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9
V
t
WEDNESDAY
September 30,1998
Vol. 106, No. 27 | Athens, Geobow
Ram, heavy at tunes.
Low 65 | Thursday's high 84
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UnUnL wwwLreaaninadicofn
An independent student newspaper serving the University of Georgia community
ESTABLISHED 1893, INDEPENDENT 1980
► Candidate for attorney general
speaks to law students. PAGE 2
Bailey’s battle in the Bayou
Bogged down, SGA
nixes endorsement
of political group
By RUSS HENDERSON
Thb Red a Black
The Student Government
Association got caught up in argu
ments Tuesday night over an informal
proposal that wasn't "a big deal,” said
Student
Government
Association
President Brett
Newman.
SGA voted down
an informal proposal
that would have
given support to
another University
group.
Newman pro
posed sponsorship
by using SGA’s
name beside
Georgiapac's — a
new political campus group intended
to educate local elected officials on
Israeli-American issues — at an
Atlanta conference next month.
But a majority of senators rejected
the proposal.
"This is the first time the senators
have heard about this group,” said
SGA senator William G. Bennett. "We
don't know anything about them."
Bennett said his decision to oppose
the proposal was out of concern for
SGA's image.
“I don’t want to endorse a group I
know nothing about. I think this
should have been given to us in the
form of a resolution, so the senators
could educate themselves, find out
what Georgiapac's stance is on issues,
and vote on it.”
Newman said he didn’t present the
proposal formally because it didn't
seem like a big deal to him.
“I told these people that getting the
senators' support would be no prob
lem." Newman said "I got surprised. I
don't know what to tell them, now.”
Senator Chris Temple said SGA
should help Georgiapac because the
organization has helped SGA in its
recent voter-registration drive.
"They're given us a lot of volunteers,
they've donated their time," Temple
said. "They’ve scratched our backs. We
should scratch theirs.”
Newman said he may bring the issue
back to the senators in the form of a
resolution at the next meeting of the
senate.
“I see nothing wrong with it if
they're just about education and shar
ing information," Bennett said. "Well
see."
NEWMAN
Survey finds student
loan debt is climbing
By KATE DOUGLAS
The Red a Black
Although students relying on loans face
heavier burdens after graduation, most sav
the benefits outweigh the costs, says a newly
released national study.
Student loan debt is climbing steadily at
the University and all over the country,
according to University financial aid statis
tics and the study, conducted by Nellie Mae.
the nation's largest non-profit loan provider.
“I'm not really worried about paying them
back." said Julie Willis, a senior (Torn Lilburn
“I think it's a good thing, because if I didn't
have them. I wouldn't be going to school
right now.”
fbr the last three years, the total student
loan debt of University graduates has
Increased by about $1,000 each year, said
Susan Little, associate director for the
University's Office of Student Financial Aid.
"The graduating class of 1997 (average)
debt was 112.922," Little said. That's up from
the 1990 average of $11,957, she said.
The University average also is higher than
the national average for 1997 graduates. The
national average for '97 graduates of public
four-year colleges is $10,900. according to the
National Student Loan Survey.
“I think that student loans such as the
Stafford loan are an excellent way for out-of-
state students to get their way through col
lege," said Stanley Holditch, a senior from
Birmingham, Ala. “I think It's a good thing
that there's an alternative for out-of-state
students who can't get the HOPE scholar
ship.”
Nearly half of the survey's respondents
said they relt a "significant burden" due to
student loans. The survey also found that
undergraduate credit card balances average
almost $2,000.
The average annual income of University
graduates is higher than the national aver
age found in the survey.
"The median salary for a bachelor's
degree was $20,000," said Donna Crouch,
associate director for Career Planning and
Placement. This number is based on respon
dents from all colleges.
In the survey, the national average annual
Income for graduates Is $24,000
“I think most programs are willing to
work with you after you graduate,” Willis
said. "If you don't get a Job right away you
can postpone, and you can pay in really
small increments, or more if you can afford
it. And you have many years to pay (them)
back.”
The survey also found that many art and
music students feel their starting salaries
are Inadequate considering their high debts.
But one University art student isn't going
to concern himself with starting salaries
right now. Instead, he's focused on the bene
fits he's gaining at the University.
“I'm not worried about job placement
after graduation, because I’ve never had a
problem finding a Job to support myself."
said Brian Nolan, a Junior from Macon. "I
enjoy being around creative people, and I
hope I can pick up as many technical skills
as I can so that I can better express myself
creatively."
STUDENT LOANS
Rsttont students say loans
are a good Investment:
Career opportunities: 5$ percent
Personal growth: 76 percent
Average loan debt for University graduates:
Class of 1995: $10,800
of 1998: $11,957
of 1997: $12,922
National avacaga loan dabt for public coIIoqoi:
$10,900 in 1997.
National average loan dabt for 1991:
$8,200 for public and private combined.
»!-»■ ■ I-. — — A-L-1 a- - e AAV,
National average loan neot tot i • •
$11,400 for public and private combined.
4 Will
Layng,a
junior from
Atlanta and
a member
of Students
for Environ
mental
Awareness,
hands
absentee
ballot
information
to Taylor
Carmichael,
a sopho
more from
Chatta
nooga,
Tenn.
SEA will
help people
register
to vote
again on
Thursday.
Registration drives held for students
By ANDREW DeMILLO
The Red • Black
In a last-minute effort to get stu
dents Involved In this year’s election,
the Student Government
Association and other stu-
dent groups are holding a V|
series of registration drives ■ ’
this week.
The SGA external
affairs committee will
distribute voter registra
tion forms to residents of
the Riverbend Club, Players
Club and Polo Club apart
ment complexes Thursday. The drive
is an effort to get more east side resi
dents Involved in local and state poli
tics, said External Affairs Committee
Chair Chris Hoofhagle.
“East side's students are some of
the most disenfranchised people in
Athens,” Hoofhagle said. “Students
have been contained on the east side
of Athens for years. They’re inten
tionally located on the undesirable
side of town.”
The SGA effort is an
attempt to get as many stu
dents registered to vote in
the Nov. 3 election as pos
sible. The deadline for
registration is Oct. 5.
Students also will have
the opportunity to register
to vote through another
drive sponsored by the Greek
Reformation in Progress at the Tate
Student Center Plaza from 11:30 a.m.
to 2:30 p.m. today.
Tina Willingham, the head of GRIP
said her organization hopes to
increase the political awareness of
students, especially those in Greek
life. About 1,000 voter registration
forms were distributed to Milledge
Avenue fraternities and sororities last
week, according to SGA.
Students for Environmental
Awareness also will hold a voter regis
tration drive at the Tate plaza
Thursday from 11 a m. to 2 p.m.
Students also can pick up registra
tion forms at Tate, the Athens-Clarke
libraries or by calling the A-C Board
of Elections at 613-3150.
Hoofhagle said he hopes enough
students register to make a difference
in the A-C elections.
"This is a town where the election
can be decided by as few as 300
votes," he said.
Some Reed Hall residents to get refund
By RUSS HENDERSON
The Red a Buck
Fourth-Door residents of Reed
Hall, who spent four weeks at
Holiday Inn before moving into
their dorms, will get a $200
refund, University Housing
Director Jim Day said Tuesday
Basement residents will get a
$150 refund.
Delays in the $10.4 million
renovation of Reed — designed
to be one of the best in the coun
try — kept first- through third-
Ooor residents out of the hall
until Aug. 21, a few days before
classes began. Fourth-Door resi
dents moved in two weeks ago,
on Sept. 16.
“We appreciate their forbear
ance and understanding," Day
said Tuesday. “This Is the last of
the residential part of dealing
with Reed. Now we have to get
on with finishing the dorm
itself.”
A $100 reimbursement for
Drat- through third-floor resi
dents was announced late last
month. These checks should be
on their way to their recipients
soon, he said.
“If they’re not In the mall.
they're dang close,” Day said. “I
signed those last week.”
Some fourth-floor Reed resi
dents, most of whom are paying
more than $1,500 for rooms larg
er than those In most dorms, say
$200 isn’t enough of a refund for
the residents.
“1 want to know how they
came up with that flgure.” said
fourth-floor resident Claude
Davis, a senior from Atlanta
“The people downstairs got $100
for staying Just a few days in the
Holiday Inn. We stayed there for
more than four weeks.”
Other students agreed and
said they would pay what they
felt was appropriate,
“I’m going to write a check for
what I feel they deserve,” said
Katlyne Loulssalnt, a senior from
8myma who lives on the fourth
floor. "They’ll Just have to deal
with it."
Others said the reimburse
ment was certainly enough.
"I'm satisfied,” said Scott
Peebles, a freshman from
Columbus. “I never minded liv
ing in the Holiday Inn. I had a
maid, room service, pay-per-view.
And here at Reed, we get lots of
beneflts for the price we pay.”
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