The Student Newspaper of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte
Charlotte, North Carolina
Volume XVI, Number 37
Thursday, January 29, 1981
BSU Request Prompts
Heated Exchange
By Chip Wilson
Acting upon proposals by its Ways
and Means Committee, Student Le
gislature allocated additional funding
to campus organizations presenting
new budget needs.
, Most of the requests were voted
upon in a single motion. A legislative
rule requires that legislators who are
members of groups being funded abs
tain from voting. Only nine members
were eligible to vote on most of the re
quests.
Requests from the Allied Health
Club, Association of Biology
Graduate Students, the Wildlife Club
and the Black Student Union (BSU)
were considered separately.
A BSU request for $100 to cover
the cost of telephone installation in
their Cone Center office stirred the
biggest debate in Tuesday’s meeting.
Renee High, chair of the Ways and
Means Committee, yielded her affir
mative debate to a BSU represen
tative who said the organization had
contracted for a telephone before
securing funds, confident of securing
legislative approval.
Laurah Van Poole, senior class
president, offered the only direct op
position to the fund request. “We
don’t provide a phone for any other
campus organization. Why the
BSU?” she asked.
Phase II/III Representative Jan
Hobbs responded, “All primary
chartered groups have the right to
use the money we give them the way
they want to. Why can’t they use this
to install a telephone?”
High added, “There is nothing il
legal about this request. The BSU
doesn’t have a phone. If they had
come to the Ways and Means Com
mittee and simply asked for
telephone expenses’ we wouldn’t be
arguing like this. They are being
honest.”
Several legislators asked if any
other chartered clubs have telephones
installed by the legislature-allocated
funds. Frank Joseph, assistant dean
of students, said he did not know who
Paid for the phone’s installation.
Long distance charges have been in-
cluded on other club’s budgets.
Sharon Chisholm, Sanford Hall
representative, moved that the
The Student Legisla- 1
allocated funds to
toe following organiza-,
wons:
^ Health Club, $500 for
Baseline expenses.
’’ociation of Biology
r aduate Students, $500 for
Jeshments, flowers, timers,
an d membership fees.
dlife Club, $500 for lecture
^ trip.
Black Student Union, $100 for
telephone installation and ser
vice charges.
Cercle Francasis, $500 for
puppet show, dinner, student
orientation and movie.
Circle K, $50 for projects.
Commuter Association,
$510.63 for supplies, phone,
commuter luncheons and
travel.
Executive Budget (student
president and appointed
legislature table the action on the
BSU telephone, pending an investiga
tion of previous funding for phone in
stallation.
Baker Smith, who represents
undeclared majors, opposed any tabl
ing of action. “By the time you get
through with the investigation, the
BSU won’t be needing a telephone,”
he said.
Legislative Chair Barry Brown
stepped off the podium, replaced by
Speaker Pro Tbmpore Leah Williams
to participate in the debate from the
floor.
“At Ways and Means, they in
vestigate and approve a club or
organization budget. They know
what they are doing,” Brown said.
“All an investigation will prove if
that BSU needs a phone. Carol
(Lesley, the student government se
cretary) has to take all of the phone
calls now.”
The legislature rejected, by voice
vote, Chisholm’s motion to table the
BSU fund request. After a roll-call
vote, the proposal passed 26-1-4.
Van Poole, who cast the single “no”
vote, drew heavy criticism from
legislator Debra Thompson. She
directed her complaint toward the
senior class president. “I’m usually
pretty quiet in here, but after observ-'
mg that you have brought personal
feelings against two clubs today,
Biology and the BSU, I want to say
that it makes me feel very uncomfor
table to sit here and listen to these
stupid arguments. The Ways and
Means Committee decided that the
BSU needed the money. You should
leave your personal feelings outside
the door when you come to legisla
ture.”
Van Poole responded, “I know
Ways and Means does a great job.
But I have a responsibility as a
legislator to stand up for what I
believe in. I am not against the BSU.
I do have a right to question any ex
pense.”
Ed Hausle and Kim Fortanbury
both decried what they termed a per
sonal attack on Van Poole.
Legislator Debra Martin offered
her assessment of the major topic of
debate, “Maybe because it is the BSU
getting the money, we fight.”
Photo By Debbie Miller
Students of Sanford Hall’s 4th House decid
ed to honor the 52 hostages in grand style
TUesday by placing an enormous yellow ribbon
around the Belk Tower.
Irene Clodfelter came up with the idea and
started the ball rolling by taking it to Sth floor
resident advisor Karen Sebralla. After an en
thusiastic reception, the idea was taken to Stu
dent Body President Ron Olsen, who conse
quently went to Vice Chancellor for Business
Affairs Leo Ells. The upshot of all this was
that the Physical Plant staff tied the ribbon
early Tuesday morning, after nine yards of
material were obtained from a local depart
ment store.
Clodfelter explained that she had followed
the reports on the hostage crisis from the
beginning, because, she said, “I have an uncle
who’s stationed in Germany, and something
like that could possibly happen to him.”
President Ronald Reagan declared Tuesday a
day of national Thanksgiving, and it was
marked by parades, firework displays, and rib
bon tyings across the nation.
—Ray Gronberg
assistants), $650 for travel
and contingency.
Model United Nations, $350
for ground transportation and
delegate fees.
Geography and Earth Science
Club, $150 for travel and prin
ting.
North Carolina Student Le
gislature, $286 for transporta
tion, printing, housing and
reception expenses.
Sanford Hall, $150 for stereo.
Inside .. .
Interracial Is “Quiet
Couples are House* 9 in the
solving tough best interest of
problems... the students?
Page5 An editorial .. .
Page 4
UNCC gets
state's first
solar phone . . .
Page 2
Due to equipment failure, todays Carolina Journal is being published one day
later than usuaL Normal publication schedule will begin Monday.