Newspaper Page Text
0ct.^,1997
Volume 39
Issue 5
Students charge
head-on into debt
Keith Meade
Staff Reporter
Students are charging their way
into a credit nightmare. The rate of
credit card debt for students has
almost doubled in the last five years
with students using plastic to pay
for a multitude of purchases.
Nita Thurmon, senior, is like
many students on college cam
puses today. She has seven
credit cards and has used them
throughout college. Thurmon is
having to learn the dangers of
credits cards through experi
ence.
“I buy clothes, books, food,
and I even buy gas on my credit
cards. I really used them up and
my mother has banned me from
my credit cards.”
Frances Horton, store clerk
of the University bookstore,
states that nine out of 10 stu
dents that come through her line
use credit cards.
“They buy clothes, books, and
I have even had some to buy just
a coke and a candy bar on credit
cards.”
U.S.News and World Report
says that 65 percent of college
students have credit cards and
represent more than half of debt
ors seeking help at the National
Consumer Counseling Service.
The average outstanding credit
card balance jumped from SBBS
Campus Voices 4
Crossword puzzie 14
\
Horoscope 15
Volleyball 10
Homecoming Events... 2
•' "ißife ' " • Vi. •
West Georgian
to $1721 between 1991 and 1995
for households headed by some
one under 25 years of age.
Credit card applications are
placed all over campus and the
free incentives, such as shirts,
cameras, stereos, and vacation
discounts, make obtaining a
credit card seem exciting. Once
the cards arrive in the mail, us
ing them to buy things can be
come addictive.
Dr. Leland Gustafson, a pro
fessor in the Economics depart
ment, compares the risks of plas
tic money with the risks of drink
ing.
“Credit cards are dangerous. It
is easy to get into trouble and can
hard to control, like drinking.”
Credit card companies only ask
that the holder pay sls or three
percent of the balance each month.
Gustafson says that if someone only
paid the minimum payment on a
balance of SI,OOO at 18 percent
interest, it would take ova- eight
years to pay off the debt and the
total of all the payments for a $ 1,000
loan would be close to $2,000.
Students need to be aware of the
hazards of credit cards and the
proper way to utilize them.
Gustafson suggests that students
should have only one credit card,
keeping track of what is spent, and
pay the card off every month.
If you need more information or
help with credit cards and credit
debt, you an contact the Consumer
Credit Counseling Service at 1-800-
251-2227. This is a non-profit
agency that provides free budget
counseling and debt management
' programs. There are no qualifica
tions or requirements for any con
sumer.
Dr. Gustafson also offers a
course, Economics 301, titled “How
to Spend Money.” The class is of
fered winter and summer quarters.
Contact the Richards College of
Business at 836-6477 for further
information.
Friends and family struggle as
UWG student remains in coma
Marlie Johnson
Staff Reporter
Holly Harman went to a party
full oflifeon Oct. 18,1996,andleft
on the verge of death because of
thedrug gammahydroxy butrytrate
(GHB). One year later, the former
UWG student remains in a coma
that doctors say she will not re
cover from.
After spending two months at
Emory University Hospital and
three months at Shepherd Spinal
Clinic, Harman has been moved to
Pine Knoll Nursing Home.
She is fed through a tube, at
tends daily physical therapy ses
sions to try and keep her muscles
from further deterioration, and is
taken to the beauty parlor down the
hall once a week fra* a good hair
wash and a braid. Hannan, who
used to be a fun-loving, all Ameri
can girl, is now just breathing.
The adjustment of not having her
around has been hard on both
llarman’sfknilyandherctose friends.
“It’s been a real tough year for
us,” her father Ned Harmon said.
An eye doctor told the family about
a month ago that even if Harman
Freshmen take action at UWG
Kristinn Ramsey
Staff Reporter
Atalmosteverycollegeor university,
freshmen always seem to get the short
end of the stick They are the newest of
the new, unfamiliar to their surround
ings, and extremely vulnerable. As far as
“say so” about any matter, they practi
cally have no voice at all. Here atUWG,
though, freshman can have their “say
so” throughUWG’sEreshman Council.
Freshman Council is a branch of
UWG’s Student Government Associa
tion. Fourteen members serve in the
interestofthe freshman body. This year,
Ronnie Lunk officiates as president, and
Natalie Ball serves as vice president
IsHeshmanCbundlsomethingnew?
According to Shawn Bingham, advisor
State University of West Georgia
" 111 " " 1 1
I
1
.
Hr WWm ■
BgR I Mr ■
IT *. sh
'VH
Niki Lister, Amy Gonzales, Holly Harmon and Steph Lister (I
--r) are shown hanging out before Harmon went into a coma.
came out of the coma, she would
never see again.
The friends Harman lived with
just before the incident are also trying
to adjust to life without her. The
friends sit around and laugh as they
remember how life with Hannan was
far from dull.
“I remember the night before the
incident,” said long time friend Kim
Clause, “We went to a party at the
to the council the council has been
around perhaps every since there has
been an SGA.
The council has, to this date, accom
plished many goals. Last year the
council was responsible for attaining
weekend hours for the intramural gym,
weight room, and game room.
“Freshman, in particular, were con
cerned about the lack of activities on the
weekends. Many of them either don’t
have cars or live too far away to go home
every weekend,” says Bingham. “Soin
order for them to have something to do,
the council drew up the proposal, and
SGA was able to push the extended
hours.”
One of the goals for this year’s
council is to see what it can do to
reverse the universitie’s policy on
TKE house. Holly was having such
a good time dancing and meeting
everyone there, I don’t think she
ever met a stranger.”
Clauseremembers little things, too,
like how much she loved Dr. Pepper
and the song “Brown Eyed Girl”
“I also remember the sound of
her laugh,” Clause said.
See Struggle, page 2
meal plans and freshmen.
“We just don’t understand the sense
ofthose[meal]plans,’’says Ronnie Lunk,
president of the council. “We want to
either reverse the policy or at least make
it so that freshmen can drop die [meal]
plans after the first quarter.”
Another goal of the council is to try to
extend the operation hours ofZ-6. “If we
are going to have toeat at the Z, then we
should be provided with some weekend
hours on at least one day of the week
end,” says Lunk
ThroughßeshmanCoundlthefresh
man student body can be heard loud and
clear. “Freshman don’trealize that they
do have a say so about policies that affect
them on campus,” says Link Freshman
Council meets every Wednesday at 8
pjn. in room 202 in the Student Center.