VOLUME 112, ISSUE 43 Neb. taps Milliken to lead universities UNC-SYSTEM VICE PRESIDENT TO BEGIN IN NEW POST AUG. 1 BY CHRIS COIETTA STATE & NATIONAL EDITOR The UNC system will lose one of its top administrators later this summer when J.B. Milliken, senior vice president for university affairs, leaves his post to take the reins of the University of Nebraska system. The official announcement of Milliken’s hiring came Saturday at a meeting of the UN Board of BOTto analyze campus projects New renovation options on table BY BRIAN HUDSON UNIVERSITY EDITOR The UNC Board of Trustees is in the midst of discussions that could result in drastic changes to residence halls on South Campus. During today’s meeting, trustees will discuss proposals for the renovations of high-rise build ings such as Morrison Residence Hall. They also will decide the fate of the more than 40-year old buildings. Trustee members originally considered a plan to demolish the buildings, but at an April work shop they scrapped that plan. After learning of the domino effect that would occur by restart ing housing plans from scratch, the BOT members resolved to fur ther investigate proposals to reno vate or replace the residence halls. As plans now stand, the demo lition and reconstruction of Morrison would cost more than $64 million. Student Body President Matt Calabria said Monday that the trustees decision will hold great consequences for the future of South Campus. “Our discussion on Thursday will inevitably change the face of South Campus, but also what is at stake is ... millions of dollars,” he said. An aspect of the renovation pro posal is to convert Morrison into a “green” energy building. Student Congress Speaker Charlie Anderson, who is chair man of student government’s Renewable Energy Special Projects Committee, is a propo nent of the renovation option. The committee has worked to allocate $185,000 of student fees to the installation of a large solar power array. BOT members will also discuss this week the funding policy for renovating the Campus Y building. “The Campus Y is operating essentially on one floor in a build ing that’s in desperate need for renovation,” Calabria said, explain ing that the top two floors cannot be used due to deterioration. The renovation project is esti mated to cost about $3.6 million s2 million of which has been raised by members of the Campus Y. Student and Campus Y leaders have been working to bring the plight of the building to adminis trators. He said both Chancellor James Moeser and Provost Robert Shelton have expressed interest in renovating the building. Several other construction proj ects will be considered by the BOT during this month’s meeting. The Buildings and Grounds Committee met Wednesday to approve designers for renovations to Steele Building, Coker and SEE BOT, PAGE 7 ONLINE Area fifth-graders get published David Cross, indeed, Isn't Funny Look for more stories online Serving the students and the University community since 1893 (Sift lathi ®ar Jfrel Regents. It marked a homecoming for the fourth-generation Nebraskan, who attended UN- Lincoln as an undergraduate and spent time working for the system before spending the last six years in North Carolina. In his speech to the regents, Milliken expressed a desire to return UN to the upper echelon of American universities —a position, F"A MMi £ ,v' jfl MwaH il 111 * WkSird •- m '“fig North Carolina second basemen Greg Mangum hits his first home run of the season on May 20 against N.C. State. Mangum hit another TA minimum wage to see SSOO increase BY JENN KAWKA STAFF WRITER Teaching assistants at UNC are one step closer to a raise with last week’s announcement of the planned allocation of $625,000 to reach the new min imum salary set by the graduate school. “I’m ecstatic that it’s really happening,” said Jen Bushman, president of the Graduate and Professional Student Federation. “I never had any doubt that it would,” she said. “The provost always had the intention it was always if the money was there.” The money, anticipated from tuition increase revenues, allows UNC to raise the minimum salary of TAs from $5,000 to $5,500 per semester, said UNC Provost Robert Shelton. The proposal is subject to the approval of campus tuition increases by the N.C. General Assembly later this summer. Shelton said he thinks the proposal will be approved. “I see no setback in tuition-based income,” he said. WEEKLY SUMMER ISSUE www.daiXytaiheel.com he said, Nebraskans deserve. Milliken added that he wants UN to become “the home of excel lent teaching, research and schol arship, and outreach, engagement and health care that best serves the state of Nebraska.” In his post at the UNC system, Milliken is responsible for federal and state relations, special projects and economic development on the system’s 16 campuses and at its headquarters in Raleigh. His work in that position has helped guide the system through a tumultuous period during which the need for SMASHING, BABY home run Saturday in UNC’s only win in the three game series. After losing two-of-three games to State, UNC dropped to fifth in the ACC standings. The “Itsvery nice ... that the administration and students work together” JEN BUSHMAN, GPSF PRESIDENT In January 2003 the Teaching Assistant Advisory Task Force found that UNC was in the low est quartile of TA stipends among peer institutions. The findings resulted in a goal to move UNC to the top quartile in four years. Stephen Allred, executive associate provost at UNC, said the TA raises are a good move toward reaching the goal. “It’s a beginning, but we’re not there yet,” he said. UNC Student Body President Matt Calabria said the raises are “a step in the right direction,” and that it is important to “make sure TA stipends are a top prior- SEE RAISES, PAGE 7 INSIDE JOHNNY'D BE GOOD As elections near, the N.C. Senator could swing state voters. PAGE 5 Nebraska native i.B. Milliken has spent 6 years with the UNC system as senior vice president for university affairs. federal and state grants to univer sities has increased as state appro priations have dropped. In his new role, Milliken will lead a university system with four campuses and a student population of about 45,000. By contrast, the 16 DTH/PETER STONE Tar Heels are now in Salem, Va., for the ACC Tournament, which started Wednesday. For more coverage of the baseball team, go to www.dailytarheel.com. Fire lights up Franklin St. BY CHRIS COLETTA STATE & NATIONAL EDITOR A fire broke out early Wednesday morning inside a building at downtown Franklin Street, damaging businesses and sending smoke billowing down Chapel Hill’s main thoroughfare. No one was hurt or injured. The blaze on the first floor of the 135 E. Franklin St. building, which houses Salon 135 as well as Indian clothing store Anjana’s and a variety of other businesses, got called in at about 3:30 Wednesday morning. It was snuffed out in less than an hour by Chapel Hill and Carrboro firefighters, who then lingered to ensure that the blaze remained in check. “They got it knocked out pretty quick,” said Robert Bosworth, deputy chief of operations for the Chapel Hill Fire Department. Investigators had not yet determined the fire’s cause as of press time Wednesday. All stores were locked and vacant when firefighters arrived, and there was no evidence of arson. Bosworth said the brunt of the water and fire damage was restricted to the first floor of the INSIDE SHREK WITH LAUGHTER The cheeky green ogre pussyfoots it past the sequel slump. PAGE 7 UNC-system campuses enroll about 180,000 students. Milliken also is recognized for his shaping of system policies and his work toward voter approval in 2000 of a $3.1 billion bond for renovation, repairs and construe- tion at UNC-system schools and community colleges. Brad Wilson, chairman of the UNC-system Board of Governors, said Milliken’s leadership in those areas and his understanding of a modern university are among his best assets. “J.B. understands the role of the Proposed renaming sparks ire Change from Airport Rd. to MLK Rd. incites debate BY JOSEPH R. SCHWARTZ CITY EDITOR Chapel Hill citizens of every ilk gathered Monday at the town council meeting to express their feelings —be it through loud proclamations, applause, stick ers and even tears on renaming Airport Road to Martin Luther King Road. Chapel Hill Town Council member Edith Wiggins proposed the change as a means to honor King and promote his message of unity and equality, but sev eral citizens claimed that the issue is dividing the town as clearly as black and white. More than 20 citizens signed up to speak, includ ing residents and business owners of Airport Road and members of the local chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. Several people donned stickers that read, “Preserve History Save Airport Road.” Jan Cosby was the first to approach the podium and set the tone for the fervent debate by challenging the council directly and displaying outrage at the process that several called “under the radar.” “I’d like to remind all of you that you have been elected to rep resent all the people of Chapel Hill, not just some.” Becky Johnson, 34, a lifetime Airport Road resident followed, uttering only a few words before succumbing to tears. Her sister finished the emotionally charged prepared statements. “Why and how will this really honor Dr. King? A road is just a way to get from point Ato point B,” the statement read. “We are looking for frivolous ways to spend taxpayers’ dollars.” Council members have estimated that changing the signage would cost at least $16,000. Business owners, said that renaming the road and changing business cards, letterhead and signage would be devastating. But Charlie Kast, parish minister at the Community Church of Chapel Hill, was the first person at the forum to support the change. “To name this road after him is the very least we can do. The cost and inconvenience of this is small in consideration of the price he had to pay.” SEE AIRPORT RD., PAGE 7 DTH/PHILIP MCFEE Alan Corpus, owner of Salon 135, watches firefighters work to put out a blaze Wednesday morning. The cause of the fire was not known. building. Adjacent areas such as the Bank of America complex took smoke damage, but businesses there were open for business later that day. Firefighters’ main concern in fighting the blaze was ensuring that it did not spread outward. Recalling the arson of the Intimate Bookshop in September WEATHER TODAY Isolated T-Storms, High 83, Low 66 FRIDAY Isolated T-Storms, High 90, Low 66 SATURDAY Partly Cloudy, High 90, Low 67 THURSDAY, MAY 27, 2004 21st-century American university,” Wilson said. “He possesses the intellect, the professional skill and the political instincts that are, quite frankly, rare in the position that he’s going into.” Milliken will assume the UN presidency Aug. 1 under a three year contract at an annual salary of $270,000. Don Blank, chairman of the UN Board of Regents, said Milliken’s personality, his Nebraskan ties and his adroitness in dealing with SEE MILLIKEN, PAGE 7 1992, Bosworth said fires in older areas such as downtown Chapel Hill need to be contained quickly before the flames get out of hand. “They’re real susceptible to go horizontal on us,” Bosworth said. ' He added that fires occur once in a while on major local avenues and that last night’s response was SEE FIRE, PAGE 7