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Thursday, July 15,1994 cßf r Written and produced by the students of the Rainbow Institute
Rainbow Institute promotes diversity
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Photo by Will Owens
Back row left to right: Khefren Johnson, Chuck Stone, James Thomas, David Hawpe, Miguel Casas, Cassaundra Sledge, Tony Lin.
Second row from left: Merv Aubespin, Jan Elliott, Margaret Peterson, Ardua Harris, Elizabeth Barajas, Tamika Forkner, Nathan Moya,
Kendrah Harris.
Third row, seated, Mike Dang, Dana Quintana, Karen Kim, Leeza Duong, Stacey Rapisura.
Seated front: Valerie Fields, Rosene Cobbs.
Poll: Three out of five people
say Simpson may be guilty
by Leeza Duong
and Tony Lin
Rainbow Register Staff
Three out of five North Carolin
ians said they think football hero
O. J. Simpson could be guilty of the
double murder charges brought
against him, according to a recent
survey.
The survey showed that about 7
percent of the people polled said
they believe Simpson is definitely
guilty of the charges, while 53 per
cent feel that the charges are prob
ably true. Simpson has been charged
with murder in the death of his ex
Most people say they are capable of murder,
~ a recent suruey says.
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Are most people capable re V ou capable of
, . „ murder?
of murder?
™ Z I 177 people
bJyas El no I surveyed in the
I Chapel
0 Don't Know [3 No Answer I Hill-Carrborro
area. +/- 8%
margin of error
Graphic by Nathan Moya ——————————*
SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT TO THE DAILY TAR HEEL
wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her
friend, Ronald Goldman.
Twelve percent of the people sur
veyed said they feel that the charges
against Simpson are probably un
true, and 2 percent said they feel
that O.J. Simpson is definitely in
nocent. Twenty-two percent said
they don’t know if the charges are
true, while 5 percent had no re
sponse.
Students in the Freedom Forum
Rainbow Institute interviewed 177
people June 25 at shopping centers
in Chapel Hill and Carrboro. They
were asked a range of questions
from the O.J. Simpson case to
whether they had been to a palm
reader to how they would rank their
happiness.
The survey also asked if people
think that other people were ca
pable of murdering someone, given
certain circumstances. Sixty-four
percent said yes, while 27 percent
saidno. Tenpercentsaidtheydidn’t
know or had no response.
When asked if they would be ca
pable of murder, 51 percent said
they would, and 40 percent said
they would not. Eight percent said
that they did not know or did not
have a response to the question.
Men and women did not differ
very much in their responses:
•Sixty-four percent of women
and 65 percent of men surveyed
said they feel that people are ca
pable of murder.
• Fifty-one percent of women and
53 percent of men surveyed said
that they would be capable of mur
der.
Seven out of 10 people polled said
they are happier now than they were
five years ago.
While picturing a ratings ladder
with 10 being at the top, 48 percent
said that five years ago they would
haveve rated their happiness a six
or better, compared with the 72
percent which viewed their current
state of happiness just as high.
Looking five years ahead, 93 per
cent expect to be just as happy,
according to the poll.
The poll also asked people to rate
a list of events that might make
them happy. Rated highly—a six or
above—were eating a good meal (72
percent); getting a sum of money
Three-week program merges
talent, cultures, friendships
by Margaret Peterson
and Nathan Moya
Rainbow Register Staff
For the third consecutive year,
15 outstanding journalism students
from across the nation came to
gether at the University of North
Carolina at Chapel Hill for three
weeks of intense journalism train
ing.
The Freedom Forum-Rainbow
Institute has grown to two sites this
year, one at UNC-CH and a second
at San Francisco State University.
Both are funded by the Freedom
Forum in Arlington Va., which pro
vided $68,000 per site. The Free
dom Forum is a non-partisan, non
profit organization thatis dedicated
to free press, free speech and free
spirit. The institutes give the stu
dents journalism training, news
writing experience and the chance
to go into the community to research
their stories.
The Freedom Forum Rainbow
Institute is also sponsored The
American society of Newspaper
Editors (ASNE). Student are se
lected in national competition and
are sponsored by ASNE member
newspapers, which provide a men
tor relationship with thier spon
sored students.
“The Freedom Forum Rainbow
Institute is a fountainhead for
inceasing the number of minorities'
in journalism in America,” said
Chuck Stone, co-director of the in
stitute.
This year’s participants repre
sent a diverse rainbow of cultures.
At UNC-CH the students hail from
across the country.
The students and their sponsor
ing newspapers are Elizabeth
Barajas, Lincoln, Neb., Lincoln
Star ; Rosene Cobbs, Lansing,
Mich., Lansing State Journal ;
Leeza Duong, Garden Grove, Ca
(74percent); and spending time with
family (90 percent) and friends (93
percent). Having a good job would
make most people happy (96 per
cent).
Meeting a famous person and go
ing to a rock concert were least
popular; only 29 and 19 percent,
respectively, rated them favorably.
Respondents were split on events
like meeting an attractive person
and spending time with small chil
dren.
On other topics:
•Fifty-six percent, much higher
than national polls, approved of
the way President Clinton is going
his job.
• People were split between some
what likely and not likely on the
possibility of war in Korea. Eighty
four percent could place Korea on
the continent of Asia.
•Nearly one-fourth said they
would pierce a body part besides
the ear, for example, the nose (15
percent) and the belly button (5
percent). Almost 70 percent would
not pierce any body part.
•Only one-tenth said they had
visited a professional palm reader.
The gender distribution was split
almost even, and almost half were
between ages 26 and 45. Sixty per
cent were employed, while 23 per
cent were students. About 56 per
cent considered themselves South
erners.
Of the 177 people polled, 119
were white, two were Indian, 30
were African American, six were
Asian or Pacific Islander, and 20
other people belonged to race not
listed.
lif., The Orange County Register ;
Tamika Forkner, Jackson Miss.,
The Clarion-Ledger ; Ardua Har
ris, Fort Wayne, Ind., The Journal
Gazette ; Kendrah Harper, Lake
land, Fla., The Ledger ; Khefren
Johnson, Clevelend Ohio, The Plain
Dealerr; Mike Dang, Modesto Ca
lif., Modesto Bee ; Karen Kim,
Farmington, N.Y., The Daily Mes
senger.; Anthony Lin, Washington
D.C., Gannett News Service;
Nathan Moya, Aptos Calif., Santa
Cruz Sentinel; Margaret Peterson,
Utica, N.Y. Observer-Dispatch ;
Dana Quintana, Albuquerque,
N.M. The Albuquerque Tribune;
Stacey Rapisura, Oakdale Calif.
Modesto Bee; and James Thomas,
Detroit, Mich., Detroit Free Press .
Aside from the events, the work
and the lectures, an integral part of
the program was the people.
The students managed to find
many common bonds, one of which
was their immediate attraction to
teachers David Hawpe and Merv
Aubespin. Ardua Harris of Fort
W ayne, Ind., said of the two editors
from the Louisville Courier - Jour
nal : “They had a very approach
able manner. I had a lot of laughs...
I learned a lot in the week they were
here.”
The other instructors also had a
great impact on the students, Jan
Elfiott is an associate professor at
UNC-UHT and 1 the codirector of
the Institute. Elliott played an in
tricate part in bringing the students
together. She took on many jobs
and was like a mother to the 15
students plus a chauffeur and an
editor. As one student put it,“Jan is
a very sweet woman who tries to
ensure that we have the best time
possible.”
Chuck Stone was also co-direc
tor of the institute. Stone wowed all
the institute kids by having the abil
ity to quote the Bible and other
Releasing inmates
tough job for Baker
by Elizabeth Barajas
and Margaret Peterson
Rainbow Register Staff
In the past year, the North
Carolina Parole Commission has
handled more than 26,000 cases
and witnessed the unsuccessful
rehabilitation of thousands of of
fenders who have returned to the
state's prison system.
The community wants a rea
son, the board wants a solution,
and Juanita Baker, chairman of
theN.C. Parole Commission, is in
the middle of it all.
Baker said prisons in North
Carolina are at maximum capac
ity with 22,000 inmates.
“If we don’t get the number
down to 20,000, we are breaking
the law,” said Baker.
Baker has been in corrections
for 32 years and was the former
superintendent for the N.C.
Women’s Correctional Center.
“It is a different ball game all
together,” said Baker. “We see
about 250 to 600 cases a month.
Two commissioners review each
case, then they say let them go or
keep them.”
“The important thing is that we
are keeping the truly violent of
fenders off the streets,” said
Baker. “We know that it is a re
volving door for the short-term
misdemeanor offenders, but we
have to do what the law says.”
Tracy Herring, commission
public information officer, said
the commission handles 250 to
600 cases a month.
Baker held up a 4-inch-thick
books, most of which the kids never
heard of. Elizabeth Barajas of Lin
coln, Neb., said: “He was the most
inspirational man I’ve ever met.
From him I learned a lot about
writing and how to succeed.”
Besides serving as a role model
for all young adults, Stone is also
the Walter Spearman Professor in
the UNC-CH School of Journalism
and Mass Communication.
When the students weren ’ t work
ing, they found a variety of things to
do around campus. The most popu
lar past-times, as stated by Rosene
Cobbs, were, “Shopping, shopping
and watching T.V. with everyone
else in the lounge.” Students also
enjoyed exploring the campus and
taking advantage of the recreation
room and swimming pool.
Even for a well organized pro
gram, students still felt the need for
a change in some areas. “If I could
change anything, I’d like to have
the freedom to choose which topics
we want to write,” said Karen Kim,
of Farmington, NY. “It’s part of the
journalism experience.”
“I’d like it if we had shorter
days,” said Ardua Harris. The rou
tine for the Rainbow students in
volved waking up around 7 a.m.
and wrapping up at about 5 p.m.,
not including time spent doing home
work. Most students wouldn’t go to
bed until after midnight.
At the completion of the pro
gram and the six-week internship at
their sponsoring newspapers, each
student will receive a SI,OOO schol
arship. “The SI,OOO scholarship
really makes up for the horrendous
schedule,” said James Thomas of
Detroit, Mich.
A quote by Malcom X summa
rizes the attitudes of the young mi
nority journalists , “Education is our
passport to the future, for tomor
row belongs to those who prepare
for it today.”
file on one prisoner captured for
a string of armed robberies and
said, “Many of them just keep
coming back.”
Baker added that in an over
crowded situation, the parole
commission can no longer afford
to arrest offenders that violate
parole conditions.
“The fact is, in a cap situation,
bad people sometimes get back on
the streets. Sometimes, I just want
to hold my nose and throw-up.”
said Baker, referring to some of
the cases that the commission must
consider.
Baker said that Franklin Free
man , secretary of corrections ,has,
plans to increase the capacity in !
prisons. The projects in progress
will create more space for inmates,
but Baker said prisons are not
the answer.
“Prisons are not a cure all. I!
truly believe alcoholics and drug!
offenders need treatment type
facilities, not prison,” said Baker.
Even when seeking professional
rehabilitation is part of their sen
tence, many chose to ignore it.
“They keep saying they’U get help,
but they don't,” said Baker.
Baker also lamented the young
age of offenders. The state has
more than 5,000 inmates who are
under the age of 25. “The state
needs money for education, health
facilities, treatment and rehabili
tation,” she said.
Baker said programs and new
prisons ultimately can help those
offenders who want to help them
selves. “Rehabilitation is from'
within.”