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DECEMBERS 1996
Students begin hunt for apartments
BY JIM MARTIN
STAFF WRITER
December marks the beginning of
the apartment crunch, leaving students
scrambling to find accommodations for
next semester. But with die search comes
added responsibilities ofhonoring leases.
Students can look at apartments
throughout the Chapel Hill area, but
they might find themselves on a waiting
list instead because turnover is low.
Christy Rexroad, manager of Caro
lina Apartments on the N. C. 54 Bypass,
said there were no vacancies in any of
her apartments, and the wait list was
already growing.
“Usually we are 100 percent full,”
Rexroad said. “We’ve already begun
the wait list for May-August 1997.”
Julie Brooks, apartment manager at
Townhouse Apartments on
AIDS epidemic changes lifestyles, culture
■ AIDS has helped to
promote discussion about
sexual health, officials say.
BY ERICA BESHEARS
STATE & NATIONAL EDITOR
More and more UNC students think
twice when making decisions regarding
their sexual behavior, something they
attribute to the threat of AIDS.
“(AIDS) definitely scares the hell out
of me,” said one UNC junior who asked
that his name not be used.
He said that the possibility of HIV
infection from irresponsible behavior
lurked in the back ofhis mind at parties or
bars. “AIDS has made me a lot more
aware about what’s going on and has
made me re-evaluate the positions I’m
put in,” he said.
A UNC freshman said AIDS had not
changed his ideas about sex, but he said
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Dancers from Sangam, a Southeast Asian student group, perform at Memorial Hall on Tuesday evening in honor
of World AIDS Week at the One World, One Hope Extravaganza.
UNC’s black student graduation rate 3rd in public universities
■ Minority counseling
increases graduation rates,
some black students say.
BY TERESA KILLIAN
STAFF WRITER
UNC’s graduation rate for black stu
dents ranks third among public universi
ties, despite a recent decline in the reten
tion rate, according to the Journal of
Blacks in Higher Education.
Sixty-four percent of black students
who entered UNC between 1988 and
1989 graduated within six years. This
rate still falls short of the 86 percent
graduation rate of white students.
Between 1991 and 1993, the rate of
Never worry about the size of your Christmas tree. In the eyes of children, they are all 30 feet tall.
Larry Wilde
What do you think?
Students will play a part
in the selection of the new
dean of the College of Arts
and Sciences. Page 2
A
Hillsborough Street, said her wait list
started today, and she has already re
ceived hundreds of calls.
“I’m passing out the applications (to
day) to get on the waitlist, ” Brooks said.
“We are already full until May ’97.”
Signing more than one wait list can
cause problems for students because
often it is specified that people who sign
must rent die apartment if they clear the
wait list.
And being on a wait list doesn’t guar
antee a student an apartment. Carolyn
Baucom, managingpartnerforßaucom
Realty, said there was usually not much
turnover in apartments during Decem
ber.
“Very seldom are there openings that
I have in December," Baucom said. “I
would say in student rentals there is not
much student turnover in apartments
because most don’t leave until May. ”
the disease had made him more respon
sible. “It wouldn’t affect whether or not
I’d have sex, but it would affect whether
I would use a condom,” he said.
He said he considered himself well
educated about sexual health and AIDS.
He said he first started learning about
AIDS and sex education in the sixth
grade. “When I was younger (than that),
I heard about Ryan White and other
AIDS cases, but I hadn’t really thought
about it much."
In the last 10 years to 15 years, as
knowledge of AIDS has increased with
the number of cases, the disease has made
people more aware of the consequences
of their actions, health officials said.
“I think that before (people) are sexu
ally active, they're learning more about
theirpartners, they’re learning more about
themselves,” said De Vetta Holman, as
sistant director of health education at
Student Health Service.
“It has certainly made people more
cautious about sex, ” said Sharon Broom,
juniors who returned as seniors decreased
by 6.3 percent. Associate Dean Harold
Woodard, who works in the Office of
Student Counseling, said one reason
some black students could not graduate
in six yean was money.
“A number of the students who have
not returned are academically eligible to
return," Woodard said. “Amajorreason
that they are not seems to be economic.
Basically, they run out of funds and have
to drop out and work.”
UNC trails the 84 percent graduation
rate for blacks at the University of Vir
ginia and 67 percent at the University of
Michigan. According to The New York
Times, officials at UVa. cited peer advis
ers, faculty mentors and a parents’ advi
sory association as contributing factors
in die successful retention of black stu
X
Fight for life
State as well as local
agencies are fighting an
uphill battle to find a cure
for AIDS. Page 9
Almost without exception, apart
ments require residents to sign a lease
before moving in, which sometimes hin
ders students’ moves.
UNC Student Legal Services Direc
tor Dottie Bemholz said students have
to realize what type of agreement they
are committing to when they sign a
lease.
“You can have a written or oral
lease,” Bemholz said. “Once you have
agreed to the terms, you have to carry
them out.”
She said SLS was committed to aid
ing students through their landlord prob
lems.
“We represent all students in land
lord-tenant disputes,” Bemholz said.
“We represent all students at no charge
because they’ve already paid for them
(in student fees).”
Some area apartments have provi
director of public relations for the Ameri
can Social Health Association.
Holman has worked with health edu
cation for 11 years and has watched atti
tudes toward the disease and sexual re
sponsibility change.
“I think people are protecting them
selves more, ” Holman said. “More infor
mation is getting out. It’s not such a
taboo issue anymore."
When she first started working there,
many people considered AIDS a disease
that struck white, homosexual men. She
said that now people understood who
and how AIDS could strike. “When it
hits home, we open our eyes more.”
The growing number of students who
request confidential AIDS tests at SHS
reflects this greater understanding, she
said SHS has offered confidential testing
since 1989 and hired Christian Draven
Godwin as HIV coordinator in 1995.
Godwin said she and a recently hired
assistant see 25 students to 30 students in
an average week. Most of the students
dents.
Black students at UNC say the Uni
versity provides a positive climate for
them. Many of them credit the programs
offered by the Office of Student Counsel
ing.
“I know when I was a freshman, I was
assigned a minority adviser (through an
OSC program),” said Tamera Smith, a
junior from Charlotte. “She was avail
able for me if I had any problems She
was helpful.”
Kamal Wallace, a junior journalism
major from Lexington, said minority or
ganizations at UNC were influential in
his college experience.
“The University provides a good cli
mate for black students with organiza
tions such as the Black Student Move
ment and the Carolina Association of
Smoking guns
The FDA and the tobacco
industry continue their
slow-moving legal battle.
Page 4
W
sions in case a student has to break a
lease bee ause of compelling reasons like
dropping out or studying abroad.
Bemholz said these provisions greatly
aid the student when the need arises.
“Many businesses have a lease which
contains a provision called early termi
nation,” she said.
“Students can pay liquidated dam
ages, which in some instances equals
two months rent.”
Baucom said almost all of her rentals
were to students, and she almost never
has problems with students breaking
their lease. She said students do have to
be sure they know their responsibilities.
“When students sign a lease, they
need to realize they are obligating them
selves to pay that money, ’’ Baucom said.
“(Students) can’t just decide to move
because they like another apartment
better.”
come in fortesting, but others come seek
ing education, she said.
While AIDS has heightened aware
ness in some ways, Broom said other
things haven’t changed. “(AIDS) seems
to have made people less concerned about
other sexually transmitted diseases,” she
said. “One thing we get asked a lot (is),
‘ln light of the fact that AIDS is a part of
our society, why are people still getting
STDs?”’
“Human behavior is very compli
cated.”
And while health educators have tried
to push condom use rather than hor
monal contraceptives to emphasize dis
ease prevention, Broom said people still
regarded pregnancy as the greater evil.
“Many people have remained more
focused on pregnancy prevention. It’s
been a real challenge to get them to re
view their contraception. (To prevent
HIV infection), you need to use a con
dom.”
Beyond statistics and medical details,
the AIDS epidemic has become a part of
American culture.
Godwin said that because AIDS is a
fatal disease, it has furthered discussion
about sexual health more than other sexu-
See EDUCATION, Page 9
Local groups promote AIDS awareness
BY MEEGANP. SMITH
STAFF WRITER
Orange County has become the stage
for a continued battle against AIDS igno
rance.
Several groups have brought the fight
to the local arena by providing their ser
vices and facilities to people interested in
promoting AIDS awareness and assist
ing those diagnosed with the disease.
As part of Aids Awareness Week, sev
eral organizations have reinforced their
involvement in an effort to help people
diagnosed with the disease.
A study released in a statewide report
Monday revealed that children were be
coming more likely to contract the dis
ease.
UNC Hospitals officials have re-
Black Journalists,” Wallace said. “They
help to point you in the right path for
graduation.”
Recent statistics suggest that these
measures are effective. The 94.4 percent
mtention rate for freshman at UNC in
1995 was the same for both black and
white students for the first time. Woodard
said he thought the minority-advising
program might have contributed to this
statistic.
“I think the minority-advising pro
gram has become institutionalized,”
Woodard said. “We have fine-tuned it
enough so it can claim some credit for
that figure. My overall take on this is, first
of all, you have to credit the students.”
In addition to the minority advising
See GRADUATION RATE, Page 2
Today's
Weather
Increasing clouds;
low 50s.
Thursday: Cloudy: mid 50s.
RISING TO THE OCCASION
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DTHIION GARDNER
Workers place a Christmas tree atop the parking deck on East Rosemary
Street. The tree will be decorated and lit sometime this week.
Holiday expectations
can bring depression
BY JULIA WOOD
STAFF WRITER
The holidays, which should be one of
the happiest times cf the year, can actu
ally be a time of depression and anxiety.
Dr. Wil Edgerton, retired faculty mem
ber of the Department of Psychiatry, said
the holidays can be a stressful time for
many reasons.
“A lot of it is related to expectations, ”
he said. “Our culture makes us expect
great times during the holidays, and some
times it doesn’t measure up.”
Dr. Linda Nicholas, a psychiatrist at
UNC Hospitals, said one major cause of
depression during the holidays was what
are called “anniversary reactions,” which
sponded to this trend in order to accom
modate for the increased needs of chil
dren. Bill Pegg, a teacher at the UNC
Hospital School, said children from across
the state are treated at the hospital’s fa
cilities.
“We treat patients in the hospital who
have AIDS pretty much the same way
that we treat everybody,” Pegg said.
The children admitted range from 3
years old to 21 years old. “Generally,
(their contraction) is from transfusions
or from abuse,” he said.
While the children are under medical
care, the hospital also offers counseling
and support to the parents and teachers.
“We help teachers deal with
(children’s) illness. With the social impli
cations and concerns that AIDS has, we
certainly don’t talk directly about the
Keep coining back lor more
Retention rates for black students at UNC have increased during the past few
years, reaching their highest point in 1995.
100
. K®7
_ """" l Sophomores
—•— Juniors
- j • Seniors
i ii ii i i—_ -
1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995
Year entered school
Percentage of black students returning
95
90
85
80
75
70
65
60
SOURCE: OFFICE OF INSTITUTIONM. RESFXRCH
103 years of editorial freedom
Servmg the students and the University
community since 1893
Ncwy/Feamres/Arts/Sports: 962-0245
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Volume 104. Issue 122
Chapel Hill, North Carolina
C 1996 DTHPubfashmg Cop.
All rights reserved.
occur when a loved one has recently
died.
“For people who have recently lost a
loved one, the holidays can be a difficult
time,” Nicholas said. “This is partly be
cause the holidays are a time when we
are supposed to be with the people we
love, and there is a disappointment in
that respect.”
She said one remedy for those experi
encing anniversary reactions is to keep
busy.
“What we suggest for our patients to
do is to try to make plans to keep them
busy during the holidays,” Nicholas said.
“We encourage them to do things they
See HOLIDAY BLUES, Page 8
child’s illness without the parent’s per
mission, which is legally our responsibil
ity,” Pegg said.
“We urge schools to treat all kids with
universal precautions (so that the dis
ease) is not as threatening," he said.
There are various services offered
throughout the Triangle to children and
adults living with AIDS. The Piedmont
HTV Health Care Consortium in Durham
is one of 15 programs in North Carolina
that allocates federal funds to direct ser
vices, case management and transporta
tion for AIDS patients. Following their
diagnoses, patients are referred to one of
many organizations designed to provide
both counseling and medical treatment.
The Carrboro Aids Home, located on
See LOCAL AIDS, Page 9
DTH/ELYSE ALLEY AND JESSICA GODWIN