Jim Hummel. ;;.
Susan Mauney. Mu$mg Ed
Jonathan Rich. Asm Editor
John Drescher. a&u eh
Edwina Ralston. umm$&bnLy '.rV,'.'
JOHN ROYSTER, Gty Editor ,
CHARLES HERNDON. Stole and JnIijiw Editor,
Beth Burrell. nh Ed K , t 1, .
Clifton Barnes. Spom Ed . r . 4 : r
Tom Moore. Am eMm
KHTH KING. Features Editor
Scott Sharpe. rkmphr Editor
Ann Peters, Svc ejav
Chuck James. OmWwi :
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fly SAMUEL STEEN
latlg
year o" editorial freedom
Sorry, wrong number
With its centraHy-controUed electronic system, Southern Bell can type
into an office computer and hookup any telephone on the UNC campus.
For this simple service, Ma Bell is asking the N.C. Utilities Commission
for a 272 percent increase in the hookup price, from the current $15.20 to
$56.65.
Southern Bell calls the proposal a necessary increase to cover operating
costs. Student Government and the Residence Hall Association call the
proposal outrageous. The organizations are circulating petitions to pre
sent to the Utilities Commission to fight the proposal. Avid student sup
port in signing the petitions should help convince the Utilities Commis
sion that the phone company's proposal is not warranted.
Southern Bell argues that deregulation of the telephone industry is cut
ting into profits and that costs are up. But the cost of hooking up a phone
in Chapel Hill certainly has not increased 272 percent in the last year. Bell
explains this by saying the hookup fee is an average cost for connections
in all areas, regardless of the central office serving the area.
It would take a close audit of Southern Bell's finances to determine if a
fee increase is warranted. A 272 percent increase seems to be a gross exag
geration of need. The increase is particularly questionable on college
campuses like UNC.
The connection fee, which also includes the disconnection fee, is based
on the average lifespan of a phone connection, which is about seven
years. If a student were to get a phone hooked up every few years, the pro
posed fee might be bearable. But about 95 percent of UNC student living
on campus get a phone hooked up each year. It is unreasonable to ask
students repeatedly to pay $56 a year for a hookup to cover costs in other
areas when it costs Ma Bell far less than that in Chapel Hill.
There are a number of ways Southern Bell can hold down the cost of
installation for students. Southern Bell should increase the credit it gives
to dormitory residents who sign up for service in large groups and reduce
Southern Bell's cost of hooking up. It also could make a dedicated effort
to develop a working suspended services system, where phones are not
disconnected. In the meantime, students should contribute to their own
cause by signing petitions and letting the Utilities Commission and
Southern Bell know that a $41 rate increase is not realistic.
In his letter to the editor, "Theocracy criticized,"
(DTH, Oct. j22), Allan Rosen of the UNC-CH Chapter
of American Atheists, reproved Mamdouh Rezeika of
the Muslim Student Association for his myopic defense
of Islamic theocracy (DTH, Oct. 12) and defamatory re
marks about Dr. Edward Azar.
Rosen's stance in opposition to Rezeika's poor tech
nique of argumentation is in accord with my own, how
ever, in an attempt to discredit Rezeika further, and at
the same time desiring to spread his atheistic gospel,
Rosen fabricated a parallel between the aforementioned
Islamic theocracies and what he called the "theocracies
of the West."
Rosen stated that the Western nations were still evolving
into secular governments because they learned from their
history of religious oppression. The connection, insofar
as I can see, is this: the corrupt and stifling religious sys
tem of the Middle Ages meshed with the corrupt, intrigue-ridden
courts of Europe, and the two gave birth to
the church-controlled nation-states. These unions of
church and state, the "Western theocracies," did not
meet the needs of the society hence, Rosen implies
that Islamic theocracy cannot either. What Rosen fails to
recognize is that it is not the attempted theocentrism of
Letters to the editor
these systems which makes them repugnant; rather, it is
the corrupt, vindictive, repressive nature of these "theo
cracies" that makes them so.
Rosen reveals that he is skeptical of the ability of the
theocracies of predominantly Muslim nations to accom
modate other religious groups. In so doing, Rosen fur
ther reveals the misconception under which so many
labor in writing these highly spirited editorials the be
lief that the First Amendment is somehow binding on all
the world, whether it be freedom of the press or of
religion.
response
; The hard fact is that it is not. Repression, not liberty,
is the name of the game in Islamic theocracy. Though, as
a point of order, I would like to know how an "atheo
cracy" if I may coin a phrase, would accommodate the
needs of a people the majority of which believes in the
Supreme Being.
The most glaring error Rosen committed, beyond the
faulty comparison of the Western and Muslim systems
and the expectation of Western liberality of the Muslim
nations, is the use of the term "theocracy." For those
who do not have an Oxford English dictionary handy, as
Rosen obviously did not when he wrote his letter, theo
cracy is defined as "a form of government in which God
is recognized as the king or immediate ruler, and his laws
are taken as the statute-book of the kingdom ... a system
of government by a sacredotal (priestly) order, claiming
a divine commission; also, a state so governed."
As you can see, the Massachusetts Bay Colony and the
nation of Israel up until the annointing of Saul, might be
called "theocracies," but the Western democracies really
do not fit the bill. Theocracy, in the literal sense, has not
yet come upon the earth, just as pure democracy or com
munism has not; in the more widely accepted sense it is
extremely rare. Rosen's predilection for exaggeration
(calling a democracy a theocracy, even one such as the
United States in which belief in God is a philosophical
cornerstone) has no place in serious editorial discussion.
At the end of his letter Rosen made a comment not
appropriate to his argument: "Just as the end of racism
and sexism are noble aspirations, so is the end of theo
cracy." The phrase 'noble aspirations' implies that the
writer is incredulous that his hope will be realized.
If you, as an atheist, see the end of theocracy as no
more than noble aspiration, and your activism as being
of no effect; if your view of the future is truly so dim,
and your approach is so fatalistic, then I suggest you
find something else to believe in. God bless you Mr.
Rosen.
Samuel Steen is a junior political science major from
Baltimore, Md. ,
Lust week of 'elections spurs endorsements
FYI
In any modern society, control of information can translate into politi
cal power. This is particularly important in an open society like America
where democracy is only as good as the people's ability to know what its
government is doing. .
Several actions by the Reagan administration indicate that it believes
Americans are too well informed about their government. The most re
cent and serious attack on citizens' right to know is a proposed revision of
the 1966 Freedom of Information Act.
The revision, termed "moderate and limited'' by an administration of
ficial, would allow the attorney general to withhold from the public cer
tain information about investigations of terrorism,, organized crime and
foreign counterintelligence. It would also restrict disclosures of informa
tion that might impair legitimate business interests and limit the ability to
file requests under the act to American citizens and resident aliens.
Despite administration claims, the proposal is anything but moderate.
The revisions are sweeping and unjustified. The action is based on unsub
stantiated fantasies that the FOIA has been used by foreign spies to
damage American interests. The FOIA's provision exempting classified
material from the act has been effective in preventing dissemination of
government secrets.
There is some indication that businesses have used the FOIA to learn
trade secrets, and reform in this case may be justified. However, the ad
ministration has focused upon the intelligence and criminal sections of
the revision and does not seem to be willing to separate these from the
business provisions.
The Reagan proposals can only be seen as an attempt to isolate further
the federal government from the people. Other overtures by the adminis
tration such as a tightening of the classification of secrets reflect a general
fear about too much public knowledge concerning the activities, of the
government. Such a belief demands far greater documentation than the
administration has so far presented. -
To the editor:
With Chapel Hill and Carrboro Town
elections coming up on Tuesday, Nov. 3,
many voters are still undecided. Although
many students and others in the commu
nity will be supporting Doug Ruff to be
the first full-time student to serve on the
Chapel Hill Town Council since my term
on the council from 1973-1977, I think
that there are three other candidates who
also should be elected.
On. Nov. 3, I will also be voting for
Joe Herzenberg, Bill Thorpe, and Lightn
ing Brown for Chapel Hill Town Council.
I urge the reelection of Thorpe and
Herzenberg because they have done an
effective job on the town council, sup
porting an expansion of public transpor
tation, better recreation programs and an
expansion of rental housing. They voted
in favor of a town budget this year that
actually calls for less total property tax
revenue remarkable accomplishment.
Unfortunately, since the new valuation
schedule has resulted in higher taxes for
most homeowners and less for businesses,
many homeowners have the mistaken im
pression that there has been some giant
increase in revenues, and conservative
candidates are trying to exploit this feeling.
I also support Lightning Brown be
cause of his obvious knowledge about
town programs and service, and the needs
of the community. His own battles over
condominium conversion show his in
terest in keeping Chapel Hill a town for
persons of all income levels.
This will be a very crucial election for
the future of the Town of Chapel Hill,
and may set it on a new course. Although
endorsements from politicians are some
times suspect, I felt it important to state
my feelings publicly after 10 years of ac
tive involvement in town government.
The polls on Tuesday will be open from
6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., and those who
have been registered in the past (such as
for the 1980 Presidential election in
Chapel Hill) as well as new voters who
signed up this fall, are all eligible.
Gerry Cohen
1 Bluff Trail
Carrboro endorsement
To the editor:
In the coming Carrboro elections it will
be as simple as ABC to make a choice if
you are a student or UNC employee.
The Carrboro Community Coalition
has a proven record of working for the in
terests of the UNC students and em
ployees. The Association for a Better
Carrboro (ABC) has a proven record a
gainst our interests. I'll be voting for the
Carrboro Community Coalition endorsed
candidates, Bob Drakeford, Doug Sharer,
Nancy White, and Braxton Foushee.
Robbie Meador
UNC Carrboro student
Mayoral endorsement
To the editor:
As a student and resident, I am con
cerned about the direction in which Carr
boro is heading. Residents have seen
much progress come to Carrboro. We
have benefited from generous outlays
from the federal government enabling us
to construct a fire department building,
N.C. 54 park, bikeways, bus system and
sidewalk. These critical improvements
have improved the life of Carrboro resi
dents. Now, uncertain times confront us.
Federal aid is waning. We must become
more self-sustaining. We must band to
gether to help Carrboro continue to im
prove the quality of life. We must find
new ways to deal with the economic pro
blems of Carrboro. Dramatic increases in
taxes are not the answer. Planning, with a
common sense approach, is. .
We must realize the limits of govem-
X COULDN'T BE.UE.VE
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ment to blend them with the needs of citi
zens. No longer can we allow an elite
political group to guide us down the road
of financial ruin. Compromise must again
rise to be the political avenue to travel
upon.
Bill Pressley possesses the common
sense and ability to lead Carrboro to a
more secure and enjoyable tomorrow.
That is why I am supporting him for
mayor of Carrboro.
Joe Gallagher
Carrboro
CIA dogs
To the editor:
President Ronald Reagan is cutting
more than the federal budget. He has
waived the CIA of its responsibility to
answer to America by releasing these
secret police from the Freedom of Inforr
mation Act. The present CIA director is
pushing for even fewer controls on his
organization.
The Bill of Rights declares that we shall
"freely assemble." Although CIA dogs
would love to change the actual wording
to "assemble with monitoring," they will
eagerly accept recent legislation which
will allow American organizations to be
infiltrated, influenced and entrapped.
CIA officers claim that they are work
ing in America's best interest. Their ac
tual philosophy is that we should not care
that our phones are tapped or that organi
zations are influenced or even coerced in
to illegal activity if we are true Americans.
The CIA is working for some twised view
of their "America." They do not care for
democracy.
UNC students seem willing to rabble
over public drinking privileges. Hopefully
we are willing to fight for our right to pri
vate lives. If not, we may be drinking syn
thetic gin with Winston Smith even be
fore 1984 arrives.
Perry Zimmerman
Granville Towers
On Halloween beware of pen-c Mwed beasts
By TODD DAVIS
The Daily Tar Heel
'. As&Zsxt htzozzg Editors: Mark Ancona, Cindy Cranford, Rachel Perry
Editorial Writers: Kerry Derochi, Geoffrey Mock, Beverly Shepard
Assistant News Editor David Jarrett
News Desk: Mdodi Adams, Cheryl Anderson, Paul Boyce, Stacia Clawson, Keith Cooke, Lisa
Evans, Martie Hayworth, Reniece Henry, Ivy Hilliard, David McHugh, Melissa Moore, Sharon
Moylan, Lynn Pcithman, Michele Pelkey, Laura Pfeiffer, Yvette Ruffin, Laura Seifert, Jan
Sharpe, Kelly Simmons, Louise Spieler, Steven Stock, Darryl Williams and Chip Wilson.
News: Greg Batten, Scott Bolejack, Sherri Boles, Laurie Bradsher, Alan Chappie, Michelle
Christcnbury, John Conway, David Curran, Nancy Davis, Tamara Davis, Pam Duncan, Lynn
Earley, Richard Flynn, Tracy Ford, Jane Foy, Deborah Goodson, Steve Griffin, Louise
Gunter, Karen Haywood, J.B. Howard, Peter Judge, Frank Kennedy, Dave Krinsky, Katherine
Long, Dean Lowman, Elizabeth Lucas, Diane Lupton, Kyle Marshall, Elaine McOatchey,
David McHush, Alexandra McMillan, Ken Mingis, Robert Montgomery, Eddie Nickens,
James Osborn, Lynn Pcithman, Leisha Phillips, Scott Phillips, Jeannie Reynolds, Suzette
Roach, Nancy Rucker, Mark Schoen, Laura Seifert, Frances Silva, Ken Siman, Kelly Simmons,
Jonathan Smylie. Jonathan Takott, Anna Tate, Lyrme Thomson, Arcane Vendetta, Lynn Worth,
Jim Wrinn and Kevin Kirk, wire editor.
Sports: Norman Cannada, Linda Robertson, assistant sports editors; Kim Adams, Tom Berry,
Jackie Blackburn, R.L. Bynum, Stephanie Graham, Morris Haywood, Adam Kandell, Sharon
Kester, Draggan Mihailovich, Scott Price, Lee Sullivan, and Tracy Young.
Features: Jill Anderson, Ramona Brown, Shelley Block, Jane Calloway, Teresa Curry, Lorrie
Douglas, Valeria Du Sold, Amy Edwards, Cindy Haga, Susan Hudson, Chip Karnes, Lisbelh
Levine, Lucy McCauIey, Mary McKenna, Steve Moore, Mitzi Morris, David Rome, Sandy
Stcacy, Vince Steele, Lawrence Turner, Rosemary Wagner, Randy Walker, Cathy Warren and
Chip Wilson, assistant SpotSht editor.
Arts: Marc Routh and Leah Tailey, assistant arts editors; Peter Cashwell, Jesse Farrell, Den
nis Goss, Vick Griffin, Julian Karchmer, Ed Leitch, Christine Manuel, Dawn McDonald.Tim
Mooney, David Nelson, Nissen, Ritter, Karen Rosen, Bob Royalty, Cathy Schulze, Guha
Shankar and Charles Upchurch. ' '
Graphic Arts: Suzanne Convcrsano, Matt Cooper, Pan Corbett, Danny Harrell, Dane
Huffman, Janice Murphy and torn Westarp, artists; Jay Hyman, Faith Quintavell and Al
Steele, photographers.
Business: Rejcanne V. Car on, business manager; Linda A. Cooper, secretaryreceptionist;
Brooks Wicker, bookkeeper; Dawn Welch, circulationdistribution manager; Julie Jones,
and An&ie Wolfe, classifieds. '
Advertising: Paula Brewer, advertising manager; Mike Tabor, advertising coordinator; Jeff
Glance, Julie Cranberry, Julia Kim, Keith Lee, Robin Matthews, Jeff McElhaney, Karen
Newell and Betsy Swart.baugh, ad representatives.
t'oirposlllon: Frank Porter Graham Composition Division, UNC-CH Printing Department.
Printiitx: Hinton Press, Inc., of Mebane.
Warning: This chilling story of a student
studying may be too intense if the reader
uses a highlighter. Due to the graphic na
ture of this column, the fainthearted are
advised to close their eyes as they read.
Darkness. Midnight. Halloween. Deep
in the forbidding maze of Wilson Libra
ry's stacks, a student sat entombed in his
carrel. Hideous shadows engulfed the tor
mented student who unbelievably studied '
for those wicked taskmasters called pro
fessors. The professors. Yes ... they drove the
student to the breaking point. He didn't
want to be different strange ... super
natural. Still, they kept making him study
and study.
The suffering student used to be
average Joe College but nooooo, not any
more ... they wouldn't let him. Not after
all those deranged professors with their .
mad plots of terror known as syllabi. The
professors injected the syllabi into the stu
dent's brain every semester until the stu
dent changed into that warped monster
study-fearing students call Bookaborus!
Gasp! Gasp!
Bookaborus never went downtown.
Bookaborus never took a bath. Booka
borus never made friends. Bookaborus
only studied, studied, studied except ...
on Halloween night. Terror! Terror!
On Halloween night the library was
closed but that didn't stop Bookaborus.
He had a personal key. Crouched in his
library carrel, Bookaborus read and read.
Then, the bell tower, struck midnight.
Suddenly, Bookaborus's bloodshot eyes
quit slicing through the pages upon pages
of class notes. His mind was obsessed by
some professor's raving lecture.
"It makes no sense. It makes no sense.
NO SENSE!" howled Bookaborus at the
sickening fluorescent light.
That's when IT happened. Something
caused Bookaborus's twisted brain to
snap. Perhaps it was all that assigned
reading. It could've been that parking
ticket. Maybe it was that end zone foot
ball seat. Who knows? Who cares?
Slowly, Bookaborus staggered to his
feet and transformed himself. His breath
ing became difficult. He clutched his
throat. Useless phrases to multiple-choice
questions like, none of the abovesome
of the above, spurted from his jaws.
Instantly, like lightning, a searing pain
shot up the creature's quivering spine.
The agony forced the brute to crouch
over in the mandatory desk position. His
neck muscles throbbed, straining to peer
at an invisible blackboard.
. In desperation, Bookaborus grasped his
notebook but it was too late. His fingers
stretched into steely ball point pen claws
and the demon shredded his notes.
Springing from his carrel, the crazed
monster devoured with abandon a Nor
ton Anthology, wickedly slopping up the
footnotes. As the bell tower ceased chim
ing, Bookaborus rushed toward an exit.
The syllabi-infected studying student had
gone berzerk! Nothing could stop him!
All he needed was a victim.
Meanwhile, outside the library, an
orange moon waned on Jamie Lee Flirt us
and her boyfriend, Chuck Charm, as they
returned from a Barry Manilow Hallow-"
een Costume Party. These two dreamsick
lovers never studied. Little did they know
that Bookaboruslurked....
Jamie tugged on Chuck's arm and
said, "Oooooohhhh Chuckee-pie. I'm .
sooooo tired. Let's rest on those library
steps in those menacing shadows and play
hugs and bunches."
"Hey, that sounds like a whole lot of
great fun to me," said Chuck.
The two lovers sat down and began
kissing. Suddenly, there was a sinister'
rustling sound in the bushes. Jamie grew
suspicious.
"Chuckee-pie...," Jamie said.
"Yes pumpkin face?" Chuck asked.
"What was that?"
"My mouth," replied Chuck.
"No, not that! I mean that sinister
rustling sound coming from the bushes
now mixed with intermittent heavy
breathing," Jamie said.
"Beats me. I didn't hear any
OHMIGOD!!!"
Out from the dark pounced the Booka
borus upon the two hapless lovers.
"Prepare to die in a most excruciating
and senseless way," slurred Bookaborus.
Jamie freaked out saying, "Help! Oh
Help! Help! Help! Where are tne campus
cops when you need them? Chuckee-pie,
save me! Chuckee!"
Too late. Chuckee-pie had already
crumpled into a lump of Izod and khaki.
Jamie now faced the ball point-clawed
monster alone.
"Please, oh please, don't kill me. I'm
too cute to die. If you touch me, I pro
mise I'll scream," Jamie threatened.
"Ah-hahaha," smirked Bookaborus,
"I'll make you scream your add-a-beads
off!"
"What are you going to use on me a
knife, a chainsaw, a meathook???!!!"
Jamie asked in terror.
"Nothing so painless," replied Booka
borus. "I'm going to completely bore you
to death!"
Bookaborus lurched at Jamie grabbing
her button-down. Jamie shrieked. It did
no good. Viciously, the monster thrust his
ferocious jaws close to her ear. Jamie was
speechless. Then, the horrible silence was
broken when ' Bookaborus opened his
jaws and said to his victim, "I think that I
shall...." .
"Noooo, uh, uh, stop," cried Jamie.
"I shall never see," Bookaborus con
tinued. "Owwwwwh, Ohhhhh...," moaned
Jamie.
"A poem as lovely...."
Swet little Jamie Lee Flirt us, whose
only crimes were liking Barry Manilow
and being cute, was near Death's dark
and silent sleep. She was slipping fast.
One more phrase from the poem would
bore her to oblivion.
Suddenly, it came to her. Overcoming
the Bookaborus's grip Jamie shouted at
the top of her cute little tonsils, "Oh evil
Bookaborus, WHY DO THE HEATHEN
RAGE?"
"Arrrgggh!" Bookaborus wailed. The
creature released Jamie. She slumped to
the ground. The monster's brain had
snapped again. Into the blackness of the
Halloween night, Bookaborus vanished.
Legend has it that Bookaborus returns
every Halloween to haunt Wilson Library.
Perhaps you'll be walking down in the
stacks when suddenly a ball point pen
claw will grab you by the neck. But don't
worry about it. There's nothing you can
do. Still, some folks swear the monster
got a job at N.C. State laying bricks. But
whatever the case, if you see some student
studying a bit too hard, just remember.
Do that student and yourself a-favor.
some pitchers. It's your only salvation.
Todd Davis is a junior RTVMP major
from Around, N.C, and wonders why
the heathen don V rage more than they do.