10The Daily Tar Heel Thursday, April 16, 1987
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ular lAni
95th year of editorial freedom
Editorials
Parking plans
John McEnroe -would
be mort
ified. Eight South
boajti
cjrnron
Campus tennis
courts may be scrapped and replaced
v by a parking lot, according to a
.proposal by the UNC athletic depart
ment and the Rams Club.
The Hinton James courts are in
better condition than any others at
- UNC, and are the most widely used
on campus. If the University approves
.the proposal to destroy them, South
Campus students, who comprise over
half of all UNC dormitory residents,
w ould lose the bulk of the tennis courts
convenient to their area of campus.
The $450,000 proposal provides for
. constructing two additional courts
' next to the ones behind Cobb Res
idence Hall. Cramming more tennis
courts into that area would take up
: student parking space, which is already
scarce.
The proposed lot would accommo
date Rams Club members who want
personal parking spaces when they
attend athletic events at the Smith
Center.
But the Smith Center is already
surrounded by parking areas specif
ically for its illustrious financial
A lesson on the
In the past couple of months, the
; Chapel Hill Town Council has shown
that it knows enough about students
- and their allegedly rowdy ways to ban
Burnout and change the noise ordi
; nance. Unfortunately, the town coun
! cil's in-depth knowledge is not
j matched by student knowledge of city
: government. To alleviate this gap, the
following town council primer has
; been prepared:
! First, it's key for students to register
!to vote in Chapel Hill. Council
members, like any other politicians,
jtake people seriously who can remove
?:them from office. There are several
I : ;sites around Chapel Hill where one can
register, including the municipal
building and public library. Or if exam
pressure prevents students from reg
istering now, they can wait until fall
semester drop add, when student
p.goverment plans to have a voter
registration table at the drop add site.
Second, students could attend town
rrpSouncil meetings, which are held the
second, third and fourth Monday of
'levery month. Perhaps student govern-
Imeni couia appoini a liaison 10
Snonitor the town council and muster
rrstudent support at meetings that
rtonseqinur
The 'Hail to
Sept. 16, 1986. Pete du Pont, former
governor of Delaware, declares his candi
dacy for the Republican presidential
nomination. This seemingly innocent
announcement marks the beginning of
Campaign 8, over two years before the
general election.
The marathon process by which this
nation elects presidents confirms the great
non sequiturian rule of politics: the longer
the process by which a candidate is chosen,
the more likely the candidate will be
mediocre or worse.
Consider the following list. These men
are the five presidents who have served in
the lifetime of most UNC undergrads. Just
as a harmless exercise, try and pick the one
who has done the most good (or least harm)
to the country. (Answer at bottom).
A) Lyndon Johnson Texas wheeler
dealer who became multi-millionaire on
congressman's salary. Increased American
involvement in Vietnam on a false pretext,
leading to his decision not to seek a second
term in 1968,
B) Richard Nixon Set up ping-pong
matches between the United States and
China while plotting to undermine Consti
tution. Can be expected from a graduate
of Duke Law School.
C) Gerald Ford Thrust into office
following Nixon's resignation, Ford set a
' Jill Gerber, Editor
Amy Hamilton, Managing Editor
SALLY PEARSALL, News Editor
JEAN LUTES. University Editor
DONNA LF.INWAND, State and National Editor
JEANNIE FARIS, City Editor
JAMES SUROWIECKI. Sports Editor
FEL1SA NEURINGER, Business Editor
JULIE BRASWELL, Features Editor
Elizabeth Ellen, Am Editor
Charlotte Cannon, Photography Editor
KATHY PETERS, Omnibus Editor
net trouble
supporters, and a parking deck is also
being built to provide more spaces for
them.
With the present parking system,
Rams Club members are allocated
specific spaces based on the amount
of money they contribute to the
University. And if alumni don't show
up for games, no one else can use their
spaces. That includes other alumni
who were promised spaces and haven't
gotten them yet, as well as students
and faculty members who must park
near the hospital or walk from campus.
Instead of designating a numbered
slot for an alumnus to park, the
University could assign parking areas
based on rank allowing the largest
contributors to park in the area closest
to the Smith Center, the next highest
contributors to park in the next closest
lot, and so on with a provision that
right before game time, other alumni
would be allowed to fill empty spaces.
University officials are looking for
a plan to ease parking woes of alumni
contributors while suiting the interests
of students. They say they are still in
the information gathering process, and
are looking at other options. Surely
thev can find a better way to appease
the desires of the Rams Club without
forcing the students to make an
' unneeded and unfair sacrifice.
Town Council
involve student interests, such as the
one held Monday night concerning the
noise ordinance.
Finally, if students are ambitious
enough, they could run for mayor and
for town council. This year, as in everv
odd-numbered year, four of the eight
seats and the mayoral position are
open lor re-election.
In 1985, the last time mayoral and
town council elections were held, the
margin of victory in the mayoral race
was 455 votes, or about the half the
number of people who live on Olde
Campus. This margin was 7 percent
ot the total turnout.
The town council election is an "at-
large" contest, meaning that voters
may vote for up to four different
candidates out of the field. In 1985,
the winning totals of the four elected
town council members ranged between
2,786 and 4,272, totals small enough
for students to significantly affect the
outcome.
Students don't need to storm the
Municipal Building to get noticed. The
only thing necessary is a systematic
ettort that would harness student
numbers to influence Chapel Hill's
government. C.C.
the Chief quiz
record by falling down the stairs on four
separate continents. Will be mostly remem
bered for launching Chevy Chase's career.
D) Jimmy Carter In only significant
military engagement of career, Carter lost
a skirmish to a crazed rabbit who attacked
his fishing boat. His lack of will caused The
Disco Crisis of 1977, leading to disastrous
foreign infiltration by the Bee Gees.
E) Ronald Reagan As part of hands-off
leadership style, gave lieutenant colonels
unprecedented authority to conduct foreign
affairs. Believer in strong family values,
which explains why he dumped Jane
Wyman for Nancy and why he has such
wonderful children.
The correct answer is C, Gerald Ford.
Sadly enough, by not screwing up like his
four competitors. Ford wins the non
sequiturian award as the best president of
our lifetimes.
Each of these five men were elected after
a lengthy and exhaustive process. Forget
the junior high civics books, with their
paeans to the democratic process. The
presidential campaign has been trans
formed somewhere along the line into a
multi-year made-for-TV spectacular,
designed to entertain rather Jthan select.
Perhaps the president's theme song shbuld
be changed from "Hail to the Chief" to
"Send in the Clowns."
This time will never come again
eniors, our time has come at last. On
May 10, under our beautiful clue
'heaven, years of midterms, all-
nighters, dull readings, long papers and
longer lectures will finally come to a stop.
And for some, like myself, it's been a couple
more years than the customary four. But
that will only make graduation all the more
sweet.
As I spend my last month as a Carolina
student I discover that when one is about
to enter college, nobody warns quite
emphatically enough that almost no expe
rience will create as much change. We doni
leave the same person we came in as.
When I arnved in 1981, 1 fell in love with
the campus and Chapel Hill. Since then, the
spirit that is Carolina, rising perhaps from
the very earth on which it stands, has
permeated every part of me. And though
Carolina is, 1 suppose, a major university,
1 have never considered it so. For being so
large, it exhibits a remarkable illusion of
smallness.
In its heart, there is the depth of the"
campus, classrooms and libraries, labora
tories and stages. Venable Hall stands as
an aching maze of halls that could only
house scientific research. The legend that is
Old East is the cornerstone of Carolina's
history. And Davis Library, which, if
entered, seems to trap you and inject you
with the desire to fill vour head with
knowledge.
Serving as endpoints, or beginning points.
for this hub are two domed and majestic
edifices the Smith Center, where stars
are born, and Morehead Planetarium, where
stars are discovered. Add to all of this an
atmosphere of warmth and friendliness and
you get the feeling that this place is home.
There is so much in my five and a half
years here that has added a little more blue
Attend concert
for SASF
To the editor:
Tonight from 7 p.m. to 11
p.m. at He's Not Here, the
South African Scholarship
Fund (SASF) will host a
benefit concert featuring the
Pressure Boys, the Smoking
Phones and Billy Warden and '
the Floating Children. On
behalf of the entire SASF
committee, we invite you to
attend.
The SASF is a Campus Y.
committee first organized in the
spring of 1986 to establish a
scholarship fund for financially
disadvantaged black South
African students. Our goal is
$100,000, an amount sufficient
to enable six South African
blacks to attend the more
adequately funded "white"
universities. Thanks to the
generosity of UNC faculty,
staff, students, alumni and
others, we now have $54,000.
Obviously, we still have a
ways to go, but maybe not so
far as it seems. When the
scholarship fund was estab
lished, the Board of Trustees
agreed to match every contri
bution we received up to the
$100,000 limit. Thus, when you
come to He's Not Here and pay
the $2 cover charge, youH have
the satisfaction of knowing that
in effect you've contributed $4;
rarely will a dollar count for
so much.
A good cause and a good
time; everyone can identify
with at least one. However, this
Thursday, you can have them
both. Your contributions will
not only benefit the recipients
in South Africa and help foster
peaceful change through edu
cation, but also your attend
ance will show that the Univer
sity of North Carolina is
concerned about South Africa
and is actively involved in
helping to end apartheid.
Once again, we enthusiasti
cally invite you to join with us
in making a statement against
apartheid and for education
and equality in South Africa.
We can make a difference;
attend the South African Scho
larship Fund's benefit concert,
bring your friends, and have a
Think before
To the editor.
John Hood's column ("CGLA funding is
student tyranny," April 15) shows the same
ignorant, speak-before-you-think hypocrisy
of Rick Spargo's letter (" 'Southern man'
bids farewell to liberalism," April 13).
However, Hood's logic is not just ill
founded, it is backward.
Hood states, "When the Student Congress
decides to fund a certain organization, it is
forcing students to support views they may
or may not agree with. Donl let anyone
simply revel in the triumph of majority rule.
Surely (the) advocates of civil liberty
understand the danger a majority can pose
to a minority, and the. neccesity for a
constitutional safeguard of liberty."
Hood, the only mentality being "torced"
on people like you and Spargo is the
mentality of tolerance. Look it up. Every
self-proclaimed Christian (or humanitarian)
. should pay close attention to such a word.
Tolerance does not mean accepting hate
filled tyranny; it means simply tolerating
differences of opinion and yes, religious and
in
Readers-' Foirum
Richard Marvifl
Guest Writer
to my blood.
The people: Here 1 have met those who
will become my lifelong friends and one who
will be my lifelong companion. With all, 1
have shared part of myself, and they with
me, and all of us with our campus.
1 have witnessed the legacies of Nietzsche,
Frank Winstead, Lump, Wacko and Billy
Warden.
The place: Here I have walked the same
brick paths as Thomas Wolfe; would that
1 could truly follow in his footsteps. ' And
here 1 have taken part in the biggest
celebration this town has ever seen. The
moment when Michael Jordan hit The Shot
is forever frozen in my mind. The party on
Franklin Street was a delicious mixture of
Budweiser and blue paint. Nothing could
be finer.
And yet, as much as I have loved Carolina,
I have hated it.
For it is here that we enroll in a four
year, no credit course Life 101. Exams
are rarely objective; failures are many;
rewards few. It is not only the most
important course of all, but the most
challenging and demanding. It is what
changes everyone who passes through. It is
only when the course is nearly completed
that it is understood. Perhaps only much
later before it is appreciated.
And there is a lot 1 won't miss come May
10.
I will not miss blue books, computer
sheets or essay questions. Nor will I miss
trying to find somewhere to park on this
good time in the name of a
good cause.
RICHARD HOILE
Senior
Political Science
DANIEL KRESS
Graduate
Economics
your friends put you on hold
any longer, the fault is with
them, and not the technology.
The editorial would have been
better served if it had been
against discourtesy on the
phone, not against call-waiting
. . . The mayor and town of
Chapel Hill seem to have a
collective attitude problem.
They ignore the fact there
would be no town here if it were
not for the University and,
heaven forbid, the students. I
urge all students to register to
vote in the Chapel Hill area and
to exercise their right to dis
place public officials . . . There
is nothing better than a cold
beer, good music, good friends
and being outside in the sun
College is awesome. It's also a
great incentive to study. I have
to get at least good enough
grades so they'll let me come
back next semester and enjoy
college again . . . Let's get the
government off everybody's
back. Let's have the 65 speed
limit law, let's have an 18- or
19-year-old drinking age, let's
, allow the church to teach
religion and the schools to
teach everything else, with no
overlap of responsibilities. Let's
make farmers compete in the
real marketplace and stop
subsidizing idle fields, bad debt
and tobacco growing. There are
Springtime
ramblings
To the editor:
The random thoughts of an
in-state sophomore male stu
dent at Carolina from The Dick
Young Sporting News School
of Journalism: The anti-call
waiting editorial ("Hang up on
call waiting," April 3) shows the
conservative, old-fashioned
and anti-progressive bent of
The Daily Tar Heel staff. Last
year, the DTH came out
against the pristine sound of the
compact disc player in favor of
scratchy, hissy records. This
year you have come out against
not missing any calls in lieu of
missing calls. Sure, one may be
momentarily inconvenienced
by being put on hold, but so
what? Common courtesy holds
that no one holds another for
more than ten seconds, tops. If
you speak, or
sexual beliefs. One has the right (or should)
to practice homosexuality or atheism or even
Satan-worshipping, but not, of course, if it
infringes on another's rights. 1 do not mean
the "rights" you and Spargo speak of; 1
mean, a devil worshipper does not have the
right to kidnap children for human sacri
fices. It goes along the line of, "The freedom
of speech does not give one the right to shout
'Fire in a crowded movie theater."
Mr. Hood, you call anyone who is a
CGLA-funding advocate a child of Hitler
or the like. Please define that sentence you
had used earlier, "Don't let anyone simply
revel in the triumph of majority rule.1 Do
I sense the babbling of a child of the man
whose intolerance for a different religion was
only surpassed by his intolerance for an
alternative sexual lifestyle? I thought so . . .
You understand the need for protecting
the minority from oppression by the
majority, but you see no comparison to the
majority of heterosexuals possibly oppress-
campus. The money the traffic office collects
for a day's worth of parking tickets could
easily have paid my tuition for a year.
I will not miss the Carolina Dining
Service, which will always be the Pine Room
no matter what they call it. I will not miss
Drop Add. Nor will 1 miss Bynum Hall or
being ripped off at the bookstore. And
finally, above all else, 1 will not miss standing
in line.
But all the struggling, all the obstacles and
all the pain only seem to make this place
more special when they are overcome. While
I spend my final days here, I will recall much
more that 1 will miss when it's over.
Sliding down a sidewalk thick with ice,
riding a cafeteria tray. Hearing a James
Taylor concert at Carmichael. Watching the
girls of summer. Catching a baseball game
on a breezy spring afternoon. Staying up
all-night with good friends. Enjoying the
harmony and humor of the Clef Hangers.
Seeing Mark Maye find the open receiver
for a touchdown.Teeling pride and love that
all this and more is a part of my Carolina
There is much that I havfrtegretted doing,
and more that I regret not doing, but it's
been a great ride. I have learned a lot, but
only a small fraction from lectures; .Of
course, now that I have figured out how,
things work, I must be going. ,
This Mother's Day 111 wear that blue
gown with a satisfied smile. But when it's
all over, if you should catch me with tears
in my eyes, it's because 111 know then: That
although it's been sweet, this time will never
come again.
Richard Marvill is a senior journalism and
psychology major who, from now on, is from
Chapel Hill.
many more important and
fairer places to spend money,
like on education and scientific
research and maybe even let
people keep a little more of
what they earn or at least get
the government out of hock.
Let's keep America great; let's
get rid of all artificial turf on
all playing surfaces everywhere.
Let's grow some grass on the
main quad and on other dust
bowl areas on campus. Let's
quit complaining about brick
paths and start walking on the
ones we have now so we won
need any more paths later on.
Let's get the truth out of Ollie
North and the other high
ranking officials and lock 'em
up where they belong. Let's all
go see the Tar Heel lax and
baseball teams play and sneak
in your favorite brew with your
best babe or dude. Let's all
question authority every
chance we get to try to make
this campus, this country, this
world a better place to live.
Break the status quo and start
a new standard . Ill be
proud if this elicits tons of
response . . . I love the spring.
DAVID K. WILLIAMS JR.
Sophomore
. Economics
drop the issue
ing the minority (homosexuals) by defund
ing their support group. Should we defund
the Rape Action Project (if it is funded) for
the benefit of the percentage of men on
campus capable of rape? 1 think your
problem, and the problem of those petition
ing students, is that you believe you are
inherently right in your beliefs. Is homo
sexuality a sin, a universal taboo? Is a
homosexual capable of changing this
behaviour, if heshe wanted to? 1 would
suggest, since you are at UNC to learn, that
you do some checking up on these things.
You will probably be surprised.
P1qc vrvrn' Wq Hrnn this issue and
get on with something I think may be more
important in the long run - getting along
with your fellow human beings.
JANE ALEXANDER
Freshman
Business
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