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The world may need another 'Hero’ - 8
The Red & Black
An independent student newspaper serving the University of Georgia community
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INSIDE
Wade McGuire will sit
out the rest of the fall
to concentrate on
schoolwork.
Weather: Annoyingly sunny
and bright. We're living in a
floor wax commercial.
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 1, 1992 • ATHENS, GEORGIA • VOLUME 100, ISSUE 9
Faculty closes door on hotel-restaurant major
By KELLY DANIEL
Staff Writer
As of 1994, the University will no longer
offer one of the nation’s hottest majors.
Students currently enrolled in the hotel-
restaurant administration program learned
this week that plans to phase out the major
are proceeding.
Most of the program’s 80 students were
notified via mail this summer that faculty
members of the College of Family and
Consumer Sciences voted to gradually elim
inate the major over the next two years.
Some students, however, only found out
about the decision last week when they
arrived to begin classes.
“It’s upsetting more than anything,” said
Meredith Dutter, a senior from Marietta.
Hotel-restaurant administration is one
of the fastest growing fields in the nation.
The University’s program grew from 23 stu
dents in 1987 to almost 200 in 1990.
Faculty members and 15 hotel-restau
rant students attended a special meeting
Tuesday night to discuss the future of the
program. Professors told students they
would receive the help they need to com
plete the program before it closes in 1994.
Problems resulting from the 5 percent
budget cut from the University last year are
blamed for the program’s end.
Sharon Nickols, dean of Family and
Consumer Sciences, said the major is con
sidered one of the more expensive programs
on campus, due to the many lao classes
required for graduation. It also had become
increasingly hard to attract quality faculty
to the program, she said.
“It’s more appropriate to phase it out
than to have a mediocre program,” Nickols
said. “We’re doing this in the very best
interest of the students, even though it’s
hard to face the reality that a program will
be phased out."
Rapid growth of the five-year-old pro
gram led to an enrollment cap earlier this
year, but the economic recession made nec
essary expansion of classes and faculty
impossible.
Roy Martin, director of the program, said
the decision to end the major was an obvi
ous but hard one.
“In my mind, it’s not a difficult decision
to make,” he said. “There’s no way to main
tain the quality of the program. But in my
heart, it’s very hard to do because it means
disappointing some faculty and some stu
dents.”
The hotel-restaurant major is currently
housed under the food and nutrition school
in the college, but the Terry College of
Business is looking into taking over the pro
gram. Although the decision will take sev
eral months, it will come by the end of the
academic year.
Student reaction to the decision has been
one of apprehension. Questions about
scheduling, transferring and how employ
ers will view graduates from a program that
has been terminated were voiced at
Tuesday’s meeting. Scheduling stability is
of paramount concern to the students, as
one change could make the difference
between graduating or just falling short of
a degree.
Kelly Oyler, a senior from Brea, Calif.,
wanted reassurance about class schedules
following a mix-up over the summer that
resulted in a required class being dropped.
“It put us all into a panic and I just don’t
want to go through that every quarter until
I graduate,” she said.
The administrators are stressing to stu
dents that the program is being phased out,
not cut, to give them the chance to finish
their studies. Martin emphasized that “the
faculty, dean and I are very committed to
the students in this program.”
But Dutter said that isn’t what is upset
ting her.
“I think that it’s not that they are not
working with us," she said. “I think a lot of
us are upset that they’re not working to
save the program. I think the school needs
to look at this because I know I came here
four years ago with my major decided and
if I were applying for school today, I would
not come to Georgia, and that’s sad.”
The unfortunate thing is that we,start
ed this program when the economy started
to go down,” Martin said. “So the resources
for the program went down, too. It didn’t
make any sense to continue with no fund
ing and no (new) faculty.”
Braves fever is cooking again,
but not as hot as last year
By THERESA WALSH
Staff Writer
Braves fever is back in Athens,
and even though some students say
the fever’s not as hot as last year,
they’re more than ready to support
the home team in their fight for the
National League Pennant.
Gretchen Reeves, a senior from
Augusta, attended Tuesday’s title
clinching game with her family’s
season tickets, like she has since
she was a child.
Reeves said the game was excit
ing, especially when it was
announced in the ninth inning that
Los Angeles had shut out
Cincinnati, moving the magic num
ber to one with the Braves comfort
ably ahead.
She said everyone went wild
after the victory, but the crowd was
kept off the field.
“I got in at 2 a.m. and had to get
up for my 7:50 (class),” she said.
But, Reeves added, the short
night was worth it and she plans on
spending a few late nights watch
ing the Braves in October.
Brad Garner, a senior from
Atlanta, recalled days of sitting in
the hot sun as a child watching the
Braves lose on Snapper Day at the
stadium. He also recalled the thrill
of missing school to catch a plane to
Minnesota to watch the Braves in
the World Series last year.
“After a decade of losing, it
makes it more exciting,” Gamer
said.
He said it was definitely worth
the expense and he would gladly do
it again.
“It’s a once-in-a-lifetime oppor
tunity," Gamer said.
Amy Moore, a senior from Rome,
said she became a Braves fan dur
ing last year’s pennant race
because of the intense excitement
of finally winning.
“It was more exciting last year
because we were so bad the year
before,” Moore said.
Ever since Moore’s conversion
as a Braves fanatic, she said she
has followed them avidly, even
when she studied abroad this sum
mer.
Marc Kane, a freshman from
Atlanta, said he expected the
Braves to win this year, but was
surprised there wasn’t more excite
ment in his residence hall about it.
“The only way I found out about
it is through the paper,” Kane said.
“It’s definitely amazing (when you
look at) where they were before.
They were the worst team you
could possibly imagine.”
Kevin Tate and Drew Garverick,
both sophomores, grew up playing
baseball and attending Braves
games together in Atlanta.
Garverick said they used to go to
all the games even when they lost.
He said it took the Braves a while
to finally win, but they got it done.
“Last year it was a lot closer. It
was kind of expected this year,”
Garverick said.
Neither one of them is planning
on attending the World Series
games if the Braves get there. But
Garverick said if he had the oppor
tunity to see any of the games, he
wouldn’t think twice about missing
classes.
Some establishments around
town will be offering special deals
and a place to watch the National
League playoff games.
Spanky’s will have nine TVs set
up for the Series and is planning
drink specials, said Tom Daly, gen
eral manager.
Kyle Pilgrim, co-owner of The
Georgia Theatre, expects the Series
to be a great success for his bar and
the Braves.
“We will have a movie screen up
just like last year,” he said.
GSEU: Pay structure study needed
By LORI WIECHMAN
Staff Writer
While the head of the Georgia State Employees Union
urges the University System Board of Regents to re
examine pay structure, employees at the University feel
some progress is being made.
GSEU Executive Director Grant Williams’ suggestion
stemmed from a report showing that 158 employees in
the system have salaries over $100,000, an increase of 66
people with salaries over that amount a year ago.
The numbers at the University increased from 31 to
48 people with salaries above $100,000.
“I don’t feel the salaries are out of line with other insti
tutions of higher education, considering the quality we’re
trying to attain,” said University System Chancellor
Dean Propst earlier this week.
Meanwhile, employees at the University believe steps
are already being taken to look at the pay plan through
a committee headed by David Coker, assistant to
University President Charles Knapp.
Maiy Cash, head of the University chapter of the
GSEU, said the plan discusses salaries and job classifi
cation within and outside the University. It will also
change the classification and raise salaries to be compa
rable to other universities, she said.
“We’re moving forward, but at a snail’s pace,” Cash
said. “I don’t expect a quick solution unless someone
drops $100 billion in our laps. It’s going to go on for some
time now.”
The union is afraid of getting something passed too
quickly," said Linda Slaney, vice president of the GSEU.
Cash agrees with Williams and is concerned why
some people received a 0 percent pay increase and oth
ers received more than 20 percent.
Employees with salaries exceeding $100,000 at the
University include University President Charles Knapp,
chemistry professor Henry Schaefer III, Vice President
of Academic Affairs William Prokasy, and Jacquelyn
Kinder, Health Services director, among others.
“Was it necessary to raise salaries over $100,000 at a
time when secretaries got next to nothing?” asked Cash.
“If the evaluations are so poor for people to receive noth
ing, why are they still employed here?”
Representative wants Stone
investigation turned over to GBI
By CATHLEEN EGAN
Staff Writer
Despite a letter of complaint from
a state representative to Gov. Zell
Miller asking that the investigation
into the murder of Jennifer Stone be
turned over to the Georgia Bureau of
Investigation, Athens-Clarke County
police say their efforts to catch her
killer will remain undaunted.
“They’re continuing their investi
gation. This is our first priority," said
Athens-Clarke County Chief of Police
Ronald Chandler. “We are constantly
pursuing this investigation and I have
full confidence in our department
They’re working hard in trying to fin
ish the investigation and arrest the
perpetrator."
Stone was found raped and stran
gled in her downtown Athens apart
ment last April, and police say they
still have no solid leads.
In the letter, 3rd District Rep.
Charles Poag demanded the crime be
solved quickly because he feels the
investigation into the murder of the
University senior has dragged on too
long.
“Mr. Hammrick (director of the
GBI) informed me that the police offi
cers in Athens-Clarke County have
not asked the GBI to come in and take
charge of the murder investigation,"
the letter reads. “I ask you to order
Director Hammrick and the GBI to
take charge of this case and send all
the necessary agents to Athens to
solve it.”
Chandler said he thinks Poag
might have assumed he could have
used his political power to look into
the GBI’s records.
“I don’t know what would have
provoked this person to write a letter,
but I have no knowledge of this per
son coming to our department and
getting briefed on the case," Chandler
said. “We’ve been working hand-in-
hand with the GBI."
Poag also wrote, “I have a daugh
ter in school at Athens and I am
speaking for all the parents who have
students at UGA, as well as the citi
zens of Georgia. This case has been
dragging on for over five months and
I want this murder solved."
As for local complaints from par
ents in regard to the investigation, the
police chief said concern is evident
irom the people, but there have been
no doubts in nis department.
There are people I’ve seen locally
that are concerned,” Chandler said,
T>ut there’s been no undue pressure.
We are still very close to possibly
arresting someone."
Jennifer Stone
Stone’s close friend, Sandi Turner,
said she is thankful for the police’s
efforts.
“I think the police are working
very diligently," Turner said. “I think
more people would like to see it
solved, but they’ve put a lot of work
into the investigation. Just because
it’s not in the news every day doesn’t
mean much. Something like this will
be in the news a lot at first, but then
it’ll trickle down."
Carrie Shaw, president of Kappa
Delta - Stone’s sorority, said her feel
ings about the police investigation
have changed during the past five
months.
“I thought it was very good then,
they were very persistent," she said. “I
don’t think they’re doing a whole lot
about it now. You don’t hear anything
about it anymore, there aren't any
more updates."
Lunatic fringe
Right: Self-proclaimed 'profession
al lunatic' Harley Newman takes a
strait-jacketed spin on his unicycle
Wednesday afternoon on the Tate
Student Center Plaza. Bottom:
Freshman pre-engineering major
Stewart Preston breaks a cinder
block on Newman's chest while he
naps on a bed of nails.
Congress fails to reauthorize funds
for federal Endangered Species Act
By ALLEN BOWIE
Staff Writer
Congress has failed to reauthorize funding for the
federal Endangered Species Act (ESA), pushing the
controversial piece of legislation toward a post-election
debate.
But a University ecologist is pushing to strengthen
the act which protects the endangered populations, as
well as species.
The ESA covers some species and populations of
vertebrates, but not entire populations of plants,” said
Gary Meffe, an associate ecologist at the University.
However, conservative interest groups opposed to
the act say they are seeking to change or “make rea
sonable” the act that sometimes blocks economic
progress.
All eyes have been focused on Congress’ next move,
with most special interest groups uncertain if the reau
thorization will decrease the breadth of the law or
include broader protection for wildlife habitats.
“We must recognize the importance of evolutionary
and genetic perspectives in endangered species recov
ery," he said. The act should be broadened to include
all populations of any species.”
If a population is destroyed, then its function in the
local ecosystem deteriorates regardless of whether the
population exists elsewhere, he said.
“By losing these populations and species, we may be
f
losing biological information and resources,” Meffe said.
Meffe said such a loss hurts humans because genet
ic information can prove beneficial to humans for devel
opment of drugs, foods and natural products.
Scientists say the loss of fundamental parts of
nature are causing the collapse of failing ecosystems
around the world.
Currently the federal act lists over 600 species as
endangered. The state list, however, contains 32 ani
mals that may not be nationally threatened but are still
in danger of becoming extinct in Georgia.
The outcome of the reauthorization debates could
greatly affect the state list, a wildlife biologist said.
There is a big push now to weaken the federal act,"
said Jim Ozier, at the Endangered Species Office.
“People from businesses, farm bureaus and developers
are concerned about the effects of the act on their pri
vate property.”
For example, in a previous case where a group of
endangered fish blocked the construction of a
Tennessee dam, the ESA came into play.
Blocking economic progress similar to the Tennessee
incident sparked the formation of the “God Squad,” a
politically appointed group formed to review individual
cases between business and environmental matters.
“A lot of what happens to the protection of endan
gered species depends on the election," Ozier said. “We
could see the act expanded or we could see a number of
species taken off the list."