8The Daily Tar HeelMonday, December 4, 1989
97th year of editorial freedom
Sharon Kebschull, Editor
MARY Jo DuNNINGTON, Editorial Page Editor
JUSTIN McGuiRE, University Editor
KAREN DUNN, State and National Editor
TOM PARKS, Business Editor
Dave Glenn, Sports Editor
Melanie Black, Design Editor
TAMMY BLACKARD, Editorial Page Editor
WILLIAM TAGGART, University Editor
Jessica Lanning, City Editor
CARA BONNETT, Arts and Features Editor
Kelly Thompson, Omnibus Editor
DAVID SUROWIECKI, Photography Editor
Julia Coon, News Editor
now set rJSSSrft JL
I THE HOOKIM 1
Release the records
Public documents must be disclosed
board
opinion
What goes on "
behind University
laboratory doors is a
mystery to many. -
Because of that, the Students for the Ethi
cal Treatment of Animals (SETA) is
demanding that the doors to the UNC labs
be open to the public by suing the Univer
sity for access to documents dealing with
animal research. Under the Freedom of
Information Act, SETA has a right to view
any government document composed in
UNC labs, a stance that even pro-animal
research groups support.
SETA filed a lawsuit on Oct. 9 against
UNC labs specifically against William
Huffines, chairmen of the UNC Institu
tional Animal Care and Use Committee
after the labs refused to show SETA min
utes of a committee meeting reviewing
protocols that describe animal treatment
during experiments. Protocols serve to fully
detail that treatment and must be approved
by the Institutional Animal Care commit
tee before the researcher draws up a fed
eral grant proposal. SETA's lawsuit asks
only for the release of four specific proto
cols submitted to the committee, but lead
ers in the group hope that by winning the
case all government documents will have
to be released for public perusal.
An opposition group to SETA the
Coalition For Animals and Animal Re
search (CFAAR) supports SETA's
efforts to view all government documents
that fall under the Freedom of Information
Act. Members of the pro-animal research
group do not think SETA should become
involved in the review process, but they do
think the group should be allowed to ex
amine any records related to the review
process if the courts rule that protocols are
government documents.
SETA has a strong lawsuit against the
University labs. According to leaders of
the group, the lawsuit is, after months of
negotiations, the final step that can force
the labs to release documents detailing
animal use in experiments. SETA argues
that if UNC has nothing to hide, it should
be accountable for its experimental meth
ods and open its records.
The University's defense against
SETA's lawsuit is that the academic free
dom of researchers is infringed if they are
forced to reveal all experimental methods.
The University claims researchers will
leave the public realm to protect their re
search techniques and move to private
institutions. While this may be a valid
concern, because many researchers do not
want to release their secrets, this should
not be used as an excuse by the University
to cover up information that should be part
of the public domain. When they become
part of a public institution's research team,
experimenters should know they fall under
a public records act.
As long as tax money is used for lab
operations, the public has a right to know
what's going on and how experiments are
run. If (and there is no proof of this yet)
there are infractions of the Animals Wel
fares Act, which outlines correct animal
treatment during experiments, then reveal
ing the procedures could clear them up.
Animal research is controversial enough
on its own don't cloud it further with
secret documents.
Bravery in Beijing
Student doesn't deserve punishment
Last week, a Wake Forest University stu
dent was found guilty of violating the school's
honor code because he supposedly deceived his
professors about his whereabouts while in
Beijing during the Tiananmen Square crisis.
Should an adult be placed on trial for doing
what he thinks is right? After hearing the evi
dence from both sides, it appears that China is
not the only place where students must fear
injustice.
Timothy Bell, a business major, was in
Beijing as part of a study abroad program with
28 other students when he witnessed the stu
dent uprising in Tian- nHHMBHHHiHHMaHnnBnHaHaHHHHiHHi
summer. BeH'Yprofe n 0Iie n'1 Bell
sors on the trip say the 1 . , , ,
student lied when he probably learned more
told them he would not
go to the square after than he did during his
he left the group's ho-
,e,Beii and another entire stay in China.
student received per- """'"i
tance was very important in ensuring that the
American public learned of the events. But the
professors accused Bell of endangering the
entire group with his actions and filed a report
with the Honor Council when they returned to
the United States.
The professors' accusations fall under a
Wake Forest Honor Code provision against any
"deliberate attempt by a student to make a
personal gain at the expense of another member
of the college community." But the professors
concern about the safety of the students was not
great enough to heed State Department warn
ings against going into
the region during the
crisis, and that seems
no greater a sin than
Bell's actions.
Bell, who went on to
make an A in the study
abroad program, is
being punished for tak
ing advantage of an
opportunity to witness
mission to leave the group to visit a friend of history and for helping to bring this event into
Bell's who worked at the Washington Post's American homes. While his professors were in
Beijing bureau. The professors told the Wake their hotel rooms, Bell was seeing the heroism
Forest Honor Court that permission was granted and sacrifices of the Chinese students first-
on the condition that Bell not go to the center of hand. Bell probably learned more in that one
trie city. Bell was also told that if he encoun- night than during his entire stay in China, but
tered any danger he was to return immediately because he decided to try to share this educa-
to the hotel, and he was asked to call the tion, he is being punished,
professors to let them know he was safe. The university Honor Council found Bell
Bell called his professors twice to let him guilty of the charges against him and placed
know he was safe, and he told them he had been him on probation until he graduates in Decern
forced to change his plans and stay with another ber. The terms of his probation include writing
foreign correspondent because the situation on a letter of apology to the professors and the
the. streets was too dangerous. Bell told the students involved. The Honor Council should
honor court he was unaware that he was forbid- be commended for seeing that this incident did
den to go to the center of the city and argued that not lead to Bell's suspension, but the professors
the group's hotel was only three miles from who filed the charges have much to learn.
Tiananmen Square. As a graduating senior, This summer, students across China stood
Bell probably understood the danger and the up for what they believed in, and many of them
risk, and he certainly did not need his profes- paid the ultimate sacrifice. Timothy Bell wanted
sors to play nursemaid. to play a part in this event and because of his
Before he left Bejing, Bell agreed to carry a actions, millions of people learned of the crimes
tape with footage of the Tiananmen riots out of in Tiananmen Square. While professors and
the country for NBC News the first scenes of honor courts are condemning Bell, many Chi-
Ihe: mayhem and violence in China seen in nese students would probably praise his brav-
America. NBC officials have said this is com- ery and thank him for his efforts. We should do
mon operating procedure and that Bell's assis- no less. Charles Brittain
The Daily Tar Heel
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Readers5 For em
Cell has shown ability and attentiveness
To the editor:
In light of recent commentary in The Daily
Tar Heel regarding the reappointment of Dean
Gillian Cell and, in particular, Dean Cell's
support for minority students, I wish to put to
rest two very suspicious misconceptions.
First, the claim that Dean Cell is not sensi
tive to the needs and concerns of minority
students is unfounded. On the contrary, her
efforts to institute changes in existing pro
grams and to develop new ones offering new
opportunities for minority students have been
exemplary.
For example, Dean Cell has worked stead
ily and successfully to increase minority par
ticipation in the Honors Program. This has
included steps to identify and recruit academi
cally talented minorities and to assure minor
ity representation on the Honors Program
Student Advisory Board. The Institute for the
Arts and Humanities, a new College program
begun during Dean Cell's tenure, is designed
primarily to support faculty research in the arts
and humanities. With her enthusiastic support,
however, the Institute has invited minority
students participating in the graduate school's
Summer Pre-Graduate Research Experience
to participate in its summer faculty seminar
program. The Institute also maintains an infor
mal and ongoing relationship with participants
in the University Minority Post-Doctoral Pro
gram. Her financial, administrative and moral
support for these and other programs of special
interest to minority students e.g. the UNI
TAS program belie any allegation that the
dean is insensitive to minorities on campus.
Second, I wish to reiterate my complete and
unequivocal support for Dean Cell in her role
as chief administrator of the College of Arts
and Sciences. Administration of an academic
unit as large and diverse as the College is a
complex task demanding intellectual honesty,
organizational savvy and sheer physical stam
ina. Dean Cell possesses each in abundance
and has demonstrated this time and time again.
The same may be said of her bona fides in
addressing the often conflicting but equally
meritorious needs of her many constituents.
Dean Gillian Cell has demonstrated her
ability as an administrator no less than her
attentiveness to the interests in and concerns of
minority students. She has my support and my
thanks.
J. DENNIS O'CONNOR
Provost and Vice Chancellor
for Academic Affairs
DTH should defend
freedom of the press
To the editor:
In the past The Daily Tar Heel
has taken positions against the
interests of students; now it has.
taken a position against student
journalists. I almost wrote last
month when the newspaper sided
with food services and other privi
leged entities by asserting that the
use of a meal card in downtown
restaurants by 20-year-olds would
result in fiscal irresponsibility.
Others wrote for me concerning
your coverage of the Young
Democrats' rally and your non
coverage of the debate on El Sal
vador. In regard to James Bur
roughs' editorial concerning the
racist parodies printed in The
Jabberwocky, however, I feel I
must write in.
I have not seen the cartoons in
question, nor do I think it relevant
how tasteless they were or how
many people were offended by
them. In case no one at the DTH
has noticed, journalism in Amer
ica is going through ominous
changes; the pressure to churn out
the feel-good, easy to understand
copy has reached new peaks. The
resulting self-imposed censorship
on the part of the major network
news organizations (not to men
tion the Gannet-owned USA To
day, which practically invented
the style) is aggravated by the
activities of the U.S. Supreme
Court in regard to first amend
ment freedoms. This is not a good
time for a campus newspaper to
take a position against the First
Amendment.
The issue of racism is a sensi
tive one, particularly on these two
campuses, and no one wants to be
perceived as defending the voices
of insensitivity and journalistic
incompetence. Defending the free
dom of the press, however, by
necessity, involves the defending
of unpopular voices. When I came
to this university in 1985, the DTH
came under a lot of fire for print
ing Nietzsche's quote, "God is
dead." Campus groups were
formed (remember GIANT? God
is Alive Now, Today) and howls
for the editor's head were heard
daily. People were mortally of
fended, as they often are in a na
tion where the presses are con
trolled by editorial decisions rather
than the tastes of the majority.
Libel, the printing of lies, is
grounds for forced resignation of
an editor. Insensitivity and irre
sponsibility is not. A campus
newspaper should be able to make
the distinction. Shame on you.
TOBY GRAY
Senior
English
Learning English
can help immigrants
To the editor:
I would like to offer a word of
hope to Matt Bivens, The Daily
Tar Heel columnist who wrote the
sad tale of Alistair Cooke's dis
grace, "Cooke brings melting pot
to a boil" (Nov. 30th). First of all,
I've got to admit that I really don't
know Cooke very well. When I
think of him I usually get the mental
picture of Kermit the Frog's imita
tion of Cooke in Sesame Street's
"Monster Piece Theater." Well,
he was your idol, Matt, not mine.
But Bivens, I've got good news!
Cooke might not be such a bad guy
after all. Yeah, Cooke probably
does believe that the United States
should have English as a national
language, but what is wrong with
that? Adding an amendment to the
Constitution which would make
English the UnitedStates' national
language would benefit immi
grants by giving them the oppor
tunity to prosper in this countries'
businesses which are almost en
tirely managed in English.
The immigrants who cannot
speak English aren't, and never
will be, the upper class or even
middle class in the United States
unless they learn English. Let's be
realistic. Ever been to a big city
and met people who live there and
don't speak English? Well gosh,
you don't even have to go to a big
city to meet these people; they're
here in Chapel Hill. What kind of
jobs do these immigrants have
construction workers, dish wash
ers, and yes, of course, taxi driv
ers. Ever meet a person who
doesn't speak English and works
at a high level position in a major
American corporation? I didn't
think so. Chances are that some of
the immigrants who don't speak
English could hold good jobs if
they spoke English. I suspect that
some of these immigrants are even
geniuses. But, I guess that really
doesn't matter since as long as
they don't know English they'll
always be taxi drivers. Learning
English is essential for immigrants
to have the same opportunity for
success as we have. I'm going to
assume that drug dealing doesn't
count.
Now, this is the really good
news. Adding an amendment to
the Constitution which makes
English the national language
would advance the effort to teach
immigrants English. Picture this
the amendment is passed. Now
it's a law. It must be enforced.
Immigrants who don's speak
English come to the United States.
The law says they have to be able
to speak English. Are you starting
to get the picture? The enforce
ment of the law would be to teach
immigrants English. Get it
federal funding for education. I
know, you thought federal fund
ing for education was almost ex
tinct, but with this amendment,
the government would have to fund
teaching English. Maybe sacrifice
a missile or two to start seeing
some of that "All men are created
equal" stuff.
JOEY PENTA
Sophomore
Biology
We goofed
In the editorial, "Architectural
integrity: Trustees need to heed
SRC choice" (Dec. 1), the state
ment about the political nature of
the Board of Trustees should have
said that the governor appoints
four members and the Board of
Governors, whose members are
elected by the General Assembly,
appoints the othereight. The Daily
Tar Heel regrets the error.
Letters policy
The Daily Tar Heel welcomes
reader comments and criticisms.
When writing letters to the editor,
please follow these guidelines:
All letters must be dated and
signed by the author(s), with a
limit of two signatures per letter.
All letters must be typed and
double-spaced, for ease of edit
ing. Letters should include the
author' s year, major, phone num
ber and hometown.
The DTH reserves the right
to edit letters for space, clarity
and vulgarity. Remember, brevity
is the soul of wit.
Place letters in the box
marked "Letters to the Editor"
outside the DTH office in the Stu
dent Union annex.
Some race relations proposals unrealistic
To the editor:
I am writing in reference to an article, "Group
submits race relations proposal" (Nov. 20).
Some of the proposals mentioned in the article
are naive and need to be considered more
closely by this group.
The first proposal was "requiring all fresh
men to live in the same area, such as South
Campus, rather than having the majority of
blacks on South Campus and the majority of
whites onNorth Campus."This proposal makes
it sound as if the University places people in
certain areas on campus based on their race.
This is not true. There is a mixture of races and
cultures on South Campus, and many of these
people were placed there because they re
quested it, not because of their race.
The next proposal is "denying roommate
requests for freshmen, which would encour
age the interaction of races." The policy of
requesting roommates needs to remain. The
transition from high school to college, from
life at home to semi-independence, can be a
very big step. There are some people who are
not able to handle the transition well! If a
freshman chooses his roommate, then he very
likely has chosen someone with whom he feels
comfortable and with whom he could spend
several months. There are some students here
who, if they were put in a room with a stranger,
would not be able to adjust quickly to the
situation. The pressure of having to adjust to a
new environment with a new person, may be
too much for a person to handle easily.
Both of these proposals take away the right
of freshmen to choose where they would like to
live and with whom they would like to live.
When a person is denied his rights, then he is
being discriminated against. And that can be
interpreted as racism. These proposals are a
prime example of such discrimination because
they deny freshmen the right to freedom of
choice in order to make up a "proper" racial
balance. This can rightly be called racism.
There is another proposal which needs to be
reconsidered as well: "erecting a monument to
a prominent black alumnus to provide the
campus with a balance for the Silent Sam
statue, which is a symbolic reminder that this
part of the country fought to keep slavery." For
whom does Silent Sam represent "a symbolic
reminder" of slavery? Most of the students on
this campus see Silent Sam as a symbol of the
legend it holds about virgins. Few people relate
Silent Sam to slavery. Also, the erection of the
monument to balance Silent Sam would cause
many people to have adverse feelings about the
new monument.
Some of the proposals mentioned in the
article could lead to improvement in racial
relations on campus. But, the ones mentioned
above would promote racism. Denying a
person's rights is discrimination, and racism is
based on discrimination, so a person trying to
alleviate racism should be careful not to pro
mote it by supporting ideas which are discrimi
natory. Racism can not be alleviated by meas
ures that promote greater resentment than is
already present. The group which designed
these proposals needs to think about the effects
they.could have on the campus, and reconsider
submitting them to the chancellor.
ROSS BERRIER
Freshman
Undecided