The Tar Heel Thursday, July 17, 198615
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Deae Smith Center
a verit&Me pMace
By EDDY LANDRETH
Sports Editor
There is a majestic new palace on
UNC's campus, and the king of
college basketball holds court there.
The official name is the Dean E.
Smith Center, but it is more com
monly known as the Dean Dome.
As you approach the structure, you
are suddenly overwhelmed by the
enormity of it. The Smith Center is
the third largest on-campus arena in
the country, seating 21,444 for
basketball. Only Syracuse's Carrier
Dome and Brigham Young's Mar
riott Center are larger, in terms of
seating capacity.
Most everything inside the build
ing is painted your favorite color of
blue, espedallYlhejnterinrk-
wviia iuCil.
All the seats are the plastic-chair
type, rather than the old aluminum
bench version. This equates into
greater comfort for everyone's back.
The seats in the upper-most level are
all plastic, while those in the lower
areas contain a cushioned bottom,
for yours.
Banners advertising past glories
gently wave in the cloud section,
instilling a sense of tradition as you
gaze about.
The seating arrangement is laid out
so everyone has a good view of the
game. But in the upper-most seats,
even the tallest of men are reduced
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just a bit. Before you complain about
the height of your seat, remember
if they still played in Carmichael, you
probably would not be there.
When you make that inevitable
trip to the restroom, you realize there
is a permanent line. Then you notice
the line is not moving because it's
a mural.
Upon entering the facility, one of
the first things you notice is the many
plaques honoring those who contrib
uted the S33.8 million dollars neces
sary to build it. All the funds were
private donations, raised in a cam
paign led by former N.C. Gov.
Hargrove "Skipper" Bowles.
The first activity in the center was
not sports related, but a black-tie,,
tion of $211,650 for the University's
College of Arts and Sciences. The
center was named that evening for
the University's resident legend.
The arena is adjoined to a swim
ming facility named for a former
University trustee, Maurice L.
Koury. It houses a 50-meter, eight
lane, Olympic-sized pool that will
make the University eligible to host
NCAA championships and Olympic
swimming trials. The pool should be
ready before the fall semester.
Because of the delays in the
construction process, the official
dedication ceremony was postponed
until this fall. There will be an alumni
H
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Tar HeelChristopher Baroudi
soda at Jeffs Confectionary
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game of many of Coach Smith's
former players on Sept. 6, sometime
after the first football game. All of
Coach Smith's former players will be
invited, although they probably will
not all participate in the game.
The center has created so much
interest that there is a souvenir stand
open year-round from 9 a.m. to 5
p.m. weekdays. Tim Mee operates
the stand for the student store.
"Everybody who comes through
town has to come to see this place,"
Franklin
charm of
By KATIE WHITE
Staff Writer
Both the University and Chapel
Hill have interesting histories. They
can be found in the library or the
bookstore, but if you're interested in
more than the written page, walk into
some area businesses and look
around. Some have been here for
more than half a century.
On the main block of East Frank
lin Street, there are three such
businesses. Take the walk from
campus to Franklin Street by way
of Silent Sam. This will put you in
front of the post office. Turn left and
walk down the rows of stores. The
first place of longevity is Sutton's
Drug Store, a combination drug
store and lunch counter.
"WeVe been here since 1923," says
Willie Mae from behind the lunch
counter in the back of the store.;
Willie Mae, a Chapel Hill native,
started working at Sutton's in 1956.
Breakfast and lunch are cooked and
served from behind the lunch coun
ter, which is surrounded by swivel
stools. Types of meals available are
egg breakfasts cooked to order,
hamburgers, hotdogs, barbecue and
cold sandwiches.
"WeYe known for our fresh orange
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The Student Activities Center in its gleaming splendor
Mee said.
Mee said he did a considerable
business most everyday. "The hottest
items are the boxer shorts and the
Dean E. Smith T-shirts," he said.
"Slightly more women buy the shorts
than men." The shorts are covered
with the word Carolina, printed in
light blue, of course.
Mee said he also served as a
combination information booth and
guide. " People who usually come in
here are families," he said. "They
usually come by the carload, one at
Street offers old style
bygone era today
and lemonade that we squeeze
ourselves," says Willie Mae, a moth
erly looking woman with glasses. She
smiles when you ask her about the
students.
"They're all good," she says. Each
school semester she says she is
adopted by several students as
another mother.
"One came back to see me after
being gone 20 years. That makes me
feelgood."
So if you get homesick,, go to see
Willie Mae at Sutton's. Shell cheer
you up.
Another famous place on Franklin
Street several doors down from
Sutton's is Jeffs Confectionary. At
Jeffs, you can buy a variety of
magazines and newspapers, as well
as a cold Coca Cola. The shop has
been there since 1927 and boasts the
best soda fountain. It also serves
milkshakes and beer.
"During the football season, the
old timers will come in and drink beer
before the games because it is the only
place they remember," says the man
behind the counter. ;
After you have refreshed yourself
at Jeffs, stroll a little farther down
Franklin Street to the corner at
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Tar Heel David Foster
a time, then the next load will come
in.
The public has such an interest in
the facility that Dena Nail of the
sports information office is creating
a brochure explaining many of the
details about the building, including
the first game played and who scored
the first basket. By the way, the game,
which the Heels won 95-92, was
against the hated Duke Blue Devils.
Warren Martin will be remembered
as the man who scored first, on a
dunk off a Kenny Smith assist.
North ColurAbia Street, and youH
fmd Huggins Hardware. Youll also
find everything that you need for
your dorm room.
"WeVe been here for over 50
years," says manager Glenn Carver.
There's a long list of things that
students buy at Huggins, including
brooms, toilette articles, kitchen
equipment, plants, picture hangers,
paint and other general hardware.
They also have a keymaker, which
Carver says is very busy each fall.
Carver prides himself on the
personal service he gives to students.
"I like to help them out with art
projects like helping them pick out
just the right kind of paint. Every
customer is a friend," he says with
a smile. He also adjusts the prices
of his products for the student
budget. He is often adopted as a big
brother by many students and even
attended the graduation of one. He
says he still hears from her.
"It just breaks my heart when they
leave," he says. Then, there's always
the new ones coming in.
If you get a chance, visit these
people and youll find a friend and
discover that there's more to Chapel
Hill than what's written down.