Welcome to Chapel Hill, but first
By LILLIE LOVE
Chapel Hill is not your ordinary run-
of-the-mill North Carolina town. This is
a unique village and some newcomers
have difficulty adusting to life here.
Here are several interesting facts that
will help make the transition to
Carolina smoother.
Sitting
Sitting is a popular past-time here,
but it isn’t how you sit, it’s where you
sit. Sitting on walls is the most popular
place to rest your derriere. But not just
any walls, mind you.
The most popular wall is the one in
front of Greenlaw Building. Around
noon, it is filled with Blacks who just sit
there, talk, joke around and people-
watch.
The football players usually opt for
the wall on the side of the graduate
library. And the walls on Franklin
Street are usually taken by the
townspeople. Some students do lounge
there during the early evening, though.
Lines
Standing in line is an accepted way of
life here. You wait in line for registra
tion, financial aid, basketball tickets,
football tickets, and to eat at some
restaurants. Here you line up to line up.
Don’t depsair; just learn to pass the
time. A favorite way is by talking about
the people standing in front of you.
Football Games
Football games here are a social
event, a dress-up, drinks-up occasion.
The games start at 1:30, but it’s best to
get to the stadium around 11:30 to stand
in line in order to get good seats. Bring
your lunch with you. Everyone else
does. Dress well. Everyone else does.
Scream dirty chants at the referee.
Everybody else does. Stagger home.
Everyone else does.
Beer
Among certain groups, beer is replac
ing water as the number one drink at
Carolina. Whenever the Union or the
dorm throws a get-together, beer is
almost always served. If you don’t like
beer, soft drinks are sometimes offered
also. With all this free beer around, it is
easy to overindulge. Don’t. It’s not
worth the pain in the head the next mor
ning or the extra inches around the
waist.
Stepping
If you are not familiar with Black
Greek or social organizations (i.e.,
sororities and fraternities), then you
don’t know what a step or a blockshow
is. A blockshow is a performance by one
of the Greek or social organizations. It
is chants, precision steps and a lot of
fun. It’s also a social affair as most peo
ple turn out to a blockshow.
Running
Whether you are running to catch a
bus or just running for fun, running is a
way of life here. There are joggers
everywhere. Some are barely running;
they’re just walking quickly. But they
are jogging. It’s a popular past-time
and if you have taken it up, put on your
track shoes and join the crowd.
Organizatlona
There is a University-funded
organization for almost every interest.
Just about everybody here belongs to
some kind of group. There is the Black
Student Movement, of couse, the
Association of Women Students and the
Carolina Indian Circle.
A word of caution; When referring to
these various organizations in ab
breviated form, don’t confuse the let
ters. There’s quite a difference between
the CGC (Campus Governing Council)
and the CGA (Carolina Gay Associa
tion. )
Welcome to Chapel Hill.
Beveriy Wells, an English/Journalism
major from Kinston, N.C. was Miss Black
Ink 1979.
Exprcsswciy thvsotsns Durhcitn commuTiity
By PAM COUNTS
Staff Writer
A black neighborhood in Durham has
risen up to assert it’s right to undisturbed
continuance, and lately, the whole town is
talking about it. The Crest Street
neighborhood located in West Durham has
risen up in opposition to a plan written by
the State Department of Transportation
(DOT) to build an expressway through the
heart of their small community. The DOT
has planned to extend the East-West
highway in order to alleviate some of the
traffic congestion problems in West
Durham.
Crest Street spokesmen have pointed out
that few blacks have been included in the
planning of the East-West highway or it’s
extension even though it is black
neighborhoods that have been most direct
ly affected by DOT design decisions. The
Crest Street committee in addition has
even generated some alternatives to the
proposed extension which they say are
more in keeping with federal transporta
tion and energy policy than the East-West
extension plan.
Many supporters of the highway exten
sion appear to be baffled as to why the
community is battling so hard to maintain
their neighborhood when it is obviously
physically blighted. Among some of the
problems evident are the considerable
number of homes that are below standard
and the less than adequate street network
of dirt roads. Even given these adverse
conditios the Crest Street residents have
rejected some relocation schemes.
One of the proposals has been to move
the community ea maaae, to a public hous
ing project, thus insuring that the
residents would not be separated. The en-
visioners of this grand scheme are accord-
ng to Crest Street represenUUves guUty of
rather shoddy planning. This proposal, if
implemented, would be very costly and un-
doubtably other neighborhoods in Durham
could suffer from lack of federal funds for
years while the Crest Street community
was relocated. Furthermore, future
generation families could remain in the
One of the proposals has
been to move the communi
ty en-masse, to a public
housing project, thus insur
ing that the residents would
not be separated.
public housing units only as long as their
incomes did not rise above those as stated
in the federal guidelines. If some future
generation families manage to earn more
than minimal wages then they would no
longer be able to remain in the same com
munity as their parents! Certainly at
tempts by the Crest Street residents to
earn more money currently serve to
enrich their conmiunity and not to disunite
it.
The Crest Street residents are fighting to
maintain a conununity environment which
seems not easily transmitted to another
setting. In the Crest Street neighborhood
there exists a very strong sense of com
munity. Residents feel that the location of
their community is ideal because it is
within walking distance of both the Duke
and Veteran hospitals where many of the
residents work. Residents feel safe in their
community, they are especially satisfied
with the social activity generated by the
neighborhood church and they find much
of the open space in the area good for
gardening. The people living in the Crest
Street conmiunity have transformed their
neighborhood so that it uniquely reflects
their lifestyles and even personalties. Yet
residents have also had to adapt and ac
cept the problems and challenges which
confront their neighborhood the largest
and most succient of which appears to be
their fight against the proposed highway.
You have to admire the gumption of this
little community of only 244 households for
facing squarely the imposing bureaucracy
of the State DOT and firmly proclaiming
their right to be. Too often blacks have
been at the mercy of technological values
which support massive highways or awe
inspiring buildings, yet so often have prov
ed to disrupt rather than to make some
meaningful contributions to our Uves.
We should have respect for a community
who is willing to stand up and fight for it’s
own value system and lifestyle despite
contrary popular notions about “relative
deprivation.”
Variety of organizations
(Continued from page 4)
The main office is located in 303
Venable Hall. Students can find
pamphlets, current bulletins, and
any information on health related
fields.
The first meeting is scheduled
for Tuesday, September, 4. Old
members and new students are en
couraged to attend.
N.C. Fellows
Sophomores John Goodwin and
Donna Whitaker have been named
North Carolina Fellows.
Goodwin, from Wagram, N.C.
and Whitaker, from Columbia, S.C.
are both Journalism majors.
The North Carolina Fellows Pro
gram is a special four-year pro
gram designed to give students a
chance to develop their leadership
potential.
Under the direction of Mrs. Ma-
Jorie Christiansen, the Fellows'
plan a service project every year.
Also, all Fellows, as of last year,
are required to take a specially
designed leadership course in their
sophomore year.
Another requirement of the pro
gram designated that Fellows find
internships, with the help of Mrs.
Christiansen and staff, in the sum
mer of their sophomore and junior
years.
The 38 current members of the
program recently elected their
steering committee, which will
plan activities for the group.
Past activities include monthly
luncheons with educators and other
leaders.
The Fellows program is flexible
in that it allows students to become
involved in various other activities
while learning the leadership skills
needed in those activities.
The selection process is involved,
consisting of an initial application
and up to seven interviews.
Goodwin and Whitaker, along
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