News stories this week...

Student not allowed in dorm with service dog

Dedication of new hall took place

International Student Center moving into Pace Hall

Homecoming court was selected

Ratcliffe named dean of Sorrell College of Business

Police urge extra caution because of purse thefts

Shelby speaks to local residents about concerns

ATT New questions remain

Student not allowed in dorm with service dog

Tracy Lee, Features Editor

Housing makes every attempt to make sure residents are safe and secure in their residence halls.

Unfortunately for Heidi Smith, safe and secure for some includes being away from dogs.

Smith, a junior majoring in rehabilitation from Enterprise, needs a service dog to attend college, she said in a meeting Monday morning.

The meeting was called because Smith was told the dog was not allowed in the Gardner Hall.

"The dog helps me walk so I won't hurt as bad," she said.

Smith has a condition that left an empty space in her back.

This causes her to have numbness in her legs and to fall down a lot, said Deborah G. Sellers, director of the Adaptive Needs Program.

Melody McDougal, Smith's mother, said the dog will eventually be able to help Smith to stay balanced.

"The dog will help her stay balanced by standing up against her legs," she said. "At the very least, it will help break her fall.

"Right before school started, Heidi fell into a plate glass mirror and cut her face all up. We spent over seven hours in the emergency room."

On Smith's housing application, she had the opportunity to list the special accommodations she needed.

Smith told housing she needed to be placed in a room on the first floor. She was accommodated.

Everything was fine until Smith brought in Sam, the service dog.

Dr. Charlotte Davis-Lott, vice president of Student Affairs, asked what had changed.

"I got Sam," Smith said. "I asked for a wheelchair instead, but the doctor refused the wheelchair.

"I am having surgery in December and the doctor wants me using those muscles because I am going to have to learn to walk again."

The problem with the dog living on campus is it violates health regulations, Herbert Reeves, director of Housing, said at an earlier meeting.first time.

"My mother and I went straight to Mrs. Seller's office," Smith said.

She was told by housing again the dog could not stay in the dorms.

"We went to her dorm to get some of the things she would need," said McDougal. "I went to get the car because it was far away from the dorm, and Heidi could not walk back over there.

"When I returned, she was standing outside the dorm. She was told by the (resident director) she was informed about he dog, and Heidi was not allowed in the dorm with it. If she tried, she would have to call campus security."

TSU's problem with the situation is they were given no prior notice of this and were unable to make preparations for the dog.

"This was sprung on us," said Davis-Lott. "We are very sensitive to the needs of our challenged students. We try to make every accommodation available to our students.

"Our problem is [she] gave us no notice so we could not find out who is allergic to dogs or who is afraid of dogs. It is a matter of surprise and apparent disregard to what a staff member told you."

Reeves said he has already received six or seven calls from concerned parents.

Reeves found two students in the dorm who were allergic to dogs, and one is terrified of dogs.

Davis-Lott questioned the dog's training.

"Do you have any type of certification of the dog's training," Davis-Lott said. "How are we going to be sure the dog is not going to snap or harm someone? Do you have liability insurance if he does?"

Smith admitted she had none of this information.

"I want an education," Smith said. "Sam is the only way I can get that education. I can't keep missing school because I will fail my classes."

Davis-Lott presented Smith with five possible alternatives.

-- Smith could stay in the dorm and have someone bring Sam to her every day.

-- She could use the wheeled cart that she used at the beginning of the quarter.

-- She could move from the dorms to someplace off campus until she could be placed in Dill Hall Apartments winter quarter. She would be released from her housing contract and receive a prorated refund for her housing and meal plan.

-- The university could release her from her housing contract for the entire year and she could find a place off campus.

-- Housing could look into finding someone in Dill Hall Apartment which would not mind having Sam as a "roommate."

Davis-Lott offered to keep the dog with her and have it on campus by 7 a.m. if Smith needed it.

Sellers said she did not think Smith and her family had any intention of breaking school policy.

"The dog was a blessing to [her]," she said. "It just came up sooner than we thought."

Smith was not expected to receive the dog until winter quarter which would have given housing time to prepare for the dog and make the appropriate accommodations.

At the close of the meeting, Smith and her mother were going to discuss the issue at length with her father.

Tuesday, the family called Davis-Lott and informed her that Smith will be withdrawing from school this quarter.

"She will be returning to school winter quarter and will be placed in an apartment in Dill Hall," Davis-Lott said.

She will receive a full-tuition refund and a prorated room and board fees, said Smith.

"The reason the room and board fees will be prorated is because I was on campus for one month and used the facilities," she said. "I will be returning winter quarter, and I will be bringing Sam with me."

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Dedication of new hall took place

Whitney McHugh, Editor

Hawkins Adams Long Hall of Honor was dedicated Tuesday, Oct. 14.

"Today is certainly a dream come true," said Dr. John M. Long. "It would not have been possible without the foresight Dr. Adams had 25 years ago, and Dr. Hawkins' continued enhancement of that great legacy."

The building houses the Alabama Bandmasters Association Hall of Fame, National Band Association Hall of Fame of Distinguished Conductors and Troy State artifacts and photos not seen in years. The facility also has a 150-seat concert hall and office suites.

"It's the leadership and dedication of Drs. Hawkins, Adams and Long that has brought Troy State University to the forefront as a quality institution in the state of Alabama and around the world," said Col. John Schmidt, vice president of institutional advancement. "These three are truly living legends."

The building was funded by a $1 million anonymous donation.

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International Student Center moving to Pace Hall

Tracy Lee, Features Editor

Troy State University's international students will receive housing in Pace Hall.

"When Pace Hall is complete it will house 50 percent international students and 50 percent American students," said Herbert Reeves, director of Housing. "The ideal match will be an American student roomed with a foreign student."

Reeves said they are going to make every effort to place students together like this.

"The U.S. students who want to live in Pace Hall will go through a special selection process," said Dr. Curtis H. Porter, dean of International Programs. "We are going to be looking for students who are interested in the multicultural experience and view it as an important part of education."

He said there will be special training for the resident director and assistants who will be assigned to Pace Hall.

"They will be trained on how to deal with intercultural differences," Porter said.

Pace Hall will be renovated similar to Cowart Hall except it will have kitchenettes.

"It will help with the needs of our international students who can not eat food that is served in Saga," Reeves said.

Students will be able to cook their native dishes, said Porter.

Porter said the dorm will become the International Student Center. The top two floors will be dorm rooms, and the bottom floor will house the International Programs office and possibly Housing.

Not all international students will be able to live in the International Student Center.

"There are only 132 beds," he said. "We have over 120 international students on campus," he said.

The experience for the students varies depending to whether they live on or off campus, Porter said.

"Students who live off campus don't get as good of an American experience," he said. "They miss the opportunity to live with Americans. Most of the time they will stay in their own group."

Porter also said it is much better for the students who are participating in the English as a Second Language Program. It gives them an opportunity to hear the language more.

One of the benefits to living on campus will be the opportunity to get into groups and discuss what they have learned, Porter said. Students will be able to learn from their mistakes and learn more about American culture.

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Homecoming court was selected

Elections were held Oct. 15 to select the 1997 Homecoming Court.

They are as follows:

• Monica Gruenewald sponsored by Phi Mu.
• Erin Johnson sponsored by Phi Mu.
• Tori Lee sponsored by Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia.
• Mary Beth Morris sponsored by Chi Omega.
• Kelly Taylor sponsored by Alpha Gamma Delta.

Everyone is encouraged to vote next Wednesday, Oct. 22, for the 1997 Homecoming Queen.

Left to right: Erin Johnson, Kelly Taylor, Mary Beth Morris, Tori Lee,

Monica Gruenewald

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Ratcliffe named dean of Sorrell College of Business

Whitney McHugh, Editor

Dr. Thomas Ratcliffe was named as the new dean of the Sorrell College of Business Friday, Oct. 10.

"It's exciting," Ratcliffe said. "I'm perfectly happy being the chair of the Department of Finance. I love this job, but I've done about all I can do here. It's probably time for a change."

Because of prior obligations to the Accounting Department, the transition to dean will not be complete until November.

During that time, Ratcliffe will be raising money to fund upgrades in the Accounting Lab.

"Dr. Hawkins has been most supportive of this program," he said. "He has given us everything he can, but he doesn't have the money. Upgrades cost between $5,500 and $6,000 annually. The University just can't pay for that."

Ratcliffe said that one of the reasons for the Accounting Department's success is the attention given to attracting external support.

As the dean, about 50 percent of his time will be devoted to getting businesses to support the College of Business, he said.

Ratcliffe is already planning improvements to the school.

First, the College of Business will be getting a special accreditation.

"This accreditation is critical in attracting businesses we want to employ our students," said Ratcliffe.

The accreditation should be completed within the next two years.

Second, the College of Business will have more of an external presence with employers and supporters, said Ratcliffe.

"They want us out there with them," he said. "They expect us to come to them."

Thirdly, Ratcliffe said he wants to bring the top companies in the nation to Troy State.

"If you went to a top accounting program in America and were a good athlete and had a good personality, appearance, grades and were involved on campus where would you go to work," he said. "We don't want our students to have second tier jobs."

Ratcliffe has been the chair of the Accounting Department for the past 11 years. He received his doctorate degree at the University of Alabama.

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Police urge extra caution because of purse thefts

Mark Skinner, Staff Writer

Because of a rash of purse thefts, the University Police are urging people to take extra precautions against robbery.

Three purses were stolen from unoccupied offices about lunch time in the last two weeks, said Rod Anderson, assistant chief of the University Police.

The thefts occurred in Bibb Graves and McCall Hall. There were no witnesses or signs of forced entry, he said.

All of the victims were faculty members.

"We feel that it is somebody who knows what they are doing," Anderson said.

Two of the purses were stolen from filing cabinets, Anderson said.

The police have not reached the point where they can say the thefts were committed by individuals, a group or are unrelated events, Anderson said.

He said there was very little evidence left to point to a suspect.

At his request, the faculty was alerted to the thefts at a meeting on Assessment Day by Charlotte Davis-Lott, vice president of Student Affairs.

"We've had three purses stolen, and we may not have any more stolen," he said "But when we have that many in that close of time, we try to alert the campus community."

There were a series of similar thefts in the Summer of 1996, Anderson said.

No arrests were made.

"It doesn't take but a second for a person to take your property," Anderson said.

Be aware of the people around you because some one may be checking you out, he said.

"If you see that someone is suspicious or out of place, go ahead and call the University Police Department," Anderson said.

Other recommended precautions for office workers are:

--Double check door, cabinet and desk locks before leaving for any amount of time.

--Keep valuables out of sight and locked up.

--Let co-workers or a neighbor know that you are leaving and when you expect to return.

--Lock computers, word processors and typewriters to desk with some kind of security device.

--Keep lists of brand names, model numbers and serial numbers for equipment.

--Avoid working alone if you have to work late at night. Keep doors between you and the public locked.

--Mark property with a special ID number like a drivers licence number.

--Call police if you need an escort at night.

--Report annoying or obscene phone calls to the police.

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Shelby speaks to local residents about concerns

Mark Skinner, Staff Writer

U.S. Senator Richard Shelby (R -Ala.) addressed some of the public's concerns at a open meeting Tuesday morning at Julia's Restaurant.

Shelby said there is a window of time in which to save Medicare and Social Security, and that politics should be put aside to save these programs.

We might have a hole in 10 or 12 years that we might not be able to get out of, he said.

All Americans would lose then, Shelby said.

"There are probably thousands of people here in this county depending on Social Security and Medicare," Shelby said.

Young people have no confidence in social security, and older people are dependent on it, he said.

Shelby said they need to reassure those already under Social Security and those going into the system.

Shelby is not sure how the details will be worked out.

He said there is a need to look at how social security funds are invested.

"There's a lot of us in America who don't want to leave a debt hanging on our children and our grandchildren," Shelby said.

Shelby continues to support the peanut program.

He said he would do everything he could to protect the peanut program because it is important to Southeast Alabama.

Without the farm program, a lot of people could be put out of business and we could see a lot of lower quality peanuts, he said.

A lot of candy and peanut butter makers want this because imported peanuts are cheaper, he said.

"I don't know what is going to happen to the whole farm program," Shelby said.

"I know we have already taken some steps to move it from the 1930's back into the world interdependent."

Shelby said that while some people say the country does not need a government at all he disagrees.

We do need a government but not one that does everything for us, Shelby said.

Providing drinking water for rural areas is one of the roles the government should play, he said.

"It's a precious commodity that we as a population take for granted," Shelby said.

We have all benefited from the free market system, he said.

"We probably are the best place for opportunity in the world if you don't believe that look at the immigrants coming in," Shelby said.

He said that in the last 15 years most new jobs were created by small and medium sized companies taking risks in the market place.

"Some people might argue that these are not good jobs, but any job is good job when you are unemployed," Shelby said. "I've been there."

Shelby said that he makes sure to visit every county in the state each year.

"Its good for me as one of your U.S. Senators to know I am accountable to the people of Alabama," Shelby said.

Congress will return to session Monday, Shelby said.

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ATT Net questions remain

Tracy Lee, Features Editor

Alabama universities may be paying their phone bills unless the state passes a special allocation in January.

"The State Department of Finance Telecommunications division runs a long distance service known as Alabama Tandem Telecommunication Network," said Dr. Douglas Patterson, vice chancellor at Troy State University. "ATT Net in the past has provided universities with long distance service. In the last session of the legislature, they did not fund the ATT Net service."

Since the legislature did not allocate money for the ATT Net service, universities are beginning to look for other alternatives, he said.

"The company knew it would lose money if the colleges and universities went elsewhere looking for cheaper rates," Patterson said. "The schools would basically go out and shop around for the cheaper rates.

"ATT Net realized that it might not have a customer base to stay afloat without the universities."

ATT Net decided it would pay for the universities' long distance calls through December, Patterson said.

"They will then petition the legislature to distribute a special allocation which would allow ATT Net to continue its service to universities as it always has," he said.

Patterson said if the special allocation is not distributed, then universities will be looking for a long distance provider.

"What this would mean is we would have to pay for our long distance calls," he said. "If this happened, we would give money to the departments allocated for long distance calls."

He said that it would not come out of their current budget. It will be like the postage allotment departments get.

"If they have to move money from other area to compensate, they will need to do that," he said. "But they will receive money for their long distance."

"We received a $450,000 increase (in funds) this year. $200,000 went to the purchasing of the Alabama Baptist Children's Home."

Patterson said the other $250,000 would probably be spent on long distance calls.

"On average we spend anywhere from $200,000 to $250,000 in long distance calls.

"Right now we are in a wait and see mode. We have to wait and see what the legislature will do when they return in January. But as of now, we are in the same situation we have always been in."

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