North Carolina Newspapers

10The Daily Tar Heel Wednesday, April 15, 1987 ait? latlu (Bar Mm 95 th year of editorial freedom Editorials Rebuild from the foundations ,The edifice of North Carolina's academic reputa tion has, to a pro cpoiron found extent, been constructed on the foundation of this university. UNCs new-found national prestige has played a crucial role in altering the image of North Carolina as an educational backwater. And yet, while this institution has been attracting students and building new facilities of a caliber commensu rate with its status, it has neglected a key ingredient in the success of any educational endeavor. The instructors at UNC are woefully underpaid, their salaries neither competitive nor just. It would seem pointless to burden the argument with mountains of numbers, but there are certain statistics that serve to illuminate the point. It is true that when compared to univer sities across the nation, UNCs salary structure ranks fairly high. But such a comparison is ultimately deceiving. To compare the salaries of UNC to those of the University of Hartford is akin to measuring the GNP of the United States against that of Hungary. A far more valid comparison is that of UNC and the nation's other major public research universities. In terms of cash compensation alone, UNC does rank in the top quarter of such schools. But when total compensation is figured; including such benefits as health insurance, the school drops into the bottom half. Even more revealing is a vision of this university in the context of its peer institutions, that is, in the context of those schools with which UNC is often compared academically. An M.l.T. survey of 20 such institutions including Harvard, Yale and Stanford ranked UNC as one of the four lowest-paying schools. The obvious objection raised at this stage of the argument is that those schools are private institutions, and that as a public university UNC cannot be expected to compete with them Here to help, not hassle Two police officers cruising the fringes of Chapel Hill at 5 a.m. Monday noticed the back door of the lone house on North Graham Street swinging open. Knocking on the front door, they were met by three sleepy UNCstudents. The officers explained that they had spotted the suspicious back door and had just wanted to make sure that everything was all right and that no prowler had broken in. The students let the officers make a The Daily Editorial Writers: Chris Chapman. Laurie Duncan, James Farrer, Michael Krass and Brian McCuskey. Editorial Assistants: Julia Coon and Sharon Kebschull. Assistant Managing Editors: Stephanie Beard and Deirdre Fallon. News: Holly Baker, Jeanna Baxter, Matt Bivens, Eric Bradley, Tom Camp, Paul Cory, Meg Craddock, Ron Crawford, loni Creech, Kimberly Edens, Mark Folk, Kristen Gardner, Maria Haren, Lindsay Hayes, Kelly Johnson, Michael Jordan, Helen Jones, Sharon Kebschull, Robert Keefe, Hunter Lambeth, Laura Lance, Barbara Linn, Brian Long, Mitra Lotfi, Tom McCuiston, Leigh Ann McDonald, Justin McGuire, Dan Morrison. Lee Ann Necessary, Rebecca Nesbit, Susan Odenkirchen, Mary Paradeses, Grant Parsons, Laura Pearlman, Becky Riddick, Debbie Rzasa, Andrea Shaw, Amy Stock, Sherrie .Thomas, Clay Thorp, Neil Watson, Nicki Weisensee and Bill Yardley. Jo Fleischer, assistant university editor. Ruth Davis and Michael Jordan, wire editors. Sports: Bob Young and Patton McDowell, assistant sports editors. Scott Greig, Laura Grimmer, Dave Hall, Andy Podolsky, Jill Shaw, Chris Spencer and Langston Wertz. Features: Jessica Brooks, Eric Chilton, Hannah Drum, Carole Ferguson, Jennifer Frost, Melissa Furr, Ronnie Gontram, Laura Jenkins, Jeanie Mamo, Corin Ortlam, Lynn Phillips, Anne Raugh and Kathy Wilson Arts: James Burrus, Scott Cowen, Andrew Edmonson, David Hester, Marty Michaels, Beth Rhea. Kelly Rhodes. Alston Russell and Rob Sherman. Photography: Charles Carricrc. Tony Deifell, Steve Matteson, Jonathan Serenius and Julie Stovall. Copy Editors: Karen Bell. Laurie Duncan. Lisa Lorentz, Toby Moore. Belinda Morris, Sherri Murray. Karen Smiley. Marielle Stachura, Rachel Stiffler and Kaarin Tisue. Cartoonists: Jeff Christian, Adam Cohen, Bill Cokas, Greg Humphreys and Trip Park. Campus Calendar: Mindelle Rosenberg and David Starnes. Business and Advertising: Anne Fulcher, general manager; Patricia Benson, advertising director; Mary Pearse, advertising coordinator. Angela Ostwalt, business manager; Sheila Baker, bookkeeper; Genevieve Halkctl and Lisa Hawley, administrative assistants; Ruth Anderson, Michael Benfield, Jennifer Garden, Ashley Hinton, Kcllie McElhancy, Chrissy Mennitt, Anne Raymer, Julie Settle, Peggy Smith, Kent Sutton. Amanda Tillcy and Ashley Waters advertising representatives; Tammy Norris, Angie Peele, Stephanie Chesson. classified advertising representatives; and Mary Urown, secretary. Distribution William Austin, manager; Stephanie Chesson and Tucker Stevens, assistants. Deliveryl orn High, manager: Dale Phillips, assistant. Production: Bill Leslie and Stacy Wynn. Rita Galloway and Lisa Poole, production assistants. Printing: I he Chapel Hill Newspaper sT Jill Gerber, Editor Amy Hamilton, Managing Editor Sally Pears all, Editor JEAN LUTES, University Editor DONNA LEINWAND, State and National Editor J E ANNIE FARIS, City Editor JAMES SUROWIECKI, Sports Editor FEUSA NEURINGER, Business Editor JULIE BRASWELL, Features Editor ELIZABETH ELLEN, Arts Editor Charlotte Cannon, Photography Editor KATHY PETERS, Omnibus Editor financially. The point, though, is that UNC must compete with them, must do as its peers do, if it is to retain its lofty academic standing. In a perfect world, professors would not be subject to the pressures of a rising cost of living and family respon sibilities. Search committees with open check books would have no authority. But this is not a Utopia, and professors are not exempt from the temptations promised by a higher salary. To be sure, the high caliber of students and research capabilities at the University warrants it. And there are professors who have decided to remain at UNC despite the prospect of substantial raises at other schools. But it should come as no surprise when faculty members decide to pack their bags and depart for greener financial pastures. The implications of a deficient salary structure should be clear. It is true that a school is no better than its students. But it is also true that a school is no better than its professors. And UNC finds itself irreparably handicapped in its pursuit of most distinguished professors, simply because it refuses to pay them what they are worth. This state of affairs will not improve. Search committees will continue to sit by helplessly as they are outbid, outbid to such an extent that they can make no counter-proposal, professors at this school will continue to leave when other universities offer more. And as they do, the quality of education will inevitably be harmed. It will be, that is, unless the state legislators resolve to act and correct the most glaring flaw in the makeup of North Carolina's most prominent institution. As a public university, UNC depends on state funds. There can be no more profitable use of those funds than an increase in salaries for UNCs faculty. And until such an increase occurs, the University will continue to stand by, unable to act as other schools forge ahead. check of the house. No prowlers were found. Nothing had been stolen. The officers wished the students a good night (what was left of it) and departed. Perhaps these officers were just doing their job, but with all the. flak Chapel Hill police take for enforcing drinking laws and parking regulations, this reassuring incident is something to think about. B.McC. Tar Heel CGLA feeding is stedent tyranny I he recent vote to increase fundinc for the Carolina Gay and Lesbian Asso- -LL ciation is an unfortunate sten back ward for freedom and tolerance. While it is conceded that the University is somewhat different from the real world, if we are to serve, as many supporters of groups like the CGLA advocate, as a microcosm of the world around us, then we must reject the student government's forcing the opinions of one group of individuals over another. Student funds are instruments of coer cion. In effect, when the Student Congress decides to fund a certain organization, it is forcing students to support views they may or may not agree with. Don't let , anyone simply revel in the triumph of majority rule. Surely advocates of liberty understand the danger a majority can pose to a minority, and the necessity for a constitutional safeguard of liberty. And . don't let anyone assert that the CGLA funding issue is one of homophobia, or intolerance or cruelty. It is primarily one of human freedom. By using student funds to support the CGLA, student government is saying, "students, no matter what their parents, churches, psychologists or anyone else says, must think what we tell them to." This is not simply a response to homo phobia. It is a negation of freedom of thought and freedom of choice. Surely those Christians and other reli gious groups whose teachings label homo sexuality a sin have just as much a right to their opinions as the members of the CGLA. Yet in requiring them to support the CGLA, these students' freedom is Politicos should see both sides .To the editor: This letter is in response to the "Southern Man" letter by Rick Spargo on April 13. Although he raises some very interesting points, he fails to tell the whole story. Carolina is a very good place to become apolitical, as much because of the politically oriented groups on all ends of the political spectrum as for any other reason. It seems that anyone interested in cur rent events at UNC has two doctrinal choices, either the diehard liberals or the diehard conservatives. To fail to toe your chosen party's line unquestionably is to invite ostracism. On one side, members of Students for Amer ica have been kicked out of that organization for failing to see a certain issue properly. On the other. Action Against Apar theid has split off from the Anti-Apartheid Support Group due to a disagreement in tactics, proving that adher ence to doctrine is not enough. What both ends of the spec trum fail to realize is that, in any normal curve, the largest concentration of the popula tion will appear near the center. Spargo is correct in assuming that most people are not liberal; he is incorrect in assuming they are conservative. Most people are really somewhere in the middle. Political debate is a wond erful and necessary thing in any society. The problem arises when individuals or groups .assume that they have the only answer and anyone who dares to disagree with them can only do so out of evil motives be they "secular humanist" or "racist." This problem of peo ple believing they can read the minds of others and ascribe motives to them simply from the views they hold appears not only at Carolina, but in society in general. Too many people on both ends of the political ace relations To the editor: For months now, the community has had to endure the conservative mouthings of Keith Poston. His most recent piece brings his word to new heights ("Bigot-hunt becomes all-consuming," March 30). I'm not writing this to blast him, but to take up his challenge of open-mindedness. So far, others have responded to his skewed view of the McCarthy era. I wish to question the opinions expressed in the main body of his column, namely, whether people should be so sensitive about racism. Poston, I agree that minorities sometimes have a tendency to be over-sensitive, and every so often to a ridiculous extent. However, 111 be darned if I let a white male member of America's white male-dominated society trivialize these peoples' concerns, as if the Civil Rights Amendment made everything okey-dokey! Poston, let me try to elighten you. 1 don't know how many blacks you associate with or call friends (1 suspect none), so let me explain the things you don't have to worry about. When 1 walk into a room, my blackness is obvious, my race unmistakable. America's history and society have made my race a brand with potentially very real emotional effects on the white majority. When 1 encounter whites, how will they respond? What are they thinking? Will I be given a chance to be accepted for what I w R Eeadeir' Foirymm John Hood Guest Writer stripped and their opinions treated as sacrilege. Please realize that my own views bear no relationship to the Christian perspective. But 1 recognize, as should student leaders, that practitioners of mysticism have just as much right to their opinion of homosexuality as anyone else. Of course, there are students who disagree with the claims of homosexuals on other grounds. Even those who think homosex uality should be a legal form of behavior disagree, as 1 do, with other demands of the gay liberation movement. Are these students merely uneducated or intolerant? Even if the answer to that question is yes, it does not justify forcing students to contribute to the CGLA against their will. It is amazing to me that the supposedly intellectual community here at Carolina condones such a rejection of freedom. If there was an anti-CGLA at UNC committed to wiping out homosexual conduct on campus and petitioning for student funds, then I suspect the homosex ual's argument would look quite different. They would describe the group as a hate filled tyranny engaged in revoking the freedom of homosexuals. And they would be right! But that is exactly the situation how, as well. Rather than simply affirming the right of all students to have their own beliefs, our current student tyranny has chosen to impose their views The Hiotry of Smhetccs t , ... . . v. Mf , vMiMf : 1T23 rubber, rootc wplrware nerf INVENTED IWTKOlXintD j iNtfENlfcU spectrum believe that they have the only answer and if that is accepted, everything would be wonderful. These people fail to see that reasonable people may disagree with them. Some people may place dif ferent emphasis on different goals. They may honestly and reasonably believe that a dif ferent strategy may be the best way to reach a certain goal. Perhaps they see a harmful side effect of a proposed solution that the solution's propnents either fail to see or believe is less important than achieving that goal. Wake up and join the real world, politicos. One of the main marks of a successful political strategy is how much of your goals you can accomp lish. And all you'll ever accomplish with a strategy based on name-calling is to antagonize the great mass of people who may agree with your ultimate goals but do not believe your plan is the only way to reach that goal. Intellectual debate needed To the editor: Rick Spargo's letter of April 13 castigating persons who feel alienated from the "New Con servative Right" is a prime example of the hypocrisy of a person calling himself a South ern man, or anyone else who professes to Christian princi ples. No one should spread hatred against any member of the human race, even if that person is a gay, dark-skinned Marxist sitting on the steps of Lenoir Hall tripping on LSD. All humans are emanations from God. Thus we are all brothers and sisters. Once we have dealt with the majesty of human existence, we might also notice that persons who are called "conservative" can hold liberal ideas on account of discontent with some aspect of the status quo. Further examination might allow us to see that some persons who are called "liberal" can hold conservative ideas, perhaps because they like something about our political structure as it stands today. If this were not true, then all white FRED PETR1CK Graduate Law are far from 'okey-diokey ' am? You, Poston, can live your entire life without dealing with a black person in any significant way. Blacks, On the other hand That realtor showing me a house . . . is heshe a bigot? Am I being steered away from certain properties? Realtors have been proven to do that. Is this one of them? That personnel director interviewing me? The banker processing my loan application? That auto dealer? My supervisor? My co worker? That nice girl I'd like to ask out? How far will these people go to treat a black equally, so that color or race makes no difference? A black person has to live with this question in the back of his mind with every new encounter whites. Now Keith, it's true, 1 dont know that you're a bigot. I also don't know that you're not. Racism has not disappeared; it has become more subtle. I have yet to be called a racially derogatory name to my face. But 1 have encountered some bigoted individ uals. Tell me, how easily could you live in a society constantly aware of the fact that the next person you deal with might wish you were back picking cotton? Our society is rife with bigots! Racism does exist. We just can't be sure when, where and how it will strike or what face it will be wearing. Try living in a society where you have to work twice as hard to get half as far as a white guy. Now try to strike a balance in over the whole campus. How can we as a university pretend to stand for a free society when such a mentality is accepted as enlightened? Why is it that the same students who rightly find sympathy for so many victims of state repression around the world regard as a triumph the repression of student views here? Coercing acceptance of a particular view only reinforces the idea that force is a legitimate means of spreading ideas and of dealing with each other. Those who are now being deprived of their liberty will wish for the day when they are in control and can deprive their enemies of the same liberties. The reign of terror will continue unabated. It is at this point in our maturity as an enlightened student body that we can take a stand for freedom. Groups like the CGLA should certainly be allowed to exist, just like any other political or religious group. But they should advance their cause the way other such groups do, through voluntary contribution, persuasion and example. These are the only means consistent with the principles of a free society. And as such, they should be reflected at any university committed to educating students and advancing the cause of freedom in our violent and war-torn world. But until this mentality comes about, do not allow the advocates of CGLA funding to claim the moral and "enlightened" high ground. They are the ideological children of Hitler, Stalin and Mao Tse-tung, and should be treated as such. John Hood is a junior journalism major from Charlotte. ball RUMSFOR PRESIDENCY Southern men would continue to advocate slavery. Although I am a white Southern man, I doubt I will burn in hell for holding the idea that racism has no place here in the South or anywhere else. 1 am sorry that Spargo is leaving UNC with such a pes simistic expression of disillu sionment in the process that is the essence of this university: intellectual debate. Construc tive debate is only one form of an activity that is the essence of Southern life as I see it: the chat. JAMES WELSH Junior Speech Education We goofed In the letter "'Fun' themes need scrutiny" Tuesday, the last sentence should have read that the pimpprostitute party theme was inappropriate, not appropriate. The Daily Tar Heel regrets the error. that society. It's harder than anything you've ever done, so dont trivialize the concerns of minorities as if there is nothing to worry about. I mentioned earlier your challenge of open-mindedness. Here is a counter challenge to you, Keith Poston. You claim that bigot-hunters are unwilling to listen, closed-minded. Well, I don't know many conservatives, but I've always wanted to know what motivates them. So I invite you to meet with me, at your convenience, for an extended discussion of ideas. 1 am willing to share my ideas on divestment, race relations, Nicaragua, religion, abortion, or any other subject you wish to discuss, frankly and intelligently. I am willing to listen to your views in detail. To this proposal, 1 attach a small wager: that if 1 convince you of my point of view, you will state so publicly. Likewise, if 1 find your views convincing, I will do the same. 1 challenge you as a conservative to show your open mindedness. The meeting, Keith, can be wherever and whenever you like, over lunch or in an office. The choice is yours. SOLOMON GIBSON 111 Laboratory Technician Division of Animal Medicine VN AyWMW- Jm.