12 The Daily Tar Heel Thursday, December 8,
(Ulip SaiU
96 th vear of editorial freedom
Karen Bell, News Editor
MATT BlVENS, Associate Editor
KlMBERLY EDENS, University Editor
JON K. RUST, Managing Editor
Will Lingo, aty Editor
Kelly Rhodes, Arts Editor
CATHY McHUGH. Omnibus Editor
SHELLEY ERBLAND, Design Editor
RHA's stress-saving suggestion
Freshmen may sleep more easily this
spring if the Housing Advisory Board
passes a proposal which would gua
rantee them a home for their sopho
more year.
The advisory board will make a
recommendation to Wayne Kuncl,
director of housing, about how to best
meet the demand for on-campus
sophomore housing. But the board will
have to choose between two proposals
one from the Department of
University Housing and one from the
Residence Hall Association.
Now, rising sophomores must go
through the lottery process for housing
along with juniors and seniors who
wish to remain on campus. If they do
not get in the residence hall they
request, they are placed on a waiting
list.
The Department of University
Housing has already submitted a
proposal to the advisory board which
would guarantee rising sophomores
the same room for another year.
Unless they wanted to change rooms
or residence halls, the sophomores
would not have to go through the
lottery with juniors am' rniors.
RHA opposes the proposal because
it could virtually eliminate the chances
for juniors and seniors to live in
"choice" dorms or in dorms they may
have lived in for two to three years.
Testing for more
The University took a step in the
right direction last week when Student
Health Service (SHS) announced a
new program created in response fo
the growing national epidemic of
AIDS. When UNC students return to
school next semester they will have a
new service available to them free
and anonymous AIDS testing.
Studies have indicated that college
students may face an above-average
risk of exposure to the virus that causes
acquired immune deficiency syn
drome. The program represents a new
University commitment to providing
students with information that could
help curb the spread of the AIDS virus
on campus. UNC will become the first
university in the state to offer such a
testing service, which was established
after students expressed a desire for
AIDS testing in a study by the UNC
AIDS Task Force.
The plan is a good one for two
reasons. First, students will be able to
undergo testing for the AIDS virus in
The right cause,
It's a vote-a-thon of sorts. The senior
class will be asking groups and
businesses to pledge money for every
vote students cast in the University's
campus elections this spring. The
money will go to the Make-A-Wish
Foundation, an organization that
grants the wishes of children with life
threatening illnesses.
The goal of the fund-raiser is
primarily to raise money for charity,
according to Steve Tepper, senior class
president. Organizers also hope to get
students thinking about voting and
perhaps even to increase the tradition
ally abysmal voter turnout in campus
elections.
The senior class deserves points for
creativity and dedication. But while
their hearts are in the right place, this
fund-raiser has disturbing
implications.
There's something disquieting about
adding ulterior motives and special
incentives to the voting process. The
Make-A-Wish Foundation is certainly
a worthy cause but why turn voting
into a business venture? This only
cheapens and trivializes the voting
process: It suggests that voting doesn't
have intrinsic value. Voters should
turn out because they are concerned,
not for door prizes even when the
prizes are going to sick children.
Of course, giving up on raising
money for this worthy cause is not the
answer. The time and energy being
1988
ular Mn
Jean Lutes, Editor
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
BRIAN FOLEY, Photography Editor
Kelly Thompson, Design Editor
RHA proposes that sophomores go
through the initial lottery process with
juniors and seniors, to give all vying
for popular spaces an equal chance.
But for those sophomores who don't
get in their first choice, RHA suggests
the University guarantee a room on
South Campus.
The RHA proposal takes advantage
of the fact that the space problem
varies from one part of campus to
another. North Campus dorms are
overcrowded, but South Campus
dorms are not being filled to capacity.
Randolph said studies published in
the housing department's literature
show the second semester of a college
student's freshman year to be the most
stressful and the one which sets the
tone for the rest of his or her college
career. So, alleviating stress for
freshmen during the spring lottery
could increase the numbers of those
who make it successfully through
college.
RHA's proposal would not only
help rising sophomores sleep more
easily (in a residence hall) but also help
the University fill South Campus
dorms. The Housing Advisory Board
should support the RHA proposal to
ensure sophomores and the Depart
ment of University Housing a less
stressful spring semester. Sandy
Dimsdale
than grades
complete anonymity. Holman said
student identification and registration
cards would be placed in a sleeve
showing only the student's picture and
validation sticker. This, should elim
inate apprehension that some students
might have about being tested.
Second, counseling both before and
after testing will be a major component
of the program. Counseling will focus
on methods of protection or, if a
student tests positive, appropriate
measures for treatment. It also will be
designed to help students better
understand the results of the test.
The main purpose of the plan is to
inform. The SHS will not keep
statistics or records of any kind the
program has been instituted purely as
a service to UNC students.
For students who are in a high-risk
group or who believe they may have
been exposed to the AIDS virus, the
test is a must. Although there is yet
no cure for AIDS, early knowledge
is the key to containing its spread.
Louis Bissette
the wrong way
spent on this event could be better
channeled into a more appropriate
pledge-oriented fund-raiser. Luckily,
the election day event is still in the
planning stages. If the event's organ
izers are set on associating the fund
raiser with campus elections, they
could place boxes near the polls into
which students can drop their names
whether they vote or not.
The Elections Board has no juris
diction over the matter, according to
Wilborn Roberson, elections board
chairman. Roberson added that the
board can and soon will give
the senior class an advisory opinion
about the fund-raiser. But because no
one can force the senior class to change
its plans, the group should voluntarily
restructure the event. This will no
doubt be a hassle: Organizers have
already billed the event to some
potential sponsors as a pledge-per-vote
arrangement.
Mixing money with votes is never
a good idea, even when it benefits the
best of causes. The great amount of
time, energy and good intentions that
would be invested in this fund-raiser
would be better spent on a less
questionable method.
Students who wish to learn more
about Make-A-Wish can write to:
Make-A-Wish Foundation of Eastern
N.C., P.O. Box 32298, Raleigh, N.C.,
27622; or call 919-755-5555. - Matt
Bivens
A columnist's
must relate what happened to me the
other day, and please, any similarities
to Dickens are Durelv coincidental.
Besides, it's not like I'm getting paid for
this how much originality do you expect
for free?
I was in a terrible mood. The math exam
I thought I had done so well on came back
with the score of a hockey game; the
motorheads next door had kept me up all
night blasting the Motley Crue Christmas
album Hell is for Santa. I had a 50-page
philosophy paper to write on "Plato: the
early years," and I had been turned down
on 17 separate occasions for a little holiday
snuggling because the mistletoe I was
carrying was actually poison ivy.
"IVe had it with school!" I shouted to
passers-by. "IVe had it with girls! IVe had
it with everything!"
An elderly woman ringing a bell for the
Salvation Army stopped me and asked,
"Why so glum? It's Christmas."
I looked her in the eyes and stepped on
her toes. "Christmas?! What do have to
be merry about? You deck my halls, lady!"
I went back to the dorm to take a nap.
Just as I was drifting off, I heard a low,
blood-curdling voice. "You, David Rowell,
will be visited by three ghosts."
I turned to look. It was the ghost of
Ranzino Smith.
"Ranzino! What are you doing in my
room? I thought you were playing ball in
Pakistan "
"SILENCE! Three ghosts, David
Rowell. The first will come by noon.
Expect him. You have been warned."
"Ghosts? But IVe got work to do."
"Noon today," he shrieked.
"Well, all right. Thanks, Z."
"Yeah man. Take it light." Then he
disappeared.
Soon I left for my 12 o'clock class,
muttering obscenities. I settled into my seat
in 212 Greenlaw, but no one else showed
up. Not even the teacher. Furious, I got
up to leave and saw that someone had
appeared in the front row.
"We're not having class," I said. Slowly
the mysterious figure turned around. It was
the ghost of Dick Crum. "Aw Dick, don't
tell me you're the ghost of Christmas past,"
I exclaimed. "No offense, but I was hoping
for someone a little more lively."
He had on headphones and apparently
didn't hear a word. "All right," he said,
motioning to me. "Let's go get 'em." We
flew through the walls of Greenlaw and
back to 1975, back to my old school. It
was my second grade Christmas party.
"Look Dick, that's me over there. I'm
doing the old reindeers and light bulb joke.
You could tell I was going to be funny,"
Dick turned to me. "You know, if I had
just told them to punt in that Clemson
game I think "
"Dick, Dick, do you mind? This is my
Dickens dream."
My teacher, Mrs. Clayton, spoke to the
class. "All right. We're going to exchange
BCC won't
segregate races
To the editor:
I ask those who believe that
the Black Cultural Center will
foster segregation to consider
the following:
There are a number of suc
cessful black cultural centers at
predominantly white colleges
and universities across the
country. At my undergraduate
school, for example, the cultu
ral center was much needed and
much appreciated by the entire
university community. For
black students, attending
events at the center did not
preclude exposure to or friend
ships with students of other
backgrounds. You see, a black
cultural center is neither a
dining hall nor a dormitory nor
a classroom nor a gymnasium.
Interaction among people of
different backgrounds is not
threatened by a cultural center.
Life goes on as usual, only
enriched by the presence of the
black cultural center.
Why is the burden of assim
ilation so often put on minor
ities? Why is white American
culture considered by some to
be the only culture worthy of
public funding? A great
number of events and speakers
booked on campus represent
the tastes and interests of white
America. Black culture is not
just the expression of some
special-interest group; it is . a
vital part of American culture.
This is especially true in the
South. Exposure to black cul
ture can benefit all who take
advantage of it.
Given the history and make
up of the United States, it is
no surprise that schools such
as the University of North
Carolina provide students with
endless expressions of white
American culture. By matricu
lating at UNC, black students
make clear their commitment
to integration. To accuse them
of separatism for wanting a
black cultural center is illogical.
The true separatists, it would
seem, are those who are unwil
ling to look beyond their cul
tures and broaden themselves
by supporting as worthwhile a
cause as the Black Cultural
Center.
PRECIOUS STONE
Graduate
Folklore
version of a Christmas Carol
David Rowell
Pardon Me
gifts now. You can give your gift to the
person whose name you drew last week."
"Look Dick, it took me four days of
wheeling and dealing to get Julia Rollins'
name, but I got it. God I loved her. And
she had my name, too. I know she did.
This is great watch."
I mingled through my stupid classmates
and got to Julia. She looked great. She
was wearing that blue dress, the one with
the Peanuts characters on it. "Here Julia.
I got your name. Merry Christmas. Do
you wanna give me mine now, or should
we sneak off somewhere and do long
division?"
She snatched my present. "Butthead!"
was her only reply.
"Wait a minute!" I yelled to Dick.
"Something's wrong with the tape. I don't
remember this happening."
He had on his headphones again and
didn't hear a word. Dick was a boring
ghost.
So there I stood alone in the corner,
having poured out my heart and my hard
earned change for the type of girl who
would like a guy just for the kind of
lunchbox he had. Then Jeffrey Campbell,
a veritable moron, came over. "Hey Dave!
Hey Dave! I got your Christmas present.
Want me to tell you what it is?" He had
Kool-Aid stains around his mouth and
pants that dangled around his shins. "Wait
a minute." He rummaged through his dirty
bag. "Here it is. Go 'head. Open it."
It was light, and I knew damn well what
it was. I opened it. "Oh boy," I said drolly.
"Nerf Hoop. How did you know."
"My mom got it." Then he sneezed all
over me, and I stood out in the hall, trying
to get drunk off flat ginger ale.
Dick returned me to my seat in
Greenlaw.
"You've got another one coming up in
about an hour," he said. I didnt want him
to stick around and chat, so I uttered the
name Mack Brown to make him vanish.
I went back to my dorm and made a
little lunch. Then, while brushing my teeth
in the bathroom, I saw two feet appear
under the stalls. Quickly I rinsed and
headed for the door. Someone said,
"Wwwwwait. I believe we have an
appointment."
Out came an incredibly old-looking
man, dusty and smelling like mothballs.
"I'm your present of ghosts. Uh, Christmas
ghost."
"My ghost of Christmas present."
"Something or other. Let's just get it over
with."
"You know," I said, "I must admit I
have no idea who you are."
Readers9 For em
fa
Take reviews
at face value
To the editor:
Although I agree with many
of Eric Rosen's arguments
("Theater critics need a lesson
in technique," Nov. 29), I think
he is missing a crucial point of
theater reviews (and concert,
book and movie reviews for
that matter). A critic's review
is simply his opinion. I think
that by now, being of college
age, we knowingly take this fact
into consideration when read
ing a DTH review. (This fact
can also be well applied when
reading some DTH articles.)
In attempting to disclaim
Andrew Lawler's "laughable
efforts" or Beth Buffington's
"misleading and timid" review,
Rosen supports his arguments
with what else? his opin
ions. Who is to judge whose
opinions are more accurate?
Certainly not DTH editors, as
Rosen proposes.
I, for one, chose to see
"Candida" despite its poor
review. I read Lawler's criticism
and accepted it for what it was
Lawler's opinion be it in
agreement with mine or not.
BARBIE STUCKEY
Junior
Business administration
Christmas trees
not exclusive
To the editor:
In response to the article
"Some object to spending fees
on Christmas trees," (Dec. 6),
I feel the need to speak out in
favor of holiday celebrations
throughout the residence halls.
This time of the year, for most
students, brings to mind images
of family and friends and a
general sense of togetherness,
regardless of religious affilia
tion. Historically, the Christ
mas tree has been synonymous
with such feelings of generosity
and goodwill. The tree itself,
however, is not a religious
symbol, nor has it ever been
used to exclude anyone on the
basis of religion.
The original intention of the
Morrison Legislative Council
was to create a festive atmos
phere by putting up and
informally decorating a Christ
mas tree. After the question
arose as to the religious signif
icance of the tree, a comprom
ise was proposed that would
allow funds to purchase a
menorah. The menorah was
suggested to represent the
significant Jewish minority, not
to merely appease the com
plainant. Mr. Bagenstos could
not consent to this proposal. I
cannot accept his rationale that
a menorah was not good
"Gardner. O. Max Gardner. Wha's a
matter boy, never take any Econ?"
"Never."
"There you have it." Off he took me
to the DTH office. "And remember boy,
they can't see or hear you."
"Gee, could we maybe stop by some
sorority houses after this? It seems such
a shame to waste all this here."
"Hush boy." There we were in Editor
Jean Lutes' office, and the other columnists
were there, all discussing their Christmas
plans. Or so I assumed.
It was Yelverton who started. "Hey, did
you guys all get the sa ne cheap Christmas
present from Dave?"
Williams mocked: "Boy Dave, how
could I ever repay you. A blank tape.
Having cash flow problems?"
"That's a practical gift!" I shouted.
Then McCuskey: "The sperm banks
must not be laying out the cash he thought
they would." They all went into hysterics.
"Get me outta here," I said,
After that display, I was not ready to
bear the ghost of Christmas future. Could
it possibly be any worse than the present?
I would soon find out.
In an hour a figure draped in black
climbed through my window. It said
nothing and held out its hand. We flew
straight into the year 2000 and straight
to the car wash next to Go Jyu Karate.
A crew of men in orange canvas
uniforms huddled together, drinking egg
nog from a bag. There I was, wearing my
blue graduation gown with my cap tilted
back. I sat on the curb clenching a rag
with frozen hands. My gown was wet and
soapy.
"Hey Mr. Dave," one called out. "You
going home for Christmas?"
My voice was strained and ragged.
"Home? Otis, I am home."
Then a long, green cl pulled into the
lot. I grabbed a sponge and got to my feet. ,
"Heads up!" I called to the men. "We got
a Plymouth."
On the way home (we took a bus), I
lifted the ghost's hood to reveal its identity.
To my surprise, it was the ghost of Dale
McKinley.
"Dale McKinley? What are you doing
in my Dickens story?"
"Well," he said quietly, "there's nothing
else really to do. IVe protested everything,
I got rid of the CIA. South Africa's not
fighting, got intramurals now. The ghost
gig came up, it gave me something to do."
When he brought me back, I was a
changed man.
"Classes are wonderful!" I shouted
across campus. "Every girl IVe ever known
was completely trustworthy. We had a
great football season. Exams will be a
breeze. Merry Christmas! Merry Christ
mas!" David Rowell is a senior R TV MP major
from Fayetteville.
"Wartails
enough because it might
exclude other religious groups.
What does he expect us to do;
forget the entire holiday season,
ignore the Christmas tradition?
The holidays have always been
a major part of American
heritage and we cannot simply
forget them for fear of offend
ing a few individuals with a
Christmas tree.
JENNIFER FOSTER
Freshman
Political science
Letters policy
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welcomes reader comments
and criticisms. When writing
letters to the editor, please
follow these guidelines:
B All letters must be signed
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B Students should include
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include similar information.
B The DTH reserves the
right to edit letters for space,
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Remember, brevity is the soul
of wit.
v