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10 Tuesday, February 18, 2003 Board Editorials Vote Tepper for SBP Matt Tepper's lengthy experience in student government and beyond, coupled with a platform of innovative ideas, make him the clear choice for student body president. Earlier this month, The Daily Tar Heel Editorial Board faced a major problem - members could n’t decide which of two candidates for student body president to endorse. After hours of debate spread over several days, the issue came to head Feb. 6, when board members spent more than four hours in a small room in Greenlaw Hall exchanging increasingly barbed comments. A bare majority eventually voted to endorse for mer student body president candidate Nathan Cheny instead of Matt Tepper. With Cherry out of the race, the DTH editorial board enthusiastically endorses Tepper for student body president. Tepper has the necessary experience in dealing with campus affairs from his ser- vice in former Student Body President Justin Young’s Cabinet and the successful campaign to fight night parking permits. Tepper also is versed in the inner workings of state government from his past involvement with the Young Democrats and with efforts to register students to vote. This expe rience will come in handy for lobbying legislators not to hike tuition or drastically cut UNC’s bud get to make up a $2 billion budget shortfall. Throughout the campaign season, Tepper demonstrated a strong ability to relate to small stu dent groups - being able to both joke with them and also to share meaningful ideas. Although he often appeared awkward or uncomfortable at first before large groups, he soon relaxed, and his passion for the University’s future and for students’ welfare came shining through. This problem could be solved easily by brushing up on public speaking skills. Tepper has assembled a strong platform that would benefit most students. His promises are a good blend of simple ideas - including bicycle pumps for students -and the long-term - register ing students to vote and increasing student voice on the Chapel Hill Town Council. Tepper shows a clear understanding of the diffi culties that Student Body President Jen Daum has gone through this year - especially with the Town Council’s attack on duplexes -and has proposed Vote for Leamon-Melton Senior class officer hopefuls George Leamon and Doug Melton have the experience, drive and dedication necessary to lead the class of 2004 to success. If any students can talk about how cold it’s been the past two weeks, it’s George Leamon and Doug Melton. That’s because Leamon and Melton, who are campaigning for senior class office, have been living in tents out on the quad to show their dedication. The Daily Tar Heel Editorial Board endorsed Leamon and Melton for senior class president and vice president for that level of commitment during the gen eral election, and we heartily do so again for the runoff. When candidates came in for interviews two weeks ago, Leamon and Melton were sharp, motivated and ready to go, like many of the others. But the pair’s lengthy record of service and personal friendship set them apart. These guys aren’t pulling cheap tricks to win an election. Board members were particularly impressed when Melton told members that he moved to Morrison Residence Hall his junior year to be a resident assistant and serve as a role model to black underclassmen. 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 Shin’s Radical Approach To Student Government Could Boost Involvement TO THE EDITOR: Today, I’m going to vote for Sang Shin in the student body president runoff. I believe that Sang has the ability to get things done while in office. In addition to his open and welcoming nature, he has anew approach to student government. Rather than pre senting a platform with countless ideas, many of which have been tried before unsuccessfully or are already in the works through other campus offices, Sang has a concise and well-researched platform that focuses on the most pressing campus issues. From tuition to student apathy, Sang plans to attack the major issues first, ensur ing that these problems will receive the attention they deserve. Once the major issues have been dealt with, Sang will use his ability to communicate with students and administrators to begin working on other projects to be determined by student feedback. With this new approach Sang will be a very effective student leader. Past student leaders have spread themselves too thin, starting many projects but completing few because it is not possible to solve every campus problem in one year. The Shin administration will start anew 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 indude their year, major and phone number. Faculty and staff should indude their title, department and phone number. The DTH reserves the right to edit letters for space, darity 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 Hid, NC 27515 or e-mail forum to: editdesk@unc.edu. concrete solutions to solve them. Out of all Tepper’s proposals, however, the one that stands out both for originality and knowledge of campus affairs is the student wish list Tepper wants to assemble a fist of students’ wants and put them on the Internet for potential Carolina First donors to browse. Tepper hopes that the items will strike donors enough for them to contribute money - ensuring that the $l.B billion fund-raising campaign has a tangible effect on the student body. As for Shin ... Sang Shin is extremely likable and charming - someone you’d love to talk with while sharing a pitcher of beer. But ML ■WL . .'mhHl Matt Tepper that’s just not enough to fulfill the myriad respon sibilities of student body president. Shin’s platform is next to impossible to accomplish - that’s why he lists many items as proposals rather than promises. For instance, his proposal to increase the number of out-of-state students would require per mission of N.C. legislators —a group notoriously antagonistic when it comes to out-of-state students. Additionally, his proposal for the University to rent off-campus apartment buildings and treat them as a campus residence hall - complete with resident assistants - would raise cries of protest from local landlords and create a logistical night mare for housing department officials. Shin also failed to address many of the chal lenges facing campus - such as not even mention ing women’s issues or the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community. Shin lacks the experience in student government necessary to fully understand the role of student body president - making for a very real danger that Shin doesn’t comprehend what the position entails. Shin does have a good concept of diversity - reaching out to minorities on all campus topics including tuition - that Tepper should adopt. But that doesn’t make up for Shin’s shortcomings. Cast your vote for Matt Tepper - an experi enced candidate capable of bringing worthwhile changes. Doing community service, giving your two or three hours at a time is one thing. But living on South Campus your junior year to help your com munity is off on another world. The board is confident that the pair will contin ue to serve as role models if elected to office. George Leamon and Doug Melton really care and convinced students one on one that they’re the right guys for the job. At the risk of sounding cliche, we urge you not to take our word on it. Talk with George Leamon and Doug Melton yourself. Ask about their quali fications and their ideas for senior year. You know where to find them. We’re sure they will be more than happy to see you. Leamon and Melton have very modestly shied away from flaunting their resumes, but they are both stacked and equally impressive. We can’t list all their accomplishments here, but we urge you to check them out at http://www.unc.edu/george. Leamon and Melton won a 10-point lead in the general election by no accident. They’ve shotvn juniors that they era of student government marked by suc cess, achievement and student involvement If you want to see real improvements in stu dent life at UNC, vote for Sang Shin today. Zoey LeTendre Sophomore Communications Tepper Has Experience Required to Fill Student Body President Position TO THE EDITOR: Nathan Cherry’s slogan for his student body president candidacy was “experience matters.” I completely agree, and that’s why I hope his former supporters will join me in voting for Matt Tepper today. Matt has extensive experience in stu dent government dating back to his fresh man year, when he was the co-chairman of the Freshman Focus Council. Last year he was an executive assistant to the student body president. In these roles he has worked in many facets of the executive branch, giving him a very good sense of what issues need to be addressed and how to go about addressing them. It would be extremely difficult to run student govern ment if you had never been in it. One of the biggest issues for students this (Fhu lath} (Tar Itel 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 & 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. f— AND IF THE U.S. ATTACK Sr" uh-letme WE WILL RETALIATE WITH I C REPHRASE THAT' < gl CHEMICAL AMD BIOLOGICAL | f -K Studying Abroad Offers New, Unique View of U.S. Culture Last spring, I saw processions of hun dreds of people clad in what looked frighteningly like Ku Klux Klan robes. It was disconcerting even though they used the costume first, hundreds of years ago. Many of them carried elabo rate statues of crying virgins or images of Jesus on the cross, others held incense, and still others formed part of the band that accompanied every group. Tlie hooded adults passed out candy to the children looking on, and foreigners like me were baffled to see well-dressed, sophisticated women, clad in tight black clothes, with tears in their eyes at the sight of the beautiful, his toric images of the Scivior’s mother. I spent that semester in Sevilla, an amazing city in the south of Spain. I did things I never thought I’d do. I had my gazpacho stolen from me by a gypsy in a pigeon-filled plaza to the faint sounds of the strumming of a guitar. I traveled to Andorra, a tiny country in the Pyrenees that no one else has ever heard of, let alone hiked in. I sipped an ancient aphro disiac brew in an Arabic teahouse in Granada and took flamenco lessons. Study abroad is an integral part of the college experience. When else would you get to spend a few months in a foreign land, young, carefree and (if you’re lucky) on your parents’ dime? year was the ban on duplexes by the Chapel Hill Town Council. It is possible for that body to work without taking into account student interests. Matt says he’s going to change that, and his experience as director of voter registration for Young Democrats gives me every reason to believe he can. Nathan Cherry and Ben Pickett ran admirable campaigns, and I thank them for their willingness to serve our University. I hope that as their supporters think about who to support today they will go for anoth er candidate with extensive campus leader ship experience and a well-thought-out plat form. Matt Tepper is the man for the job. Tom Jensen Freshman Political Science and History Protesters at Basketball Game Should Be Expelled For Embarrassing Antics TO THE EDITOR: To the students who ran on the court during the basketball game, I have the fol lowing message. Each one of you should be expelled. Not only did you embarrass our school, the fans and the nation as a whole, you could have cost us the basket ball game. The momentum was swinging I know a lot of people reluctant to spend even a semester away from the Southern Part of Heaven. But time away from the University and out of one’s country is an integral part of a complete education. As cliche as it might sound, spending time abroad teaches you an incredible amount about yourself. Learning to thrive in a place with different rules and norms allows you to evolve and grow. The experi ence of being a “stranger in a strange land" forces you to re examine your own behavior and discover a lot about who RACHEL CURVICH INFORMED DISSENT you are and what you like. When I was abroad I had the unique opportunity to view my own country through another lens. Reading about the American government and the Bush administration in El Pais, a left-leaning Spanish newspaper, and watching the daily news programs offered valuable insight into one country’s perspective on our govern ment and policies. I observed what could be called instinctive disdain augmented by a lack of understanding of what we’re about and the logic behind our actions. Talking with foreign students, you’ll gain insights about the way Americans as a people are perceived. Perhaps you’ll even manage to dispel some of the nasty rumors circulating about us. In Spain, the government controls health in our favor, and that despicable display could have swung the momentum in Virginia’s favor. Your love for UNC and UNC basketball should be much greater than you have shown. Nick Carr Graduate School of Information and Library Science Putting Yearbook on CD Poses Difficulties Leamon, Melton Didn’t Consider TO THE EDITOR: I would like to address the platform of senior class president and vice president can didates George Leamon and Doug Melton. In their platform, they state that they would like to work toward, “creating a CD-ROM version of the Yackety Yack.” I am the editor of the Yackety Yack. I feel that the student body should know that George and Doug do not have the authority to accomplish this. In their platform, they also state that they would like to make the yearbook cheaper. The Yackety Yack is only S6O, which is probably about what most of us paid for our high school yearbooks. The money to produce the book comes solely from our sales and the fund-raising that the Qlljr Satly (Ear MM care and higher education. The people suf fer from limited access to medical care and high unemployment Higher education is virtually free, but it involves a lot of special ization. These obvious differences between Spain and America were telling and infor mative, forcing me to crystallize my notions of what makes for sound economic policy and successful higher education and tem pering some of my views about the necessi ty of a national health care program. It is impossible to describe the Spanish ethos in this column, but what is certain is that every nation a Carolina student could visit through the University’s exten sive study abroad offerings has its own peculiar character and idiosyncrasies. The only way to truly understand this and learn to appreciate the many things we take for granted here in America is through prolonged immersion abroad. I wish more students studied abroad in countries where the native language is not English. Obviously, certain programs are only possible in places like London, and that’s wonderful. But there’s something to be said for the thrill (terror?) of having to express your needs in a foreign tongue. Not only that, but bilingualism is an extremely powerful asset in today’s global market. Besides, in addition to being a valuable experience, studying abroad is probably the most fun you’ll ever have. Reach Rachel Gurvich at gurvich@email.unc.edu. staff does. If we went to this form of publi cation, we would lose significant money. The Yackety Yack is also a nationally ranked yearbook. By changing the format to CD, it seems that the quality of the book is reduced in a way. Though I feel that the CD could be something sold in conjunction with the actual book someday, I do not feel that it is something to be sold separately. George and Doug did not take the time or effort to look into the feasibility of this proposal. I do realize that proposals in plat forms are tentative ideas. However, when making a platform, it seems as though the candidates would want to include things that they would actually be able to accomplish. I am not saying that George and Doug would not be good officers; however, from this example it seems they need to work harder to frilly represent the senior class. I do not want the junior class to vote for some thing that could not be accomplished during their senior year without knowing the facts. Sandy Greene Editor The Yackety Yack Editor’s Note: In an interview with the editorial board, Doug Melton said he discussed the issue with a representative from the Yackety Yack, who maintained that it was feasible and a good idea.
Daily Tar Heel (Chapel Hill, N.C.)
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Feb. 18, 2003, edition 1
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