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®hp Hatty (Har Ibri f2> A Volume 101, Issue 93 A century of editorial freedom Serving the students and the University community since 1893 IN THE NEWS Top stories from the state, nation and world Two Acquitted of Felony Charges in Denny Case LOS ANGELES Two blacks were acquitted Monday of most of the felony charges in the beating of white trucker Reginald Denny and other motorists at the start of the 1992 riots, easing fears of re newed racial tensions. The defendants were convicted of lesser counts. The judge sent the multiracial jury back to deliberate the most serious count attempted murder against defendant Damian “Football” Williams in the video taped attack of Denny —and two lesser charges on which the panel deadlocked. Hours later, the panel announced that it had decided that Williams was innocent of a robbeiy charge Williams and Watson sat calmly as the verdicts were read, except when the clerk announced “Not Guilty” on an aggravated mayhem charge against Williams, which could have brought him life in prison. Williams clapped his hands over his eyes, reared back in his seat and hugged his attorney. The jury convicted Williams on simple mayhem, with a maximum penalty of up to eight years in prison. In the charges decided against him, Watson was acquitted of all but simple assault on Denny, a lesser related offense that carries only a year in county jail rather than prison. The jury rejected the charge that Watson, who has been held since shortly after the riots, tried to kill Denny, which was the count that could have brought him life in prison. “I am in total agreement (with the jurors),” Denny told the TV tabloid show “Inside Edition.” Haitian Military Refuses To Accept U.N. Deadline PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti Haiti’s military defied an approaching midnight deadline to yield power Monday and be littled a U.N. arms and oil embargo. Rightists mixed threats against the out- side world with gifts offlowersto foreign reporters, while Lt. Gen. Raoul Cedras, the army strongman, sug gested new talks on his departure. But the United States said Cedras was only stalling. An army broad cast urged Haitians not to worry about the U.N.-autho rized embargo or JEAN-BERTRAND ARISTIDE, Haiti's first democratically elected president the U.S. warships steaming offshore to enforce it, beginning at midnight. The measures are aimed at forcing the return of Jean-Bertrand Aristide, Haiti’s first demo cratically elected president. Armed Somalis Threaten Cease-Fire With Advances MOGADISHU, Somalia—U.S. troops fired at armed Somalis advancing on their base Monday in one of four apparent at tempts to attack U.N. personnel or facili ties that threatened a nine-day lull in the fighting. There were no signs the incidents were related. Isolated grenade, mortar and gun fire attacks over the past week or so have been tied to clans fighting in Mogadishu and have not appeared to be aimed at the multinational peacekeeping force. This port on the Indian Ocean has been quiet since militiamen of warlord Mohamed Farrah Aidid shot down two helicopters in a battle that killed 18 Ameri can soldiers Oct. 3. Russia Should End Strife In Georgia, Leader Says TBILISI, Georgia—Beleaguered Geor gian leader Eduard Shevardnadze said Monday that he was counting on Russia to end rebel fighting in western Georgia that had cut a key rail link between Georgia’s capital and the coast. Meanwhile, peace talks on another rebel movement could start next month, a U.N. mediator said Monday. Shevardnadze’s forces have been defeated recently in Abkhazia, also in western Georgia. Forces backing ousted President Zviad Gamsakhurdia captured a key town Sun day in western Georgia, inflicting heavy losses on troops loyal to Shevardnadze. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Weather TODAY: Mostly cloudy, 30-percent chance of rain; high 70s. WEDNESDAY: Mostly cloudy, 20- percent chance of rain; high mid-70s. CAA Opens Block of Seats for Hoops BYRACHAEL LANDAU STAFF WRITER Seminoles, Blue Devils, Bulldogs and Demon Deacons had better beware be cause the Carolina Athletic Association has announced anew promotion to seat the most rabid student Tar Heel fans at courtside for the men’s basketball games. A block of 48 seats will be available for students behind the bench at eight desig nated games throughout the season. The CAA will distribute the blocks by ran domly drawing one block entry for each game. CAA officials also announced Monday that the popular Tar Heel Tipoff midnight practice would return this year on the night of Oct. 29. The new block-ticket plan is an experi ment to determine if such ablock will boost crowd participation, said Todd Austell, CAA co-director of ticket distribution. “These are definitely the best seats," Austell said. “Hopefully, this will increase Volunteers Build for Future With Habitat for Humanity BYROSSTAYLOR STAFF WRITER It’s early Saturday morning. While most students lay curled in wrinkled beds and bald little Mr. Fudd is shooting Daffy Duck’s bill ‘round his head, some UNC students are already up —and working. Working for Habitat For Humanity, they are building anew home, and anew future, for Vicki McGee and her son, Ja son. Thanks to students and Habitat, Vicki and Jason McGee expect to have their own home by the end of the year if things go as planned. “It’s awesome,” Jason McGee said about the building of his home. “I’m so glad this is happening. I know I’m going to like it. I get to have my own room.” Equally filled with excitement, fresh man Rob Buschmann beamed on his first workday. “I love this. It’s the coolest feel ing. I mean, it’s tough to get up, but it’s such a great feeling. “It’s just such a cool feeling being out here and working for someone else and not your benefit.” Habitat For Humanity, a nonprofit or ganization founded in 1976, provides new homes for people living in substandard housing throughout the United States and the world. Those chosen to receive homes are re quired to work 350 hours on their houses. They also must repay, over 20 years, the interest-free loans provided to pay for the construction. The McGees’ home is the first for which Cat’s Cradle to Reopen in Carrboro Next Month BY HOLLY WILLIAMS STAFF WRUER Music enthusiasts take heart Cat’s Cradle, the popular Chapel Hill night spot where alternative and local bands once performed, might be reopening in Canboro. Representatives of Cat’s Cradle are ne gotiating a lease with Main Street Part ners, according to Lucy Davis, one of the company’s partners. The company owns a building on East Main Street in Carrboro that currently houses the Arts Center and Pizza Chef, among others. Cat’s Cradle would be located in vacant space available in the building beside Visart Sarratt Journalism Speaker Predicts Dim Future for Newspapers ggk n Newspapers should only serve people who want to read them, screenwriter KURT LUEDTKE said. Sacred cows make the tastiest hamburger. Abbie Hoffman Clmml IML North Carolina TUESDAY, OCTOBER 19,1993 “These seats are closer to the floor and have a better atmosphere. This section should feel responsible to set the enthusiasm for the rest of the arena.” JOHNSWOFFORD UNC athletic director the desire of people to cheer.” In previous years, these seats in section 109 behind the bench were for parents and family of the players, Austell said. Last year, players’ parents agreed to move to theback of the section and give the front four rows to students. The seats were distributed individually to students in the 1992-93 season, but this year CAA mem bers decided to give the seats to a group of students who knew each other to promote “Habitat is about building bridges before building houses.” MATT WILLIAMSON former co-chairman of Habitat the campus group will provide everything, both the construction and fund raising. The home is 10 miles west of Carrboro Plaza off of N.C. 54. Habitat for Humanity at UNC includes four campus groups undergraduates through the Campus Y and graduate stu dents from the business school, the city and regional planning department and the School of Public Health. Although the groups build indepen dently, they work together to raise funds for the house. Allan Rosen, a second-year graduate student in the city and regional planning department, said students would like to form a more unified organization. But for now, they will continue to alter nate work weekends and join funds in hopes of finishing the home as soon as possible. The groups have worked on the house since the beginning of school and have learned a lot more than just construction. They learn about each other. “Building the home is important to me,” Habitat co-chairwoman Amy Smith said. “But what is more important to me is building the relationships between the homeowners and the students, as well as “It sounds like a pretty good idea to me. I’m young enough to go out and enjoy the bands.” DAVID PARKER Pizza Chef manager Video, Davis said. “There’s some things that need to be worked out, but it’s pretty certain,” Davis said. “They’re still doing some of their own investigations about plumbing and stuff.” BYKARA SIMMONS STAFF WRITER Kurt Luedtke didn’t stick to “just the facts” in a lecture he delivered Monday night on the future of newspapers. In fact, Luedtke, a Hollywood screen writer and former newspaper editor, said his speech was based largely on opinion, and was not necessarily in agreement with most University professors. “The views expressed here almost surely are not those of the management, ” Luedtke said. Luedtke, the executive editor of the Detroit Free Press from 1973 to 1979, delivered the 1993 Reed Sarratt Distin guished Lecture to a crowd of about 200 in the Hanes Art Center Auditorium. He is best known for his screenplay “Out of Africa,” for which he won an Academy Award, and also for “Absence of Malice,” which received an Oscar nomi nation. Luedtke said that even though he no greater involvement in the game. CAA President Daniel Thornton said CAA chose the block-ticket plan because CAA officials wanted the most spirited fans sitting behind the bench. “We figured that a block of people who knew each other would get more into the game,” he said. John Swofford, UNC athletic director, said he liked the new distribution plan. “The rest of the crowd is led by what the student section is doing,” he said. “We wanted to provide more seats behind the bench to students. “These seats are closer to the floor and have a better atmosphere. This section should feel responsible to set the enthusi asm for the rest of the arena. Hopefully, this will help do that.” The special block games are: Clemson, Jan. 15; Butler, Jan. 24; Wake Forest, Jan. 30; Duke, Feb. 3; Maryland, Feb. 10; Geor gia Tech, Feb. 12; Virginia, Feb. 19; and Florida State, Feb. 26. Austell said the plan should go over well n —a HI x‘i ■ -ri ■ ; HIHL 't&fm DTH/ROSS TAYLOR UNC student Kanku Bhagat works on Habitat for Humanity's latest project. between the students.” Often times students do not know each other before working and come from many different walks of life, Smith said. The lease probably will become official and begin sometime in November, she said. Cat’s Cradle, which had been located at 206 W. Franklin St. since 1986, closed May 19. The club lost its lease to FGI, a local marketing company. Cat’s Cradle Manager Frank Heath has been looking for anew location since the late-night hot spot closed its doors about five months ago. Heath could not be reached for comment Monday night. Pizza Chef Manager David Parker said he thought the transaction was pretty much definite after recently talking to Heath. “It sounds like a pretty good idea to me,” Parker said. “I’m young enough to longer was active in the print-journalism field, he still had a certain admiration and concern for newspapers. “I love newspapers.... I love the people whoworkfornewspapers,”hesaid. “Ilove the power of papers it was why I think I was in the business. “(But) I’m not sure that newspapers are, in fact, going to make it.” Luedtke said the demise of the newspa per industry was being caused by a lack of interest among readers who looked to news papers for excitement rather than informa tion. “The information factor... isn’t enough to excite you or me or any of the people who still have an appetite to read, ” Luedtke said. “What we’re looking for is the ‘gee whiz factor.’ “We really would like to pick up a paper and say, ‘Holy smoke!”’ Luedtke also said the growing dissatis faction with newspapers could be attrib uted to the fact that they tried to appeal to because these were seats that students would be glad to have the opportunity to get. “These are by far the best seats stu dents ever get,” he said. Carolina Fever will keep its seats in section 116 where they always have been. They will continue to promote the team from where they are and have no effect on this decision, CAA officials said. Students may pick up a guideline sheet for entering the drawing outside the CAA office in room 215i of the Student Union. Block applications are due by 5 p.m. Nov. 5 to the CAA office, and the CAA will select one block entry for each game. The blocks selected to attend the games will be posted on Nov. 8 by noon outside the CAA office. To be eligible for the drawing, each block entry should have a list of 48 students with their social security numbers and the name of a representative and his or her phone number. Please See TICKETS, Page 2 Senior Matt Williamson, a former Habi tat co-chairman, emphasized the same: Please See HABITAT, Page 2 go out and enjoy the bands. “Plus, I assume we’ll get some extra business from it.” Mike Conova, chief building inspector for the Town of Carrboro, said builder John Read was planning to do interior renovations for the new Cat’s Cradle. Conova could not confirm the new lo cation of the club. Read said he was hired to plan renova tions for the proposed East Main Street location. Although no specific renovations have been planned, Read said the overall feel of the new spot would be that of a nightclub. Kelly Ryan contributed to this article. an overly broad spectrum of potential read ers. “I think we’re going to have to redesign newspapers so that they serve only people who want to read newspapers, which means specifically that they do not serve a big bunch of people which would include the poor, a number of minorities (and) the less educated. “I think if they don’t do that, they are quietly, one by one, going to continue to die,” Luedtke said. The newspaper industry may rejuve nate itself if it takes a lesson from Holly wood, he said. “Hollywood does not, will not, never intended to make pictures for people who do not want to go to the show,” Luedtke said. “Newspapers, (however), as we speak, are busily engaging in an almost frantic process, trying, quite late in the day, quite late in the game, to attract readers who do not want to read or who do not want to read newspapers.” News/Features/ Arts/Sports 962-0245 Business/Advertising 962-1163 C 1993 DTH Publishing Corp. All rights reserved. Appeal Frustrates Workers Housekeepers Unhappy With University’s Action in Racial-Discrimination Case BY STEVE ROBBLEE ASSISTANT UNIVERSITY EDITOR UNC housekeepers say a recent Uni versity appeal will postpone the one thing they want most: a final decision to their allegations of racial discrimination on the part of the University. University lawyers filed an appeal Fri day disputing Administrative Law Judge Brenda Becton’s September ruling that the housekeepers might sue UNC as a group. “How long does the University want this to drag on?” Barbara Prear, a member of the UNC Housekeepers Association steering committee, said at a news confer ence Monday. “The University’s latest action could postpone our chance for a hearing once again. What is the University afraid of? If they don’t think they’re guilty of racial discrimination, then why are they so afraid to allow there to be a hearing? All we are asking for is a chance to be heard.” Mark Dorosin, a member of a group of UNC law students who have volunteered to help the Housekeepers Association, said the housekeepers should be protected by the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which “was specifically enacted to eliminate institu tionalized racial discrimination.” “Class action (suits) are very common in cases involving racial discrimination complaints,” Dorosin said. “In addition, the class certification provides an umbrella of protection for housekeepers and the Housekeepers Association and prevents the University from using retaliation and reprisal to divide the movement and in timidate individual employees.” Housekeeper Marsha Tinnen originally filed a Step 1 grievance with the University in 1991 ahegingradal discrimination based on pay, training opportunities and unfair supervisory practices on behalf of herself and other housekeepers. “The kind of treatment that we were getting, we said that no longer we would take this treatment and we filed a Step 1 grievance,” Tinnen said. The dispute progressed through three steps of the University’s grievance process before it reached the Office of Administra tive Hearings and Becton. The University appealed Becton’s rul ing to the Wake County Superior Court, where deliberations will be heard Wednes day. A superior court judge will decide if Becton’s court has the jurisdiction to de cide the matter. Dorosin said UNC’s appeal to superior court was an unusual tactic designed by the University to delay a decision. “This is an unusual and extraordinary measure which is designed to have a supe rior court judge review the decision of the administrative law judge before a hearing takes place,” Dorosin said. “Instead of a full and open hearing on this matter, the University is determined to use every legal avenue at its disposal to delay or prevent this hearing.” Larry Farrar, another member of the housekeepers steering committee, said University officials told housekeepers they were making changes in advancement op portunities and supervisory practices. The housekeepers did not see changes being made, he said. “The bottom line is, they just don’t want that hearing because they’re on shaky ground.” Luedtke said an example of how news papers tried to attract the “gee whiz” read ers could be seen in their use of color and illustrative diagrams. “I don’t want USA Today to become the newspaperforus. God forbid!” Luedtke said. Michael Beadle, a senior journalism and mass communication major who at tended the lecture, said he agreed with Luedtke. “ I think it’s fascinating that the power of ‘gee whiz’ is almost superseding the nor mal purposes of traditional newspapers,” he said. “It’s almost as if journalists are being cast into the role of teachers who first have to make the materials they are teaching interesting before they can be effectively absorbed. “The problem is also that readers are being desensitized at an alarming rate and as the ratio of sensitivity declines, the ‘gee whiz’ factor has to intensify in order to be effective.”
Daily Tar Heel (Chapel Hill, N.C.)
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Oct. 19, 1993, edition 1
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