14
Tuesday, October 5, 1999
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Scott Hicks
EDITORIAL PAGE EDITOR
Katie Abel
UNIVERSITY EDITOR
Jacob McConnico
CfTY EDITOR
Board Editorials
Fire Ford
Before he causes further damage to the
University’s reputation, assistant basketball
coach Phil Ford should be fired.
Let’s face it. Ford has received two DUI
charges within the past two years. Obviously,
he has a problem with alcohol that hinders
him from making rational decisions.
On Sept. 27, Durham police arrested him
for driving while intoxicated after they pulled
him over for failing to stop at a red light.
Ford’s blood alcohol content registered
0.24 - three times the legal limit.
He not only endangered himself that
night, but he was also a threat to everyone
else on U.S. 15-501 as well.
He made a big mistake -and it’s not the
first time. Ford admits to having had prob
lems with alcohol and cocaine. And drunk
driving is nothing new on his record.
Just two years ago in Michigan, Ford was
charged with operating a vehicle under the
influence of liquor and unlawful blood alco
hol content.
What is UNC waiting for? Athletic
department officials say Ford’s return rests
Erin Mendell Editorial Notebook
Birdseed High
What’s the best way to deal with
America’s drug problem? Why, to confiscate
several tons of birdseed, of course.
Since Aug. 9, the U. S. government has
been holding birdseed produced by a
Canadian farmer, because hemp he used in
producing it contained detectable levels of
THC, the active ingredient in marijuana.
While it is illegal to grow hemp in the land
of the free, it is legal to export it to the United
States.
Smoking marijuana will give you a high
(or make you irritable, tired and hungry,
depending on who you ask). Smoking hemp,
on the other hand, might give you a
headache or perhaps a feeling of stupidity.
For all of the United States’ elected offi
cials who have “experimented” with mari
juana, one would think there would be at
least a few who understood that there’s a dif
ference between the two plants.
Never mind the fact that the birdseed con
tained just 0.000147 percent THC, while the
plant that people smoke to get high contains
between 4 and 20. The THC detected was
probably picked up by the hemp seeds’ con
tact with the leaves of the plant.
Oh yeah, and the seeds were sterile, which
means no one could possibly use them to
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Readers 7 Forum
Columnist Misinformed
About BCC, Needs
To Get Facts Straight
TO THE EDITOR:
Here we go again. How can one person
be so wrong in such a small essay? This
time it’s Brady Dennis’ Oct 4 column, enti
tled “Better Uses for Money Than BCC.”
Would someone please talk to Mr.
Dennis?
Tell him first that the Sonja H. Stone
Black Cultural Center did not get an out
right $6 million - that it’s approximately
half of the interest (about $250,000 annu
ally) from sll million of the Clayton
bequest that is going into funding of the
BCC.
The $28.6 million won’t even be
touched; in fact, the University expects the
donation to double in about 20 years.
(Didn’t DTH staffers attend the news con
ference that articulated all of this?)
The other half of that interest from the
sll million goes toward the needs of the
School of Law. And when the law school’s
needs are met and the BCC is completed,
the interest will go toward other University
needs as the chancellor at the time sees fit.
Remind him, too, that interest from
most of the gift will go to National Merit
Scholarships and student advising.
Then tell Mr. Dennis that the
University’s Master Plan not only calls for
repairs for old buildings, but construction
of a host of new buildings across the cam
pus.
Rob Nelson
EDITOR
Office Hours Friday 3 p.m. - 4 p.m.
Matthew B. Dees
STATE & NATIONAL EDITOR
Brian Murphy
SPORTS EDITOR
T. Nolan Hayes
SPORTSATURDAY EDITOR
on the results of a medical evaluation. But,
despite whatever the doctors’ orders may be,
Ford has already done his damage and needs
to face harsh consequences.
Perhaps when Ford decides to take anoth
er drunken ride and accidentally kills some
one, UNC will deem it necessary to take
swift action.
And what kind of message is UNC send
ing to the people who look up to Coach
Ford? Ford has damaged his credibility with
his players and fans. The basketball players
should respect their assistant coach; howev
er, the boys are probably wondering if he’s
going to get tanked after the game.
UNC has given Ford more opportunities
than he deserved. It’s embarrassing that he
still works here after his 1997 conviction. But
to think that he could possibly return after
yet another charge is preposterous.
UNC officials must consider the
University’s reputation.
Ford obviously has difficulty making good
decisions. But that doesn’t mean UNC has to
follow his example.
grow more completely innocuous hemp.
Once again the United States Government
has shown a stellar use of logic.
The point it wants to make is that drugs
are bad, and we need to do everything in our
power to get rid of them, even if they’re not
even really drugs and just a relative of a plant
that is used to make a drug.
Although illegal, hemp is an extremely
environmentally friendly crop to grow, but
because the United States has such an impec
cable record regarding environmental poli
cy, we can afford to slip up once in a while.
Simply because a hemp is related to mar
ijuana, the government gets scared and feels
die need to oudaw growing it even if there is
no justifiable reason to do so.
It is not a drug. Hemp cannot be used as
a drug, regardless of whether or not it con
tains a tiny amount of THC.
And even if one could smoke hemp to get
high, what kind of moron would light up a
bowl of birdseed?
Confiscating the Canadian birdseed is
akin to confiscating several tons of bran
flakes because it contained an unintentional
sprinkling of oats.
Let the birds have their imported bird
seed. I promise they won’t get high.
The BCC, with its auditorium, class
rooms, library and exhibit space, is one of
those buildings.
Ask Mr. Dennis to guess who will be
using all of those new resources. Tell him
that’s the way the University works.
It’s like the newly renovated Carroll
Hall, which houses the School of
Journalism and Mass Communication,
where Dennis takes classes for his major.
Carroll Hall has a 400-seat, state-of-the-art
auditorium that is available for use by the
entire community.
In fact, the BCC has scheduled a visit
from poet Sonja Sanchez in the Carroll
Hall auditorium Nov. 16.
Tell Dennis that when the BCC was
approved some years ago, a number of
departments, institutes, etc. were invited to
make bids to use some of the office space
that would be available.
Faculty members of the African & Afro-
American Studies Department looked at
their long-term needs for growth and
development and determined that the
BCC building would not do in the long
haul. (And tell Dennis, by the way, that
“AFAM” is not a curriculum anymore -
hasn’t been for two years now.)
Selected to share office space in the new
building were the Institute of African-
American Research and our nationally
acclaimed Upward Bound program.
Tell Dennis, too, to talk to former
Chancellor Paul Hardin about the
sequence of events around the BCC.
It was Hardin’s blue-ribbon panel
(which included Richard Cole, dean of the
Editorial
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Ford Must Own Up to Mistakes
Carolina athletics have long been sur
rounded by prestige and tradition.
But in light of the recent buzz fol
lowing Phil Ford’s indiscretions, the great
Carolina dynasty is now surrounded by scan
dal and negative front-page headlines.
The question now remains, does Ford
deserve to have his dirty laundry aired in pub
lic, and if not, can the Department of Athletics
be trusted to give Ford more than a slap on
the wrist?
I must tread softly here, for some of the
Carolina sports fans sometimes suffer from
delirium, and a few wrong words could see
my likeness hanged in effigy.
But honest discourse must prevail one way
or another.
I can’t help but feel a little bit of dismay on
behalf of Ford and his family. Every day, peo
ple make bad choices, and most have the lux
ury of dealing with their situations in private
with the support of their friends and family.
Perhaps a few are unfortunate enough to see
their name and residence featured in a tiny
paragraph in the Police Roundup, but at least
their mug shots are not placed there too.
But does Ford’s celebrity automatically
compromise his right to privacy?
If it is determined that Ford has an addic
tion to alcohol, shouldn’t the public respect
Ford enough as a human being to let him deal
with his addiction and seek the proper med
ical attention without headlines showcasing
his ordeal every step of the way?
Yes, Phil Ford was a great basketball player
for UNC, once upon a time.
And yes, Phil Ford proved invaluable and
gained much respect as a UNC recruiter and
assistant coach for the basketball team.
But it is also true that Ford made a decision
that could have been potentially fatal to him
self or an innocent bystander.
In all honesty, it rubs me the wrong way to
School of Journalism and Mass
Communication) that approved the BCC
freestanding building. All of the dissension
thereafter was over the site, not the build
ing.
Then, finally, tell Dennis to stop spread
ing that ugly rumor that resurfaces like a
virus from time to time: that original plans
called for an “in-house hair salon.”
I was on the original committee that
specified the content of the building - no
salon.
And, yeah, tell Dennis to stop by our
cramped space sometime. We’ll give him a
handshake, a hug and some history.
Harry Amana
Acting Director
Sonja H. Stone Black Cultural Center
The length rule on letters was waived.
BCC Name Intimidating,
Should Be Called
“Multicultural Center”
TO THE EDITOR:
In light of the many articles and letters
written in the past week concerning a free
standing Sonja H. Stone Black Cultural
Center, I thought I should give a small sug
gestion.
Upon my first encounters with the BCC,
its name alone suggested that it might be
“exclusive.”
However, upon reading letters and arti
cles in the paper, I have learned that the
Miller Pearsall
PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR
Thomas Ausman
DESIGN EDITOR
Megan Sharkey
GRAPHICS EDITOR
LEIGHA BAUGHAM
ABSOLUTE CHOCOLATE
see Ford’s once-great image reduced to noth
ing in the course of a few days.
Too often it is so much easier to point fin
gers and place excessive blame on those that
have fame attached to their name. But it
should be remembered that everyone should
be treated equally when it comes to owning
up to their mistakes, regardless of whether it is
a student who had too much to drink at a
party and decided to drive home or an assis
tant basketball coach who did the same.
Ford should not be treated any worse than
another in a similar situation because of
weight that his name carries with it.
As past records show, this is not the first
time that Ford has been charged with getting
behind the wheel of a motor vehicle while
impaired.
Reason usually tells us that mistakes hap
pen; we are humans. When we make mis
takes, we must accept the consequences of our
actions. Our parents probably told us that
many a time, so the concept is nothing new.
But we should all realize that sometimes
the difference between right and wrong isn’t
as clear as it was when we were children, and
we pushed little Suzy on the playground
because she fronted us in line for the monkey
bars. With adulthood comes that gray area of
complication.
When Ford got behind the wheel of a car,
BCC is actually a place where many peo
ple of all ethnic groups, races, etc. are wel
come.
I went by to check it out myself, picked
up a schedule of upcoming events and,
indeed, saw that it was for more than just
the black students on this campus.
Indeed, it deals with many interesting
issues important to ALL people.
Which is where I got a little concerned.
Because of the name of the BCC, it seems
to “frighten away” those of us who aren’t
black ... whether we are white, Asian,
Native American, Egyptian or Martians.
Its name suggested to me that I might
not be quite too welcome there. I’m glad
I’ve learned otherwise.
I certainly support a freestanding BCC,
but I would rather it be termed a
Multicultural Center.
Why? Certainly, if it is already hosting
events applicable to people of all races, and
if it is open to all of us, then its name
should reflect that.
I recognize that the center was built to
honor Dr. Sonja H. Stone, and her constant
work on campus to improve race relations.
Indeed, I believe Dr. Stone wanted to
improve race relations among ALL races,
not just blacks and whites. Truly, a
BCC/MCC should reflect that.
Therefore, as we consider allotting funds
for the construction of a freestanding Black
Cultural Center, we should consider call
ing it a Multicultural Center, to include all
students and minorities, whether we are
black, white, yellow, red or tangerine.
Otherwise, I feel that the current title of
Vicky Eckenrode & Courtney Weill
MANAGING EDITORS
he made a bad decision. The past is
unchangeable; all we can do is thank good
ness that no one was hurt.
But if Ford is allowed to handle this situa
tion in private, how do we know that the situ
ation won’t get swept under the carpet? What
does it mean when the athletic department
issues press releases that say the department
will handle a problem “internally,” and how
can we trust that the problem will be
addressed at all?
When Ford was charged in September
1997 with driving under the influence in
Detroit, he had to pay a fine, pay court fees
and attend Alcoholics Anonymous.
But did the handling of the incident really
benefit Ford, when a little more than two
years later he is again in the same position?
If Ford has broken the law, he should have
to pay for his mistakes like anyone else. If it
becomes common knowledge that Ford has
an alcohol problem and he is allowed to con
tinue down the same destructive path, then
the next time Ford is charged with something,
it could be vehicular manslaughter.
Ford should be held to the same standards
as anyone else. His name should not be
dragged through the mud because it makes
for good headlines.
And Ford should be given the same oppor
tunities to rectify his mistakes that anyone else
would. But the Department of Athletics has to
remain honest and open to see that Ford is
required to pay the price for his mistakes.
Without UNC officials forcing Ford to con
front his problems, the next time we see Ford
in the headlines, it could be because his car
collided with another, and a member of the
student body was tragically killed.
Leigha Baugham Is a junior communications
major from Greensboro. Reach her with ques
tions and comments at lbl@email.unc.edu.
the center is defeating its purpose. It
appears inclusive to one race only, or at
least it appears not to be including other
races.
If I were Native American, Asian or
Mexican, I know I could be feeling left out.
As an Irish-French-American, I know
that I have already been tricked once by
the name of the current BCC. This is a
place for all people and all cultures - again,
its name should reflect that.
Please consider these things before you
build a freestanding center, which is very
much needed on this campus.
Tracy DeHaveti-Parham
Junior
Nursing
BCC Money Could Be
Better Spent, Says
Member of the BSM
TO THE EDITOR:
Asa proud dues-paying member of the
Black Student Movement and one of its
subgroups, a successful product of the
inner-city and a friend of many who are
affiliated with and support the soon-to-be
freestanding BCC, I must say that I ...
wholeheartedly agree with (Brady Dennis).
Eugene Scott
Freshman
Exercise and Sports Science
Otyp Irnhj ®ar MM
William Hill
online editor
Whitney Moore
WRITING COACH
Terry Wimmer
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