About The Red and Black (Athens, Ga.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 12, 1996)
4 y ■ Smith to sign contract worth more than $2 million - 6 The Red & Black An independent student newspaper serving the University of Georgia community ■ INSIDE • An interview with Mike Figgis, director of ‘Leaving Las Vegas' • A look at ‘unique,’ ‘unusual’ classes MONDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 1996 • ATHENS, GEORGIA » VOLUME 103, ISSUE 77 Record crowd cheers Dogs to victory Pom-pom squad Jacob Caines, a freshman from Duluth, Ga„ used his suit of pom poms to distract Thaddeus McGee of Alabama into missing two free throws early in the first half of Georgia's 68-51 victory Saturday. Please see related story on men's basketball, page 6 Lady Dogs win 18th straight By C. TRENT ROSECRANS Staff Writer A crowd of 7,063 showed up at the Coliseum on Sunday night to see the Georgia women’s basketball team beat South Carolina 79-61, but South Carolina’s Shannon Johnson was 20 minutes late. Johnson, the Southeastern Conference’s leading scorer, was held scoreless for the first half, but came back with a vengeance, scoring 20 points in the second after the Lady Bulldogs had jumped out to a 38-21 halftime lead. “Shannon’s a great player. The only thing you can’t do is contain her,” Georgia guard Saudia Roundtree said. “She is a great ath lete and is one of the best players I’ve played against all year. She’s probably the best guard I’ll have to guard all year. You can try to con tain her, and I think we did a great job of that in the first half. But we knew that in the second half she was going to be very determined to score.” And score she did. In the first five minutes of the second half, Johnson racked up 11 points, including three three-pointers. Roundtree, Kedra Holland, Pam Irwin and Latrese Bush all con tributed to the shut-down of Johnson in the first half. “We just got down and played some dirty defense,” Holland said. “We stopped her penetration. Her shots weren’t really falling in the first half. (In the second halfl she just got to be Johnson. She stepped up to the three-point line and they started falling." Johnson wasn’t the only player on the court who had trouble finding the basket. The Lady Bulldogs shot just 42.9 percent for the game. La’Keshia Frett led the Lady Bulldogs with 14 points, but shot only 38 percent from the field. Roundtree added 11 points, shooting 28 percent, but added eight assists, one more than the entire South Carolina squad. “I thought defensively we played well," head coach Andy Landers said. “We held them to 21, and Johnson hadn't scored. The only thing we really hadn't done is hit any of the shots." The Bulldogs continued to play their characteristically tough pres sure defense, with 12 steals on the game and forced 20 Lady Gamecock turnovers. “I kind of like to be known as a defensive player," said Holland, who finished with four steals and 12 points. “It’s fun to play defense and get on somebody and try to frustrate that person. Tonight, I got in and played some defense and got some steals in.” Sunday night’s crowd was the third largest in the Coliseum for a women’s basketball game. THE SCORECARD Women's Basketball No. 1 Georgia 79 South Carolina 61 The Lady Bulldogs will take on tire Kentucky Lady Wildcats Tuesday night In the Coliseum at 7:30. The contest will not be aired on TV. Please see related story on women's basketball, page 7 USA HAY The Red and Slack Georgia's Latrese Bush plays solid defense on South Carolina's Natalie Funderburk. Bush had six points, three rebounds and two steals in the 79-61 Georgia victory Sunday. U.S. Representative talks on deficit, abortion Editor's Note: This is the first of a two-part inter view with U.S. Rep. John Linder. Tomorrow's arti cle will address student issues, the med\a and Linder’s role as a politician. By CHARLOTTE LIEBERMAN Staff Writer Much like presidential hopefuls in Iowa scram bling to get their messages out, Congressman John Linder (R) will come to Athens tomorrow to cam paign, spread his message of fiscal responsibility and get to know his new district. Linder, 4th District representative, will be run ning for the 11th District this year which, due to redistricting, includes Athens. The 11th District encompasses much of Linder’s former district. He will visit the University Tuesday to speak with University President Charles Knapp, and will also visit other areas around Athens-Clarke and Oconee counties. Although Athens usually votes Democrat, Linder didn’t appear worried during an interview Thursday in his Atlanta office. “The role of politics for me is to explain to the peo ple in the district what I believe, and then they can judge as to whether my values represent their val ues," he said. Linder said his main issue of concern is fiscal responsibility. “I think everybody in this district as well as everyone in America has the same problem,” he said. “Government has grown too large and is spending too much of our children and grandchildren’s money. What we are doing is so important. I’ve got two grandchildren and it’s so important to get out of this mess and pay off our debts so you kids don’t have to do it.*’ Linder said if the govern ment doesn’t get control of spending by the year 2000, Americans will be paying 84 percent of their yearly income in taxes to pay off the country’s debt. “We are $5 trillion in debt,” he said. “If I started a business the day Jesus Christ was bom and lost a million dollars a day, it would take me another 720 years to reach one trillion and we’ve lost four trillion in the last 15 years. That’s pathetic.” Linder said he’d support a constitutional amend ment banning abortion in all cases except to save the mother’s life. “There have been three times in history when we declared that a certain class of the population is undeserving of constitutional protection," he said. “First, there were the Indians, and we took their land. Second, there were black people, and we took their freedom Third is the unborn child, and we take its life. We are still repenting for the first two, and we will for the third " Linder said he will try to get his message across to University students, employees and Athenians. Unsure who will run against him, he said he plans on spending much of his time in Athens and the rest of 11th District campaigning until November. Professor received promotion, raises despite reprimands By ASNE GRAVER Staff Writer A University professor under inves tigation for allegedly harassing a female student was repeatedly pro moted and received substantial salary increases, despite letters of reprimand for his mistreatment of his colleagues and students. Herman van Halbeek. a professor of biochemistry in the Complex Carbohydrate Research Center, received “one of the largest faculty salary increases” for the fiscal year of July 1, 1994 to June 30, 1995. accord ing to a letter signed by CCRC co directors Alan Darvill and Peter Albersheim and biochemistry depart ment head J. David Puett, and dated Aug. 3, 1994. Van Halbeek was promoted to full professor in September of that year. His salary for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1995 was $81,258.99, com pared to $73,826.97 for the previous fiscal year, according to state auditor's reports. The August 1994 letter, released Friday by the University’s Office of Legal Affairs, states: “We and our col leagues demonstrated our esteem for your contributions to UGA by recom mending your promotion to full profes sor and by seeing to it that you received one of the largest faculty salary increases for the next academic year." But the letter also states that van Halbeek’s treatment of staff and mem bers of his research team “is unaccept able and counter-productive." It con tinues. “You have exhibited a pattern, over many years, of not treating peo ple beholden to you in a manner that is acceptable to us." Van Halbeek was promoted in 1989 to associate professor of biochemistry and chemistry. At that time, he had received a letter of reprimand in con nection with sexual harassment in 1987 and another letter of reprimand in liksh The letters, both written by Albersheim, address concerns about van Halbeek’s relations with other workers at the center. In the 1988 letter, released by the Office of Legal Affairs Friday, van Halbeek was told, “you are having serious problems with a number of people in the Center." Van Halbeek was also told. “It would be very wise for you to consider professional guidance in this matter." Albersheim and Puett had no com ments Saturday. In a separate case, a University music professor faces a hearing on sex ual harassment charges which could lead to his dismissal. The Associated Press reported Friday. Alexander Ross, an associate pro fessor who teaches violin, told the AP that the allegations against him were ludicrous. “Sexual harassment was never spo ken to me in any official meeting until the very recent past." Ross said. “I don’t think I ever did anything that could be considered as harassment." Some of the allegations date almost as far back as 1988. Ross said. Ross' attorney, C.P. Brackett, said Sunday his client was the victim of a “witch hunt" at the University. “I believe Alex is a victim, just like a rape victim." Brackett said. “At this point, he’s being raped by the system. As far as we re concerned, they’re unfounded allegations, and the nature of them is vague. This is outright char acter assassination." Ross was promoted a year ago and has been recommended for tenure, music school director Richard Graham told the AP Friday. Brackett said he had not been informed of a date for the hearing. - Staff Writer Marc Lancaster con tributed to this story. Georgia Center means yoga, tai chi classes and jobs By JASON MUNDY Contributing Writer Located in the heart of south campus, the Georgia Center for Continuing Education remains a mystery to many students. The renter is the world’s largest con tinuing education facility on a universi ty campus. Within the confines of the 300,000-square-foot renter is a multime dia environment that includes a radio station, television station and print shop. “WUGA 91.7 FM has been a part of the center for about eight years and is a member of Peach State Public Radio that serves Athens and northeast Georgia." said station manager Gene Craven. Opened in 1957, the Georgia Center was made possible by a $7 million grant from the Kellogg Company and match ing funds from the Georgia Legislature. The renter includes a hotel and dining facilities. As a continuing education facility, the center encompasses a wide range of job opportunities for students. “Among the most important assets are our student personnel, who compro mise almost all of the uniformed staff," said Roger Comley, associate director for hotel and operating services “They relate to our clientele so well that visi tors invariably comment on the quality of this staff " Some undergrads said working at the center provides more than just spending money. “I er\joy working here because it relates to my major, which is public rela tions, and because of the interesting peo ple I get to meet,” said Kelly Byrom, a sophomore from Atlanta who works as a front desk clerk The center focuses on “continuing education" by offering a selection of cred ited and non-credited classes. By offering evening classes, indepen dent studies and off-campus credit, the center can accommodate college stu dents’ schedules. “Independent studies allowed me to work and gain credit hours at the same time,” said Marty Lovings, a senior from Roswell. As an off-shoot to non-credited class es, the Georgia Center offers community programs geared toward interests and hobbies. The classes provide a hands-on expe rience, which complements the tradi tional educational setting," said Judith DeJoy, head of community programs. Classes offered range from beginning drawing to exploring the Internet to tai chi. Katy Craig, a junior from Atlanta, took a yoga class from the Georgia Center last spring The community programs are an excellent idea," Craig said. They pro vide a unique opportunity to explore interests and hobbies students may oth erwise never have the chance to pursue." J. Workin takes instructor Pamela Lake’s tai chi class at the Georgia Center.
