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Candidates Gear
Up for Elections
Student body president candidates
Nic Heinke and Alex Bass were among 21
attendees at an elections forum Tuesday.
Bv Carrie Callaghan
Staff Writer
Students solidified their intents to run for student govern
ment offices and to compete to receive the figurative torch
Tuesday night.
Elections Board Chairwoman
Heather Faulk explained the election
processes and campaign requirements to
21 candidates and campaign assistants.
Among the attendees were Alex Bass
and Nic Heinke, student body president
candidates, as well as three Student
Congress candidates, one candidate for
senior class president and one candidate
for Graduate and Professional Student
Federation president.
Heinke said he had already started to
consider his platform, which would
focus on campus security, the racial
atmosphere on campus and reducing
student fees and tuition. “The less we
have to pay, the better,” he said.
Bass said he decided at the meeting
that he would run for the office. “I was
always leaning towards it,” he said.
Bass said he had not formulated a
campaign platform yet.
Brad Morrison, former speaker of
Student Congress and an announced
candidate for student body president, did not attend the meet
ing. Danya Ledford, former chairwoman of the external rela-
See FORUM, Page 8
Despite Drop in Deaths,
HIV Still Plagues State
By Lindsey Emery
Staff Writer
According to the N.C. AIDS Index
released Tuesday, fewer North
Carolinians are dying of AIDS, but
researchers warned that more are living
with the disease.
The N.C. AIDS Advisory Council
released its second annual index, sum
marizing HIV-related statistics in the
state. The council created it to empha
size that AIDS was still a problem.
“Although a lot of progress has been
made, there is still a long way to go,”
said David Jolly, vice chairman of the
Advisory UNC StLIdSHtS
Council. i Walk to Raise
The index AIDS Awareness
states the num- see Page 3
ber of infec
tions that have been reported in each
county since 1995 and points out the
groups that are most at risk.
Orange County had a low number of
cases reported - only 10 reported HIV
infections and three AIDS victims.
Eileen Kugler, director of personal
health services for the Orange County
Department of Health, said the number
of cases in the county had been both
stable and small over the last four years.
“I would like to keep our numbers
small and take preventative measures.”
Kugler said students were only
included in Orange County’s statistics if
they were considered county residents.
The Highest number ot reported
cases were in the larger, urban areas of
the state, such as Mecklenburg, Wake
and Guilford counties.
Dr. Stephen Keener, medical direc
tor of the Mecklenburg County
Department of Health, said the rates
actually decreased in Mecklenburg over
the past two years. But compared to
other counties, the numbers look high,
he said. “HIV is not limited to urban
areas,” he said. “It just hits them first.”
Jolly said the disease could be found
anywhere. “It is a myth that if you don’t
live in a big city, then you don’t need to
worry about it,” he said.
There was a large increase in the
number of HIV infections reported in
urban eastern North Carolina.
Keener said women, young people -
including college students -and blacks
were among the most at-risk groups.
“We’re hoping that (the index) points
out the need for adequate funding for
both prevention and treatment pro-
- ,
M :[■ ■ .*'**'*' .
Brad Morrison announces his immediate resignation as speaker from
Student Congress as his replacement Morayo Orija (back) listens.
Alex Bass
Nic Heinke
Raging Epidemic
The NX. AIDS Advisory Council released its
statewide index Tuesday and officials say
they hope the numbers will emphasize the
importance of continuing .AIDS awareness.
Top Five NX. Cotmties with HIV
Infections
County HIV Cases AIDS Cases
1. Mecklenburg IK 74
2. Wake 93 79
3. Guilford 89 27
4. Forsyth 73 42
5. Cumberland 72 30
Orangie 10 3
■ Blacks comprise more than 75 percent of
all cases of HIV reported to the state since
during the past eight years. Blacks account
for just more than 20 percent of North
Carolina's population.
■ The Index reports that North Carolina
had 1,011 deaths from AIDS in 1995. The
figure dropped to 480 in 1997. HIV rates
have not shown a decrease.
■ The state estimates that as many as
12,600 people in North Carolina are living
with HIV or AIDS, or enough people to fill
Reynolds Coliseum at N.C. State University
in Raleigh.
■ In 1997, blacks accounted for 596 new
reported cases and 878 cases of HIV. There
wefe 198 new cases of AIDS and 268 cases
of HIV reported for whites.
SOURCE: THE NC/AIDS ADVISORY COUNCIL
grams,” he said.
Donna Arrington, a member of the
AIDS Advisory Council, said the state
needed more prevention programs.
“It has been proven that for every
dollar put on prevention, you save three
(dollars) on care,” she said.
Jolly and Arrington both said the
money the state spent on AIDS-related
prevention programs should increase.
They said South Carolina, a state with
fewer HIV-reported cases, spent almost
$1 million more than North Carolina on
its prevention programs in 1997.
The index also raises the issue of the
prevalence of other sexually transmitted
diseases in the state.
The state has the fifth highest syphilis
rate in the nation, Jolly said. “It has
been proven that people who have
another STD are three to five times
more likely to contract HIV.”
The State & National Editors can be
reached at stntdesk@unc.edu.
The only truly dead are those that are forgotten.
Jewish saying
Wednesday, December 2,1998
Volume 106, Issue 127
School Scrambles as Deadline Nears
School in the Community
had to meet a required
enrollment of 65 students
by Tuesday afternoon.
By C. J. Cash
Staff Writer
The School in the Community was
one student shy Tuesday afternoon of
meeting a state mandate of 10 addition
al students and a balanced budget.
The Carrboro charter school had to
meet a state-required enrollment of 65
students by Tuesday.
During a state investigation of the
school’s enrollment, a projected budget
deficit of $85,000 was discovered.
But School in the Community offi
Suspect, Victim Share Roof
By Jennifer Knesel
Staff Writer
Two-and-a-half months after George
Nickerson was arrested for shooting his
brother, Rayeford Nickerson, the two
are again living with their mother.
“They haven’t been arguing or noth
ing,” Susie Nickerson, 70, said. Her son,
George Nickerson, agreed. “We’re still
getting along good,” he said.
George Nickerson, 58, who was
arrested and charged in his brother’s
shooting in September, will appear in
Orange County Superior Court
Monday on a charge of assault with a
deadly weapon with intent to kill.
He was released from Orange
County Jail Nov. 20 after he posted
$20,000 bond, reports state.
Although George Nickerson said the
family is getting along, his brother still
bears the physical scars of the attack.
Rayeford Nickerson now walks with a
cane because of gunshot wounds that
have made his gait unsteady.
“I can walk without the cane, but
sometimes I can’t walk straight,”
Rayeford Nickerson, 56, said.
Rayeford Nickerson was shot at nine
times inside the store, BP employee
Franklin Wilkinson said after the attack.
He was wounded in the abdomen, chest
and shoulder, reports state.
Now that the family is reunited, the
question of why George Nickerson fired
shots still remains unanswered.
Morrison Resigns
Speaker Position
To Run for SBP
By DeVona A. Brown
University Editor
A semester-long push for Student Congress to
gain power as a representative body by Speaker
Brad Morrison ended when he announced his res
ignation to pursue other interests in Tuesday night’s
Congress meeting.
Ending speculation on what those interests were,
Morrison confirmed his intention to run for student
body president next semester.
“The costs could never come close to the bene
fits,” Morrison told shocked Congress representa
tives of his time spent as speaker. He said no cost
could stand in the way of the feeling he got when
students were helped because of Congress mem
bers’ actions.
Morrison said Congress became less of a group
that dealt solely with funding for student groups
and more of an entity that focused on students’
concerns. “We have changed the role of Congress
in the last few months,” Morrison said. “This body
has represented the students of the University.”
That change in congressional representation
under Morrison focused on expanding its power on
campus.
One of Morrison’s first attempts at increasing
Congress’ power was challenging whether Student
rials said Tuesday that the budget had
been balanced and was no longer an
issue.
Last Monday, the advisory commit
tee derided to recommend that the state
Board of Education revoke the school’s
charter, which was granted last year, if
administrators did not enroll 10 addi
tional students and balance the budget
in a week’s time.
School in the Community lead
administrator Debra McHenry said she
had until 5 p.m. Tuesday to submit a list
of ten students to the state and propose
anew budget.
“I have nine (new students enrolled),
and I have five applications out,” she
said Tuesday afternoon.
“One of (the five) I feel pretty confi
dent about,” she said. “I have part of the
paper work but I just don’t have the
*’ v , ..HH ’ tyi-s?’
mgmT' '7JJB
PTH JENNIFER lUTHRIt
Rayeford Nickerson, who was shot nine times
several months ago, stands in front of his house along N.C. 54.
Rayeford Nickerson said he has never
talked to his brother about the Sept. 13
incident and still does not know why he
was shot. “We just got in a scuffle, and I
think I asked him about money,”
Rayeford Nickerson said. “1 reckon he
got mad because I had him on the
ground,” he said.
In a Sept 15 interview Wilkinson said
Rayeford Nickerson entered the store
around 7:45 p.m. and asked him to call
911. While his brother was using the
phone, George Nickerson walked into
whole packet.”
McHenry said she will request a
waiver today from the state to keep the
school’s doors open.
“I need one more student and I think
I can get it.
Concerned with the possible reper
cussions of the school’s closing, Chapel
Hill-Carrboro City Schools attempted to
help the School in the Community
achieve the required enrollment and
balance its budget, Superintendent Neil
Pedersen said.
“Our main focus was on the impact it
would have on the students that were
attending the school,” he said.
Pedersen said he was worried that stu
dents currently enrolled at the School in
the Community might drop out, and
that there might not be enough support
for those who enter Chapel Hill-
the station with a gun.
Wilkinson said George Nickerson
fired nine shots at his brother, first from
across the counter, then from within a
five-foot range and from the door.
Although the family is currently
reunited, Rayeford Nickerson said his
brother should serve time in jail for his
crime. “He oughta get some time for
shooting me for nothing.”
The City Editor can be reached
at citydesk@unc.edu.
News/Features/Arts/Sports 962-0245
Business/Advertising 962-1163
Chapel Hill, North Carolina
© 1998 DTH Publishing Corp.
All rights reserved.
STUDENT ELECTIONS
More Coverage, Page 3
■ Contrary to previous years, only one
person in addition to Morrison has left an
office to take part in upcoming elections.
■ Publications funded in whole or in part
with Student Congress fees cannot print
candidates’ endorsements.
Body President Reyna Walters could make execu
tive appointments without Congress’ approval. He
said then that the Student Code specifically said
Congress had the power to “approve or reject all
appointments made by the president...”
Morrison’s other goals included strengthening
Congress’ relationship with University administra
tors and requesting that executive cabinet mem
bers’ be less active during Congress meetings.
With everything Morrison accomplished as
speaker and expectations for his efforts to contin
ue, many Congress members said they knew noth
ing of his resignation before Tuesday night’s meet
ing. “It would be somewhat of a surprise to me,”
See MORRISON, Page 8
Carrboro City Schools.
Pedersen said he wrote a letter to the
system’s principals that requested they
recommend the charter school to stu
dents who had dropped out, were on the
verge of dropping out or had erratic
attendance.
McHenry also said Chapel Hill-
Carrboro City Schools helped balance
the budget plan that she had completed
Tuesday.
The school system provided the
School in the Community with updated
information about local funding and
information regarding special education
students, she said.
“And we fine-tuned the budget a little
bit.”
The City Editor can be reached
at citydesk@unc.edu.
Family Ties
A local family that was recently
homeless struggles to make it off the
streets and to stay together
See Page 5.
AIDS Awareness Art
Several
Franklin
Street shops
have set up
art displays
ranging from
quilts to
paintings
designed to
promote
AIDS
awareness.
See Page 8.
Today’s Weather
Sunny;
High 60s.
Thursday Sunny,
Low 70s.