Newspapers / The Daily Tar Heel. / Feb. 2, 2000, edition 1 / Page 14
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14 Wednesday, February 2, 2000 Concerns or comments about out coverage? Contact the ombudsman at budmaiKPUncedu Of call 605-2790. Scott Hicks EDITORIAL PAGE EDTTOf Katie Abel UNIVERSITY EDITOR Jacob McConnico CITY EDITOR Board Editorials Bienvenido a Miami Carrboro Mayor Mike Nelson should have stayed home during the blizzard of 2000 instead of making a personal trip to Florida. Over the weekend, most local residents were trying to dig out of their driveways and dreaming of sunnier, warmer days. But one very prominent local spent the weekend basking in the tropical warmth of Miami. Carrboro Mayor Mike Nelson, taking part in demonstrations to deport Cuban refugee Elian Gonzalez, made a personal trip to the I sunshine state Friday. He returned to Carrboro on Sunday. But last weekend - when unparalleled win ter precipitation wrought havoc across North Carolina - couldn’t have been a worse time for the mayor to take a little time off. Nelson should have minded his duties as mayor and stayed in Carrboro. It isn’t the trip in and of itself that merits a reprimand. It is the poor timing of it. Mike the citizen has every right to go to Miami and protest, as long as he uses his own personal resources to do so. His personal time is his to spend howev er he chooses. But Mayor Nelson has responsibilities as an elected official to stay at the helm of the Snow Make-Up 101 Students have no control over Old Man Winter. Professors shouldn't punish them when making up lost class time Last week’s surprise snowstorm was an unexpected treat for many. But now that the thrill of sledding has worn off and the snow has turned to grimy slush, the effects of the near-blizzard are only beginning to be seen. Foremost among the problems facing the University is the question of missed classes. UNC was closed for an unprecedented three days in a row, wreaking havoc upon instruc tors’ syllabi and schedules. Professors, how ever, shouldn’t allow the storm to wreak fur ther damage upon students’ schedules. While no official policy exists for making up missed days, rumors abound about adding Saturday classes, taking away reading days at the end of the semester or even short ening Spring Break. Any decision should be left up to individ ual instructors, but they must also keep in mind what is best for their students. Many, if not most students, are involved with activities the entire week. Jobs, sports, clubs, plays, performances, church activities and doctor’s appointments are among the many things that students plan their classes around during a normal school week. Therefore, it would be very difficult for And the Race Is On ... Student Elections kicked off Monday night, and The Daily Tar Heel is finalizing its endorsement plans. Candidates should check their e-mail for further information on word limits and interview schedules. Every candidate even those running with another person should turn in a personal statement and resume. Finally, the DTH welcomes endorsement letters written by students, which will appear in the Feb. 14 edition. For more information, contact Editorial Page Editor Scott Hicks at 962-0245. Readers' Forum Dooley’s Clarifications Obscure Real Problems; Students Deserve Truth TO THE EDITOR: Thank goodness that Ray Dooley, asso ciate professor and interim chairman of the Department of Dramatic Art, wrote in to clear up some misconceptions concerning the status of Dr. Milly Barranger, even going so far as to quote her Christmas card in his letter. However, congratulations should also go to Dooley for artfully using smoke and mirrors to dodge the questions surround ing the dismissal of Tazewell Thompson, whom the editorial’s main focus centered on. In the Jan. 28 letter published in The Daily Tar Heel, Mr. Dooley zeroes in on the personnel inaccuracies of the editorial (but who could follow the ultra-secret per sonnel dealings around here anyhow?) while leaving the main point of the editor ial untouched. He omitted any answers to the questions Rob Nelson EDITOR Office Hours Friday 3 p.m. - 4 p.m town during a time of difficulty. And two feet of snow and ice, with the threat of more win try weather looming, should have warranted the mayor’s full attention. It would be akin to New York City Mayor Rudolph Guiliani vacationing in Cancun during New Year’s Eve or N.C. Gov. Jim Hunt jetting off as Hurricane Floyd pummels the coast. The mayor of a budding metropolis needs to be within city limits during a crisis. Nelson should have been out shoveling as many sidewalks and patting the toboggans of as many babies as possible. He could have lifted the morale of the town workers pulling double duty as they shoveled sidewalks and plowed the streets. Though Carrboro escaped suffering a major emergency, the threat was an imme diate one all weekend long. Fire, power out ages, auto wrecks and any number of other troubles could have plagued Carrboro while the head honcho was out of state for his per sonal cause celebre. Nelson should consider himself lucky that the weekend was a peaceful one. Let’s face it, a state of emergency in Carrboro is rare. So Mikey, save the tropical getaways for less disastrous weekends. Your place was in the town you lead. Mike Nelson these students to attend classes on a Saturday when they already have prior commitments. Losing reading days to make up for the missed classes would also be damaging to students. Given that the exam schedule is structured so that any student’s exams can either be spread over the week or bunched together in a few days, those reading days are essential to ensure that ever)’ student is able to study for all of his or her exams. Finally, chopping Spring Break down by a few days is sure not only to generate student enmity, but also to be utterly ineffective. By this point, students have already purchased plane tickets and made travel arrangements for their Spring Break trips. Attempts to shorten that break would be ultimately futile, because most students will adhere to their plans and leave early anyway. A few ingenious professors included extra days in their original syllabi, in case of emer gencies. Those who haven’t should take care in how they deal with the missed days. The faculty should be sensible and decide what’s best for their classes. Students should n’t be penalized for a few days of fun in the snow. surrounding Thompson’s dismissal that the very DTH editorial he railed against (Jan. 19 “Silent Hatchet Job, II”) called for. If you wish to bluster, Mr. Dooley, why not give the DTH readers something worth their time: an explanation for the abrupt dismissal of Tazewell Thompson. Dana Quigg Chapel Hill Honor Court Hearing Makes Reader Question University’s Morals TO THE EDITOR: After attending the open Honor Court hearing of Chiara D’Amore on Jan. 20,1 was shocked at the proceedings of the Court and must call into question the morals upon which this University rests. In the Jan. 21 Daily Tar Heel article regarding the hearing, Student Attorney General Drew Haywood said that though “imperfect, ‘... our system protects stu dents’ rights.’” While he was correct in rec- (Thr Smhj (Tar Mtti Established 1893 • 106 Years of Editorial Freedom www.unc.edu/dth Matthew B. Dees STATE it NATIONAL EDITOR T. Nolan Hayes SPORTS EDITOR Leigh Davis FEATURES EDITOR ognizing the imperfection of the student judicial system, every student at UNC must question whether or not “our” -a word we cannot use lightly - system pro tects our rights. The first sentence of the judicial branch Web site - found under the “For Students” section of the homepage - details the stu dent judicial system as forming “a common bond of trust among students, faculty, and administrators.” Asa student, my trust in the system and the University has been shaken because of the hearing, the use of Section V.8.5.e. of the “Instrument of Studentjudicial Governance” and by the influence of what should have remained an uninvolved corporate entity in this case. The DTH article did not report on one of the most interesting facts from the trial. Brought to light was the fact that University Career Services might now not receive donations from Philip Morris Cos. Inc. to help in its renovation efforts. This makes me wonder how much of this case is regarding the alleged student misconduct, and how much is regarding whether or not a campus department is to Opinions Robin Clemow ARTS & ENT ERTAINMENT EDITOR Carolyn Haynes COPY DESK EDITOR Miller Pearsall PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR Afc nea//y j do ihat Y j In Blizzard 2000, Beer Beats Class “Whew, does anybody know what day it is?” - my roommate John sometime during that week that time forgot. Now that we are finally back to our nor mal schedules and away from the ridiculous routines of waking up at 2:30 in the afternoon, waiting around for the news that school would be closed again and then making a mad dash to the beer store once we discovered that it was, I think now would be a good time to reflect on what Winter Storm 2000 has taught us. Students are more willing to risk their lives going to the beer store than going to class. I don’t care what the “Don’t Get Wasted” campaign says, alcohol is the lifeblood of many students, and much of the community for that matter. You can fool yourselves if you want, but I know I’m not the only one who saw grocery carts filled with nothing but brew and maybe a loaf of bread, if you could spare the change. Students weren’t the only ones pushing those carts, as people above age 3.5 showed that they can still get down, too. Playstations, Nintendo 64s and Dreamcasts prevent mass suicide/riots. We all know it’s true: instead of using the days off to get ahead in our school work, most of us hunkered down for countless hours in front of the mindless box. Had there been no game systems, I’m thinking that the boredom caused by cabin fever would have resulted in either 1) organized leaps off the 10th floor of Hinton James, 2) the looting of Ken’s Quickie Mart by the Granville Kids or 3) a sharp increase in the number of newborns in Orange County nine months from now. Instead of condemning the playstation for dumbing down our society by ending such necessities as reading and creativity, let us praise it this day for keeping the peace. As Blaise Pascal said, “I have discovered that all human evil comes from this, man’s being receive funding from a lcss-than-credible and certainly unethical, corporate source? Are our rights as students (claimed in the Web site to be “protected in the judicial process”) to be called into question because a corporation can express dissatisfaction and use monetary threats? I suggest that Section V.8.5.e. of the “Instrument of Student Judicial Governance” be re-examined, along with where we place our trust. Mary E. Bratsch Sophomore English Alumnus Protests Printing Word ‘Cunt’ in Article On Senior Listserv Fiasco TO THE EDITOR: As an alumnus, rarely do I see The Daily Tar Heel but I cherish the opportu nity to obtain a copy when I can. On jan. 20,1 was lucky enough to obtain a copy but was shocked by an article by Shahrzad Vicky Eckenrode & Cate Doty MANAGING EDITORS Thomas Ausman DESIGN EDI TOR Megan Sharkey GRAPHICS EDITOR William Hill ONLINE EDITOR ■ AMOL NAIK FROM THE DANK CAVE unable to sit still and quiet in a room alone.” Mass amounts of snow bring the kid out in all of us. Back in grade school, snow days were real phat, as you got to miss school to run around in the snow. It seems like we still think of a day off in those terms, although no parental figure is present to force us to go to class now. Despite how bored everyone was, they still jumped around like schoolchildren once it was announced that school was canceled the following day. The funny thing is, the people who seemed the most thrilled came from opposite sides of the class-attending spectrum. I really couldn’t tell who was happier that class was canceled, the slackers or the stressers. The slackers reveled in the freedom that a day away from class brought, although it didn’t make much sense because they prob ably wouldn’t have gone to class anyway. I guess if your life is an eternal snow day, you take solace in knowing that at least now it’s socially acceptable. The stressers, on the other hand, were sur passingly happy for the relief the snow days brought them, although they’d just have to do the work later. Who would have thought that it would take 20 inches of snow to get the 4.0s and the Incompletes to agree on something? No matter how many times you see “Austin Powers 2” the fat bastard is hilari ous. Heather Graham in “Daisy Dukes?” Get in Rezvani regarding a “Listserv Fiasco." What’s wrong with this picture? A female student is taken to Honor Court because a message that displayed the word “c—” (a reference to the female pudenda) was distributed under her logon to the entire Senior Class. Rezvani chooses to print the word in clear text in the DTH to a much larger audience of students, faculty, alumni, potential applicants and the gener al public. Will Rezvani be taken to court? Will the DTH editorial board be pulled up on charges with the same liability as would a board of directors? Or is the “freedom of the press” played as the “get out of jail free card?” Where is the accountability and integrity here? How about a little equity between the e-mail policy and the newsprint standards? /im Shaw Durham The editorial board has no control over news articles in The Daily Tar Heel. The DTH Is independent of the University. ulljp Satlif Glar Hppl Whitney Moore WRIT ING COACH Tenv Wimmer OMBUDSMAN my belly. When it comes to the safety of their students, the administration does care. The powers that be get high marks on can celing class and preventing any unnecessary deaths or complications from driving on icy roads. While they don’t always show the best sense in safeguarding our checkbooks or sani ty, it’s good to know that they do care about our safety. The Smith Center rocks when students are near the floor. I know, making this claim is like a politi cian saying he is “tough on crime” and “sup portive of education,” but it’s true. In Monday and Tuesday’s editions of The Daily Tar Heel, there were arguments that we should always have the access to the lower level. While in a Utopian society this would be possible, the fact is the alumni paid a lot of money for those seats and they’re not going to give them up. Instead, we should do other things that cater to the students. For example, the Llniversity of Cincinnati holds a midnight game ever)' year where all the students show up in their pajamas. Why not do something similar except make it a double header with the women’s team playing first and having free admission with a UNC ONE Card? Better yet, hold both games in Carmichael Auditorium. I guarantee that crowd wouldn’t be called wine and cheese by anybody. If the athletics department combined these events, along with little things like letting posters and the like into the Smith Center, it would provide for more of a student-friendly environment without pissing off the rich guys in the light-blue blazers too much. As you can see, lots of lessons should be learned from all the snow that we received. Now let’s just pray they don’t try to take those missed days away from Spring Break. Reach Amol Naik, a junior history major from Lumberton, at unc2ool@hotmail.com. j? The Daily Tar Heel wel comes reader comments and criticism. Letters to the editor should be no longer than 300 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. The DTH reserves the right to edit letters for space, clarity and vulgarity. Publication is not guaran teed. 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: editdesk@unc.edu.
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