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®ltp iatlu (Far Brrl • News Busin £> ■B 105 years of editorial freedom Serving the students and the University community since 1893 DTH/LAURA LEIGH PAGE Robin Landy, 16, studies for one of her classes at the School in the Community, a charter school in Carrboro. The school, which was in danger of losing its charter due to an insufficient number of students, met enrollment requirements Tuesday. School Meets Enrollment Deadline School in the Community now faces balancing a budget deficit to retain its charter from the state. By Courtney Jones Staff Writer The N.C. Board of Education will decide today whether to let the School in the Community, a Carrboro charter UNC's Transit Future Might Include Train Developers of UNC's master plan discussed the pros and cons of outfitting campus with train and bus transit. By Lauren Beal Staff Writer Future railroads across campus were just one transit possibility discussed Wednesday as architectural consultants and UNC officials continued work on the University’s master plan. Consultants from Ayers Saint Gross presented a revised version of their con ceptual plan - the firm’s ideas of future changes - to the design and operations committee. The conceptual plan is the second phase of the master plan, a five-phase process for improving the campus through renovations and construction. The first observational stage was completed in September. George Alexiou, who previously worked as a consultant for the Parking and Transit Task Force, introduced three rail and bus possi bilities for future UNC transit. Alexiou said all three options -a diesel rail system, a light rail system and a busway - had disadvantages. For example, the less expensive diesel rail system “We might have to knock down a few buildings. I’m not trying to present a horror scenario here, but this is a train ...” George Alexiou Consultant, Parking and Transit Task Force can only go up a hill with a 4 percent grade, meaning more-intense construc tion would be required to accommodate the system at UNC. “We might have to knock down a few buildings,” Alexiou said. “I’m not trying to present the hor ror scenario here, but this is a train and it does have limitations.” Though the light rail system requires fewer ariel structures to run than the diesel system, Alexiou said its use of electricity made it the most expensive option. Alexiou said the bus system was Great services are not canceled by one act or by one single error. Benjamin Disraeli school, continue to operate with a pro jected SBO,OOO to $85,000 deficit for the 1998-1999 fiscal year. Fred Battle, chairman of the Board of Directors for the School in the Community, said the school had raised enrollment by a Tuesday deadline, meeting a state requirement of 65 stu dents. On Nov. 23, the state Charter School Advisory Committee set the deadline for the school, which had been 10 students short. School in the Community also underrated and had a lot of potential. “It has the lowest cost, is the most conve nient and works with any street system.” Along with transit possibilities, the revised plan focused on maintaining the natural landscape of campus, a principle which was emphasized in earlier meet ings. “A big plus on campus is the inte gration between the built environment and the natural landscape,” said Adam Gross, a partner with the firm. “It’s an easy thing to say, but a hard thing to find. It needs to be maintained ” Gross said the plan incorporated more greenery like terraced gardens throughout Mid and South campuses. “What we’re thinking about is extending the green of North Campus, creating another system of quadran gles,” Gross said. The plan also addresses the goal of a more pedestrian-friendly campus. Gross pointed to the removal of some surface parking lots and addition of some other parking structures through out campus, like parking decks. While tne conceptual plan will be revised, Gross said the meeting with the design and operations committee marked the transi tion between the second phase of conceptual plans and the third phase of four precinct studies. When Ayers Saint Gross returns to UNC later this month, consultants will give a closer look to Precinct One, an area which includes Health Affairs, the UNC Hospitals and medical schools. The Precinct One Study will be issued in March 1999. Ayers Saint Gross plans to issue the remaining three precinct studies throughout 1999. A final Comprehensive Plan and Design Standards is projected to be completed by fall 1999. The University Editors can be reached at udesk@unc.edu. Thursday, December 3,1998 Volume 106, Issue 129 had to balance its budget by Tuesday, which Battle said is the school’s current focus. “Right now our charter is in the air because of deficit,” he said. Charter schools receive money on a per-student basis from local systems and the state, so increasing enrollment would help erase the deficit. On Wednesday, school officials met with the advisory committee, which will recommend to the state board that a waiver be granted to keep the school open. 4 .• - '•* vHB mBbmKI *P jnUHBv DTH/JENNIFER GUTHRIE Sophomore Rita Billingsley (front) dances to Noreaga's “Superthug" with the Opeyo! Dancers in the Great Hall on Wednesday night. The performance was part of the Unity Jam celebrating World AIDS Week. Bank Clears Grail-Valkyries of Fraud By DeVona A. Brown University Editor Members of the Order of the Grail- Valkyries are breathing sighs of relief now that Nationsßank voluntarily dis missed its civil case of fraud against the organization. In a lawsuit filed last November, Nationsßank officials accused former group president Vann Donaldson, the Order of the Grail-Valkyries and two other groups of defrauding the bank of $894,000. Grail-Valkyries filed a cross claim against Donaldson, accusing him of ille gally representing the group. Last month, Donaldson agreed to pay Nationsßank $3.8 million in damages “The ruling makes sense,” Grail- Valkyries President Christian Chamaux “The community has been great in supporting us, and I think (the board) will see that we have great community support, and we are doing a good thing,” Battle said Wednesday. “Our dis cussion today was pretty positive.” Dr. Grova Bridgers, director for the state Office of Charter Schools, said the board was considering the request to keep the school open despite the deficit. “The state Board of Education heard See COMMUNITY, Page 11 UNITY JAM said. “This was (Donaldson’s) action, not ours.” Chamaux said organization members would have preferred earlier clearance by Nationsßank but said they were sat isfied with its Nov. 24 dismissal of the case against them. “The Order is happy to finally put this behind us,” he said. “We’re pleased that the courts now recognize that these were the actions of an individual, not the group he was associated with. Grail-Valkyries attorney Tom Terrell said in January that it was important to note that the organization never bene fited from the money Donaldson bor rowed. “Grail-Valkyries never received that money even though it was borrowed in Grail-Valkyries’ name,” he told The Daily Tar Heel. Congress Seat Resignations Disrupt Body Brad Rathgeber, Rules and Judiciary chairman, and Select Committee Chairman Jason Cowley resigned. By Andrew Meehan Staff Writer Student Congress members plan to elect anew speaker at their next meet ing in January following former Speaker Brad Morrison’s resignation at the meet ing Tuesday night. Also from Tuesday night’s Congress meeting, the Rules and Judiciary Committee must now select new lead ership following the resignation of three representatives. Some representatives said the upcoming speaker change would run smoothly with Speaker Pro Tern Morayo Orija running for the position. Orija is the sole candidate for the speaker’s post and is one of three remaining members of Congress who had experience before this semester. Orija said she would like to continue Morrison’s work toward making Student Congress proactive. She said she would like to devote less time to administrative matters than Morrison and also wanted to improve internal relations. She said such relations had broken down among members working within Leaders of the honor society were not shocked by the decision made by Nationsßank officials, Chamaux said. “The leadership of the Order has been operating under the assumption that this would be dismissed,” he said. “This did not come as a surprise but more of a relief that it’s over.” Chamaux said that with the lawsuit behind them, Grail-Valkyries members could focus on upcoming membership nominations, scheduled to occur in January. “Now we can devote our full atten tion to honoring individuals that have demonstrated leadership, character and scholastic excellence as we have for the past 78 years.” The University Editors can be reached at udesk@unc.edu. 962-0245 962-1163 News/Features/ Arts/Sports Business/Advertising Chapel Hill, North Carolina C 1998 DTH Publishing Corp. All rights reserved. the legislative branch. She also said she was planning a retreat for representatives at Student Congress adviser Jon Curtis’ house. “A lot of personal attentions are being brought in, and I don’t think it’s good for Congress as a whole.” Morrison said that he hoped Orija would look at the past few months and weigh the pros and cons if she were elected speaker. “She is more than qualified for the position,” he said. “Overall, I know we’re on the same page.” Rep. Mark Kkinschmidt, Dist 1, said he would like to nominate Orija for the post. “Under her leadership, everything will be very smooth," he said. Rep. David Gregg, Dist 7, said Orija would be the logical choice as the only experienced member who was not already a committee chairman. He said Orija had been helpful to members throughout the session. “Her nickname, Mama Congress, is very appropriate.” Orija would likely preside over the selection of anew Rules and Judiciary Chairman to replace Brad Rathgeber and a select committee chairman to replace Jason Cowley, who stepped down at the Tuesday night meeting. Rathgeber said the officers of Congress saw Gregg as the logical choice to be the new committee chair- See SPEAKER, Page 11 Gospel Choir Takes Vote on Name Change The BSM voted on a plan Wednesday that could change the choir's name to the UNC-CH Gospel Choir. By Shannon Snypp Staff Writer The Black Student Movement voted Wednesday night on a proposal to change the name of its Gospel Choir to boost sales of a compact disk to be released in the spring. The proposed change would rename the BSM Gospel Choir as the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Gospel Choir. A secret ballot was collected from all members at the meeting and counted afterwards to ensure that everyone who voted was a member of the BSM. See CHOIR, Page 11 INSIDE Unplug This ’6os folk singer Spider John Koemer will return to the stage this Saturday , t ~ jSSjli at the jpivf rsjgfl s BB Exchange in. Chapel Today’s Weather Partly sunny, High 70s. Friday Partly sunny, Low 80s.
Daily Tar Heel (Chapel Hill, N.C.)
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