6DThe Daily Tar HeelMonday, August 29. 198?
quabbles squelefr merit pay progress
91st year of editorial freedom
Kerry DeRochi, Editor
ALISON DAVIS, Managing Editor JEFF HlDAY, Associate Editor
LlSAPULLEN, University Editor JOHN CONWAY, City Editor
CHRISTINE MANUEL, State and National Editor KAREN FISHER, Features Editor
MIKE DESIST!, Sports Editor JEFF GROVE. Arts Editor
BILL RlED Y, News Editor CHARLES W. LEDFORD. Photography Editor
A new day
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When students answer the roll in their 8 a.m. classes today, they'll put
behind them the three-month hiatus; beach trips and summer jobs will be
forgotten, tans soon will fade. The beginning of an academic year
signifies a new beginning for the entire University community. New
challenges will be met, new problems faced.
For the class of 1987, it means putting a week of dorm mixers, fraterni
ty parties and language tests behind. Orientation hangovers should be.
fading and more pressing challenges emerging, such as the pursuit of
academic success. Instead of beer mugs, students will arm themselves
with books and knapsacks, ready to face the challenges of a major
university.
This fall's 3,287-member
freshman class, the 185th at UNC,
begins a unique, four-year trek
through the Carolina experience
academia, roommates, football
Saturdays, rallies in the Pit, campus
elections, Broadway on Tour,
Franklin Street happy hours,
downtown strolls, all-nighters and
numerous other Chapel Hill
memories-to-be. The trek covers a
hilly road, often with potholes and
speed bumps; rose-coiored glasses
are easily shattered.
The college years are important,
for in many ways they christen
adulthood, setting the student on a
possibly life-long course. Many im
portant values are learned, shaped
and altered. From class comes a
value of perseverance. With roommates, the art of compromise must be
developed. Perhaps you will not love your fellow man, but you may learn
to tolerate him.
In all likelihood, a career choice will be made sometime during the four
years. College friendships are most durable, often lasting a lifetime.
Many a marriage is born from a college romance.
The University serves as an accurate, though somewhat shielded,
microcosm of the society to be entered upon graduation. Considering
such broad implications, students should consider themselves fortunate
to belong to such a fine institution as UNC. Freshmen should embark
upon their trek in full realization of the serious ramifications of the col
lege experience, but they needn't smother themselves in a futile attempt
to duplicate in college what they believe the future holds. Ponder future
goals and aspirations, but don't forget the present.
The University is a great one, and to be a part of it is something special
indeed. Once you are here, the campus' virtually unlimited resources are
available for exploitation. Gain from UNC all that you are able. Discover
the excitement it has to offer. The University benefits as well, and both
parties are privy to stimulating growth.
It's hard not to get caught up in the excitement: to wear Carolina blue
with pride, to paint your cheek with miniature Tar Heels. The feeling in
tensifies with every moment on campus, as a speaker noted at this year's
Freshman Camp. During rousing Carolina cheers the seniors were most
exuberant, followed in intensity by the juniors, and so on. The freshmen,
though new here, displayed the least amount of enthusiasm. Nothing
peculiar there, the speaker commented.
This University grows on you, becoming a way of life the way of
life. It's something to yell about.
By and for students
With this issue, The Daily Tar Heel r begins serving its 91st class of
readers. Since its first publication, as the mouthpiece of the Athletic
Association, the paper has been as regular on the UNC campus as pro
testers in the pit and lines at basketball games. We've provided students
with information a crossword puzzle guaranteed to spark a history
lecture; we've expanded campus coverage the staff constantly told
our six or eight pages make wonderfully cheap umbrellas.
As a student newspaper we've learned when to adhere to serious jour
nalistic standards, and just as important, when to laugh. In past years,
we've been lamented and laughed at, tattered and torn. All of this is
part of the DTH.
When you flip through our special issue today, remember that the
DTH is printed by students for students. We invite open criticism daily
in our letters-to-the-editor column. And we welcome contributions of
editorial columns in opposition or agreement with our own opinions.
Our office is in the student union, room 104 the one with all the
strange noises. If there's a question, comment or concern, please don't
hesitate to drop, by. The Daily Tar Heel built its tradition on service to
students; we hope to continue that tradition.
The Daily Tar Heel
Editorial Desk: Frank Bruni and Kelly Simmons, writers
Assistant Managing Editors: Pete Felkner and Melissa Moore
Special Projects; Mark Ancona and Keith Bradsher .
News: Tracy Adams, Pete Austin, Joseph Benyhill, Ashley Blackwelder, J. Bonasia, Joel
Broadway, Hope Buffington, Paul Cocke, Cathy Collins, Tom Conlon, Kate Cooper,
Teresa Cox. Lisa Dowis, Charles EDmaket, Kathy Farley. Oenie French, Kim Gflley. Sherri
Goodson, John Hackney, Ivy HtfUaxd, Kevin Johnston, RitaKosteke, Sue Kuan, Kyle Mar-
shall, Eugene Marx Karen Moore. Thad Qgburn, EUen Orahood, Rosemary Osborne,
Heidi Owen, Beth Ownley, Tracy Proctor, Sarah Raper, Mont Rogers, Linsley Rollins, Cin
di Ross, Sharon Sheridan, Jodi Smith, Mark Stinncford, Amy Tanner, Uz Taylor, Stuart
Tonkinson, Michael Toole, Perry Twisdale, Beth Walters, Scott Wharton, Lynda Wolf,
Jim Zook.
Sports: Frank Kennedy and Kurt Rosenberg, assistant sports editors. Clenna Burress, Paul
Gardner, Lonnie McCullough, Kathy Norcross, Robyn Norwood, Michael Persinger, Lew
Price, Lee Roberts, Mike Waters and Tracy Young,
i Features: Dan Bishop, Dawn Brazell, Tom Camacho, Torn Carter, Karen Cotten, Tom
Grey, Kathy Hopper, Dana Jackson, Joel Katzenstein, Warren Miller, Jane Osment, Clin
ton Weaver and Mike Truell, assistant features editor.
Arts: Jo Ellen Meekins, Gigi Sonner and David Schmidt, assistant arts editor.
Graphic Arts: Jamie Francis, Jeff Neuvflle, ane Saunders, and Lori Thomas
photographers. . . . , . ! . :
Business: Anne Fulcher, interim business manager; Dawn Welch, circulationdistribution
manager; Patti Pittman, classifieds.
Advertising; Paula, Brewer, advertising manager; Mike Tabor, advertising coordinator;
, Laura Austin, Patricia Gorry and Terry ad representatives.
Composition: UNC-CH Printing Department . ;
Printing: Hinton Press, Inc. of Mebane.
By JEFF GROVE
Americans seem to agree that some
thing is not working in the nation's
schools, but there is no consensus on its
cause. Businesses hiring semi-literate col
lege and high school graduates complain
to upper-level teachers, who blame it on
the failure of lower-level teachers, who in
turn blame it on parents who don't pre
pare their children for school. The reality
is that there is some degree of failure at all
of these points.
This summer, however, national
politicos began aiming their guns at the
nation's teachers with the intent of making
education a premier issue in 1984 state
and national elections. So far, the favorite
ammunition in this debate has been the
call for "merit pay" for teachers in public
schools. The topic is worthy of considera
tion, but little progress has been made to
date because of petty squabbles between
the special interest groups involved.
"Merit pay" for teachers, simply put,
would award salary bonuses to good
teachers while withholding them from
average or poor teachers. Some teachers
balk at the very idea of such a plan. These
teachers usually hold post-graduate
degrees or have a good deal of seniority
the two factors most school systems
currently use for grading pay scales.
Paying for quality
It is indeed time to put tt rest such an
antiquated method of awarding pay
raises. For years, teachers have demanded
to be recognized as professionals, just like
doctors and lawyers. But are doctors and
lawyers paid according to their degrees or
the number of years they have worked?
Of course not. A good doctor or lawyer
has a reputation which gets around, bring
ing in more clients and, consequently,
more money. A good doctor or lawyer
can also reasonably charge more for his
or her services' than a quack. Teaching
should be dealt with in the same manner.
The only teachers who would need to be
afraid of merit pay would be the inept
teachers.
Except for one major catch.
Any type of merit pay would require
the evaluation of teachers' skills. This is
where the controversy in the issue arises:
Who should do the evaluating?
Some groups have proposed that each
school's principal should evaluate the
teachers in that school. This would be un
workable. While it is true that the best
principals are those who get out of their
offices and mingle with teachers and stu
dents in classroom situations, there are
still many administrative demands on a
principal's time. It is unlikely that a prin
cipal could see any of a school's teachers
in action more than a few times a year,
and this is certainly not enough time to
judge a teacher's true effectiveness.
Parental Evaluation?
Many parents have come forth to claim
that they should be given the right to
evaluate teachers. After all, they say, it is
the education of their children which is at
stake. But parental evaluation would
open the door to revenge motives. Some
people tend to have a blind spot when it
comes to their children's study problems,
and these parents might automatically
grade down a teacher who gave a poor
grade to their child. The adage "If the
learner didn't learn, the teacher didn't
teach," though false, still has too many
adherents.
Teachers have proposed to evaluate
each other, but this could prove doubly
injurious to merit pay. Motivated by en
vy, greed, pity or any number of other
emotions, one teacher might distort an
evaluation of another in hopes of ad
vancing his or her own position.
Students will suffer
Even worse than the fact that none of
these plans are practical, parents,
teachers and administrators have only
seen fit to sit around arguing the relative
credits and debits of the various plans
which have been advanced. What these
groups really need to do is to admit that
all the plans are faulty to some degree,
then sit down together and work out a
consistent, viable, non-punitive plan.
The longer the public waits to demand
a solution to the problem and the longer
the special interest groups keep arguing,
the longer we all will have to wait before
the pay plan has an effect on the product
the schools turn out.
In the meantime, the nation's public
school students will still be the real losers.
Jeff Grove, a graduate student in edu
cation from Jacksonville, Fla., is arts
editor of The Daily Tar Heel.
No sympathy from Virginia troop
Being from Maryland didn't help
By JOHN CONWA Y
I have always hated the state of Virginia. Oh, excuse
me the Commonwealth of Virginia.
It's a pure, unadulterated contempt. And until
recently, my sole reason for disliking Virginia was a
7-foot-4 giant named Sampson.
But when Ralph went pro, some of my contempt
died away. My vengeance continued to fade until last
Sunday.
That's when a Virginia State Police trooper handed
me a summons to appear in Nelson County Court on
charges that I was exceeding the legal posted speed
limit -by 14 miles per hour a minimum fine of $100.
I'm not contesting that I didn't break the law. It's
difficult to come up for an excuse for going 69 mph in
a 55 mph zone, even though I tried. My new-found in
dignation lies in the fact that Virginia made me Out to
be a felon one of the FBI's 10 Most Wanted.
Here I was, cruising down U.S. 29 toward Chapel
Hill, windows rolled down, stereo cranked full blast.
And out of nowhere appears a black sedan with a
flashing red light. I was panic-stricken at this point, for
I honestly had no idea how fast I was traveling.
"Your driver's license and registration please' the
trooper politely requested. He examined the validity of
my registration.
"You have a temporary registration," he said in a
half question.
"Yes. I just bought the car a month ago," I replied.
"Mr. Conway, do you have any idea how fast you
were traveling."
"59 or 60?" I asked timidly.
"I clocked you at 69.155 miles per hour on radar.
Do you have any reason to be in such a hurry?"
I had to think quick here. "I was adjusting my
stereo as I was going down this hill and I neglected to
check my speed."
"Mr. Conway. I'll have to write you up a summons
to appear in court. Wait in your car, please."
No bargaining. No sympathy. How could he do it?
I'm sure that being from Maryland didn't help matters
any. To most Virginians, Maryland is about as Yankee
as Massachusetts or New York. Heaven forbid I
should tell him that I go to UNC. That would be
enough to put me away for life in Cavalier Country.
"Mr. Conway, you are hereby summonsed to ap
pear in Nelson County District Court at 9 a.m. on the
14th day of September, 1983. Please drive carefully."
Not only do I have to appear in court in some
obscure county Vi hours away from Chapel Hill, but
the trial is set for 9 a.m. I'd have to get up by at least
5:30 a.m. to make it in time for the trial, assuming that
I drive the posted speed limit.
The trial summons reads like lines from Dragnet or
Adam 12.
"You are presumed innocent until proven guilty
beyond a reasonable doubt. You have the right to have
the clerk subpoena witnesses on your behalf. You have
the right to plead guilty or not guilty to any charge
placed against you."
I've never gotten a ticket in almost five years of
driving. I've never even had a fender bender. Suddenly
I'm treated the same as an armed robber or rapist.
Echoes of "Book 'em Danno Murder 1" ran
through my mind.
I later found that I could sign a "waiver of trial,"
which is simply an admission of guilt. But I'm not go
ing to let Virginia have that pleasure. I may have
broken the law by exceeding the speed limit, but I'm
definitely not the felon they're making me out to be.
John Conway, a junior journalism major from
Cumberland, Md., is city editor of The Daily Tar
Heel.
Ghosts of persecution
By FRANK BRUNI
For a long time now in the Greater Hartford area of
Connecticut, to own a home and raise a family in the
township of West Hartford has been the aspiration of
many an ambitious youth. West Hartford's lawns seem
greener, its houses grander, and its people. . .its people
are the best and the brightest, the doctors and lawyers
and established insurance executives of central Connecti
cut, lofty individuals with impressive educations and im
peccable manners and open minds.
Its people also happen to include a thriving Jewish
community of 7,500. West Hartford residents have
always taken pride in the harmonious existence between
residents of different faiths.
But Friday, Aug. 12, many of the model citizens in
the wealthy suburb began to think that awful word
anti-semitism and wonder if such a hideous sentiment
could exist in their idyllic community. The burning of a
local synagogue, Young Israel of West Hartford, on the
previous day had instilled anger and suspicion in many
West Hartford Jews. The absence of conclusive evidence
connecting the arson incidence with anti-semitic motives
did little to allay the fears of the Jewish people, but it did
give Christians throughout central Connecticut the op
portunity to dismiss the tragedy as an odd coincidence.
The fire just happened to have occurred at the sacred
worship place of a people who have long been in a relir
gious minority in this country. Pluralism and religious
tolerance were alive and well and living in the United
States of America, especially in West Hartford, Connec
ticut. Two days after the fire at Young Israel I sat in a bar
with two high school friends, both of whom live in West
Hartford, one of whom is Jewish. My Jewish friend, a
sophomore at Harvard University, was talking about a
local acquaintance of hers.
"She belongs to that temple that got torched," Jane
kidded, at first self-content with her successful stab at
humor, then embarrassed by her insensitivity. "That's
not funny," she apologized.
"Sure it is," Louise said. "The entire Jewish commu
nity is paranoid over the whole thing. Arson is arson.
There's no proof of anti-semitism involved."
I agreed. "If it were a church that had been burned,
no one would scream religious persecution."
Not only did Louise and I fail to recognize the
difference between the feelings of a minority and those
of the majority, but we were also certain of the impossi
bility of such a blatant offense against a minority group
so firmly entrenched in our society. America, after all,
was home of the free. Christians respected Jews, whites
helped blacks overcome the history of injustices against
their race, and men recognized the equal rights of
women. People throughout the country watched Roots
and Holocaust on fancy color television sets in their
clean suburban homes and thanked God or whomever
that nothing so awful could ever happen in this day and
age.
On Monday, Aug. 15, while the town of West Hart
ford still slept through the pre-dawn hours, , the scrolls
and altars of the Emanuel Synagogue in West Hart
ford were" ignited and destroyed.
At this writing, there have been a total of three fires in
West Hartford set by someone whom police suspect is a
single arsonist the two temple burnings and a fire at the
home of Stanley Drupka, rabbi at the Emanuel Syna
gogue. Throughout West Hartford, an atmosphere of
fear has spread. Many synagogues have hired private
security firms for the protection of their congregations.
Connecticut Gov. William O'Neill has offered a $20,000
reward, the largest possible under state law, for the cap
ture of the arsonist. The state police and even the FBI
have joined forces with the town of West Hartford to
track down the madman who has viciously and hideously
attacked the Jewish community in this formerly serene
suburb.
Yet fear is not the feeling which most pervades those
Christians throughout central Connecticut; disbelief is.
As West Hartford Town Councilman Charles Felson
told the Hartford Courant, "You always think in terms
of it can never happen here." But happen here, among
the well-educated and impeccably mannered people of
West Hartford, it did. "It's just unbelievable," Frank
Noyick, a member of the Emanuel congregation, told
the Courant. "Here we are irt the land of freedom, and
people are still doing this."
That Americans are blind to the prejudices which still
exist in our society, is even more frightening than the
three isolated instances in West Hartford. Why are so
many so shocked and devastatingly surprised by the acts
of the arsonist in West Hartford? Because Louise and I
and O'Neill and Felson and Novick and every member
of the American society look back at the dark instances
in human history those instances involving the unjust
persecution of any minority group and exclude our
selves from these chilling realities. We are firm, staunch
believers in the ethic of progress: We are better than our
predecessors, more tolerant, more accepting, more civil
ized. We are different.
Yet the Ku Klux Klan continues to exist, popping up
outside shopping malls in even the most liberal of states.
Episodes of "queer bashing," the senseless beating of
gay individuals by disapproving heterosexuals, are com
mon to each and every American city. And in West Hart
ford, Conn., there is at least one person and probably
more who sees Jewish people as somehow inferior and
contemptible because of their religious beliefs.
People throughout central Connecticut are now being
reminded of our society's shortcomings and of the
darker side of human nature, the side which will always
lure a few individuals like the West Hartford madman.
As their initial disbelief dissipates, non-Jews are begin
ning to feel guilty. Guilty because they seldom show
sympathy for the insecurities of minority groups who
still perceive subtle traces of discrimination from many
members of society. Guilty because they sometimes use
the adjective "Jewish," intending no malice but drawing
a distinction about a person of the Hebrew Faith, when
engaged in a non-religious discussion.
Guilt, however, is not a constructive emotion. Com
passion and resolution are. Perhaps the well-insulated
residents of West Hartford can be jolted by these trage
dies from their complacency. Perhaps those reading
about West Hartford's plight will also take note. The
angry blazes in West Hartford exhibit the continued
threat of persecution which all minority groups face. The
smug disbelief with which news of the first fire was met
vividly demonstrates a dangerous obstacle to this coun
try's realization of a society in which the words majority
and minority are irrelevant distinctions and freedom
from fear of persecution is not just the naive product of
wishful thinking.
Frank Bruni, a sophomore English major from Avon,
Conn., is an editorial writer for The Daily Tar Heel.