VOLUME 114, ISSUE 100
Court rules in elections dispute
Delays issuing verdict in claim against Congress
BY MAC MOLUSON
AND KATE SULLIVAN
STAFF WRITERS
The Student Supreme Court tried two cases
involving the Board of Elections on Sunday
night in its first session in about a year.
In McLamb v. Board of Elections the Court
upheld the board’s decision to hold a re-election
for vacant off-campus Student Congress seats.
It withheld its verdict in the second case, Board
of Elections v. Student Congress, using a Student
Code requirement that verdicts be delayed until
the day after the trial except in emergencies.
In that case, the board said Congress’ Facebook
Protection Act violates the Student Code.
In the first case, Congress candidate Stephanie
Halloween
offers host
of safety
concerns
Officials nationwide amp up
security at street celebrations
BY SAMUEL LAU
STAFF WRITER
Increasing safety at Halloween events can include
more than just increasing police presence.
While the town of Chapel Hill prepares for the
50,000 to 70,000 people expected to flock to Franklin
Street on Ihesday by enhancing safety measures, other
cities across the country have decided to deter poten
tial mischief by changing the celebrations to include
family-friendly events.
This year for the first time, the hosts of infamously
raunchy celebrations from Wisconsin to Baltimore
have planned activities meant
specifically to target families.
In response to high costs and
occasional violence, the town of
Madison, Wis., decided to take
control of the annual party on
State Street, making it a safer
event for residents and University
ofWisconsin students.
State Street attendees were
charged $5 this year to attend
*
Halloween
the festivities, held Saturday night, in order to con
tribute to the nearly $600,00Q in Madison police
costs. The Franklin Street celebration costs Chapel
Hill about $220,000.
The event also featured a food court and musical acts
as alternative, nonalcoholic activities for event-goers.
“We are hoping it will help create a little more
structure for the event and make it more positive and
not such a free-for-all,” said George Twigg, communi
cations director for Madison Mayor Dave Cieslewicz.
The police arrested 143 individuals as of 2 a.m.
Sunday, as compared to 334 in 2005, according to a
press release from the Madison police department.
Baltimore also introduced more child-friendly events
this year to supplement the traditional wild party that
occurs at Fell’s Point near the city’s inner harbor.
Hie first-ever “Halloween Around the Harbor” offered
more than 20 events for families during the weekend.
Elizabeth Vitro, a senior at Loyola College, Md., said
she noticed many kids in Halloween costumes during
her visits to the harbor this weekend and said she feels
like the events are great for Baltimore’s image.
“It’s really turning Baltimore around,” she said, noting
the dtys historically unsafe reputation. “It’s nice to see a
dean area for kids to celebrate Halloween without being
bothered by the inappropriate things at Fell’s Point”
Greenville is taking similar steps to Chapel Hill in
dealing with its family-inappropriate celebrations by
concentrating on safety.
The Halloween party in the town traditionally
attracts between six to 12 thousand people a year, and
this year about 150 police officers will be working the
event said Greenville Police Captain JA. Bartlett.
Chapel Hill will have 380 officers downtown this
year, 40 more than last year.
Bartlett said Greenville also will close streets down
earlier this year and restrict any costume props that
could be used as weapons.
The nation’s largest Halloween celebration, while
still focusing on safety, always has emphasized the
SEE HALLOWEEN, PAGE 5
CORRECTION
Due to an editing error, the
Friday front-page headline,
“Former provost at home at
ASU” incorrectly states that
Robert Shelton is president of
ASU. He actually is president
of the University of Arizona.
The Daily Ito Heel apologizes
for the error.
Serving the students and the University community since 1893
oV latlu Star Brel
McLamb challenged the board’s decision to redo
an Oct 17 special election in district six, in which
she was the second highest vote-getter.
McLamb had hoped to be awarded one of the
two open seats in the off-campus district in lieu of
becoming a candidate in Ibesday’s re-election.
The elections board decided to hold a re
election after finding that candidate Jessica
Thompson, the top vote-getter in the election,
illegally solicited votes by handing out candy.
Congress Rep. Tyler Younts, McLamb’s coun
sel, said the board’s decision to hold a re-elec
tion in light of a campaign violation conflicts
with its decision not to do so in the South
Campus election.
“In district three you had very close votes,”
J W rU'. -
. DTH PHOTOS/ALICIA TOWIER
UNC senior Jessica Floyd, right, bows her head and walks to receive her prize after hearing her name announced as first runner-up at the Miss North Carolina
USA pageant as the new winner, N.C. State student Erin O'Kelley celebrates. Floyd was one of four UNC undergraduates to compete in the pageant this year.
Senior is runner-up
in Miss N.C. USA
BY NICOLE NORFLEET
STAFF WRITER
HIGH POINT Wearing a white
custom-designed evening gown and a
wide smile, UNC senior Jessica Floyd
held her opponent’s hand and waited
for the judges’ choice.
“No. 25, Jessica Floyd,” the master of
ceremonies yelled.
He called her name first, making
her runner-up in the pageant and the
woman beside her N.C. State student
County rich with need
SPOTLIGHT /
Halifax sits atop list of
N.C.’s poorest counties
Editor’s note: The Daily Tar Heel
traveled to North Carolina’s five poorest
counties to gauge the University’s
mission to provide service to the state.
BY JOE COLLEVECCHIO
STAFF WRITER
HALIFAX —Driving through Halifax
County, North Carolina’s agricultural
roots slowly overwhelm the trees as a
patchwork of farmhouses and fields
Online | dailytarheel.com
COOKIE MONSTER A Southern Season
features 500-pound pumpkin cookie
BE AWARE Advocates for Human Rights
to host week to bring attention to cause
DATING BLOG How to politely decline
the guy who won't take no for an answer
www.dailytarheel.com
THERE SHE ALMOST IS
campus I page 4
STUDYING STUDYING
Student government leaders
study ways to expand and
better place reading days
during exam periods to help
students ace that final.
Younts said, pointing out that the margins of
votes in the two elections were comparable.
“A person used (Facebook.com) to campaign
for her election, and she was fined $2,” he said.
“The reason I bring this up is Facebook is open
to thousands of people in this University.... If
district six could have been affected by candy
distribution, then district three could have been
affected by Facebook.”
He said the discrepancy between the decisions
showed that the board hadn’t acted fairly.
Student Attorney General Candace Debnam
was the elections board’s counsel in both cases.
“This isn’t about what happened in the other
districts,” she countered. “This is about what
happened in district six.”
Debnam said the situation was different for
SEE SUPREME COURT, PAGE 5
Erin O’Kelley the new Miss North
Carolina USA. O’Kelley screamed as a
crown was placed on her head.
More than 80 women competed in
the Miss North Carolina USA pageant
in High Point on Friday and Saturday.
Several of them were from UNC.
“I’m happy and disappointed,” Floyd
said backstage after her second-place
finish. “I did come here to win.”
Three other UNC undergraduates
competed: senior Reba Nunley, soph
omore Ashley Gwyn and freshman
Ashley Beach, who was voted Miss
Photogenic.
On Saturday, High Point Theatre was
packed to capacity. The stage was deco
North Carolina's five poorest counties
shave the land. Rows of green crops and
cotton, white with new boles, crosshatch
the thick, black soil.
The town of Halifax grows from
this land, a whisper from 1-95 halfway
between Florida and New York. It is
home to the Halifax Resolves, the first
document endorsed by any American
arts | page 7
WORKING IN CONCERT
Students collect music from
the University and community
as part of a project that will
culminate in th? production of
a compilation CD.
Supreme Court cases
McLamb v. Board of
Elections: Junior Stephanie
McLamb ran for one of two
Student Congress seats in the off
campus district six. She finished
with the second-highest vote
total in the Oct. 17 election, but
a campaign violation by top vote
getter Jessica Thompson caused
the Board of Elections to void the
election.
McLamb filed a complaint
stating that the elections board
should certify her as the winner of
one of the two seats.
Verdict: The court upheld the
rated in an Asian theme with Chinese
lanterns, colorful umbrellas and a gong.
Supporters screamed and rang bells for
their favorite contestants.
“I just show up and do all the yelling
and stuff” said Sylena Floyd, 20, who
sat in the theater with a picture of her
cousin, Jessica, pinned to her shirt.
Floyd’s mother, a group of cousins
and several high school classmates were
in the audience to lend support.
“I am so incredibly proud of her,” said
the senior’s mother, Pearl Burris-Floyd.
“She is the best gift that God could have
given any mother.”
SEE PAGEANT, PAGE 5
colony calling for independence from
Britain.
The historical society there maintains
the home of William R. Davie, a gover
nor of North Carolina and one of the
fathers of the University.
And, according to data from the 2000
U.S. Census Bureau, Halifax is the poor
est county in the state. Almost a quarter
of the population lives below the poverty
line, and more than 8 percent of its resi
dents are unemployed.
County leaders are working to better
those numbers, but they say they need
SEE HALIFAX, PAGE 5
this day in history
OCT. 30,2003...
Two of four students charged with
disorderly conduct at a February
men's basketball game are found
guilty for running onto the floor
waving anti-Iraq war banners.
MONDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2006
board's decision, validating its call
for a re-election.
Board of Elections v.
Student Congress: The board
filed a complaint after Congress
passed the Facebook Protection
Act during its Oct. 10 meeting. The
bill overturned the board's ruling
to eliminate the use of Facebook.
com and other social networking
Web sites for student election
campaigns.
Verdict: The court will announce
its verdict later this week after
a more in-depth discussion.
w
IB
Floyd's mother, Pearl, shows
off the ribbon she and other
friends and family members
wore to support Jessica.
Halifax County
Total population: 57,370
► White population: 42.6 percent
► Black population: 52.6 percent
► Hispanic population: 1.0 percent
Families below the
poverty level: 19.4 percent
Individuals below the
poverty level: 23.9 percent
Unemployed percent of
civilian tabor force: 8.1
percent
SOURCE: 2000 U.S. Census
Bureau data
weather
Sunny
H 75, L 46
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opinion 8
sports 12