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PAGE TWO
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Second Front
News Analysis
Courting, Sparking For Lights
BY SALLY ROBERTS
Bob Beeves, head of the
Physical Education department,
and Mr. Paul Jones, Intramural
Director, met Tuesday with
representatives of the Georgia
Power Company to discuss the
possibility of lighting both the
West Georgia intramural field
and the tennis courts, Georgia
Power estimated that the cost of
lighting the intramural fields
would be approximately SI6,(MX),
and indicated that a previously
received estimate of ap
proximately SB,OOO for lighting
the tennis courts was correct.
Estimates for the lighting of both
facilities total $24,000.
INITIAL STAGES
Consideration of these projects
is at present in initial stages. If
the projects were undertaken,
however, Georgia Power would
serve as a consultant with
engineers from that company
drawing up the specifications
l>efore bids from independent
contractors would be called for.
Beeves stated that all of the
expense need not be met at once.
Two of the intramural fields
could be lighted at a cost of
$16,000 which includes two
football fields and a playable
softball field, while the tennis
courts could be lighted three at a
time at a cost of $4,000 for each
set. Electrical outlets are already
installed on the tennis courts,
therefore the estimated cost of
SB,OOO is for posts and lights only.
PRIORITY
Priority seems to be placed on
lighting the intramural fields
first. “We have a tremendous
amount of pressure for football,”
explained Reeves. “As of fall
quarter, the class schedule will
be changed so that afternoon
classes will end at 4:15 instead of
3:50. This would mean that
games cannot be started before
Feature
Confidence Typifies Blind Student
BY JOHN LINDSEY
Ronnie McNeal is twenty years
old, a first quarter freshman, and
blind. His home is in Gainesville
and he entered West Georgian
from the Georgia Academy for
the Blind in Macon.
This is not his first experience
away from home, but is his first
major interaction with people
who have sight.
When asked why he chose West
Georgia he said, “Well, at the
time I was finishing up at the
Academy. I was planning on
going to the University, but my
counselor there thought it would
be better if I went to a smaller
school, at least for the first two
years.”
As for his impressions of West
Georgia, he said, “I thought of
West Georgia as being a compact
school
“By that, I mean I couldn’t
believe how spread out
everything was when I got here. I
felt the buildings would be closer
together.”
He says he doesn’t have much
trouble when it comes to getting
4:30, and there will not be enough
daylight hours for more than one
slate of games. Also, due to the
difficulty in finding enough of
ficials for games on all four fields
at once, it might be necessary in
the future to begin playing on
weekends if the fields, or part of
them, cannot be lighted ” With
close to 20 teams participating,
several hundred students would
be affected.
Students
Can Vote
'Absentee ’
Students who will be unable to
vote in person in the General
Primary on August 8 should
remember to apply for an ab
sentee ballot.
August 2 is the last day to make
this application through the
county registrar at the county
seat in which the student is
registered, if the ballot has to be
mailed over 300 miles.
August 6 is the final day county
registrars can mail out these
ballots
These ballots must be filled out
no later than August 7, and
must arrive at the home county
registrar’s office by mail not
later than 7 p.m. on August 8, the
date of the General Primary.
All absentee ballots must be
witnessed in order to be valid.
Miss Elizabeth Parker,
Registrar, is the only official on
campus who is authorized to
witness these ballots
Miss Parker says that she will
be glad to witness them for any
student. The downtown post
office also has offical witnesses
on duty during the voting days to
validate absentee ballots.
around campus. “The people are
friendly and everyone tries to be
helpful.
“I have people who walk me to
class. My textbooks are not in
Braille so I have friends who read
to me each night. My instructors
are understanding and I take my
tests orally,” he said.
Ronnie is interested in music
and history at West Georgia. He
plays the alto sax, piano, organ,
clarinet, and guitar.
He is extremely talented with
the guitar and there are many
residents of Pritchard hall who
can verify this fact.
As to his taste in music he says
he likes both classical and rock,
and he understandably enjoys
songs which paint verbal pic
tures.
Ronnie has thought about an
education major, so that
someday he may be able to teach
blind students. The counselors
frowned on this idea, however,
because they feel he should in
teract more with sighted people.
Ronnie doesn’t mind talking
THE WEST GEORGIAN
An interest in lighting the
tennis courts has also been ex
pressed by the college com
munity. By lighting the courts, it
would be possible not only to
schedule night classes to ac
commodate the large number of
students who sign up for classes
over and above the day-time
quota, but it would also make
possible intramural tennis
without interferring with af
ternoon classes, according to
Reeves.
FINANCING
Conjectures for financing the
project are varied. Speculation at
present suggests that con
tingency funds from student
activity fees could be used, with a
possible increase in fees
predicted for the future. Another
possibility would be to install
money boxes so that players
would pay a quarter per hour for
lights. Receipts would go to the
contracting company until all
costs were met, and the boxes
would then be removed. Such a
plan was successfully im
plemented at the University of
Alabama, according to Mr.
Robert Townley, director of
Plant Operations at West
Georgia. A third consideration
would be the soliciting of funds
from members of the com
munity. The courts would then be
opened for community use at
certain times.
Funding from the Department
of Plant Operations is a fourth
consideration. However, the
project has been on the Campus
Development priority list for
some time and its place on the list
still would not warrant its ac
complishment in the near future.
Reeves is at present looking
into plans both for the financing
and contracting of these projects,
although no definite
arrangements have been made.
about his disability. “Sure,
blindness is a handicap” he says,
“but it’s not a major handicap.
All I have lost is my vision. My
other senses are as good, if not
better, than everyone else’s.”
Born prematurely, he has been
blind all his life but can see light
images. He has a twin brother
who is partially sighted, and who
plans to study architecture at
Georgia Tech.
Ronnie has endured a lot.
People tend to slip and forget his
handicap. Phrases such as,
“Come in and watch television,”
or “Did you see that?” he has
heard many times before.
“People tend to be over
solicitous because of my hand
icap,” Ronnie said. “People
don’t understand that someone is
not going to be around all the
time to help me like on the
weekend.”
However, he added, “I have
thought about this a great deal
and have concluded that this is
the element of humanity at
work.”
Consumer Board
Now In Operation
Nine students have been named to the newly formed SGA ( onsumer
Relations Board They are Allan Abernathy, Ronnie Bailey. Art
Campbell, Hal Dally, Billy Harper. Janice Kleg. George Mays, Bruce
Rogers and Hal Sewell. Advisers are Mr. George "Skip Coulter of the
speeeh department and Dr. Richard Guynn and Mr. Duncar. I've of the
economics department.
Areas of immediate concern to
the Board will be off-campus
housing and restaurants. The
Board iKqies to publish a list of
off-campus housing facilities in
Carrollton before fall quarter.
The iMHising facilities will be
rated according to price and
quality.
Member Bruce Rogers com
mented on the purpose of the
Board: "In all probability every
student wlx> has been at WGC for
more than one quarter feels that
he has been rip|>ed off at one time
or another by some business,
either in town or on campus The
Board provides a tool with which
the student can fight back,
through publicity. When a
Riding Club
Organizing
For Winter
The formation of a horseback
riding club is now under con
sideration If student interest
warrants, such a club could be
established for winter quarter
and would offer students an
opportunity to receive two hours
of P.E credit.
One hour of credit would be
given each quarter for a
maximum of two quarters. Club
credits do not have to be con
secutive.
Horses would be available
through Hilltop Stables. Hilltop is
now supplying horses for the
fundamentals of riding course
being offered through the P.E.
department for the first time this
quarter
West Georgia now has seven
sports clubs, and students may
receive one hour credit for fifteen
hours of participation in any of
these clubs. Those now in
existence are the Grotto Club, the
Judo Club, the Karate Club, the
Bar Bell Club, the Scuba Diving
Club, the Bravettes. and the
recently formed Sky Diving Club.
If response is adequate, a
meeting will be scheduled to
make further plans for the for
mation of a riding club.
Interested students should call
Pam Bruggeman at 832-2753 or
Sally Roberts at 834-3844.
Flying Club
Attracted
To Airport
Horace Stewart, faculty
sponsor of the West Georgia
College Flying Club has an
nounced that the organization
will hold a meeting on Thursday,
July 27.
Members should meet at 6:30
at the student center, and will go
from there to the West Georgia
Regional Airport.
All members who have cars
should bring them to provide
transportation for the others to
the airport.
JULY 21, 1972
number of students been
badly treated by an establish
ment, other students should be
warned. Thus, pressur? may
generate improvement in the
products or services involved. ’’
Criticism will not be the only
function of the board. ‘lt is
essential that recognition be
given to those businesses ihat
have served students well,”said
another board member, "‘no
type of recognition may cone
through publicity. Another hoe
may be in the form of an awaij
granted to an outstandiig
business each year.”
It is also hoped that the Bcird
will improve relations between
the town and W'est Geogia
students. SGA president Rick
Waites stated, “If the prograo is
conducted with dignity and >b
jectivity. it should serve to im
prove relations between tie
student Ixidy at West Georgia ant
the people of Carrollton."
Student involvement will be th
key to the Board’s succes
George Mays. Secretary o‘
Student Services and chairman o.
the Consumer Board said, “I
would like to urge student par
ticipation inasmuch as the first
purpose of the Board is to help all
of the students. Certainly
everybody has a complaint, and
some would like to praise a
certain establishment. With
everyone’s cooperation, we can
make this project an asset not
only to the College, but to the
entire Carrollton area.”
Complaints or suggestions may
lie sent to this address: Con
sumer Relations Board, Student
Government Association, Box
10008, W.G.C., Carrollton, Ga.
30117.
Carrollton
Petitions
Circulated
A committee of local citizens is
spearheading a drive in
Carrollton to gather signatures
on a petition asking the city to
call a referendum on the sale of
liquor inside the city.
State law requires the
signatures of thirty-five percent
of the eligible voters at the last
election.
Under an amendment passed
by the last session of the
legislature, cities are now
eligible to hold liquor referen
dums. Prior to this year, all such
referendums had to be on a
countywide basis.
Bowdon recently held a
referendum and saw the forces
favoring legalized liquor go down
to defeat by a margin of 113
votes out of a total of 447 cast.
Bowdon was the first city in
Carroll County to hold a liquor
referendum.
Beer and wine are presently
sold in package stores in Bowdon
and Carrollton. However, the
county is “dry.”
Where as there was no
organized opposition to the liquor
forces until the last few days
prior to the election, the anti
liquor forces in Carrollton have
already bought newspaper ads to
publicize their views.