Newspapers / Daily Tar Heel (Chapel … / Feb. 28, 1996, edition 1 / Page 8
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8 Wednesday, Febmaiy 28,1996 (Tl|f la% ®ar Mni TWuias Cambana EDfTOfi Marc McCoDnm managing editor Peter Roybal managing editor World Wide Web Electronic Edition: http://www.unc.edu/dth | * A I Kelly Jo Gamer electronic editor I Established 1893 Bmß 103 Years of Editorial Freedom BOARD EDITORIALS South Building Shuffle Chancellor Michael Hooker might not be known for his dancing prowess, but he’s un veiled a snazzy new little step: the South Build ing shuffle. In an expected move announced Friday, Hooker said that he would reorganize his ad ministration, to make it more “efficient and effective.” Hooker’s move signals another a fo cus on increased accountability and activity in UNC’s administrative headquarters. The reor ganization may create anxiety for people accus tomed to a complacent and often excessively bureaucratic campus administration. But the University community should welcome the changes, which streamline UNC’s management. Ever since Hooker moved into South Build ing on July 1, he has infused his coworkers with new energy and priorities. In reshuffling his top team members, Hooker has stayed trueto UNC’s long-time tradition of minimizing the number of administrators. He said the changes in titles and reporting procedures eliminated ambiguities Another Smith in the Dome When Charlotte Smith drained a buzzer-beat ing three-pointer in the 1994 NCAA champion ship game, she secured a place in the long line of basketball wonders that have played at UNC. By recognizing this outstanding athlete, the Uni versity and the sports community have taken another small step toward fully acknowledging the achievements of its female members. Smith’s number 23 was retired at a ceremony during halftime ofthe UNC-Florida State men’s hoops game. Smith, who graduated in 1994 after helping UNC win its first women’s basketball national championship, is the first woman to have her jersey retired at UNC. During her years at Carolina, Smith built an impressive legacy. In 1994, she was the Most Outstanding Player in the Final Four and set an NCAA Championship record by snagging 23 rebounds. Asa senior, Smith was first-team All- American and third in voting for the Naismith Award with an ACC-leading 19.6 points and 10.7 rebounds per game. Smith is second in UNC history in career scoring and rebounds and was the first Tar Heel to score 2,000 points and grab 1,000 rebounds. U.N.-Satisfactory Rating When human rights organizations put out their lists of top offenders, the last country that comes to mind is the United States ... or is it? A special investigation into executions around the world conducted by the United Nations Commission on Human Rights placed the U.S. on the list, along with Brazil, India and China. U.N. Investigator BacreWalyNdiayeexplained the U.S.’s ranking was due to executions of the mentally ill or retarded, inadequate trials and persistent racial bias. Before U.S. politicians point their foreign policy fingers at other countries, they should take a hard look at this country’s conditions. If the government cannot administer the death penalty fairly, it should not be administered at all. In 1972 the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the death penalty in Furman vs. Georgia, man dating the elimination of arbitrary and discrimi natory applications. North Carolina answered by restoring automatic death penalty statutes, but those were struck down as well. In Gregg vs. Georgia the U.S. Supreme Court accepted the death penalty as long as it respected “evolving standards of human decency” and the “dignity of man.” Jeanne Fugate EDITORIAL PAGE EDITOR Bronwen Clark university editor Nancy Fond university editor lendy Goodman city editor Robyn Tomlin Haekley STATE i national EDITOR James Lewis special assignments editor Robbi Pickeral SPORTS EDITOR Michelle Crampton features editor Dean Hair arts/diversions editor Chante LaGon copy desk editor Courtney Piver copy desk editor Kristin Rohan DESIGN EDITOR Candi Lang PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR Chris Kirhman GRAPHICS EDITOR Michael Webb editorial cartoon editor Amy KniakwßißNG coach Justin Williams STAFF DEVELOPMENT without creating any new positions on the pay roll. Two vice provosts —one for academic and one for health affairs will report to Provost Richard Richardson, who will be the undisputed chief of academic affairs. All other vice chancel lors will report to Chief of Staff Elson Floyd. Easily lost in the swarm of complex titles is the underlying vision. This move does not seek to centralize power under the chancellor, nor to create sinecures for South Building administra tive fixtures. Hooker wants his still-forming ad ministration to reflect his desire for clear organi zation, accountability and academic primacy. In the long run, the adjustments should make our University’s leaders more accountable. Health and Academic affairs will have more impetus to share resources, while closer coordi nation of the various vice chancellors will en courage administrators to think as members of a team rather than of a hierarchy. Administrators may not be having a ball, but at least Hooker’s shuffle will get them dancing. While Smith’s credentials are impressive nu merically, her real achievements are less easy to quantify. Through strong play and skill, Smith and her teammates brought long overdue na tional attention to a great sport. Smith’s aggres sive offense and agile ballhandling (not to men tion her dunking ability) also encouraged a level of athleticism high enough to draw the crowds that men’s basketball does. Although no sport at UNC may ever be able to compete with men’s hoops, the successes of the women’s basketball team and of other women’s teams such as soccer and field hockey have shown that women’s sports are valuable and entertaining in their own right, not just as additions to male-dominated programs. Smith’s career at UNC and in the professional realm at Copma Ferraro in Italy is an example to all sports aficionados of the exciting potential of women’s athletics. With a magnificent past behind her and a brilliant career ahead, Charlotte Smith will help carry women’s athletics to anew level, perhaps even rivalling the other number 23 from this University. But disparate applications of the death pen alty remain. A black defendant killing a white person is far more likely to receive the death penalty than a white defendant killing a white person, a black defendant killing a black person ora white defendant killing a black person (which earns the lowest number of death penalties). Often death row inmates have inadequate representation or no representation at all. Many have undiagnosed mental illnesses or handi caps. With the cuts in public interest services, these conditions will only worsen. The recent pro-death penalty movement in the U.S. has prompted record numbers of execu tions and new legislation limiting appeals. At least 30 people have been executed this century, a large price to pay for a death penalty whose deterrent value is negligible. Unfortunately, this listing is not a novel oc currence. Other human rights organizations rou tinely cite the U.S. for human rights abuses. The U.N. report should put American citi zens on alert and force legislators to take a closer look at problems in this country —problems the rest of the world can point out before they attempt to solve other countries’ human rights dilemmas. EDITORIAL Mitsubishi Ad Wrong; Facts Speak for Themselves Sometimes the facts can’t speak for them selves,” said a Mitsubishi advertisement in Friday's Daily Tar Heel. The background picture of a rain forest is offered as a symbol of Mitsubishi’s commitment to “sustainable devel opment” and “stewardship.” A truthful adver tisement would have shown pictures of desolate dear-cuts. Mitsubishi Corporationistheworld’s number-one corporate destroyer of rain forests. Mitsubishi’s ad amounts to nothing more than “greenwashing” and lies. Many environ mentally destructive companies have been paint ing themselves green in an attempt to make it look like the environmental movement is no longer needed, that its battles are over. This could not be further from the truth. Mitsubishi tells us that 96 percent of the world’s tropical fiber is used locally either for fuel or in support of industrial development. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the U.N. notes that slash-and-bum farming is a major cause of deforestation, yet defines deforestation as the “removal of all tree cover.” Logging severely degrades forests, but is not considered “deforestation” because a few trees are left stand ing. The International Timber Trade Organiza tion acknowledges that less than 1 percent of all logging in rain forests is done in a sustainable fashion. What about Mitsubishi’s “low impact logging practices”? They include the logging of Sarawak, Malaysia, which has resulted in the displacement of over 200,000 people. Employ ing 170 local people and making a few govern ment officials fabulously rich, Mitsubishi and its subsidiary Diaya Malaysia have left over 100,000 hectares of virgin rain forest destroyed. Their “reforestation” project plants only 10 percent of the original tree species and can never recapture a forest’s original biodiversity. At a cost of $40,000 per hectare, Mitsubishi “reforested” seven ofthe 100,000 logged hectares in Sarawak. Furthermore, Mitsubishi has consistently lied 1 flf _ BCC Fund Raising Going Well; Thanks to Those Who Helped TO THE EDITOR: The article entitled “T-shirt Sales Will Boost Funds To Build BCC” which appeared in The Daily Tar Heel (Feb. 23) failed to mention some key players in the planning and implementation of this fund-raising campaign. Student Body President Calvin Cunningham and student government were involved in the initial planning of several initiatives. The design and implementation of this project was a col laborative effort between Melanie Wall of “Bread and Butter Custom Screen Printing," Mo Nathan, Ivy Farguheson, Dawnielle Gladden and myself. Wall was instrumental in helping to streamline the design and donated her time and labor. The T-shirts are selling very well. Support from the DTH, other local media and commu nity and student leaders has helped to sell more than 100 shirts in four days. We are planning additional fundraising with student organiza tions and local businesses and value the support of all participants. We hope that the entire com munity will continue to embrace these initia tives. Thank you for your continued coverage and support of the Sonja Haynes Stone Black Cul tural Center. TyJonson PUBLICIST SONJA H. STONE BLACK CULTURAL CENTER Black History Is More Than a 30-Word Blurb in Newspaper TO THE EDITOR: I have been reading your Black History Month Spotlight. Your effort to provide information on African Americans who have contributed to African-American and American history is noth ing less than commendable. However, two have peaked my interest and concern. The spotlight on Jean-Baptiste Point Du Sable (Feb. 20) men tioned that Du Sable settled in what is today Chicago, but did not give him the credit ofbeing the first settler of the area. The site of his home is a National Historic Landmark, designated in May 1976. The spotlight on Leroy Eldridge Cleaver (Feb. 19) was disturbing. The only in formation you provided was that he went to reform school in junior high school and later went to prison. You did not mention his affilia tion with the Black Panther Party as Minister of Information. You failed to mention that in 1968 the Panthers joined forces with the radical white Peace and Freedom Party to run Cleaver in the about statistics. The Japanese government admitted that Japan | ANDREW PEARSON | GUEST COLUMNIST consumes over 30 percent of the world’s tropical timber output. Mitsubishi uses the figure 1.2 percent. Logging and corresponding road-build ing opens up rain forest to slash-and-bum farm ing. The process of deforestation is caused by a multitude of activities, of which corporate ex ploitation is primary. Cattle ranching (for your hamburgers) forces farmers to move deeper into the forests by buy ing up and destroying, through unsustainable grazing, their land. Indigenous peoples are given no rights to their land, as mining companies pay off governments to provide low paying, short term, degrading work in order to destroy the rain forest for profits. Here in America, logging has increased to devastating levels due to a “logging without laws” bill. Timber industries are exempt from ALL environmental protection laws and public appeals to timber sales. Sales of ancient, threat ened forests halted a year ago because any logging would destroy them irreversibly—have proceeded. Timber companies have grabbed the most valuable, healthy forests and cut them at night, under armed guard, due to massive public protest. The property, income and environment of thousands are being destroyed by unsustain able dear-cuts and road building. Logging de stroys rivers, causes landslides and imperils ani mal habitats and watersheds. Mitsubishi, like our timber companies, has no problem getting around environmental protec tions. Mitsubishi claims to adhere to a “corporate responsibility to society. ” They claim to research and support reforestation, alternative paper and sustainable logging. Yet Mitsubishi has never made good on its claims. Their unsustainable practices continue today in Brazil, Canada and Siberia. RIADERTORUM The Daily Tar Heel welcomes reader comments and criticism. Letters to the editor should be no longer than 400 words and must be typed, double-spaced, dated and signed by no more than two people. Students should include their year, major and phone number. Faculty and staff should include their title, department and phone number. The DTH reserves the right to edit letters for length, clarity and vulgarity. Bring letters to the DTH office at Suite 104, Carolina Union, mail them to P.O. Box 3257, Chapel Hill, NC 27515 or e-mail forum to dthiunc.edu. U.S. Presidential election on the platform of social revolution. You did not mention that Cleaver wrote a best selling book, “ Soul On Ice, ’’ in 1968 that is considered a classic statement of African-American alienation in the U.S. These are pertinent pieces of information. Before reading your spotlights, I knew veiy little about Du Sable or Cleaver, but I knew enough to realize that the information you pro vided was incomplete. It took me less than an hour in the Undeigraduate Library to obtain this information. If your goal is to provide accurate and complete information, the resources are available and it takes little time to obtain. If that is not your goal, I would rather you not provide the information. If you would like to have more complete information on African-American his tory, you can start by referencing the following sources: “The African American Almanac,” 6th Ed., and “Contemporary Black Biography, ” Vol. 1-9. Your spotlight did provoke me to seek more information on Du Sable and Cleaver and that makes me all the more educated about the his tory of my people. For that, I thank you. La Shoe Sloan GRADUATE STUDENT HEALTH POUCY AND ADMINISTRATION Follow Hookers 1 Example: Stand Up at Basketball Games TO THE EDITOR: To all you students who want somewhere quiet to study, I have found anew place ... the Smith Center during a basketball game. The Florida State game was the most pathetic display ®ljr Satig ®ar Hffl Mitsubishi itself is the trading company that deals in timber. Through substantial cross-own ership and close business ties, Mitsubishi Mo tors, M. Bank, M. Oil, Nikon, Kirin Brewery and many more companies are responsible for their involvement in rain forest destruction. If the Rain Forest Action Network knew, as the ad says, that Mitsubishi has “no such logging prac tices,” then thousands of indigenous and inter national activists, companies and organizations would not be calling for the boycott of all Mitsubishi products. It is hard to stay ahead of corporate lies and greenwashing. It is interesting that Mitsubishi appropriates the language of those who truly strive for sustainable living, but when they say, “We support efforts to find and develop alterna tive wood sources such as kenaf,” they do not justify their rain forest destruction. Action speaks louder than words. Mitsubishi has yet to stop its rain forest logging and convert to “alternative sources,” even though other companies are al ready producing hemp and kenaf and recycling paper instead of logging our rainforests. Through boycotts, RAN and other groups help us use our power as consumers to make corporations accountable for their actions. Cor porations like Mitsubishi will continue to greenwash and lie about their impact on the environment. Boycotting has an age-old legacy; it furthered the civil rights movement and helped to end apartheid in South Africa. Please continue the boycott of Mitsubishi products until the facts do speak for themselves. When the sounds of chainsaws ripping through the rain forest cease and when the indigenous peoples and animals can hear themselves above the roar of corporate destruction, the facts will finally speak for them selves. Andiew Pearson is a junior history major from Shaker Heights, Ohio. of crowd support ever witnessed during the mod em era. Did we forget it was the last home game of the season? Did we forget it was on national TV? Even Dickie V wanted to know why we were so quiet. Hey, Carolina Fever, you’re sup posed to be the loud ones. I couldn’t even tell where your section was because you weren’t even wearing the same color shirts. Dr. James Hile, where did you go in the second half? We desperately needed your help! I could not believe that with three minutes go down only by five —nobody was making any noise. I hate to say it, but we are a wine and cheese crowd. There was one positive note, however. Chancellor Michael Hooker and his wife were standing up and cheer ing. Even from section 210, row R, they were the only two people standing in their half of the Dome. Let us all follow the example of our chancellor next year. Please. Thank you. David Shapiro SENIOR CHEMISTRY Religion Is Not a 'Crutch/ Can Be Used to Examine All Issues TO THE EDITOR: Tara Servatius claims that “pre-packaged” religion works well in dealing with life’s tough questions (“Religious Belief Is Choice Between All or Nothing” Feb. 19). I disagree with this assumption that if you subscribe to a religion, you have closed your mind. Asa sincere Chris tian, I agree that my faith is “all or nothing.” However, I do not hide behind a doctrine. While God is a huge support in my life, I completely disagree that my faith is a “crutch.” My faith is based on my understanding that I need God and am incomplete without Him. Ms. Servatius may find this dependence unaccept able, but it does not provide an easy answer. I have not blindly accepted what I’ve heard at church or read in the Bible. I have prayed, read, talked and thought very hard about my convic tions. I continue to examine my beliefs, and my faith and experience have shown me that my relationship with Christ is real. Ms. Servatius claims that her family used Christianity to avoid sensitive issues; this is not always the case. Chris tian friends and I often struggle over difficult issues, including sexuality, racism and relation ships . Our beliefs influence the way we approach problems, but they don’t provide simple solu tions. My life goes much smoother when I am depending on God, but it isn’t always easy, and does not involve hiding from life. Jason Roth SENIOR ENGLISH EDUCATION
Daily Tar Heel (Chapel Hill, N.C.)
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Feb. 28, 1996, edition 1
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