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Weekend
The Red & Black
An independent student newspaper serving the University of Georgia communitv
FRIDAY, MAY 23, 1997 • ATHENS, GEORGIA •
■ INSIDE
• Spielberg's World'
already discovered
• Marijuana advocate
brings message of
drug awareness
VOLUME 104, ISSUE 140
UGA may limit bike access on campus
By ELTON UEOKA
Contributing Writer
This fall, student cyclists may have to find another
route between North and South Campus.
The frequently-used stretch of Sanford Drive
between Hooper and Field streets may be closed to all
bikers Monday through Friday between 8 a.m. and
4:30 p.m.
“Based on complaints and the pedestrian situation,
we are looking at prohibiting bicycles on Sanford,” said
University Police Chief Chuck Horton.
Horton said police have received numerous
complaints about the ever-growing bicycle population.
“Many issues are bicycles coming down the bridge
SORAYA KRAMER /The Red and Black
at high rates of speed, weaving through pedestrians,”
Horton said. “We’re trying to get a lot of people to be as
safe as they can be in a confined environment.”
Horton said there have been about five bicycle-
pedestrian accidents on Sanford Drive in as many
years.
Chris Hale, a junior from Warner Robins, claims to
have dodged many of the fast moving bikes while
crossing Sanford.
“It is (a problem),” he said. “Sometimes they’re
flying down the road.”
Not everyone has a negative image of bikers on
Sanford, however.
“They never get in my way,” said Micah Hudson, a
sophomore from Lavonia.
Also, bikers who rely on the stretch of road said
they are concerned about their commute.
“It’s crazy. That’s the only road that goes through
campus,” said Lane Garwood, a junior from Albany.
“Pedestrians just cross the street at random; they don’t
even look.”
Without Sanford, cyclists would have to use either
East Campus Road or Lumpkin Street.
Ben Salt, co-chair of the Athens-Clarke County Safe
Cycling Association, said making students use these
heavily-motorized roads is “like forcing cyclists into
potential deathtraps.”
However, Horton claims the restriction on the span
of pavement doesn’t inconvenience students.
“I don’t think it infringes on anybody. You ride your
bike and get off and walk it,” Horton said. “(The bikers)
can’t always have it (their) way. I have to be concerned
with pedestrians, too.”
Salt believed the prohibition would infringe on the
rights of cyclists.
“It’s a vindicative slap in the face of cyclists,” Salt
said. “The whole idea of having a bicycle is so that you
are faster than pedestrians. This is not a practical
solution.”
Lee Johnson, also a member of the Safe Cycling
Association and a junior from Clarkesville, is
concerned that cyclists were not involved in this
decision.
“I understand their justification, but... they need to
build some kind of designated path for cyclists who
ride to North Campus,” he said.
Salt agreed. “This is typical how the administration
works no-open channels of communication,” he said.
Asa Boynton, University Director of Public Safety,
said he wasn’t sure if the options would be discussed
with students.
“Right now, it’s just in the infant stage,” Boynton
said. “We’re definitely willing to hear any ideas offered.
We haven’t made any decisions yet.”
Horton claims that cooperation with cyclists wasn’t
ruled out by the University.
“We are not naive. We are looking at things that are
viable,” he said. “We’re trying to live harmoniously in a
congested environment.”
Without a viable route for cyclists through campus,
Salt is concerned that more students will opt for cars
and buses, causing even more campus congestion and
overcrowding.
Bikers claim University police are going to
encounter one problem — enforcement.
“People are not going to get off and walk — that’s
the reason they ride bikes,” Garwood said.
Johnson claims he’ll “keep riding on it until they ...
throw me in jail.”
-Staff Writer Andrew DeMillo contributed to this
story.
STREET
CLOSED
BART KINO /The Red and Black
$10 FINE
FOR ENTERING
8O0AM - 430PM
MON - FRI
Cyclists may soon have to walk their bikes
across a stretch of Sanford Drive if the
University follows through on plans to limit
bike access from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Monday through Friday. Only cars are
currently restricted from driving during the
designated times.
Catch this!
GRANT BLANKENSHIP , The Red and Black
Valerie Starky (r) serves the ball to Charles Dasher (center), a junior from Atlanta, during a
game of four square Monday on the Creswell patio.
University clubs to unite
in celebration of diversity
THE LOWDOWN
“A Celebration of Unity of Mankind,” an
evening of coffee, poetry and music, will
be held tonight from 8 to 11 in Georgia
Hall. Admission is $1.
By CORRINA STELUTANO
Staff Writer
Tonight the University campus can unite
over coffee.
A coffee house and talent show, titled “A
Celebration of Unity of Mankind," will be held
from 8 to 11 p.m. tonight in Georgia Hall of
the Tate Student Center. The event is
sponsored by the University’s Baha’i
Association. '
“We’re offering a sober alternative, a
Friday night thing to take time out and
celebrate oneness and unity,” said Mouzhan
Vojdani, a sophomore from Alpharetta, and
the president of the Association. The
association sent letters to various campus
organizations to invite members to share
their talents.
“That was our whole point in inviting the
other clubs, so that we could get some
diversity,” Vojdani said. “Celebrate diversity,
that was our whole point for Friday night.”
There will be poetry readings, acoustic and
folk guitar and singing. Members of the
Indian Cultural Exchange and the Iranian
Cultural Society will perform cultural dances.
After the scheduled performances, there will
be an open mike session.
Brian Ingold, a senior from Marietta, and a
member of the Baha’i Association, said he felt
there was a need for events like this to
encourage unity on campus.
“These problems are there, if little things
like a bulletin board can blow up into all this
divisiveness and disunity,” he said. “I saw
this as something that could balance out all
that negativity.”
Ingold was alluding to a bulletin board
display posted last week in Creswell Hall that
prompted debate over “Afrocentric” ancj
“Eurocentric” world views. The board sparked
heated discussion among Creswell residents,
some of whom said they thought the display
was racist.
“Definitely, I think (the debate) makes us
realize what the feelings are on campus,"
Vojdani said. “The more we can make people
realize and try to make them work together,
the better off we are.”
Ingold explained one of the principles of
the Baha’i faith is oneness and unity of
mankind. The Baha’i faith originated in
Persia in 1844 with the prophet The Bab (The
Gate).
Admission to the event is $1
“It’s only a dollar, and we have all these
great desserts and coffees,” Ingold said. “So, if
nothing else, it’s a great deal.”
UGA students nab photography honors
Musicians
to benefit
Habitat
By BETH HAGGERTY
Staff Writer
Saturday night, three bands will bring
the house down during a benefit concert for
an organization that builds houses.
Day By The River, Popcyde and The
Hill will perform at 9:30 p.m. at The
Georgia Theatre to raise money for the
University chapter of Habitat for
Humanity.
“It's kind of a benefit and a celebration/
said Ethan Sims, a freshman from
Delaware and vice president of public
relations for the organization.
Habitat for Humanity builds $40,000
Hornes for people who will repay the
srganization in 20 years with no interest.
The University chapter finished
suilding its first house in Athens and held
i ceremony Sunday for the recipients,
Bruce and Felicita Hammond.
Sims said the benefit isn’t only for
raising money for projects like that one.
“We wanted to give everyone who
volunteered a chance to come out and
relebrate with us," he said.
Jason Rabineau, guitarist for Day By
The River, said it's hard for the homeless
;o get their lives together.
BENEFIT PREVIEW
Day By The River, Popcycle and The
Hill will perform Saturday at the
Habitat for Humanity Benefit Concert
at The Georgia Theatre. Tickets are
$1. Show starts at 9:30 p.m.
“It’s impossible to get a job without a
home," he said,
“That’s why we feel this is a great
organization, and that’s why we’re honored
to be a part of (the benefit).”
Wes Yokam, vocalist for Popcycle said
he felt the same way. “It’s a great cause.
We’re definitely very excited about helping
out with it,” he said.
Yokam said he was glad to have this
opportunity because he couldn’t help the
organization nearly two years ago, despite
plans to, because of a busy schedule.
“Having a home is the start for any
healthy family," he said.
Both Popcycle and Day By The River
hope to have another reason to celebrate
Saturday, since both bands will compete
Friday night at the Chameleon Club in
Atlanta for a spot on the H.O.R.D.E. tour.
Rabineau said he and Yokam are
friends, and he hopes one of the two bands
will win the spot so they will have more of
a reason to celebrate at the benefit.
Sims said the concert will help the
organization move toward next year’s goal
of making two houses next spring.
“With the volunteer turnout from this
last house, we could have been easily
building two houses at the same time," he
said.
“Our only real stumbling block here is
financial support."
By ANDREA JONES
Staff Writer
Two picture perfect University
students recently received high honors
in one of the most coveted college
journalism competitions in the country.
Mark Adams, a junior from
Kennesaw, and Alan Spearman, a
senior from Lilburn, were chosen from
hundreds of applicants for the Hearst
Journalism Awards Program in the field
of photojournalism.
The photojournalism competition is
divided into three categories and
culminates in a national championship
Alan Spearman
with four finalists from each category.
Adams won the national championship,
and Spearman placed third overall.
Spearman placed fourth in the
portrait-personality category, while
Adams placed first in the sports-news
category.
“I am still in shock about
everything,” Adams said. “The awards
people called us up last Thursday to tell
us we were finalists, and we were on the
plane Friday morning. It was really
amazing.”
The Hearst Awards are open to
undergraduates majoring in journalism
and mass communication. The
competition awards scholarships in
print, photojournalism and broadcast
news.
Both Adams and Spearman started
their work at The Red and Black as
photo editors.
“When we both started at The Red
and Black, we didn’t really know what
we were getting into," Spearman said.
“We’ve both gone on to do some great
internships and other jobs from there."
Adams and Spearman entered a
variety of work to the Hearst Awards
Program.
Adams submitted work from The Red
and Black, as well as Olympic and news
photos taken while working at the
Athens Daily News and Banner-Herald.
For the portrait and personality
competition, Spearman submitted
photos from a story on a woman raising
children while in prison, as well as
other works.
Special lo The Red end Black
Mark Adams
Both students received grants for
their work.
“Overall, I got about $6,000 from the
Awards,” Adams said. “It was $3,000 for
the championship and $2,000 for
winning the news-sports category. I also
placed and won $500 dollars in a couple
of other events."
Adams and Spearman are optimistic
that their winnings will help in future
job opportunities, but for now they are
just ergoying their success and keeping
their feet on the ground.
“I’m going to use the money to pay off
the speeding ticket I got on the way
back to Athens from the airport,” Adamq
said.