iJlljf Bailg Oar Heri
BRIEFS
Stories from the University and Chapel Hill
Adults of Jewish heritage
sought to share stories
The Ackland Art Museum is seeking
adults with Jewish backgrounds to par
ticipate in eight storytelling workshops.
The workshops will take place Nov.
16, Nov. 30, Dec. 14, Jan. 4, Jan. 18,
Feb. 1, Feb. 15 and March 1 from 1 p.m.
to 3:30 p.m. at the museum.
Storytelling experience is not
required.
Louise Omoto Kessel of Bynum will
help participants find and tell stories
about their faith experiences.
The stories will be compiled in a
recording, which the museum will offer
to N.C. schools teaching world reli
gions.
The workshops are part of the muse
um’s World Religions Project.
The project is funded by the National
Endowment for the Arts and the Z.
Smith Reynolds Foundation of
Winston-Salem.
Space is limited. Participants are
asked to attend all eight sessions.
To register or for more information,
call Kessel at 542-5599.
UNC professor to assist
in technology program
James L. Morrison, professor of edu
cational leadership, planning and tech
nology, has been reappointed to
Microsoft Corp.’s Microsoft Scholars
Program.
Morrison was among eight scholars
from colleges and universities across the
nation.
He will help Microsoft develop tech
nology solutions to assist higher educa
tion institutions.
The program was established in
1995.
Concert series to feature
known clarinetist, pianist
Clarinetist Danny Oehler and pianist
Benjamin Rawitz will join in concert
Nov. 15 in Hill Hall Auditorium at 8
p.m. for the second coni. . • in the
William S. Newman Artist Series.
The concert will feature works by
composers Bernstein, Bassi, Mason and
Burgmuller.
Oehler is a professor of music at the
University who founded and directs the
University Chamber Players.
He is a graduate of the Juilliard
School of music and works as a soloist,
chamber musician, conductor and edu
cator.
Rawitz is a graduate of the Rubin
Academy of Tel-Aviv University and
conservatories in Brussels as well as in
Geneva.
He is a faculty member at the Royal
Flemish Conservatorium.
He teaches piano and chamber music
at UNC workshops.
The Newman Artist Series honors
William S. Newman of Chapel Hill,
alumni distinguished professor emeritus
of music at UNC.
Admission to the concert is sl2.
Senior citizens pay $lO and students pay
$5.
For tickets or information, call 962-
1039.
Percussionist's show will
explore musical diversity
Percussionist Beverly Botsford will
host an event exploring die music of dif
ferent cultures at 7:00 p.m. Nov 17.
The event will be sponsored by the
Carrboro Department of Recreation
and Parks.
Tapestries to be highlight
of Williams House exhibit
The Chapel Hill Preservation Society
yvill host an ongoing exhibit at the
Horace Williams House through Nov.
26.
The exhibit will feature tapestries by
German native Martha Heine and
works in clay by Lilo Kemper.
For more information call 942-7818.
Good health, aging to be
focus of free Nov. 20 talk
The Carrboro Department of
Recreation and Parks will sponsor a talk
by Dr. Mark Williams at the Carrboro
Senior Center on Nov. 20 at 9 a.m.
The talk explores the importance of
good health and the aging process. The
event is free.
Development commission
to host annual breakfast
The Orange County Economic
Development Commission will present
the sixth annual State of the Local
Economy Breakfast at the Friday Center
on Nov. 13.
; The presentation will explore local
and regional trends in the economy.
Tickets are S2O and include breakfast
and handouts.
For more information call Gail
Walker at the OCEDC office at 732-
8181, ext. 2325.
FROM STAFF REPORTS
Petition, Connerly to send message to UNC
BYNAHALTOOSI
UNIVERSITY EDITOR
Campus conservatives seeking to
combat affirmative action in North
Carolina are hoping a well-known
speaker and a number of signatures will
help them win the battle.
Last week, members of the Carolina
Conservative Coalition started circulat
ing a statewide petition asking UNC-sys
tem leaders to reform the admissions
and employment policies of the system
so “as not to grant preferences on the
basis of race, color, religion, sex or
national origin.”
The petition is a prelude to the visit of
Ward Connerly, president of the
American Civil Rights Institute and
Student group fights
transportation board
■ The group known as
Transportation Reformers
will stage a protest Friday.
BY SHELLEY LEVINE
STAFF WRITER
The fight’s not over.
Although construction of Ram Road
did not change after their protests, the
Transportation Reformers, a concerned
student group, is still working to reform
the state Board of Transportation and
the way decisions are made to spend tax
money in the state.
Students and community members
met together to share their concerns
about Ram Road and other transporta
tion projects at the Silk Road Tea House
on Friday night.
The group discussed ways of protest
ing the state Board of Transportation’s
methods and of ultimately dismantling
it. The Board of Transportation has
come under statewide criticism in recent
weeks.
“Our main campaign now is to abol
ish the Board of Transportation,” said
Joe Mohar, a member of the
Transportation Reformers.
The building of Ram Road, which
will connect the VIP Ram’s Club park
ing lot in front of the Smith Center with
Manning Drive, spurred the students
months ago to investigate how decisions
are made by the Board of
Transportation.
The Reformers petitioned the Chapel
Hill Town Council and had a letter of
resolution passed Oct. 27, said Mary
Furr, president of the Reformers.
“(The letter) said we want the board
to be more democratically run and to
stick to local input,” Furr said.
The board, consisting of 26 members
appointed by the governor, makes deci
sions about how to spend tax money on
transportation projects, said Jay House,
a founding member of the Reformers.
The board members get input from
each of the 26 districts’ Transportation
Advisory Committees but are under no
obligation to follow the advice.
“They’re not accountable on a local
level for how they spend money,” House
said.
The students have attended meetings
Heavy load
can lead to
aching back
■ Heavy or improperly
worn backpacks can lead to
bad posture and headaches.
BY LEIGH DAVIS
STAFF WRRER
A lunchtime walk through the Pit
guarantees an abundance of students,
many of whom are carrying a heavy
course load in more ways than one.
Strapped to most students is a back
pack, carrying the essentials for the day.
“My book bag carries my life,” said
Shara Lee, a senior from Durham. “I
take it with me everywhere. My book
bag always has something in it I need.”
But a backpack with too many books
crammed in it can be harmful.
"Heavy backpacks are one of the
leading causes of poor posture,” said
Dr. Chas Gaertner, a chiropractor at
North Carolina Chiropractic located on
212 W. Rosemary St.
"Backpacks will shift posture and
cause unnecessary stress in your neck
and shoulders,” he said. "If your straps
are too tight, it can cut off circulation to
extremities or compress nerves, which
causes headaches, numbness and tin
gling.”
Gaertner suggests students wear the
type of backpack with two straps.
UNIVERSITY & CITY
prominent anti-affirmative action
activist, who will speak at UNC-Chapel
Hill on Dec. 2.
Connerly’s confirmed appearance at
UNC-CH bolsters the efforts of those
wishing to send the message that affir
mative action is wrong.
Other organizations across the state
have offered to support the coalition and
circulate the petition in N.C. cities and
towns as well as the 16 campuses in the
UNC system.
“I hope that what (the petition) will
accomplish is to show the level of sup
port that there is for ending preferences
based on gender,” said Student Congress
Rep. Bill Heeden, Dist. 16. Heeden is
publisher of the Carolina Review, one of
the groups in the coalition.
“Kitchen supported
(the Stomp) and said she
would pressure the police not
to charge us ... it’s our road
too, and we'll use it.”
MARY FURR
President of Transportation Reformers
of the board in Raleigh, and Friday they
met privately with Doug Galyon, the
representative for the district that
includes the University.
When students asked him why Ram
Road was approved so quickly and effi
ciently compared with other items on
the priority list, Galyon said the board
did not have to follow the TAC’s priori
ties.
Board members can directly request
projects that they think are more impor
tant, House said.
The widening of Chapel Hill’s
Mount Carmel Church Road, which
leads to the Governor’s Club subdivi
sion, is another project the
Transportation Reformers are protest
ing, said Reformers member Andrew
Holton.
The Board of Transportation has
approved the construction in spite of
vocal protest by the local TAC, Holton
said.
The students were told that because
an appointee of the board asked for the
widening and it was approved, little
could be done to stop it, Holton said.
Only a resolution by the state legislature
could prevent construction.
Doug Galyon was not available for
comment Sunday.
The group also used the meeting
Friday night to discuss ways the board
could be run more democratically.
Suggestions included instituting criteria
for the members, designating seats on
the board to ensure a representation of
different views or allowing local gov
ernments to appoint members rather
than the governor.
Plans were also made to educate peo
ple about the issues of transportation
reform and to involve others across the
state.
See SILK ROAD, Page 4
Bearing the burden
Book bags tend to create poor posture and back problems. Always
use both straps and pack as light as possible.
DO
■ align ears to
shoulders
■ pack as light
as possible
■ check your
posture in a
three-way
mirror
SOURCE DR CHAS GAERTNER
“Wear the straps over both shoul
ders,” he said. “These straps should be
padded and not too loose or too tight,
and wear the waist strap if there is one.
But, Gaertner explained, no type of
backpack is healthy if it is too heavy.”
“Weigh your backpack with a full
load," he advised. “If it weighs more
than a 10th of your body weight, it is too
heavy and will cause major back prob
lems in the future.”
“//people just take the time
to read it and look
at the language of
the petition,
they'll agree with it.”
SCOTT RUBUSN
Chairman, Common Sense
Coalition representatives said they
hoped to present the signatures to UNC
system leaders during Connerly’s visit.
Connerly was instrumental in the suc
cessful passage of the California Civil
Rights Initiative, also known as
Proposition 209, a measure preventing
DTH/ION GARDINER
Chancellor Michael Hooker stands on the steps of South Building to explain his position concerning the
Nike contract with the University.
Hooker accepts protesters’ demands
BY MONIKA ELLIS
STAFF WRITER
Chancellor Michael Hooker accepted
student and faculty demands to bring
Nike’s overseas labor practices to public
attention during a speak-out Friday.
At the speak-out, which was held on
the steps of South Building, sponsors
said they had two demands.
First, they wanted the University to
establish a committee comprised of stu
dents and faculty to advise and review
contracts with corporations.
They also wanted the University to
use its association with Nike to publicly
pressure the company to improve its
working conditions in foreign factories.
Hooker told those gathered that he
accepted the demands.
He said a student and faculty com
mittee already existed and that he would
address the other demand in an upcom
ing meeting with Nike executives.
“I’m not here to defend Nike,”
Hooker said. But he said he was defend
ing the University’s contract with Nike.
Through the $7.1 million contract
signed during the summer, Nike will
provide equipment and uniforms to ath-
11l ■ wear [
jjw one sh
DONT
■ pack more
than one
tenth of your
body weight
I wear pack on
one shoulder
a hunch
DTH/JAKE ZARNEGAR
He offered students ways to evaluate
their book bag carrying techniques.
“The best thing for people to do
would be to copy chapters in their text
book and only carry those around,” he
said. “Check your posture in a three
way mirror without your backpack. If
your head is in front of your chest, your
backpack is causing you problems.”
See BOOK BAGS, Page 4
the state from using race as a factor in
university admissions and state hiring.
The Supreme Court recently refused
to hear an appeal in a case against
Proposition 209, another victory for
people like Scott Rubush, chairman of
Common Sense, a conservative group
dedicated to bringing speakers to cam
pus. The group, along with Students for
Life and Liberty, is a coalition member.
“If people just take the time to read
it and look at the language of the peti
tion, they’ll agree with it,” Rubush said.
“It’s a strong statement in favor of racial
equality.”
Drake Maynard, senior director of
Human Resources at UNC-CH, said
since UNC-CH employees were consid
ered state employees, it would take a
letes, pay coaching
bonuses and spon
sor team trips.
The University
is only one of a
handful of col
leges that have a
self-supporting ath
letic program,
Hooker said. To
keep the program
self-supporting, the
University had to
consider the Nike
contract.
During the
speak-out, speak
ers named some of
what they called
Chancellor
MICHAEL HOOKER
said he would not
defend Nike, but he
would defend the
University's contract
with Nike.
poor labor practices in Nike’s Asian fac
tories.
Women are exploited, harassed and
assaulted in Nike factories, said Tara
Haberkorn, a member of Southerners
Promoting United Network (SPUN).
She said if workers did not meet their
quotas, punishments included running
around a 1.2 mile factory and kneeling
for 45 minutes.
She also said factory supervisors used
JAG recruiters arrive, draw
pickets at some law schools
BYTONYMECIA
SPECIAL ASSIGNMENTS EDITOR
Two months after UNC School of
Law decided to allow military recruiters
on its premises, dozens of law schools
across the country are doing the same to
avoid losing federal funding.
At some law schools, including Duke
and the University of Pennsylvania, stu
dents have protested the new arrival of
military recruiters on campus because of
the military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” pol
icy on homosexuals.
“We feel that the idea of allowing the
military onto campus and trying to pre
tend that that doesn’t violate nondis
crimination is ideologically incoherent,"
said Erik Oliver, a third-year law student
at Penn.
Oliver led a protest of more than 40
students and professors when the Army
Judge Advocate General Corps sent a
recruiter to his campus Oct. 28. Penn
has allowed military recruiters to come
to campus on a one-year trial basis.
Until this summer, many law schools,
including UNC, barred recruiters from
the JAG Corps. Critics said those bans
prevented law students from obtaining
jobs.
In July, the federal Department of
Education concluded that such bans
violated a 1996 law designed to give mil
itary recruiters access. Since then, many
law schools, including UNC, have
reversed their policies and allowed mil
itary recruiters to interview students on
campus and conduct interviews.
Monday, November 10,1997
major piece of legislation to end affir
mative action on campus.
“It hasn’t been a big issue,” Maynard
said. “If something was going to be
changed in the employee aspects it
would have to be changed for all state
agencies. Affirmative action is not some
thing we’ve sort of struck out to do.”
For Young Republicans Chairman
Brad Morrison, a statewide petition is
just one way to chip away at state
statutes supporting affirmative action,
especially when they concern public uni
versities.
“All residents of North Carolina have
a vested interest in the University,”
Morrison said. “I think it’s good for the
University to get another side on affir
mative action.”
corporal punishment.
the group’s information about Nike
came from a variety of labor rights pub
lications.
As speakers voiced their complaints,
members of Support the Swoosh, a
group that supports Nike and its con
tract with the University, gave pamphlets
to the crowd. The pamphlets said Nike’s
presence had brought economic growth
to countries.
Support the Swoosh Co-founder
Richard Sheubrooks said he wanted to
provide an equal amount of information
to the crowd so people could form unbi
ased opinions.
“Support the Swoosh has the same
feelings about humanity and human
rights that the Nike Awareness
Campaign has, but the only difference is
our facts,” Sheubrooks said. “I sincerely
believe our facts have more validity.”
Morgan Green, a junior from
Wilmington who attended the speak
out, said he supported Nike.
He said Nike was not the only com
pany operating in Asia with poor labor
practices
“If it’s not Nike, it’s going to be
somebody.”
Penn administrators, like their coun
terparts elsewhere, said they were forced
to alter their policies or risk losing finan
cial aid funding.
“To some extent, they sold out,”
Oliver said. “They basically said, ‘We’re
going to prefer money over this other
commitment.’”
Other law schools that have recently
allowed JAG recruiters on their cam
puses include the University of Oregon,
the University of lowa and Ohio
Northern University.
On Oct. 29, the Connecticut legisla
ture passed a law to allow military
recruiters on state college campuses.
At Duke, law students and the law
dean debated the military’s policy in the
pages of the daily newspaper after
Duke’s School of Law allowed JAG
recruiters. Some students picketed an
information session held last month.
Lt. Col. Diana Moore, a recruiter
with the Army JAG Corps at the
Pentagon, said she was pleased with the
recent changes.
“We’re delighted they’ve changed
their policies, because the JAG Corps
and the Army is a wonderful opportuni
ty,” she said.
Moore said that despite isolated
protests, more law students were being
exposed to the military than before the
bans were lifted.
“We’ve doubled or tripled our num
bers at some schools now that we’re able
to recruit on campuses like regular
employers,” she said.
“We’re delighted to be out there.”
3