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Show MONDAY, MAY 18, 1992 Mountain bikers have a time in competitionover the weekend p. 5 WEBER STATE UNIVERSITY OGDEN, UTAH Prisoners aid S 111 1 - - : : : : ! Campus political diversity VOLUME 52, ISSUE 76 Signpost -.. ., . . .... L gjt nVil,, in asbestos removal at Weber State WORK RELEASE: Inmates help prepare way for a walkway which will connect Union Building to new student services building. By MARKFORSBERG Staff writer of The Signpost Early last week, inmates from the Utah State Penitentiary began the abatement of 1,200 square feet of asbestos from the west end of the Union Building. The asbestos is being removed in anticipation of a walkway which will be constructed between the Union Building and a soon-to-be-constructed student services building to be located just west of the Union Building. By law, asbestos, a knowncancer-causing substance, must be removed before any construction work can begin. Construction for the student services building is scheduled to begTYi lateYTtiisfalr-following the demolition of Annex 3 late this summer. The asbestos abatement crew, consisting of seven to 10 inmates and two supervisors, is required to take a one week training course offered by the penitentiary. It is one of three such courses in the state that is certified by the Environmental Protection Agency. "We put them through more training that is necessary, said VickMiddleton, who heads the program. 'It's almost overkill." They have participated in the abatement of the state capital, South High School, a museum and several elementary schools. "When we do a remodeling project that touches the asbestos, we have to remove it," said Campus Architect Bob Folsom. Most of the west end and some of the east end of the Union Building contain asbestos in the form of sprayed-on fire-proofing. It is safe until it is disturbed, as is the case with the new walkway. Though it makes some people nervous to v -v v v V 1 H A Billings 91 - I- ? . VP l J Sail Lake City 86 San Francisoo66 I ' ) 3 r I 1 Denver 84 l Albuquerquel 66 S. Los Angeles 77 j r K Pacific S ? & !S Ocean TM I I El Paso ! sF . 1992 Accu-Weaiher. Inc. L IS I i t - ! ' s- i ' ; 4 5 J- ? - i I -j. w-.. . - .-JT vv"- i J it iL ,ri j ,n .Jim Ifcit i'I m Vr. -m -i , ij CHUCK BOWHAYfH SIGNPOST A STUDENT LISTENS as Karen Slockert and Mike Bodily talk about the politics of the Socialist Workers Party. know inmates are being released into the community, those who run the program think it is a good thing. 'The workers are no longer dependent on crime," said one state penitentiary officer. 'They learn a trade they can use when they get out. They also earn the respect of the community." The inmates participating in the removal are level 5 inmates, meaning that they are still housed at the prison, but are given work release for 8 to 12 hours per day. The workers have a lot of incentive to perform well,because a mistake could send them back to a lower level where they are no longer eligible for any temporary release, Middleton said. Although the workers are paid for their labor, most of the reason they work is just to get outside. Level 5 inmates are also eligible for 12-hour home visits. Level 6 inmates, the highest level, live a halfway house. Half the removal is paid by the state, said UB Director Mike Ellis. The rest is being paid with the same bond used to pay for the student services building. Normally, the school would beexpected to pay the entire cost of the removal. But because the removal is designed to accommodate a state-sponsored student services building, the state pays half. " When the ceiling of the bookstore is completed, the crew will move to the main level, near the ASWSU offices and begin the abatement there. The process is expected to take two weeks. The workers spend most of their time in a sealed containment area. They enter and leave through a five-stage decontamination area consisting first of a clean room, then a shower, another airlock, then the containment area. Every time a worker enters, he is given a respirator and a disposable suit. All excess waste suits are sprayed with a glue to keep the asbestos from drifting, and is sent to a special disposal facility. The sealed area, now visible in the west corner of the bookstore, is always kept at a lower pressure than the outside by an air-pump equipped with a 5-micron filter. "The air being pumped out of the filter is probably cleaner than the air outside," Middleton said. Work study money long gone By LAURIE M. WIRTH News editor of The Signpost Weber State has been out of work study funds since January. Tula Paras, assistant director of financial aid at WSU, said this situation is not unusual. She explained Weber gets a set amount of federal funds, to be used for work study and loans, in a lump sum from the government by about July 1 each year. The funds usually run out by January. "It's first come, first serve until the money runs out. After it runs out, they (government) don't resupply," Paras said. All awards are granted according to eligibility, regardless of whether they are Pell Grant, work study or Stafford loan. Work study funds are similar to loans, but students must work a set number of hours for the money, and they do not ha ve to pay the government back. When students are granted money, they will receive all their award if they accept it, Paras said. If students don't accept their award within two months, the money is opened for use by other students. "Weber could probably use twice the amount of work study they are given. Financial funds are in great demand across the whole country, not just here," she said. Paras said over the years, there has not been a significant increase in funds. (See WORK page 3) Registration will not change for now The proposal to eliminate early registration is being sent back to the Admission Standardsand Student Affairs committee and will not be sent on to the Faculty Senate for final debates. The proposal, which would have eliminated early registration, was sent back because "there were some areas whereearly registration could be valid," said Donna Roberts, chair of ASSA. Had the proposal been sent on to Faculty Senate and been passed, the only group that would have been given early registration privileges would have been veterans. The proposal will be looked at again during fall quarter, Roberts said. ice slkw pt acuor aaw fa Assccaxa fcess INSIDE ARTS: Weber State performing arts kicks into high gear this week with numerous concerts SPORTS: Former Wildcat football player joins coaching staff p. 6 p. 7 |