4
Friday, November 30, 2(X)l
Panel Hosts Racial Preferences Discussion
The discussion began with
a summary of the legal role
that race historically played
in college admissions.
By Ri i tm W\rshf\broi
Staff Writet
A panel held Thursday night as part
of the celebration of the 50th anniver
sary of racial integration at UNC
sparked discussion about racial prefer
ences in admission policies at the
University.
Senior Lindsay Reed, who is in
to Wearing) tHR- 1
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TONIGHT
NCAA Women’s Soccer
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North Carolina vs. Penn State
7pm at Fetzer Field
I Admission: $7 adults, $3 students/seniors, $1 children 5 & under
SUNDAY
NCAA Men’s Soccer 3rd Round
North Carolina vs. American University
/pm at Fetzer Field
Admission: $ 10 adults, $5 students/seniors
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T. V. Schedule for December 1,2001
11:00 FB: Army vs. Navy
FB: Michigan State vs. Missouri
12:00 FB: Penn State vs. Virginia
BB: Stanford vs. Texas
12:30 FB: Vanderbilt vs. Ole Miss
1.00 FB: Miami vs. Virginia Tech
2:00 BB: St. John’s vs. Fordham
2:30 BB: NC State vs. U Mass
BB: Notre Dame vs. DePaul
BB: Boston College vs. Michigan
BB: Kansas vs. Arizona
3:30 FB: Georgia Tech vs. Florida State
4:30 FB: Tennessee vs. Florida
FB: Oregon vs. Oregon State 3
5:00 BB: Texas Tech vs. TCU
BB: Colorado vs. Georgia
7:00 BB: Virginia vs. Virginia Tech
7:45 FB: Auburn vs. LSU
8:00 FB: Colorado vs. Texas
FB: BYU vs. Mississippi State
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charge of special events at the Campus
Y, organized the event.
Reed said she made this a part of the
celebration of racial integration in honor
of students who wanted to apply to
UNC 50 years ago but could not. “I
have so much empathy and respect for
these students that were willing to chal
lenge something unjust,” Reed said.
About 35 students attended the dis
cussion, which was led by the two-mem
ber panel. Professor John Boger from
the School of Law and Herb Davis, asso
ciate director of undergraduate admis
sions, were the panelists for the event.
Boger began the discussion with a
summary of the historical and legal
University
aspects of racial preference in college
admission. He spoke of affirmative
action cases in the past and said he
thinks racial and cultural diversity help
build a student body.
“When you’re selecting a class,
you’re building a society,” Boger said.
Davis said UNO’s mission statement
makes recommendations about things a
campus should do when selecting a
freshman class.
He said UNC admissions looks at
students as individuals and does not just
rely on test scores and extracurricular
activities.
Davis explained that each student is
reviewed individually in 18 to 25 areas,
including courses, grades, extracurricu
lar activities, leadership, public service
and background.
Davis said the University does not
use affirmative action, but he said many
students are admitted into UNC for rea
sons such as being athletes, children of
alumni and in state residents.
Admissions counselor Carol Ben-
Davies said affirmative action can be
demeaning to minority students.
“All you students are here because
you’re supposed to be here,” she said.
She said graduation rates for minority
students match up with graduation rates
for the whole class.
“It hurts too bad to hear that minori
ty students think they are here for their
race,” Ben-Davies said while crying.
REDISTRICTING
From Page 3
course he’s been running,” he said.
But Beyle said the issue of redistrict
ing is far from over. The plan must be
approved by the U.S. Justice
Department before it goes into effect.
He said a lawsuit could lose the state’s
13th District congressional seat.
The Kenan-Flagler Business School invites students of ail majors
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“I just hope that people will take
something back to their environment
where people really think that.”
But sophomore Tre Arhagba said he
refuses to tell himself that he does not
belong at UNC, regardless of his race.
“1 don’t think I allow affirmative
action to be a crutch, but I’d be lying if
I said in this day and age, it’s not neces
sary,” he said. “We’ve earned our places
at this University.”
Davis said UNC is different from
schools that use formulas - based on cri
teria such as test scores and class ranks -
to give value to admissions characteristics.
Instead, he said applicants are looked
at individually and in terms of the qual
ity of their high schools. “You compete
within your environment.”
Freshman Phabienne Parker said she
thought the panel was interesting. “As far
as affirmative action in colleges, I think
it is not necessary,” she said. “Some stu
dents may need it but I believe black stu
dents could get in without it”
Reed said she learned from the pan
elists. “These are two very distinguished
figures who know their areas of the
University,” she said. “Also, hearing
UNC’s criteria for admitting students
from Herb Davis dispelled some myths.
“I hope students tell other people
about what they learned tonight.”
The University Editor can be reached
at udesk@unc.edu.
Utah sued the U.S. Census Bureau,
claiming North Carolina unjustly gained
one of its congressional seats based on
2001 Census results. The U.S. Supreme
Court declined to hear the suit last week,
but Utah is considering other legal chal
lenges. Beyle said, “If Utah wins, all our
districts have got to be redrawn.”
The State & National Editor can be
reached at stntdesk@unc.edu.
EIGHT
From Page 3
of Eight refused to vote for a tax
increase plan that was supported by
most House Democrats.
After about a month of closed-door
negotiations, the Democrats finally
managed to appease members of the
group and gather enough votes to pass
the tax package.
Guillory said members of the group
opposed the tax increase in order to
benefit their constituents and ensure
their own political success in the future.
“The reason they opposed the 1 per
cent increase in sales tax was to make
black majority districts safer for black
representatives," Guillory said.
At the time, members of the group
argued that they did not want a tax
increase that would be financially dam
aging for their constituents.
Similarly, several members of the
group refused to vote for a House redis
tricting plan supported by House
Democrats because they said the plan
did not include enough districts with a
black voter majority.
After more than a week of negotia
tions, the Democratic leadership once
again had to redraw its plans to appease
members of the group.
Guillory said some Democrats have
tired of the Group of Eight’s antics.
“Internally, within the legislature,
other Democrats are annoyed,” he said,
“But voters expect a certain amount
of in fighting within the legislature. It
hardly ever ripples out.”
Fitch has expressed contempt in the
past for those who criticize the group’s
work.
“I think it is unfounded to criticize a
group of people for trying to do what is
right,” he said.
Thad Beyle, a UNC political science
professor, said dissension within a polit
ical party is not uncommon and this
group is not the first of its kind.
“It’s happened before, especially in
1989, when some Democrats broke
away from the Democratic caucus and
joined the Republican party,” he said.
That coalition was successful and
toppled powerful House Speaker Liston
Ramsey.
But Guillory said the situation this
session is unique because party dissen
sion normally increases when the
majority party far outweighs the minor
ity.
“When the legislature was majority
Democratic, there were various factions
within the Democratic party,” he said.
“When two parties in the House are
closely arrayed, the impulse for party
QJljf Sailg QJar Hppl
discipline is stronger.”
Guillory said the group has estab
lished the power that it needs to be rec
ognized but that its ideas should not be
viewed as in agreement with those of
the rest of the Democrats.
“They have power within the
House,” Guillory said. “They have the
ability to sway consideration on issues.
But they have not articulated a united
political philosophy, no ideological
motive.”
Although members of the Group of
Eight sometimes dissent from the rest of
the Democratic party, Beyle said their
actions have good intentions.
“There’s no political vengeance,”
Beyle said. “It’s just good, raw politics.”
Guillory said the group is also selec
tive with die bills it chooses to oppose
rather than consistendy opposing
Democratic leadership.
“The group only forms when there is
an issue that they want to address,”
Guillory said.
“It is uncommon to have a small
group find themselves at the fulcrum of
House activity.”
But Fitch said that in the end, his loy
alty falls to the people he represents
over the group, and the other members
of the group feel the same way.
“My obligation is to the people who
sent me here. It happens to be that the
eight of us have a common purpose,”
Fitch said.
“We’re just trying to do what’s right
for those we represent”
Beyle said the separation of the
group from the Democrats will not
affect party control of the state House,
which the Democrats controlled for
most of the 20th century.
“I don’t think the Democrats will
turn against them, because they are try
ing to maintain the Democratic caucus,
and so they are trying to go along the
best they can,” he said.
Beyle also said the political future of
the group is stable.
“(There are) 12 districts that are pre
dominately black, and there are six
more districts that are made up of over
40 percent blacks,” he said. “So, unless
their districts change dramatically or if
they decide to run for higher office, like
Dan Blue is doing, they will surely be
re-elected.”
The State & National Editor can be
reached at stntdesk@unc.edu.
SESSION LIMITS
From Page 3
“Long sessions are pretty much an
aberration (in North Carolina),”
Hackney said.
“We have not, as a rule, had unusu
ally long sessions. Generally, sessions
end in July and August, and we have
had only one other session that went
past this period.”
Hackney said support for the bill was
not divided along party lines.
He said many legislators expressed
concern that the bill gives too much
power to the presiding officer of either
house.
But Sen. David Hoyle, D-Gaston,
said NCCBI’s support might bring
attention to the bill and make a vote
more likely.
NCCBI supported the $3.1 billion
higher education bond referendum last
year by funding media advertisements
and building legislative support.
The bond passed overwhelmingly,
with more than 70 percent of voters
endorsing it.
UNC received about SSOO million
for capital projects under the bond ref
erendum.
Hoyle, who has introduced other
bills calling for a constitutional amend
ment to limit session length, said
NCCBI’s support turn this bill into a
“burning issue."
“Now they are going to push it and
put heat on some people,” Hoyle said.
He said the bills he introduced earli
er, which were passed in the Senate,
were not considered in the House.
“In the past we did not even get a
(vote), but I think we’ll get it now,” he
said.
“If we are going to get this bill going,
it’s going to be through the efforts of the
NCCBI.”
But Ferrel Guillory, director of
UNC’s Program on Southern Politics,
Media and Public Life, said most states
have some kind of session limit, and
long sessions make it more difficult for
people with jobs to serve in the legisla
ture.
Guillory said the real issue in the
next couple of years should be organiz
ing sessions so that those who have
careers and families can continue to
serve.
He added that while this year’s state
legislative session has been unusually
long, the recent trend has been for ses
sions to lengthen over time.
Guillory said several factors have
caused legislative sessions to last longer,
including a two-party system with a
fragile majority that has difficulty com
ing to a consensus.
Guillory said he thinks the bill limit
ing session lengths might have trouble
passing because it places more power
with the governor.
“It’s going to be very difficult for the
bill to pass this House.”
The State & National Editor can be
reached at stntdesk@unc.edu.