8
MONDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2006
ELIZABETH FREEMAN
UNIVERSITY OF THE PEOPLE
Elizabeth Freeman is a senior
business major from Charlotte.
E-MAIL: EFREEMSOEMAIL.UNC.EDU
Sleep in
your own
bed, not
on campus
I can’t always spend much
time on campus during the
day; usually I’m taking buses
back and forth to South Campus
for business school classes.
But even so, I, like any under
graduate or graduate student
here, love spending time on
main campus any chance I
get grabbing a bagel in the
Student Union, catching an iced
Americano in The Daily Grind
or relaxing in Graham Memorial
while reading the morning paper.
There used to be an aura on
this campus during the day: A
bustling of students, faculty and
staff members rushing through the
quads passing by historic buildings
and trodding
on the same
bricks William
UNIVERSITY
COLUMNIST
Richardson Davie, Hinton James
and Charles Kuralt once walked.
It’s this energy that fascinates visi
tors and attracts new students to
our campus each year.
But lately —and I’m not sure
if it’s the colder weather or the
midterms the bustling is slow
ing down and the daytime cam
pus energy is dropping.
Last week I walked into
Graham Memorial holding
my coffee and a book, ready to
curl up in a nice chair and read
only to be greeted by dozens of
sleeping sacks of sweatpants,
monopolizing every chair and
every couch in the building.
I understand that as students
we are tired and we are stressed,
but why must you collapse all
over campus like rotting leaves?
Graham Memorial is a piece of
our University’s history. Once the
student union, it now represents
a historic gathering room filled
with inspiration from former Tar
Heels who’ve passed through its
doors over the past century.
Coined “The Most Beautiful
Room in the South,” the lounge is
a key destination for most campus
tours. And what do prospective
students and parents see? You,
conked out on the couch with the
impressions of tapestry-covered
pillows carved in your cheeks.
So, with coffee and book still
in hand, I had to move on.
I walked to Davis Library,
which holds more than 3.25 mil
lion volumes and usually is con
sidered one of the best places in
the state to research and study.
It was close to 1 p.m. and I
walked into the periodical section,
picked up a copy of the Charlotte
Observer and looked for a place
to sit. But there again, I turned
around and found nothing but
more undergraduates sprawled
out over each loveseat with their
hoodies pulled over their eyes.
I went to the UL, the Union
and even the basement of the busi
ness school, but no matter where
I went, sleeping students seemed
to follow. I even caught one stu
dent snoring. And these students
aren’t catching a quick cat nap I
clocked one female at one hour
and 15 minutes the other day in
the Undergraduate Library atrium.
I’m sorry, but if you can’t stay
on campus for a full day without
passing out halfway through,
then maybe you’re not cut out for
this nationally acclaimed univer
sity. In fact, maybe you weren’t
cut out for life after preschool.
Go back to your dorm or catch a
bus to your apartment, but unless
you’re homeless, there’s no reason
for you to spend your day sleeping
on public couches and benches.
I understand you were up late
studying, finishing a project until
6 a.m., but there’s still no excuse.
If you had a midterm to study
for, I’m sure it wasn’t announced
24 hours ago; and few professors
assign spontaneous term papers.
So budget your time. Perhaps
instead of taking that two-hour
nap each afternoon in Graham
Memorial, you should study.
And if you’re still tired, get
some coffee, espresso, or a tau
rine-enhanced energy drink.
This is a university, not a sleep
clinic. Other students have found
ways to make it through the day
sleeping only in the privacy of their
own homes. You can’t take up the
whole couch any longer. Wake up!
EDITORIAL CARTOON By Doug Marlette, Tribune Media Services
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Unethical behavior, part 1
Congresswomen on the Board of Elections listserv?
Members of Student
Congress should
conduct themselves
with dignity and honor.
Unfortunately, this fact seems
to have been lost on a couple
of congresswomen.
Caroline Spencer, who rep
resents Greek housing, added
herself to the Board of Elections
listserv on Oct. 17, the day of
the special elections. Charissa
Lloyd, who represents North
Campus, added herself the next
day. Spencer, the chairwoman
of the rules and judiciary com
mittee, and Lloyd, a member
of the ethics committee, should
have known better. Their actions
were imprudent at best, and dis
honorable at worst.
While there has been no for
mal investigation of the incident
yet, we would like to see Solicitor
General Robert Austin look into
it to see if any actual rules have
been broken. But even if they
haven’t, Spencer and Lloyd still
need to apologize.
Unethical behavior, part 2
Financial aid officers and bribes are a bad mix
Colleges and universities
across the country have
been caught in bed with
the private-loan companies.
In an era when more and more
people are taking out more and
more loans in order to attend
college, a system of disturbing
and questionable ethics has
developed. Financial-aid advis
ers who annually publish a list of
preferred lenders are accepting
extravagant and expensive priz
es from lending companies. Free
iPods, trips to the Caribbean and
DVD players are only the tip of
the iceberg.
The financial-aid advisers
haven’t even bothered to come
up with a good cover story. They
claim that the gifts and money
acquired from the lending com
panies are not enough to make a
difference. However, when asked
what made them choose their
preferred lenders, most admit
ted to not knowing the rate of
interest their students paid.
Additionally, private loan
companies wouldn’t do it if they
didn’t see some financial advan-
Don’t draft Mark Foley
You, too, can be a party boss at fantasycongress.us
The thrill of victory, the
agony of defeat, the obses
sion of fantasy. Once sole
ly the domain of sports buffs, the
phenomenon is being extended
to less trivial matters: the feder
al government Yes, it’s Fantasy
Congress, and it’s taking the
water cooler political.
It’s about time.
The brainchild of Andrew
Lee, a senior political science
student at Southern California’s
Claremont McKenna College,
Fantasy Congress works on
many of the same principles as
the more familiar fantasy sports
leagues, with points awarded
to members of Congress based
on their performance during
the legislative session.
So far this just includes suc
cessful completion of each
step of the process in passing
Opinion
There is a very good reason
the Board of Elections listserv
should be off-limits to non
officials, Congress members
foremost on that list.
E-mails are sent over the list
serv with the names of those who
anonymously report violations,
often by Congress members or
their political allies; these names
are never publicly released. The
listserv also carries informa
tion about where the Board of
Elections will be looking for
campaign violations.
Because Congress members
support certain new candidates
—and know they can count on
helpful votes from them if they
help them get elected the
members have a direct inter
est in delivering confidential
information to candidates who
may be under investigation.
There was at least one instance
where the congresswomen knew
about an administrative decision
before it was made public and
notified a candidate.
tage. Let’s face it: Loan sharks
are out to make a profit, not
give a pay raise to overworked
financial-aid officers out of the
goodness of their hearts.
Acquiring decent college
loans is like making it through
the fire swamp unharmed. It’s a
good idea for colleges to provide
for students a list of companies
that provide private loans, but
financial-aid advisers should
be telling students how to avoid
the Rodents of Unusual Size not
serving us up for dinner.
Financial aid officials are
attempting smooth this over,
but with the government and
private-loan companies gouging
us as is, advisers and universities
should stand well to the side of
any potential ethical issues.
UNC officials didn’t return
phone calls about this issue but
it’s always good advice to do some
price shopping before taking out
a loan. For many students this is
their first time taking out a loan,
and if they are unsure about the
terms and fine print, University
officials should be trusted to give
a bill, but it is expected to be
expanded to other measures of
political prowess.
To make the leagues more
competitive, there are some
rules that govern team make
up. The 16-member teams
must consist of four sena
tors two senior, two junior
—and 12 representatives, who
must be split evenly between
senior, mid-range and rookie
congressmen.
The idea of turning politics
into a competition is an excel
lent step toward reengaging
the U.S. populace, especially
among youth. The percentage
of 18-24 year olds who voted
in the 2004 presidential elec
tion was an abysmal 58 per
cent —and the national vot
ing rate among eligible voters
of all ages wasn’t much better
The candidate’s counsel, Rep.
Tyler Younts, also cited the list
serv in a brief to the Student
Supreme Court meaning
Spencer and Lloyd have been
sharing information not just
with candidates, but with other
members of Congress as well.
The listserv accidentally was
open at the time of the incident,
which permitted the congress
women to add themselves. This
was a serious mistake on the part
of the Board of Elections.
But Spencer and Lloyd should
have known better. If you see a
backpack sitting ownerless in
the Pit, you don’t just pick it up
and take it home. Members of
Congress should know that to
add themselves to a confiden
tial listserv and to share infor
mation from it is wrong.
The Board of Elections will
be more careful in the future
to be sure, but it’s a shame
they had to learn their lesson
because of a couple opportu
nistic members of Congress.
sound advice.
Students shouldn’t have to
worry that the financial aid
adviser pushed the variable
interest loan just to receive a
financial kickback from Sallie
Mae or Wells Fargo.
Students, the ultimate respon
sibility for finding and taking
out the best loans is shouldered
on you. Ask as many qualified
people you can to be sure you
are getting the best deal pos
sible. It is just a shame that the
university you are relying on to
provide you with an education
can no longer be trusted to give
you sound advice when it comes
to paying for that education.
It is in the best interest of the
University to turn out well-edu
cated and independent students,
not ones who will be chained to
private-loan companies for the
first 15 years of their adult lives.
Kickbacks should be done
away with immediately; cor
ruption, ethical vacuums and
price-gouging are for lobbyists,
Congressional Representative
and Enron, not the ivory tower.
at a meager 64 percent.
This statistic must change.
Fantasy Congress might not
create the needed change, but
it will at least up the number of
voters who are educated about
the legislative process before
heading to the polls.
As for the actual game play,
unfortunately Congress is not
currently in session, but they’ll
be back Nov. 9-
So, start thinking about your
draft picks. Just make sure to
avoid Missouri Democrat Ike
Skelton and California Democrat
Grace Napolitano: Both rep
resentatives have yet to break
double digits.
Go to www.fantasycongress.us
to sign up and join the grassroots
movement to return account
ability to our elected officials,
fantasy style.
QUOTE OF THE DAY:
“Greenways are pathways that
give us a warm sense of place and
deepen our breath ”
RANDEE HAVEN-O'DONNELL, CARRBORO ALDERMAN
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Due to space constraints, letters are sometimes cut Read the full-length
versions or post your own response to a letter, editorial or story online.
VISIT www.dailytarheel.com/feedback
Column promoted sexual
objectification of women
TO THE EDITOR:
I am appalled by the utterly
sexist Oct 27 column written by
Jordan Stone.
While calling on women to
dress even more scantily and pro
vocatively than in the past, Stone
ignores the fact that Halloween on
Franklin Street is an opportunity
for men to sexually assavdt women
and without consequence.
Stone’s sexualized costume
suggestions encourage UNC stu
dents to value women for their
sexual desirability and bodies.
In an age when sexual vio
lence on college campuses has
become a national pastime, why
do we continue to tolerate this
kind of objectification?
Andrew Frost
Junior
Sociology
New Smith Center seating
much too close for comfort
TO THE EDITOR:
Something has gone horribly
wrong in the Dean Dome an
idiot (or two) has decided to add
extra seats to the arena.
My question: Has the person
who designed the new seats even
attempted to sit in them?
Not only am I five foot two
and without enough leg room to
keep my legs straight in front of
me, but my neighbor’s legs inevi
tably end up in my lap.
What wifi happen this basket
ball season to our older alumni,
those who paid for the Dean
Dome in the first place? Many
are too old to stand for extended
periods of time and will have no
choice but to do so.
I am well aware of the revenue
this venture may be generating,
but my personal space and I are
personally offended by the new
seating arrangements.
If I need to rest during a time
out or during halftime this bas
ketball season, you’ll find me in
the aisle until we get to Atlanta.
Ashley Payne
Senior
Exercise and Sport Science
Board contradicts itself on
government intervention
TO THE EDITOR:
In the Oct. 26 editorial, “The
Gay Marriage Blues,” the edito
rial board highlighted the issue
of gay marriage.
The board lambasted the city
council of Thomasville for “defin
ing marriage as strictly a union
between a man and a woman” and
praised the state of New Jersey for
ruling that “gay marriage should
be allowed in the state.”
The editorial criticized
Thomasville, arguing that pass
ing a resolution that affirms one
side of the gay marriage debate
was “a gross failure of the gov
erning institution.”
Near the end of the editorial,
however, the board encouraged
our state legislature to think
about legalizing gay marriage.
If the editorial board thought
such interference offensive when
Thomasville argued against gay
marriage, then why does the DTH
encourage the exact same interfer
ence when its pro gay marriage?
Dominic Ruiz-Esparza
Sophomore
History
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EDITOR'S NOTE: Columns, cartoons and letters do not necessarily reflect the opinions of
The Daily Tar Heel or its staff. Editorials are the opinions solely of The Daily Tar Heel edito
rial board. The board consists of seven board members, the associate opinion editor, the
opinion editor and the editor. The 2006-47 editor decided not to vote on the board.
SaiUj (Ear fori
Congress not to blame for
grad student complaints
TO THE EDITOR:
Graduate and Professional
Student Federation Chief of Staff,
Ryan O’Quinn is quite mistaken
about Student Congress (in his
Oct. 27 letter to the editor).
It is not Congress’ duty to
publicize elections; that falls
under the duties of the Board
of Elections. So while they have
done a great job publicizing
undergraduate seat vacancies, if
they have not done so for gradu
ate seats, blame them, not us.
We have had one meeting last
more than four hours, and most
last fewer than three. They are
held on TXiesday nights by tradi
tion so that those running know
when to plan to serve, and because
no one with a life would come to
weekend meetings except the one
required weekend in February for
Annual Budget proceedings.
Few of our proceedings are
contentious and none are petty.
What takes up the vast major
ity of our time are appropriation
requests from student groups. But
that doesn’t get reported because
it’s not very interesting; only the
disputed bills and resolutions are.
Those are few and far between.
Graduate student complaints
in the DTH’s letter columns of
late seem to suggest that it is
pointless for Congress to repre
sent grad students.
The problem is that all appro
priations come from your stu
dent activity fees; without grad
uate voices in the body, under
grads decide how to spend your
money.
If you’re fine with that, don’t
run for Congress, but if you’re
not, then run yourself or recruit
others to run.
Dustin Ingalls
Speaker Pro Temp
Student Congress
An open letter of thanks
to Coach John Bunting
TO THE EDITOR:
Thank you, John Bunting, for
all you have done for UNC. You
have improved the graduation rate
and the character of the students
on the football team and instilled
in them a sense of discipline.
It is truly unfortunate that
the top administration of this
University has totally aban
doned the real mission of our
academic university in favor of
the almighty dollar.
One would have thought that
at least at this university integ
rity, character building, and loy
alty would be assigned signifi
cant value. Alas, such is not the
case. I do not believe the admin
istration of this university truly
understands the significance of
this mid-season firing.
Perhaps next year after a brawl
at one of our football games, we
can emulate Miami and suspend
the players involved for one game
along with a wink and a nod. It
is indeed a sad day for the UNC
and the football team.
Eugene Bozymski
Clinical professor
School of Medicine
Stjp Sattg sar JM
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