Newspapers / Daily Tar Heel (Chapel … / Feb. 7, 2003, edition 1 / Page 8
Part of Daily Tar Heel (Chapel Hill, N.C.) / About this page
This page has errors
The date, title, or page description is wrong
This page has harmful content
This page contains sensitive or offensive material
8 Friday, February 7, 2003 Board Editorials Herman for GPSF President Dan Herman's ideas to boost communication and interaction among graduate students makes him the best choice to lead the Graduate and Professional Student Federation. The Graduate and Professional Student Federation has made huge strides under the lead ership of its president, Branson Page. And GPSF presidential candidate Dan Herman promises to continue the gains seen in the past year. The Daily Tar Heel Editorial Board endorses Herman for GPSF president as the person capable of filling Page’s shoes. Herman, who is running unopposed for the office, knows excellence when he sees it and has devoted much of his platform to continuing the work Page started. Herman’s thorough knowledge of the issues facing graduate students is impres sive. He pledges to fight the battles pitched by Page, including efforts to increase teach ing assistant stipends and to communicate with the Chapel Hill Town Council. He also highlighted the need to relieve graduate students of the out-of-pocket expenses they are forced to pay. The idea that TAs should be required to pay for their own class expenses - such as chalk - is absurd, and Herman promises that changing the policy will not be too difficult. Herman hopes to continue efforts to provide child care for students. This concern is one that Student Body President Jen Daum worked exten sively with Page to address, and Herman knows the issue deserves further work. He also told the Editorial Board that communi cation with the new student body president would be a top priority. He plans to improve upon the level of interaction between Daum and Page, which, he alleged, was lacking at times. The high points on Herman’s platform include Speaking Without Thinking A contract professor in the School of Social Work should apologize to the campus community for making racially insensitive remarks during her class and resign. You couldn’t be blamed for thinking you were in a time warp. In comments that should inspire a collective wince on UNC’s campus, a contract faculty mem ber in the School of Social Work included marked ly racist comments in her Jan. 13 master’s class called “Social Work and Practice With Couples.” Contract faculty member Martha Lamb alleged ly told her class, without explanation, that someone had told her that NAACP stands for “Niggers Ain’t Acting Like Colored People.” In addition, a student in the class said that after he brought his concerns to Lamb, she replied by saying, “I will try not to treat you as an African American. I will try to treat you like a person.” Two-thirds of enrolled students have dropped the course since the incident. If this is true, Lamb explicitly violated the University’s Racial Harassment Policy, one part of which states, “It is the responsibility of every employ ee and student in the University community to strive to create an environment free of racial harassment.” More importantly, these sentiments simply have no place at a university that strives to be a “light on the hill,” especially in the year 2003. This page never would call for disciplinary action based on die protected speech of an individual. But in the interests of the University and herself, Lamb must issue a public apology and should immedi ately resign from her position at UNC. Administrators at the School of Social Work commendably convened a town meeting Monday to hear students’ concerns. More than 250 people turned out, demonstrating the severity of the fac ulty member’s comments. Unfortunately, Lamb was either unable to attend or chose not to. Coming out of this town meeting was the EDITOR S NOTE.The above editorials are the opinions of solely The Daily Tar Heel Editorial Board, which were reached after open debate. The board consists of eight board members, the assistant editorial page editor, the editorial page edi tor and the DTH editor. The 2002-03 DTH editor decided not to vote on the board and not to write board editorials. Readers' Forum Editors Note: Monday’s Viewpoints page is set aside for letters about the upcoming student body elections. Submissions should adhere to The Daily Tar Heel’s letters to the editor policy and should be e-mailed to editdesk@unc.edu no later than noon Sunday. Senior Blasts Ticket Distribution For Wednesday’s Basketball Game TO THE EDITOR: It never fails. Every year, the issue that evokes more pas sion from students than tuition increases, student body elec tions or teach-ins is always the one that is dearest to the true Carolina fan ... basketball tickets. From arguments for more student tickets to the creation of risers to the CAA-fratemity cheating scandal a few years ago, basketball tickets are always a hot topic. Now I would like to add to that controversy even more with a few observations that I have made over my years at UNC. Mainly, this involves the numbers of student tickets that CAA claims exist The CAA Web page claims that there are approximate ly 2,000 lower-level seats for most games. However, this past weekend for the Duke game, I was around 575 away from the number and received upper-level seats. Assuming that everyone showed up and everyone had two senior IDs (which they did not), the number of lower-level tickets given out actually was less than 1,150. Now, I am fully aware that we are not a mathematical University. If I wanted to know how many eggs are in a dozen or how many fingers of milk one genetically engineered cow can give, I would have made the 25-minute trip down Interstate 40 to N.C. State University. Thankfully, I got off at exit 266 instead of 295. But I do know that 1,150 is not close to “approximate- his extensive plans to strengthen the bonds between graduate students. Currently, graduate student orientations - providing “differing amounts of information and services” - are held by each academic department separately. The splintered relations between dif ferent departments is a frequent com plaint among graduate students. Herman hopes to improve the orientation process by allowing for more interaction between students from various departments. Herman also plans to improve orienta tion for international graduate students. He wants to work on introducing international students more thoroughly to life in Chapel Hill and the United States in hopes that Dan Herman those students will be more comfortable at UNC. Herman’s in-depth knowledge of the issues will prove beneficial, and his dedication to continuing past efforts definitely is admirable. But he should have devoted more time to innovation and imagi nation to promote interest in his unopposed cam paign and in the office of GPSF president. Herman could use the competition of another candidate to push him to put more effort into his platform. However, the office of GPSF president has served as an effective representation for graduate and pro fessional students during the term of Branson Page, and Herman can’t go wrong by continuing his efforts. Herman has the knowledge and the ability to produce results, and his dedication to continuing the work of the last year will send him in the right direction. On Tuesday, vote for Dan Herman for GPSF president. appalling indication that this was not the first time a School of Social Work faculty member has led a racism-tinted class. In a school that has a mission of helping all families and communities, the last thing students need is for professors to espouse out dated and unfounded prejudices. Also, University administrators should present the few students remaining in Lamb’s class options for learning the same material in a racism-free environ ment They should work quickly to find a professor to teach an alternate section of the same course. And while students said administrators within the School of Social Work were reasonably respon sive to their complaints, they voiced frustration that they were not properly notified about how to file a formal complaint against Lamb. Students should be completely informed about their options. Although the racial harassment code calls on mem bers of the University community to work out these issues with the offending party directly, this situation goes beyond this recommended course of action. A grievance committee should be set up to inves tigate and resolve the accusations of racism, as per mitted in the code. It is likely that only this formal setting will allow for both sides to state their cases and for the appropriate solution to be reached. From recent controversies surrounding people from former U.S. Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott to basketball star Shaquille O’Neal, it is painfully clear that racism remains an issue facing this country. Racism is the last place, however, this campus should follow suit. Asa leading public university, UNC has a responsibility for maintaining a tolerant and accepting educational arena. The “n-word” just doesn’t belong here, and neither does Lamb. ly” 2,000. I do not think that CAA is corrupt; instead, the problem is that there simply aren’t any good student seats available. But inflating the numbers only makes it harder for students to get on the court where they belong and to make the Smith Center as feared as Carmichael once was. Chris O'Connor Senior History Petty Actions in Student Congress Cast Group in Highly Negative Light TO THE EDITOR: Student Congress has officially lost all credibility on campus. I am absolutely furious that Representative Natalie Russell and others violating the Student Code were not cen sured or expelled from Congress, as the rales state they should have been. Furthermore, I am appalled that a bill was introduced to impeach Representative Alak Shah. The student body of this campus deserves better representation. Moreover, this disgusting in-fighting took up most of the time in Congress’ session - leaving little to no time to devote to other issues of greater salience to the campus community. I will close my letter noting I have the flu, and I shouldn’t be so pissed off as to have to write this letter. My vote: impeach not only those members of Congress in violation of the Code but also those that introduced the bill to oust Alak. Trevor Hoppe Junior Political Science Smlg olctr Mwl Established 1893 • 109 Years of Editorial Freedom www.dailytarheel.com Kim Minugh Alex Kaplun Lizzie Breyer EDITOR MANAGING EDITOR PROJECTS EDITOR Office Hours Noon-2 Friday Lucas Fenske Daniel Thigpen John Frank Elyse Ashburn EDITORIAL PAGE EDITOR UNIVERSITY EDITOR CITY EDITOR STATE k NATIONAL EDITOR Aaron Fitt Brian Cassella Addie Sluder Nick Parker SPORTS EDITOR PHOTO EDITOR FEATURES EDITOR ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR Terri Rupar Beth Buchholz & Tiffany Pease Josh Stafford Adam Shupe COPY EDITOR DESIGN EDITORS GRAPHICS EDITOR ONLINE EDITOR Brian Millikin Eric Gautschi WRITING COACH OMBUDSMAN If you have any concerns or comments about our coverage, please contact Ombudsman Eric Gautschi at eautschi@email.unc.edu or by phone at 918-1311. SV&VI.. you ufacj)- - G&KS&' wUI £> r f vr insolence 4 will Recent Comments Threaten To Tarnish Mandela's Legacy Nelson Mandela could have been a towering figure of inspiration and moral authority, the rare leader who legitimately speaks for the most vul nerable among us. Yet he con tinues to bask in an undeserved and dangerous lionization. The poison of his recent comments and the unfortunate history of his actions highlight the neces sity to cherish what we have. There was a time when Mandela starded the world with his humanity and forgive ness toward the evil that impris oned him. He once personified the hope for a peaceful, mul tiracial and democratic South Africa. Sadly, that time is long past. At the International Women’s Forum last week, Mandela received thunderous applause for speaking of “one power with a president who has no foresight, who cannot think properly, now wanting to plunge the world into a holocaust.” Then, reaching anew level of absurdi ty, he accused President Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair of “undermin ing” other nations: “They do not care. Is it because the secretary-general of the United Nations is now a black man?” More tragic than the corruption and fail ures of Mandela’s African National Congress is his obscene embrace of gang sters and professional killers. The author of “How To Be A Good Communist” and win- J? The Daily Tar Heel welcomes reader comments. Letters to the editor should be no longer than 300 words and must be typed, double spaced, dated and signed by no more than two people. Students should include their year, major and phone number. Faculty and staff should include their title, department and phone number. The DTH reserves the right to edit letters tor space, clarity and vulgarity. Publication is not guaran teed. Bring letters to the DTH office at Suite 104, Carolina Union, mail them to P.O. Box 3257, Chapel Hill, NC 27515 or e-mail forum to: editdesk@unc.edu. ner of the Lenin Peace Prize has lavished praise on Fidel Castro, Muammar Gaddafi (the new head of the U.N. Human Rights Commission) and the mad tyrant Robert Mugabe. Now we have the fan tasy that our president, and not Saddam Hussein, seeks mass murder. Oh yeah, and Bush is probably a racist too. Mandela, why not disparage your successor Thabo Mbeke for his absurd declaration that AIDS is not related to HIV, “justifying” the government’s failure to provide treatment to the nation’s AIDS victims? Why not commend Bush for his com mitment to treat Africa’s people? rs my JONATHAN JONES A FIFTH COLUMN Because doing so would contradict Mandela’s contention that “if there is a country that has committed unspeakable atrocities in the world, it is the United States of America.” What a sad spectacle for a man who could have been great. It is much worse, however, for those who still suffer under the self-appointed leaders for life to whom Mandela lends shreds of respectability. Fortunately, rationality is on the rise. The ANC has been largely discredited after killing Sipho Phungulwa in retaliation for revealing the party’s torture and mur der of dissidents. Mandela’s former wife Winnie has been exposed as a murderer herself. Fewer and fewer elected leaders have tolerance for the ambitions of those Barometer SSSi s° un d Investment The men's basketball team did lose I to Duke, but the news isn't all bad. Our endowment grew by $200,000 because UNC's accountants bet against the Tar Heels. About Time fO, The House elected two speakers after a wee k of uncertainty. Members are 'y'V eager to start governing sometime in March after deciding on Mexican or Chinese for lunch and finding someone to pick it up. Presidential Candidate Quotables “Honor exists around us in this University and that should be known.” Junior Nathan Cherry On the Honor Code. Researchers are looking for ways to tap into this mysterious “force" and perform Jedi mind tricks. “Asa kid, I knew the benefits of solar ener gy-” Junior Ben Pickett On importance of green energy. A lot of kids appreciate solar energy, particularly those who used to set things like ants and report cards on fire with a magnifying glass. Slip Sailii (Ear UM who would succeed Hider, Mao or Stalin. Thus, France and Germany, weak allies with strong economic ties to Hussein, have been embarrassed, as a growing number of European leaders has expressed formal solidarity with the United States in the fight against Islamic-based fascism. A coalition of nations interested in the accounting of terrible weapons soon will end the veil of tyrannical, murderous fear that grips Iraq. The “peace” organizations here at home, the most influential founded many years ago to support the Soviet offen sive into Hungary, ignore and deflect much. Mandela further discredits himself by mir roring their empty rhetoric. While Mandela offers odd moral lessons, the United States is doing something to alleviate the misery that looms over his continent So be it. The religion of Marxism and the postmodern moral equivalency that flows from it are running on fumes. Those weary of despotism are desperate to immigrate to our shores. Our pluralism, religious tolerance and ability to pursue either vice or virtue is a hope worth pro tecting and giving to others, especially if our security demands it. Nelson Mandela is wrong: we are not de facto oppressors. It is a shame when those who could be great hinder the considerable aspirations of the truly oppressed, those who deserve an opportunity to create a better life. Reach Jonathan Jones at jonjones@emaii.unc.edu. There's a Congress? Congress is investigating charges against one member for keeping out of touch with constituents. Similar charges are pending against every other member. Five More Days Student body hopefuls are hunting for votes before Tuesday elections, jk’f Abuse the situation by making candidates clean your toilet, give you foot rubs and ask your parents for more money. “If you don’t come (talk) to me, I’ll come up to you.” Junior Sang Shin On importance of communication. Does anyone else feel threatened? “You learn as much from your peers as you do your professors.” Junior Matt Tepper On importance of diversity. To elaborate: students learn history from professors. But they go to their peers for instruction on how to make bongs from soda cans.
Daily Tar Heel (Chapel Hill, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
Feb. 7, 2003, edition 1
8
Click "Submit" to request a review of this page. NCDHC staff will check .
0 / 75