6The Daily Tar HeeiWednesday, February 24. 1982
Qlhp BaiUrOJtir !f Pl ti-busing bill to hurt integration
90th year of editorial freedom
John Drescher. Editor
Ann Peters, Muw &mr
KERRY DeROCHI, Associate Editor
Rachel Perry. University Editor
ALAN CHAPPLE. City Editor
JlM WRINN. State and National Editor
Linda Robertson. sPom Editor
AL STEELE, Photography Editor
KEN MlNtilS, Associate Editor
ELAINE MCCLATCHEY. Projects Editor
LYNN PEITHMAN. News Editor
SUSAN HUDSON, Features Editor
NlSSEN RlTTER, Arts Editor
Teresa Curry, Spotlight Editor
Missing link
In an effort to establish better communication between Student
Government and students, a liaison program was started a year ago by
former Student Body President Scott Norberg. Norberg hoped that
through liaisons in residence halls, students would be able both to find
out what was going on in Student Government and provide information
on what they wanted from campus government.
The idea was a good one, but in reality the program fizzled. After
receiving a note slid under their door in the beginning of the year, many
students never again had contact with their liaison. Student Body Presi
dent Mike Vandenbergh's decision to appoint a cabinet-level position to
oversee the program shows his desire to improve the program. But to
make the liaisons an effective force, Vandenbergh must first re-define
the job of the liaisons to expand their involvement in Student Govern
ment. In the past year, students acting as liaisons were rarely actively involv
ed in Student Government. Too often they were only hanging newslet
ters and putting up signs identifying themselves as liaisons. Norberg said
the liaisons occasionally would go two weeks with nothing to do. This
lack of activity limited student awareness and liaison interest.
Service is a primary function of Student Government and liaisons
could provide an effective volunteer system. Vandenbergh said he
would consider using the liaisons for a new employment information of
fice and Action Line, an information phone service, but Vandenbergh
should not limit the liaisons to these programs. .
If 150 liaisons were available as volunteers, services could be provided
that would be impossible or insignificant if only a few students tried to
do the job. Increased liaison activity also would strengthen participants'
interest in communicating Student Government news. By expanding the
role of the liaison into volunteer services, not only will Student Govern
ment be getting a chance to provide more services, it also will be getting
better' liaisons who are involved and informed about Student Government.
Trojan horse
By BEVERLY SHEPARD
"I'm afraid the amendment is going to further en
hance a climate for those who are against integration.
We don 't need to go back to the era we struggled so hard
to get away from."
Vernon Malon,
Wake County Board of Education
Such sentiment has been expressed in response to an
anti-busing proposal passed by the U.S. Senate on Feb.
4. Sponsored by senators Jesse A. Helms, R-N.C, and
J. Bennett Johnston, D-La, the legislation would pro
hibit federal courts from busing children more than five
miles or 15. minutes from their homes in order to estab
lish racial balance in the schools. It also would prevent
Justice Department lawyers from entering school dese
gregation suits that could end in court-ordered busing.
Busing opponents have criticized the busing mecha
nism for being the culprit behind increased gasoline ex
penditures and increased highway accidents. They say
there have been rib measurable. gains for blacks and
other minorities. They clainfanimosity, discontent arid
the destruction of neighborhood schools often results
from busing.
During a telephone interview, Clifford Kiracofe Jr., a
Helms representative in Washington, D.C., spoke of
mental anguish and the human costs of busing children
away from their friends.
The friends Kiracofe speaks of are those who live in
the same neighborhood neighborhoods which usually
lack racial, social, cultural and economic diversification.
Helms and other opponents are decades late in mea
suring human costs now that whites as well as blacks are
being bused. They failed to acknowledge these costs
when blacks were receiving second-hand educations in
all-black schools.
While disregarding the injustices of busing's past,
other bill proponents haven't mentioned the present suc
cesses. In citing examples, Helms has ignored one in his
own state. The Charlotte-Mecklenberg school district,
for example, has had desegregation busing since the ear
ly 70s. The desegregation system there hasn't been with
out its problems. But both students and education offi
cials have noted benefits which include increased morale,
improved test scores and decreased drop-out and expul
sion rates.
This attitude that busing is the last and least de
sirable alternative is often the major contributor to
busing's failure. Perhaps attitudes would change if op
ponents, in their criticisms, also would point out that
over one-half the busing in this country is done for
Letters to the editor
y
school transportation rather than racial desegregation.
Of North Carolina's 1.1 million students, only 69 per
cent are bused. Yet of that 69 percent, only 2 percent of
children in the state's 143 school systems are bused for
racial desegregation.
"I prefer to talk about school transportation rather
than busing," said Jerome Melton, N.C. Deputy State
Superintendent of Schools. "With a semi-rural , state,
there's no way we could have schools in walking dis-
tance." . -
Even in terms of school transportation, some state of
ficials believe the anti-busing proposal will have little ef
fect because, they say, few children in North Carolina
are bused for desegregation purposes. Some, like H.
David Bruton, chairman of that state Board of Edu
cation, believe that North Carolina's state boards will re
main committed to school diversification and racial
equality despite the legislation.
But, in viewing the commitment of the state, the
South and the nation in an historical light, it is easier to
see why the picture, for minorities anyway, is less than
optimistic.
What the senators have failed to provide is a better
alternative. Waiting until neighborhoods become more
diversified or assuming that people voluntarily will begin
to integrate are neither quick nor immediate resolutions.
If what state officials say is true that the majority
of the nation's school systems are rural and would be
mildly affected by the proposal, and that most school
systems would remain committed to school desegre
gation despite the legislation then what purpose could
the legislation serve?
The proposal adds fuel to the fire of resistance and
revisits avenues of the past so that bigotry and animosity
may breed once again. Perhaps it is time that voters
question the motives of their leaders to see whether their
intentions are the education of the nation's children or
the rollback of integration.
Busing is never an absolute good or evil, nbr is it the
total solution since race problems always will exist. But,
it is a step toward better race relations, self pride and
' cultural awareness that cannot be measured in five miles
or 15 minutes. ,
Beverly Shepard, a senior journalism major from Jack
sonville, N.C. is an editorial assistant for The Daily Tar
Heel.
Environmental groups will find little reason to celebrate Interior Secre
tary James Watt's recently proposed ban on drilling and mining in federal
wilderness areas when they closely examine just what his plan would do.
Watt surprised many environmentalists when he announced Sunday
that he would ask Congress to bar drilling and mining in wilderness areas
until after the year 2000. Far from a policy shift by the Reagan adminis
tration, Watt's proposal is simply a new tactic in his never-ending battle
with environmental interests.
Under the Federal Wilderness Act of 1964 80 million acres of federal
wilderness, including some areas in North Carolina, are technically open
for petroleum and mineral development until the end of 1983. But before
any-development or exploration can begin, oil arid mining companies
must first seek a lease to the land from the government. .
After Dec. 31, 1983, the Wilderness Art expires, automatically closing
the lands to industrial development, a prospect Watt wants to head .off.
Instead of giving the lands permanent protection by allowing the law to
expire, Watt's psoposal pushes the deadline for granting leases back to
2003. The only way land designated as wilderness could be explored or
developed would be in case of a national emergency.
Equally disturbing is Watt's desire to limit the creation of new wilder
ness areas. If approved, his plan would require Congress to act on already
proposed wilderness areas by late 1983, and would prevent the creation of
such lands after 1987.
A Washington representative of the Sierra Club, an environmental
group, was right when he called the proposal a "Trojan Horse," and said
that Watt is offering temporary protection of the land in return for cut
ting off the creation of new wilderness areas. Watt's change of heart is
similar to his action last year when he promised the House Interior Com
mittee that he would grant no lease requests this year. At the time, Watt
was trying to disuade the committee from passing legislation that would
have immediately prohibited drilling and mining in the areas and voided7
all pending lease applications.
Faced with the prospect that wilderness areas might be permanently
closed next year to oil and mining interests, in desperation Watt has pro
posed legislation that would likely re-open the land after 2003. It also
would stop Congress from creating any new wilderness areas after five
years. Close inspection of Watt's proposal by environmentalists would
show they have few reasons to be happy about this latest move by the In
terior Secretary.
Some support bus driver uniforms
The Daily Tar Heel
i
Editorial Assistants: Michcle Christenbury, Beverly Shepard, Jon Talcott
Assistant Managing Editors: Lynn Earley, Karen Haywood, Ann Murphy
News Desk: Ted Avery, Joseph BerryhilL Paul Boyd, Statia Clawson, Lisa Evans, Everly
Faison, Donnia Fultz, Ivy Hilliard, Dan Hart, Melissa Moore, Sharon Moyian, Shelly Gleaton,
Laura Seifcrt, Jan Sharpe, Louise Spieler, Steven Stock, Darryl Williams and Jim Wrinn, Martie
Hayworth, Jule Hubbard, Renae Lyas, dare Lynman, Lin Rollins, Dale McKeel, Mary
McKeel, Lynsley Rollins. Martha QuiHin, assistant news editor.
News: Cheryl Anderson, Greg Batten, Scott Bolejack, Sherri Boles, Laurie Bradsher, Alan
Chappie, Michelle Christenbury, John Conway, Cindy Cranford, Alison Davis, Tamara Davis,
David Deese, Pam Duncan, Dean Foust, Jane Foy, Jeff Hiday, Peter Judge, Katherinc Long,
Dean Lowman, Elizabeth Lucas, Kyle Marshall, David McHugh, Alexandra McMillan, Ken
Mingis, Melissa Moore, Robert Montgomery, Sonja Payton, Nancy Rucker, Mike O'Reilly,
Suzette Roach, Laura Seifert, Frances Silva, Ken Siman, Kelly Simmons, Jonathan Smylie,
Mark Stinneford, Stephen Stock, Anna Tate, Lynne Thompson, Ginger Trull, Sonya Weakley,
Chip Wilson, Wendell Wood, Kim Wood, Lynn Worth, Jim Wrinn and Katherine Long,
assistant state and national editor.
Sports: Jackie Blackburn and Scott Price, assistant sports editors. Kim Adams, Tom Berry,
Jackie Blackburn, R.L. Bynum, Stephanie Graham, Morris Haywood, Adam Kandeil, Sharon
K ester, Draggan Mihailovich, Scott Price, Lee Sullivan, and Tracy Young.
Features: Jill Anderson, Caly Andrews, Ramona Brown, Shelley Block, Jane Calloway, Teresa
Curry, Lome 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 Jane Calloway, assistant
Spotlight editor.
Arts: Jeff Grove assistant arts editor; Dennis Goss, Vick Griffin, Julian Karchmer, Ed
Leitch, Christine Manuel, Dawn McDonald, Tim Mooney, Tom Moore, Karen Rosen, Guha
Shankar and Jan Williams. ' ' .
' v
Graphic Arts: Matt Cooper, Pan Corbett, Nick Demos, Andy Fullwood, Danny Harrell,
Dane Huffman, Janice Murphy, and Tom Westarp, artists; Jay Hyman and Faith Quintavell
photographers.
Business: Rejeanne V. Caron, business manager; Linda A. Cooper, secretaryreceptionist;
Lisa Morrell and Anne Sink, bookkeepers; Dawn Welch, circulationdistribution manager;
Julie Jones and Angic 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: Hinton Press, Inc., of Mebane. 1 ,
To the editor:
Your editorial against bus drivers' uni
forms (DTH, Feb. 18) attempts to give
the impression that all "drivers would
have to wear them and taxpayers who
would have to pay for them" oppose uni
forms. Further, the DTH editorially
labels the $11,000 cost as exorbitant. As
both a taxpayer and a twice-daily bus
rider, I fully support the council's deci
sion and make the following points.
First, it is obvious that the protesting
drivers are using cost as a red herring.
The only drivers I have seen soliciting sig
natures around town invariably wore
beards, leather cowboy hats, and grubby
jeans; that is, the hippy uniform. They
are clearly not opposed to the concept of
uniforms, merely to a change of uni
forms. They are at liberty, of course, to
take jobs which require no uniforms. The
fact that many drivers wear exemplary
dress makes me feel that the drivers are
not as a whole opposed to uniforms.
Next, those who make a social issue of
bus uniforms are merely filling time by
pursuing the latest trendy fad. Certainly
they have had ample opportunity to pro
test police, firemen's, Burger King and
basketball team uniforms for years and
never did so. Are buses so different?
Finally, if the Tar Heel really wants to
save the taxpayers some big money, it
should be able to find infinitely more ex
orbitant hems in other parts of the town
and university budgets to attack.
I submit that there is a much stronger
sentiment in favor of uniforms than op
ponents realize. The council does not live
in a vacuum nor does it purposely frus
trate the will of the people. Some tax
payers, drivers and riders must have been
expressing their views (albeit quietly) or
the proposal for uniforms would never
have arisen.
John L.S. Hickey
Ch apel Hill
Snobs
To the editor: .
I am not at all surprised with the
Chapel Hill Town Council's decision that
bus drivers must wear uniforms. The
University, itself, sets the standards for
which the surrounding town must follow.
The University is a snob. The University
encourages snobbery. The council's ac
tions are merely a reflection of the su
perior attitude put forth by the Univer
sity. One might accuse me of being a small
town hick (I aim), and further, that I mis
interpret school pride (I do not). Small
" town hick or no, I recognize general un
friendliness due to class distinction; and
pride enlists aspects, many of which
CAR-O-LINA does not possess. I might
point out, as an observer, that the only
pride I've ever witnessed on a major level
in this University of Self-appointed Gods
and Goddesses, is in sports. Constant in
ternal bickering is more par-for-the-course.
With this prevalent attitude, the town
cannot but be expected to follow suit.
From the names of locally owned busi
nesses, to the class of merchandise sold,
and the exorbitant prices charged by mer
chants (and willingly paid'by most-consumers),
the Town of Chapel Hill does no
less than epitomize the selective attitude
of the University and the students who
encourage it.
I am proud of the bus drivers and the
seven thousand or so individuals who pe
titioned the uniforms. Their individuality
and lack of conformity is admirable. As
for .the Town Council, and others, who
find it so convenient to conform to "The
Carolina Way of Life," I feel sorry for
.them. Their ancestors (who thought
enough of individuality and non-conformity
to found a nation based on just that)
must be rolling over in their graves.
M. Chantal Wright
Carrboro
In the dark
To the editor:
We the undersigned botany undergrad
uate majors feel the lights have been turn
ed out in Coker Hall. We are in the dark.
We know nothing no facts, no details
about how the merger of the botany and
zoology departments may affect the un
dergraduate curriculum. No one knows;
yet the merger might go into effect little
more than three months from now.
Because they have received no informa
tion concerning the new curriculum, the
faculty have been unable to assure us that
we will be able to graduate on time with
the current excellent and diverse curricu
lum. Although no extra requirements
may be added, higher level botany courses
could be eliminated.
As far as we know, no provisions have
been made for equipment, space or jobs
for the faculty, graduate students, or the
staff, - much - less the undergraduates.
Because of our small numbers, it has been
easy to overlook the botany undergrad
uate majors. We feel that it is just as
necessary to preserve the distinctions be
tween degree programs in zoology and
botany as those between chemistry and
physics.
How could such a merger even be con
sidered without any plans for an under
graduate curriculum? How could such a
merger be considered without approval of
either faculty or students? We would like
to call for an open discussion on the mer
ger: its justification, its implementation,
and its possible implications for all con
cerned. Laura Frizzell
116 Cobb
and 10 others
Good choice
To the editor: ,
It seems incredible that people at UNC
harbor such dissatisfaction with Chapel
Thrill concerning the musical acts chosen
this year, especially when one considers
the fact that there was no concert at all
last year. This is not to say that students
should -be placated by just any choice.
The bottom line is, however, that Daryl
Hall and John Oates and Kool & the
Gang are not just any choice they are a
great choice. N
The Chapel Thrill committee should be
heartily commended rather than ha
rangued for their many months of work
in securing these groups. Credit Scott
Norberg's initiative in getting an early
start on the project which will un
doubtedly be a resounding success. The
groups chosen should greatly appeal to
the student body.
3fi ws
And in response to the letters regarding
Hall & Oates' musical credibility (both on
stage and on record), particularly Scott
Wells', it would be interesting to know if
Wells, who claims that "Hall & Oates
have a reputation as notoriously poor live
performers," has ever seen the duo per
form live. I seriously doubt it. I have seen
them three times in concert, in 1977, 1978
and October, 1981 in the Greensboro
Coliseum, and they have been awesome
every time. Judging by the audience's re
action on these three occasions, not to
mention critical reviews, there were
several others who shared my opinion.
, Perhaps if Wells was basing his opinion
of Hall and Oates on their MTV videos,
he'd have a point. But we really shouldn't
hold this against them, for even though
Hall and Oates may never become MTV
stars, they do possess an ability for pro
ducing flawless pop rock, and their stage
show surpasses their vinyl.
Granted, it is impossible' to please
everyone, but give these guys a chance.
Hall and Oates and Kool and the Gang
are gonna rock our socks off on April
24th!
Hey, Chapel Thrill? We are.
Craig Sheridan
Chapel Hill
Anxious
To the editor:
, I'm so anxious for the spring concert
date to arrive that I haven't been able to
sleep for the past three nights. However, I
can now rest peacefully knowing that my
student fees have been put to such a
worthwhile use as funding a major
musical tandem like Hall and Oates. I'm
just thankful that the powers that be
didn't spoon-feed us one of those no
name bands like Journey, Foreigner, Pat
. Benatar, or God forbid, the Police. I'm
equally exhilarated over the choice of
Kool and the Gang as the second head
liner by the way, which one's Kool?
Being a person of simple musical
tastes, I'm not really sure that I can com
prehend the intricate and thematic sym
bolism behind such lyrical triumphs as
"Kiss On My List" or "Celebration."
Both of these bands are a tribute to what
graduates of the Roy Clark Big Note
Music Course can go on to achieve in the
music world. .
I've tried to keep an open mind as op
posed to a hollow head) regarding both of
these groups, but I really can't see
wasting eight dollars to hear the sizzling
keyboard runs and lightning-fast guitar
licks of Hall and Oates, let alone the stac
cato bass lines of Kool, aided by his
Gang. I realize that I have no right to
criticize these blands, ...er..., bands un
less I can do a better job myself. So, I am
planning to take my electric guitar to the
concert in an effort to do just this. Per
haps one should, instead of attending the
spring concert, follow Swift's advice and
just stay at home and eat one's children.
Jeffrey K. Whisnant
Old Well Apts.
The Daily Tar Heel welcomes letters
to the editor and contributions of col
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