Meredith Herald
November 8, 2000
Campus Opinion
Moratorium should pass
From the
In the next three weeks. North Carohna is slated to put to death
three inmates. Protesters are asking the state for a moratorium on
the death penally, in part because of national reports that racial and
economic minorities are put to death at a
dispropoftional rate.
And all three of the inmates fit into these
(Editor I minority categories. In addition, of the 209
I inmates cuirently on death row in North
Carolina, 132 are racial minorities.
The first, Michael Sexton, who is black, is scheduled to die on
Thursday. And whether Sexton is guilty of his crime or not, the
main questions should be if Sexton received a fair trial because of
the racial imbalance on the jury; 11 whites and one black.
Moratorium supporters are asking current Governor Jim Hunt to
stay the next three scheduled executions, but so far, be has not
given in to the protesters.
If there truly is a doubt as to the fairness, the equity of a trial, it
seems that Hunt would want to find the truth, to stop the execu
tions, at least for a while.
The death penalty is not fool-proof; innocent people have died
under the auspices of justice and wilt continue to die under those
same pretenses.
Indeed, earlier this year in Illinois, the governor issued a mora
torium after 13 death-row inmates were released after judges
determined that each had been wrongfully convicted.
Thus, the only way to prevent these innocent and uncertain
deaths is for Hunt to approve, to support the moratorium. And
though ultimately, capital punishment should be made illegal in
the United States, a moratorium for the remainder of the year
would be a good beginning for such a shift.
llie death penalty does not deter crime; the death penalty does
not |»'event murders or other violent crimes.
Instead, the death penalty takes an act of carnal violence arid
legalizes it in the name of justice. With that in mind, a moratorium
on the death penalty is imperative.
Meredith Herald
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Campus forum
Class doll issue
should not be race
Dear Editor;
1 would like to resporul to
last week's letter about the
senior class doll (Campus
Forum, Nov. I).
To answer the author's ques
tion, NO—I do not want the
class of 2001 to be known as
“the class that excludes or
diminishes the value of those
who do not look like them.”
Yes. there are many races
and ethnicities, not to mention
sexual orientations, represent
ed in the senior class. Yes, we
should honor and respect those
differences in our community.
However, having a class doll
represent a former member of
our class, a single person, is not
the answer.
I believe that somehow the
issues involved here have been
confused. When the proposal
to have the doll represent Akie
arose, race was not even men
tioned. In Lynn Witt’s letter to
the editor earlier this semester,
she urged the class of 2001 to
make the doll representative of
Akie as a form of remem
brance. She was not urging the
class of 2001 to break racial
barriers or fight inequality on
the Meredith campus.
Because the request to have
the doll represent Akie was not
well received, people have
wrongfully decided to make
this issue race-related. I do not
feel the doll should represent
one person. This belief does
not make me a racist or a bigot.
If this group of students is
changing its platform from
“Let’s make the class doll rep
resent Akie” to “Let’s make a
doll representative of multiple
races/identities,” 1 will get in
line with them. I honestly
doubt that such a change is the
case.
SitKerely,
Missy Neff, ’01
Fight for right to exercise
JONiSMrrH
StafI Witter
As society becomes more
aware of diseases and condi
tions that are caused by lack of
exercise, many more people
are turning off the television,
putting away the Nintendos
and getting much needed exer
cise.
More people are obese and
have heart problems today than
ever before. Doctors say that
this can be greatly attributed to
more people spending less time
exercising and more time
enjoying the technological
advancements such as video
games, television, movies and
the ever-popular fast food
restaurants.
However, some people are
starting to see the effects of fast
food and television and are try
ing to do something about it.
There is not a day that goes by
that you do not see someone
running, walking or cycling
down the streets of Raleigh.
Here at Meredith, we are
fortunate to have a fitness cen
ter free of charge to students,
faculty, and staff. However,
many students who are trying
to lead healthier lifestyles by
working out regularly are find
ing that this is getting harder
and harder to do at Meredith.
During this semester, I found
that many times, students are
asked to leave the fitness center
during physical education
classes.
Hiese requests that interrupt
a student’s work-out lime cre
ate a huge inconvenience to
students who plan their day
around working out in the fit
ness center.
Sure, the Meredith Mite is
always available, but tiKre are
several times when running the
Meredith Mile is not conve
nient for students irKluding on
cold winter days, at night and
on rainy days.
During tfiose times, students
who wish to work out are sim
ply out of luck.
Our friends at N.C. State
University conduct many phys
ical education classes in their
fitness centers, and students are
still allowed to work out during
these times on their own.
While I understand that our
facility is not as big as theirs, I
do not understand why, for
example, students can not use
the exercise bikes when a class
is only lifting weights.
I really do not believe the
students at Meredith would
interfere with classes going on
in the fitness center.
Because, students are not
allowed to work out during
class times, the fitness center is
overcrowded when the classes
are not there. Anyone who is a
regular visitor to the fitness
center is definitely aware of the
peak hours.
Not only is exercising a
healthy habit, but it relieves
stress that students may have
from tests, papers, homework
and peers. Finding a place to
work out around campus sim
ply adds to the everyday stress
es we already face.
I hope that something is
done soon to make working out
at Meredith less of a hassle. I
do not think the students are
asking for much—just a safe,
relaxing place to exercise. The
people of the Meredith com
munity have always found a
way to correct problems on
campus, and I hope this situa
tion is no different.
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