10The Daily Tar HeelMonday, February 12, 1990
THE P??Lt WHO BZoccu-T you "jfETJA
OUT
WAS A
97th year of editorial freedom
TP- 6NM-F- Co A g
Sharon Kebschull, Editor
JUSTIN McGuiRE, University Editor
KAREN DUNN, State and National Editor
TOM PARKS, Business Editor
Jamie Rosenberg, Sfvrts Editor
MELANIE BLACK, Design Editor
Julia Coon, News Editor
EVAN EiLE, Photography Editor
AMY WAJDA, Uniivrsity Editor
James Burroughs, Editorial Page Editor
Si ieila Long, City Editor
CARA Bonnett, Arts and Features Editor
LISA ReiCHLE, Omnibus Editor
STEVE W ILSON, News Editor
PETE CORSON, Cartoon Editor
Jthe hit
f "THE PovE
A fuzzy picture
Students should focus on cable issue
When students "
decide about adding
cable to the residence
halls, they may find -
board
opinion
their control too remote to give the matter
a fair viewing. Watching UNC basketball
games on ESPN or the latest movie on
HBO sounds appealing until the $30 per
semester cost comes into the picture. Al
though the hookup would include the more
valuable services of video, data and tele
phone lines, the housing department and
the Residence Hall Association need to
take a closer look at housing's budget
before these additional costs are channeled
to the students' room rent.
Due to utility rate increases, the housing
department plans to increase room rent by
up to $100 next semester, which is almost
a 14 percent hike from this year. That
makes the $30 per semester for cable diffi
cult to digest, especially considering that
the cost will remain fixed for 10 years,
until the University owns the system. As
cable is hardly a necessity, and as all resi
dents do not have televisions, that's quite
a bit to ask. Before residents vote on such
a proposal, they should have the chance to
request that the housing department try to
cut corners.
RHA does not assist in the housing
budget process. Although the housing
department presents the association with
the finished product, the cost categories
are vague and too high in certain areas,
according to RHA President Liz Jackson.
While drastic cuts probably are not neces
sary certainly much of the money is
needed for facility improvements re
Informed decisions
Students' futures depend on their votes
Campus elections are next week. Will you
vote? Do you know who's running? Do you
even care?
Student apathy toward elections is nothing
new at UNC. Two years ago, students voted on
a referendum to implement a telephone regis
tration system like the one now used at N.C.
State University. It sounded like a great idea
no more paper preregistration, no more waiting
in long drop-add lines at Woolen Gym. This
referendum passed with a majority of votes, but
it really failed. According to our student
constitution, the referendum did not count
because not enough students voted. Unfortu
nately, UNC students lost out because of apa
thy and downright laziness.
Because Spring elec- MBKUBMBMKaB
tions attract more stu
dent interest, the num
ber of voters in next
week's elections should
meet the minimum
requirement. But with
UNC students' historic
lack of concern toward
elections, voter turnout
There's more to this
issue than students'
patriotic responsibility
to vote.
will probably be low
There's more to this issue than your patriotic
responsibility to vote; your future depends on
the outcome of these elections. Consider the
quality of your morning newspaper, the effi
ciency of ticket distributions, residence hall
rents and how your student fees are spent.
Campus elections affect all students' day-today
lives, and each class has significant reasons
for voting.
B Freshmen: You did not get the chance to
vote for campus leaders who were here when
you came to UNC. As Jeffrey Beall pointed out
earlier this year, you were not allowed to vote
for the Student Recreation Center either. But
now you can vote for who and what will affect
both your class and students who will follow
you: referendums, the Student Congress mem
bers who allocate your student fees, Residence
Hall Association president, residence hall
government, Carolina Athletic Association
president, student body president and Daily Tar
Heel editors.
It's going to be a weird week on the editorial
page. As wc move into the last week before the
election, the DTH will print platforms and
letters of endorsement for campus-wide candi
dates, as well as endorsements by the editorial
board. While this gives the page less variety
and makes it much grayer than usual, these can
be among the most important of all editorial
pages.
On Thursday, the DTH editorial board will
endorse candidates for Residence Hall Asso
ciation president and Carolina Athletic Asso
ciation president, and on Friday, we will en
dorse candidates for student body president
and DTH editors. These endorsements are based
on interviews with the candidates as well as
reviews of their campaign material and inter-
evaluating such costs as salaries might
make a difference. At this point, there are
few checks on the department's budget,
and students need proof that housing oper
ates as frugally as the rest of the University
before agreeing to accept yet another fi
nancial burden.
If cost questions can be resolved, the
extras that would come with the cable lines
could be an important addition to UNC.
Aside from access to movies and MASH
reruns, the hookup procedure will also
include video, data and telephone lines,
services students will need in future years
more than cable. Once data lines are in
stalled, students with computers can tie
into the University's computer system.
Because this is a growing trend at college
campuses, students should consider plac
ing the lines now before the prices become
exorbitant.
The issues behind the cable hookup
involve much more than whether students
want ESPN. The financial burden for the
next 10 years should be weighed against
the benefits of data lines in the residence
halls. The housing department needs to
review and possibly revamp parts of its
budget to ensure that what students already
paid does not go to waste. If rent does
increase as dramatically as predicted, stu
dents may decide to look off campus for
living arrangements a concern the
housing department must address. An RHA
forum this Thursday will address students'
questions before they vote on Feb. 20.
Students need to tune into the issues before
turning out to vote.
Sophomores: You should vote because
you don't get enough respect anyway. Prove
your responsibility and maturity by voting. The
outcome of the elections affect you as much as
any other group on this campus.
D Juniors: Of course you get to vote for the
referendums and positions listed above, but
senior class officers elections should be an
added incentive for you to vote. Yes, they do
serve primarily as fund-raisers for the class and
the University, but they are also the same folks
who secure a graduation speaker, senior dis
counts with area merchants and senior blocks at
games and concerts.
D Seniors: You may think that voting doesn't
matter because you'll be out of here in three
amB months. Wrong. Sen
iors have seen it all: the
Alumni Center, the
selection of a new chan
cellor, the Black Cul
tural Center's struggle
for finding a home and
increases in tuition,
student fees and hous
ing costs. Your senior
ity may save the elec
tions because you can appreciate the impor
tance of strong student leaders in the battle for
students' rights.
B Graduate and professional students: your
diverse group comprises a needy and surpris
ingly large percentage of the student body. For
your interests to be addressed, your voice must
be heard. Teaching assistant salaries and train
ing, child care, health insurance and other is
sues related to your group may be ignored if
you do not stand up and fight for them. That
fight starts with voting.
But you can't cast a ballot for another week
Until then, find other ways to get involved in
the elections. Try to attend at least one election
forum this week. If you can't, at least read up on
what happens in the forums. Talk to the candi
dates. Press them on the issues that concern
you. Carefully read endorsements and candi
dates' platforms. It's more than your duty, it's
your future. Julie Gammill
the last word
views with present or past office-holders. We
base our endorsements on the creativity and
feasibility of candidates' platforms, their expe
rience, and their ability to communicate and
motivate others as best we can measure. Can
didates went through extensive interviews on
Saturday, in which all were subjected to in
tense questioning on almost all points of their
platforms, and we thank them for their coop
eration. Running all this information will, of course,
leave little space for other letters to the editor.
Please continue to write, and we will try to
catch up on letters early next week. Until then,
we hope you'll carefully consider the many
opinions given here next Tuesday, they will
be extremely important. Sharon Kebschull
JESSE
Co
(AS
-H,e
VIZCTT J,
Monopoly causes the
high Marriott prices
To the editor:
I found R. Everett Langford's
letter ("U.S. can help democracy
in Nicaragua," Feb. 2) a model of
technique: distortion and selective
vision. In regard to his "facts:"
1) Langford forgets or ignores
the fact that the current govern
ment in Nicaragua was elected by
the people, in an election that was
at least as free and open as that in
neighboring El Salvador. On the
other hand, he seems to have no
problem with a country such as El
Salvador where a ruthless military
attempts to control the people.
, . ,i " '
,
Campus Election Platforms
4
As a candidate for Carolina Athletic Asso
ciation (CAA) president, I have three major
objectives in my platform. These objectives
are a new ticket distribution policy, increased
support of non-revenue sports and increased
student knowledge concerning the Student
Recreation Center (SRC).
If I am elected I would like to establish a
ticket distribution policy which reflects the
wishes of the student body. In doing this, I will
form a ticket distribution committee consist
ing of one student from each residence area
and two off-campus students. This committee
will discuss the current policy and the views of
the students of this policy and will also look at
policies from other universities. The next
process would be to take the ideas in which the
committee feels best suit the wishes of the
students and are feasible and present them to
the students in forums. The consensus ideas of
the students will be used to form the new
policy. The students will be notified of the
policy and information sessions will be held to
answer any questions in which they may have.
Once the policy is set, there will be no change.
Straightforward, seasoned, sound leader
ship: these are the strengths I have as candidate
for Carolina Athletic Association (CAA)
president. Straightfon'ard in my goals, my
methods and in voicing student opinion to the
administration, seasoned by a year of experi
ence in ticket matters, Homecoming planning
and dealing with the Athletic Department and
offering sound leadership by combining knowl
edge and experience in athletics with an eager
ness to continually try innovative ideas and to
actively solicit student opinion.
In the past year I have served as its presi
dent, the CAA has made important strides in
improving athletic services to the students.
Carolina Fever has had a positive, noticeable
impact on support for non-revenue sports. The
new student seating arrangement in the Smith
Center, along with the new stand-up-and-cheer
attitude of the students, has certainly contrib
uted to the remarkable change in the atmos
phere in the arena this season. More people
participated in the expanded homecoming
events this year than ever before. Yet there is
still much left to be done, and that is why the
CAA needs creative, vigorous leadership now
more than ever. I am ready to meet that chal
lenge by making effective, necessary changes
and by focusing most heavily on the following
areas.
A Afore Diverse Homecoming: While the
CAA has expanded Homecoming enormously
in the past two years, we need to offer more
events which will appeal to students of all
1 " ' ""'" -'m - ' ' ' '-' '
It-itctO IT fry,
HELMf (kS 4he $edc).
- the B.1-forcers). -No 8.1 H
Me X qnoreJ) 7 aW
To Ken Hlak).
PAID fOViCoNGRBSoNAiCLUB
Readers9 For em
which Langford admits "requires
setting up instruments of vio
lence," i.e., using U.S. helicop
ters, tanks, etc. Is this okay be
cause they are using weapons made
in the United States, while the
Sandinistas have chosen the wrong
brand, i.e., Soviet?
2) There is no U.S. conspiracy
to control the Third World since
the Japanese (e.g. Sony and Toy
ota) are well represented in na
tions that are not good markets for
manufactured goods!). Moreover,
"there are some raw materials,
chiefly agricultural products"
which are subject to the prevailing
world price and hence fairly
stable with respect to costvalue.
I las Langford really paid attention
to coffee prices over the last few
years or in the opposite direc
tion loan rates? Or is it just that
since these are world prices, "cer
tain people in the United States"
are absolved??
Finally, in his last paragraph,
Langford abandons his approxi
mation of the facts. It is hard to
picture a government keeping its
people at bay by providing them
with arms as is done in Nicaragua
as it is hard to see extermination of
Miskito Indians being carried out
by negotiation and reconciliation.
Fortunately, neither Langford
nor I need rely on our selective
visions; the people of Nicaragua
will provide yet another fact in
their upcoming vote. Keep tuned
An increase in support for non-revenue sports
is necessary for the University to field teams of
championship caliber in the future. We have
many championship teams which do not re
ceive enough student support. One reason is
that students are not notified in advance of non
revenue events. I would like to work with The
Daily Tar Heel in establishing better advertise
ment. One way is a weekly calendar of events
posted on the cover of Monday's DTH. I would
like to see larger articles in the coverage of
non-revenue sports. Secondly, I would like to
place a sports events board near the pit area
which will be changed weekly to notify stu
dents well in advance of the events. The third
part is the establishment of a non-revenue
spirit committee, similar to the spirit commit
tee used for football and basketball. This
committee will work with advertising, special
events at events and means of greater student
support.
The students on campus are not informed of
events surrounding the SRC. In the future, I
plan to advertise any event surrounding the
SRC three days in advance. This will give
races and backgrounds. I will meet with repre
sentatives of student organizations (as well as
the faculty, administration, alumni and com
munity) in late February to set a more diverse
schedule and to divide up the sponsorship
of homecoming events. To be truly success
ful, homecoming week should be planned and
sponsored by all sorts of groups and organiza
tions, not just the CAA. For example, I will
investigate working with other student groups
and with the Union to sponsor "Rampage Union
Blast," an all-night party in the Union includ
ing events like a marathon dance competition
in Great Hall, all-night bowling and movies
and a DJ in the Cabaret.
I will also advocate expanding homecoming
by using the Franklin Street Extravaganza to
raise money for a needy cause within the Uni
versity, such as the library fund. Using that
event to give something back to the University
would be a worthwhile project and might
motivate faculty and alumni to get more in
volved in at least one aspect of homecoming.
A Responsive Ticket Policy: No ticket policy
is perfect, but students should demand that a
policy respond most effectively to their needs.
I will start and in fact, have already begun
a tradition of polling students at one of the last
ticket distributions on how satisfied they are
with the policy and what changes they suggest.
The CAA will adjust the policy according to
this feedback and conduct fall information
sessions to educate students about any changes
in the policy. The CAA will also make the
printed policy more visible at registration and
J
) mi ii i
i '
to reality.
JIM STASHEFF
Professor
Mathematics
Letters policy
The Daily Tar Heel welcomes
reader comments and criticisms.
When writing letters to the editor,
please follow these guidelines:
D All letters must be dated ani
signed by the- author(s), with a
limit of two signatures per letter.
a The DTH reserves the right
to edit letters for space, clarity
and vulgarity. Remember, brevity
is the soul of wit.
students enough time to schedule the events
surrounding the SRC into their schedule. It is
vital that the students be able to voice their
views and suggestions about the SRC so that
they will be happy with the facility.
If I am elected, I will be elected to serve and
represent the students. My ticket distribution
policy committee is designed to give the stu
dents direct input to a policy which directly
affects them. The participants in non-revenue
sports deserve the support of the students. If
students are more aware of these events then
there will be an increase in attendance.
The SRC is a controversial issue on campus.
To improve those relationships, students must
be included in events and be notified fully of
the events surrounding the SRC. The facts must
be laid out. They will be notified of all of these
events if I am elected. I will have published
office hours and my door will always be open
to student criticism and comments.
Demp Bradford is a sophomore sports man
agement major from Eden.
in publications in the fall.
An Expanded Carolina Fever. Now that the
Fever has made an impact on specific nori
revenue sports, I will work to make Fever a
permanent fixture at all sorts of non-revenue
events. I will also work with the leaders of
Fever and the non-revenue coaches to organize
special events for the teams. Just as we sponsor
pep rallies, make balloon arches and put out
pom-poms for football and basketball games,
we can do sim ilar events for non-revenue teams.
I have only discussed a few of the areas in
which I hope to improve CAA services. There
are, of course, other crucial needs which the
CAA president must meet as well, like organ
izing fundraising projects which will enable
the CAA to improve it programming and serv
ices, ensuring that CAA events are publicized
widely, especially to the graduate and profes
sional student population and continuing to
hold open sessions for students, faculty and
staff concerning the design and planning of the
Student Recreation Center. I am prepared to
meet those challenges. After a year of listening
to student needs, and working with our staff to
meet those needs, I have learned mostly by
trial and error how the CAA must be run in
order to serve and represent the student body
well. Now I need your vote to put that experi
ence to work. So when you pick up that ballot
on Feb. 20, vote for straightforward, seasoned,
sound leadership of the CAA. Vote Lisa Frye.
Lisa Frye is a junior history major from
Conover.