10 Friday, February 26, 1999 Sharif Durhams EDITOR Office Hours Friday 2 p.m. -3 p.m. Nahal Toosi EDITORIAL PAGE EDITOR DeVona Brown & Ashley Stephenson UNIVERSITY EDITORS Jon Ostendorff OTYEDrrOR Board Editorials Dooking It Out How far did some students go to get tickets to UNC vs. Duke? Enough to make the rest of us proud... and worried. The scene was almost poetic. Two grown men stood in the Pit Wednesday morning, clad only in shorts, the snow falling around them. One wore a devil’s mask, the other posed as a Tar Heel, ready to wage war on a tarp of chocolate cake mix. After a hard-fought, subfreezing, half naked brawl, the Tar Heel pinned the pesky devil. But more importantly, these chocolate covered warriors earned tickets to the UNC- Duke showdown Saturday night The event, of course, was the “What would you do for a Duke ticket?” contest sponsored by GlO5, the Carolina Union Activities Board and the Carolina Athletic Association. And the competitors, if not envi able and awe-inspiring, at least offered a sparkling example of school spirit, something every student should bring a healthy helping of to the game Saturday night As outrageous goes, the contest offered plenty of blindly fanatical and bodily harm ful stunts. The “cowboy graduate,” dressed in a baby-blue graduation gown and 10-gallon hat, galloped into the Pit ready to show off his iron stomach. He ate a sandwich filled with live worms, followed by worm yogurt for desert and a worm and grapefruit juice shot to wash it down. But when all was said and done, he rode out of town with two tick ets in his hand. Then came the dirt-eating contestant. Perils of Privatization Students, officials and housekeepers at North Carolina Central University should work to prevent privatization of housekeeping. N.C. Central University recently took a step toward proving that college is merely big business when administrators proposed a plan to privatize housekeeping. The move could leave 50 state-paid work ers, some of whom have given several years of service, out of a job. Seeing how UNC battled with the ethics of privatization a few years ago, NCCU would be wise to study the situation in Chapel Hill. When it does, it should find that asking pri vate companies to run housekeeping would be a narrow-minded idea that will serve only to save a few dollars. In 1996, Chancellor Michael Hooker worked with housekeepers, students and other administrators to hammer out a com promise and prevent housekeeping at UNC from being privatized. After considering some of the humanitarian issues brought up by the prospect - especially because most housekeepers are low-income African American women - privatization was ruled out. Instead, housekeepers now receive job training and education benefits that help them qualify to earn at least $6,400 more than many made in 1991. NCCU officials should not ignore the Barometer Law Suit Yourself Jermain Reeves, who officially lost his bid for Residence Hall Association president, is suing a winner Murray Coleman ana Elections Board Chairwoman Heather Faulk. Ah, the American way. Race Patrol Debate continues about a bill which would require police officers to document the race of drivers they pull over. They also must note their religious affilia tion and whether they prefer boxers or briefs. I Tar Heel Quotables “I’ve never eaten worms before. It’s all about getting some energy for the game.” Senior Bill Warren On eating worms to get UNC-Duke tickets. Hmm ... maybe anew diet idea for Bill Guthridge's players? “There was obviously a lot of on-duty sexual activity.” Hillsborough Town Manager Eric Peterson On why four police officers were suspended. We thought that being handcuffed and patted down for jay-walking seemed kind of harsh. Trisha Dabb & Courtney Weill STATE & NATIONAL EDITORS Jonathan Cox SPECIAL ASSIGNMENTS EDITOR Brian Murphy SPORTS EDITOR Enough said. Next up was a fellow who vol unteered to shave his head, not outrageous in itself. That is, not until he grabbed a handful of his locks and stuffed them down his throat, trying to gain crowd support Finally, a true diaper-dandy arrived. A muscular fellow, he risked hypothermia to prance around in his Tar Heel-logoed briefs until he caught a nearby Blue Devil and hoisted him high into the air, like a victorious Roman warrior. Forget for a moment the brain cells that these characters lack. Forget that they repre sent the downfall of civilized society. Fact is, they battled frostbite, hair loss, severe intesti nal damage and loss of their dignity simply for a chance to attend this weekend’s matchup. Some people would call that ludi crous. Others see it as pure dedication. The lucky few who file into the Smith Center have earned their place solely because they drew a good ticket distribution number, should keep these warped warriors in mind. Chances are, they are the ones who will be on their feet, cheering the loudest and taunting Duke the most. Doing all of that should be child’s play to them. They’ve proven themselves as true fans. Come Saturday, the rest of us have a chance to do the same. And we won’t even have to wrestle in cake mix or eat worms to do it intangible costs that privatizing would bring about A private contractor, through cost-cut ting measures, would detract from the per sonal connections students form with their housekeepers and take away from consistent levels of service. The fact that NCCU, a historically black university, would consider privatizing shows that racism is not intended. But it also shows how stereotypes about certain jobs can deval ue respect in both the pay for and the treat ment of these workers. Students at NCCU should rally behind the housekeepers, and look at UNC as an exam ple. During a five-year period that led into the privatization debate, concerned UNC students supported housekeepers in their fight to improve their pay and working con ditions. NCCU students should organize to solve the problems inherent in reconciling the concerns of housekeepers with those of the administration. Specifically, students can work with house keepers and administrators to find a com promise similar to the one UNC made with its housekeepers. If students take the first step, the administrators would be foolish to disregard their concerns. Going Once ... The Black Student Movement and Masala auctioned off students as a charity fund-raiser on Thursday. *e% Where's a copy of the Emancipation Proclamation when you need one? House Guests Hey, Dookies, there's a game on Saturday night. This time, you're guests in our house. Don't let the ▼ door hit you on the way out. “We’re both idiots.” Sophomore David Fernandez On wrestling a fellow student on a tarp covered with cake batter to obtain Duke tickets. Sure seems that way, doesn’t it David? “For the general population it might have been kind of intimidating, but if you were a techie, you were in heaven.” Computer Science Major Mike Thanh On the Carolina Technology Expo held on Wednesday. Maybe he's been playing with his hardware a little too much. Editorial Wc\t laxly sar Mttl Established 1893 ■ 106 Years of Editorial Freedom www.unc.edu/dth Kaitlin Gurney FEATURES EDriOR Will Kimmey & Erin Wynia ARTS/DIVERSIONS EDriORS Carolyn Haynes COPY DESK EDITOR /7T 1 1 V/HftT Would you J [ Doo< lickets? [ _ AND THE WIWMEPv 15,,., ° Siskel’s Legacy Shines in Journalism For 24 years, while standing in the lines at the box office on an opening weekend, visions of two men danced in movie goers’ heads. When deciding on whether to see the next blockbuster action thriller or the latest romantic comedy, people prayed to the two deities of movie criticism, Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert. Television viewers invited these two men into their living rooms every week to hear the last word on cinema. Is the movie they’ve been hearing so much about going to get “Two Thumbs Up?” And so, the “thumbs up, thumbs down” routine became synonymous with going out to the movies. Then last weekend, Siskel lost a battle with complications he’d been suffering from ever since he underwent surgery to remove a growth from his brain, and the face of movie criticism changed. In response, Ebert wrote a front-page eulo gy of sorts in the Chicago Sun-Times dedicat ed to his screen partner of more than 20 years on “Siskel and Ebert.” He even asked the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences to honor Siskel during the Oscar cer emony March 21. They wrote for rival papers - Ebert for the Sun-Times, Siskel for the Chicago Tribune. They disagreed often on what they thought about the visions in a darkened movie theater. And we all watched with open eyes and ears. We agreed and disagreed. But we kept watching, waiting to hear about the next classic or dud. They were always there with their strong opinions. Both men could reference the last 50 years of cine ma. When the American Film Institute ranked the Top 100 Films of the Century, the dynam ic duo of film criticism held their own show to Readers' Forum Greeks’ Service Work Deserves Adequate Coverage in DTH TO THE EDITOR: The Daily Tar Heel has once again decided to fulfill its yearly anti- Greek-system quota by allowing Harper Gordek to write a laughable column about why people “hate Greeks.” The column was obviously written to incite anger from the Greek community. Instead, it made me laugh. According to Harper, people on this campus the Greek community because we promote our service. The Greek system alone raised $31,646.17 for the UNC Children’s Hospital through the Dance Marathon. In fact, eight of the 12 members of the over all planning committee for the marathon were Greek. But wait, the DTH forgot to send a reporter to the marathon, so it would- Rob Nelson & Leslie Wilkinson MANAGING EDriORS Cara Brickman PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR Thomas Ausman DESIGN EDITOR Brad Christensen CARTOON EDITOR mL -M-** ■ JIM MARTIN BY NO MEANS NECESSARY review the great films. Now, movies can no longer receive “Two Enthusiastic Thumbs Up!,” at least not from the same duo. Siskel is gone, but he left a lasting impres sion on film criticism that no one will ever be able to tarnish or wipe away. The journalism world lost one of its greatest reporters last week when Siskel died. I say the journalism world and not Hollywood because Siskel was a reporter, not a screenwriter, actor or director. Siskel and Ebert were journalists, something not enough people credited them for. For three decades, Siskel dissected films, analyzing them with a critical eye. A journal ist’s job is to bring to the forefront the issues readers need to be informed about. Siskel did this, working to bring audiences closer to the movies they watched. Unlike some critics, Siskel, along with Ebert, never acted pretentious with his com mentaries. The two went to the Sundance Film Festival and Cannes without putting on superior airs like some of their counterparts, even though they were often judges and held the fate of independent filmmakers in their hands. They criticized and encouraged film makers simultaneously. Together, they often commented on the state of journalism and n’t know. The only press the marathon received was a small pic ture with a small caption underneath indicating that the event raised more than $40,000. The irony is that five Triangle-area TV stations and The Chapel Hill Herald decided the event was worthy of coverage, yet our campus paper seemingly forgot about it. It’s also ironic that the marathon occurred on the same day that Kappa Delta’s annual Shamrock 5K raised more than SIO,OOO for breast cancer. Well, I guess I should shut up now. I’m promoting Greek service. People might hate me for it. I’ll admit that I did not join a social fraternity for its tradition of service. I joined a fraternity to have fun. So did all of my brothers. We are not forced to do community service, but we do. Did you join the DTH for its long standing devotion to community ser vice? No. Does the DTH promote community service? Not much. Kyle Hanlin ONLINE EDITOR Amy Cappiello WRITING COACH John Sweeney OMBUDSMAN film reviewing. They took a harsh stand against press junkets (where movie studios invite critics to all-expense paid vacations to see movies and interview stars). Siskel and Ebert analyzed movies on highly critical and scholarly levels, yet they still ren-, dered their reviews readable and understand able by mainstream audiences. Any journalist can learn from that formula of having readable copy which contains insightful critical analysis. In his reviews, Siskel always made it clear to his viewers what they could leant or take away from a specific movie, if anything was indeed positive. Such a humanistic approach to reporting is what the media dearly needs. The two of them are mentors to those fledgling critics hoping to follow Hollywood as diligently as the pair did. They brought entertaining news right into the living room of news-craving people all over the world. Along with Ebert, he peti tioned the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences every year with their “memo to the Academy” to follow suit with audience reactions when handing out Oscars. Siskel delved into all aspects of Hollywood becoming an insider, privy to goings-on that other reporters wouldn’t have been able to find. Like any responsible reporter, he dis seminated the knowledge to his readers and viewers as soon as he could. Ebert, fans, journalists and the movie industry are mourning Gene Siskel’s passing, because sadly, without Siskel, the balcony is closed. Jim Martin is a junior English major from Charlotte who likes movies more than peo ple. You can send your comments to jmartinß@email.unc.edu. When was the last time the DTH raised more than $40,000 for charity in a weekend? Never. The DTH is not obligated to help charities, but it is in a unique position to recognize orga nizations, both Greek and non-Greek, when they help the community. In that capacity, the DTH has failed. In the end, there are several rea sons the public hates the DTH, whether it’s the paper’s weak fight against the powers that be, its insa tiable self-love or jealousy. Me, I’ll just hate them because they forgot to write an article about the Dance Marathon and Kappa Delta’s 5K on the same day they crit icized the Greek system. Scott Benson Sophomore Business Editor's Note: The writer is a member of Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity and served as finance chairman for the Dance Marathon. Satly (Ear Mppl j? Letters to the editor should be no longer than 400 words and must be typed, double-spaced, dated and signed by no more than two people. Students should include their year, major and phone number. Faculty and staff should include their title, depart ment and phone number. The DTH reserves the right to edit letters for space, clarity and vulgarity. Bring letters to the DTH office at Suite 104, Carolina Union, mail them to P.O. Box 3257, Chapel Hill, NC 27515 or e-mail forum to: dth@unc.edu.

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