North Carolina Newspapers

8 The Daily Tar Heel Monday. February 3, 1986 mm 'Milt 93 r d year of editorial freedom ' Arni: Rk :ki;rt and Uih.r Anji ita Mhin Jam t Olson Jami Whiti; Jii.i.Gi.rmr Loiutta Grantham Production PJitnr I 'iiin-rxily VJitor Sen s VJitor Stall- and National Editor Oty Editor Tom Camp Ryke Longest for SBP Two candidates for student body president have distinguished themselves as being most qualified: Ryke Longest and Bryan Hassel. But because of his broad and remarkable experience on behalf of students, Longest is one to channel the recent surge of student activism into tangible results. Both candidates have the heart and drive to advocate student concerns before the administration, but after huffing and puffing at a Steele house during rallies, somebody has got to go inside and stay until solid answers have been given. Though Hassel like Longest is distinguished from the other candidates by his insight and energy, and though he has maturely articulated the dire need . for student empowerment, his lack of inside knowl edge could keep him from getting off to an all-important fast start. Longest has the skills needed to ask the right questions and to know what the answer means. It's called savvy. Longest doesn't need to hear student voices crying out before he leaps to action. While on the CGC, he was that rare type of representative the kind who proposes legislation instead of just reacting to it. And Longest checked into the status of Old West and Old East dorms when practically the only voices being raised about their future were those of administrators. Wide-open discussion on matters important to students is vital because the longer students are aware, the greater The DTH endorsement committee was composed of co editors Arne Rkkert and Dave Schmidt; desk and page editors Tom Camp, Jill Gerber, Loretta Grantham, Anjetta McQueen, Janet Olson, Lee Roberts and Lorry Williams; Ray Jones for RHA president The endorsement committee of The Daily Tar Heel has voted unanimously to endorse Ray Jones for the presidency of the Residence Hall Association. Jones, president of Avery dorm, has manifested a fresh and sincere interest in having RHA become more accessible to the more than 8,000 on-campus residents. Throughout his campaign, he has emphasized that student input and support are RH A's best tools for gaining leverage to oppose unpopular decisions decisions concerning the meal plan, student parking and rising dorm rents. Jones is willing to fight University housing decisions down the line as are his opponents but he has emphas ized that fighting decisions without knowing in advance of their existence is an untenable approach to the office. He is concerned with anticipating problems, rather than simply reacting to them. Though they each sat on the RHA Governing Board this year, Jones' opponents John Fanney and H.F. . Watts have repeatedly stated that they were left in the dark about important housing decisions. While this indicates that the new RHA president must communicate better with governing board members, it does not prove that either Fanney or Watts would have achieved much to offset such decisions had they known about them earlier. Jones recognizes that an RHA that is out of contact with campus residents -To the dth degree- Fair comment Some people obviously have read something that was unintended into , a signed editorial I wrote last week. I felt that it was important to raise awareness of . a campaign tactic I deplore the planted question, conspicuously used by Jim Zook at the Black Student Movement forum. But it's also important that the editorial was NOT SEEN AS AN ENDORSE MENT OF ANY KIND. Actually, it's very simple to distinguish between the editorial and any preference that staff members might have for a candidate. . First, the editorial wholly dealt with a campaign tactic, not a candidacy or platforms. Just as Jim Zook rebutted Jim Greenhill's figures merely out of a desire to inform, so too did I write the editorial, and without personal bias. If I had HV -d (Mr :-jam David Schmidt i;jitm. Lorry Williams Lf.k Roberts Elizabeth Ellln Marymelda Hall Larry Childress Business Editor Sports Editor - ' Arts F.ditor Features Editor Photography luiitor tut PjVe pjit.r their potential for input: But often students and administrators alike request silence until they're certain of their positions, and student body presidents agree, severely weakenening the effect of debate. Longest has strongly avowed his commitment to openness ; and frankness as soon as an issue - becomes more than a thought in some body's head. ' In that spirit, Longest has not relied on past achievements to gain support during the campaign, preferring to lay out what's happening now and what's ahead. He also welcomes opposition to his ideas and considers it with sincerity. When he jumped the gun by saying Mayor Jim Wallace supported a restric tive town housing policy that could affect students, he admitted his mistake and wrote the mayor a letter of apology. But at least he jumped. Finally, because he is so accustomed to them, Longest is well-equipped to attend to the necessary details of official business such as appointing student officers, assigning Union office space without letting them distract him from more sweeping concerns. ' Ryke Longest is a familiar face, both in student affairs and to Student Affairs, but his mind always remains fresh, working on new ideas, new ways to apply proven tactics. In addition to his ability to raise a voice on behalf of student interests, he best knows how to make it heard. and editorial writers Louis Corrigan and Sally Pont. Editorial writer Edwin Fountain was present for interviews of the candidates but did not vote. can be pushed around by University housing too easily; that a broad-based, open organization will not suffer from communication problems as badly as an organization that seeks to take too much work (or credit) upon itself. In his role as an advocate for campus residents, a Jones is eager to work with Student " .Government to eliminate the mandatory meal plan. But, failing such an effort, he possesses the creativity to direct an organization around existing obstacles. As president of Avery, he successfully instituted a version of the meal plan co op now being bounced around in the race for student body president. A second issue on which RHA and Student Government will need to show a solid front is the parking dilemma. Roughly 700 student spaces have been lost in the past decade primarily to construction but the crunch shows no signs of slacking off in the near future. With this in mind, Jones intends to advocate the needs of anxious on campus residents who are being eye balled by University officials as future losers in the game of parking roulette. Jones believes that R.A.s should become more active in day-to-day dorm ' life; that being availabile at odd hours is. more important than putting in time at. meetings to design programs that do y not appeal to many residents. We believe that Jones own receptivity will be a major plus in the office of president of the RHA. : H .witnessed any Other candidate in any race using the same tactic so blatantly against a competitor, I would have called him on it just as fiercely. Second, " it was a signed editorial. Endorsements reflect the majority vote of a board of editors, not a single opinion. I spoke for myself. Third, it was addressed to all candidates and to all students who attend forums, because it affects them all. When a matter arises that I feel is of specific relevance to a candidate, I speak to him in private and leave it at that. I fully stand behind what I wrote. Sure, everybody plants questions, but I still feel - very strongly that it's wrong. If anybody thought I showed a preference in the editor's race, then they're wrong, too. DAVE SCHMIDT Zook just pointing out To the editors: In campaign forums last week, Daily Tar Heel co-editor candidate Jim Greenhill claimed that, under his editorship, the 1985 summer Tar Heel made $14,000 in profits. Actually, under Greenhill, the paper lost $36,000. Now, given that the editor has little control over the DTffs finan ces, this should never have become a campaign issue. But it did become a campaign issue when, in forum after forum, Greenhill boasted (erroneously) that he had produced a profitable summer Tar Heel. It was an honest mistake, but a mistake nonetheless. Greenhill, a member of the DTH PLATFORMS: 'DAILY TAR HEEL' EDITORSHIP Catherine Cowan Jim Greenhill Gone arc the days when The Daily Tar Heel was an elitist haven for journalism majors. Under the present co-editorship, the paper has moved much closer to what it was originally designed to be the student and University community newspaper. Catherine Cowan and Jim Greenhill want to take it further that way. They sec it as a paper open to all students a balanced source of campus, local, state, national and international news, entertainment and information and, by reason of its 22,500 daily circulation, the most effective forum for campus debate. Cowan and Greenhill see the DTH as a paper for the students, by the students. With this in mind, the emphasis of their administration will be on opening the paper up Guy Lucas The main isssue in this election is which candidate has the knowledge of how The Daily Tar Heel works and the experience to make constructive changes in the paper and keep the staffs confidence. I feel I have that knowledge and experience. I also know the DTH"s limitations, so I haven't proposed any changes I couldn't complete. One of the more noticeable changes I would like to make involves the editorials. This year, they often have been more like essays for English class than editorials. They haven't addressed many issues. I would limit the number of non-issue editorials to give the back page more direction. I would like to keep the editorials signed, except for the board opinion, because I feel it gives the opinions greater credibility. In the past, some students have expressed a feeling that editorial 'writers were hiding behind their anonymity. A lot of students feel more comfortable knowing that a person is willing to stand Jim Zook The next editor of The Daily Tar Heel will lead our campus newspaper into its 94th year of publication, a year that already promises to have several major news stories student dissatisfaction with the University administration, a U.S. Senate race ... a national basketball championship. You will need an editor who knows more than how to write welL Your editor will need to know how to organize and lead a staff of more than 100 people to keep you informed on these important matters. Jim Zook is the candidate willing and most able to accomplish this task. ' PLATFORMS: RESIDENCE HALL ASSOCIATION John Fanney It's time for RHA to represent the students it was intended to represent. In 1986, RHA should concentrate on it's main goal of enhancing residence hall life and become a more active voice for residence hall students. There are four ways RHA can be doing this: Better programming at the campuswide level and in residence halls. RHAs prop-amming board can be working with groups like the Union, CAA, BSM, the Y and other campus organizations to develop large, attractive programs to go on during the whole year, not just one or two programs a year. At the residence hall level, the programming board should be working with individual halls to develop programs that students want to see. In this manner, RHA can effectively remove the attraction of alcohol in programs, which is a must in 1986 because about 90 percent or more of dorm students Ray Jones What is RHA about? Why is it there, and why are you giving $20,000 year? RHA has two major purposes enhancing resident life and representing our needs to Housing and the administration. Let me tell you what I think about enhancing resident life: you have a cookout. You have mixers. You have movie nights. You sponsor an assassin game. You set up a volleyball net out back. It's getting people together, and youll be amazed at how well that works. That's how you enhance resident life, and it's a way that works. It's not workshops on personal skills that only five people come to or facilitator motivator goal-oriented task oriented project specific gobbledy-gook. It's enjoying where, you live. That's one part of RHA. But it's also standing up for residents when Housing tries to turn their dorm into office space, or raises their rent till they cant afford it anymore or tries to steal money they ought to be able to use for enhancement. That's where representation comes in. RHA hasn't been H.F. Watts Newspaper coverage this election year has exclusively followed the student body president race. Candidates are speaking on issues that affect those of us who live in dorms. Issues such as the meal plan co-op, rent increases, parking, security on campus, and Old West and Old East changes involve the RHA president. People have forgotten this because they dont pay much attention to what goes on in RHA. As Scott Residence College governor, IVe worked with Housing issues for tlie past year on the RHA Governing Board. I havent forgotten. I feel the RHA president has a responsibility to voice students' concern on housing issues. That is why if I am elected, I promise to be here fighting for you for the next 12 months summer included to make sure you know what is going on. Someone needs to be here meeting weekly with the housing director so that proper student input and representation occur. In years past when this didnt happen, such plans as the loft policy, restricting cooking appliances, taking away trash cans from the rooms and parking problems were implemented. These are important issues. To effectively deal with these problems, it takes time, dedication and hard work. My fellow candidates have all tossed out ideas as to the improvements needed in RHA to make it work for you. One wants to make RHA independent of Housing and give it a backbone, and another wants to better READER FORUM Board of Directors, should have had his facts straight. Jim Zook, another candidate for the editorship, presented the true facts at a forum Wednesday night, and after a story or two in the DTH, the matter was cleared up. Greenhill acknowledged his mistake; the candidates agreed that finances should not be an issue in the race. And so the matter would be closed except for Dave Schmidt's viciously misdirected editorial, "Stem the urge," in Friday's DTH. Schmidt's editorial paints Zook a villain, accusing him of "righteous grandstanding." For what? Pointing out the facts? Apparently. To Schmidt, telling the truth consti tutes "miserable tactics." It was not Zook who repeatedly stood up at forums and claimed to have made $14,000. Schmidt says, "the episode mostly served to embarrass Greenhill." Well, of course Greenhill was embarrassed who wouldn't have been after making such an error? Schmidt says the goal of straight forward campaigns "is to inform the voters," yet he doesn't approve of Zook's having brought farts to light. He says, "If any candidate believes an opponent's statements are inac curate or misleading, he should confront his colleague directly whether in forums or in private without ploys or gimmicks." This to more students and on improving the breadth and quality of its coverage. Their ideas range from immediate changes, such as moving the crossword to the back page and the news briefs to the front, to longer-term goals, such as making the computer and typesetting facilities available to other campus organizations (The Black Ink, The Phoenix, etc.) and increasing the size of the paper. In the course of their term of office, Cowan and Greenhill will introduce two-section papers, initially on Thursdays, and, with the success of their revenue increasing ideas, more regularly than that. They will create a science desk to expand the paper's coverage to include the extensive research taking place on campus, the vast bulk of which goes unseen by the student population. Have you ever been inspired to write a letter to the paper, but been unable to find where to put it? Cowan and Greenhill will place letter boxes in the South Campus Union and at the Student Union information desk. Other ideas in the spirit of serving the students: They will work with Student Government and the Carolina behind his opinion and sign his name to it. And because of the kind of community we have at this University, I believe the opinions of individuals carry more weight than the opinions of an institution such as the DTH. I also would like to expand coverage of state, national and international news. Currently, the news briefs are all the DTH has in this area. But many students don't have time to pick up another paper, so the DTH is their only source of news from outside the University. News from within the University would remain the paper's focus, however. The front-page quote needs to be made significant again. It used to be the first thing students looked at, but this year it has become hard to understand. Its purpose is to promote thought, but students should not have to work too hard to understand it. I would like to make the quote something students would like because of its humor, insight or relevance to current events. I also would add intramural playoff and championship scores in the scoreboard, along with scores from major college games from across the country. There also needs to be more attention given to non-revenue sports. What I think is vital to a student newspaper such as the DTH is an openness to all segments of the student The emphasis of my campaign is to offer a newspaper you will look forward to reading each and every day. In organizing my platform, IVe talked with students from across campus to get your thoughts and comments on the DTH. The following ideas combine what you want from the paper with what I know the paper can do: Increased state and national news. Weekly arts and entertainment section. A revitalized editorial page with pro-con debates on current issues, a regularly scheduled campus editorial cartoonist and Week In Review, a summary of the week's major news stories. A sports page with more intramural coverage and more overnight game scores. Brainstorming sessions with DTH desk editors and the School of Journalism faculty to bring improvements will not be able to drink legally. Campus security By working with campus police and the administration to take strides in the area of security. Campus police have several good programming ideas that need some student input that RHA can parovide. These programs are an important step in security. Crime is like a common cold the best cure is prevention. RHA needs to use its influence to apply pressure to the administration so that they will take measures in the area of security. This is something they have expressed deep concern about it's time they did something about it. Increasing cultural relationships By working with groups like the BSM, Carolina Indian Circle and the International Center in the Union RHA again needs to develop programs in this area so that students are more aware of the cultural diversity that is here at Carolina and then have an opportunity to experience it This attempt will take a great deal of effort by all involved, but it can be succesful. there when we've needed it to be. The horrendous rent increase and taking trashcans out of our rooms should never have been allowed, but what about losing more student parking or the mandatory meal plan being raised? Will RHA be there for you? It's not just a matter of ideas. It's being able to take care of problems and get things done. It's making RHA stand on its own. feet and not letting Housing run it, and having the backbone to keep it that way. RHA needs new leadership, not the same people from this past year's unproductive RHA. It needs someone who has led successful dorm government and who has stood up to administrators before, and who will do it again. I plan a Governing Board that will deal with policy and direction on problems facing the residence halls. Our Programming Board will first organize a huge all-campus party of obscene proportions to see the drinking age out. Then it will work with the residence halls and areas on filling the void a 21-year-old drinking age leaves in their social budgets. At the same time, the Programming Board will be working to bring back Chapel Thrill with big name performers. And because the dorms have been getting left out and ignored in the past, I want to see a committee of dorm presidents, because the dorms are where your people are. RHA needs to keep in touch if enhance residence hall life. IVe lived in the dorm for four years, and IVe worked in dorm and area government for four years. I know what experience is. I know how to get a job done. The problem in RHA is not that it needs a backbone and is independent of Housing. It already is. RHA is structured to perform just what is expected to enhance residence hall life, which all of us want. The problem in RHA begins and ends with the RHA president. When we elect a president who ' understands the concerns of the students, who knows how to stand up to Housing and who knows that student input is one of the struggles through the years that weVe had on this campus, then RHA will work like it is supposed to work toward bettering on-campus life. We, however, dont need a president who wont stand up for the students rights and is under the pressure of Housing and will refuse to stand up for us. The students should also not want a president who will have to spend the first two months trying to find out how RHA workks through the governing board or how to carry through on a job. I feel that you know what problems there are in the dorms, and I know how to take care of them. One example of this is the current enhancement policy. In past years, we have had no say on how our money was spent to enhance our dorms. Our area directors and other Housing officials have made these decisions for us. That is why you see orange curtains in North Campus dorms and hardly anything eke in other dorms on South Campus and Mid-Campus. Our funds are frozen, and the facts is precisely what Zook did. A question identical to ones tha had come up in previous forums was asked about Greenhill's summer finances, and Zook "con front(ed) his colleague directly." One can't help but think that The Daily Tar Heel which unwisely chooses not . to endorse a DTH candidate this year has indeed made its preference known. Zook did nothing but correct an( opponent who didnt have his factsj straight. That he would be crucified erlitnriallv fnr this Kv n rmrrrrtfHKJ neutral DTH, is disappointing id. say the least. Jeff L. Hiday Chapel Hill Union to sponsor lectures and other events, they will! replace "space-filler ads for large national chanues with ads for campus and community organizations such as RAPE Escort and Helpline. In addition, they will offer two free advertisements per semester to University- recognized student organizations. Cowan and Greenhill combine innovation with experience. They both have had wide exposure to campus media, for instance. Cowan has been a staff writer fori The Phoenix since her freshman year. She has also been; occic ont monarrinn Attrr an1 accnriatA mAttrtr fr tkF DTff Whon fliwnhill uac Arlitnr nf TUa Tnr Uool tWe' t?Ul.CUAt UlUliUglllg VV111V1 WIU IkM VSV 1UVW VUUV1 VS 111V summer, Cowan worked with him as managing editor.! Both also have had wide experience in other campus' organizations, Cowan on the Executive Committee of the! Food Service Advisory Committee. For experience in the media and outside, for change with a bias toward practicality, for a continuing tradition of excellence, and for the students and outlying community: Vote Cowan and Greenhill on Feb. 4. body. I would be open to discussion and change. I have always believed in change when it results in improvement,! and I know I don't have all the right answers. I Part of this openness to students would be reflected! in the TAs uritino tret T unulH lit tn kn th tct' as it is because it leaves greater room for individuality' and is a better gauge of news-gathering skills than past tests. This test has succeeded in bringing more non journalism majors to the paper, and it is important to continue this if the paper is to be kept from becoming a clique of the Journalism School, as it was perceived to have been in the past. I have been involved in journalism since my freshman year of high school. I have worked for the DTH since my freshman year at Carolina, first as a staff writer and this year as assistant University editor. For the last year, I also have covered the Campus Governing Councd. I have worked for The Phoenix Gazette in Phoenix, Ariz., a metropolitan area of more than one million people, and I have an internship this summer with the Gazette. This experience can inspire the kind of confidence in the staff that's needed for them to work to their potential, and that is probably the most important role an editor has to fill. to thepaper. I know these ideas will work. Five years of experience in school and professional journalism have given me the chance to see first-hand how to organize a newspaper. Those experiences include writing for the DTH since my freshman year, reporting for the Arkansas Gazette (Arkansas' equivalent of The Charlotte Observer), serving two years as UNC s campus correspondent for Newsweek On Campus, writing for the University News Bureau since my freshman year and winning three national writing awards while editor .of my high school newspaper. Practical ideas and extensive experience are necessary tools to be editor of a campus newspaper. Producing a quality campus newspaper takes a whole lot more. Jim Zook offers a whole lot more. Vote for Jim Zook for DTH editor. PRESIDENCY Student representation RHAs president needs to take upon himself the initiative to actively involve himself and RHA m issues that concern students. Things like rent increases, enhancement and renovation, the conversion of North Campus halls to office space, the meal plan and others. RHA represents every student that the above issues concern it should be acting in the interest of those students. Finally, RHA needs to cooperate with Suite C and the 'DTH' to create a better impact on the administration concerning students needs and wishes. By cooperating, we can make a stronger voice. My experience in RHA as a floor representative and governor of Morrison tells me that all of the above ideas can be realized in 1986. Futhermore, my experience in dealing with the administration qualifies me to say that they are willing to work with students but the student leaders must be firm and not become a puppet of those he works with. He must stand up for the interests of those he represents not the interests of the administration or his own personal interests. it expects to know the needs. M ore specifically, RHA needs to work with UNC police to make security a hot issue with results such as police foot patrols. RHA should provide easy access to equipment such as VCRs for hall social events. RHA should pressure Housing to stop this temporary triple madness each Fall. For dorms that want it, RHA should help set up the Meal Plan Co-op used this year in Avery, where residents not wanting a meal plan can sell their $100 to another resident. Enhancement fund moneys must be returned to the students, with an Enhancement Committee in RHA that wont let it foul up again. RHA should provide money for dorm orientation books or for letters from the dorm to incoming freshmen. RHA should be able to suggest floor activity ideas that really do getj people together. I When the office is open, 111 be there. When the workload, goes late into the night, I wont quit to go to Troll's.) When it's time to take a stand, 111 take it.. RHA wilf v . : r ....j - 1 : r vi . i ..,:t affect how you live. I urge you to join me in making a new RHA. The we can begin making dorm governments that work, am you will finally see a return on the $20,000 you invest each year. it's just not fair because it is our money, supposedly in our control. Without funds in our control, we are subject to only the scraps the administration decides to let us have. Normal dorm maintenance and upkeep is the sole responsibility of Housing, yet they are using our money to do these things at a very unproductive pace. It's; time we fight for our money and at the same time make sure Housing is doing its job, such as cleaning up the mold in Old West bathrooms. That is why Tim Cobb and I authored a referendum that will be on the ballot to return our money to the control of the students living1 on campus. My proposals for RHA are very specific: Establish two South Campus concerts, a Prohibition! rany on Ug. 10 usncr in uic miming age hikj mcj Yure Nmomma Party during Homecoming. Reinstate Rockin Autumn on North Campus and" continue with Springfest to increase more all-campus programming by RHA. Make large-scale Granville social functions eligible, for RHA money by providing RHA funding for an all campus concert as well as provide easy access to the inter area mixer funds by allowing Granville to use this money Granville residents fund 20 percent of the RHA budget yet never see a return for their money. J None of the candidates are superhuman, because wtj can promise everything. But if I am elected, I can promisr that while all the other politicians are sitting back getting nothing done, youll find me m Housing fighting for you