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INSIDE
FRIDAY ♦
SEPTEMBER 13,1996
Long-awaited vice chancellor to be voted on today
■ The Board of Governors
will vote whether or not to
approve Susan Kitchen.
BY SHARIF DURHAMS
ASSISTANT UNIVERSITY EDITOR
After a search that has lasted more
than two years, the Board of Governors
might approve the University’s candi
date for vice chancellor for student affairs
at this morning’s meeting.
University officials will nominate Su
san Kitchen, vice president for student
affairs at the University of Maryland at
Baltimore County, for the position.
Kitchen, who has worked at UMBC for
more than a decade, was employed un
der Chancellor Michael Hooker while he
was president of that university.
“I have worked with Michael Hooker
nm'.KRISTIN ROHAN
A 70-foot white oak tree smashed into Venable Hall on Thursday afternoon. Hurricane Fran's strong winds
and Wednesday's heavy rains left several of UNC's trees susceptible to toppling.
Should colleges use
race in admissions?
BY HOLLY HART
STAFF WRITER
Whether affirmative action should
play a role in college admissions deci
sions is increasingly becoming an issue at
universities across the country.
The Supreme Court upheld a decision
in July that banned affirmative action in
admissions decisions at colleges in Texas,
Louisiana and Mississippi and set a pre
cedent for future cases.
Last year, the University of California
Board ofßegents voted to eliminate affir
mative action in hiring and admissions
procedures.
“The mood of the nation in a variety
of ways is pointing to the idea that this
concept has run its course and that it will
end in a few years," UNC Director of
Admissions Jim Walters said.
Educators throughout the country are
debating the virtues and vices of affirma
tive action.
Some see affirmative action as out
dated and ineffective, while others see it
as the only answer to years of oppression
and injustice. Some think it is the only
way to create a diverse and representa
tive student body, while others think it
takes opportunities away from more
qualified students.
Regardless, the country is beginning
to move away from using affirmative
action programs.
In July 1995, California was the first
state to eliminate affirmative action and
is seen as a test case, said Terry Lightfoot,
the public information officer for the
University of California President’s Of
fice.
The resolution is already in effect for
hiring and graduate admissions proce
dures and will go into effect in the fall of
1997 for undergraduate admissions.
In 1992, four white students at the
University of Texas sued the law school
after being denied admission despite hav
ing better GPAs and standardized test
scores than minority applicants who were
accepted.
The Supreme Court upheld a decision
Crowning glory
VgSf a/ For the first time, viewers ▲
will vote for the next Miss ”
f America as an 'eighth
judge.' Page 2
before and know that he is interested in
the quality of student life, and I thought
I could contribute,” Kitchen said Thurs
day.
Kitchen visited UNC when the field of
candidates had been narrowed down to
three contenders. She said she respected
UNC before she visited and was im
pressed with the environment she saw.
“I’m particularly committed to public
institutions,” she said. “As the oldest
public institution, it has a special place.”
She said one of the best experiences
during her visit was a dinner she had with
student government officers.
"I think that was one of the things that
really sold me on Carolina,” she said.
“That was a stimulating conversation.”
Informal conversations she had with
students also influenced her decision,
she said. “I thought getting a point of
view for student feelings was important. ”
If selected by the BOG, Kitchen would
State of the University in Anerica
in July banning the law school from con
sidering race in its admissions process.
The original decision, made in March
by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth
Circuit, said student body diversity was
not a valid justification for race-based
admissions preferences under the 14th
Amendment, which guarantees equal
protection under the law.
Universities located within Fifth Cir
cuit states Texas, Louisiana and Mis
sissippi were affected by the decision.
North Carolina was not affected, but
affirmative action is still a major issue in
the state. In March, UNC law student
Jack Daly filed a federal lawsuit against
the UNC system contending that race
based scholarships violated the Ist and
sth Amendments.
Daly, who is a Republican candidate
for state auditor, also filed a suit contend
ing that state laws on race- and gender
based quotas were unconstitutional.
Walters said the University’s current
admissions policies would remain “until
the law of the land tells us to do other
wise.” But he acknowledged that affir
mative action would probably not be
around much longer.
Deborah Ross, executive director of
the American Civil Liberties Union of
North Carolina, said affirmative action
is an appropriate idea if applied cor
rectly.
“You need two things to use affirma
tive action,” she said. “One, it must be a
remedy for past and continuing discrimi
nation. And two, (the universities) must
have tried other ways to diversify the
student body that haven’t worked.”
Ross said admissions processes were
See UNIVERSITY, Page 5
There is something curiously boring about somebody ekes happiness.
Aldous Huxley
Help is on the way
Chapel Hill Mayor ▲
Rosemary Waldorf arranged ”
for cranes to aid residents
in tree removal. Page 4
take over the position from Interim Vice
Chancellor Edith Wiggins.
Wiggins has served in her current
position since Don Boulton left in May
1994.
The vice chancellor heads the Divi
sion of Student Affairs and works to
improve life on campus, including hous
ing, student health, Greek affairs and
career counseling.
The University began looking for a
permanent vice chancellor when Boulton
left, but Hooker’s selection as chancel
lor last summer slowed the process.
Executive Vice Chancellor Elson
Floyd said Kitchen made a strong candi
date for the position.
“I think that she will do a superb job
as vice chancellor for student affairs,”
Floyd said. “She’s a student affairs of
ficer that will bring a lot of energy,
commitment and leadership to the posi
tion.”
Fraternity put on review status following break-in
BY ASHLEY HAGLER
STAFF WRITER
Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity was placed
on administrative review status Wednes
day following an alleged incident of ille
gal entry and property damage at the
Sigma Nu fraternity house.
The Sept. 5 break-in at Sigma Nu,
which is located at 109 Fraternity Court,
caused SBOO worth of damage. The inci
Housekeepers’ supporters say
privatization linked to racism
BY MARVA HINTON
ASSISTANT UNIVERSITY EDITOR
Members of the Coalition for Eco
nomic Justice stressed what they saw as
the link between racism and the
University’s proposal to privatize house
keeping at a rally held Thursday in the
Pit.
Barbara Prear, co-president of the
UNC Housekeepers’ Association, said
she thought racism was behind Hooker’s
decision to investigate outsourcing house
keepers.
“What do you want to call it
classism?” Prear asked. “Look who’s in
that class. Anytime you have supervisors
call you niggers, that’s racism.”
The housekeeping staff at UNC is 90
percent black and 70 percent female.
Currently, a group of University offi
cials appointed by Chancellor Michael
Hooker is studying the effects of privatiz
ing housekeeping and 50 other services.
No UNC housekeepers serve on the
Outsourcing Steering Team, the group
studying privatization.
“The timing of the speakout is forced
by the University’s refusal to include
workers in decision making,” said Eliza
beth McLaughlin, a UNC law student
from Laurel, Miss.
Andrew Pearson, a member of the
Student Environmental Action Coalition,
said Hooker ignored students’ and work
Running the
distance
UNC's cross country team ”
hosts its only home meet
the Nike invite. Page 7
<Jr
Stephen Birdsall, dean of the College
of Arts and Sciences, said last week that
the University had picked a quality can
didate.
“This is a candidate who will bring a
great deal of experience to the Univer
sity,” he said.
Kitchen said two problems she would
tackle if selected would be improving the
campus climate and reducing alcohol
abuse on campus.
Several controversial issues at UMBC
were similar to challenges she would face
at UNC, Kitchen said.
For example, she had to deal with
racial tensions at her university when
Minister Louis Farrakhan, leader of the
Nation of Islam, visited her campus, she
said.
“We worked with student organiza
tions, worked with community organi
zations and, I think, came out of that
with a stronger campus community.”
Oak tree falls on Venable Hall;
students grumble about safety
BY GRAHAM BRINK
MANAGING EDITOR
A 70-foot white oak tree’s final demise
has some students concerned about cam
pus safety.
The tree crashed into Venable Hall at
about 2:10 p.m. Thursday, smashing the
handrails on the steps leading into the
building. No one was hurt and the build
ing suffered only minor cosmetic dam
age.
“It sounded like an explosion,” said
Victor Lau, a freshman from Charlotte,
who was entering Venable when the tree
fell. “It really shook me. It really shook
dent was reported to Chapel Hill police
on Wednesday.
Police suspect three freshmen, who
were among Pi Kappa Alpha’s 17 fall
pledges, in the alleged incident.
Both Pi Kappa Alpha and University
officials said they were upset with the
behavior exhibited and have acted quickly
to resolve the situation.
“(Pi Kappa Alpha) moved quickly
because they are sending the message, as
ers’ attempts to talk to him about
privatization.
Hooker was unavailable for comment
Thursday.
Opponents to privatization argue that
privatized workers would not be willing
to work during emergency situations such
as last week’s Hurricane Fran. “You
wouldn’t find any hired gun out here
working forus,” Student Body President
Aaron Nelson said.
Shanta Morrison, a member of the
Coalition for Economic Justice, said the
group would become more vocal because
the housekeepers’ discrimination lawsuit
against the University would begin soon.
The case goes to court Sept. 23.
“Now it’s time for action,” she said.
Morrison said the issue of workers’
rights did not interest her until she faced
discrimination on the job. Morrison
worked as a housekeeper herself during
the summer of 1995 at Yale University.
“They didn’t know that I was a stu
dentatUNC,”Morrisonsaid. “Iwasjust
a regular black person. After having that
experience I realized that I was not im
mune (to racism). When I realized the
injustices, I became interested in the plight
of the housekeepers here.”
Morrison said despite her bad experi
ence, housekeepers had better working
conditions there. “At least they have a
unionatYale,” shesaid. “I can’t imagine
working as a housekeeper here.”
Today's
Weather .
Partly sunny; *
low 80s.
Weekend: Sunny: mid 70s.
BOG to nominate committees
to find Spangler’s successor
BY EMILY HOWELL
STAFF WRITER
The new UNC vice chancellor for
student affairs will not be the only ap
pointment announced at this morning’s
Board of Governors meeting.
During the 9:30 a.m. meeting at the
UNC General Administration building,
BOG Chairman C. Cliff Cameron is ex
pected to announce members of the com
mittees that will select the next UNC
system president. Last month, UNC-sys
tem President C.D. Spangler announced
he would retire in June.
Cameron presides over the nominat
Timber!
my bones.”
Hurricane
Fran’s pounding
winds and
Wednesday’s
heavy rains left sev
eral of UNC’s ven
erable trees suscep
tible to collapse.
Students who see
a tree in danger
of falling should
call the Grounds
Division at
962-2069
Predicting which trees could fall is a
difficult task, and the recent rains only
compound the problem, said University
Forester Kirk Peliand.
“Sometimes trees will tilt only slightly
or parts of the root system will snap, but
the tree will remain standing,” said
are we, that we are not going to put up
with this type of behavior,” said Ron
Binder, director of the Office of Greek
Affairs.
Further actions have been taken
against the three individuals suspected in
the incident and Pi Kappa Alpha as a
whole.
Dean of Students Fred Schroeder said,
“It is very regrettable when persons be
have in a way which reflects adversely on
DTH/.KRISTIN ROHAN
Carolyn Corrie (left), Matt Robinson, Elizabeth Martin, Elizabeth McLaughlin
and others attended Thursday's rally in the Pit.
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Serving the students and the University
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All tights reserved.
ing committee. Lois Britt, Vice Chair
man Benjamin Ruffin, Secretary John
F.A.V. Cecil and Chairman Emeritus
Sam Neill worked with Cameron.
Other committees include search, lead
ership and screening committees. One
student, three professors, four chancel
lors and eight at-large citizens are ex
pected to be named to the committees.
Twenty-nine BOG members will be
named. UNC-CH student and BOG
member John Dervin said he hoped to be
named to the search committee. “I can’t
get an answer from anybody.”
N.C. House Speaker Harold Brubaker
will address the BOG on budget issues.
Peliand, whose crews are working to
assess and remedy tree problems created
by the hurricane. “With the number of
old trees on campus, we can’t be entirely
sure which trees are affected.”
Executive Vice Chancellor Elson
Floyd said the campus was safe for stu
dents, but he requested help in assessing
any damaged trees.
“If students see a tree that’s leaning or
looks like it may fall, we want them to
call us,” he said.
The balance between campus safety
and aesthetic appeal always falls in favor
See TREE SAFETY, Page 5
the other members of a group.”
The chapter has agreed to assume full
financial responsibility for damages that
occurred during the break-in, and the
Office of Greek Affairs and Pi Kappa
Alpha’s president contacted the chapter’s
national headquarters Wednesday night
to inform them of the incident. The three
pledges have been removed from the
See FRATERNITY, Page 4