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®hp lathi (Tar Urrl INSIDE WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 12,1997 Nathan nabs most votes ever bynahaltoosi STAFF WRITER It's not yet official, but after an elec tion evening marred by delays, Mo Nathan has won the student body pres idency by an unprecedented landslide. Campaign workers cheered and exchanged hugs when it was announced that Nathan received 2,206 votes, about 70 percent of the total, and far over the Student body president Shawn Fraley^ Mo Nathan (^22O6^J Andrew PearsoiF Reynolds team takes CAA race BY LEAH HANEY STAFF WRITER Jason Reynolds and Charles Roederer are ready to rev up UNC’s team spirit after winning last night’s race to be Carolina Athletic Association co-presidents. Carolina Athletic Association president fljfSl Jason Reynolds Charlie Roederer ' at C=Q 1 ' Beth Stern& ' Hunt addresses educational reform BY WHITNEY MOORE ASSISTANT STATE & NATIONAL EDITOR Schools must come first, proclaimed Gov. Jim Hunt in his State of the State speech Tuesday afternoon. Hunt addressed the joint session of the N.C. General Assembly with an appeal to legislators to continue improv ing the N.C. Public School System. “We meet today with a common pur pose,” he said. “I ask you to dedicate this legislative session to the cause of public education.” He revealed plans to introduce the Excellent Schools Act to the General Assembly that would boost teachers’ salaries to the national average and spread Smart Start to all 100 N.C. counties by the turn of the century. "I urge you to pass it so we can recruit and train the best teachers for our children,” he said. He announced co-sponsorship of the bill by House Speaker Harold Brubaker, R-Randolph, and N.C. Senate President Pro Tern Marc Basnight, D-Dare, and stressed the importance of such biparti Free hook-ups at Granville Granville Towers will have Internet hook-ups this fall. Page 5 GPSF, RHA and other elections results See page 3 50 percent required to win without a runoff. Opposing student body presidential candidates Shawn Fraley and Andrew Pearson received 443 and 448 votes, respectively. “Obviously we’re very excited," Nathan said. “Clearly this is a signal from the stu dent body to get to work on solving problems with issues great and small.” The delay in voting returns was due to a Scantron machine breakdown. Results received are still considered unofficial and ballots must be recount ed. Fraley said he was disappointed with the results. “I didn't get quite the turnout that I expected,” Fraley said. “But I hope to represent Mo's administration. “He has some good ideas and hope fully he'll want to incorporate some of mine.” Student body presidential candidate Pearson said he felt he had claimed a victory for democracy. “You can’t change the status quo from the inside," Pearson said. “I think the experience has been valuable. “Pfl be continuing the struggle for a democratic education regardless of the vote tally.” Nathan, whose platform included fighting tuition increases, fighting for At press time, Reynolds and Roederer had tallied 1,600 votes, while their oppo nents Beth Stem and Brian Whitley had only garnered 1,100 votes. The results will be official after the election board validates them. After hearing the winning san support. “This is a remarkable and dramatic leadership act for the sake of our chil dren,” he said. Hunt cited low wages for teachers as a fatal flaw with the state’s education system. He reported that first-year teachers in North Carolina made $21,000 per year, and teachers with 30 years of experience earned $43,000.'“ “That is wrong,” he said. “(It is no) wonder that 33 percent of new teachers leave in the first three years. North Carolina teachers deserve better. “North Carolina teachers deserve respect... and they deserve better pay.” Hunt also stressed the importance of early childhood education programs such as Smart Start. “It can have the greatest impact on our children and their futures,” he said. “We’re talking about little children’s brains and how fast they grow.” He urged lawmakers to approve funding to expand Smart Start to every county in North Carolina. “What we can do is be a catalyst for children,” Hunt said. Never underestimate the power of stupid people in large groups. Anonymous Qs# graduate student issues and imple menting anew online registration system, said there was a long road ahead. “The campaign may be over but the real work has just begun,” Nathan said. Participants from all sides remarked about the tense atmos phere. Ray Fuerst, Nathan's cam- paign manager, said the Student Union results, which were the last returned, were the most important because of the sheer number of students that voted there. She said it was difficult to have to wait. “I understand the delay but never theless it is frustrating,” Fuerst said before the final, unofficial results were announced. Winston McMillan, a campaign worker for Fraley, said Fraley support ers had focused mostly on the Student Union voters. McMillian said waiting for those results had been the most important. Student Body President Aaron Nelson said the results were preliminary DTH'AMY CAPPIHJi) Jason Reynolds and Charlie Roederer celebrate their win as co-presidents of the Carolina Athletic Association. results, Reynolds and Roederer cheered along with about 20 of their supporters. “We are elated that stu dents have given us a chance to win and carry out our ideas,” Reynolds said. “I’m excited to really use my ener gy to support athletics in this way.” Roederer attributed the duo’s success to the backing of the student body and his supporters. “I’m very indebt ed to them and thankful for the wonderful support we’ve had,” he said. “We certainly could not have won without them.” Reynolds reiterated their “We can work together to meet the needs of children. “I ask you to make that commit ment this year so our children will get the good start that every child in North Carolina deserves.” Hunt briefly discussed other issues, such as teenage smoking and violence, that he deemed urgent to North Carolinians. “We have a responsibility to see that our communities and schools are safe from crime and violence and drugs,” he said. “We must lock up dangerous crimi nals and make them work hard in prison.” Hunt went on to address the N.C. higher-education system. "We must keep our universities and community colleges among the best in the country,” he said. An optimistic outlook for the future resonated throughout Hunt’s speech. “I look forward to working with you,” he said. “(This legislature is going to) lead North Carolina into the 21st century.” Killing off the competition? U.S. children face more firearm fatalities than other youth. Page 7 mßk DTH/JOHN DXDA campaign goals of increasing publicity and implementing events to inspire more athlet ic spirit. He said they would start by developing an inclu sive committee structure and by planning a spring football scrimmage. Stem and Whitley said they were confident through out the night and remain con fidant in the CAA’s future. “I would like to continue to be involved with the CAA. We’d like to see a lot of our ideas implemented for the good of die campus,” Stern said. She also applauded their supporters’ hard work. No stopping the Tar Heel women UNC, 12-0 in the ACC, caged Clemson 79-72 Tuesday night. Page 11 Student Body President-elect Mo Nathan celebrates Tuesday night (above). Earlier, he and supporters await election returns. Problems with computers delayed the results. and would not be made official until they were certified and recounted. He added that the candidates still had to turn in their financial statements and abide by poster removal rules before any offi cial winners could be announced. Nelson said that if the reg ulations were not met candidates could still be disqualified. Golden/Mahan 1 percent shy BY KERRY OSSI STAFF WRITER One percentage point. That’s how much senior class presidential and vice presi dential candidates Franklin Golden and Russell Mahan need ed to win by the required 50.1 percent majority in Tuesday’s election. Instead, the senior class race will be decided in a runoff between Golden and Mahan and candidates Dan Martin and Mimi Van Wyck. The runoff will be held next Tuesday. With a preliminary total of 443 votes, Golden and Mahan could only muster 49 percent of the total vote. Martin and Van Wyck received a preliminary total of 239 votes, Nirav Shah and Benjeil Edghill received 186 votes, and Richard Alexander and David Britt received 45 votes. “We have to be happy with 49 per cent,” Golden said. “We’re just happy people came out in the numbers they did to support us, and we hope they come out again.” Golden said he and Mahan would contact all the peo ple who helped them before, but he was confident their supporters r— '' ' V DTH/JOSEPH ROBERTS Franklin Golden and Russell Mahan received 49 percent of the vote. would be back out to vote. Martin said he and Van Wyck were ready for another week of campaigning. “We’re just really excited. We’re ready to get back on the horse and ride it as far as it takes us.” Martin said the first race was more of a popularity contest, but he hoped the second race would be about issues. “Our platform speaks for itself,” he said. “We just need to echo that to the students.” Shah said he and Edghill were disappointed with the Computer glitches delay final results STAFF REPORT The Scantron machine that was being used to count student body elections bal lots broke down Tuesday night, leaving scores of candidates and supporters in limbo. “It’s a conspiracy,” said Andrew Pearson, a candidate for student body president. “Scantrons are undemocrat ic.” Student Body President Aaron Nelson said the Scantron broke down with half of Granville Towers’ ballots left to count and all of Chase Hall’s bal lots. Today's Weather Partly sunny; lower 50s. Thursday: Sleet lower 30s. w WT- . Sl' I fk II Kigfg /JH fif• ,**i SltiNi ~ ***** DTH/ROBYN SCHRYER and vice president • " '< - J—• v m "I v • mSm results, but he said they hoped to stay involved in working with whoever was elected. “Of course we wish the turnout was better in our favor,” he said. “But the reason we did this was to help the senior class and we’re not going to forget that now.” Neither Alexander nor Britt were available for comment. Karen Joyce contributed to this story Chief of Staff Marc McCollum said the board could not use another on-cam pus Scantron because it would need to be programmed to read the ballots, and the programmer was not available. Nelson said two different mechanics were unable to repair the machine. After weighing their options, Nelson said the the elections board staff had to count the votes by hand. “They even thought about going to Duke," Nelson said. “They gave hours upon hours of work.” Student Body President-elect Mo Nathan said the breakdown was an unfortunate incident. “I think there is a 103 yean of editorial freedom Serving the stud£ggaiiA£he University community dnchl 593 News/Feannei/Aits/Spoas: 9624245 Business/Advatiglfc.../ 962-1163 VohUM 184, Issue ISO ChapelHiU, North Carolina AD righto reserved. Richard Alexander & David Britt Dan Martin & Mimi Van Wyck GD. Franklin Golden Bussell Mahan CrD ; Nirav Shah ft A Benjeil Edghifl G*D. charge of excitement and anticipation in the air, so some people are obviously dis appointed, but it’s not the worst thing that could happen,” Nathan said. Residence Hall Association President-elect Aliena Hall said the problem added anxiety to the situation. “At this point, I just want to get it over with,” Hall said. “I just want to know the results." But Brandon Oropallo, a junior from Danville, Va., said he was not particu larly disappointed with the breakdown. “I just came for the hype,” Oropallo said. “And this has proved interesting.”
Daily Tar Heel (Chapel Hill, N.C.)
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Feb. 12, 1997, edition 1
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