September 28, 1981

■rrlsonbuig, Va. 228Q1 W£3 «8l. \ ol. 5* James Madison University Monday. September 28. 1981 No. 8 ^5C . .._„»»•.•.»'»'*■* Former student sentenced for attempt on infant's life Ellison jailed one day, to give 50 hours community service By JEFF GAMMAGE reduced in April to attempted voluntary Former James Madison University student manslaughter. Ellison pleaded guilty to the Kimberly Ellison was sentenced Friday to one lesser charge in June. day in jail and 50 hours of unpaid community Defense attorney William Julias asked the service for attempting to kill her newborn court to impose a suspended sentence. infant last December. Ellison's "conduct was not rational," Julias Ellison received a six-month jail term, of said, adding that the defendant "obviously had which all but one day was suspended. The one- some psychological problems for which she day sentence was imposed at the discretion of has been receiving medical help." He said the judge. Law allows that the entire sentence Ellison "lost a lot of blood" during the delivery be suspended. Ellison also was ordered to pay and was not thinking clearly. prosecution costs. Julias said that had Ellison intended to do Ellison could have been sentenced to up to the child harm she would have done so im- five years in prison. mediately after its birth. There was "no intent She was jailed late Friday at the to willfully and maliciously" harm the infant, Rockingham County Jail, according to a Julias said. spokesman there. Ellison was to be released Commonwealth Attorney David Walsh said Saturday, a spokesman said. Ellison "did in fact attempt to kill her baby." Before pronouncing sentence. Rockingham Ellison is currently attending Old Dominion ■\ Circuit Court Judge Joshua Robinson said University in Norfolk, and lives with her father Ellison's actions were committed "with the in Hampton. She plans to graduate from ODU attempt to cause the death of the infant." But in August 1982. he added the circumstances surrounding the attempt "arose out of ignorance rather than maliciousness." *- "The punishment she inflicted on herself may be harsher than any punishment the This issue... courts can impose on her." Robinson said. The JMU football team was victorious over Liberty Baptist College this Ellison gave birth to a baby girl unaided in a weekend, 36-11. See Sports, page 17. Shorts Hall bathroom last December, and placed the child in a plastic trash bag. The "The Thunderbirds are indeed child was found shortly after in a bag in the Fabulous," states Bryan Powell's review dormitory's kitchen by a student who heard the of the Saturday night concert See Inside, child making noises. page 12. Both Ellison and the infant were hospitalized Photo by Yo Naqava after the incident. The cost of replacing I.D.s has risen KIMBERLY ELLISON, left, leaves the Rockingham County Ellison was indicted in December on a from $5 to $8. See story, page 6. Courthouse with an unidentified woman Friday after sentencing. charge of attempted murder. The charge was Textbook prices leap to meet publishers' increases By JILL HOWARD penses that textbook sales do not completely)leTe] pay for. Textbook prices here have risen sharply since last Hancher added year due to publishers' price increases, according to "There's a lot of overhead here that most people Willajm Hancher. bookstore manager. never see." he notes. Hancher said, "We have "I have never seen the price of books-jump like tremendous expenses* in book returns" which occur this. " Hancher said. when surplus books must be sent back to the The annual price increase of textbooks is usually publisher because of canceled or unfilled classes, about 5ft cents per book, but since last year, abundant used books or other circumstances that publishers have raised their prices as much as $3 to leave more books than students. $4 per book, Hancher added. He said he did not know Hancher said that while operating cost have not the exact cause behind the publishers' price in- caused the bookstore to "go in the red" in the 12 years creases he has worked there, the bookstore's profit has been "very slim." The bookstore has not increased its margin of profit Textbook prices vary depending- on the book's .# on textbook sales. Hancher said/adding that the* store subject. Hancher said. Science, nursing, music and makes very little profit from textbook sales. art books are usually more expensive, Hancher said. Textbooks comprise 65 percent of the bookstore's He said more technical books used in upper-level total inventory. Hancher said. courses are also expensive. • "Generally, we use the publisher's suggested retail He added that the average textbook cost between price." Hancher said. Publishers' suggested retail $15 and $20. prices average 20 percent higher than what the Hancher said paperback textbooks are cheaper and publisher charges the bookstore for books'. Hancher are therefore ordered when available. But paper- said this 20-percent profit helps pay for the backs do not last as long as hardbacks, he added. bookstore's overhead costs, such as employee The bookstore offers between 600 and 1.000 dif- salaries and operating expenses. ferent titles, depending on the number and types of He said most commercial bookstores need at least classes being offered, according to Hancher. a 25-percent profit margin to stay in business. Other bookstores in the Harrisonburg area sell far "We're not in the business to make a profit as we fewer textbooks. would be if we were a business in Harrisonburg," The managers of B. Dalton Books. Centerpoint , Hancher said. "We look to breiak even. If we break Bookstore. Slayer's Books and Valley Books do not even, we won't be a burden to either the university or stock textbooks per se, bu$ they do carry study the students." guides, along with specialized books that may sup- Hancher said the profit margin on non-textbook plement required texts and many classc literature items sold in the bookstore is somewhat higher than 2« pereertr This, is necesarv to offset overhead ex- toBoomw, >*.♦* -T. • ■ -m r« Page 2. TIIK BRKKZF Monday. September 28. 1981 Head residents' job combination of roles Tu«fptjK#* By JEFF BILYEU programmer and all around Student's perceptions of the handy-man.". functions, purposes and duties "The bigget part of the job. Tawed SAt of head residents are varied. besides administration, is its Head residents are alter- counseling aspect." Kelman nately seen as administrators, said. counselors, advisors, Like Simms. Kelman said Gonfc Bud & Bute* *a25 disciplinarians and friends. positive reinforcement for his Interviews with three head resident assistants was very residents reveal that their job important. is a combination of all of these In addition to the intense RajtA* Wait A6» Awfioffe ." roles. training session at the Kim Smith, head resident of begining of the year. Kelman mil fon&i & SfaU 101 OH Vkm £*» Way land Hall, was a resident said that resident assistants assistant for three years and head residents are trained before applying for the job of throughout the year by head resident. He said she frequent staff meetings and learned a lot about people lectures. during that time and has come "Responsibility is a 24-hour to the conclusion that resident a day job." Kelman said. "On assistants and head residents a college campus you need are "great people to work students who are going to be 51 Oud Squaw' tvim.it T/RMOIMt with.'.' responsible and who will take Smith stressed the dual role initiative about problems on 434-3664 rianMftf of her position. "There's the campus and who will be administrative side of the job, available in emergency but there's also the counseling situations." HawweArtg's Timl fob** & bun* and personal side." Kelman stressed the func- The counseling side is the tion of resident assistants and 0w*d ad Opmttd |g from- 9*mlm ad RkMftp bigger part of her job as head head residents as role models resident. Smith said. for other students. Smith feels a common "We want to allow freedom misconception of many and encourage growth," residents is that head Kelman said, adding that residents and resident "now is the time to learn assistants are "mean" or responsibility for actions." "enforcers" because they carry out university policy concerning visitation, pets, DQJU3 alcohol and drug use. "We're just doing our job," Smith said. Buy Kat Simms was a resident MffW (UP*tt assistant on the second floor of Wayland Hall before becoming head resident of personals -- Converse Hall. "I really like it a lot." Simms said. "I'm even thinking about going to grad school for a counseling education degree and con- the tinuing as a head resident." Simms believes the head resident has two roles. "The first is as manager of the next residents. The second is in setting the tone or atmosphere - the personality of the hall." "A big part of the job is best keeping the resident assistants psyched," Simms said, adding that her two resident assistants are "ex- thing cellent." mm mm* Simms said Converse Hall is "getting away from the nunnery image" fostered by mm msm it's three day visitation • no to! 'alcohol policy. Simms also said she hopes M>n.-Tues.-Wed. -Sat. 10:00 am - 600 pm to reduce residents misun- long derstanding of resident Thurs. - Fri. 10:00 am - 9:00 pm ^-J assistants actions by "ex- s plaining what we do and the 178 South Main Street reasoning behind it." distance Explaining some of the Within Walking Distance training that head resident's undergo. Simms said, "two weeks before school started m© —w^ ha-p taking *- *v terpersonal skill training, receiving security lectures, counseling center lectures, and first-aid lectures." She added that Psychology 200 must be taken by anyone desiring to be a resident assistant and head resident.

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