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The Student Newspaper of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte
Charlotte, North Carolina
Volume XIlI. Number Ten
November 8,1977
Noise, Firecracker Throwing Won’t Be Tolerated
‘Dorm War’ Prompts Warnings
By Brad Rich
Chuck Lynch, UNCC director of
Residence Life blames the Wednesday,
October 26, “war between the dorms” on
the fact that it was “the end of midterms
and right before Halloween,” and, in fact,
said the spontaneous outletting of
tensions “might have been healthy.”
But Lynch, and Residence life
staffer Chuck Colby, both agreed that the
outbreak was dangerous and annoying to
many students, and said action has been
taken against some individuals involved in
the firecracker throwing, bottle tossing
and noise producing activities.
In an interview last I'hursday, Lynch
said it is impossible to say exactly what
brought on the October 26 incident, but
UNCC has had “a problem with people^
being inconsiderate about playing stereos
too loud, shouting back and forth and
throwing fireworks. One thing led to
another. Lynch said, “and, well, you
know the rest.”
Colby said there have been more
problems this year with fireworks than
ever before, and that it has become more
dangerous. “More of the fireworks are
inside this year,” he said, “...people are
shooting bottle rockets in the lobbies,
down halls and in toilets.”
One problem in stopping the
activities is, as Colby said, “It’s difficult
to identify where it’s coming from...but
the dorm guards and campus security
concentrate on things they can deal with
Residence Life Director Chuck
Lynch And Assistant Chuck Colby
(Photo courtesy of Rogues ’n Rascals)
— firecrackers and too loud stereos — and'
they have become almost experts at
identifying the rooms prohlems are
coming from.”
In response to the October 26
outbreak of hell raising, Colby said the
dorm guards “tried to identify the six or
seven rooms where more than just a few
firecrackers were coming from. We’ve
called these students in, and most have
admitted that firecrackers were thrown
from their windows, but they won’t
admit they or their roommates did it.”
“Yea,” added Lynch, “It’s like ‘some
bad person got in my room and...’ ”
Colby and Lynch said they had
talked to the students who liad owned up
to the activities, and liad placed several ot
them on what amounts to contractural
probation. Tliat is. they have been
warned that any further offense(s) could
result in a severence of their residence
hall contracts — in essence, they would be
expelled.
Lynch said he feels that the present
lack of a working student judicial system
favors this type of activity. “Some of
these offenses have been going on a long
time,” he said, "and there have been no
court cases. Since offenses have occurred
and nothing has happened, people tend to
relax and think they can do these things.”
Not so, apparently, for Lynch went
on to say that though he thinks the court
or “peer” system of justice is better, he
would sever a student’s contract if
necessary. “Cases of firecrackers throwing
in the Student Superior Court in the past
has resulted in suspension of the dorm
contracts,” he said.
Lynch said Student Body Attorney
General Jeff Hal! is reinstating the
Student Superior Court under the old
judicial act until the end of this semester,
(while the new act is being prepared) and
he had handed over four or five cases to
him that “definitely need to be dealt Willi
. on a court basis.”
“Hopefully,” he said, “Jeff will jump
right on these.”
Athletic Director l,ec Rose itivcs blood
during last week's Red O'oss drive
(photo by Frank Alexander)
On The Inside:
• PFM: What It Is
(Page seven)
• 'Happy The Man ’
(Page ten)
%lst 'Mec-Rec* Day
(Page three)
% Legislature Tries
Fo Iron Out Problems
(Page two)
Betfy Chafin: Associate Dean, City Council Member
Finds Busy Life Easier As She Starts Second Term
By Brad Rich
In an interview last Thursday. UNCC
Associate Dean of Students and reelected
Charlotte City Council member Betty
Chafin listed four areas she feels she has
been most effective in during her first
council term.
“I feel my council experience has
been most meaningful in...one;
neighborhood preservation, in which I
think I’ve been a real leader, two; in the
area of transportation, three; in increasing
citizen participation in government, and
four, in my support for district
representation. Supporting district
representation now seems Uke something
everyone should have done, but 1 was one
of only two (on City Council) who did
(the other was Harvey Gantt). It was
pretty gutsy at the time...but I
campaigned for it just like I have been
pjhoto by Liod Laney)
Associate Dean of Students Betty Chafin
won re-election to City Conned toda^
campaigning for my own reelection,”
Chafin said.
Chafin, who has been instrumental in
the success of UNCC’s Mean Green
Shuttle Machine bus system has been very
concerned with transportation during her
first term. She said, “1 think we have to
do two things. We have to improve the
buses we have now, and we have to
provide more crosstown routes like the
UNCC system, as well as utilize the
express lines which will be going into
effect soon.” These express lines will
whisk commuters into the downtown
area with a minimum of stops. Also, plans
are in the works for providing separate
bus lanes.
Chafin also expressed interest in
Democratic mayoral candidate Jim
Whittington’s proposed commuter train
system. “It’s amazing how many people
downtown commute from outlying
counties...These are mostly secretaries
and clerical workers...people who don’t
really leave their offices except to go to
lunch...! think the trains could drastically
reduce our traffic problem downtown.”
Chafin went on to say that the train
system would probably have to be
privately funded with some government
subsidy. She also said that UNCC could
benefit greatly from the rail service, since
tracks already run through the Newell
area along Old Concord Road.
Chafin disagrees with Jim
Whittington, however, on his proposal to
. put a bus terminal on West Trade Street.
She said she felt it is not “an immediate
need,” and if it was, West Trade would
not be the best place to put it. Chafin
envisions West Trade as a “boulevard”
type street, "with neat shops.” She said
that the Belk administration, as well as
the council, deserves a lot of credit for
revitalizing the area of the square east of
Trade Street, and-now attention needs to
be given to the western area.
Her greatest disappointment in her
first term council term, Chafin said, is
that the council itself would not adopt a
district representation plan. “That’s
where Mr. Whittington and 1 really went
our separate ways,” she said. “It’s sad
that the people had to vote it in instead
of the council taking the initiative.”
Chafin said she lost several other
critical votes. One she mentioned was
when she tried to get UNCC political
science professor Dr. Bill McCoy
appointed to the Mecklenburg County
Planning Commission. In a 4-3 vote, the
Council rejected McCoy, and instead
placed a southeast Charlotte developer
back on the board.
Handling her job as assi.stant dean of
students at UNCC while serving on city
council has not been easy, but Chafin .said
she has adjusted to it. “I don’t have a lot
of free time,” she said, “But, you know,
I’ve found that the longer I’ve done it,
the easier it has gotten.” She said she has
found the two jobs compatible, since her
interest in the welfare of UNCC students
has overlapped with her council duties.
One example of this was the creation ol
the Mean Green Shuttle Machine, where
she had the opportunity to do something
constructive for both the University-
community and the city as a whole.
But Chafin’s schedule has kept her
out of her university office a lot, and she
knows that there have probably been
some complaints about her not being
accessible at times. “I’m sure at
times...some students have felt
shortchanged,” she said, “Particularly
when Dennis (Dean ol' Students Dennis
Rashj with his heavy schedule of
community involvement, has been out of
the office, too.” She feels, howe-ver,•that •
she has been able to handle the two jobs
effectively, and (hat she has been very
accessible as a council member.
In her second term, Chafin sees three
things as most important. She plans to
continue to work on transportation so as
to decrease our dependence on the
automobile, reduce cut through traffic
through residential neighborhoods, and to
try to continue developing the city
according to the 1995 comprehensive
plan. This plan, which advocates
controlled (but not slower) growth for
the city, has a lot of support from the
local government. Chafin feels it is
extremely important to open up the
northern half of the county, from UNCC
northeast and northwest to Lake
Norman, to the same development which
has boomed in the southern half. She saic
the first step is to extend water and sewei
services to the area. She also said she
thinks the University can play a major
catalyst role in the area.
Chafin gives outgoing Charlotte
Mayor John Belk a lot of credit,
especially for keeping Charlotte’s credit
rating high and for revitalizing the
downtown area. She feels the much
maligned Civic Center in downtown
Charlotte will play an important role in
the city as soon as liquor by the drink
becomes a reality. “I think it (liquor by
the drink) is coming,” she said, and added
that she thinks a city referendum will be
held at least within the next two years.
With a new mayor coming into
office, it is a good time to look back on
the Belk years and see the problems his
administration had. Chafin said, “I think
what the Belk administration didn’t do
was understand the alienation
neighborhoods and citizens in some areaf
of the city felt - and that’s why district
representation came about.”