The
Daily
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Heel
82nd Year of Editorial Freedom
All unsigned editorials sre the opinion of the editors. Letters find columns represent the opinions of
individuals.
Thursday, February 20, 1975
Founded February 23, 1893
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nm hes immb for rasttnce
The details of the case are almost
too horrible to recount. Last
August, a 20-year-old black girl
named Joanne Little was being held
in the Beaufort, N.C. jail on a
burglary charge.;One morning, a 62-year-old
white jailer was found
inside her cell. He had been stabbed
to death with an ice pick. Miss Little
had escaped. The jailer, except for
his socks, was naked from the waist
down. The autopsy showed that he
had recently been engaged in sexual
activity.
After a week in hiding, Miss Little
turned herself over to the authorities
and was promptly charged with
first-degree murder. Her trial comes
up in April and, if convicted, she will
face an automatic death penalty.
North Carolina already has 69
criminals on death row more than
any other state in the nation and
unless something is done, M iss Little
could easily be the 70th.
Any liberal with good knees can
be expected to react violently to such
a cause celebre. But the Joanne
Little case transcends ideological or
racial grounds. As a case of law,
whether one feels that Miss Little
was raped or that she lured the jailer
in her cell in order to escape, she has
already been denied justice.
Many North Carolina
newspapers tried to cover up the fact
that the jailer was found partially
naked and that there were clear signs
of sexual activity.
The state medical examiner was
denied the riht to present evidence
in support of Miss Little when the
local grand jury indicted her on the
first degree murder charge.
The presiding judge has refused
to grant a change of venue which
would have enabled her to be tried in
a neutral county by unprejudiced
jurors.
Vital evidence, such as the
jailer's clothing, has been scattered
among various law enforcement
agencies, making it difficult for the
defense to locate and examine the
material.
Her poverty has made it almost
impossible to hire a criminologist in
order to investigate the frequency
and characteristics of such rural jail
crimes in order to place her actions
in a realistic context.
Miss Little has had the free use of
a Durham attorney, Jerry Paul,
partly because of his own interest in
her case and partly because of her
own right to counsel. But no matter
how able her defense, the above facts
have hopelessly prejudiced her case.
One of the only ways left that we can
help her is to hire an expert
criminologist on her behalf.
Black leader Julian Bond is
working for this cause with the
Southern Poverty Law Center, 119
South McDonough Street, in
Montgomery, Ala., 36101.
Contributions are vitally important ,
to insure that Miss Little will receive i
a fair trial. Without our help, Miss
Little could well be assaulted again,
only this time in her cell on death
row.
Other partial solutions besides
this are to create a state-wide
groundswell of outraged opinion in
order to change the location of the
trial, to allow the medical examiner
to speak, to collect and safeguard all
the evidence and to lower the
original charge of first degree
murder. At this point it seems clear
that the grand jury made a hasty, ill
considered, and potentially
disastrous indictment.
A remedy too late to help Miss
Little, but which will prevent similar
tragedies, is a bill (N.C.H.R. 20)
now before the legislature in
Raleigh. Entitled "Female Prisoner
Study Commission," the bill
guarantees that in the future, North
Carolina female inmates will be
guarded only be female matrons, not
by potentially rapacious male
attendants.
State Senator Lamar Gudger and
Mrs. Lura Tally, a member of the
state House, are sponsoring this bill
in each chamber. Letters and
telegrams of support for their effort
are urgently needed so that the bill
may be passed before any further
outrages occur.
Remember the plight of Joanne
Little, and the sordid condition of
most state jails, and do all you can to
help.
policy
Top
The five most important
academic policy-makers in the
university will be in the Union
tonight at eight o'clock. George
Taylor, James Gaskin, Donald
Jicha, John Schutz and Joel
Schwartz will meet in a panel
discussion that should give
students a rare glimpse of the
philosophy of South Building, the
assumptions and false
assumptions which underlie
present academic policy.
Students will also have the
opportunity to express their own
opinions, whether on the
discussion
Carolina Course Review, variable
course credits, grade inflation, the
extension of drop-add etc. The
faculty members will be learning
as much about us as we about
them. Most already have a low
estimate of our abilities and
motives; students should try not
to confirm their suspicions.
Take the time to meet the men
who decide your academic fate.
"Student leaders" should find the
session especially valuable. It is
probably one of the most
important events of the spring
semester.
Gerald Unks
Fine arts always axed first
Well, it looks as if some kids in San
Francisco are going to be playing
football again next year. A month ago,
there wasn't enough money in the school
budget for art, music and other
programs, including football.
So, some Bay Area fat cats came up
with enough money for the football
program. Golden Gate adolescents will
enjoy yet another season of groaning,
bruising and head-banging. The rich
aroma of menthol will fill the locker
rooms, the pom-pom girls will not go on
relief and. the jock strap will fly high
atop the flag poles of the city's schools.
Actually, eliminating football as a
result of school budget deficits is good
politics. They did it in Philadelphia
several years ago with marvelous
results. The City of Brotherly Love was
in even more trouble than San
Francisco since it was faced with cutting
academic programs such as English,
biology and history, as well as sports
and the fine arts.
Wisely, the first item the
superintendent cut was football. The
shrills of protest were as loud as the fog
horns in the San Francisco Bay. Then
the superintendent made his deal with
the taxpayers you give us the money
to operate a complete school program,
and we'll give you football. This exercise
in sensible blackmail worked, and today
Philadelphia children have a full
program of academic and extra
curricular activities.
Were I a school superintendent in a
tight budget situation, I would employ
the same means as Philadelphia. The
sweat socks and shoulder pads would be
the first things thrown out the window.
Then the public could buy my program;
whole-hog-or-none. I'd coerce the
community it that s what it takes
into giving all of its children the
programs they deserve. After all, only a
minority of boys participates in
football. How about all the girls and the
majority of boys? Don't they deserve a
program which will enrich and fulfill
their lives?
Sadly, San Francisco made no such
compromise. It will have football, but at
this writing no money has come forth
for music, art, dance or dramatics. This
is typical of school systems across the
country the arts are the last courses
admitted to the curriculum and the first
thrown out when money gets tight.
E. Paul Torrence, psychologist at the
University of Georgia and an expert in
the area of creativity, reports that the
longer children stay in school the less
creative they become. Perhaps this
general neglect of the fine arts, as
exemplified in most school systems, is
one of the '. reasons behind these
disastrous findings.
Even in rich school systems, the fine
arts are often seen as the baggage heap
of the curriculum. "If he can't cut it in
trigonometry, throw him into art or
chorus." . Math, English, the sciences
and history have high status in the
school, among teachers and students
alike. Art, music, drama, dance and
filmmaking often have rather low
status. Seldom are the "good kids"
encouraged to pursue these activities
beyond the point of using them as extra
curricular frills. Or there isn't any room
for them once all their college-prep
classes have been scheduled.
A good school curriculum embraces
all areas of human development
physical, intellectual and creative. And
all these programs are begun the first
day a child enters school. The early'
years are the most important. Physical
and creative development should not be
left for junior high and beyond. The PE
folks are bombasting us with their
message over radio and television with a
fair amount of success. The exponents
of the arts should adopt a similar
program. A child who needs
somersaults in the third grade also needs
a paint brush and an easel.
Meanwhile, the citizens of San
Francisco have displayed about as much
forward-looking sense as their
celebrated cable cars. They have settled
for producing a giant in the gymnasium
and an ape in life.
Wait a minute. Isn't a proportion of
the profits from Student Stores
automatically given to the athletic
department in the form of grants-in-aid?
Our choir must string dimes along
Franklin Street to get to Europe. Our
outstanding Men's Glee Club grovels
before Student Government
functionaries for financial crumbs. Who
aids the Playmakers or the Readers
Theatre? Could it be that the cable car
mentality has found a refuge in the
Southern part of Heaven? We surely
produce giants. How many apes walk
out the door with them?
1975 Gerald Unks
Gerald Unks is an associate professor
in the School of Education.
The
Daily
Tar Heel
Carolina has undergone rapid growth in the past 10 years,
and problems with housing, academic reform and the
infringement of student rights have emerged with this growth.
We are at the critical stage of the university's development and
we must take responsible action. Presently, the administration
and faculty have made our decisions, yet have these decisions
been well-founded or are they merely the easiest to
administrate? ,
Examine varying credit. Which priority overrides the
recognition that courses have different degrees of difficulty
and content value or the ease of administrating a system where
all courses are treated equally?
Consider the housing of handicapped students in one
dormitory. Again which priority will override the right of a
handicapped student to live in a normal college environment
or the simplicity of providing facilities for the handicapped in
only one dorm instead of many?
We could continue to list examples ad infinitum where
student rights and academic reform have been sacrificed for
administrative convenience. It is our challenge, however, to
confront our problems and seek concrete solutions to improve
life at UNC.
More than any time in the past, it is crucial that we obtain
the highest quality education possible. Course scrutiny by
students must develop into a well-organized, coordinated
program. The drive for academic improvement must not lose
its impetus because of the transience of program directors. By
integrating the Course-Teacher Evaluation, the Carolina
Course Review and the Course Improvement Survey, we can
establish one strong spearhead for academic improvement.
We must also push toward membership in the Faculty Council
to balance its decisions and to be informed of its activities.
The level of student security must be greatly improved.
Distribution of pocket alarms and the employment of
financial aid students as campus cscorters are two specific
ideas that are feasible at this time. Lock card devices would
also alleviate the inconvenience and the possibly dangerous
situation for the women and decrease the number of larcenies
and armed robberies occurring in the dorms.
At this time we have the potential of improving the welfare
of those students living in Carrboro. This is an example of the
need for student government to be flexible enough to adapt to
student needs, in this case to provide the manpower necessary
for passage of the Carrboro bus referendum.
Through my experience in student government, I have seen
the progress that has been made this yean yet I also recognize
the growing needs of students left untouched by student
government. What should be realized about these proposals is
that they are not political promises, but practical means to
affect change. As new needs and new goals arise, students can
either be the initiators of action or the recipients of more
administrative manipulation. To protect our rights, our
integrity and our future we must, take the first course of action.
77m Dugan is a junior business major from Potomac, Md.
.KnpgM
It's next to impossible to express all the things that need to
.be done on this campus. From Student Health Services to
Affirmative Action, the need for change is obvious. Yet, it
would be naive for anyone to assume that Student
Government alone can initiate the programs needed to resolve
all of the problems that this campus faces. .
However, Student Government can provide a framework
with which we can confront the most-pressing of these issues.
In the past, problems have been intensified because of
breakdowns in communications. Various groups have been
frustrated in their efforts to present their particular views, and
simple situations have become needlessly complicated. For
example, had there been better communication between
organizations prior to David Duke's invitation to appear, the
unnecessary repercussions that occurred could have been
avoided. '
For these reasons, my platform focuses most sharply on the
need for improved channels of communication. First, we
propose the establishment of a student caucus composed of
representatives from all student organizations on campus.
The purpose of this caucus is to promote greater
dissemination of information and improved relations between
groups.
Secondly, there is a need to centralize and publicize all off
campus learning opportunities, ranging from tutoring
elementary school students to working with the State
Department of Corrections.
Thirdly, Student Government should initiate a program of
peoplization to explore the diversity of various factions within
the university community.
Next, comes the need . for increased student input into
university policy-making in three areas in particular. These
areas are Student Health Services, Affirmative Action and the
organization of a state-wide Student Congress.
Finally, there is a need to expand and to improve existing
student services, especially the typing service, the food co-op
and Student Service rentals.
In closing, I feel that accessibility is the key to a responsive
and efficient student government. With this in mind, I would
like to encourage anyone with questions or comments to
contact me at 208 Pettigrew Hall between the hours of 2 and
3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, or call 933-5032 or 933
4943. .
Joe Knight is a junior economics major from Winston-Salem.
. - : 3 -
'MOSCOW SAYS THEY KNOW IT'S THE YEAR OF THE RABBIT AND SO WHAT?'
Letters to the editors
Marbley treated unjustly
To the editors:
We feel that the article in the DTH
concerning the trial of BSM leader Algenon
Marbley was published at the wrong time,
since it was the day of the trial.
We feel that it infringed upon his right not
to have the story published if he didn't wish
so, and the right of all concerned to a trial
based on its own merits.
Whether or not the story was newsworthy
should not have been the determining factor
of whether to publish the story. Besides
possibly contributing to bias on the part of
the jurors, the fact that . this story was
published may very well cause the case to be
thrown out of court. If he wishes, Marbley
may very well have a case against the DTH
and its editors for a violation of the Campus
Code which calls for one to conduct himself
in a manner so as not to impair the
welfare .'. . of others in the University
community.
Jim Cooper, Greg Turosak
Editors
David Ennls, Associate Editor -Lu
Ann Jones, Associate Editor
David Kllnger, News Editor
Alan Murray, Features Editor
Susan Shackelford, Sports Editor
Gene Johnson, Wire Editor
Martha Stevens, Head Photographer
Jim Grimsley, Night Editor
We think the DTH and its editors showed
poor judgment in publishing this article.
Charles Edwards
Reggie Greenwood
307 Lewis
Students proud
of home states
To the editors:
The DTH. bastion of editorial freedom
that it is, has in recent weeks printed several
letters maligning those two fairest of
Northern states, New Jersey and
Connecticut. As residents of one or the other
of these states, we feel that a protest and
defense is in order.
New Jersey, the Garden State. Ah,-what
an appelation. The gentle odours wafting
from the refineries of Bayonne remind one of
a greenhouse, one that has been used to store
peat for several years. What other state so
richly deserves the New York Giants (also
known as New Haven Giants)? How many'
other states are afraid to use their names for
their own universities. We have Rutgers, the
State University. Other states boast that
"George Washington Slept Here." New
Jersey can claim that he left there in the
middle of the night, in the famous portrait of
him crossing the Delaware. Need we go on?
.And what of Connecticut? How can a state
be all bad if it is founded by a man named
Hooker, and has a square in the middle of
Hartford that quite aptly honors its
namesake? How bad can a capital be if it is
dubbed the Insurance City? All you aspiring
graduates know how exciting a career in
insurance can be. The state as a whole (sic)
seems to be a suburb for New York City.
And so it goes.
Both are sovereign states, proud of their
identity and ever ready to serve the needs of
the country. So please refrain from any
further disparaging remarks, for we are quite
proud of our birthplaces.
Robert P. Carroll
511 Morrison
David B. Walser
507 Morrison
Latin response
to Piatt column
To the editors:
Please publish the following in response to
Mr. Platfs entertaining contribution of Feb.
13:
O Rorin, scriba fortvnate,
Gavdeomvs igitvr, ivvenes dvm
svmvs . . . et gratias debeo mvsae tibiqve
Pontifici maximo artis iocosae.
Nihilonvmqvam. mvltae svnt lacrimae meae
et lamentatione profunda captatvs svm
tempore Latino exito et. ehev. sapientia illivs
absente expressa in "Si tacvisses.
philosophvs mansisses. " Cvra salvtem tvam.
Ulrich Faigle
605 Airport Road