8The Daily Tar HeelMonday, September 12, 1988
i
1
uflj latlg
96th year of editorial freedom
Jean Lutes, Editor
Karen Bell, News Editor
. MATThlVENS, Associate Editor
KlMBERLY EDENS, University Editor
JON K. RUST, Managing Editor
Will Lingo, city Editor
Kelly Rhodes, Arts Editor
CATHY McHUGH, Omnibus Editor
DAVID MINION,
Don't be crass;
As the 100th anniversary of Caro
lina football, 1988 has been touted as
a year to build new traditions. With
a personable new coach, a fresh game
plan, new stadium lights, a new press
box and a relatively young Carolina
Fever program, students have good
reason to be excited about the season.
But excitement is a poor excuse for
the behavior of some of the fans at
Saturday's game.
Before the second-largest crowd in
Kenan history only 14 more people
attended last year's game against
Clemson and before a national
audience of ESPN junkies, the UNC
mikeman led the crowd in cheers that
can only be described as being in bad
taste. They were filled with obscenities
and references to sexual acts. The
cheers could be heard clearly through
out the stadium and also over the
television.
As always, the alumni were out in
force Saturday. It's a shame that they
and their children had to listen to such .
language. Imagine explaining to your
three-year-old what sodomy is and
what it has to do with playing football.
All mikeman cheers are supposed
to be cleared with Don Collins, the
adviser to the cheerleaders. Collins
said he cleared some cheers, but not
the off-color inventions the mikeman
used last weekend.
"He (the mikeman) is representing
the University of North Carolina and
the spirit program," Collins said,
adding that he would meet with the
mikeman today to discuss the inap
propriateness of certain cheers. .
Get enraptured
It could have already happened. It
could be happening right now. Your
400 classmates in BA 71 disappear.
People lounging in the Pit suddenly
vanish into thin air. What is going on
here? Fall break isn't for a few more
weeks. Oh, that's right, today is the
Rapture.
Those who disappear are actually
the lucky ones. The Rapture marks the
beginning of the end of the world, and
people deemed worthy are spirited
away from the death and destruction
that is sure to follow. Anyone remain
ing might be interested to learn that
World War III will begin at 5 p.m.
sharp on Oct. 5.
In his book, "88 Reasons Why the
Rapture will be in 8," former NASA
engineer Edward Wisenant makes the
above predictions. He cites cycles of
40 and 70 years, satanic pyramids and
psychic proof of the birth of the
Antichrist, as well as the Bible.
Wisenant's reasoning can be fairly
complex, but all too often it lacks
substance, as in reason Number 73:
"World War III looks very probable
in 1988 just from casual observation,
and it all looks like it has been planning
for a very long time."
The author masks the hollowness
Welcome to the editorial page's newest
feature, to be written by the editors of the
DTH. Well use this space each Monday
to explain our editorial policies and
decisions, to discuss changes and additions
to the paper and to let you know more
about what's going on in our office. We
hope to make the workings of your student
newspaper a bit more comprehensible,
while sharing some of the insanity that's
often found behind the names that are listed
in the top left corner of this page.
"The Last Word" isnl really the last
word; you, the reader, will always have that.
But this column will be our last word, our
attempt to give you a "behind the scenes"
glimpse of the DTH that you wont get by
glancing in the windows of our office or
picking up the paper each morning.
With that said, the first thing I'd like to
explain is our policy on letters to the editor.
Our "Letters Policy" outlines the basic
prneev of submitting a letter, but you may
be interested in how we decide which letters
to print.
The first thing to understand about letters
to the editor is that we don't always have
a choice; sometimes we're so desperate to
fill the editorial page that well print almost
anything. This is a rare and unhappy
alar Itel
KAARIN TlSUE, News Editor
LAURA PEARLMAN, Associate Editor
KRISTEN GARDNER, University Editor
SHARON KEBSCHULL, State and National Editor
MIKE BERARDINO, Sports Editor
LEIGH ANN McDONALD, Features Editor
KIM DONEHQWER, Design Editor '
Photography Editor
show some class
But the mikeman wasnt the only
fan to fail the Miss Manners test.
While the band performed on the field
at halftime, all eyes were riveted on
the colorful spectacle of the card
section. Students tossed the laminated
cards into the air, and the cards came
raining down on other students like
circular saw blades. The cards are
heavy, with sharp corners, and they
hurt.
Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity organ
izes the card section, so fraternity
members come early to games to set
it up. In return, they get some seating
in the card section. Nate Watson,
Sigma Phi Epsilon president, said the
fraternity would be meeting with the
athletic department to decide what
needs to be done to keep students from
throwing the cards. The fraternity has
considered stationing police officers
nearby during the card drill, he said,
"but we'd like for it not to happen."
WI know it (the card section) can be
done," Watson said. "It's just a matter
of people working together."
But unless people do start cooper
ating, the days of the card section may
be over. It certainly seems likely that
the section won't survive another
throwing frenzy like Saturday's.
On Sept. 24, the Tar Heels host
Louisville. That weekend is also
parents' weekend. UNC fans should
clean up their acts before then. After
all, crass cheers and childish behavior
aren't the kind of new football tradi
tions this University needs. Matt
Bivens
with real issues
of his position by appealing to the fears
and faiths of his audience. If you get
past this emotional manipulation, it is
easy to pick apart the arguments.
Because of his outrageous predic
tions, Wisenant's views invite close
scrutiny. As a society, though, we
rarely examine more mundane but
potentially more important issues
facing the country with the same close
attention.
We cannot blindly believe the ideas
our government, our politicians and
our media peddle to us. We should
be more concerned with choosing the
next president than with the possible
disappearance of those around us.
To find the substance behind the
images of George Bush or Michael
Dukakis, we have to ask tough
questions and demand substantive
answers on important issues. The
campaigns may try to cloud the issues
with themes of patriotism or a fear
of the Soviet Union.
For now, IVe decided not to mark
the start of WWIII on my calendar.
If my classes are empty today, I may
change my mind. In the meantime 111
be taking a harder look at other people
who aim to win my support. I fully
expect to be around to vote in
November. Bill Yelverton
the last word
occasion, and one that we do our best to
avoid,
A sore point with many letter-writers is
length; we have space limitations that do
not allow us to print long letters. We must
cut letters to fit our space, whether the
letters are repetitive or merely too long. A
hint: once you're written more than two
typed, double-spaced pages, try to wind
down. That makes an awful .lot of news
paper copy.
We do not print publicity letters, which
we define as letters written to call attention
to specific campus events. .This policy is
necessary because we do not have the space
to advertise all campus activities on the back
page, and it would be unfair to choose to
help some groups and not others. Quite
frankly, even if we did have space, I
wouldn't want to print such letters, because
I think "Readers' Forum" should be
reserved for arguments and observations,
not advertisements.
We choose letters to print based on their
timeliness, their coherence and their length.
We do not avoid printing letters that are
extremely critical of the paper; actually, I
take a sort of perverse pleasure in proving
that I'm not afraid to be publicly chastised.
Jean Lutes
ofe is like
It's big. It's very big.
In fact, many people have told me
so in these exact words. Of course, I
realize that it's relative and all, but I have
to agree. I am not boasting nor bragging;
I don't mean to sound conceited, but there
are no two ways about it it's big.
That's what attracted me to Carolina:
its size. It's a Lucky Charms mix of
surprises in the big cereal bowl of life.
Alas, discovering the little quirks that
exist among such a diverse student body
is not as simple as separating the yellow
moons, purple hearts, green clovers and
blue diamonds from the. crunchy dull stuff.
Besides the readily discernible advantages
in having geographical, religious, ethnic
and racial diversity, this academic envir
onment promotes the co-existence of many
different ideologies and ideas. I refer not
to "popular" beliefs, but to the bizarre,
private convictions held by individuals. We
all have them, and the cross-section of
students at UNC provides a big, fat
salmagundi of wackiness.
Take a good look at the person sitting
beside you. No matter how well you think
you know him or her, he or she could
believe that Jimmy Hoffa is still alive,
dressing in drag and using the name Jeanne
Kirkpatrick. It just may never have come
up in conversation.
I first began to notice this phenomenon
last spring. A few compadres and I were
at a friend's house, on Rosemary Street one
evening drinking.some herbal tea. We got
on the subject of movies, and in particular
Westerns, when one of my friends stated
that she believed everything everyone ever
says is actually a line in a Bette Davis
movie. Dwelling on this single statement
for days, I began to experience downright
weird occurrences.
Complain
in person
To the editor:
Yes, Marguerite Arnold, we
do have problems in this world
and on this campus, and a
substantial parking shortage is
one of them! It's a problem that
affects every person on this
campus: the students, the
administrators, the faculty, the
maintenance staff and the
administrative assistants.
Contrary to what you
believe, student government is
not working to find a space for
Biff to park hi BMW and we
are not trying to deprive our
faculty and administration of 5
their parking spaces. We simply
want to make sure that all
groups who are affected by the
parking policies are represented
in the decision-making process.
For students working off cam
pus to pay for their education
and student teachers living on
campus, this is a serious prob
lem. As members of student
government, it is our respon
sibility to make sure that these
and other student views are
represented.
Instead of sitting at home
writing letters to the DTH and
complaining about how we are
wasting our time with this issue,
why don't you attend the next
Traffic and Parking Advisory
Committee meeting on Sept. 29
and voice your opinion to
members of the committee? I
personally would love to see
you walk into an overheated
room full of people who take
this issue very seriously.
PAULA ZELLMER
- Senior,
Business administration
Chivalry
is dead
To the editor:
Occasionally I have to stand
up on the bus as I ride from
campus to my apartment. It
isn't too dangerous if you
remember to brace yourself
against the starts and stops.
I have also been pregnant on
occasion. It is exceptionally
wonderful except for the aching
back and cramping leg muscles.
Twice I have seen a pregnant
woman board my bus and have
Questions keep America great and free
To the editor:
In her Sept. 8 letter ("United States: love
'em or . leave 'em"), Suzie Saldi displays
an incredible lack of insight, coupled with
all the reasoned political philosophy of the
average "Morton Downey, Jr. Show"
audience member. Saldi tells us that if we
do not love the country as it is, to leave
it.
She writes about how the thousands of
immigrants who flocked to this country
loved it, yet she forgets that many of the
immigrants came here because they faced
in their home countries the same intoler
able political climate that an attitude such
as hers fosters. It seems strange that
someone who is so knee-jerk pro-American
can criticize the very attitudes that made
the foundation of this country possible, if
the majority of American colonists had felt
in 1763 the way Saldi does today, we would
a bowl of cold cerea
Stuart Hathaway
I Spy
For example, one day everyone I met
or saw was named Dave. I started blinking
to music and playing of all things
golf. Thank goodness I snapped out of it
after a week, but I kept noticing these
Things.
Over the summer I had an unusual
discussion on the Freudian consequences
underlying the use of straws. The individ
ual with whom I was speaking is convinced
that straws are a capitalist device produced
and financed by the bourgeousie to release
subconscious sexual frustrations and
tensions in the proletariat. Thus, they keep
the working class enslaved to the aristo-,
cracy and forestall the revolution.
; While the argument didn't persuade me,
it was enough to make me think twice
about those little plastic tubes, and to keep
me away from fast food restaurants.
The rest of the summer passed without
incident, and I began to feel fairly certain
that I had met the few really obtuse persons
in North Carolina. Then I came back to
UNC this fall. -
One of the most sociable and intelligent
students IVe met at UNC was certain that
when he turned off his light at night, The
Shining broke out in his aquarium among
his fish. Several mornings he said he woke
to find one of his neon tetras dead, and
was convinced that foul play was involved.
According to his story, when the lights
were turned off, one of his guppies would
lie motionless under the filter, its brain
absorbing the vibrations it created, and
ReMeirs9 Fortm
"ii "
an acute disorder -rW fsefoUstj -forc5
to stand. Unfortunately, I
didnt have a seat to offer. I
was angered and hurt by the
lack of respect afforded to this
woman.
I have a cousin in Charlotte
who is pregnant. I pray that
people in Charlotte are more
courteous than those in Chapel
Hill.
students in line; it forced them
to move their blankets into the
street to avoid a drenching.
This blocked Hwo lanes of
traffic and forced the traffic
into the other lanes.
We would appreciate some
one paying attention to this
matter before Wednesday,
Sept. 21, the day Louisville
tickets will be distributed.
ALICIA WORRELL
, Senior
1 ; Math
LISA KOWALSKE
Senior
Math
W.R. HUTCHENS
Sophomore
Education
Thanks for
the shower
To the editor:
As we sit here in line for
Oklahoma football tickets, we
really have to wonder who is
in charge of watering the grass
along Skipper Bowles Drive.
At about 7 a.m., as we were
sitting patiently along the
sidewalk, we were suddenly
jolted awake by a small hiss . . .
like that of sprinkler system.
Then, to our shock, we were
pelted with stunningly cold
drops of water! After all the
water conservation efforts that
Orange County has undergone
this summer, does it seem right
to water the already green grass
as well as the cement we're
sitting on? Also, does it have
to be done on a morning when
many hundreds of sleepy but
die-hard Tar Heel football fans
are in line for tickets?
This caused more than just
a minor inconvenience to the
Let there be
opposition
To the editor:
In the Sept. 8 edition of the
DTH, two letters caught my
eye. The first, by Marguerite
Arnold ("Screaming back at
the Klan is vital,") was on the
necessity of opposing those
who are so vocal on issues we
may disagree with. The other
letter, by Rich Brents ("Thou
shalt be informed"), was on
why he thinks Jon Rust should
curb his editorializing until he
actually sees the film "The Last
Temptation of Christ."
Arnold's article was right on
the money. She said that
screaming back at the Klan
"means that their beliefs are
still be living under British rule. No doubt
Saldi would be writing letters telling us
not to whine about the taxes on our tea.
Saldi's biggest error is to confuse the
country with the government that controls
it. I have respect for this country, for its
beauty and for the strength of the people
that live here. I have no respect for the
politicians and generals who have inter
fered in the li cs of millions worldwide in
my name, nor do I respect those who
blindly cheer them on. Perhaps when Saldi
was "standing proud during anti-American
rallies," she should have asked what the
people were protesting. Could it be that
the politicians to whom we have given so
much power are abusing it? Don't mention
the thought around Saldi, shell have you
deported.
The bottom line is simple. Whether or
not we agree that this is the greatest country
then turn, crazed, on the neon tetras. Onecj;
by one, the tetras were murdered until only
two were left. He had given up hope for,
the last two, only to wake one morning ;
to find the killer guppie floating on topr
of the water. One can only speculate, he'
says, but the last two neon tetras are still
alive.' . "
Just so you don't think this is a localized
phenomena dreamt up by homeboy North
Carolinians, I should tell you that there :
is a student from Indiana, an athlete and v'
generally a good student, who thinks that
no one actually lives in the state of
Tennessee. Though he has visited Tennes
see several, times, including the cities of '
Chattanooga and Knoxville, he insists that0
everyone there "was just visiting." .
Are these isolated incidents? Maybe noti
In the course of preparing this column,
I spoke with the writer of "Wednesday's ,r;
Child," which appears in the DTH on,r;
Wednesdays. At Time-Out late one night,
he confided in me that he has a friend with
the idiosyncrasy of all idiosyncrasies. This '
girl fervently believes that if you enter an
elevator in Davis Library and get off on
the eighth floor, you will actually exit from
a different elevator. Repeated attempts to
persuade her that this is impossible have '
been unsuccessful.
These are normal people. I guess we all
have some ideas or superstitions to which;
we alone subscribe, and, like the "Be;
Yourself" book you got in second grade1
it makes each of us feel different even
special. Here at Carolina, we have loads
of special people. Maybe in the big cereal
bowl of life, we're all a bunch of flakes. i
o
' .:V
Stuart Hathaway is a junior political
science and history major from Charlotte,
1
. ,
3
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challenged openly. That is the
only way to get them to stop J.
marching."
"At least if they (the Klan) V
march," she says,"let there be J
some active, loud opposition."
Good. Well said. .':
- Then I run my eyes on down
the page and find that Rich
Brents went to see "Last Temp
tation" because he saw the
protests surrounding the
release of the film as a "threat
to (his) constitutional rights."
Since when? If anything,
Brents should welcome the ,
protest of the film as a sign that
constitutional rights are alive
and well in America. I fear,
though, that many share
Brent's view and would want
to deny people the right to
protest even something that is
"progressive" and accepted by
all the intellectual elite.
As Arnold rightly said, pro
testing is a freedom guaranteed
to everyone under the Consti
tution, whether the cause is
popular or not.
People who oppose the Klan
are not going to remain silent,
nor should they. And neither
should people who oppose the
film "The Last Temptation of
Christ." If for no other reason,
Christians should protest the
film so that if it must be shown,
at least "let there be some
active, loud opposition."
KELLEY S. HUGHES?
, ' ' Senior
Philosophy
on earth, no one can make a rational' c
argument for the static political climate1,0'
that Saldi apparently desires. If we donVOJ
foster a climate of debate, continually -r;;
scrutinizing the actions of those who rule'
us, then we soon may no longer be the'4'
land of "freedom and democracy" thatl
Saldi admires. If this country is as greatri
as Saldi believes, then it could stand ''J'
criticism. Indeed, criticism can only serve s'
to make the country better. Saldi should
be thankful, for those who follow in the
footsteps of the Founding Fathers and v
question every action of their government.: -
It is people such as these that make a
country truly free.
ANTHONY WOODLIEF
- Junior
Political Science