8The Daily Tnr HeelWedn
September 11, 1985
Enduring the fray on NCSU's big day
93 r J year of editorial freedom
Arnu Rk klrt
Editor
Stuart Tonkinson
Ben Perkowski
Dick Anderson
Janet Olson
Amy Styers
Andy Trincia
Managing Editor
Associate Editor
Associate Editor
Ihiitersity Editor
News Editor
State and National Editor
A proper end to
Guidelines for the control of equip
ment used by student organizations will
be brought before the Campus Govern
ing Council tonight. Members should
make sure they're well-equipped to deal
with them.
The policy compiled by Sharon
Grubb, who was hired by the Institute
of Government, and supervised by
Student Body President Patricia Wal
lace is an achievement of student
input. It calls for an inventory and
labeling system coordinated by the
student body treasurer so that Student
Government can keep tabs on equip
ment bought with student fees.
Grubb actively has sought to discuss
the proposals with leaders of student
organizations and didn't hesitate to act
on their suggestions even at the last
minute. '
For instance, an important section in
the draft passed by committee last week
has been reworded to keep the entire
load of liability for equipment off one
officer in an organization. We urge the
CGC to adopt the revision: "Should theft
or abuse of SG property occur as a result
of a member's failure to follow the
organization's approved procedures,
that member shall be personally liable
for replacement of the property."
When equipment such as expensive
Yackety Yack or Student Television
. cameras is involved, the retribution may
Databases byte
The high-powered lawyer bankrolled
by a wealthy client can locate dozens
of legal precedents for a case within
minutes. The lobbyist for a large
industry can call up floppy discs full of
old newspaper articles and press releases.
Professors and students working for
well-endowed departments can compile
long printouts of references to their
chosen field.
Computer databases have exploded in
number and variety over the past two
years, and while these rapidly growing
collections of computer-stored facts and
figures make research easier, they
threaten to create two classes at UNC
and across the nation: the haves and
have-nots of information. Using the
resource is physically easy. You just
punch into a microcomputer a set of
several words or phrases only found
together in discussions of the subject
investigated and, via a long-distance
telephone link, ask one of the country's
nearly 400 database services to send
abstracts of all stored texts with the set.
The problem is cost. Databases charge
subscription fees of up to $20,000 a year,
and most searches cost at least another
$20 apiece.
Well-heeled lawyers, industry lobby
ists, and professors on federal govern
ment research grants can pay these
charges without pain. Consumer advo
cates, defenders of civil rights and
liberties, and UNC students cannot. The
The Daily
Editorial Writers: Keith Bradsher and Jim Zook
Assistant Managing Editor: Anjetta McQueen and Cathy Cowan
News: Brian Adler, Crystal Baity, Lisa Brantley, Darlene Campbell, Loch Carnes, Kerstin Coyle,
Randy Farmer, Charles Fernandez, Katy Fridl, Jill Gerber, Edward Mark Gilgor, Todd Gossett,
Loretta Grantham, Mike Gunzenhauser, Kenneth Harris, Denise Johnson, Robert Keefe, Scott
Larsen, Lana Lewin, Mitra Lofti, Guy Lucas, Dora McAlpin, David McCullough, Anjetta
McQueen, Yvette Denise Moultrie, Linda Montanari, Kathy Nanney, Beth Ownley, Rachel
Orr, Grant Parsons, Gordon Rankin, Rachel Stiffler, Rachel Stroud, Joy Thompson, Jennifer
Trotter, Elisa Turner, Laura Van Sant, Devi Sen, Rhesa Versola, Kim Weaver, Lorry Williams,
Laurie Willis, Katherine Wood and Karen Youngblood.
Sports: Scott Fowler and Tim Crothers, assistant sports editors. Rick Beasley, Mike Berardino,
Scott Canterberry, Kimball Crossley, Paris Goodnight, Tom Morris, James Suroweicki, Buffie
Velliquette, Mike Waters and Bob Young.
Features: Marymelda Hall, assistant features editor. Mike Altieri, Nancy Atkinson, Louis
Corrigan, Kara V. Donaldson, Heather Frey, Matthew Fury, Keith Griffler, Wayne Grimsley,
Jane Mintz, Mary Mulvihill, Peggie Porter, Tara Reinhart, Laurie Rodgers, Liz Saylor, Denise
Smitherman and Martha Wallace.
Arts: Elizabeth Ellen, assistant arts editor. Mark Davis, Jim Giles, Aniket Majumdar, Alexandra
Mann, Alan Mason, Sally Pont, Deanna Ruddock and Garret Weyr.
Photography: Elizabeth Lamm, Charles Ledford and Jonathan Serenius.
Copy Editors: Roy Greene, Gina Little, Cindy Parker, Kelli Slaughter, Jami White and Vince
Vargas.
Artists: Adam Cohen, Bill Cokas and David Sumner.
Business and Advertising: Anne Fulcher, general manager; Paula Brewer, advertising director;
Angela Booze, student business manager; Doug Robinson, student advertising manager; Alicia
Brady, Keith Childers, Alicia Susan D'Anna, Stacey Ferguson, Kellie McElhaney, Melanie
Parlier, Stacey Ramirez and Scott Whitaker, advertising representatives; Milli Neal, classified
advertising manager, Rob Patton, classified assistant, and Cathy Davis, secretary.
Distributioncirculation: William Austin, manager.
Production: Brenda Moore and Stacy Wynn. Rita Galloway, assistant.
Printing: Hinton Press Inc. of Mebane
and David Sc hmidt
Editor
Leigh Williams
Mark Powell
Lee Roberts
Frank Brum
Sharon Sheridan
City Editor
Business Editor
Sports Editor
Arts Editor
Features Editor
Larry Childress Photo Editor
guesswork
seem harsh. But students using them
should not be able to avoid responsibility
for negligence if they're at fault.
Deciding who's at fault in such a
situation could be a problem, however,
as is enforcement once blame is placed.
The CGC should make sure it under
stands how someone who denies neg
ligence should be judged and how to get
someone to pay if retribution is refused.
These and other clarifications, such
as the student body treasurer's flexibility
in performing spot inspections (it's hard
to imagine an SBT having enough time
to make them once a year for all
equipment, as the policy states), can be
included in the statement of intent that
will accompany the policy if approved.
Just one more point to raise. Through
out the policy, equipment is said to have
been bought with "SG funds." This label
implies that Student Government has
more control over the equipment than
the organization just because it allocated
the money. Why not call them "organ
izational funds," since organizations
actually use them? Better yet, how bout
plain "student fees," just so neither side
assumes it has a special right to them.
But, overall, the equipment control
guidelines promise to be effective in
maintaining security of student equip
ment. Too much time and hard work
went into them to have an uninformed
CGC consider them lightly.
libraries
affluent can increasingly assemble better
arguments faster. And the problem will
grow worse as more information
particularly data on computer software
and stock prices - becomes available only
in bytes and not in the printed word.
The UNC system and libraries across
the country face a dilemma in trying to
keep research materials at the ready
disposal of all users. Books bought are
available for years free of cost to all
users, but to enable financially strapped
researchers to compete in the future on
an equal footing, machine readable texts
must also be made available to
individuals.
Should investment money go to
enlarging the number of volumes in a
collection or to providing one-shot
services to users? Most municipal
libraries are too poor even to buy
terminals, much less consider subsidiz
ing users. The libraries of low-tuition
public universities, such as UNC, are
only able to cover subscription fees and
staff salaries, leaving search charges to
the individual student or faculty
member.
Defending yourself in America today
requires access to information. To avoid
a widening information gap following
income lines, libraries need to keep
services free. That will be expensive.
Next time you see a proposal or a bond
issue to help a library expand services,
be supportive.
Tar Heel
By ANDY TRINCIA
Sweat. Pushing and shoving. Waiting in line.
Security checks. Ah, the joys of covering a
presidential visit.
Yes, last Thursday I was among the myriad
of journalists roasting with 13,000 others in N.C.
State's Reynolds Coliseum. But it was exciting.
My past DTH assignments include fun stuff
like covering a speaker on Polish religion and
politics, internship meetings, economic outlook
stories and tobacco articles. Don't get me wrong,
IVe had some interesting assignments as well,
but this was differentWe're talking about the
president of the United States.
At Reynolds by 8 a.m., photographer Larry
Childress and I were told by Secret Service agents
that the remaining members of the press couldn't
enter until 9:30 a.m., two hours before Reagan's
speech. So we waited for 90 minutes in the hot
sun as cheerleaders, band members and students
waltzed by us into the coliseum. I guess a press
pass isn't worth what it used to be.
That pass gave me away as a Tar Heel in
foreign territory. One NCSU student noticed it
immediately. "You better flip that thing over,"
she said. "You might get killed around here."
Precisely at 9:30 a.m., sandwiched between a
TV cameraman and other reporters, I squirmed
through the chaotic crowd, inching toward the
metal detector. It was war. Lots of muffled
cussing and shoving Went on. After having our
belongings searched, we walked through the
metal detector and into the gigantic sauna (aka
Reynolds). I found a choice seat at the press
table, staking my ground.
The portable air conditioning units from
Seymour Johnson Air Force Base in Goldsboro
just didn't do the job. I could see and hear them,
but I sure didn't feel them. The sweat from my
face rolled onto my pad and press kit. Faces
all around me had that shiny glow caused by
excess perspiration. Looking up into the crowd,
I saw thousands of makeshift fans waving back
and forth.
With two hours left until Reagan's appearance,
the friendly folks at State decided to entertain
us all. It was more or less a Wolfpack pep rally
and this Carolina student had to sit there
watching it all.
The Associated Press writer next to me said
he was a State alumnus. "I bet you're loving
Enough fraternity and sorority
To the editors:
In recent weeks we have noticed
quite a few negative articles' and
editorial comments pertaining to
fraternities and sororities. Sorority
girls have been labeled as racists and
lampooned as snobs, while frater
nities have been told to "clean up
their acts." While we appreciate
your right to an editorial opinion,
there comes a time when a fair shake
must be given to the Greek system.
There are many organizations
that benefit from fraternity fund
raising efforts. It seems unfair for
there to be such a negative bias in
your representation of Greeks when
these organizations do so much for
'DTH' oversteps
To the editors:
After reading Frank Lloyd
Wright's statement at the bottom of
the Sept. 9 DTH that "Television
is bubblegum for the eyes," I want
to express my moral outrage that
such heresy is being printed in the
pages of your pretentious fishwrap.
Wright may have thought himself
clever, but his callous statement has
undennined the faith that thou
Christians must fight the good fight, 'DTH'
By KEN THROCKMORTON
This column is divided into two parts. The
first part is to the editors of The Daily Tar Heel;
the second part I dedicate to every Christian at
this University, and to our Lord Jesus Christ,
whom we believe to be the one true God, and
whom we know to be alive. If you are a Christian,
I beg you to read this.
Part 1: Last year when the DTH started
printing quotes on the front page I thought, "Gee,
that's pretty neat. Maybe theyll print a quote
that will help people view life in a neat sort of
way and we will all walk around being neat to
each other." And sometimes the quotes were deep
and meaningful and helpful for looking at the
day in a different way. Sometimes the quotes
were funny, or sometimes simply stupid.
But on Wednesday, Sept. 4, when you decided
to print the quote "God is dead," you went past
poor judgment or bad taste. What you chose
to do was wrong. If you believe in good
conscience that what you did wasn't wrong, I
believe that there are thousands of students here
that in all good conscience believe you were
wrong. When you print a quote on the front
page in big, bold letters, you are making a
statement that reflects your attitudes about life,
attitudes that you hope others will think are novel
and true, and will take on as their own
philosophy. So instead of choosing from literally
a million other quotes that would have been
meaningful or entertaining, you chose one that
was offensive and attacking.
You knew what you were doing when you
printed the quote "God is dead." I know what
you were doing, and because I believe that I
am a Christian, I can safely say that God knows
what you are doing. Only God knows what you
may have done as a result of printing "God is
dead." Every editor's desire is that their
publication will be taken as true and correct,
as an authority for truth. Because your paper
is the most visible authority on campus, you also
want what you print to be one more thing:
influential. You want the students to believe that
things are the way you say they are. Above all,
Rickert and Schmidt, you want to be able to
leave this University while saying, "We made a
difference; we left a mark." I believe you may
get what you asked for, in a way much worse
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every minute of this," he said.
Chants of "Go Wolfpack, Go Wolfpack"
echoed through the coliseum. Football coach
Tom Reed and a couple of State basketball
players spoke to the crowd about their seasons
ahead. I couldn't wait to hear those famous
words, "Ladies and gentlemen, the president of
the United States."
Reagan finally came on and spoke for 24
minutes. It was vintage Reagan. He told the
crowd just what they wanted to hear. He played
up to the crowd, reminiscing about State's 1983
NCAA basketball championship, saying he
needed that "Wolfpack spirit up in Washington
this fall" as he works to gain approval of his
tax overhaul.
After his introduction, Reagan dropped this
little one on the crowd: "Nothing's finer than
READER FORUM
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the community.
It is unjust for there to be front
page coverage of the "streakers"
from Lewis dormitory when other
noteworthy events such as those
sponsored by Greek organizations
for charity are ignored. The most
recent example of this bias is Sept.
6's Sigma Nu Porch Party. This
event was sponsored by area busi
nesses and was attended by more
than 5,000 people from all over the
triangle.The event raised more than
$3,000 for the Lineberger Cancer
Research N Center here in Chapel
Hill. Yet the DTH failed to find it
worthy of even a mention in Mon
day's edition. We realize that a
fraternity did sponsor this function,
so we are probably asking too much
to have any mention of this fun
draiser in your paper. Perhaps you
did not see the ad in your paper
for it in Sept. 5's edition.
The point here is to show that
the Greek organizations on campus
are not a bunch of racist, irrespon
sible slobs, as often portrayed in
your editorials. Fraternities and
sororities are an integral part of the
University community, and almost
all of these organizations have fund
raisers or other community service
projects. The DTH editors seem to
be intent on dragging the Greek
system through the mud, and all of
its bounds again
sands of your readers once had in
the glorious tube.
If the quotation is an expression
of editorial opinion, I demand that
the editors investigate the opposite
belief that television is meat and
potatoes for the eyes.
Does the DTH really endorse the
notion that television is visual
bubble gum? While such ideas may
pollute the minds of the degenerate
liberals that plague our community,
many of us are good, TV-fearing
people and cannot tolerate such
drivel.
Ah, but perhaps outrage is not
the emotion I should feel. Perhaps
I should instead be saddened that
many of my fellow students have
so little faith in television that a few
than what you desired.
Your "quote of the day" was offensive. You
offended Christians and you offended our Lord
God. You slapped Jesus Christ in the face and
laughed because you think he lies dormant. You
attacked who we are and why we are who we
are. You attacked our reason for being on Earth;
you even attacked our reason for being and
existing after our bodies die. You attacked
Christians at a level far above personal insults.
You challenged God.
Part 2: Dear fellow Christians, every student
at this University is bound by the student body
constitution to support the D TH through student
activities fees that we are forced to pay every
semester. This fact is important to remember
through the remainder of this column.
L.IUICI yuu aic iui uuu ui agamai vjuu.
There are no double agents in this realm.
Lately 1 have been thinking about God and
what it means to be a Christian. I think that
as Christians we have accepted an "easy
Christianity." We want all the blessings and none
of the trials. We want the rights of being
Christian, but none of the responsibilities. It has
become too easy to be Christian; God is not
taken seriously anymore.
But God has made himself clear: Serve him
or serve the world. Either you are for God or
against God. There are no double agents in this
realm. I once thought that the DTH represented
no one side. But they chose sides and launched
an attack last Wednesday with just these three
' words: "God is dead."
I ask you, as a Christian, to examine your
faith anoLdecide what it really means to be
Christian. Think about the levity of this situation;
is it any less serious than missionaries being
buried up to their heads in the sand, and then
told to reject Christ or die by a spear through
the head? Our physical lives are not in danger
here, but something more important is our
spiritual lives.
Remember those times in church when your
pastor repeatedly told you that you might have
to stand up for Christ? When you would have
to choose between going along with the crowd
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to be in Carolina in the morning." C'mon, Mr.
President.
I must admit, Reagan is a great speaker. He's
a smooth talker who captivates his audience. He
made his tax plan sound great so great, in
fact, that Sen. Jesse Helms reportedly has
reservations about parts of it.
He told us he'd like to put more money from
our paychecks into our pockets and less in Uncle
Sam's. He told us he wants to see 10 million
new jobs in the next four years. He told us the
poor would pay no taxes under his plan. Sounds
great.
But, Mr. President, can you really do it?
Andy Trincia, a sophomore journalism major
from Charlotte, is state and national editor of
The Daily Tar Heel.
drivel, already!
the good facets of fraternities and
sororities are being ignored. When
will you guys wake up and realize
that without the Greek community
UNC would not be as appealing a
school for many prospective stu
dents? In our opinion, the Greek
system is a valuable asset to the
University, and we feel that we
should be given fair treatment from
the paper that supposedly repres
ents all students.
Hal Wilson
Harry Patton
Martin Borden
Beckton James
Chapel Hill
with TV quote
simple words can undermine the
foundation of their belief. Perhaps
instead of writing this letter, I
should have probed the depths of
my own soul to find a renewed
strength and go on believing in
television, no matter what the
architects say.
John Gardner
Carrboro
and being a child of God? Can you stand for
God and bear the rejection of the world? I believe
that this is the time. I can see this as my
opportunity to make a stand for Christ. I believe
that this is serious to God I think it makes
a difference to our Father.
So I would like to challenge some people. I
want to challenge every Christian who refuses
to take this with a grain of salt and every
Christian group at UNC to withdraw their
support for the DTH. Dont just stop reading
it or placing ads or sending personals, but
demand that we not be constitutionally required
to support a paper that proclaimed that our
Father is dead. To Inter-Varsity I say, bring all
your small groups into one body for Christ. To
lampus v. rusaae I say, now is the time to literally
crusade for Christ. To United Christian Fellow
ship and the UCF choir I say: ". . .make a loud
noise, and rejoice, and sing praise." To the
Fellowship of Christian Athletes I say, run this
good race, fight this good fight. To every
Christian I say: "Serve the Lord with all thine
heart." All together, we are more than enough
to prove to this University and the world that
God is wonderfully alive, active on a global level
and individually. He lives within all of us.
If you believe that what I have related to you
is true, and you believe the battle has begun,
then let us finish the war. I and others will be
in the Pit outside the Student Stores all day Sept.
11, with a petition calling for a referendum to
amend the constitution. Please come and put
your name down for the Lord. And if you know
other Christians that may not have heard of this,
have them read this letter so that they may stand
and fight if they so wish. And in closing, I tell
you to be strong in Christ, and quote the
Apostle Paul from Romans 8:31 "What shall
we then say to these things? If God be for us,
whe can be against us?"
God Is Alive Now, Today (GIANT).
Ken Throckmorton is a senior psychology
major from Winston-Salem.