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INSIDE
IHHM
OCTOBER 10,1996
BSM member drops
Homecoming king bid
DAIRA JARRELL
STAFF WRITER
When the student body votes today in
its fust Homecoming king contest in the
University’s history, one candidate will
be missing following his decision
Wednesday to withdraw from the race.
Jeny Bright, one of the two Black
Student Movement members vying for
the position, announced his decision to
drop out in a press release. Bright said he
made his decision following a consulta
tion with the mem
bers of his frater
nity, Alpha Phi
Alpha Inc., who
originally spon
sored his bid.
“We (the frater
nity members)
have come to the
conclusion that my
candidacy would
cause a conflict be
tween two organi
zations which I am
a member of, that
being The Mu Zeta
Alpha Phi Alpha, Inc.
member JERRY
BRIGHT said his
candidacy would cause
a conflict of interest
chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha and The
Black Student Movement,” Bright stated
in the release.
The two remaining candidates are
Eugene Purvis, the official BSM nomi
nee forking, and Sean Behr, a senior who
was nominated by the Order of the Bell
Tower, the student arm of the General
Alumni Association.
One BSM member, who spoke under
the condition of anonymity, said Bright
received pressure from both the members
of his fraternity and from those within
the BSM to resign from the race.
Sprinkler funds to be spread thin across state
■ Only a tenth of the state
loan to Greek organizations
will be interest-free.
BY ANDREW ROSE
STAFF WRITER
The $1 million appropriated by the
General Assembly to establish a Fire
Safety Loan Fund will have to be spread
thin to cover all of the state’s fraternities
and sororities, according to a memo sent
out last week by State Treasurer Harlan
Boyles.
Anew provision dictates that for each
loan given to a state fraternity or sorority
to cover fire safety equipment, 10 percent
will be made interest-free. The money
will be distributed on a “first come, first
serve basis,” Boyles stated.
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DTH/CARA B RICKMAN
Happiness is a sunny day, a good friend and a newspaper. One woman and her dog enjoy the last days
of warm weather relaxing in the main quad.
Crowded houses
Chapel HilFCarrboro City
Schools struggle with
overcrowding that's only
getting worse. Page 2
“.They re both very qualified
candidates, and the decision
for Jerry Bright to resign was
a personal one. ”
DEANA DAVIS
Black Student Movement Vice President
“It would better secure a victory for a
BSM member,” the source said.
Bright was asked to withdraw in or
der not to divide the black vote between
himself and Purvis, the source said. The
source said the idea was to solidify the
opposition against Behr, who was white.
Bright said in an interview Wednes
day night that he felt he could have won
the race had he decided to compete.
“In an ideal society I could have run, ”
Bright said. “But this is reality.”
BrightalsosaidhewasawareofPurvis’
decision to run when he applied for the
nomination, but had not realized the
conflict until after speaking to his frater
nity members.
“There are points in time when an
individual must make sacrifices for the
good of organizations which he has com
mitted to represent,” Bright said.
BSM vice president Deana Davis de
nied that her organization deliberately
influenced Bright’s decision. “They’re
both very qualified candidates, and the
decision for Jerry Bright to resign was a
personal one,” Davis said. “We actually
encouraged both candidates to run.”
Voting for Homecoming king and
queen will take place today inUnion 208-
209 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
This money, designated as a no-inter
est, revolving-loan fund, “is to be used to
install fire safety equipment in fraternity
and sorority houses at both public and
nonpublic institutions of higher learning
located in North Carolina,” he stated.
UNC Student Body President Aaron
Nelson said the interest-free allotment
was inadequate. “Ten percent is so insig
nificant, it means nothing over lOyears.”
Nelson said he hoped the percentage
of funds offered with no interest would
be increased. “The state treasurer can
increase the percentage that is available
interest free and still be true to the intent
ofthe legislation, which was to aid frater
nities and sororities in the installation of
sprinklers.”
Joseph Sansom, assistant to the state
treasurer, acknowledged the possibility
that the percentage could be increased.
“If we find out during the distribution of
IF YOU'RE HAPPY AND YOU KNOW IT
Backlash!
If you're not annoyed by
now, join the ranks of those
who are just sick and tired
of the Macarena. Page 4
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DTH/MARGO HASSELMAN
Carr Court's latest addition, anew Head Start school, held its official opening Wednesday afternoon. Students
welcomed the new center by singing “The Itsy-Bitsy Spider." See story, page 2.
the funds that the $1 million will not be
taken up, the percentage to each frater
nity or sorority will be changed to use up
the funds,” Sansom said. “But that en
tirely depends on just how many fraterni
ties or sororities apply.”
JohnDervin, president ofthe Associa
tion of Student Governments, agreed that
the new provision was inadequate. “The
intentions were good, but it really doesn’t
follow the spirit of the legislation.”
Ron Binder, director of Greek Affairs
at UNC, said, “We are first and foremost
very grateful to the state for the $1 mil
lion. But unfortunately it’s not enough to
cover the houses in Chapel Hill, much
less the entire state.
“At $50,000 per sprinkler system, that
money would disappear quickly. But we
still need to take a more in-depth look at
the proposal before concluding any
thing.”
Sex is a form of temporary insanity.
Martin Grief
Tackling issues
Al Gore and Jack Kemp put
aside personal differences
to debate the future of the
country. Page 11
&
STARTING UP
Rep. Joe Hackney, D-Orange, said,
“Obviously, it doesn’t amount to much
once it’s spread over the entire state.”
One area of difficulty remaining is
determining how many fraternities and
sororities, particularly from North
Carolina’s private universities, will ap
ply for assistance from this fund. “We’re
still trying to figure out exactly how this
money will be distributed,” Dervin said.
Sansom said all state fraternities and
sororities were eligible to receive the in
terest free loans. “The only exception are
those fraternities and sororities which
are state owned, which will be covered
under separate funding.”
Sansom also recognized the shortcom
ings of the funds. “The amount is disap
pointing, as it won’t amount to much
individually. The interest-free loans cer
tainly will not solve the problem, but
hopefully it can at least assist them.”
Daly’s group to take 6-year-old kisser’s case
BY HOLLY HART
STAFF WRITER
Republican candidate for state audi
tor and UNC law student Jack Daly has
taken on anew cause 6-year-old
Johnathan Prevette, the Lexington boy
who captured national attention last
month when he was punished for kissing
a classmate.
The North Carolina Fund for Indi
vidual Rights announced Tuesday that it
now represented the Prevette family in
its suit against the Lexington City Board
of Education. “We’re about to turn the
heat way up, ” said Daly, executive direc
tor of NCFIR.
Johnathan’s mother, Jackie Prevette,
said the family’s demands were simple.
“I want apologies, and I want this re
moved from Johnathan’s record.”
Daly said the foundation would issue
demands to the school board on behalf of
the family and would be prepared to file
suit if the demands weren’t met.
The demands included that the
school’s sexual harassment policy be re
structured, a written apology be issued
bythe school and Jonathan’s records be
purgedbf mention of sexual harassment.
“Mrs. Prevette simply wants her son
Today's
Weather
Mostly sunny; high
60s.
Friday: Sunny; low 60s.
UNC, IBM join to create
network that spans globe
BY JAMIE GRISWOLD
UNIVERSITY EDITOR
IBM will announce plans today to
launch anew technology project in col
laboration with the University.
IBM Global Campus, a worldwide,
high-technology project aimed at help
ing colleges and universities expand their
offerings for students, is intended to as
sist in the redesigning of learning, teach
ing and administrative functions. The
program uses a combination of advanced
technologies, network computing solu
tions, applications, consulting and ser
vices to accomplish this goal.
“IBM Global Campus will increase
educational opportunities not only for
traditional college students, but also for
r \
to be vindicated
and his reputation
to be restored,”
Daly said.
The school
board had yet to
respond to Mrs.
Prevette and her
demands, Daly
said. “Thus far the
school board is not
taking Mrs.
Prevette seri
ously.”
Daly said he sus
pected that would
JACK DALY.
Republican candidate
for state auditor, will
represent Jonathan
Prevette.
change now that the foundation was rep
resenting the Prevettes.
Attorney Nate Pendley, who will rep
resent the Prevettes at NCFIR’s request,
echoed Daly. “Ninetypercentofthetime,
when a lawyer is brought in, the school
board generally kowtows.”
He added that lawsuits against gov
ernment officials were very difficult to
win, though.
Jackie Prevette said she thought
NCFIR’s chances of winning were very
good. “They’ve sued several school sys
tems and won, ” she said. “I think they’re
the best people to do this.”
103 years of editorial freedom
Servmg the students and the University
community smoe 1893
News/7eamres/Afls/Spo(&: 962-0245
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Volume’WM, Issue 87
Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Q199601H Publishing Gap.
All tights reserved
Nelson keeps
right to speak
in Congress
■ A court decision nullifies
a resolution limiting the
ex officio member’s power.
BYLYNNWADFORD
STAFF WRITER
Student Supreme Court has ruled that
a Student Congress decision to limit the
speech of ex officio Student Congress
members was unconstitutional, accord-
ing to a written de
cision read
Wednesday by Jus
tice Gene Davis,
the decision’s au
thor.
Student Body
President Aaron
Nelson, an ex offi
cio Student Con
gress member, filed
a formal complaint
with the court Fri
day, questioning
the constitutional
ity of the resolu
tion. The resolu
tion limited ex offi-
Speaker of Student
Congress JAMES
KILBOURNE said he
had expected Student
Supreme Court to
overturn the resolution.
cio members to one two-minute period to
speak on a bill or motion at Student
Congress meetings. It also prevented ex
officio members from making motions
or objections from the floor.
“Itis my beliefthatthe Supreme Court
upheld the constitution,” Nelson said
Wednesday. “If the congress wishes to
bring forward a bill and a student referen
dum in order to change the constitution,
See NELSON, Page 11
working men and women for whom con
tinuing education is now a fact,” Chan
cellor Michael Hooker stated in a press
release Wednesday. “We will be able to
provide this important opportunity for
lifetime learning without these students
having to leave their jobs or families to
travel to Chapel Hill to reap the ben
efits.”
The first phase of the project will focus
on new training and support activities
designed to help UNC faculty members
improve their high-technology teaching
skills.
IBM Global Campus online computer
networks will allow students to retrieve
information about campuses, apply for
See IBM, Page 2
In a press release issued by Lexington
City Schools, Superintendent Jim Simeon
denied that Johnathan had ever been
charged with sexual harassment.
Simeon stated that Johnathanhadbeen
disciplined for violating the school’s rule
against unwarranted and unwelcome
touching and that this rule was currently
being reviewed for age appropriateness.
Pendley said the school misapplied
the disciplinary law. “Schools cannot
discipline a child without due process,
and that was obviously not followed
here,” Pendley said.
Daly said the teacher and principal
overreacted. “Clearly, Johnathan
Prevette is only the latest victim of politi
cal correctness gone off the deep end.”
NCFIR will be holding a press confer
ence today at 1 p.m. in front of the
Davidson County Courthouse in Lex
ington, Daly said.
Daly, with less than a month before
the statewide election, said his
foundation’s representation of the
Prevette case could introduce him to
many voters that haven’t heard of him.
He said that the case could have a
positive impact on his race. “If it has any
impact at all on the race, it will be one
that will benefit me.”