Newspapers / Daily Tar Heel (Chapel … / July 3, 1980, edition 1 / Page 18
Part of Daily Tar Heel (Chapel Hill, N.C.) / About this page
This page has errors
The date, title, or page description is wrong
This page has harmful content
This page contains sensitive or offensive material
18 The Tar Heel Thursday, July 5, 1880 commentary an 7 oL-iL. f i d analysis William Durham, Editor Amy Sharpe, Managing Editor Elliott Warnock, Associate .Editor o John Royster, News Editor Susan Mauney, Copy Editor Sarah West, Features Editor Tom Moore, Arts Editor Clifton Barnes, Sports Editor Sharon Clarke, Photography Editor A new, clean beginning In the clearing dust, flying around the University since recent announcement of a reorganization of the Office of Student Affairs, a somewhat clearer image of Chancellor Christopher Fordham can be seen. The image is a positive one 1 ' -Fordham announced last weelc" the creation of a new vice chancellor's office, designed to assist "in enhancing the presence and experience of minorities at this institution." The new "vice chancellor for university affairs," as it has been referred to, will have responsibility for co ordinating financial aid, records arid registration, plus undergraduate admissions and other areas of student concern at UNC. The description of responsibilities is important, for it matches the recommendation of the Daye Committee report which called for just such an office to help minority students on the Carolina campus. It also matches the description many black leaders on campus gave to a suggested Office of Minority Affairs. Whatever the name of the new office, it is the function it serves that is important, and its described function indicates Fordham is concerned enough with the status of minority students to take adminstration action on their behalf. What remains to be described is the person who will fill the job. The Daye Committee report suggested that the position be filled by a black, tenured member of the UNC faculty .The key word there is "black," the operative word "tenured." Whether a faculty member or not, the new vice chancellor should be a person possessed of enough self-security to be able to act assertively on behalf of the students. Fordham's search committee no doubt agrees. To say that only blacks are capable of handling this office is inherently racist, but to say they can't is just as racist. In this case, finding a black to fill the post is the prudent, politic and fair thing to do. See the light V4 1 lip' m. (k Us 1 far J Technological advances dazzling in Modern Age It's almost time to think up another prefix for presidential candidate Ronald Reagan. As he pulls away from President Carter in the various polls, it becomes more and more appropriate to honor him with some pre presidential appellation perhaps "P re-President Reagan" or 'incumbent-to-be Reagan" or something along that line. Premature? you ask. But the New York Times-CBS News' Poll recently put Reagan 10 points ahead of Carter. The Carter allies, however, are not too worried. They feel that they have history at least, on their side: for the last Democratic incumbent to lose an election was Grover Cleveland in 1888. Looking'to more recent history, the Carter team hopes that Reagan is in the same position that Sen. Edward Kennedy was in at the beginning of the primaries too far out in front to be able to maintain that position. Finally, there is Carter's almost mystical ability to rebound from disaster. Despite the fact that he has been taking a beating recently in the Gallup polls, and now registers 32 percent, there is confidence that he will rebound and peak just in time for the national elections. However, the main reason for optimism in the president's camp is Reagan himself. As one Carter loyalist put it, "Carter may not be able to win this election, but Reagan sure can lose it." It is interesting to note that Re agan decided to forego a European trip this summer, perhaps afraid that it afforded too great an opportunity for gaffes and vagueness. Carter's main problem, it seems, will be to convince the voters that he is a better candidate than Reagan, and that every vote counts. As Steven Schlossberg, a top political strategist for the United Auto Workers, put it: "A lot of people just don't believe that old Dutch Reagan, the guy who rode into the sunset for truth and justice, is going to screw vou." - Let's hope people soon begin to see the light. By William Durham The Modern Age is without a doubt the most fascinating of all ages of history. How can the paltry mechanical and technical confusion accomplished prior to the 20th century compare with such wonders as electric typewriters, color television and that most glorious of achievements, the computer? Yes, indeed, the computer must rank close to the top of any list compiled by a wandering sociologist in an attempt to catalog Man's Most Marvelous' Machinations. For what else is saving us so much labor, is doing in 12 minutes what it took our great-grandparents seven years to accomplish and is allowing us to develop the. technology to create even more exotic and. spine-tinglingly far-fetched bits of brushed chrome and matte plastic? Xnd what could be more soothing than the complacent hum of one those massive multi-talented hulks, purring lovingly in the' back room? Not everybody, unfortunately, is as Sanguine as this when commenting on the noble beasts. There is a poorly informed school of thought,, populated by sadly misguided' malcontents and various dissidents, who think that a little less dependency on computers would be to humanity's advantage. These mewling toadstools think that, given the opportunity to do things for ourselves, we will learn to till our time instead of feverishly wasting time trying to think up ways to save it. Which is, of course, ridiculous. Speaking seriously, would you rather spend several hours admiring a beautiful picture or using a probe and spatula to take samples and discover just what the chemical makeup of the pigment is, allowing you to exactly duplicate the hues in a startlingly life-like reproduction? The answer is obvious. How can. a daffodil or a butterfly compare with a series of sine curves stretching out forever ihto the intense inane? The answer is that it cannot. Not that I'm not a fan of trees and rocks and birds and things. I derive as much aesthetic pleasure as the next person from looking at mountains and scupltures. I like literature, too. But give me the muted snick of oiled switches and the tactile tantalization of readout paper any day. Sometimes I'm just exasperated by the vociferous rantings of the nature advocates. These are the people who write letters to the editor deploring our meddling intellects and bemoaning the fact that our calculations have conquered all mystery by rule and line. I just say nonsense. After all, truth is beauty, and the truth of the spectrum is more lasting that the beauty of the rainbow it creates. Science may clip an angel's wings, but it also builds subway stations and Toyotas. I'm perfectly willing to grant that computers occasionally do suffer brief lapses of performance. In fact, just last month a small computer breakdown almost invited a nuclear showdown. Wouldn't that have been hysterical? Armageddon taking place because of a mistake caused by a dime-sized component. But minor faults like this are more than compensated for by such dazzling accomplishments as Space Invaders and pocket calculators (which are, I feel, the greatest thing since calendar watches). A point that really bugs me is that whenever we try to probe the mysteries of life in the name of science, these nature types get up in arms and wail and screech. I don't understand why, because dissection is almost as much fun as threading tape reels. And by slicing open animals and peeking and probing among their entrails, we open the way for more knowledge. It's now just a matter of time before "Baby in a Test Tube" replaces "Janitor in a Drum." And instead of bothering yourself about finding good help, you will be able to pick a happy, grinning clone of Aunt Bea or even a lobotomized, droding Robert Redford. Let's hear no more about the scientific mind destroying the beauteous forms of things. I say, and I'm sure that those of you who seek the crystal clarity of truth will agree, damn the spurious pleasures of literature and artl Damn misplaced sentiment! Full speed ahead into the glories of our technological future! William Durham, a juniorlEnglish major, is editor of The Tar Heel. The Tar Heel Writers: fclson Armttrong, Marc Barne. Sammy Batten, Jeff Bowm, R.L. Bynum. Thorn Daniel. Brute Davin, Dawn Dixon, Laurie Dowling, John DretheT. PfRgy Edward, John Fish. Cindy Groman, Lynda Hettich, John Hinton, Martha Johnsen, Faith Kiffney. Carol Lee. Diane Lupion. Alion Lynch, Jennifer McCabe, Bill Peschel, Jon Pope, Dorothy Rompahke, Yvrtte Ruffin, Cathy Sheet. Ann Smallwo!, Anie Sullivan, David Thompson, Julie Trotter, Jac Vtrttees and Mclanie Wekh, Photographer: Anthony. Flora Garrison, and Jack Mohr. Copy desk: Maria Biro, Aluon Bond, Miui Cook and TemGanard Butmesi Manager: Mark Kadlec Adierttsmf: Nancy McKmic, manager, and PauU Brewer, tor4ina!or. Secretary ' Receptionist: Linda AUred. Composition: 1,'NC Printing Department, frinlinf The llinim Pre, Mebane
Daily Tar Heel (Chapel Hill, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
July 3, 1980, edition 1
18
Click "Submit" to request a review of this page. NCDHC staff will check .
0 / 75