2
Friday, March 15,1996
Forum Addresses Need
For Affirmative Action
■ Panelists at Thursday
night’s forum also discussed
housekeeping privatization.
BY RICK CONNER
STAFF WRITER
Affirmative action, privatization of
UNC housekeepers, student financial aid
cuts, and the quality of education were
among the topics discussed at a Thursday
night forum sponsored by the Coalition for
Economic Justice.
Gerald Home, director of the Black
Cultural Center, was among the first to
speak on affirmative action, which he de
fined as any program designed to promote
equality and end discrimination.
Affirmative action could include any
thing from requiring colleges to place their
catalogs in minority dominated high
schools to obligating discriminating em
ployers to hire a more diverse staff on a
certain timetable, Home said.
In response to claims that affirmative
action is reverse discrimination, Home
pointed out that certain other forms of
affirmative action weren’t being ques
tioned.
“Why not criticize senior citizens dis
counts as discrimination against the
young?” Home said.
He said affirmative action was neces
sary to deal with racism and discrimina
tion in business.
“Jobs are often more dependent on con
nections, or even complexions,” Home
said.
Student Body President-Elect Aaron
Nelson agreed with Home, saying affirma
tive anion was necessary to provide every
one with the same opportunities.
“We are not at that stage of everyone
being equal yet, and education is where the
Professor Examines Ordinary Objects in New Poetry Book
BY MELANIE FELICIANO
STAFF WRITER
What is a colander? “Upside down, a
holy helmet/crowning my son’s impres
sionable head/its feet fierce horns,” is just
the first of the various descriptions Michael
McFee, assistant professor ofEnglish, uses
in “Colander, ” the title poem for his newly
published poetry compilation.
“It is a collection of thing poems
short, intense poems,” he said before read
ing from his book in Bull’s Head Bookshop
on Wednesday. The reading brought to life
animistic poems of familiar objects like
pencils, books and answering machines.
A native of Asheville, McFee graduated
from the University with a bachelor of arts
degree in English in 1976 and a master’s
degree in 1978. He said most of the books
before “Colander,” like “To See” (a col
laboration with photographer Elizabeth
.'(., * *“ 1 I-
; - ' ifer \ T ep itlMlill I
Corrugated Cardboard Ban Is Now In Effect!^
For Users of Orange Regional Landfill
UNC-Chapel Hill will be assessed a fine for any amount of corrugated
cardboard found in University garbage.
CORRUGATED CARDBOARD RECYCLES
1. COLLECT NO:
2CI ATTCkI B Trash • Pizza boxes
. FLATTEN 4 Waxy cardboard
3nprYf | F Mm Paperboard
* I ULL (cereal box type cardboard)
Outdoor corrugated cardboard recycling containers
are now located next to trash dumpsters on campus.
Jj^^^^^^^^^^^ContaicttheUNOCHOfficeof^teßeductionand^ecycling96^l442^^^^^^^^^^^|
“We are not at that stage of
everyone being equal yet, and
education is where the
solution is at. We must provide
access to education across
gender and race lines. ”
AARON NELSON
Student Body President-Elect
solution is at,” said Nelson. “We must
provide access to education across gender
and race lines.”
“People have been given the wrong
impressions about these (affirmative ac
tion) programs. They’re not about quotas
—they're illegal. And it’s not about bring
ing unqualified people into the system,” he
said.
Eleanor Kinnaird, a Democratic candi
date for N.C. Senate in the 16th District,
spoke about the negative effects of the
current wave of privatization, specifically
in reference to UNC housekeepers.
She said privatization would result in
lower wages and lower benefits for work
ers.
“Everyone should have the opportunity
to make a decent living," Kinnaird said.
Barbara Prear, a housekeeper, also spoke
out against privatization, saying the house
keepers had to make enough in wages to
support themselves and their families.
“Who can five on $5.50 an hour now?”
said Prear. “This is all about somebody
making a big profit.”
Kinnaird also stressed the importance
of student financial aid, saying it provided
the opportunity for a person with no money
and no connections to get an education.
Kinnairdsaid, “Ifyoucan’trealizeyour
education, your American dream is gone. ”
Matheson), “Sad Girl Sitting on a Run
ning Board” and “Plain Air, ” are based on
family members and community. He uses
those same elements for his new book.
Creating new ways to describe common
activities or objects is “a habit you get into
as a writer,” McFee said. For the sake of
imagery, he said, a writer must take some
thing like a colander or a box of animal
crackers that had never been given special
notice and try to see it with fresh eyes.
He found this quality in the 15 poets
featured in an anthology he edited, “The
Language They Speak Is Things to Eat:
Poems by Fifteen Contemporary North
Carolina Poets .’’Hesaidthathe decided to
put it together because no recent generous
compilation of North Carolina poets had
been previously published.
In his opinion, these poets will stand the
test of time because the form and language
of each poem is carefully crafted, the im
UNIVERSITY & CITY
Local Businesses Anticipate Tournament Sales Boom
DTH/CELESTE JOYE
UNC freshmen Bryan Hinton (left) and Adrian Olden shop for NCAA Tournament merchandise at
Shrunken Head Boutique at 155 E. Franklin St. on Thursday.
ages are surprising and satisfying, the sub
ject matter is interesting and North Caro
linians have a great sense of humor.
“Mortality, death, God, faith, love
all are written in local terms, which is a
bonus," he said.
This book is the basis of the new Con
temporary North Carolina Literature class
that will be offered under the Johnston
Scholars Honors Program (but not neces
sarily limited to just those students) in the
spring of 1997. It will focus on the meaning
of the poetry and where it is headed.
McF ee said that when he was a junior at
the University, he took his first creative
writing class as an elective, thinking it
would be easy. But it proved to be challeng
ing and he found himself writing poems.
“For 21 years I’ve been doing it,” he said.
A professor since the fall of 1990, he
said there were ways to assign a grade on
expression of thoughts, although some
times it isn't easy.
“Many people believe poetry is inspired,
but you do have to fiddle with it,” he said.
“That’s the dirty secret in my class.” He
said it is hard to fail students show effort.
Kinston senior Scott Heath took one of
McFee’s poetry classes two years ago. “I
took it at a time when I was just about to
develop my own voice, ” he said. “It helped
me to establish my poetry.”
Students from McFee’s “Introduction
to Poetry Writing” class commented on
the new book. Jennifer Lyons, a junior
from Fayetteville, said her favorite poem
was “Address Book.” “It rang true, true to
life,” she said.
Gabriel Beecher, a sophomore from
Puerto Rico, said a poem about pocket
change, was his favorite. “The coins had so
much personality,” he said. Maybe that
was because McFee said he wanted to
shake the change in his pocket as he read.
Attention Seniors!
myn Come to the
rJm SPRING
JOB FAIR
/f For Graduating Seniors & Graduate Students
I / Talk with employers about career opportunities!
Wednesday, March 20 • 11:00-3:30pm
Great Hall
Bring Resumes! Business Dress Recommended!
Sponsored by UCS, Division of Student Affairs
BY LESLIE KENDRICK
STAFF WRITER
While Carolina basketball fans have thrown themselves into
March Madness, Chapel Hill retailers are taking a wait-and-see
approach to stocking NCAA Tournament paraphernalia.
Student Stores has not yet purchased any NCAA goods,
Student Stores Director John Jones said. Sales in both Carolina
and NCAA-toumament products usually do not pick up unless
UNC reaches the Sweet Sixteen, Jones said.
“At this point, the tournament has not really affected our
sales,” he said. “About around the Sweet Sixteen things start
selling, and then for the Final Four and the championship, of
course, products really move.”
Donna Devanney, manager of Carolina Pride on Franklin
Street, said she had preordered NCAA T-shirts, sweatshirts and
pins, but she would stock the goods only if UNC advanced in the
tournament.
“People really areri t interested in buying it until the Final Four
because the tournament is so iffy,” she said. “I think once they
start winning, people will start buying. So if they win, we'll get the
products.”
Jones said the UNC basketball team’s successful tradition
helped to shape people’s buying patterns.
“I think the campus is just used to the team getting into the
tournament,” he said.
But Genny Wrenn, manager of the Shrunken Head Boutique
on Franklin Street, said she had already seen signs of Carolina
fever.
“We’ve had calls from a bunch of people going to Richmond
who want T-shirts and tattoos and pompoms,” Wrenn said.
Wrenn said the more Carolina wins in the tournament, the
busier the store will be. “It’ll get crazier when the Sweet Sixteen
hits, but everybody’s pumped up already about this weekend’s
games.”
Wrenn said UNC’s loss to Clemson in the ACC Tournament
seemed to have a temporary effect on sales.
“When Carolina loses, everybody goes into a mourning period
for a couple days, but with the tournament starting up people are
getting excited again,” she said.
All the store representatives interviewed agreed that UNC’s
performance this season could mean especially high sales if the
team advances.
“Because the team has struggled some this year, if they do
advance, people will be very excited and will probably buy more
than they would otherwise,” Jones said.
Jones said Student Stores was prepared to serve its customers
if the demand for products began to rise.
“We have manufacturers ready to print and produce NCAA
goods,” he said. “If the need arises, they’re ready, and we'd be
ready to sell the products.”
Campus Calendar
FRIDAY
SUMMER STUDY ABROAD applications due
today in 12 Caldwell Hall.
9 a.m.-5 p.m. WORKERS’ RIGHTS SYMPO
SIUM: The Jungle Revisited. UNC Law School.
Lunch available for S5. Registration is free. Call 489-
0846 or 544-2957 to pre-register.
10 a.m. WIDESPREAD PANIC tickets for Apr.
14 show, on sale at Union Box Office. Walk-up sales
only. $16.50 UNC students; sl9 for general public.
1 p.m. HONORS COURSES: Students with a
minimus 3.0 GPA may register in Honors Office, 300
Steele Building.
1:10 p.m. MSA—JUMA’A Salaat every Friday
in 208-209 Union. For more info, call Mohammad
Banawan 914-3036.
5 p.m. STUDENT ATTORNEY GENERAL’S
staff applications due in Union Suite D.
6 p.m. FOCUS will host Timothy Kimbrough
from Church of the Holy Family on the topics ofLent
and Fasting at 413 Granville Road, or call 914-0121
for more info. Dinner is provided!
7 p.m. HANES ART CENTER GALLERY
opening reception in the Glass Gallery for multime
dia works by winners of the Undergraduate Studio
Art Scholarship Awards that will be on display until
March 26. For more info, call 962-2015.
MEL GIBSON in Braveheart at the Union Audi
torium. Also showing 10:30 p.m. Admission $2.
9:30 p.m. FIESTA! sponsored by CHispA in
El)p Daily (Tar Heel
Cabaret. $2 in advance, $3 at the door. Lessons, DJ
and food! Bring a friend!
SATURDAY
9 a.m. CHAPEL HILL PUBLIC LIBRARY
National Catfish Association is sponsoring a local
fishing group. All invited.
9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. CLASSROOM MANAGE
MENT for preschool teachers, presented by Anne
Sherman of Project Enlightenment. $5 registration
fee and .6 CEUs can be earned for attending. Call 1-
800-628-5687.
12 p.m. SOCIETY OF PHYSICS STUDENTS
‘‘Stupid Physics Tricks’’ in 215 Phillips Hall. Also
showing at 2 p.m. and 4 p.m.
9 p.m. FREE CONCERT in Union Cabaret,
Schlomo and Boy Wonder sponsored by CUAB.
For the Record
The March 7 article, 'SAFE Escort Placed
Under University Police,' should have re
ported that officials at a campus safety
meeting Wednesday considered putting
SAFE Escort under the auspices of University
Police.
The Daily Tar Heel regrets the error.