North Carolina Newspapers

4 fr ftgS fB3k rS r35T .-SB fl T Tf3-! Politics and "The ramrod-straight image of the N. C. Highway Patrol is being ripped apart By interference from politicians, a lack oi adequate equipment to protect the lives of troopers and orders inconsistently applied by patrol officials." With that paragraph, the Charlotte Observer Sunday begins the first, of a series uncovering abuses of the state police force. The series, which concludes in today's Observer, is based on a seven week investigation including interviews with 29 current and former state patrol troopers and officials. What the investigation reveals is a sad indication that the kinds of political abuse and irregulatities we have discovered in our national security forces also afflict our local forces. Some abuses of the patrol, from use of troopers as babysitters for the governor and executive officials to an Asheville-to-Raleigh patrol relay of the governor's golf shoes, are almost humorous in their absurdity. Even practices such as traffic citation quotas are almost tolerable. But even these lesser abuses waste the time and misdirect the resources of the patrol, which ought to concentrate on criminal investigation and enforcement of serious offenses such as driving under the influence. Lesser abuses and wasted energies are not, however, the most serious threats intimated by the Observer stories. Some major abuses cited by the troopers interviewed include: The hiring of a man with a criminal record as a trooper at the urging of high level state officials; banning patrols from towns after crackdowns against driving under the influence by local elites, who then complained to political officials in Raleigh; orders against enforcing traffic laws against drivers with "right" license plates Bates' veto On Monday, December l, we shall drag our turkey-stuffed bodies back into the classroom to struggle with the immediate obligations of the final week of classes and the semester-long obligations of final exams. On that day also Student Body President Bill Bates must either veto the Campus Governing Council bill establishing a comptroller or let the bill become law. Tentative indications are that Bates will veto the bill. That action would certainly be in the interest of good government, something we seldom have seen this year in student government. The comptroller bill was born in the controversy surrounding the dismissal of Student Body Treasurer Mike O'Neal. Its intent is to segregate the executive enforcement responsibility of the treasurer from the executive branch and give it to the legislative branch in the form of a comptroller. Arguments for the comptroller are that it would be less political than the treasurer, that the treasurer would have more time for administering executive branch financial affairs and that the legislature ought to have a check over the financial transactions of student organizations. Wat latin Cole C. Campbell Editor (Mr mni 83rd Year of Editorial Freedom Lousy sound system spoils Union's excellent free To the editor: I write this while attempting to watch Visconti's Death in Venice on the Wednesday night Free Flick series. The Great Hall is nearly full for this film; people are drifting out, however, in twos and threes, having given up their attempt at listening to this movie. The problem, quite simply, is the horrible sound attending the showing of the film. I feel quite confident in praising the variety and quality of the films shown by the Union over the past two years. Only this semester, however, have I come to realize the extent of the frustration which seems to be inherent in the showing of films in the Great Hall. I guess what 1 really fail to comprehend is why, w hat with the great amount of money spent on the rental of films, some money could not be used to provide the Carolina student body w ith a first-class sound system for its film program. When I have asked many of my friends people quite knowledgeable about and interested in movies - why I do not see them at the Free Flicks, they simply answer "the lousy sound." The interesting aspect of our sound system is its variability, acceptable one night, quite horrible another. People who walk out on this film quite likely won't come back for anything less than a Tuesday, November 25, 1975' the patro those with low numbers indicating high status in state government; inconsistent enforcement of state and patrol regulations against troopers soliciting campaign contributions for state candidates; rapid advancement of troopers assigned to the Governor's Mansion detail; and removal of traffic records of Governor Holshouser's political aide Gene Anderson, despite the practice of keeping all drivers' records in the Police Information Network. Anderson's license has been suspended for a traffic offense conviction. Those abuses indicate that the governor and his circle of associates and intimates can use the patrol for their own purposes, can escape the equal application of the law, can manipulate troopers by special consideration and can use the patrol as a political patronage outlet. Somewhere in this mess the legitimate function of the patrol to protect the citizens of this state and to enforce the law against all offenders has been overlooked, ignored and even hindered by diversion of patrol resources and the lowering of patrol morale. Stories in a newspaper do not equal legal indictments. Interviews with 29 officers, even though many are men with seven to ten years of experience on the force, do not equal convictions for criminal abuse. Nor does a $40,000 study by Northwestern University's Traffic Institute which suggested in 1973 that "inferference from outside the department" should be stopped. But all of these things should give us pause and remind us that the kinds of abuse we abhor in the CIA, the FBI and other national security agencies are not unique to the banks of the Potomac. We must probe these allegations, and set aright any practices that are wrong. The citizens of this state cannot tolerate political toying with law enforcement. advisable Actually, the comptroller would be a highly political beast, as the position depends on CGC action for appointment and dismissal of its occupant. No dismissal action could be taken without the approval of a CGC committee, thereby isolating control of the comptroller in the hands of a small subgroup of CGC. No matter how many officials demanded the dismissal of the comptroller, the bill requires that committee to pass on his or her removal. Thus the committee could control the comptroller without the possibility of dismissal initiative by either branch as now exists with regard to the treasurer. The comptroller concept is an intrusion upon the executive function. If the CGC wants a financial check, it ought to create its own audit agency, not an executive agency empowered to cut off funds and execute treasury law. It ought to establish an assistant treasurer if the treasurer alone' cannot handle the workload. Above all, it ought to preserve and strengthen the separation of power and function between branches of student government. To this end. Bates has a responsibility to veto the bill by the time we return from our Thanksgiving repasts. Jim Grimsley Managing Editor Greg Porter Associate Editor Jim Roberts News Editor Robin Clark Features Editor Susan Shackelford Sports Editor Barnie Day Projects Editor Joyce Fitzpatrick Graphic Arts Editor blockbuster movie simply not to be disappointed again. Not being technically minded, 1 do not know what it would take to bring our sound system Up to a level of acceptability. ! would hope consideration might be given not to halfway measures of checking the present equipment but rather to the actual upgrading of. the equipment. One applauds the recent announcement of the proposed construction of a building to be used solely for the showing of films; this will occur at some unspecified date, however, and does not speak to the immediate and pressing needs of the film program. I hope something can be done in the realization of better sound for next semester's (again -good) free flicks. Alan Perry B37 Carolina Apts. Not meat and drink To the editor: It is usual for us here in America to associate the month of November with Thanksgiving, for that is the month in which a particular day is set apart for the expression of thanksgivingtoGod forall His Ben Cornelius Gbssrvi no 1 had to take a test a while back. That's not so unusual; everyone here does it at some time or another. I looked at my notes and reviewed the book for a couple of hours, but it was nothing serious no coffee, no No-Doz, no staying up until God-knows-when (much less all night) just to merit an "A" instead of a "B" in Geology 1 1. It's just for the Natural Science requirement, so why get all worked up about it? A young man sits in front of me in this particular class; he's an amiable sort of guy, and rarely a class period goes by that we: haven't exchanged pleasantries, cracked jokes, or made comments on the material. Recently we hav e been joined by a student who sits directly beside me; he is a fine addition to this trio that refuses to take this course too seriously. Or so I thought. When we had this last test, I was talking with the guy next to me when, all of a sudden, the one in front turned around and hissed, "Shut up!" I was taken aback, but the most amazing part was yet to come. During the test, this young Einstein answered the questions he knew, and then went back to puzzle over the rest. I watched him quadruple-check each 'A WAR! THAT'S WHAT THE IMMORAL AMERICAN PEOPLE NEED GIVE 'EAA BACK A SENSE OF PURPOSE! I'LL GOME BACK AND LEAD THEM! THEY IOVEME..ARGLE 5ARGLE DRIBBLE BURBLE.. Carlotta du Val From the depths of Greenlaw Today Carlotta du Val interrogates Dr. O.E. Dee, an assistant professor of English at UNC. Untenured, Dr. Dee's office is in the basement of Greenlaw Hall. Q: Dr. Dee, in an era of increasing social awareness and academic emphasis on "relevance" and the methods of social science, why did you choose the field of English as your educational speciality? Dr. Dee: 1 flunked chemistry three times, and my law boards weren't all that good. I had little choice but to delve into the humanities, where scientific methodology is not nearly as important as good intentions. Besides, the study of language and literature is, in the words of that great early American poet Tobakaleif Hammershed, "as refreshing as the salt sea spray and as deep as the blue-green ocean." Q: Leif who? Dr. Dee: Tobakaleif Thor Erickson Dag Hammershed, the earliest known American poet. Apparently he was accidentally left ashore when the early Viking explorers returned to their Scandinavian homeland. With no coastal cities to plunder and no women to abduct, Hammershed naturally turned his creative energies to poetry. Q: I hate to confess my ignorance, but I have never heard of Hammershed. Where have you studied his writings? At Duke? Dr. Dee: Please! I'll have you know I have blessings bestowed to us. It is fitting for people to express their gratitude to God, but the important thing that confronts us is the question of an adequate thanksgiving. Most people resort to the things of the world to express their spirit of thanksgiving. During the Thanksgiving season these people express themselves in festivity, especially with food and drink. But something is ev idently wrong with this kind of expression, because it does not fit with the principles of a spiritual religion. We are reminded of the words of Paul w hen he said, "For the Kingdom of God is not meat and' drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy intheHolyGhost"(Romans 14: 17). It would be more fitting for people to adopt some other way to express their spirit of gratitude to God for His mercy. There are countless people who are conscious of the fact that God has been good to them, but their expression of gratitude does not transfer the blessings they have received to someone else who is in need. It is not enough to offer up prayers of thanksgiving to God for blessing us when there are hungry people to be cared for and ignorant people to be taught. When helping others, we see how fortunate we are and all the blessings God has granted us. Counting blessings is the and every answer. That's right; he went over that test four times. I, on the other hand, answered the questions I knew, tried the process of elimination on those I didn't know, went back over the test, and then watched this youngster sweat away five pounds over whether oil occurs in synclines or anitclines. The diligent student beside me, baffled by the whole thing, just said to hell with it all, and concentrated on drawing as perfect a circle as possible around the letter (it was a multiple-choice test) that looked good. I handed in my test and left (no doubt my friend in front worked until the buzzer) to return to my room. Once there, I started thinking about the serious nature of that student. That young man is the cause of grade inflation. He, too, is. taking the course only because he is required to, and yet he treats it as a Master's dissertation. He feels compelled to receive an "A." Those of us who can't quite get excited about something that doesn't interest us are left to reap the "C"s. "But is has occured to me that there are perciotis few of us left. It seems that everyone has that driving urge to ace a test that has absolutely nothing to do with his major. I wanted to find out why, so I started asking a the only surviving copy of his work, this ancient rune. Q: But Dr. Dee, how can you be sure that rune is authentic? It looks like plaster paris. Dr. Dee: Simply the scars of time, I'm sure. It had better be authentic. I paid fifty bucks for it to an antique dealer in Lake Hiawatha, New Jersey. Q: It's pretty unusual for an English professor to study ancient runes. What interests you in them? Dr. Dee: Not much, really. In fact, I can't even read Norwegian. But to receive critical acclaim and tenure, one must contribute something original to the research literature. 1 thought this was pretty original. Q: Do you have any future plans for your study of Hammershed or others like him? Dr. Dee: I'm not sure. If the English department ever gets around to hiring a "Celtist," somebody versed in Irish and Scottish literature, 1 may begin to push for some more departmental support. I'd love to be the department's "runist." Q: Do you have any other specialized interests within the English department? Dr. Dee: There's a pretty graduate research assistant I'd like to get to know a little better... Q: No, 1 mean academic interests. Dr. Dee: Oh sure. My second major area of something like trying to count the stars at night. You hardly know where to begin; there seems no limit, no end. When we try to put into words the gratitude we feel, the thankfulness that we feel, we find that words seem inadequate. Like the psalmist, we can only say "my cup runneth over." Chester D. Freeman, Jr. 426 Craige NC prep wresters ignored To the editor: Although no one can deny that UNC Wrestling Coach Bill Lam has made remarkable progress with the wrestling program in the two seasons that he has been here, we have been compelled to write a letter of complaint. The DTH article of Tuesday, Nov. 18, on the wrestling prospects for this year stated that Lam "goes out hoping to convince the best the nation's high schools have to offer in his sport that attending his school has decided advantages over signing with the competition." We have come to believe that Coach Lam, however, has misdirected his ' D few questions; the answer was almost unanimous. "I want to go to grad (lumping 'together law and medicine, the two most popular) school, and I can't afford to mess up a course." So that's it. That's why people stare at me when I say I want to get my B.A. and get out. That's why people v irtually cry for me w hen I get a "CT on a test. And that's why some of the faculty members want to cut grades; everyone wants to go to grad school. When a fool who has his heart set on grad school decides to make straight "A"s, there's no stopping him. He could be aiming for dental school and be taking Physical Geography, but he has to have that "A." Meanwhile, I, who only care about meeting the requirement, trudge along with a "B" or "C," and if the faculty council has its way, that could any day now become a "C or "D." Professors aren't grading any easier; it's just that everyone has his future success in life tied tightly to that glorious Ph.D. But we'll see who has the last laugh. Assuming that a person receives good enough grades to think that he has an above average chance to get into grad school, he applies. He sweats over acceptance. The study is obscure Southern writers who never obtain success. It's a great area of study to undertake at this University, especially since so many of them are in my department. Q: Is there a professional justification for such study? Dr. Dee. Indeed! It's not a crowded field at all, so it's a lot easier to become the prominent expert in the field. That should help my professional standing. If only I could get my articles published... Q: What courses do you teach? Dr. Dee: English 1 and 2, and a special seminar entitled "Special Studies in American Literature: From Tabakaleif Hammershed to the Twentieth Century South." And I hope to begin a graduate course in the rhetorical dimensions of comic book literature. Q: What are your immediate academic goals? Dr. Dee: To get out of this basement office. Then I am going to work for a key to the Greenlaw elevator. Then I'll begin my big drive Q: To get tenure? Dr. Dee: No, to get that graduate research assistant... Carlotta du Val is the pseudonym of a graduate and professional student from North Carolina. attentions while recruiting. After reading the article we found it odd that there are no North Carolina wrestlers mentioned. Equally odd is the fact that not a single wrestler from the overwhelming state champion, Southern Alamance High School, was offered a scholarship at UNC. It would seem that Coach Lam thinks that North Carolina high school wrestlers are of inferior quality compared to those of Virginia, Michigan, or Pennsylvania. Two of the wrestlers responsible for Southern Alamance's state title were Bennie Brooks and Eddie Foster, who were MVPs in the state tournament this year and last year respectively. Both were approached by UNC, but neither was offered any sort of scholarship. Brooks, who went undefeated this year, and Foster, who has won the state title in his weight class for two years, both had expressed their interest in coming to Carolina, but were never offered even a partial scholarship. They are now freshmen at Appalachian State, where they were given full scholarships. We are not challenging Lam to explain his' actions; we are merely questioning his actions. In times like these, it would be far more economical to give a scholarship to in syndrome story can end right here, but let's further assume that he gets into the school of his choice. Let's damn caution, let the devil take the hindmost and assume that he earns a Master's. Just what in the hell is he going to do with that? If a B.A. wasn't good enough, a Master's certainly won't be. Dreams of grandeur, go for that Ph.D. Back to school, back to the books, only to end up writing a doctoral dissertation on the mating habits of the left-handed Estonians with grandmothers who were mixed Tibetan-Liberians. And, 1 repeat, just what in the hell is he going to do with that? Meanwhile, I, looking for a career in railroads, am working my way up from dining car waiter on the New York-Miami Silver Meteor to New York Station Serv ices Supervisor to Northeast Region Manager for Amtrak. I won't be making a bundle of money, but anything I earn will be better than my Ph.D. friend w ho's cooling his heels in an unemployment line, collecting a pittance from my taxes. But I don't mind helping support him; after all, 1 did disturb him while he was taking a Geology 1 1 test. Ben Cornelius is a sophomore journalism major from Winston-Salem. Willie Koch Pass-fail for electives Why should we require pass-fail grading for certain elective courses? Well, wouldn't it be great if undergraduates and their teachers were truly set free to explore life and w hat it's all about? In theory we are, because in our university we are part of a deliberately; established and maintained College of Arts: and Sciences, a "liberal arts" college' dedicated to facilitating the liberation of the human mind and spirit through the natural sciences, social sciences, humanities, and fine arts. 1 have two suggestions for improv ing our system. One of the mechanisms we have for; implementing the idea of learning for personal and social liberation is the college elective requirement in General College and the non-divisional elective requirement in the College of Arts and Sciences. In order for students to have creative explorations in their liberal arts education, I think grades should be abandoned for college electives and non-divisional electives; i.e., the grade on the permanent record for courses designated as college or non-divisional electives would be "PS" (pass). It is neither possible nor desirable to grade a creative experience, and 1 feel that we should allow for maximal creative expressions in the free elective courses. I think most of the professors who consider their teaching to be their major occupation already do or certainly would favor this idea. They know well that their teaching is not predicated on having students who are grubbing for grades. Indeed, such students get in the way of a creative, intellectual learning experience. On the other hand and unfortunately, many students would object to the idea of credit without quality points for their elective courses because they use these courses in an attempt to pull up their QP averages. (Quality education does not award quality points, a wag once said.) I don't think we should allow law schools, medical schools, dental schools, etc. to wag us, their tails, by forcing our undergraduate students to misuse our elective-type courses,' those designated for non-majors. The second suggestion is that we designate certain courses as pass-fail courses. In these courses, which the student either passes or fails and nothing more, students lose the potential for improving quality point averages and professors lose the power to threaten and intimidate students with grades. Such courses would be used by the student only for elective credit and, indeed, would be designed specially for this area of our curriculum, as a number of courses in our university now are. Willie Koch is a professor in the botany department. flick series state residents than to out-of-state residents when they are probably of equal athletic ability. We hope that Lam has a successful season, but we also hope that perhaps he will look around North Carolina for quality wrestlers, too. There are as many here as anywhere else, if one is willing to look for them. ; Rick Coble Jeff Terry 1231 Granville West The Daily Tar Heel welcomes letters to the editor. Letters must be typed, double spaced, on a 60-space line and are subject to condensation or editing for libelous content, bad taste or wordiness. Letters must be signed with the address of the letter writer. Letters should not run over 40 lines (300 words) and should be mailed to the Daily Tar Heel, Carolina Union Building. Letters will run according to length, timeliness and the spatial limitations of the particular day. Unsigned or initialed columns on this page represent the opinion of the Dail Tar Heel.