Newspapers / University of North Carolina … / April 11, 1972, edition 1 / Page 5
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...a column of impressions UNCC Journal are ^ all '** editorial pages V ‘unsigned editorials are Cfaro^ ‘he mns represent only the >ons of the individual Vu' °PP°S'ng views be printed by s^acting the 'Vr. Page four/the journal/april 11,1972 Sara’s grave by Charlie herndon Should we congratulate ourselves? Presumably, nearly all of us have joyfully returned to this sacred institution to resume our hallowed education. Along with us, we have brought presonal versions of home, the beach, a muddy Union Grove, and have replenished the campus dope supply. Sadly enough, however, it wasn’t a decision to resume our education- it was a planned act—we just came back. Equally sad is what this means. It means that we found nothing more important in the whole world than placing our bodies on this campus in Charlotte, N.C. at this point in time. It means that we considered no cause, no movement, no campaign, no person, nor any group of people more meaningful or valuable than what we're doing at this moment. Congratulations? Think about it... Nevertheless, the world is as it is, the past is past, and we are here. Is anything different now? Has anything or anybody changed? Change is seemingly almost imperceptible on a day-to-day basis, but now we have ten days to examine: While Billy Graham preached to Charlotte, N.C., the Viet Cong brought their own Easter message to South Vietnam's Quang Tri Province; Major League baseball players proved that they're really communist; millions of human beings died, and millions were born; McGovern won in Wisconsin; possibly one or more of us who left here for Easter is dead now; some of us lost our virginity; and I took my duck home. Yes, there was change; we all have changed in some way or another. But most significantly, we will all continue to change-even day to day. With this realization, maybe our time spent here together will be of value. For as we continue to learn how little we know. Education-in the final analysis-can have only one purpose; To prepare us for perpetual change and to create tollerance for differences among ourselves. Think about it... • The Foundation of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte has allocated $105,000 to the university for 1972-73. The allocation includes $50,000 for faculty salary supplements, $25,000 for faculty research, $4,000 for visiting lecturers and performers, $6,000 for the Celanese professorship, $4,000 for consultants and publications, $3,000 for an oral history project, $4,000 for a supplement to purchase a computer for the College of Engineering, and $9,000 for miscellaneous items. (You see, people, all this money will ultimately benefit the students.) What more could we want? Also, five new members were elected to the Board of Directors of the Fcwndation. All five just happen to be presidents of large companies-just coincidence, I'm sure. Aren't we proud? * * • SGA Legislative, Judicial, and Class Presidential elections are due to be held on April 19th and 20th. However, it may interest some of you to know that the "campus elite," confident of their election, have already "divided the spoils." Through discussions ranging from casual meetings to strategy sessions, these people have argued, reasoned, and bargained themselves to a "position of power" from which they have already handpicked the chairmen of the Legislature's standing committees. Based on their predictions of the election results, the "elite" claimed as early as two weeks ago to command a bloc of eight to' twelve solid votes on the committee chairmanship issue. These prediction figures may well have risen since then. Nevertheless, through further bargaining and legislative maneuvering, this "pre-selection" will in all likelihood succeed. I am not criticizing those whpm I have called the "elite" for this activity-in any political area the occurrence of "strategy" is inherent. Also, I personally believe that these people have acted in what they believe to be a conscientious manner toward insuring that our Student Legislature will continue to function efficiently. Further, I am not criticizing this activity because I disagree with the actual "pre-selections." I know who they are and I personally agree that they would probably be the best choices for these positions. I ani criticizing the situation which makes such an activity possible. The possibility of predicting election results even before campaigning begins reflects directly upon the predictability of a largely dormant electorate. For example, in the upcoming election on this campus, it is very likely that fifty votes will almost guarantee any candidate a seat on the legislature. If you fear that in the future such activities as the above may work contrary to governmental efficiency or your particular interests-or if you distruct my evaluation of the "pre-selection”-why not find out who the candidates from your college are and then attempt to make your vote an educated one. Granted, all of this may sound like irrelevant bullshit- it might be...but the fact remains that those people who are elected next week will have ultimate control of approximately $50,000 which is your money. * ■* * * My name is Charlie Herndon and I hope to continue writing this column weekly for the next year but it will be rough: Eaker wants me to be humorous; Patterson wants me to be careful; Young wants me to be tactful; Fishman wants me to study; Dickey wants me to roll another one- and, I don't give a damn... My extension is 479; my room is 912 for information, praise, questions, or murder. Drop by and smoke a couple where Sara may teach us all to give a damn... ECOLOGY MORE INTERESTING THAN SEX? In a yearly survey of students at Indiana University, it was recently found that ecology is now the students’ number one interest. Last year sex was at the top of the list. That's some kind of major triumph for all of the ecology folks! RAIN IT AIN'T under most city streets run two sewer lines; one to carry the domestic and industrial wastes to the wastewater treatment plant, and one to carry the domestic and industrial wastes to the wastewater treatment plant, and one to carry the stormwater to the nearest creek or stream. For years this system has worked well. But now, with increased urbanization, we find that what we always thought to be reasonably pure rain in the storm sewers is anything but. The problem of urban stormwater runoff was recently studied at Duke University. A measuring and sampling station was located in Forest Hills Park in Durham. Included within the drainage basin were a part of the central business district, a shopping center, a tobacco processing plant, and both high and low density housing. This basin was selected because it is representative of the pattern of land development in cities and towns of the Piedmont region. The results of this investigation were both surprising and disquieting. In terms of the oxygen demand imposed on a receiving stream, the first flush of water was almost of the same pollutional capacity as raw sewage. Averaged over an entire storm, the oxygen demand of stormwater was found to be about equal to the effluent from a wastewater treatment plant. The contribution of solid material (clay, silt, organic solids, etc.) by the stormwater was substantially greater than would be expected from domestic sewage. The stormwater was found to also contain pesticides and heavy metals, both of which are toxic to aquatic life. The high lead concentration was the biggest surprise, and the source is still somewhat of a mystery. One suggestion was that the lead originated in the exhaust fumes of automobiles. Regardless of its source, we do know that the concentration of lead is high enough to adversely affect aquatic life. Obviously, urban stormwater is anything but rain, and its pollutional capacity is further amplified by the fact that stormwater enters streams as "slug loads," a sudden increase over a short time. This will increase its adverse effect by at least ten-fold. Can anything be done to stop this f>ollution? Possibly; but it will be expensive. The major problem is that it isn't a steady flow, and large holding basins would be necessary to catch the water during a storm for subsequent treatment. Considering the other demands for our limited resources, this does not seem to be, at this time, a wise course to follow. With adequate dilution, rivers and streams should be able to assimilate this load. Perhaps one thing we should not do is to use urban runoff water for a water supply. The towns of Durham, Chapel Hill, Burlington, Graham among others, all contribute urban stormwater to the basin which will feed the proposed New Hope Lake. Makes one wonder. OIL SPILL - Several months ago an oil tank belonging to the State Highway Commission emptied hundreds of gallons of oil into the Eno River. The resulting stench was strong enough to drive nearby residents out of their homes. Hillsborough Mayor Fred Cates blamed this on vandalism someone opened the valve on the tank." A State regional engineer. J. c' Millsaps, was on the scene and reported that his investigation was "still incomplete.*’ Perhaps it might be time to find out jf the investigation is now complete. Why was the oil drum situated in such a manner that a leak would automatically end in the river? Why were no spill control measures taken, as the State so often badgers private industry to do? Who actually opened the valve, and why wasn't it locked? And perhaps most important of all, can this happen again? If control measures have been taken and similar potential ecological tragedies averted, these efforts should receive their due publicity. MERCURY - A catfish recently caught in the New Hope Creek in Duke ^rKt was found to contain about 1 part per million (ppm) of mercury ^uble the safe limit wt for fish by the Food and Drug Administration' This, as well as other disquieting data, was repiorted by State personnel at a recent conference on heavy metals held in Raleigh. Where did the catfish pick up the mercury? Did he get it in the new Hope, feeding on the bottom where mercury settles, or did he aet it downstream and swim upstream for a visit? The waste-water from the Duke Hospital as well as wastes from other clinical and scientific laboratories eventually enter the New Hope, and accidental spills may have been responsible. A wastewater treatment plant is very ineffective in removing mercury. It does make one wonder about the quality of fish in the proposed New Hope Lake though. ^ PHOSPHATE - At a time when the State is seriously concerned with the removal of phosphates from streams, many of our municipalities are bv adding phosphates. Hexametaphosphate, nftT^ excellent corrosion preventative, and is often added to the drinking water in order to prevent corrosion in the distribution system. The level of Calgon usually used is 2 ppm. This might not seem high, until one remembers that 0.1 ppm is usually enough to accelerate eutrophication in lakes. The contribution in wastewater from detergents IS about 2 or 3 ppm. The phosphate added by many towns is thus about equal the phosphate from detergents. It is important to remember that phosphates are harmful to aquatic environments only when the water is reasonably stagnant, as in a lake or Ktuary. Elevated phosphate levels in rapidly moving streams are not cause for concern, and ^us mahy towns can safely use hexametaphosphate for corrosion control. Towns that allow their wastewater to drain into lakes or estuaries should, however, reconsider this practice.
University of North Carolina at Charlotte Student Newspaper
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April 11, 1972, edition 1
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