6The Daily Tar HeelWednesday. Febru.
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Edwin a Ralston, ifom-nity Edit
Rachel Perry. cuy Edit
Charles Herndon. stJk-atuiN,itiomiEdiM
Clifton Barnes. Shw Educ
Leah Talley. Am Editor
KEITH KING. Features Editor
SCOTT SHARPE. Phokyraphy Editor
Ann Peters. Spotiht Edim
Chuck James. Omhudsma
Media lia semsattiomalized crisis m. Poland
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89th year of editorial freedom
Textbook relief
Dishing out money for expensive textbooks is bad enough without the
additional exasperation of contending with professors' late orders. Relief
for withering wallets is in sight, however, if the Faculty Council implements
proposals recommended by Student Government and the Educational
Policy Committee.
Student Body President Scott Norberg and the University Services staff
formulated the proposals in an effort to cut the waste and inefficiency that
add to the cost of textbooks.
When faculty members submit late textbook orders, and when that late
order calls for the same text the faculty member is using at the time of the
order, the Student Stores is able to buy back a student's book for only 10
percent to 33 percent of the original purchase price. The normal buy-back
value of a textbook slated to be used again is 50 percent. An inexcusable 77
percent of the textbook order for fall semester 1981, due April 3, 1981,
were late.
To combat the problem of procrastinating professors, Student Govern
ment and the EPC have recommended that each academic department
appoint an individual to be responsible for distributing and collecting text
book request forms.
Student Government has determined that a textbook rental system is
unfeasible. But Norberg and the Faculty Council, in an attempt to cut
down on unneeded edition changes, are urging academic departments and
schools "to consider using basic texts when appropriate for two or more
years when no appreciable change has occurred in a revised' edition."
Several departments are experimenting by committing in advance to stick
ing with a given basic text for two or three years.
Two years does not seem to be too restrictive a time span, unless there
are major developments in a field. Authors and scholars have the right to
keep their work up to date. Student Government's plans aims to prevent
unwarranted changes. The proposals strike a balance, encouraging p'rr
fessors to be responsible with their textbook orders, while not limiting their
freedom to publish. They go a long way toward keeping textbook costs
under control.
Busing backslide
Last week, the U.S. Senate approved the most severe anti-busing legis
lation ever passed by either house of Congress. Perhaps such legislation
would not seem so ironic if February were not Black History Month
Like almost every issue today, this amendment has split liberals and
conservatives into two finite groups that refuse to look at both sides of
the issue. No one claims busing is the only or best way to achieve integra
tion in segregated communities across the nation, but it's the only one
Americans have.-
-The legislation will prohibit judges from ordering busing for students
who live more than five miles or 15 minutes from their schools. The other
provision of the bill, which must next be approved by the House, would
bar Justice Department lawyers from seeking busing orders in federal
courts.
Setting time and distance limitations serves only to trivialize the issue,
as if such provisions have anything to do with the quality of education re
ceived at these schools. Children, for years, have been riding buses for
longer than 15 minutes or five miles merely to get to school and back. In
fact, busing ironically served for years as a tool to do exactly what it is
fighting now segregating the schools. Black students were transported
across town past the all-white schools to attend their own schools.
It is also ironic that two staunch supporters of the amendment, Sens.
Jesse Helms and John East, are from the state that has had a successful
busing program in its Charlotte-Mecklenburg school system a system
that has served as a model for other communities. Certainly, there are
communities where busing has been a hopeless failure and impractical
solution for ensuring integration.
But this does not mean that in the places it does work and work well
it should be prohibited. Until alternate means are suggested, which
unfortunately few politicians are considering, then there is no choice but
to support busing for what it has been able to achieve.
To call busing "the worst tyranny ever imposed upon school children,"
as former Sen. Sam Ervin has, is to downplay the significance and bene
fits of a system which has encouraged black and white children to com
municate and work together, perhaps learning to accept one another as
equals. Without it, Americans are back to square one guaranteeing
that children have equal access to a better education regardless of race.
The Daily Tar Heel
News Editor: David Jarrett
Editorial Writers: Kerry DeRochL, Linda Robertson
Assistant Managing Editors: Lynn Earley, Karen Haywood, Lynne Thomson
News Desk: Ted Avery1, Joseph Berryhill, Paul Boyce, Stacia Clawson,.Lisa Evans, Everly
Faison, Donnia Fultz, Ivy Hilliard, Dan Hart, Melissa Moore, Sharon Moylan, ShellyGleaton,
Laura Seifert,' Jan Sharpe, Louise Spieler, Steven Stock, Darryl Williams and Jim Wrinn, Martie
Hayworth, Jule Hubbard, Renae Lyas, Oare Lynman, Lin Rollins, Dale McKeel, Mary
" McKeel, Martha Quillin, Lynsley Rollins. Ann Murphy and Lynn Peithman, assistant news
editors.
By LOUISE SPIELER
News: Cheryl Anderson, Greg Batten, Sherri Boles, Laurie Bradsher, Alan Chappie, Michelle
Christenbury, John Conway, Cindy Cranford, David Curran, Alison Davis, Tamara Davis,
David Deese, Pam Duncan, Dean Foust, Jane Foy, Jeff Hiday, Peter Judge, Katherine Long,
Dean Lowman, Elizabeth Lucas, Kyle Marshall, David McHugh, Alexandra McMillan, Ken
Mingis, Robert Montgomery, Sonja Payton, Nancy Rucker, Mike O'Reilly, Laura Seifert,
Frances Silva, Ken Siman, Kelly Simmons, Jonathan Smylie, Mark Stinneford, Stephen Stock,
Anna Tate, Ginger Trull, Sohya Weakley, Wendell- Wood, Kim Wood, Lynn Worth, Jim Wrinn,
Kevin Kirk, wire editor and Mark Schoen, assistant University editor.
Sports: Norman Cannada 'and John Royster, 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, Caly Andrews, Ramona Brown, Shelley Block, Jane Calloway, Teresa
Curry, Lorrie Douglas, Valeria Du Sold, Cindy Haga, Susan Hudson, Lisbeth Levine, Mitzi
Morris, Tina Rudolf, David Rome, Vince Steele, Debbie Sykes, Lawrence Turner, Rosemary
Wagner, Randy Walker, Clinton Weaver, Susan Wheelon and Chip Wilson, assistant Spotlight
editor.
Arts: Marc Routh and Nissen Ritter assistant arts editor; Dermis Goss, Vick Griffin, Julian
Karchmer, Ed Leitch, Christine Manuel, Dawn McDonald, Tim Mooney, Tom Moore, Karen
Rosen, Guha Shankar and Jan Williams.
Graphic Arts: Matt Cooper, Pan Coi bett, Nick Demos, Andy Fullwood, Danny Harrell,
Dane Huffman, Janice Murphy and Tom Westarp, artists; Jay Hyman, Faith Quintavell and
AI Steele, photographers.
Business: Rejeanne V. Caron, business manager; Linda A. Cooper, secretaryreceptionist;
Lisa Morrell and Anrie Sink, bookkeepers; Dawn Welch, circulationdistribution manager;
Julie Jones and Angie Wolfe, classifieds.
Advertising: Paula Brewer, advertising manager; Mike Tabor, advertising coordinator;
Harry Hayes, Keith Lee, Terry Lee, Jeff McElhaney, Karen Newell, Deana Setzer, Betsy.
Swartzbaugh and Anneli Zeck ad representatives.
Composition: Frank Porter Graham Composition Division, UNC-CH Printing Department.
Printing: H in ton Press, Inc., of Mebane.
Lech Walesa, Solidarity, martial,
law.... In the past few months these
terms and names have become synony
mous with the plight of the Polish peo
ple. As a reflection on the state of
Western politics, the crisis has sparked
extensive press coverage and commen
tary from the Reagan administration.
As a result of such widespread publicity,
the Polish situation has lost much of its
complexity a situation which could
prove perilous to already shaky Soviet
American relations.
In today's media-filled world, the
Polish situation appears tailor-made as
a public spectacle. By casting the labor
movement in the role of the good guy
and placing the Polish government in
the part of the villain, the media has at
times reduced the crisis to the level of a
Hollywood drama.
Political theatrics, however, are rare
ly as easily resolved as those on the
screen. Nevertheless, it is easier for the
media to choose a simplistic version of
the problems to present to its audience.
Such a presentation encourages an "us
ys. them" quality which could impair a
rational consideration of the crisis by
Americans.
Although Americans may sympa
thize with the repression under which
many Poles are struggling, such na
tional protests and strikes would draw
similar reactions from the United States
government. Should the Reagan ad
ministration be faced with such blatant
disregard of its authority, sanctions
would be placed on the rebellious fac
tions. Polish workers and their American
allies must realize that a threatened
regime, whether communist or non-
communist, will fight for its survival. If
Americans are to be of real assistance
to the Poles, they must widen their per
spective to include a more just appraisal
of both sides involved.
Americans would also be wise to be
more critical of their choice of causes.
In the United States frantic race to pre
serve a balance of power between itself
and the Soviet Union, it js tempting for
American policy-makers to throw their
weight behind any leader of a move
ment which professes anti-Soviet sen
timents. However, such a policy may prove to
be diplomatically awkward; the United
States' role as global protector of de
mocracy seems attractive in theory, yet
impossible to practice. It seems impera
tive that the countryput less effort into
unequivocable support of Solidarity's
ideology and more thought into a real
istic course of action.
Such a course must be chosen care
fully and with an appreciation for the
facts of international politics. In order
for American's actions to have an ef
fect on Soviet expansion, support of
Europe and Japan is needed. Without
the aid of these nations, U.S. sanctions
will become inconsequential barriers to
trade.
While many Americans may con
tinue to support the cause of Walesa
and his Solidarity movement, they must
not allow themselves to be blinded by
loyalty. In the contemporary political
scene, more are concerned with pro
fessed ideology than the consequences
of its actual practice.
Few issues remain black and white.
Surely the Polish crisis is no different.
To portray it as otherwise is dangerous
indeed.
Louise Spieler is a senior American
Studies major from Charlotte.
r
i .
DTHVince Steele
Letters to the editor j
Food committee cooks up several options
To the editor:
For the past 15 months, the Food Ser
vice Advisory Committee has had under
way an intensive evaluation of the cam
pus food service program. The object is
to provide a basis for the planning of fu
ture food service at UNC.
As a student on this committee, I have
been privileged to an in-depth and com
plete view of the current food service,
problems it faces, and how it could run
in optimum conditions.
There are several major problems fac
ing UNC with respect to its food service.
Of course, the issues of poor facilities,
out-dated equipment and unattractive
dining areas come to mind. But there are
several other problems many students '
may not be aware of.
Not the least of these is the fragmented
operation of food service here at UNC.
Campus organizations providing service
include ARA, Student Stores, (snack
bars), housing, (in-room cooking),
athletic department, (training table), and
the hospital (in-house cafeteria). Off
campus operations include Granville
Towers, fraternities and sororities and
unaf filitated local restaurants. There is
obviously strong competition for each
student's food-service dollar.
Neither the advisory committee nor
Student Government (I am a current ex
ecutive branch cabinet member) support
or advocate the abolition of any of the
above separate entities. However, the
committee does recommend that each
departments' efforts be coordinated. This
could easily be accomplished by an ad
ministrative office overseeing each opera
tion and acting as a liaison between
departments. Not only would this allow
one department to offer suggestions to
another to improve quality and cut costs,
but it would provide the best possible ser
vice to each student.
Two other points. One is that the idea
of an independent fast-food chain on
campus is ludicrous. There are numerous
operations both on and off-campus
which offer similar procluct lines. As one
can clearly see, there is already too much
segmentation and competition on cam
pus. Several years back, the Hardee's food
chain visited UNC. After examining the
possibility of locating on campus, it
decided against it. When the contract for
the current food service was opened in
February 1980, Hardee's had the oppor
tunity, and declined, to bid. A Hardee's
on the campus of the Univeristy of Ten
nessee recently announced its closing.
And the Hardee's on the Stanford cam
pus created a situation where a man
datory meal plan was necessary due to an
overload of competition.
My final point will please the residence
hall dweller. The committee has recom
mended not to curtail any cooking in the
rooms. This should not be a worry to
students anyway, as housing has been and
will continue rewiring older dorms to
more safely support devices such as hot
plates and ovens.
Brent Clark
310 Stacy Dorm
Major combination
To the editor:
The most essential ingredient in an ef
fective institution is communication. In
this large institution the more than 20,000
students need to be informed of changes
which influence their majors and futures.
Without student feedback, we might as
well be in high school where our courses
are majorly decided for us and we have
no say in our avenues of study.
The University of North Carolina not
only made a major decision without
determining its students' opinions, but it
also failed to seek the opinions of the
department members this -decision in
fluences. I
Chancellor Christopher Fordham call
ed the zoology and botany departments
to inform them they would be combined
into one department. There were no
departmental meetings where an ex
change of ideas could be made.
Anyone majoring in zoology knows
that the grant of Drosophila eye color
ranging to the study of tundra biomes is
too wide and important for reduction.
Botany majors want to remain photosyn
thesizing within their cell walls, safe from
the Animalia Kingdom. Francis Bacon
said "We cannot obey her if we stop try
ing to understand her.'5"
This reduction to one department
would be a gross limitation and
necessitates student protest. Zoology and
botany students unite so we can preserve
our well-deserved identities!
Marie Sifford
207 Pittsboro Street
Ties for bucks
To the editor:
Congratulations! The Daily Tar Heel
got the biggest fashion scoop of the cen
tury. ("Donators awarded with ties,"
DTH Feb. 5). I must admit that the arti
cle was so subtle that I almost missed
what must have been its intent: to in
troduce handmade Italian silk neckties to
the women's fashion world. I simply can
not wait to graduate so I can give my
mega-bucks and thus be eligible to wear
this "signature of creativity" and "labor
of love." But must I wear that grin too?
Come on, Bill, Stan and Alexander,
give me a break. If you are so creative,
how about dashing off a scarf, or
anything' that a woman who gives could
wear with pride. Have you considered
that some women may not give to UNC
because the only token of appreciation
they would receive would be a necktie
(which, needless to say, could be given to
her husband or father it's probably
their money anyhow). How quickly the
Reagan mentality pervades all walks of
life. -
Novie Beth Ragan
Class of 1979
More Morton Grove
To the editor:
Mr. Paul Wyckoffs letter ("Morton
Grove gun control law criticized," DTH
Feb. 9) criticized the Morton Grove gun
control ordinance. I happen to agree 100
percent with his reasoning. However, I
think he, as a future lawyer should
realize that such an ordinance really boils
down to a symbolic frustration with and
complaint against the judicial system,
which is incapable of handling violent
crime.
When a gun is used against a human
being, the judicial system plunges into ac
tion, spending all of its resources and ef
forts arguing what class of assault or
murder the action falls under. And while
admittedly clear-cut on paper, the dif
ferences between first-and second-degree
murder usually end up cloudy in the
minds of jurors after being beseiged by
hours of technical arguments in the court
room. And the bottom line is this:
sentencing highly depends on how well a
lawyer is able to convince a jury of the
premediation, state of mind, and motiva
tion of his client all very subjective
issues in real life.
A person shooting another commits, in
my mind, the same crime whether the vic
tim is killed or wounded. He has shown
himself willing to kill, and only luck
determines the outcome. The judicial
system should not deal with, how emo
tional the perpetrator was, how good or
bad his aim was, or how good the victim's
doctor was.
Society needs to decide that anyone
convicted of using a handgun against
another person will be subjected to a
swift, uniform, and certain punishment.
The motive, circumstances, and results of
the shooting must logically be irrelevant,
with the exception of self-defense. If you
disagree with this, imagine yourself star
ing down the barrel of a loaded pistol
pointed in your face. Should, the person
pulling the trigger be handled differently
if you die, or if you merely suffer perma
nent brain damage like James Brady?
What if the person is a perfect stranger as
opposed to an enraged jealous lover
caught in the middle of a lovfc triangle?
The results of such legislation would be
threefold: (1) the death penalty would
cease to be a point of argument society
simply could not justify using it for the
crime of "using a handgun;" (2) users of
handguns would be more swiftly and
uniformly taken off the streets due to the
simplicity of the crime either a gun was
used or it wasn't; and (3) lots of trial'
lawyers would go out of business. Since
lawyers generally make our la"ws, I give
this whole concept a fat chance of zero!
.; Eric Plow
School jof Dentistry
High times j
- ! .
To the editor:
Words cannot express my sense of
outrage at the feeble coverage that your
paper gives to drug issues on campus.
With reports that 90 percent of the
students at UNC have tried marijuana
and that a significantly high number are
regular smokers and take other drugs, I
think that you are clearly negligent in
your coverage, or should I say lack of
coverage, of these important issues.
Drugs are important to the UNC student.
In the past few years I have tried three
times to become a staff writer for the
DTH. Each time I encountered the DTH
conspiracy against drug users, masked
behind claims that I could not remember
the deadlines. The truth of the matter is
that you're just anti-drug.
Consequently, I believe that the time
has come to act. In the coming weeks you
will be seeing a new student newspaper on
campus that will present the drug-user's
perspective on campus and national
issues. The Carolina Free Base will pro
vide the in-depth coverage of the issues
that the DTH cannot and other campus
publications will not. i
Secondly, I am forming a student
organization which will demand the
Representation Of All Student Interest
Groups In Publications On Campus.
ROASIGIPOC will hold an organiza
tional meeting this Monday at 5 p.m. in
Carroll Hall Auditorium.
Robert N. Kaplan
Chapel Hill
STMK m OUR OWN TRACKS', SENATOR. WEICKER!'
The Daily Tar Heel welcomes let
ters to the editor and contributions
of columns to the editorial pages.
All contributions should be typed,
triple-spaced, on a 60-space line, and
are subject to editing.
Column writers should include
their majors and hometowns; each
letter should include the writer's
name, address and telephone number.
Unsigned letters will not be printed.
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