Newspapers / Daily Tar Heel (Chapel … / March 9, 1989, edition 1 / Page 8
Part of Daily Tar Heel (Chapel Hill, N.C.) / About this page
This page has errors
The date, title, or page description is wrong
This page has harmful content
This page contains sensitive or offensive material
8The Daily Tar Heel Thursday, March 9, 1989 Readers9 Forem (5h ia tig (Far Mnl 97th year of editorial freedom Sharon Kebschull, Editor WILLIAM TAGGART, Managing Editor LOUIS BiSSETTE, Editorial Page Editor MAR Y Jo DUNNINGTON, Editorial Page Editor JUSTIN MCGUIRE, University Editor JENNY CLONINGER, University Editor TAMMY BLACK ARD, State and National Editor CHARLES BRITTAIN, City Editor ERIK DALE FLIPPO, Business Editor DAVE GLENN, Sports Editor CARA BONNETT, Arts and Features Editor JAMES BENTON, Omnibus Editor JULIA COON, News Editor DAVID SuROVVIECKI, Photography Editor Kelly Thompson, Design Editor $1 0,000 going to waste To discourage people from walking in the Arboretum after dark, the University spent more than $10,000 to put 14 gates and chains around the garden last semester. Since then, the gates have yet to be locked on a regular basis, and no one is willing to assume immediate responsibility for them. It would seem that the wrought iron gates at some of the entrances and the chains that drape across the others were an unnecessary expense spending thousands of dollars on waist-high gates is not going to keep people out of the Arboretum. Spend ing $10,000 on something meant as a symbolic gesture seems a steep price to pay, but the University made a commitment to the gates, and it must follow through on that commitment. Especially considering that there are no plans to light the area, some small efforts should be made to warn people of the dangers of walking through after dark. Peter White, Botanical Garden director, says he would be willing to take responsibility for the lock-up duty on weeknights if the University police would lock them during holidays and times when students aren't around. White has suggested hiring a student who lives nearby for about $2,000 per year $10 a night to lock the gates on weeknights, but his budget does not have the money to do so immediately. Sgt. Ned Comar of the UNC police, on the other hand, has police officers who he says patrol the area regularly. But he says it should not fall to his staff to lock the gates except on weekends because he doesn't have enough manpower. Obviously, the University did a poor job of planning ahead, although the idea to set up the gates was two years in the works. A semester later, some one must take control of the gates immediately. If police officers patrol the area at night as they are supposed to, Comar clearly does have the manpower to lock the gates after the Arboretum's full-time employee goes home in the evenings, rendering the $2,000 proposed salary for a student unnecessary. There's no set time for the gates to be closed, but police should have no problem locking them around 7 p.m. and unlocking them 12 hours later. The gates probably won't change many students' habit of cutting through the garden, but at this point, it does no good to argue whether the money should have been spent. Because it was, the gates should be used as they' were intended. And to be used means to be locked every night, with the sign that warns students to stay out kept in full view. Students may not obey the sign, but they might be made to think twice, and at the extreme, that could save someone's life. Sharon Kebschull Seize chance for progress The United States is losing a diplomatic war in Europe to the Soviet Union, and the overly-cautious atti tude of Secretary of State James Baker and U.S. arms control negotiators could frustrate arms control efforts and seriously strain the 40-year alliance between the United States and Western Europe. Earlier this week, Baker met with Soviet Foreign Minister Eduard Shevardnadze to discuss a variety of issues, including arms control in Europe. The talks seem promising because the superpowers appear to be committed to troop reductions in Europe, but Shevardnadze stole the show by calling for sweeping reduc tions in troops, aircraft and eventual negotiations over the presence of short range nuclear missiles in Europe. Shevardnadze's proposal is divided into three stages. The first stage would call for inequities between U.S. and Soviet conventional forces to be eliminated, followed by a 10 percent to 15 percent reduction of conven tional forces by both sides over three years. This is an important step because it is the first time the Soviets have admitted to their conventional advantage in Europe. That stage would be followed by an additional 25 percent reduction in. conventional forces over several years. Finally, the troops in Europe would be restructured to assume a "defensive nature." Baker and U.S. officials are calling the meeting between the two represen tatives a success, but they remain doubtful about the sincerity of the Soviets. They say the Soviets are talking more than acting and are reluctant to agree on the proposal or even set a date to discuss further reductions. But Shevardnadze has called for stringent verification, including on-site inspections with no right of refusal. He has also said the Soviets will initially remove close to 10 Soviet tanks in Europe for every one the United States pulls out. Bush's administration should take a more sincere look at the opportunity for massive conventional troop reduc tions. Shevardnadze is telling Euro peans what they want to hear the superpowers are interested in further arms reductions on the continent. If the United States refuses to take the initiative, the Soviets could gain lost diplomatic ground in Europe, as they already have in the Middle East. Although the United States should remain cautious throughout the nego tiation process, the skepticism of Baker and the U.S. representatives reflects a closed-minded attitude that must be changed to make any pro gress. The disorganization of Amer ican foreign policy strategists gives Shevardnadze the chance to make strides in winning the support of the European people. Chris Landgraff The Daily Tar Heel Editorial Writers: Kimbcrly Edcns, Chris Landgraff and David Starncs. Assistant Editors: Jessica Lanning, city; Myrna Mller, features; Staci Cox, managing; Anne Isenhower and Sieve Wilson, news; Andrew Podolsky, Jay Reed and Jamie Rosenberg, sports; Karen Dunn, state and national; James Burroughs and Amy Wajda, university. News: Craig Allen, Crandall Anderson, John Bakht, Kari Barlow, Maria Batista, Crystal Bernstein, Heather Bowers, Sarah Cagle, Brenda Campbell, James Coblin, Staci Cox, L.D. Curie, Blake Dickinson, Jeff Eckard, Karen Entriken, Deirdre Fallon, Lynn Goswick, Susan Holdsclaw, Jennifer Johnston, Tracy Lawson, Rheta Logan, Dana Clinton Lumsden, Helle Nielsen, Glenn O'Neal, Simone Pam, Tom Parks, Elizabeth Sherrod, Nicolle Skalski, Will Spears, Larry Stone, Uura Taylor, Kelly Thompson, Kathryne Tovo, Stephanie von Isenburg, Sandy Wall, Leslie Wilson, Jennifer Wing. Katie Wolfe and Nancy Wykle. Sports: Mike Berardino, senior writer. Neil Amato, Mark Anderson, John Bland, Christina Frohock, Scott Gold, Doug Hoogervorst, David Kupstas, Bethany Litton, Brendan Matthews, Bobby McCruskey, Natalie Sekicky, Chris Spencer, Dave Surowiecki and Eric Wagnon. Arts and Features: Leigh Ann McDonald, senior writer. Cheryl Allen, Randy Basinger, Clark Benbow, Adam Bertolett, Roderick Cameron, Ashley Campbell, Pam Emerson, Diana Florence, Laura Francis, Jacki Greenberg, Andrew Lawler, Julie Olson, Lynn Phillips, Leigh Pressley, Anna Turnage and Jessica Yates. Photography: Steven Exum and David Minton. Copy Editors: Karen Bell, B Buckberry, Michelle Casale, Yvette Cook, Joy Golden, Bert Hackney, Kathleen Hand, Angela Hill, Susan Holdsclaw, Karen Jackson, Janet McGirt, Angelia Poteat and Clare Weickcrt Editorial Assistants: Mark Chilton and Anne Isenhower. Amy Dickinson, letter typist Design Assistants: Kim Avetta, Melanie Black, Del Lancaster, Nicole Luter, Bill Phillips and Susan Wallace. Cartoonists: Jeff Christian, Adam Cohen, Pete Corson, Bryan Donnell, Trey Entwistle, David Estoye, Greg Humphreys and Mike Sutton. Business and Advertising: Kevin Schwartz, director; Patricia Glance, advertising director; Joan Worth, classified manager; Chrissy Menhitt, advertising manager; Sabrina Goodson, business manager; Dawn Dunning, Beth Harding, Sarah Hoskins, Amy McGuirt, Maureen Mclntyre, Denise Neely, Tina Perry, Pam Strickland, Amanda Tilley and Joye Wiley, display advertising representatives; Leisa Hawley, creative director; Dan Raasch, marketing director; Stephanie Chesson, Alecia Cole, Genevieve Halkett, Camille Philyaw, Tammy Sheldon and Angela Spivey, classified advertising representatives; Jeff Carlson, office manager and Allison Ashworth, secretary. ' Subscriptions: Ken Murphy, manager. Distribution: David Econopouly, manager; Newton Carpenter, assistant. Production: Bill Leslie and Stacy Wynn, managers; Anita Bentley, Stephanie Locklear, Tammy Sheldon and Leslie Sapp, assistants. Printing: The Village Companies. Student exchange benefits campus, Soviets miwo vears aeo. a dream was born. I """ : wo years ago, a dream was born. Sentimental, perhaps, but true. A few JUL students and faculty advisers felt the time had presented itself for an exchange to take place between UNC students and Soviet students. What type of exchange? No one really knew at the time. There was simply an intense desire, encouraged by the new detente between the superpowers, to establish a point of contact and commun ication between the United States and the U.S.S.R., between UNC and a Soviet sister school. However, at the time it was only a faraway aspiration. The obstacles to the establishment of a UNC-Soviet exchange were enormous. First, UNC was among many schools competing for the opportunity to be assigned a sister school in the Soviet Union. The U.S.S.R. had agreed for only ten such exchanges to be established. UNC students put together a proposal which was finally accepted by the Citizen Exchange Council of New York. The first obstacle was the easiest. Next came the challenge of quickly creating a student organization to . coordinate the project. The organization had to define the goals of the exchange and then form a corresponding agenda that would achieve these goals. There was so little time. The Soviets would arrive the following year. Then, the money. The exchange was a student-run, student-organized program (with the fullest amount of cooperation and help from the Office of International Programs). As a student-run organization, the students and advisers had to raise the $31,000 price tag through hours of grant writing, bake sales, raffles, contributions, pleading phone calls and hard work. Some exchange members even cleaned the Smith Michael Schmier Guest Writer Center after games to raise funds. To those who gave their money or their effort, I personally say thank you for a dream come true. In a period of less than eight months, the exchange achieved its monetary goal a goal which would ensure the comfort of the Soviets when they arrived and would ensure the cost-free emphasis of the program. Then on Feb. 26, the Soviets arrived, and I was a little apprehensive. I did not know how our University or our community would receive them. Would the Soviets be treated as spectacles or as people? Would there be antipathy or enthusiasm? Would this exchange translate into something more then simply 12 Soviet students spending a week at an American university or really create a better understanding? Would we all discover something new? Of course, I had always hoped that the exchange would have great significance for students, the Univer sity and the community, but when it came to "crunch time" I personally was unsure of what the outcome would be. I should have been more confident. The administrators, faculty and student body gave a better than expected effort in the first year of the program to create a favorable atmosphere for the exchange. To those who came to the seminars, who hosted students, to those who asked questions and showed the slightest bit of curiosity to our guests, I must also say thank you. I knew everything would turn out fine when the guys on my hall (who had been threatening "commie" jokes all week) instead treated my Soviet guest with warm curiosity and friendliness. I hope the UNC-Soviet Exchange is only a beginning to something greater. Perhaps in the near future UNC students will be able to spend semesters and summers studying in Rostov-on-Don, and Rostov State students will be able to do the same in Chapel Hill. Perhaps our professional schools will exchange students and even faculty members. It is the goal of the UNC-Soviet Exchange to bring our two universities for long-term intellectual and cultural exchange. At the same time, this exchange program hopes to allow people to see each other face to face without a wall of misconceptions and stereotypes separating them. For me, the greatest part of the exchange was discovering the many ways in which Yuri, my Soviet guest, and I were alike; the joy was encountering a person who has needs and wants like anyone else; the fulfillment lay in the shedding of ignorance and the attainment of knowledge and a new friend. Finally, I must say that the exchange will thrive only as long as the students and the administration want it to thrive. The exchange could just as easily fail next year as it succeeded this year. Without the extraordinary amount of effort, time and devotion on the part of a small group of students and faculty, the exchange would have easily remained a dream and another unfulfilled aspiration. Therefore, I challenge the administration to show even greater support and more students to get involved in a project that has unlimited potential. Michael Schmier is a sophomore history and Russian studies major and a member of the UNC-Soviet Exchange. Campaign criticisms valid To the editor: I read and reread the guest column on Tuesday ("Cam paign criticism not construc tive," March 6) and was a bit disheartened. Not only did I work on a student body pres ident campaign, but I also ran a successful campaign for Stu dent Congress. I was sure to check with the Elections Board if I had any questions regarding the legalities of my actions. I even made sure to stand over 100 feet away from the polling site, because I knew I could have been disqualified. Mr. Greenwood's and Mr. Hathaway 's article reeked of that old cliche, "Everybody's doing it." They said it would be naive for the editorial board to "presume that these improp rieties (campaigning within 50 feet of the polling sites) were unique to the spring." This does not condone or excuse these violations. And, while there is no written rule or law stating that campaign staffers may not be obnoxious at forums, it only seems logical to expect some civility. After all, the purpose of the forums are to inform the students about where each candidate stands on the issues. They are not pep rallies. While I do agree that many campaigners did abide by the laws, and should be com mended for their work, those few who didn't tarnished the election. When campaigning or running for an. office, we all must uphold the rules set down for us, even if they seem illog ical or inconvenient. We mustn't set a precedent of performing acts that violate Elections Board rules. Anarchy is a horrible precedent. MINDY FRIEDMAN Sophomore Education Races need mutual respect To the editor: When the word "respect" comes up, I automatically define it as "due courtesy or tolerance for things that I may or may not understand" includ ing those things that do not directly affect me. Obviously some people do not understand this principle. Jl PEPSI HJFFERS A SETBACKoju-jjA jlN wV-t y ..... ... Around 12:40 a.m., my Delta Sigma Theta sisters assisted our pledges in one of the final Greek rites called the "Death March." This event, one com mon to all black' Greek organ izations, has been passed down within my sorority for over ,75 years. It is sentimental, sacred and extremely special for all involved. Hence, it should come as no surprise that my organization was both furious and disheartened over the conduct exhibited by several white UNC students. Racial slurs, chants of "Delta Sig" and thrown water were just a few of the tasteless actions that went on. The highlight of this ignorant fiasco came when one male decided to urinate beside our pledges while beck oning us to "take a look." Let me also add that there have been similar incidents in the past common to all members of the Black Greek Council." Not only do I think it a campus responsibility to stop this type of behavior, I also implore the white Greek system to take a stand as well. Who knows? If we can take a united stand together, it might lessen an unnecessary problem and contribute to racial harmony on this campus. Keep in mind that it has to start somewhere. MIA DAVIS Senior Journalism advertising Bush right not to intervene To the editor: The following question is directed towards Chris Land graff and stems from his edi torial of March 8, "Bush worsens crisis." Mr. Landgraff, have you ever heard of an economic principle known as laissez-faire? It just so happens that this concept, which calls for no governmental interfer- . ence in the functions of the market, is and has been the fundamental doctrine of the American economy for over 200 years. Adhering to this policy, the president correctly refused to intervene in the dispute between Eastern Air lines and its machinists union. Yes, the strike probably will cripple the transportation industry, and possibly even pose a threat to travelers should sabotage prevail. But perhaps this will cause the American public to recognize the self centeredness of the AFL-CIO and the unions they support. Where will the machinists be, when Eastern fails? True to form, the unionists care not for the success of their company, but only for their own selfish demands and moment of glory. LEE NEWCOMB Freshman Economics political science Stand up for literary freedom To the editor: ' The persecution of Mr. Sal man Rushdie by fundamental ist Muslims presents a grave moral crisis for all of us who cherish individual expression and literary freedom. History is replete with instances of thinkers and provokers of thought being hounded by zealots and bigots. An intoler ant state killed Socrates for his ideas. Roman barbarians burned the library of Alexan dria and massacred Alexan drian scholars. An obscurantist church forced Galileo to recant his scientific theories. Nazi thugs burned the works of Jewish scientists and artists. . History repeats itself today. The attack of Mr. Rushdie is a challenge to the ideals of civilization. We, at this univer sity, have a duty to condemn such intellectual terrorism. The University is a citadel of learn ing and reason. Free thought and expression are taken for granted here. The burden of defending these luxuries also rests with us. I urge the faculty and the students of this Uni versity to respond to the Ayat ollan challenge by issuing state ments of support for Mr. Rushdie. This is the time to stand up and be counted. G. RAMACHANDRAN Graduate Environmental engineering BCC is a step in the wrong direction To the editor: Yes. Racism and prejudice are here at UNC. Whites and blacks (individuals) have not settled into any racial harmony; nor is it certain that they ever will. Thus we continue our efforts (waking the "apathetic," teaching the "ignorant," writing letters to the editor) in hope of achieving a harmony among the world's creeds and colors. But will a Black Cultural Center aid us in the struggle for harmony? Will it push us closer toward gaining a prejudice-free campus (and maybe even a prejudice-free world)? No. On March 6, 1 read Ms. LaTonya Rease's letter to the DTH ("BCC deserves SRC funding") which contended that the BCC will be "for the use of all students." Ms. Rease asserted that the BCC will play an "active role in increasing our cultural awareness and promoting racial harmony." More importantly, it will not discriminate "against those who are physically handi capped" (something she assumes a Student Recreational Center would do). But that's another issue. . Ms. Rease, I have a few questions about the BCC. If it is to be a center "for all students," why then does the name itself discriminate? There are so many other cultures on this campus that would not be represented by a BCC in fact, why a BCC and not a JCC (Jewish Cultural Center) or an ICC (Indian Cultural Center)? These two groups have also been discriminated against repeatedly; they too deserve a center which would promote an awareness of their culture. Still, a problem remains. While one specific culture is promoted, others are basically excluded. A BCC would separate one culture from another, and play an active role in enfeebling the struggle toward racial harmony. Is that not obvious? The BCC's effort to promote an awareness of cultures is a noble one indeed. However, by singling out one culture, the BCC will not give students an awareness of other cultures, nor will it promote racial harmony two assertions set forth by Ms. Rease. Perhaps a more qualified solution would be a Student Cultural Center one which would increase students' awareness of all cultures (leaving no stones unturned), one which would invite . all students to learn about different cultures and one which would truly bring the campus (and even the world) a little closer to some harmony. JoANNA CHRISTIE Senior Political science English
Daily Tar Heel (Chapel Hill, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
March 9, 1989, edition 1
8
Click "Submit" to request a review of this page. NCDHC staff will check .
0 / 75