”

Photos by Blake Willis - Photography Editor

#BFTS Joseph Blomberg, above, poses at Pritchard Park. #BFTS Kai Ihsan Muhammad, left, says he is a troubadour.

follow Follow The Blue Banner on instagram to see more ‘Beat from the Street’ posts of vivid people of Asheville’s downtown, live event coverage, and previews of stories and people featured in our upcoming issues.

@UNCABluebanner

September 10, 2015. | Issue 3, Volume 63 | thebluebanner.net

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Arts & Features

meet the staff

Part two!

Timbi Shepherd Editor-in-chief

Major: Mass communication Hometown: Greensboro Favorite UNCA classroom experience: Film Directors from Latin America with Elena Adell. Take any course you can with Elena. She is a wonderful, gracious human being. Weirdest Asheville anecdote: …after which Timbi avoids O.Henry’s.

Michael O’Hearn Social Media Editor

Major: Mass communication Hometown: Wichita, Kan. Cue “We’re not in Kansas anymore” and The Wizard of Oz jokes. Favorite UNCA classroom experience: When I first arrived at UNCA, I was set on majoring in theater. I’ve done numerous shows in high school and community college, and I decided that would be my passion. Taking Play Production my first semester here with Robert Berls in Belk Theater was one of the most fun classroom experiences I’ve ever had because it was hands-on working on that semester’s production, which turned out great.

Tamsen Todisco Copy Desk Chief

Major: Mass communication Hometown: Marshfield, Vt. Weirdest Asheville anecdote: I moved to Asheville in 2008 and worked at a health food store. There were always weird customers, but one of the most disturbing moments was when one approached me and said, “I have a staph infection. Do you think a wheatgrass shot will help?” I worked in health food stores for 10 years, and that was the strangest question I was ever asked. I slowly backed away, saying, “You should probably check with your doctor,” and washed my hands for a long time even though we hadn’t had any physical contact.

Larisa Karr Arts & Features Editor

Major: International studies and mass communication Hometown: Brevard, N.C. Favorite UNCA classroom experience: Traveling on a study abroad trip with Anne Slatton and Connie Schrader to Italy. Weirdest Asheville anecdote: I once met a man who declared that he had roamed the streets of Asheville for three days, eating nothing but cigarette butts all the while. He said this experience opened up his third eye and allowed him to realize he was Jesus.

Matt McGregor Arts & Features Assistant Editor

Major: Mass communication Hometown: Vicksburg, Miss. Favorite classroom experience: Watching David Cronenberg’s The Fly in Dr. Diefenbach’s Issues in Media Studies class over the summer because of the shared mumbles of revulsion. Weirdest Asheville anecdote: I got to meet one of my favorite writers, Tom Robbins, at Malaprops. I told him I had a fear of death and he told me he had a fear of living forever. He suggested I take some acid. He went on to tell me that if all the world leaders took acid, there would be no more war.

September 10, 2015. | Issue 3, Volume 63 | thebluebanner.net

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Blake Willis Photography Editor

Major: Mass communication Hometown: Morganton, N.C. Favorite UNCA classroom experience: The glorious Mark West has provided my favorite UNCA classroom experience. Each day in his class was an adventure within itself and I absolutely adored it. Weirdest Asheville anecdote: My weirdest Asheville anecdote comes from my first time on the UNCA campus at my transfer orientation. A student was telling jokes and this one still makes me laugh to this day: “What do you call stoners in Asheville? People.”

Maddie Stagnaro Multimedia Editor

Major: Mass communication Hometown: Annapolis, Md. Favorite UNCA classroom experience: Mass Communication Law Weirdest Asheville anecdote: I met Zach Galifianakis and James Franco when I used to work at a movie theater.

June Bunch Opinion Editor

Hometown: St. Petersburg, Fl. Three words that describe me: Small but mighty Hobbies and interests: Digging into doodling, songwriting, couchsurﬁng and semi-successful experimental cooking Favorite UNCA classroom experience: My favorite class was Dr. Ruiz’s Physics of Sight and Sound. Albeit my brain veers right, always into arts and never into mathematics or rigid sciences, that class was a fun house of demonstrations and experiments. (I left the class with a whole new view of, well, vision.) Weirdest Asheville anecdote: Once, I

Emma Alexander News Editor

Major: Mass communication Hometown: Hendersonville, N.C. Favorite UNCA classroom experience: Whenever someone argues with the professor. Weirdest Asheville anecdote: While walking around downtown taking pictures of homeless people for a photography assignment, I met a group of young musicians from Texas. They sang me a song and were wise beyond their years. They corrected me and said they were “houseless,” but not homeless.

Amber Abunassar Advertising Manager

Major: Spanish and mass communication Hometown: Tryon, N.C. Favorite UNCA classroom experience: Having a professor order pizza in the middle of class and having the pizza guy join the class lecture. Weirdest Asheville anecdote: Going to a Sirius.B concert on the quad and witnessing some of the strangest interpretive dancing I’ve ever seen in my life.

Harrison Slaughter Sports Editor

Major: Mass communication Hometown: A stupid little city named Laurinburg, N.C. Three words that describe me: Determined, laid-back,

outgoing Weirdest Asheville anecdote: I’m not sure if I have a weirdest Asheville experience but the craziest thing that has ever happened to me in Asheville would be the night I locked my keys in my car, busted out my window to get back in, then ran out of gas and got arrested to top it all off.

Carson Wall Distribution Manager

Major: Psychology Hometown: Asheville Favorite Classroom Experience: My first semester on campus, I had a LANG 120 professor who used the theme of humor to teach the basics of academic writing. Between the professor’s easy going attitude, his creative cursing and studying everything from Robin Williams to Monty Python, it is still one of the most memorable classes I have ever had.

James Neal Enterprising Editor

Major: Mass communication and political science Hometown: Charlotte Favorite UNCA classroom experience: Any number of moments in any of Dr. West’s classes.

September 10, 2015. | Issue 3, Volume 63 | thebluebanner.

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Comic series by katelyn schubel

Corrections In Issue 1, several photographs appeared without credits. We would like to acknowledge Jason Perry for his photograph of coach Adam Puett, Makeda Sandford for her photographs of the Pitchfork Music Festival, Blake Willis for his photograph accompanying “Mechatronics Madness” and Johnny Condon for his photographs accompanying the senior advice page. In addition, Katelyn Schubel’s comic was presented out of order, and Michael O’Hearn and Meredith Bumgarner’s names were misspelled in their bylines. The Blue Banner apologizes for these errors.

Apple the apple growers.” All the money stays local. The

From page 3

executive director is the only paid position and everyone else

volunteers, Gudger-Thompson said. “We also provide a scholarship for a rising senior at a lo-

cal high school called the Apple Ambassador award,” she said. “It can be male or female and they attend events for us in Ra-

leigh.” Gudger-Thompson said people from all walks of life come to enjoy the festival.

September 10, 2015. | Issue 3, Volume 63 | thebluebanner.net

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Pole Exercise swings. “My home life growing up wasn’t the greatest, and that leaked into my teen years, “ Jones said. She said she dropped out of high school when she was 16. While Jones got her GED and attended community college for a couple of years, she skipped a semester when she was 19 and never finished. “To put it lightly, life has been extremely tough at times,” she said. “Aerial arts have helped me heal from traumatic past events and have also helped me to discover what it means to be truly happy. My life is currently better than it has ever been, and I credit that largely to my aerial arts and pole fitness career.” Jones, whose upper arm blooms with pink petals of ink, appears to epitomize physical fitness and creativity as she shares the turn her life took after she became a part of these art forms. “Aside from the physical benefits, aerial arts and pole fitness have given me purpose, selfworth, positive body image and self-esteem for the first time ever. I actually felt what it was to be proud of myself as if I had really achieved something incred-

Cuba lison said, chiefly, the embargo. Internationalized because of the Helms-Burton Act passed in 1996, former North Carolina senator Jesse Helms and former Indiana representative Dan Burton called for a strengthening of the embargo against Cuba. This act was spurred because Cubans were accused of shooting down two planes by a group formed of Cuban exiles opposed to the Castro regime. It remains disputed to this day whether or not the planes were shot down over Cuban territory or international airspace. One of the greatest restrictive aspects of the embargo that still remains is that any non-U.S. company dealing economically

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ible,” Jones said. The participants of the basic silks class joke among themselves that aerialists are only pretty from far away, referring to the many bruises acquired from aerial activities. Jones said there are misconceptions and stigmas associated with both pole fitness and aerial arts that are now beginning to change for the better. She said these communities seem to be growing exponentially, and events such as international pole sport competitions are helping break the negative stigma associated with pole dancing. “Do I think pole is inherently sexy? Of course. I also think strength training is sexy; and ballet, and rhythmic gymnastics and aerial circus arts and so on. Passion for movement is sexy,” said Jones. “I think these arts are a great way to declare feminine power, especially if you’ve experienced oppression or inequality due to being a woman.” These art forms, however, prove quite the contrary to a strictly feminine field, Jones said. “When you work in this field, it’s easy to see how many men are absolutely incredible perFrom page 2

with Cuba will be evaluated and could be barred from entry into the U.S. Other countries are also not allowed to dock boats for six months in an American harbor if they visit Cuba before the U.S. Opening of U.S.-Cuban relations is the turning of a chapter in a new era of both governments, and with the re-opening of the American embassy in Havana, it seems the ice could slowly be thawing. “Neither the American nor the Cuban people are wellserved by a rigid policy that’s rooted in events that took place before many of us were born,” stated President Obama in a globally-televised address Dec. 17 of last year.

Waverly Jones practices aerial silks.

Photo by Craig Lewis

formers and athletes of these arts. Men, as much as women, are shaping these communities drastically with their own set of skills,” Jones said. Heather Poole, an instructor of basic silks classes, said she only uncovered one or two journals that focused on aerial arts. “It is an extremely under-recorded practice,” said Poole, who has been involved with Aerial Space for about six years. She admitted uncertainty if this

lack of record was unintentional. Some aerialists are now practicing the lyra, a large hoop that hangs from the ceiling made of the same rough material as the trapeze; solid metal bound tightly with black tape. It has become sticky from the hand salt of previous aerialists, and is very easy to grasp. They sit gracefully in the elevated hoop as if balancing on a crescent moon and contort into several poses.

“Maybe they want aerials to be kind of secretive,” Poole said. “It is a very unique culture, and it tends to carry a mysterious vibe about it.” Lindsay Edwards, a friend of Jones from Brevard, North Carolina, said she saw Jones grow as a person over the years through her training. “She has used this to build herself as a person and an athlete,” Edwards said. “Waverly has overcome some crazy stuff.”

The reasons for beginning and facilitating an amicable relationship with Cuba are numerous and multi-faceted. “Cuba, after all, is just 90 miles away. Not only do we share proximity but we share a lot of culture, we share a lot of family members and people who have family on both sides of the divide,” Elliston said. “We share a lot of common concerns, everything from hurricanes to migration to countering narcotics efforts in the Caribbean to environmental efforts to really positive cultural and academic collaborations.” Cuba, Elliston stated in his talk, has one of the highest literacy rates in the world as a result of having a free education system. They are also, he said, adept at producing highly ad-

vanced medicines, just not at marketing and selling them. In a country so close to one of the wealthiest nations on Earth, the average citizen makes around the U.S. equivalent of $25 per month, with even “upper-class” individuals like doctors making the equivalent of $35 a month. “Taxi jobs are better-paying,” Elliston said. In the United States, the quality of life for many Cubans is not much better. “ I was in New Orleans in the ‘60s and I was shocked when you would have doctors running elevators because they could not practice here,” said Eugenie Goff, a retired social worker. In light of the recent trip to John Kerry’s trip last month to

the newly reopened American embassy in Havana, positive relations between the United States and Cuba are increasingly expected and encouraged by the international community. “It’s created a lot of pressure, created suspicion and mistrust from allies in this hemisphere because we were this whole nation that was hostile towards Cuba,” Elliston said. “Now that we’ve shown we can talk to even our long-time enemies and conduct diplomacy with them, that’s a signal to the rest of the hemisphere that the United States might be a better partner.” However, he does remain slightly skeptical. “Don’t go to Cuba expecting to see McDonald’s anytime soon.”

September 10, 2015. | Issue 3, Volume 63 | thebluebanner.net

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Meditation

can sustain attention for two breaths, then eventually one can build up to ten breaths.” Distraction pervades our culture, Chess says, and these techniques curb distraction. He says this affects faculty as well as students, referencing the common anxiety of refraining from checking one’s cellphone. “Students have said this is really profound for them. It totally changes the way they engage in the rest of the class,” Chess reports. “They say it’s the only time they have to stop for a sec-

From page 9 ond and clear their mind, or be aware of how distracted they are, enabling them to stop and be present.” Jesse Goldman, senior, says he encountered new forms of meditation in the academic environment when he took one of Chess’ classes. He carried the mindful mediation practices into other areas of his life, such as his love of slacklining, which became a form of mindful body awareness. This passion led him to start a slacklining workshop and installation company, Slack-Librium.

Diversity Discussion ent perspectives. Some, however, expressed similar experiences upon coming to Asheville. Devyn Smith, an enrolled member of the Eastern band of Cherokee Indians spoke on the shock of being in the smallest minority. “I knew going out of Cherokee that I would be a minority pretty much everywhere I go. I probably didn’t realize until I got here how small that minority actually is,” said Smith, a sophomore political science student. “I think the last statistic I looked up, we make up less than half a percent of the total population here. It’s extremely small.” Amina Kone, another student panelist and junior at UNCA, said she experienced a similar culture shock. She moved to Asheville from Columbus, Ohio, which is far more diverse, Kone said. She cited a specific incident that made her feel isolated. “In my Humanities 214 class, when I was looking at the books we had to read, I saw Sundiata and I was really excited because I’m half Mali and it’s about an old Malian tale. Then there was one big lecture on all of Africa, and then we didn’t talk about it in class and he didn’t say anything about reading the book,” Kone said. “I identified with that story so well and then to not talk about it at all made me so upset. We did talk for twenty minutes about Africa but it was from the European perspective, it wasn’t from the Malian perspective. That was like, ‘Man,

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this wasn’t fair’.” The panelists mentioned having experienced good with the bad. They listed Dahlia Hylton, Trey Adcock and Preston Keith as helpful influences. Leslie Frempong, a senior political science student, said meeting people through the intercultural center helped her learn how to deal with microaggressions. “When I learned about the term ‘microaggression,’ it definitely does build up. Meeting Dr. Hylton and meeting other people who understand the issue and learning how not to counterattack, but how to resolve it and talk about it without upsetting people,” Frempong said. “Because race is a touchy subject here on campus and it makes people uncomfortable. But it doesn’t mean being uncomfortable is a bad thing, it just means being outside of your comfort zone.” Other students on the panel offered their unique stories. Christa Mullis, an autistic sophomore mass communication student from Indian Trail, talked about her experiences as a disabled student. Mullis said she had a journalism professor who told the class how to act while interviewing people. He told them to be personable, make proper facial expressions and eye contact, all things that are difficult for autistic people, Mullis said. “It’s just sort of frustrating to hear those things. What was really hurtful for me in that class was he had this shorthand

“During my time at UNCA I have also been fortunate enough to participate in a service learning class with Ameena Batada,” Goldman says. “This project evolved into a grant from the North Carolina Center for Health and Wellness to bring slacklining and mindfulness education into Asheville Middle School gym and health classes.” Goldman teaches weekly slacklining fitness classes. In 2014, he says he organized the first Mindfulness Fest, which takes place on the Quad every April. “Mindfulness Fest is our attempt

to create a more self-aware, compassionate and empathetic culture by exploring the foundations of how we choose to relate to ourselves and to each other in a fun and celebratory way.” He encourages anyone who is interested to attend a weekly Mindfulness Club meeting. “Mindfulness Club provides an environment for students to gather in an open and safe space to practice meditation and contemplative practices,” Goldman says, “and have important conversations about difficult and sensitive topics using mindfulness as a

basis for empathetic understanding.” Reflecting on the meeting Wood and Chess held six years ago, Wood says they were looking for techniques for group meditations and spiritual awakening within an academic setting. “I think it was about finding a community that would help us get better about talking about it in our classrooms,” Wood recalls. “Getting to know other people is a spiritual exercise. I see it as one of the most sacred things we can do as human beings.”

phrase to express that sort of behavior, he would say it a lot, ‘Basically remember to act like a human being,’” Mullis said. “But it’s not actually what defines human being. Everyone has different brains and different processing and learning and participating abilities.” After the panelists had all spoken the floor was opened up to everyone in the room. The conversation immediately turned towards what the university was doing to promote diversity. Brittany Privott, an admissions counselor, addressed the question. “Our job is to serve this institution, and our job in admissions is to be as inclusive as possible. I personally have been tasked with working with diversity and increasing diversity on this campus and I think one of the things that helps us most is dialogue,” Privott said. “You are more than welcome to come down to Brown and suggest anything. I mean, we’re open.” The review process for admitting students has become more holistic, considering the whole student rather than just grades and test scores, Privott said. They also spend about 10 weeks visiting almost every high school in North Carolina with the Carolina Association of College Registrars and Admissions Officers. UNCA often loses students to larger universities like UNC Chapel Hill and NC State, which have more resources and scholarship dollars. But this year’s freshman class is the most diverse class the university has ever had, Privott said.

Pablo Best, a sophomore from Charlotte, said the reason students may not be coming here is because the city of Asheville is unwelcoming to people of color. Housing is expensive and public transit isn’t helpful, Best said, and it could keep students from wanting to start a life here.

the Hyannis House through the intercultural center.” Most of the students agreed that although progress had been made, there was still work to do. Belinda Grant, a senior biology student from Swannanoa, suggested a mandatory awareness course to teach tolerance and other values. “There are always limitations in the world. There’s always someone who thinks you don’t deserve to be in this place or to have this job. It comes within yourself to not give up and to be like ‘Yes I’m black or Asian, or whatever, and I’m just as smart, just as capable, as this Caucasian person sitting next to me,’” Grant said. “Unfortunately, not everyone comes from the background or the families where that mentality is planted in them. They don’t grow up with that seed of self-confidence. It would be so beneficial to start planting seeds that way.” Jansen mentioned many resources on campus such as student organizations, the Center for Diversity Education, 80 different diversity-intensive courses as well as the relatively-new Hyannis House, as progress that has been made in the past few years. Similar events will be held throughout the year. Jansen and the Diversity Action Council will hold another discussion similar to Starting the Conversation, but centered around keywords, in January. Jansen said these events enable the community to hear and act on what people are saying, to move forward and produce positive change.

“Unfortunately, not everyone comes from the background or the families where that mentality is planted in them. They don’t grow up with that seed of self-confidence. It would be so beneficial to start planting seeds that way.”

Belinda Grant

Wesley Stevens, a trans student, spoke about how it can sometimes be dangerous to be visible. “I usually dress in jeans and a T-shirt because when I don’t, I have been attacked repeatedly in Asheville. I had to quit my job because I was stabbed in the knee and I couldn’t stand up for that long. It’s really important for me, with the TSU on campus, everything’s anonymous. It’s a closed door process,” Stevens said. “You have to choose to be visible as a trans individual because it is dangerous. We have these protections in place and I have to say we are part of

September 10, 2015. | Issue 3, Volume 63 | thebluebanner.net

page 17

Happy

going to do it. He said if you ask, you will receive. So, this is my wilderness,” Happy says, gesturing toward the activity of the city. Happy grips the arms of his wheelchair, rocking back and forth all the while. Like a metronome, his swaying keeps time with the noise of downtown. People pass Happy, quickly glancing away before the question is even out of his mouth. Every “God bless you” Happy says is equally sincere. “Would you help a veteran?” says Happy. An old man in an ironed polo turns his head the other way, just as a skinny man saunters up to shake hands with Happy. “You could at least say no, dude!” says Slim Jim, a friend of Happy’s and one of Asheville’s many homeless residents. Slim Jim leans down to give Happy a pat on the back. The two greet each other like old friends. After an enthusiastic greeting, Happy gently reminds Slim Jim that rejection is a part of life on the street. Anger shouldn’t be his response. Slim Jim’s eyebrows unwind from their frustration. He says he knows. “You know, when I first came out here on this street, it was all

Friedman

Beat

From page 8

about me, getting help and taking care of my family,” Happy says, “but as time went on and I became more noticeable out here on this street, it because the peoples. It’s about the peoples.” Happy pauses and takes in the activity of the street, armed with a spray bottle, rag and a composition notebook of potential sermons. He guards his wall and his wilderness. When he isn’t busy cleaning the “Before I Die…” wall, or explaining its purpose to visitors, Happy admits he occasionally writes his dreams on the wall too. “Lot of time I write things about retaining the Bible,” Happy says. “Every now and then I write something comical, like the other day, I wrote, ‘I wanna go to Sesame Street, meet Miss Piggy and make Kermit mad.’” Happy chuckles. Couples pass on their way to Friday night dinner dates. They don’t have to worry about how to pay the bill. “Would you help a Vietnam veteran?” They keep walking. “God bless you,” Happy says.

From page 11

So if you were to describe your style in 3 words, what would you say?

“Deﬁnitely CBGB punk. I don’t know. No one’s ever asked that question. CBGB punk Rasta? I don’t know. Something with weed.” What do you do for a living? “I’m a professional playboy. Just kidding. We own a company like a small Amazon company. It’s, like, a store where you can get kitchen supplies and restaurant equipment. Now we have speakers, TVs and light ﬁxtures. It’s about to really explode. You can’t buy books and CDs yet, though.

Photo byJordyn Key - Staff Photographer

Happy guards the ‘Before I die..’ wall downtown. From page 10

son are minimal, but it is the reports on the news and TV that count. Friedman became good at planning events to attract media attention. He planned a two-day vigil in 2002 at the Vance Monument in Asheville to help pass the Clean Smokestack Act. Friedman’s Canary Coalition, a grassroots movement that addresses air quality, hosted the event. He said they set up tents, booths and music to attract attention to the cause. Friedman said he liked the tactic of the event because the media was able to cover it at their leisure. This ensured plenty of news coverage. “We were virtually on every news channel, radio and newspapers covered us,” Friedman said. “They sent reporters. We set up a tent and worked out a schedule of those two days for what would happen every hour of that day. We had speakers, and we were collecting petition signatures.” Friedman said Canary Coalition held these events in Raleigh and Charlotte, and they worked for a year to get the Clean Smokestack Act passed. According to the Division of Air Quality’s website, the

Clean Smokestack Act requires power companies to reduce their smog- and haze-forming emissions by approximately three-fourths over the next decade. Friedman said passing the act was life-affirming. “One thing that came out of the Clean Smokestack Act was the display of power to the people,” said Friedman. “We were working against the most powerful entity in North Carolina, Duke Energy, and we won. We overcame that power.” Friedman showed that people do have a voice in politics. Friedman said that belief is often questioned. “A lot of people feel powerless,” he said. “You hear about public apathy, but I don’t think it is apathy. I think it is public sense of powerlessness that people have.” Eric Boyce, UNC Asheville’s assistant vice-chancellor for public safety, said protesters are most successful when they reach out to authorities and communicate with the public. Avram Friedman was able to do this and change North Carolina laws. He said protesting is a constitutional right. “It is important we have that right to exercise. I don’t believe it is a function of the Constitution of the United States or of the laws that give us that right,” Friedman said. “Jefferson said that in the Declaration of Independence, people have these inalienable rights. The government does not have Photo courtesy of Avram Friedman a right to take that away.”

page 18

OPINION

September 10, 2015. | Issue 3, Volume 63 | thebluebanner.net

My open relationship with a

serial killer

ROAN FARB

Opinion Staff Writer rfarb@unca.edu

bout five years ago, I took a drag of my first cigarette. I was 15 years old and my world was ever-expanding. At long last, I would finally get to experience a part of the adult world I’d been commanded to fear for the entirety of my youth. I would finally get to know how it felt to be the mysterious figure, cigarette always in-hand, that so many TV shows, movies and books of my childhood depicted. Prior generations took great care to always portray smoking to be a dirty, gross and shunned habit in children’s programs, but for me, that only made smoking seem more appealing. The worse I was told it was to smoke, the bigger my curiosity grew. It was like I was joining a secret society that few people in the world belonged to. I was on the verge of becoming one of them – I had made a conscious decision to enter into smoker society. That was always the biggest part of the appeal for me, the culture our country has (perhaps accidentally) built up around cigarette smoking. I had been told cigarettes tasted gross, that they smelled vile and that they would kill me if I got hooked. But what was it that kept people coming back? What kickback could be worth an eternal odor and a plethora of health complications? There had to be something buried deep down in the pros of smoking cigarettes that utterly destroyed the long list of cons that came with being a regular smoker. At least in my 15-year-old mind, that’s how it went. My friend Kyler and I had paid a homeless man -- $9, I might add -- to go into the gas station and buy us some of the finest cigarettes American currency can buy a confused high school sophomore, Newport Menthols.

We had picked out a nearby mound of dirt, newly compounded to make room for yet another housing development in suburban hell, on which to try our newest fascination. As I sat lopsided on top of our ashen palace, I tried with every fiber of my being to find pleasure in smoking a Newport. I wasn’t sure how to work this new facet of my reality -- how do I make this enjoyable? Should I take a bunch of short, hard inhales and then hold them in as long as I could? Should I inhale until I no longer can, and then hold that in? Or should I just try to swallow all the smoke that enters my mouth? Is this thing on? So the two of us sat on this dirt mound in the middle of a field, Newports in hand, for hours, trying to work out how to correctly smoke a cigarette, coughing and crying all the while. Where were the qualities I had seen glorified on the big screen? It was so hard to act stoic and mysterious when I couldn’t get through half a cigarette without letting loose a few tears and some gut-wrenching coughs. When I came home that night stinking of nicotine and ash, I felt as if I had waited years for a fireworks finale that never exploded. I was disappointed in myself, I had done harm to my body, and for what? An angst-driven curiosity that was never satisfied. I’ll never forget how underwhelming that felt. I was never able to find that trump-card I insist exists with cigarette smoking. For me, cigarettes have always been more trouble than they’re worth. It’s five years later now, and I’m 20 years old with numerous close friends that smoke cigarettes every day. Every so often, I’ll catch myself wondering what made the difference for them. My best friend has been smoking every

day for the past four years. When I asked him what kept him buying pack after pack, he simply looked me in the eye, adopted a serious tone, and said, “Well, I love them.” At the end of the day, almost every person I have ever met has tailored their own vice, a way of coping with the harsh reality of responsibility and the needs society has of us. For some, though, it becomes more than a coping mechanism for what’s required of them. When something begins to take the form of your “pause button” on life, how could you not grow affectionate towards it? Perhaps it isn’t solely a chemical dependency that keeps people spending more and more on cigarettes the longer they smoke. It’s common knowledge that many smokers grow dependent on having breaks in their day so they can function properly. Nearly every one of my close friends smokes cigarettes. Some even smoke a pack a day, and I’m talking about 19 and 20-yearolds. No matter what I tell myself, no matter how many times I watch someone, in an act of desperation, smoke a butt off the ground, I can’t seem to silence the appeal a cigarette carries. Still, ﬁve years later, I’m precariously curious.

September 10, 2015. | Issue 3, Volume 63 | thebluebanner.net

page 19

Dirtying old boots My favorite hiking spots By June Bunch, Opinion Editor kbunch@unca.edu DISCLAIMER: Adventure at your own risk. I’m not advocating getting your bums bruised. Nothing beats ditching sidewalks for dirt. After ambling Appalachia all summer, the grid of city concrete seems awfully lifeless in comparison. The sidewalks of Asheville swarm with life, yes, but mostly things holding handbags or leftovers. Trails are different. They spark intuition and intrigue or at least, if nothing else, better exercise than a treadmill. When I long for a break from urban routine, these are the places I long for:

1. Big Bradley Falls

45-minute drive from campus 2.3 mile trail round trip 2.3-mile trail round-trip Not for beginners: You know those times when you just want to rappel down a steep 30-foot rope to reach the base of a roughly 100-foot waterfall? Those are the days you wear suitable shoes, ﬁnd someone who’s been there and go hop some boulders in the Green River streams. The ﬁrst time I came across Big Bradley Falls, it was January and the falls were frozen. Time seemed to stand still while skeletal trees rustled along with footsteps of other hikers. During September, far less ice threatens to slide off your walking groove. But while brisk autumn sneaks up, the hike transforms from greens to golds and the leaves crunch on every giddy step. The view from the bottom reminds hikers why canyons and valleys surpass the man-made sights of skyscrapers any day. However, you don’t have to climb down the rope to appreciate the grandeur.

three tiers which together form a cascade of 120 rushing feet of white water. The rocks aren’t quite legally climbable, but you’ll occasionally catch people monkeying their way up the side of the falls in order to reach higher views. Higher up in elevation, Bridal Veil Falls draws hikers just as often. It has a sweet spot at the top where, during low water, visitors can walk behind the top section of the fall and witness the water ﬂow out from a cavern area. It’s kind of magical. The whole waterfall slides gracefully down 120 feet of granite, forming a veil of white water which can be viewed from different locations.

3. Black Balsam

1-hour drive from campus 0.5 mile hike to Art Loeb/ 2.2 mile hike to Sam Knob If you’re in the mood to see forever into the distance, Black Balsam’s treeless summits grant the best eagle-eye views of meadows below. Each season there is a different aesthetic. Whether on the Art Loeb section with views of Looking Glass Rock and Mount Pisgah (which are great sights in themselves) or Sam Knob with its quartz outcrops and summit view of Cold Mountain (yes, like the book), the endless windy skylines make you breathe lungfuls of luscious mountain air. If you remain unconvinced, July blueberries and October autumn leaves act as worthwhile bribes to put your shoes on.

4. Max Patch

1 hour 18 minute-drive from campus

2.4 mile loop trail

2. DuPont State Forest

51-minute drive from campus 1 mile hike round-trip to Triple Falls/ 4.6 mile hike round trip to Bridal Veil Falls If ever you feel like standing where those Hunger Games folks ﬁlmed, DuPont is the place to trek. The short but semi-steep walk to Triple Falls makes for a grand photo opportunity. The falls are made up of

A panoramic patch of windy, tall pastures unveils within the Pisgah National Forest. If you’ve ever seen a Hollywood depiction of a couple running toward each other in a ﬁeld, this would be the place they’d lock lips. The man-made bald glows both at sunrise and sunset, making for one heck of a well-lit picnic or camping spot. At night, the stars dance with no obstructed light sources. The hike is easy, and the drive is well worth it.

Photo by June Bunch - Opinion Editor

Graveyard Fields, with Benjamin Watts in the distance

5. Graveyard Fields 1-hour drive from campus 3.2 mile trail

If fire-red treetops call your name in autumn, Graveyard Fields lends its lands to your appeasement. Endless planks of wood shrink out of perception while you walk down the curvy paths of tall grasses and clearings. While summer still squeezes its warm daylight, stray off the paved path and find your way downstream when the bridge crosses its waters. Hop from rock to rock until no bridge can be seen behind you. Then eat that sandwich you packed in your bag. This is my stream-filled playground. This is where long walks to the upper and lower falls grant endless appetite for more climbing and foraging. Blueberries lurk behind every corner in July and my college metabolism allows full potential to snack through the whole forest. More importantly, the fields feed my desire for some fresh air, and there’s no lack of it here. (In case you haven’t noticed by now, I’m all about hikes that exercise more than just your feet. Bouldering and rappelling from ropes adds a more involved dynamic to exploration and I’m all about it. However, these hikes are phenomenal while staying on the trails, as well. Off-roading is not for everyone.)

September 10, 2015. | Issue 3, Volume 63 | thebluebanner.net

page 20

OPINION

Age-old advice: a 1979 word to freshmen An archived editorial from 1979, when UNC Asheville called its student newspaper The Rag and Bone Shop.

UNC Asheville freshmen — wise up! We know many of you have come to college merely to get away from your parents, consume massive quantities of alcohol and/or lose your virginity. Sorry kids, but at UNCA there is a good chance you will accomplish none of the above. If you were smart, you would go to a big party school like Chapel Hill for a year or so and have a thoroughly decadent time building up a huge backlog of thrilling party tales to tell your friends in subsequent years. Then, after you were booted out of said major university, you could take advantage of UNCA’s notoriously lax admission standards and rebuild your academic reputation to stellar heights, being consistently motivated by the fear of spending the rest of your life as co-assistant night manager of the local McDonald’s. But you’re not that smart, are you? Instead of four years of bigtime laughs, you are faced with a faculty and administration intent upon initiating that bane of all university students, the “academic upgrading” program. A bit of campus history is in order here. Several years ago, when UNCA was in the throes of a particularly humiliating basketball session, a Western Carolina University professor began needling a certain UNCA administrator about the quality of our athletic program. This rather vicious ribbing took place at a cocktail party, and the embarrassed administrator felt obligated to deliver some sort of stinging repartee. In a classic comeback that has since become a standard of the industry, he icily informed the WCU professor, “Our goal here, sir, is to produce scholars — Renaissance individuals — rather than illiterates whose sole motor skill is the ability to put a round ball through a metal ring.” Word of this exchange spread quickly through area academic circles, and UNCA began to be referred to as the “Harvard on the Hill.” This was all well and good, and campus morale took a temporary swing upward. Then problems set in. Some campus administrators actually began believing we were a “Harvard on the

Photos courtesy of The Summit, UNC Asheville’s yearbook of yesteryear. In 1979, “Harvard on the Hill,” or UNC Asheville, was much like it is today. Students cozied up in groups and laughed about their day in the Caf & lounges.

Hill.” Talk began circulating in faculty lounges about a concept known as “academic rigor.” A problem that was cleverly named “grade inﬂation” appeared. “Incomplete” became an ugly word. Phrases such as “My grandfather just died,” or “Professor, I’ve not told anyone else the terrible news, but my partner just went into the hospital,” suddenly began falling on deaf ears. UNCA students were faced with the unprecedented phe-

nomenon of having to study to make A’s. “But,” you say, “my older brother who went to school here in the late 60s never studied, took incredible amounts of drugs, made buckets of A’s, and is now head of a successful Atlanta-based consulting ﬁrm. How can this be?” Well, your brother and his equally successful were aided by anti-war, anti-establishment professors who were interested in handing out as many student draft de-

ferments as possible. Where are these generous professors now? A recent survey showed that 90 percent of them are living in geodesic domes in New Mexico’s communes. The other 10 percent are junior partners in successful Atlanta-based consulting firms. The only professors around today are young Turks driven by tenure-hungry frenzies — they give no quarter. They are augmented by a crusty group of older professors who never gave any quarter in the first place. This latter group are members of the ilk that were responsible for all the “What’s Happening to Today’s Youth” articles that used to appear with such regularity in Reader’s Digest. Like the characters in Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot — which you will read at some point during your Humanities sequence, but probably not understand — you have been thrust into a meaningless void. It is your task and duty as clever young scholars to find meaning in this void. Things look bleak, don’t they? Fear not, for we at The Rag and Bone Shop are going to reveal the key to undergraduate happiness and void-filling. The key is this: mastery of the freshman term paper. Faculty members will vehemently deny this, but any upper-level student will quickly tell you that in the eyes of your professors, your worth as a human being is directly proportional to your ability to write a concise and coherent term paper. We at The Rag and Bone Shop want to help you learn to write these stunning essays. With our aid, “concise and coherent freshman term paper” will cease to be a contradiction in terms. Read on, and by the time your first paper is due you’ll be able to dazzle your professors with verbal pyrotechnics that will keep most of them scuttling back and forth between their desk and the dictionary. Turn the page, and you’ll be leaving UNCA more quickly than you can say “co-assistant night manager at McDonald’s.” Continued on page 23

September 10, 2015. | Issue 3, Volume 63 | thebluebanner.net

page 21

By Devric Kiyota, Copy editor dkiyota@unca.edu

TRAFFIC-SPIRAL

Friedrich Nietzsche once stated that God is dead, to which I replied, “Good one, buddy.” I now know what he meant. UNC Asheville has only one traffic circle within campus limits, only one way to spit in the face of traffic-God. Connecting W.T. Weaver Boulevard and University Heights, the campus’ charters divined that the traffic circle was a necessary evil, the only way to ease transit and reduce speeding. They never planned for my predicament, my personal hell. On March 15, 2014, a pleasant day full of God-fearing and indigestion, I was driving a pickup truck through campus, inevitably ending up on W.T. Weaver Boulevard. I knew then I’d have to merge onto University Heights, but I couldn’t have known that my whole life was a lie. I entered the traffic circle like a newborn donkey, stumbling, and with a thicker bone structure than most of my friends. “This traffic circle seems like a necessary evil, and the only way to ease transit and reduce speeding,” said Devric Kiyota, a mass communication student from Cherryville, North Carolina. Friedrich Nietzsche’s ghost was in my passenger seat, except his ghost looked more like a bottle of Pepto-Bismol. Pepto-Bismol is a wonderful and readily-available way to alleviate indigestion. Mention this article the next time you slurp some of that sweet Pepto, and you’ll receive a 20 percent discount. “Traffic-God is dead,” said Nietzsche’s ghost, swerving this article back on course. The pickup truck flinched. I soon found myself trapped inside the cyclical hellscape of the traffic circle, unable to merge onto University Heights. With each circuit, I could feel madness bubbling in my already bubbly gullet. Hours upon hours without God. Gone was the hold on my crucifix-shaped steering wheel. Here was the truth of my existence. The traffic circle forced me to confront my atoms, the meaningless vibrations of my entire being, stomach notwithstanding. I was a stray neutron desperately seeking Uranium-235, wanting only to convert into a Type-1 existence. I had been spitting in my own face this whole time, unaware of the God within UNCA’s limits, this hell that killed Nietzsche before me. “There is but one truly serious philosophical problem, and that is suicide,” said Nietzsche’s ghost, stealing a quote from Albert Camus. I died in that traffic circle, not knowing I was God all along. Thank you, UNCA.

September 10, 2015. | Issue 3, Volume 63 | thebluebanner.net

page 22

OPINION

Paola Salas, senior political science student, reﬂects on her study abroad trip to Morocco.

Study

ABROAD

I am a senior political science student. I studied abroad spring 2015 in Morocco. I attended Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane, Morocco, through ISEP. Knowing I did not have the financial means to pay for study abroad, I applied for the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship, which is funded by the Department of State and available to students who qualify for a Pell Grant. The scholarship offers up to $5,000 for study abroad, particular in non-traditional countries, such as Morocco. There is so much I could say about my experience in Morocco. I had my good days and my bad days. Adjusting to living in a Muslim society was difficult, but I embraced it as part of my cultural immersion. I asked questions, I sought answers. I challenged many of the Western-perceived notions I’d been brought up with about Islam, Muslim society and even feminism. I experienced, I learned, I fell in love with the people, the places and the culture. I found myself in many ways, I discovered a new passion for development and helping people all over the world attain a better standard of living. I made friends and connections with people which I will carry with me for the rest of my life. One of my favorite memories from Morocco is from Chefchaouen, the Blue City tucked in the middle of the Rif Mountains. Chefchaouen has a wonderful atmosphere, and I particularly loved the similarities between it and Asheville. Tourists come from all over the world to photograph the village streets painted in different shades of blue, contrasting the peaks of the Rif mountains. Unlike other tourist destinations in Morocco, Chefchaouen (or “Cheffie” as my crew of international friends fondly called it) has a slower pace of life. There are no bright lights, there are no street vendors hounding you to look at their “original” merchandise. In Cheffie, everything was laid back. Street vendors welcomed you in multiple languages and invited you over for mint tea after a simple conversation, villagers didn’t gawk at tourists as much, allowing us to feel more relaxed and in our element, and local musicians played nightly at the village plaza by the old Jewish Kasbah. On our second trip to Cheffie, my friends and I decided to join in on a spontaneous jam session. Noah, from Virginia, hopped on with his ukulele, and the Moroccan musicians welcomed him and asked what songs he knew. We began improvising a popular Algerian song “Zina” by Babylone. Next thing we knew, a crowd of locals had surrounded my friends and me as we sang along to a song we barely knew because the lyrics were in Arabic. I was scared at first that I wasn’t pronouncing the words right since I had just learned the song in Arabic class, but my worries quickly faded as I looked around and saw how everyone in the crowd was enjoying singing along with us and even recording the impromptu performance on their phones. I sang with more confidence and even took my friend Michael, from Montana, by the hand, and we started a salsa dance party in the middle of that village plaza. We danced the night away and sang songs by Bob Marley, a favorite among the very relaxed locals. The most awesome part of this memory is that although we all came from different places, all that mattered is that we had been brought together for a beautiful evening under the Moroccan stars because of music.

Go places! Meet new people! Explore other cultures! Check out the Fall 2015 Study Abroad Fair! When: Wednesday, September 16, 1 – 4 p.m. Where: Alumni Hall, Highsmith Union 157 Questions? Contact the Study Abroad Office 28 Ramsey Library studyabroad@unca.edu

September 10, 2015. | Issue 3, Volume 63 | thebluebanner.net

page 23

Photos courtesy of The Summit, UNC Asheville’s yearbook of yesteryear.

Advice The Term Paper 1. Choosing the topic One of the most important lessons aspiring term paper writers can learn is that it is imperative to familiarize themselves with the professor they are writing said term paper for. Specifically, find out what they wrote their doctoral dissertation on and what area they concentrated in during grad school. After this information is acquired, the student has the option of taking two courses of action. One: They can write a term paper as far from the professor’s field of knowledge as it is possible to get. For instance, if the student’s English professor wrote his dissertation on the Jungian themes in Beowulf, the student would probably do well to write a paper on “Baseball Statistics in the Fiction of Ring Lardner.” Two: The student can write a term paper on the same subject their professor concentrated in, taking care to cite in a footnote “the bril-

From page 20

liant dissertation by the distinguished whomever.” Professors succumb to professional flattery with incredible ease. Remember this. 2. The thesis paragraph The backbone of the paper — this paragraph can make or break you. Decide what you want to say in your paper, and write this nutshell encapsulation down in a long, complex sentence. Rearrange this sentence. Rearrange the sentence again. Rearrange the sentence three more times, taking care to avoid duplication. You are now ready to move on to the body of the paper, which brings us to our next topic. 3. Buzzwords It is a documented fact that no professor ever thoroughly reads a freshman term paper. What they do is go through the piece and look for “buzzwords.” If you meet the “buzzword” quota, which of course varies between

professors, you can be assured of at least a B in any course on this campus. File this handy list: teleological/ ontological Kant Finnegan’s Wake Venerable Bede existential dilemma Kierkegaardian “leap of faith” Magna Carta Dreyfus Case fin de siècle sturm und drang From Ritual to Romance stream-of-consciousness Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood Dadaism Occam’s razor Homeric simile Babylonian captivity Vorticism A few useful dates: 400 BC 1066 459 1312 1865 4. Paper length Length does not really matter — it’s the quality that counts. Although it must be noted that a long paper may be visually

exciting, the stimulation is often short-lived. At first glance, a long paper often promises more than it can deliver. The professor often suffers a post-reading letdown, feeling a vague sense of non-fulfillment, that “there could have been something more.” Any professor will tell you they would much rather have a shorter paper that could sustain its thesis over a long period of time, building to a shattering climax in the final paragraph. However, if you are lucky, you can present a paper that both is long and can sustain itself during a vigorous reading, resulting in a satisfying experience for both you and the professor. 5. Grammar Many students are tempted to use the semicolon key when typing their papers, and spatter the nifty little marks like commas throughout their essay. Don’t succumb to this. No one is really sure about the rules guiding semicolon usage. It is something best left alone.

6. Concluding paragraph Recopy the thesis paragraph. Change a few sentences around, patch in a couple of new ones, and you’ll be ready for the final step. 7. Bibliography Again, no professor ever really reads footnotes, much less tracks them down. What they do is check for form. If you don’t have a Harbrace Handbook or Turabian Guide, mere consistency will usually suffice. However, if you wish to look particularly impressive, or if you feel your “buzzword” quota is subpar, try citing personal correspondence between yourself and any living literary critic. The sudden discovery of long-lost letters between Henry James and Edith Wharton is also a perennial winner. That’s all we can do for you. The rest is up to you, future leader of America. File this article within easy reach, and a successful freshman year can be assured. See you scholars around campus.

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Sunday

Monday

Tuesday

SEPT

Limit 1 Per Transaction

American Owned & Operated! Visit Us At www.ingles-markets.com

WE ACCEPT:

For Store Locations, Or For Store Numbers Visit: www.ingles-markets.com Or Call Our Customer Service Number : 1-800-635-5066 NONE SOLD T0 DEALERS. WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO LIMIT QUANTITIES AND CORRECT TYPOGRAPHICAL AND PHOTOGRAPHIC ERRORS.

UP TO 50¢ DOUBLE COUPONS EVERYDAY

For complete Double Coupon Policy See store for details. Certain other restrictions and limitations apply.