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SMB 105 yean of editorial freedom
Serving the students and the University
community since 1593
Housing department bans halogen lamps
BY JON LIGGETT
STAFF WRITER
University housing officials have
banned halogen lamps from campus res
idence hall rooms, effective at the begin
ning of the fall term.
The Department of University
Housing informed residents of the ban
in fall housing assignments mailed home
this summer, though housing officials
had discussed the issue in the spring.
Wayne Kuncl, director of University
housing, said the ban was in response to
growing concerns over the safety of
torchiere halogen floor lamps.
“Our number one concern is safety
for students in the residence halls,"
Starting anew in
Kalamazoo
For a few moments, the raspy voice
on Elson Floyd’s end of the telephone
carried a slightly more upbeat tone.
Floyd, executive vice chancellor, out
sick for a day with a
cold, was reflecting on
his time here at UNC.
“In all honesty, I
BY JONATHAN COX
EDITOR
wish I had another two years at the
University,” he said. “There is still
much that needs to be done."
But the buzzer has sounded on
Floyd’s time at UNC. After accumulat
ing more than a decade of service to
A tale of two universities
Executive Vice Chancellor Elson Floyd
will leave his post at UNC to become \ K'v F
president at Western Michigan V
University on Aug. 1. Below is a Y fffkm
comparison of the two schools: yftWjp nJrfJm
School UNC IPMPBi
Location Kalamazoo
Number of students 24,189
Nickname Broncos
Annual budget (1997) sl,l billion jj
Classification Doctoral I
Number of full-time faculty 2,421 J
Town size 80,000
Floyd's job executive vice chancellor |
Floyd's salary $175,000
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Officials say Lenoir dining Hall will be ready for business starting Aug. 14.
The construction crew is putting finishing touches on the interior this week.
WEEKLY SUMMER ISSUE
Kuncl said.
On July 29,
1996, the
Consumer Product
Safety
Commission
issued a warning
to consumers that
the tubular light
bulbs in most
halogen lamps can
reach high temper
atures.
The bulbs could
start a fire if they
come in contact
with curtains,
clothes or other
Director of University
Housing
WAYNE KUNCL
said the ban
came in response to
growing concerns
over the lamps' safety.
the University and the UNC-system
General Administration, Floyd is leav
ing North Carolina to take command
of Western Michigan University in
Kalamazoo. His post as
president takes effect
Aug. 1.
Floyd’s departure
from UNC is not one that has been
taken lightly. In the words of a resolu
tion adopted by the Board of Trustees
at its meeting Thursday, “Western
Michigan University’s gain is our deep
loss.”
FAST FOOD
life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards.
Soren Kierkegaard
Thursday, July 30,1998
Volume 106, Issue 55
flammable material, the CPSC found.
“At least 30 fires have been associated
with torchiere lamps containing tubular
halogen bulbs," the CPSC press release
stated. “Two deaths have been associat
ed with these fires.”
Since that press release, 189 other
fires and 11 deaths have been associat
ed with the lamps.
Kuncl said newer models had protec
tive screens and lower-wattage bulbs,
which prevent danger. But he said it
would be too hard for resident assistants
to distinguish between the older and
newer models.
Emily Williamson, student body vice
president, said she was initially con
cerned about the ban on the halogen
And that sentiment is one widely
held by people who have worked close
ly with Floyd since he came back to
UNC in 1995 to become Chancellor
Michael Hooker’s chief of staff.
“I knew I could rely heavily on
him,” Hooker said of asking Floyd to
join his administrative team. “He’s
been almost indispensable to us.
“He has been a real problem solver
and implementer.”
That visionary, take-charge attitude
has not been contained within the walls
of South Building. Former Student
Body President Mo Nathan said he saw
Floyd’s skills as mediator and adviser
during his tenure at the University.
“I can think of no other way to put it
Elson gets the job done,” Nathan
said. “He has developed a reputation of
handling complex matters effectively
and efficiently.”
Floyd has not been one to shy away
from tough issues. He has worked with
the Employee Forum to give them a
stronger voice on campus. He led the
effort to clean up the campus after
Hurricane Fran two years ago, and
most recently, he helped develop the
plan for the Carolina Computing
Initiative.
Nathan said that even with a full
plate of responsibilities, Floyd was
always quick to lend an ear to students.
“There were times in student gov
ernment that we thought we needed
someone to listen to us immediately,”
he said. “Elson was always there.
“He is a tremendous advocate and
BOT approves UNC, school deal
BY SCOTT HICKS
ASSOCIATE EDITOR
During its monthly meeting last
Thursday, the Board of Trustees
approved leasing almost 44 acres of
University land to Orange County for a
new school.
Madeleine Grumet, dean of the
School of
Education, first
proposed the part
nership to pair
public school with
the School of
Education.
Under
Grumet’s propos
al, students in the
education school
would work in a
new middle
school built by
Chapel Hill-
Carrboro City
Schools, giving
UNC students on
the-job experience
Chancellor
MICHAEL HOOKER
presented a report on
the accomplishments
of his first three years
to the Board of
Trustees on Thursday.
as well as the opportunity to test new
educational methods.
In Thursday’s action, the board
approved leasing nearly 44 acres near
the intersection of Homestead and High
floor lamps.
“If they are going to ban halogen
lamps, they should provide better light
ing in the dorm rooms,” she said.
Williamson said she heard of the
potential ban last year and that she was
glad the housing department decided to
wait and research the proposal before
they made a final decision.
“I do believe the new policy will
make dorm rooms safer,” she said.
Jason Warner, a sophomore from
Greensboro, lived in Morrison
Residence Hall last year.
“I refused to use (a halogen lamp)
because I had seen all the reports and
knew all the dangers,” he said.
Warner said he thought the light in
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Executive Vice Chancellor Elson Floyd will take his new post as president of
Western Michigan University at Kalamazoo beginning Aug. 1.
ally of students.”
Floyd’s attachment to students start
ed at a young age. He used to teach
children CPR on the back steps of his
parents’ home in Henderson. In high
school, Floyd involved himself in stu
dent government. During his senior
year at UNC in 1977-78, he served as
School roads to Orange County for $1
for a 30-year term.
The county and the school system
would be responsible for building and
maintaining the school.
Trustees unanimously supported the
proposal, calling Grumet’s idea a win
win situation for both the school system
and the University.
“It’ll be a marvelous thing for the
children of Chapel Hill and our School
of Education,”
said Anne Cates, a
trustee from
Chapel Hill.
Other trustees
agreed.
“I think it’s a
cooperative effort
between the
University and the
town,” said David
Whichard, a
trustee from
Greenville.
“It’ll be a marvelous thing
for the children
of Chapel Hill
and our
School of Education. ”
ANNE CATES
Board of Trustees member
Located far from central campus in
the University’s Horace Williams tract,
the land would have been difficult for
UNC to develop, said Richard Stevens,
board chairman.
In other business, the board heard a
progress report from Chancellor
Michael Hooker on his first three years
the room was sufficiently bright without
requiring extra illumination.
In rooms without sufficient lighting,
Kuncl said other lamps with incandes
cent bulbs would be a safe alternative to
the brighter and hotter halogen lamps.
“Carmichael (Residence Hall) is one
hall that needs alternative lighting,” he
said.
Kuncl said the ban was in keeping
with the strong standards the University
has set in place since the fire at the Phi
Gamma Delta fraternity house in 1996,
standards off-campus residents should
heed as well.
“Off-campus students should also be
made aware of the dangers of using
these lamps.”
the student attorney general.
Growing up, Floyd lived during a
time of segregation. Neither of his par
ents graduated from high school, but
they impressed upon Floyd and his
three brothers the importance of an
See FLOYD, Page 5
as chancellor of the University.
Trustees praised Hooker for his lead
ership in bringing technology to the
UNC campus and his efforts to improve
the intellectual climate.
“We were so far behind when he
came in, and we told him that’s one of
the things we wanted to do,” Cates said.
“He really has a vision. He’s accom
plished many of the goals he set, and
now he has some new ones," she said.
Hooker has led
the University’s
turnaround in
technology,
Whichard said. “I
think we’ve done a
lot in moving for
ward in the tech
nology field.”
Stevens praised
Hooker for his
work in raising
graduate students’
salaries and for working to waive their
tuition costs.
Cates applauded the chancellor for
his work on improving the intellectual
climate for freshmen and on reforming
the advising system.
The board will meet with Hooker, his
cabinet and senior staff next month to
outline new goals for the coming years.
News/Features/Ara/Spom: 962-0245
Business/Advertising: 962-1163
Chapel Hill, North Carolina
C 1998 DTH Publishing Corp.
All rights reserved.
Bridge causes
problems for
town services
■ Residents at Camelot
Village have complained
about the access route.
BY JOHN SAVAGE
STAFF WRITER
The condemned bridge to Camelot
Village apartments is more than a hassle
to the complex’s residents. It is a safety
hazard, some officials say.
The closing of the bridge at the end
of May left one access route to the
apartments, which are located on Estes
Drive across the street from University
Mall.
The remaining access route, through
a neighborhood and over large speed
bumps, makes it a more complicated
process to enter and exit Camelot
Village.
Chapel Hill Fire Chief Dan Jones
said the route could present a problem
when responding to a call. “Now we
have to respond to calls in Camelot
Village through Franklin Street,” Jones
said. “This adds two to three minutes to
response time. Anytime your response
time is longer, it adds additional hazard
to both residents and the firefighters on
call.”
Jones said that although there have
been no fires in the complex over the
last few years, the department has
responded to several medical calls there.
Chapel Hill traffic engineer David
Brown said the bridge had been in bad
condition for several months.
“There was a hole in the front of the
bridge, and the creek under the bridge
had washed out some of the embank
ment behind the bridge,” Brown said.
“Upon investigation, we determined the
bridge to be unsafe, and for a matter of
public safety, we closed the bridge.”
The town of Chapel Hill cannot fix
the bridge because it is located on pri
vate property.
“We advised Camelot Village to seek
the services of a bridge engineer when
we closed the bridge, but the bridge has
not been fixed,” Brown said.
According to a town ordinance, the
apartment complex could not even be
built today because it is on a flood plain.
Brown said flooding led to the bridge’s
deterioration.
The complex’s attorney John Stuart
said he hoped the bridge would be fixed
during the next two weeks.
“We are working right now getting
bids from engineers,” Stuart said.
“I know everybody is really being put
out having to go the long way, so we are
See COMPLEX, Page 5
Coming out at the movies
The gay and lesbian film festival will
take place at the Carolina Theatre in
Durham from Aug. 7-9. Page 2
♦
‘Saving’ summer cinema
With sickeningly realistic violence and
touching drama, Steven Spielberg's
new film, 'Saving Private Ryan,” is one
of the best war films ever. Page 5
Jumping back in the ring
A hearing is taking place in New
Jersey this week as Mike Tyson tries
to get his boxing license. Page 7
#
Summer break
If you’re looking for The Daily Tar Heel next
week, you will not find one. We are taking a
break from publication until classes resume in
the fall. Be sure to pick up your special
Welcome Back issue on Aug. 15. Good luck
with summer finals.