Newspapers / Daily Tar Heel (Chapel … / Oct. 23, 1997, edition 1 / Page 1
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Slip Sailg ®ar p Ml 104 yean of editorial freedom Serving the students and the University community since 1893 Study refutes dinosaur-bird relationship ■ Two UNC professors’ research indicates birds did not evolve from dinosaurs. BYNAHALTOOSI UNIVERSITY EDITOR Two UNC professors plan to show many of their colleagues and predeces sors that they have made a “jurassic” mistake. Anew study published in Friday’s issue of Science, by Alan Feduccia, chairman of the Department of Biology, and Ann Burke, associate pro fessor of biology, refutes a commonly held belief that birds evolved from dinosaurs. Feduccia and Burke studied the dig its or “fingers” of bird wings at various embryological stages. They concluded that the digits correspond to the index, middle and ring fingers of humans. Since dinosaurs had digits which cor respond to the thumb, index and middle finger of humans, the evolution of birds from dinosaurs is, according to the study, impossible. The new data conflicts with a wide ly held theory reinforced through movies like “Jurassic Park,” based on a novel by Michael Crichton. “This notion that birds are derived from dinosaurs although it’s serious ly flawed has been a dogma,” said Feduccia, a critic of the theory who published the first-ever rebuttal against it in 1973. “The dinosaur in origin of birds is a delusional fantasy by which one can study dinosaurs at the backyard bird feeder." The likelihood is that birds and dinosaurs had a common ancestor, Feduccia said. The study involved microscopic examination of limb development in ostriches, chickens, cormorants, alliga tors and turtles. Data from alligator and turtle embryos was consistent with that of the birds. John Ruben, professor of zoology at Oregon State University, said the the ory that dinosaurs were birds’ ancestors See DINOSAURS, Page 11 Officials tour county sites with Hooker ■ Hooker wrapped up his state county tour with the trip across Orange County. BY KAREN JOYCE ASSISTANT UNIVERSITY EDITOR Katie Wolfe didn’t know that half way through her day at Maple View Dairy Farm the chancellor of UNC would be helping her pack milk bottles. However, Chancellor Michael Hooker made it his business to chat informally with Wolfe during his tour of Orange County on Wednesday. The farm was only one stop in the four-hour trip that marked the capstone of Hooker’s 100-county tour. “I’ve always known this county bet ter than others,” Hooker said. “The pur pose of the 100-county tour was to get to know the state.” Starting at 9 a.m., Hooker met with Chapel Hill Town Manager Cal Horton, Chapel Hill Director of Transportation Bob Godding, Orange County Manager John Link, Assistant to the Town Manager of Carrboro Larry Gibson, Chairman of the Orange County Board of Commissioners Bill Crowther and Superintendent of Chapel Hill- Carrboro City Schools Neil Pederson at the Chapel Hill Transit Department. Godding gave a brief tour of the transit station off Airport Road, where buses that serve Chapel Hill and Carrboro are serviced and cleaned. Godding informed the group about the funding for the transit department and explained the process of cleaning raying for priorities Health and wealth BY MARISSA DOWNS STAFF WRITER Donald Haggis, a classics professor, has been researching excavations in the Aegean region for the four years he’s been at the University. The research is encouraged by the University, but Haggis said the finan cial support they give him is insuffi cient to cover the necessary expendi tures. Haggis said that during the past four years, the University had provid ed him with SB,OOO, while his total expenditures were between $16,000 and $20,000. While he appreciates the University’s support, Haggis said he goes broke roughly twice a year from paying for most of his research. Haggis predicts the situation will get worse. Every year, he receives less money from the University and, because of competition, his chances of receiving outside grants decrease. In light of this trend, Haggis pre dicted that eventually he will be unable to conduct research. “(The University) is giving me as much as they can, but it gets less every year," Haggis said. “If I were staying in Chapel Hill, then I would be okay, but my research necessitates travel. Funds are insufficient they’re so insufficient that it’s laughable. But that’s the way things are. We don’t lament it, we just live with it.” As available funds continue to decrease, Haggis’ situation is becom ing more common among humanities professors. Herein lies the greatest distinction between research in the humanities and the sciences. While humanities research funding continues to decline, support in scientific research has never been greater. In contrast to Haggis, Ned Brooks, associate provost, said his research in the delivery of health care was entire ly supported by grants. The amount of outside support Brooks’ research received during the 13-year period totaled well into the . HHi B Wm **~ M MflMI P * iß*vm-• . 'Ml kH^B^^’ jp* llll6 ■ * p 5 9 1188 DTH/KAREN JOYCE Chancellor Michael Hooker (right) greets Bill Crowther, chairman of the Orange County Board of Commissioners, as Hillsborough Mayor Horace Johnson looks on. Hooker visited the county to finish his lOOcounty tour. the transit buses. One of the methods used is a large vacuum machine that attaches to the open bus door and cleans all trash from the bus. Hooker stepped towards the vacuum as Godding switched it on, almost los ing his balance in the force of the machine. Link joked about the incident later on the bus. “That thing does everything but dry clean your pants,” he said. A county bus took the tour’s partici pants from destination to destination. “We'll try to see as much as we can in Creativity is making mistakes , and art is knowing which ones to keep. Scott Adams Thursday, October 23, 1997 Volume 105, Issue 95 Health and wealth The funding for research in Academic Affairs decreased by 2 percent from fiscal years 1996 to 1997 while that of Health Affairs increased 21 percent. Their combined funding increased 14 percent Academic Affairs Health Affaire $47.95 million jjk 1996 funding levels SOURCE: OFFICE OF RESEARCH SERVICES millions. Research in health-related studies is well-supported by outside sponsors, and Brooks said cases of professors funding their own research were rare. “It certainly has hap pened,” Brooks said. “It would be misleading to suggest it was common or that’s the norm.” But Robert Lowman, associate vice-provost for research, said such situa- Publish Perish tions occurred frequently to faculty bers) understand that our society has conducting research in the humani- made certain decisions about where ties. our tax dollars will go,” Lowman said. “There are really not that many sponsors who will devote money to See DIFFERENCE, Page 11 A five-part series exploring the importance of research at UNC. ■ Monday: Defining research ■ Tuesday: The politics of funding research ■ Wednesday: Where do professors get support to balance teaching and research? ■ Today. The difference between various departments' research ■ Friday: The private sector's influence the time allowed,” Crowther said. The first stop was McDougle Middle and Elementary schools. The schools were chosen due to their participation in the Professional Development Schools program which provides televisions and computers for every classroom with a centralized loca tion to interconnect them. The middle and elementary school share a media center, cafeteria and kitchen, but have separate facilities for classrooms. The school also shares its media cen- See HOOKER, Page 11 Sj 1997 funding levels DTH/ANDRES FERNANDEZ those programs that are outside the sciences,” Lowman said. He said the majority of research money brought into the University is given by the federal gov ernment for scientific research. But Lowman said he did not perceive resent ment on die part of facul ty who received less sup port from the federal gov ernment. “I think (faculty mem- 4 groups’ frozen funds brought on by ‘glitch’ BY MELANIE FLOYD STAFF WRITER Discrepancies in the University’s list of recognized student groups caused four groups to have their funds frozen unnecessarily. On Monday, the Rules and Judiciary Committee of Student Congress asked Student Body Treasurer Marc McCollum to freeze 20 groups’ funds after referring to an incomprehensive list of recognized student groups. The Pauper Players, the Ballroom Dance Club, OASIS (formerly known as the African Students Association) and the Undergraduate Center for European Studies (formerly known as the Center for European Studies) were four groups that had their funds mistakenly frozen by Student Congress on Monday. “I think they could have done a Chairman of the Rules and Judiciary Committee of Student Congress DAN THOMPSON said the frozen funds were a mistake. little more checking before acting,” said Jon Curtis, assistant director of student activities. “It’s always best to double check, even after seeing the lists before doing anything.” Discrepancies with how the groups’ names were listed led to the misunder standing, said Dan Thompson, commit tee chairman. “It was our mistake two were avoidable, and two were unavoidable,” Officials say landfill deadline unrealistic ■ Alternatives to building a new landfill, like shipping solid waste, were discussed. BY JOHN GARDNER STAFF WRITER The Dec. 1 deadline set to make a decision on the future of waste dispos al in Orange County is not expected to be met, causing area officials to question the next logical course of action. At an Orange County Commissioners meeting Tuesday night, the board voted that they would not be able to choose a site for anew landfill by the Dec. 1 deadline. Many members of the Assembly of Governments consisting of elected officials from Chapel Hill, Carrboro, Hillsborough and Orange County wanted to con struct anew land fill adjacent to the current Orange County landfill. However, it was recently discov ered that the Duke University-owned land had been allotted to NASA for five years to be used as a research easement. This latest Chapel Hill Town Council member MARK CHILTON said a transport facility could be built to ship waste out of Orange County. development has caused local govern ment officials to consider options other than building a landfill in order to com ply with the terms of the proposed Inter local Agreement. “The wording of the agreement does not specify that a landfill be built, only that some sort of waste management facility be constructed,” Chapel Hill Town Council member Mark Chilton said. Chilton said another option would be to build a waste transfer station that would send waste to another county. As talk arose about pushing the Dec. 1 deadline back a few months, Chapel Hill Mayor Rosemary Waldorf remind ed the group of the urgency to imple- he said. Student government has only unfrozen funds for the Pauper Players so far. “There was a communication glitch, but the activities people were very coop erative and our funds are now unfrozen,” said Adam Seipp, chief administrator of the Pauper Players. “We were concerned because we are in the middle of a production, and money is constantly coming out. We were going to have to use our own money and hope to be reimbursed. Luckily, we managed to avoid that.” The Ballroom Dance Club has not had their funds unfrozen yet, but they are officially recognized by the University. “I was terribly disappointed to be contacted by (The Daily Tar Heel) about our funds being frozen instead of the Student Congress treasury,” said Lindsay James, club president. “I have confidence that since I did everything correct, it will work out all right.” OASIS and the Undergraduate Center for European Studies were left off the list because the committee did not recognize their new names. Thompson said the funds of the other three groups should be accessible no later than the beginning of next week. Howard Brubaker, Student Activities Fund Office director, said, “I’m sure there’s no problem with it.” “It’s mostly administrative details rather than recognition problems right now.” Thompson said the other 16 groups whose funds were frozen needed to show documentation that they are rec ognized groups in order to have their accounts accessible. News/Feaones/Ans/Spons: 962-0245 Bimatss/Advcrtutne 962-1163 Chspd Hill, North Cerotaa O 1997 DTH Publishing Cop: All rig ho reserved. “If they’re good enough for us to dump trash in their backyards for 25 years, then they’re good enough for us to give them water. ” JACQUELYN 6BT Carrboro Alderman ment anew plan soon. “We can sit around here and talk about (pushing the deadline back), but it is really true that in 2005 our landfill will be full, and it may well take that long to even build a transfer station,” she said. “We’ve all got to find a way to get rid of our trash.” Another point discussed by the group in the meeting was a part of the Inter local Agreement known as the Community Benefits Package. This package consists of 14 points that would be considered in order to improve the community in which the current Orange County landfill is locat ed. One of the proposals in the package was for new water mains to be con structed due to complaints of contami nated water and unclean water. Some residents have complained the water they are receiving through their wells is brown and has a strange odor, Carrboro Alderman Jacquelyn Gist said. “If they’re good enough for us to dump our trash in their backyards for 25 years, then they’re good enough for us to give them water,” she said. Gist said the installation of new water mains would cause the property value of the houses in the area to increase, which was only fair since the landfill had caused their property values to decrease over the years. Some opposition was given to this proposal because the proposed cost was estimated to be over $2 million, and the new landfill is no longer going to be built there, but council member Edith Wiggins said that would be unfair. “If we drop the package because the new landfill is no longer being built there, then we were only appeasing these residents for the threat of building the new landfill.” INSIDE Violence unplugged Several N.C. child advocacy groups and state departments join together to launch the third annual Pull the Plug on Media Violence Week. Page 4 Not a man's world anymore This week's Diversions focuses entirely on women in music through in-depth interviews, expos6s, and album reviews. Page 5 # Honoring history Chapel Hill High School's honor choir will be heading to Washington to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the Washington Monument. Page 2 Today's weather Mostly sunny; mid 50s Friday partly cloudy mid 60s
Daily Tar Heel (Chapel Hill, N.C.)
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Oct. 23, 1997, edition 1
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