Newspapers / Daily Tar Heel (Chapel … / Dec. 2, 1997, edition 1 / Page 1
Part of Daily Tar Heel (Chapel Hill, N.C.) / About this page
This page has errors
The date, title, or page description is wrong
This page has harmful content
This page contains sensitive or offensive material
<Thr latlu (Tar Heel VT_ 1? H 104 yean of editorial freedom Srrvjng thi Boimo and tht Unimsity community since 1893 Controversial speaker sparks opposing reactions ■ Ward Connerly, who opposes affirmative action, will speak tonight. BY ASHLEY STEPHENSON STAFF WRITER Tonight’s lecture featuring Ward Connerly, chairman for the American Civil Rights Institute, has ignited con troversy between student groups. Connerly is accredited with passing Proposition 209, legislation banning affirmative action and any race or gen der preferences in California. The lecture, sponsored by Common Sense, will be held in the Great Hall at 8:15 p.m. It comes a week after UNC system President Molly Broad made public plans to review affirmative action admissions policies in the system. Members of the Black Student Movement plan to attend Connerly’s lecture wearing T-shirts and armbands to support affirmative action policies. India Williams, BSM president, said the lecture might leave people with a negative view on affirmative action. “I feel like a lot of people will think that if a black man is speaking against (affirmative action) then it must be bad.” She said affirmative action made opportunities available for those who earned them. “If a person is qualified, you need not look at their race, but the reality is race is always the first thing you see,” she said. “When I go for an interview, the first thing they see is my color, not my education.” I I ">kl V T . s ’iJßr m*- i I^,-^ Search for AIDS cure ‘marches’ on ■ The e-march will allow citizens to express their concerns and suggestions. BY MAH DEES STAFF WRITER Asa part of World AIDS day Monday, activists recommitted them selves to their war on the virus through political participation. The Washington-based AIDS Action organization kicked off its yearlong “Until It’s Over e- March" Monday. The “march,” launched by President Clinton, provided a forum for anyone to e mail national lead ers about their concerns and sug gestions for pre- venting and eventually eliminating the AIDS epidemic. “The e-march allows people from all around the country to visit and partici pate without travel restrictions,” said “Connerly basically believes ... that everyone should be treated equally, regardless of the color of their skin.” JUSTIN GROSMIK Chairman of fund-raising committee for Young Republicans Some students, however, agree with Connerly’s message. Justin Grosnick, chairman of the fund-raising committee for Young Republicans said Connerly’s message represented the basic beliefs of equality. “Ward Connerly basically believes in the ideals Martin Luther King brought forward in the 19605, that everyone should be treated equally, regardless of the color of their skin,” Grosnick said. He said people felt threatened by Connerly’s message because they want ed to maintain the status quo. “If I were black, I would want my success in life to have come from my own merit and achievements, not because I was fortunate enough to have been born a certain color,” he said. Scott Rubush, chairman of Common Sense, said the BSM protest against Connerly fought against the very civil rights BSM members wanted to uphold. “(Common Sense) is putting on an event that expresses the basic idea of the Civil Rights Movement,” Rubush said. “For (the BSM) to protest it sparks indignation. “They say they believe in racial Steven Fisher, communications director for AIDS Action. “This will send the message to policy leaders that new AIDS drugs aren’t working for everyone and are not a cure.” Fisher said more than 2,700 e-mail messages were sent 12 hours after the site opened. One of the main issues on the minds of AIDS patients and activists was the effectiveness and availability of “drug cocktails” for AIDS patients. “These drugs are supposed to subdue the virus so that you can go on with your normal life,” said Phillipa Mezile, spokeswoman for the U.S. Department of Health. But critics said the drugs were not as effective as scientists originally expected. “I think that’s going to be true with any medication,’’ said Rebecca Hensler, International Program Coordinator for the San Francisco-based Mobilization Against AIDS. “Different people react differently to certain medications.” Hensler said both the price of the medication, which cost AIDS patients between SI,OOO and $2,000 per month, and limited availability in developing I only like two kinds of men; domestic and foreign. Mae West Tuesday, December 2,1997 Volume 105, Issue 121 Diverse affirmation The Fall 1997 Carolina Poll, administered in November, asked 766 North Carolinians about affirmative action admissions policies. Here's a breakdown of what N.C. residents think about the issue that has swept campuses nationwide. poESato Statement: Affirmative action contributes lETaton nnu to the quality of higher education by making the student body more diverse. 20.0%-^ ■ Strongly agree Disagree 1 7% |j|* V/ | Agree H| Strongly disagree Republican i-i Donlknow/No answ, nth^SJhi, u7 vckt North Carolina totalS P- 5 0. 5 % Democrat High school graduate 'tsrfm -AT 20.4% 25.1% 29.^V j^^42J % Independent White Black College graduate SOURCE: THE CAROLINA POLL, BALL 1997 equality, but they are protesting laws that uphold racial equality.” Rubush said affirmative action has compromised UNC’s integrity. “Diversity is a noble goal, but there is more to diversity than just race.” Williams, however, said she felt affir AIDS UNMASKED Artist Jason Dilley lifts a freshly cast mask from Ron Hudson’s face in the Pit. Dilley’s work awaits hanging in the Carolina Union Gallery on Monday afternoon. The exhibit, known as Project Face-to-Face, comprises 18 masks cast from people living with AIDS. More than a visual experience, the exhibit combines the stark beauty of frozen faces with audio clips telling the story behind each mask. PHOTOS BY LAURA GIOVANELLI BB Ik *o+' | “The e-march allows people from all around the country to visit and participate without travel restrictions.” STEVEN FISHEI Communications director for AIDS Action nations, where 90 percent of AIDS patients live, contributed to the disap pointment with the drugs. Fisher said he hoped the e-march would help improve this situation by making politicians more aware of AIDS- related issues. “We want to make sure the people in Washington don’t think this is a dead issue,” he said. One law Fisher said he wanted to change was the one that prevented HlV positive patients from receiving Medicaid until they developed full blown AIDS, even though they were poor enough to qualify. “We want to make sure treatments are available to everyone and that these treatments are effective,” he said. Over the past year AIDS cases mative action did not undermine the integrity of the University. “Individuals who have been helped by affirmative action are in no way less educated or qualified,” Williams said. Grosnick said public opinion regard ing affirmative action would be different AIDS in the United States In the United States, the cumulative number of reported AIDS cases from the beginning of the epidemic through June 1996 was 548,102. /—" Asian/Pacific islander Native American/ Alaskan Native / Hispanic/Latino 96,613 17.10% African American 189,004 34.50% jM Caucasian SOURCE AIDS ACTION increased nationally among African- American women, children and intra venous drug users. Meanwhile, AIDS cases among homosexual men stagnat ed, Mezile said. There were 7,946 reported cases of AIDS in North Carolina as of DTH /JAKE ZARNEGAR if its policies targeted white people. “If affirmative action applied to white people, there would be an outrage and rightly so,” he said. “People should not be judged by the color of their skin, and that’s what it comes down to every damn time.” Residents begin fight against planned road ■ Residents said two permits for Meadowmont were not handled fairly. BY SUNNY SMITH ASSISTANT CITY EDITOR The residents of Pinehurst Drive went to court Monday afternoon to stop the town of Chapel Hill and the devel opers of Meadowmont from building a connecting road from their street to the proposed development. Attorneys for the residents contested two of the five permits passed earlier this year, saying they wanted them to be invalidated. Meadowmont, a 454-acre mixed-use development near the Friday Center, was approved by the Council in 1995 after public hearings and debate. The development includes multi-family housing, a shopping center and a school. Attorney Mike Brough said the September 1997. Orange County had 92 cases, with only two new ones reported this year. Mecklenburg County topped the state’s list with 1,098 cases, followed by Wake, Guilford and Durham counties, respectively. News/Features/Ara/Sparts: 962-0245 Business/Advertising 962-1163 Chapel Hill, North Carolina C 1997 DTH Publishing Corp. All rights reserved. Admissions policies gain poll support BY ASHLEY STEPHENSON STAFF WRITER As the affirmative action admissions debate begins to heat up on campus, newly-released poll results show that most North Carolinians support the policies at UNC-system schools. The Fall 1997 Carolina Poll, con ducted by the School of Journalism and Mass Communication and the Institute for Research in Social Science asked 766 North Carolinians whether affir mative action improved the quality of higher education by making the student body more diverse. Fifty-nine percent of North Carolinians agreed that it did. The results of the poll brought sur prise to Philip Meyer, a professor in the journalism school. “I was surprised support was that high,” he said. “I can remember when the South was segregated, and changes in attitudes have been amazing. “The acceptance of desegregation and affirmative action seems to have been slow in coming, but this survey See POLL, Page 2 Village Center and the infrastructure permits were not valid. He said they were unlawfully granted because quasi judicial power was invalidly given to the town manager by the council to make decisions without guidelines or public input. In addition, he said the requirements of the permits would not be met under the present plan. Only 38 percent of the required 60 percent would be office space, leaving 47 percent as retail. “(The retail space) authorizes a shopping cen ter,” he said. Besides contesting the legality of the permits, residents of Pinehurst Drive also wanted to stop the connector due to the issues of lower property values and the safety of their children, Brough said. In defense of the permits and the con necting road, Roger Marzulla, attorney for the developers, said the residents were not really concerned with the issue of space but with increased traffic in See MEADOWMONT, Page 2 INSIDE The ACC ballots are in UNC's defense led the Tar Heels in balloting for postseason honors. Cornerback Dre' Bly (left) was named a Walter Camp All-American. Page 7 Choir adds flair to UNC The Department of Music will start offering show choir next semester. The new class will focus on musical and dance performance. Page 2 DTH/STAFF Today's weather Sunny; mid 50$ Wednesday: Sunny: upper 50s
Daily Tar Heel (Chapel Hill, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
Dec. 2, 1997, edition 1
1
Click "Submit" to request a review of this page. NCDHC staff will check .
0 / 75