(The latlu ®ar UM
INSIDE
FRIDAY
JANUARY 10,1997
Suspended law professor
appeals for open hearing
BYNAHALTOOSI
STAFF WRITER
A faculty panel will decide whether
suspended UNC law Professor Barry
Nakell will be fired or regain his teach
ing position in a hearing Saturday.
Nakell was suspended in October by
Chancellor Michael Hooker after being
charged with a misdemeanor for
shoplifting $36 worth of food and a
restaurant guide from A Southern
Season located in the Eastgate
Shopping Center.
He was previously convicted in 1991
of stealing a book from a Carrboro
bookstore.
Nakell and his lawyer Dan Pollitt are
asking that the hearing be opened to the
public. The five-person panel, com
prised of law school personnel, will
make a decision about the request at the
beginning of the 11 a.m. hearing.
spinning UNC’s
BY JESSICA BANOV
nXUSnwnONBYPHIUPMOURO DTH/MATT KOHUT
Judy Hallman, campus webmaster, maintains UNO's web site and coordinates
RTPNet, a community information web site that encourages Internet access.
New Inquiry Track classes
stress student participation
BY KAITLIN GURNEY
STAFF WRITER
Imagine an archetypical college
class: a professor lectures at the front of
a large auditorium filled with students,
some avidly interested, some fast
asleep. But with new Inquiry Track
classes, habitual nappers will want to
wake up and get involved.
The Inquiry Colloquium, a faculty
group pioneered by Patricia Pukkila of
the Department of Biology and
Marshall Hall Edgell of the
Department of Microbiology, was
formed with reform of the fact-oriented
lecture method in mind. The colloqui
um’s goal is to implement more classes,
called Inquiry Track classes which
emphasize student participation and
influence.
“Our primary goal is to increase
interaction between students and facul
ty,” Pukkila said. “We'd like for both to
take a more active role. In order to
teach, you must listen. But students
must also take risks if they want to be
heard.”
Pukkila said simply sitting and lis
tening did not necessarily lead to think
ing and comprehension.
“A degree doesn’t give you a license
to think,” Pukkila said. “Inquiry classes
It is impossible to enjoy idling thoroughly unless one has plenty of work to do.
Jerome K. Jerome
Bail to the chief?
The president may
have to face a lawsuit
while he is still in
office. Page 2
“Unless the hearing is open, there’s
going to be an incomplete report, and it
will be distorted,” Pollitt said. “If the
hearing is open, there’s a greater chance
of accuracy. We think this is a very sig
nificant issue not only for Barry Nakell
but for all professors everywhere.”
Pollitt, who is also a Kenan professor
emeritus at the UNC School of Law,
said Nakell’s record, which includes
having argued four cases before the U.S.
Supreme Court, proved he was a true
scholar and a public servant.
But Pollitt said psychiatrists had
diagnosed Nakell with a dyschymic dis
order, a type of depressive neurosis
resulting from stress, for which he is
being treated.
“I think it’s terrible to fire someone
with a splendid record spread over 27
years for a mental aberration,” Pollitt
said. He said Nakell had been respond
ing very well to treatment.
aren’t just hoops to jump through to
that degree since they depend on stu
dent responses.”
Janet Knight, an undergraduate
researcher in the biology department,
said the program was not just a change
in teaching philosophy. “It’s also a
change in more tangible things, such as
a switch to more group work.”
Other new components of an
Inquiry Track class are more student
questions, projects, revisions of assign
ments and papers.
The University is offering Inquiry
Track classes this semester for the first
time. Eight are currently available:
Biology 1, 50, 62, 63, 99,104, 177 and
186. Registration occurs normally via
Caroline, although a footnote explain
ing that it is an Inquiry Track course
accompanies the listing in the directory
of classes.
Meredith Sinclair, a freshman from
Atlanta, Ga., who is in Pukkila’s
Biology 50 class, said, “I think it’s
going to be a good class. You do have to
do the reading, though, since the lec
ture is based on student questions.”
Freshman Susan Kansagra of
Greenville is also in the Biology 50
class. “I like it so far," she said. “We
learn from each other much more than
in other large lecture classes.”
Taxing problem
Chapel Hill officals are
upset about the
Carolina Inn's tax-rate
policies. Page 3
UNC law students responded to the
upcoming hearing with mixed feelings.
“If he truly has a disorder of some
sort where he can’t control his behavior,
I’d be more sympathetic to his case,”
said John Jackson, a first-year law stu
dent. “But even if he were reinstated I’d
have second thoughts about registering
for his class.”
Beth Posner, a third-year law stu
dent, said it was illogical for a man of
Nakell’s standing to steal unless there
was a mental illness involved.
“Law is not just about rules, it’s also
about compassion,” she said. “It is only
right to give Professor Nakell a chance
to prove he is worthy of getting his job
back.”
Pollitt said he believed the panel
would be fair in their judgment. “I have
great respect for my colleagues on that
committee,” he said. “I think (the hear
ing) will be fair open or not open.”
BY JESSICA BANOV
FEATURES EDITOR
If Judy Hallman had her way, everyone on campus and
across the state would have access to computers and, more
importantly, the tools a computer can offer.
After 30 years of service
to the University, which she
celebrated Monday, the
campus webmaster has
seen the evolution of cam-
puswide information services from the first computer on
campus to the current advent of the Internet. This transition
translates to more possibilities for communicating in and out
of the University and more potential for Hallman’s vision to
take place.
Hallman coordinates the University’s web site and serves
as executive director of RTPnet, a volunteer-based, public
information center on the Internet. Asa webmaster,
Hallman makes sure the daily content, design and technical
applications of www.unc.edu are in order and develops the
policies of the University’s web presence.
Maintaining a complex site such as UNC’s requires the
webmaster to have a vision for how the site can best serve the
University, said Ryan Thornburg, publisher of the online
newspaper The Fifth Estate.
“Every department on campus has anew page springing
up,” Thornburg said. “Hallman has to keep it cohesive. She
is like the shepherd of UNC’s web site. ”
See HALLMAN, Page 2
Hunt proposes budget cuts to fund promises
■ The inauguration takes
place at Broughton High
School at 11 a.m. Saturday.
BY JONATHAN SESSLER
STAFF WRITER
While Gov. Jim Hunt won’t take the
oath of office until Saturday’s inaugu
ration, plans are under way to fulfill
promises made during the 1996 cam
paign.
Hunt said Wednesday that he will
ask the N.C. General Assembly to cut
$l5O million in each of the next four
years from existing state programs to
raise teacher pay and expand Smart
Start two items on Hunt’s 10-point
agenda.
Smart Start was active in 43 counties
during Hunt’s last term, and he said he
wanted to expand the program, which
provides day care and early education
for children, to all 100 counties. Hunt
asked the General Assembly last sum
mer to give teachers a 7 percent pay
raise.
Ron Cobble, executive director of
the N.C Center for Public Policy, said
these two objectives will be Hunt’s top
priorities.
“He was very specific in his cam
paign about increasing Smart Start and
teacher salaries," Cobble said. “He will
UNC surmounts
grand Kenyon
The Tar Heel swim
squads sank the Lords
and Ladies. Page 5
cm
RAIV RAIS GO AWAV
As raindrops covered campus this week, students traipsed to class with umbrellas in full force.
The wet weather should let up for the weekend, though.
Making a H
Gov JIM HUNT
developed his
10-point agenda that
included
funding for the Smart
Start program
during his campaign.
honor these
promises.”
The greatest
obstacle to imple
menting these
plans is making
the necessary bud
get cuts to free up
the required rev
enue. Cobble said
the cuts are of the
upmost impor
tance.
“These are two
of the biggest
spending items,”
Cobble said.
“That is why he is
proposing S6OO
million in cuts (over the next four
years).
“This is key to his agenda.”
John Hood, president of the John
Locke Foundation, a conservative
think tank in Raleigh, said he agreed
that the cuts were necessary but was
less optimistic that Hunt will go
through with them.
“The obstacle is actually making the
budget cuts,” he said. “He hasn’t done
that in the past.”
Hunt did not identify in his
announcement where the cuts would
come from, but Hood said the cuts
could come from Medicaid or higher
education. Reducing funding for higher
Today's
Weather
Partly cloudy;
high 40s.
Weekend: Sunny; low 40s.
Unexpected closing
confuses employees
■ The New Orleans
Cookery’s owner has not
been seen since last week.
BY STACEY TURNAGE
ASSISTANT CITY EDITOR
AND MIKE HIRSCHEL
STAFF WRITER
New Orleans Cookery, located at
220 W. Rosemary St., suddenly closed
its doors, leaving its employees with
unanswered questions and no pay for
the month of December.
Steve Dominick, former owner of
the restaurant, has not been able to be
located since early last week, employ
ees said.
Ken Filer, former manager of the
restaurant, said he did not know what
presently was going on at the restau
rant.
Filer said the restaurant may be
operational, but it would be run by a
new owner. He said he could not speak
about the whereabouts of Dominick or
any implications against the former
owner.
education would not likely increase stu
dents’ tuition at state universities, he
said.
Cobble said that Hunt might face
opposition to any of his proposed cuts
from the Republican majority in the
House.
“The Legislature is more
Democratic than last term, but there is
still a Republican majority in the
House,” Cobble said.
Hood disagreed saying the obstacle
won’t be the Republicans but Hunt’s
own willingness to fulfill his campaign
Kickoff at the Smith Center
The Carolina Athletic Association has moved ticket distribution ‘or
the Wake and Virginia basketball games inside the Smith Center in |
order to broadcast the Carolina Panthers-Green Bay Packers game |
| Sunday.
I The distribution will begin at noon at entry B. No students will be |
allowed in line after 2 p.m.
The chosen number will be announced over the PA system in the ./
| Smith Center. Students will be invited to sit and watch the game until 1
| their number is called.
Students will be able to bring food and drink to the Smith Center as '!
I the concession stands will be closed .No alcohol is permitted
103 years of editorial freedom
Serving the students aiid-tbe University
community since 1893
Ncws/Featurel/Aits/Spofls: 962-0245
Business/Advatiring; / 962-1163
Volume 104, Issue 128
Chapel Hill, North Carolina
© 1997 DTR Publishing Corp.
AD limits reserved.
Stacie Kent, a former employee, said
things had been bad at the restaurant
since the beginning of November.
“Some employee’s checks bounced
last month,” she said.
Kent said when she arrived at the
restaurant Sunday there was a sign on
the door stating the owner could not be
located and the restaurant had been
closed since Saturday night.
Kent said she, along with the other
employees, would not receive their pay
check from the last month-long pay
period.
“I find this whole situation very dis
tressing for everyone involved, with of
course the exception of Steve
Dominick,” she said.
Jiffer Bourguignon, a former
employee, said she saw a sign on the
restaurant’s back door stating it would
reopen Jan. 14. “I can’t imagine (it
reopening)” she said. “There was no
one in the building yesterday.”
Kent said she planned to file a com
plaint with the N.C. Department of
Labor.
“I would like to see some legal
recourse taken because it is the only
thing that would be fair to the employ
ees.”
promise.
“He has the ability, but the question
is, will he?” Hood said.
John Sanders, UNC Institute of
Government professor emeritus, said
that the constitutional amendment
allowing gubernatorial veto will give
Hunt more power this term.
“After being elected by a large major
ity and gaining veto power, he will be
able to do much more this time in
office,” Sanders said.
“But he must use his veto power
with caution."