Western Front - 1987 October 20

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WESTERN FRONT
VOL. 79, NO. 47 mi^BBHHBHMIIK^B^^BlHHUM! TUESDAY, OCTOBER 20,1987
Local WSL Western ranked 10th by presidents
undecided on
parting state
By KRIS LUNDEEN
staff reporter
Western's Washington Stu­dent
Lobby leaders still don't
know if the chapter will break
from the state after attending a
statewide meeting Sunday.
WSL Chairman Andy Mc­Lean
and Associated Students
President Dan Wood represented
Western at the meeting at Wash­ington
State University to discuss
ideas for the upcoming legislative
session.
Although Wood mentioned
Western breaking ties with WSL
at the WSU meeting, he still
hasn't declared a formal proposal.
"It's an option we're consider­ing,"
he said Monday.
L a s t week WSL Vice
Chairman Brian Atkins said,
"Western's chapter of the WSL is.
in the process of breaking away
from the state."
Although the WSL leaders
didn't determine the future of
Western's chapter, Wood and
McLean did discuss student issues
with state WSL leaders.
The Higher, Education Com­mittee's
three-tier admission sys­tem
was discussed at the meeting,
McLean Said. The plan would
have students admitted to a com­munity
college, regional university
or a research university ap­propriate
to their ability and pre­vious
academic achievement.
"If w& feel that the three-tier
platform is not productive, then it
will be lobbied against," McLean
said.
State Sen. Pat Patterson R-Pullman
and Rep. Eugene Prince
R-Thornton of the HEC board at-t
e n d e d Sunday's meeting.
Western's WSL chapter will
be meeting 1 p.m. tomorrow in
Viking Union 219.
By VICKI STEVENS
staff reporter
Western ranked 10th among
Midwestern and Western compre­hensive
colleges offering profes­sional
liberal arts degrees in a sur­vey
printed in the Oct. 26 issue of
U.S. News and World Report.
The survey asked school presi­dents
to rank their choices for the
best undergraduate education.
Presidents rated schools using
curriculum, teaching quality,
, student-faculty relationship and
the learning atmosphere for
criteria.
Western received a 17.9
rating, competing against 136
other schools in its category.
Tying with Western was Calvin
College in Michigan, De Paul
University in Illinois and Gonzaga
University in Spokane.
"It makes us prOud to have
that reputation among other uni­versity
presidents," said Al
Froderberg, Western's acting vice
president for academic affairs.
Valparaiso University in Cali­fornia
ranked first in Western's
category.
Only 48.9 percent of the presi­dents
in Western's category
responded to the survey. It is un­known
if Western President G.
Robert Ross parti !:*'?d. Ross is
in China and is unavailable for
comment.
"This makes us feel good,"
Froderberg said. "It puts us in the
top 10 percent of institutions of
our sort."
Other Washington schools
also were ranked in the survey.
Pacific Lutheran University in
Tacoma placed eighth in the same
c a t e g o r y as Western. The
Evergreen State College in
Olympia ranked fifth in the top
liberal "arts category for the Mid­west
and West.
The number-one university in
the country, according to the sur­vey,
is Stanford University and the
best liberal arts college is Wil­liams
College in Massachusetts.
Western also received nation­al
attention for its undergraduate
program in 1985. New York
Times education editor Edward
B. Fiske wrote "The Best Buys in
College Education," which ranked
the top 200 colleges offering qual­ity
education at reasonable costs.
Fairhaven College also was
one of 125 programs listed in
"How to get an 'Ivy League' Edu­cation
at State U," written by
University of California at
Berkeley education evaluation
specialist Martin Nemko.
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DANTYLER
Dbri Elliot; Chlbr-alkairp^
By TERRY KEENAN
staff reporter
Downtown Beliingham was
cordoned off by police Monday
at about 4:45 p.m. for about 20
minutes after a large, green
cloud of toxic chlorine gas ac­cidentally
escaped from the
Georgia Pacific plant.
"The public was exposed to
a serious risk, but the result was
okay. There are no injuries that
we are aware of," said Assistant
Fire Chief Mike Leigh.
The gas cloud floated north
from Georgia Pacific across
downtown Beliingham, avoiding
Western's campus. Georgia Pa­cific,
300 W. Laurel, is less than
a mile northwest of Western.
Although chlorine gas is
highly flamable, no explosion
occuredv No injuries \vere
repbrjtedat^^
Some people downtown
complained of burning eyes and
runny noses. An acidic, metallic
smell was evident.
Glendine Barley, nursing su­pervisor
at St. Luke's Hospital,
said four people having brea­thing
difficulties were treated
and released between 5:15 and
7:15 p.m. St. Joseph reported
treating two people with brea­thing
difficulties as well.
Leigh said medic units
responded to a few aid calls, but
did not transport anyone.
"A rail tank car was being
off loaded. The chlorine leaked,
overheated and reacted with
iron in a chemical reaction. It
burned through a pipe. They
sealed off the pipe at both ends,
but the volume of vapor inside
the pipe took about 45 minutes
please see GP, p.2
Trustees approve Art-Tech renovation plan
By FRANCINE OTT
staff reporter
The Art-Technology building renova­tion,
scheduled for completion September
1988, is expected to create more useable
space for art and visual communications
majors.
Western's Board of Trustees approved
a $1.95-million plan, Oct. 9, to build an art
gallery and remodel the Art-Technology
building. Construction began Monday.
Doug Albee, of Western's physical
plant, said the renovation of the existing
building will include the "changing of some
spaces. We're going to make more useable
space for art arid ViCoed people."
Gene Vike of the art department said
the department has been working to get the
building remodeled for a long time. He said
the building was constructed in 1948 when
most Western students were education
majors.
"The building was built in a way most
classrooms are built, not art studios. The
rooms have always been inappropriate for a
studio of art. We've always been trying to
establish a more appropriate environment
for our students," Vike said.
Art student Krista Gaylor, a junior, said
she's glad the building will be renovated.
"It's about time," she said.
Sophomore Robb Penny disagreed. "I
think it's a large amount of money to
spend. It's enjoyable right now. I think the
building should be drab. Students' art on
the walls can light it up."
New equipment, including computers
and laser printers, will be installed in the
Art-Technology building Vike said.
A lecture presentation room, a TV
sound room and studio, a computer lab and
the art office will be included in the first-floor
renovation. The art office is presently
on the second floor.
The first floor is expected to be finished
by Dec. 31,1987.
The balcony on the second floor will be
filled in for additional studio space.
A brick plaza, with benches and steps,
will be placed in front of the gallery and be­tween
the Art-Technology building and the
Engineering Technology building.
The project also includes the addition
of an art gallery. The gallery, which will be
located between the Art-Technology build­ing
and the Engineering Building, will be
almost 3,300 square feet, a representative
of Kiels Incorporated Construction, said.
Vike said the art department has tried
to get a more professional gallery on
campus for years.
'With the new gallery riding the hub of
the north and south campuses, Western will
become a unique campus with the concept
of living art in the universities. The gallery
will be a benefit to the entire campus. It
will be a special place," Vike said.
Art students may have some of their
classes relocated throughout the campus
during the construction winter and spring
quarters. The new class locations have not
yet been established.
The plans and specifications for the
project were prepared by Walker,
McGough, Foltz, Lyeria (WMFL), of
Seattle.
The project was publicly advertised for
competitive bidding with the bid opening
held Sept. 24,1987.
Kiels Incorporated Construction, of
Lynden, was awarded the contract with the
lowest bid of $1.95 million.