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12 Thursday, March 28,1996 Z\\v irnly (Tar MM Thanassis Cambanis EDITOR Marc McCollum managing editor Peter Roybal managing editor World Wide Web Electronic Edition [ http://www.unc.edu/dth I / If Kelly Jo Garner ELECTRONIC EDITOR | M. Established 1893 B 103 } ears of Editorial Freedom BOARD EDITORIALS Cornerstone of Support ■ No matter how much money students raise through the BCC fund-raising effort, the community support and awareness created will be a commendable reward. It’ll be a great day when the Educational Foundation has to hold a bake sale to pay for the Kenan Stadium expansion, and the Sonja H. Stone Black Cultural Center has all the money it needs. But until that day, a group of dedicated stu dents are raising money —and building aware ness —with an outreach effort to involve the entire student body in BCC fund raising. Students in all walks of life cannot help but notice the concerted effort to build bridges be tween the BCC and the community. While the student fund-raising effort probably won’t bring in enough money to get construction for the $7 million building under way, their work will assure every member of the campus community a stake in the center. Since the controversy surrounding the ap proval of a free-standing BCC almost three years ago, the University has been waiting for an effective, educational outreach effort to unite people. No Turnin’ Back The appointment of Barbara DeLon, a 20- year University employee, to head the UNC Housekeepers Association is an admirable ges ture. We hope this marks the Hooker administration’s recognition of problems faced by the housekeepers. We hope it signals the beginning of an era during which the adminis tration will make a concerted effort to work on the housekeepers’ behalf. Appointing longtime staff member DeLon is important because she intimately knows the University. Housekeepers are as much a part of the University family as professors or adminis trators. It also helps to heal some of the many rifts over the years between the housekeepers and the administration. The job dedication that many housekeepers have demonstrated while working here is admi rable. This dedication comes from their loyalty to the University and would not be the same BAROMETER Light Up, Everybody, Part II North Carolina is refusing to take part in efforts against the tobacco industry. Maybe when officials get cancer, progressive legislation can take place. a* Trails of Tears Inconsiderate mountain bikers are despoiling the once beautiful campus quads. Use the paths, don't make your own. j Thou Shalt Not Park Why stop at making the IM-Rec fields into a parking deck? If the University was really ambitious, it would raze South Building and give us some convenient spaces. -a# Business and Advertising: Kevin Schwartz. director/general mangager; Chrissy Menmtt advertising director; Leslie Humphrey, classified ad manager; Tetsuo Matsuda, business manager; Ashley Widis, advertising manager. Business Staff: Lisa Reichle, assistant to the general manager. Grace Consacro, assistant manager Classified Advertising: Michelle Byrd, assistant manager. Wendy Holmes and Rachel Lomasz. Assistant Editors: Melissa Milios arts/ diversions; Laura Godwin and Suzanne Wood. city. Catherine Blair and Liy Thayer, copy. Jim Webb, design; Daniel Niblock. graphics. Jason Kirk and Kathleen Oehler, photo; Alec Morrison, Joe Rolison and Kurt Tondorf. sports. Erica Beshears. state ft national; Jamie Griswold and Jay Moye. university. Arts/Diversions: Todd Gilchrist music editor; Wendy Mitchell and Nicole Quenelle, senior writers; Jennifer Ahari, Jen Ashlock. Kristin Eaton, Steven Ferrara. Alicia Hawley. Jonathan Howie, Aziz Huq, Claire Jams, Kacey Kinard. Dan Kois, Brent Simon, Barry Summerlin, Lily Thayer and Brian Truitt. Cartoon: Robin Linehan and Joel Tesch. City: Diane Blackman, Luther Caldwell, Amy Cappiello. Mary-Kathryn Craft Todd Darling, Kate Harrison. Margo Hasselman, Vic Hendrickson, Leslie Kendrick. Karen Mitchell, Angela Moore, Gibson Pate, Richard Ray. David Simineaux. Hillary Sparrow and Jennifer Zahren. Copy: Jennifer Ahari, Sara Bidgood, Catherine Blair, Jodie Cook. Lorelei Costa, Courtney Everett Jill Feldstein, Elizabeth Gardner, Claiborne Hancock. Vic Hendrickson, Dory Jenkins. Michael Kanarek. Korey Karnes, Beverly Morgan, Christine Nicolette, Anna Pond, Dannifclle Romano and The editorials are approved by the majority of the editorial board, which is composed of the editor, editorial page editor and six editorial writers. The Daily Tar Heel is published by the DTH Publishing Corp., a non-profit North Carolina corporation, Monday-Friday, according to the University calendar. Callers with questions about billing or display advertising should dial 962-1163 between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. Classified ads can be reached at 962-0252. Editorial questions should be directed to 962-0245/0246. After a year of relative silence, a committed core group of students has quietly built a net work of support for —and understanding of— the center’s mission. Events from acclaimed speakers like bell hooks, to sessions about educational issues have linked BCC supporters in the sorority and fraternity systems across racial lines and have involved members of a wide variety of student groups. These programs have cemented aware ness of the purpose and necessity of a cultural center for everyone. When the money is finally raised to erect the new building, the student fund-raising campaign will reap the benefit of increased attendance at BCC programs and growing support for the center’s mission. After the center was approved, supporters called for a campaign to draw in members of the whole University community. This student fund raising campaign lays the cornerstone for wide spread support of the BCC. toward a private company offering them little job security as workers. Because having them as University employ ees brings intangible benefits like loyalty and dedication, the University should not privatize the housekeeping staff, this year or any year. Instead, the University should work to continue improvements in their working conditions, so they can get wages on which a family may live. While we commend Hooker for appointing DeLon and making this move in the right direc tion, we demand that the administration con tinue to advocate for the housekeepers. Their need for better salaries should be justified to legislators. We urge the administration to con tinue making reforms about better working con ditions, supervisors and break time reforms closer to home that rest as our responsibility. Barbara DeLon will hopefully keep the house keepers heading in the right direction “no turnin’ back.” Mooooooooovies i % M :,y * 1 Sell-Outs? $ I Directions for the Search Party * .4 ; A 1 A THE DAILYTAR HEEL Business & Advertising Staff sales representatives. Customer Service: Dodie Brodsky, Angela Caruso. Tamara Deloatch, Melanie Feliciano, Melissa Levine, Rachel Lomasz. Jen Pilla and Julie Robertson, representatives. Display Advertising: Brendan Biamon, Elain Calmon, Aaron Henderiine, Eileen Hintz. Shannon Hrdlicka, Gidget Lamb, Traci Langdon. Megan Stephenson and Danielle Whalen, account executives; Bee Auger, Megan Boyle, Henry Jay, Editorial Staff Kathryn Sherer. Design: Josh Brannon. Stephanie Burge. Jessica Burstein. Jason Gloege, Greg Kaliss, Andrea Kuhn. Callie McCraw, Shyam Patel, Amy Quattlebaum, Leslie Wilkinson and Alkisti Yiannibas. Editorial: Jenny Blasdell. Georg Buehler. Baker Burleson. Joanna Howell, Alison Roxby and Tadd Wilson. Features: Tom Acitelli. Kathleen Bliley. Matthew Boyatt Jennifer Burleson, Kevin Degon. Stephanie Dunlap, Melanie Feliciano, Jennifer Freer, Austin Gelder. Emily Gorman, Mark Uneberger, John Martin, Olivia Page. Brenna Pearson, Nakita Rowell, Louis Rutigliano, David Silverstein, Frank Wang and Dana Wind. Graphics: Klover Kim, Heather Lewis, Laurie Perkis, Anne Riley. Arika Slack, Alana Smith, Mark Weissman, Liz Welchman and KimShala Wilson. Photography: Suzanne Autrey, Ashley Broome, Katherine Brown, Kelly Brown, Julie Hudnell, Celeste Joye, Simone Lueck. Ryan Matthes, Erik Perel and Robin Whitaker. Special Assignments: Ellen Flaspoehler and Adam Gusman, senior writers. Kari Cohen. Sports: Todd Graf, senior writer. Aaron Beard. David Boyd, Jack Chaney, Brian Hamilton, Craig Kiser, James Lunsford. Anglea Merritt Rob Paton, Reuben Sack. Heidi C. Schmitt Jay Stone. Paul Upr Office Suit* 104 Carolina Union Campus Mail Address: CB* 6210 Box 49, Carolina Union U.S. Mail Address: P.O. Box 3257, Chapel HHI. NC 27515-3257 Jeanne Fugate EDITORIAL PAGE EDITOR Bronwen dark university editor Nancy Fond UNIVERSITY EDITOR Wendy Goodman CITY EDITOR Robyn Tomlin Haekley state 6 national editor James Lewis SPECIAL ASSIGNMENTS EDITOR Robbi Picked SPORTS EDITOR Marshall Benbow FEATURES EDITOR Melissa Steele 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 Kirkman GRAPHICS EDITOR Michael Webb EDITORIAL CARTOON EDITOR Amy Piniak WRITING COACH Justin Williams STAFF DEVELOPMENT For the first time in recent memory, some good films got awards Monday night. Rumor has it that members of the Academy are suffering from Mad Cow disease. Have you noticed a lot of your radical senior friends getting haircuts, buying suits and flying north for two-day jaunts? We wonder why. Chancellor Michael Hooker was spotted in Greensboro on Wednesday. The creators of the "missing" fliers can expect him in Chapel Hill soon. Robin Kmight Tamara Reytnolds, Jonri Scott. Leslie Stephenson, Amy Waller and Barry Wyner, assistant account executives. Brendan Biamon, office assistant Advertising Production: Beth Meinig, coordinator; Richard D. Allen, Cindy Henley and Jody Matthews, assistants. Nowsclsrfc: Melanie Feliciano Strelow, Tate Sullivan. Lee Taft and Lisa Zaranek. Stsff Development. Robin Berholz. Jen Fiumara. Sara Frisch, Mandy Hitchcock and Ty Johnson. Stats and National: Josh Ahn, Graham Brink. Lee Carmody, Amy Cook. Milena Fischer. Eric Flack. Erin Guill, Tricia Johnson, Jaime Kowey, Jennifer Langell, Andrew Park. Paige Maxwell. Megan McLaughlin, Jay Murrie, James Palmer, Wlather Palmer, Dawn Prince, Nicole Quenelle, Monika Ruef, Christina Smith, LeAnn Spradling, Renee Toy, Stephanie Willet Jennifer Wilson and Karri Zaremba. University: Ruth Borland, Rick Connor, Lillie Craton, Amanda Depew, Nick Donovan. Sharif Durhams, Molly Flemet Marisa Ferguson. Shelly Harper, Susan Hazeldean, Debra Height Marva Hinton. Kara Hodges. Suzanne Jacovec, J.C. Johnson. Pete Kavadlo, Kerri Laz. Sheng Lee, Reino Makkonen, Ginger Massey, Erika Meyers. Josephy Miller, Natalie Neiman, Jim Nicks. Arunima Pande, David Park. John Patterson. Maggie Schleich. Chantiel Smith, Dave Snell, John Sweeney, Noelle Taylor, Katie Tyson and Deanna Witter. Editorial Production: Stacy Wynn, manager. DTH Online: Eddie Beiles, Steven Palmatier and Jason Purdy. Printing: Triangle Web Press. Distribution: Martin Durrence. EDITORIAL Choi Trial: Read Other Side of Underreported Story The woman in State vs. Seul Ki “Dennis” Choi acted correctly by coming forward. She informed the police, went to Student Health Service, told her family and friends, sought counseling and consulted the district attorney’s office. If I did not remember part of an evening, during which time a friend informed me we had had sex, I would have done the same thing. If I later discovered my friend had “confessed” that sex had occurred while I was “passed out” and “not responding,” I would prosecute. My train ing (I was a rape educator in high school), my personal indignation over being violated and a need to protea others from such an aa would motivate me. Any doubts I might have had concerning my personal responsibility would have been eradicated. Yet the Feb. 27 motion preceding this trial proved the transcript of the police interview to be erroneous. On tape, Williams says: “And she was passed out, wasn’t she? Yeah.” Williams’ transcription attributed this answer to Choi. When taken out of context, parts of the inter view are damning. For example, Williams: “So was she saying anything?” Choi: “No.” However, Choi responded with “no” as well to Williams' next question, “Were you saying anything?” Considering he had just told the lieutenant that the two had been talking, then kissing and undressing, it no longer constitutes a self-indictment. Furthermore, Choi stated in the interview that when they were finished, the “victim” said “she was cold”; so he covered them. The Daily Tar Heel seems to be just as adept as Assistant Distria Attorney Nancy Vecchia at taking things out of context and omitting what it does not want the community to know. Al though DTH reporters were present for the de fense, the paper included only two sentences of explanation for the verdia. The editors should have cared more about informing readers than about space constraints. Unlike the distria attorney, who bears the onus of providing evidence of guilt, it is the duty of a good newspaper to report accurately all facts. In each of the four articles covering this case, erroneous statements were presented as Editor's Note The following letters were submitted by Chapel Hill High School students as part of a community service project. Fish Kills and Sores From Neuse River Must Be Stopped TO THE EDITOR: Recently there has been a drop in the number of fish in the Neuse River, and scientists don’t know much about what is going on. A tiny baaeria dinoflagellate is killing the fish. Since its discovery earlier in the year, scientists believe this baaeria has evolved from pollution being dumped into the river. This is a very serious problem because it is not only killing fish and plants, it is creating sores on humans and animals. This baaeria is a very lethal killer and very little is known about it. Scientists at N.C. State University aren’t sure how to get rid of this creature. According to scientist JoAnn Burkholder and her assistant Howard Glasgow, this baaeria is very sophisticated. When it is threatened, it can swell 100 times larger than its original size in minutes. It can also go into suspended animation when its food supply runs out. There are several ways the National Wildlife Association can stop this baaeria from killing fish. One way is to stop dumping agricultural and industrial by-products into the river. An other way would be for everyone to buy recy clable products and dispose of them properly. This would help keep our rivers and land clean. Mandating that companies find alternative ways of disposing waste products would eliminate the source of this baaeria. Recognizing the problem and implementing quick legislation to prevent further pollution and fish-kills is the only solution in saving our rivers, lakes and streams. David Webster CHAPEL HILL Hanging Is Supposed to Be Cruel, Not Unusual, Deterrent TO THE EDITOR: Crime is high. The chances are good a pal of yours will become a victim of rape, murder, arson or kidnapping. Criminals rarely meet jus- fact. There was ample “space” tocor rea inaccuracies and explain the verdia. The editors perpetu ated those inaccura cies and encouraged community outrage by allowing the DTH to remain silent. The community, lacking true information, ex pressed outrage in eight different items on the editorial page. [SUSANNAH SMOOT| GUEST COLUMNIST Besides Choi, 10 witnesses testified on his behalf, among them six women. Five witnesses (four sober) attended the Dec. 3, 1994 party. Two women were among the group of females who asked Choi to live with them after he had to leave campus; one lives with him currently. Among other things, the defense established: First, their circle of friends considered the plain tiff and the defendant to be “a couple”; second, weeks previously, Choi told her to “let (him) know if (he) ever did anything wrong”; and third, Choi consumed a fifth of rum and several hits of marijuana; the woman consumed the equivalent of five to six beers and five hits of marijuana. Both parties threw up. Twice. During the period she does not remember, the woman climbed the two flights of stairs to Choi’s room unaided. They were seen by a mutual female friend (voluntarily testifying on Choi’s behalf) walking with their arms around each other, “looking into each others eyes.” A man sitting outside of Choi’s room testified he and others teased the two, who responded with “sheepish” grins. In the room, after discussing their relation ship, Choi asked the woman to kiss him. She did so. She was physically and verbally responsive before, during and after intercourse. Yet “mov ing her legs” was her only reported behavior. This testimony was corroborated by two female friends, with whom he discussed the evening shortly after it happened, and by the taped inter view. Their conversations were “like pulling teeth, ” because Choi due to his “upbringing” “doesn’t talk about sex.” The woman put her own pants on, albeit READERS’FORUM 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 space, 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: dth@unc.edu. tice. The crimes were all capital crimes a few decades ago and intended to be punished with execution. Recently, the hearts of juries, judges and governors have gone soft on brutal capital offenders. These dangerous people stay out of trouble entirely or get insufficient sentences. What to do? Start capital punishment again. There are glitches in modem capital punishment that can only be solved in one way: bring back the “town square hangings.” Capital punish ment is a powerful crime deterrent. In 1955, there were 76 executions and only 7,000 homi cides. In 1975, there were no executions, but over 20,000 homicides. The rate of murderers has increased as the number of executions has decreased. Thinking about dying prematurely has an effea on those bent on committing a felony. Some would-be criminals in California said the thought of the gas chamber stopped them from a murderous rampage. Six out of eight students at Chapel Hill High School said they’d least like to die swinging from a noose. Build a gallows in every town and would-be criminals will quake. People are scared of hanging, because they worry it will hint. In hanging states, many criminals would rather be shot. As felons drop through the trap to their doom, so would the crime rate. Is capital punishment cruel and unusual? It’s not unusual, considering how long it has been used and in how many countries. If it wasn’t cruel, it would be no good because it would cause no fear. Maybe you think it’s really cruel. al|p Saily ear Hrrl backward, to go to the bathroom. When it was clear that there were parts of the evening she could not remember, Choi informed the woman they had had sex, because he felt “she should know.” During the drives to her home and work, the two discussed and agreed that the woman needed to go to Student Health. They agreed to finish their conversation later that day. Vecchia offered Choi two plea bargains. The last, offered the day before the verdia was deliv ered, reduced his charge to a misdemeanor (as sault on a female). The state would permit an Alford plea, which meant the defendant need not acknowledge any guilt. There would be no fine, no probation, no imprisonment and no punish ment. Choi, who has always maintained his innocence, turned both down. Despite what the DTH may have led you to believe, this was not a textbook case of second degree rape. Choi did not change his testimony on the stand. The woman was not passed out. Vecchia lost the case, because she never should have made one. Robert Gwyther, one of two jurors to write to local newspapers, stated (“Substance Abuse to Blame in Date Rape Case, Not Students,” DTH, Mar. 14): "... the ‘not guilty’ verdia was based on the facts presented in this case. However, the verdia should not send the message that ac quaintance rape should be condoned on cam pus.” The woman involved did exactly right by stepping forward; she could not remember hav ing sex with someone and relied on the police and the distria attorney to determine what had taken place. As Choi said (quoted out of context, Mar. 11 and Mar. 15): “I believe her when she says she believes she was raped; that was not the case.” But it isn’t always. Please, if you have been violated or believe you have been compro mised sexually, come forward. The evidence showed sex had occurred “be tween two consenting, impaired adults.” The educated and informed jury made its decision based on the evidence. The “community jury” did not have the benefit of the evidence. Repeat edly spooned false information, they may have unfairly indiaed Choi. Perhaps they won’t now. Susannah Lanneau Smoot is a junior history and Spanish major from Raleigh. People like that in power build the crime rate alongside criminals who might kill them tonight! Why harm publicly? If you were dying slowly with a bullet in your back, you would like the population to avenge your death by jeering at your murderer. Which would you be more op posed to? Hanging our wrongdoers, orbeingthat one out of 19 whose life will end in a murder? The person who might want to murder you might go to the next public hanging and change his mind, like statistics say. If you’re mad at me for being so inhumane (which I’m not), why don’t you work off your anger by helping me carry lumber to the town square? Carl Willis CHAPEL HILL Humans Cause Extinction By Hunting, Destroying World TO THE EDITOR: The main reason animals are becoming en dangered is us. Human actions that cause extinc tion fall into three categories: hunting, pollution and habitat destruction. From the earliest times, hunters have caused the extinction of many species. With the spread of the Stone Age hunters, over 100 species of mammals became extina. Then Europeans be gan traveling regularly and guns began to be easier to handle. By the end of the 19th century, the gun had brought one of the most numerous birds, the passenger pigeon, to the brink of ex tinction. Today, hunting is in theory regu lated; but it remains a major threat to birds and mammals. Hunters should limit hunting on spe cies that are becoming endangered. Pollution is another major cause. Our food is contaminated with hundreds of chemicals. While we may only consume small amounts, large quantities of chemicals run off into rivers and the soil. Huge amounts of pollutants are being pumped into rivers, seas and the atmosphere. Oil slicks cause serious mortalities. Even more dan gerous are the hundreds of miles of fishing net in the ocean drowning animals. Habitat destruc tion is undoubtedly the most significant threat and the hardest to prevent. Human populations are displacing wildlife in an effort to turn forest into farmland. In the mid-1980’s it was estimated that of over 4.6 million square kilometers of forest in Africa, only 1.8 million remained. We should stop the destruction of animal habitats. Brian Merritt CHAPEL HILL
Daily Tar Heel (Chapel Hill, N.C.)
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March 28, 1996, edition 1
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