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Hit-and-Run Driver
Strikes UNC Worker
ByJamila Vernon
Staff Writer
University police are still searching for the dri
ver in a hit-and-run accident involving a UNC
employee, the second incident to occur recendy on
traffic-heavy Manning Drive.
Sarah Katherine McCarty, 26, a designer for the
Alumni Publication, was struck Wednesday morn
ing by a white utility van while crossing a marked
pedestrian crosswalk near the Craige Parking Deck.
McCarty was taken to the emergency room at
UNC Hospitals and was released Wednesday.
McCarty suffered from a broken wrist, contu
sions on the left side of her body and a bump on
the back of her head, said her co-worker Lisa
Smith, online coordinator for the Alumni
Association Office.
Smith stayed with McCarty while she was admit
ted to the hospital. “She was shaken, understand
ably. She had no memory of what had happened in
the accident,” Smith said.
Hospital officials said McCarty was in fair con
dition as of Wednesday afternoon.
The incident marks the second pedestrian accident
on Manning Drive during the last three months.
Fusayoshi Matsukawa, a postdoctoral fellow for
the dental school’s research center, was killed in a
November accident when he was hit by a driver
who failed to yield the right-of-way in a Manning
Drive crosswalk.
“This is another example of the need to practice
Morrison Fire Sparks Stiffer Penalties
By Harmony Johnson
Staff Writer
After the fifth fire in three months
struck Morrison Residence Hall early
Wednesday morning, University offi
cials are now enforcing stricter fire evac
uation penalties.
Students failing to evacuate residence
halls during fire alarms will now face
misdemeanor charges and fines.
Code Case
Decision
Delayed
Speaker Mark Kleinschmidt
defended his removal of the
USSA referendum to the
Student Supreme Court.
By Kim Minegh
Assistant University Editor
After more than two hours of discus
sion and debate Wednesday night,
UNC’s Student Congress Speaker must
wait until Friday for the Student
Supreme Court to make a decision
regarding a constitutional discrepancy.
Speaker Mark Kleinschmidt was
brought to court by four plaintiffs after
he removed a controversial referendum
from the Feb. 15 student elections ballot.
The referendum called for a $3
Group Revises Drug Policy
By Alexandra Molaire
Assistant University Editor
After months of debate, a committee
voted Wednesday to clarify the wording
of UNC-Chapel Hill’s drug policy,
broadening the scope of drug-related
offenses with which students can be
charged.
The Committee on Student Conduct
decided to include in the policy as a
chargeable offense, “possession of any
object containing any remnants or
residue of illegal drugs.”
Under current policy, students can
only be charged with “illegal possession
of any controlled substance identified in
Great sport begins at a point where it has ceased to be healthy.
Bertolt Brecht
safety measures on behalf of pedestrians and
motorists,” said University Police Chief Derek Poarch.
Poarch said the driver was believed to be a 5-
foot-11-inch black male, in his mid to late 30s,
weighing approximately 200 pounds.
He was also described as having dreadlocks, and
wearing a red, blue and green toboggan, Poarch
said. He said there were three officers assigned to
the case who were following numerous leads.
“The department is pursuing the case vigorous
ly,” he said. “All cars should travel within the speed
limit, stop for pedestrians in crosswalks and make
sure all traffic has stopped before crossing.”
But Smith said she felt more drastic measures
needed to be taken to protect the public safety.
“Something has to be done, an elevated walk
way, a stop light, something. People drive way too
fast and don’t even stop or slow down,” she said.
Following Matsukawa’s death, University Police
intensified pedestrian safety efforts in early January
as Poarch assigned two officers to work overtime
shifts in heavily traveled campus areas.
Interim Chancellor Bill McCoy also formed a
pedestrian safety committee to address more effec
tive ways to protect the University community.
But Wednesday’s accident triggered alarm across
campus again.
Smith said, “It’s despicable to have someone hit
(McCarty) and drive off."
The University Editor can be reached at
udesk@unc.edu.
Firefighters responded to the alarm at
about 12:45 a.m. Wednesday and found
a couch on fire in a ninth-floor lounge.
Estimating damage at $5,000,
University Police Chief Derek Poarch
said the fire was deemed suspicious but
was unrelated to the four fires in
Morrison last semester.
Sophomore Daniel Sarrell, who was
arrested Nov. 22 in conjunction with the
fourth Morrison fire, remains in court
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DTH'MILLER PEARSALL
Congress Speaker Mark Kleinschmidt addresses the Student Supreme
Court as Counsel Drew Hayward waits for their reaction.
increase in student fees to fund UNC’s
membership in the United States
Student Association, a lobbying organi
zation for higher education.
The referendum was put before
Congress and then slated for the ballot
in December, when Congress voted 12 -
10 in favor of the referendum.
Kleinschmidt defended his action by
Schedules I or II of North Carolina
General Statutes 00-8!) and 90-90.”
The committee also voted to update
the policy by clarifying the definition of
possession. It states that, “possession
shall mean the actual physical posses
sion of any illegal substance, or the abil
ity to exercise control or dominion over
any illegal substance."
Under existing policy, students are
only convicted for “illegal possession of
any controlled substance identified in
Schedule 111 through VI of the North
Carolina General Statues 90-91 through
90-94.” The proposed changes would
alter the drug provisions in the Code of
Student Conduct.
Thursday, February 3, 2000
Volume 107, Issue 145
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Sophomore Sasha Astrakhan douses sophomore Pat Doyle with chocolate syrup during the second annual "What Would You Do
for Dook Tickets?" contest Wednesday. The two exemplified the extremes students were willing to go to in the frigid
morning temperatures. See story Page 4.
custody at a 24-hour treatment facility.
Poarch said University Police appre
ciated the residents who did leave the
building, but those who did not leave
have fueled concerns for improved safe
ty measures.
Firefighters at the scene saw students
who failed to evacuate the building peer
ing out of bathroom windows, Poarch
said. “In the future, persons who are
identified as having failed to evacuate
citing T itle 11, Article IV, Section 166 of
the code, which states that any amend
ment to the constitution is subject to a
two-thirds majority vote in Congress.
An inflation of student fees would
necessitate such an amendment to the
constitution.
See TRIAL, Page 9
In past meetings, members debated
whether to include the words “para
phernalia" and “drug use.” T hey ulti
mately decided to use clearer wording.
“We wanted to make the statement
broader rather than calling it specifical
ly drug paraphernalia," committee
chairwoman Beverly Foster said.
Committee members did not want to
make the wording too restrictive and
rule out objects that, in the future, could
be considered forms of drug parapher
nalia, she said.
The word “use” was omitted because
members did not want to deter students
See DRUGS, Page 9
HOW BAD DO YOU WANT IT?
will be issued a criminal citafion by my
officers and will be referred to the
Honor Court through Student Affairs.”
Failure to leave a building when a fire
alarm goes off is a misdemeanor accord
ing to N.C. law.
Students who violate the law will be
issued a written ticket with a minimum
$lO fine plus court costs, Poarch said.
See FIRE, Page 9
University to Consider
Making Up Snow Days
By Jonathan Moseley
Staff Writer
As the snow melts from thejanuary
storms that pounded North Carolina,
the UNC Chapel Hill chancellor and
the Student Advisory Committee to the
Chancellor will meet Friday to decide if
and when students will make up the
three lost class days.
After Duke officials announced their
plan to hold classes on weekends, UNC
CH administrators say they plan to
involve students in their decision on
how to make up missed snow' days.
Exact scheduling plans for the UNC
system have yet to be determined, said
Judith Pulley, UNC associate vice pres
ident for a i lemic affairs.
“We have a pol
icy of 75 days
every semester,”
she said. “The
campus leaders
w’ill now be look
ing at ways they
can reach those 75
days.”
East Carolina
University was
held to the 75-day
“After the provost talked with
the deans, it was clear too much
work had been missed, and it
had to be made up. ”
Al Rossiter
Duke News Service Director
standard last semester in the aftermath
of Hurricane Floyd and made up its
days on Saturdays. ECU missed about
10 days and made up five. The rest were
excused by a unanimous vote of the
Board of Governors.
As students spread rumors that
Spring Break might be cut short, UNC
CH’s chancellor and provost plan to ask
the student body for input and approval
on ways to make up the class time.
“The chancellor is calling a meeting
with the student advisory committee -a
fairly large group of students,” said Dick
Richardson, UNC-CH’s provost.
The meeting will be held Friday at 2
p.m. and will provide both administra
tors and students with a good idea of the
TAR HEEL FANS, GET HYPE!
G J Fed up with the best seats in the Smith Center'. J
N '“-~~-'going to old alumni who can’t cheer, much less get x
£ Tired of getting a nosebleed every time you see a hoops game?
it with being known nationwide as “wine and cheese ?”
Here’s your chance to do something about it. Take today’s
Opinions page to tonight’s Duke-UNC game and hold it high
throughout the game.
The protest message on Page 16 - “Students Yell Louder Than
Money* - has been brought to you by The Daily Tar Heel’s editor
ial board.
Let a national television audience know vou’re not going to take
bad seats sitting down. It’s time the old folks gave students the
chance to really cheer on their Tar Heels.
University’s options, Richardson said.
“I feel confident that the chancellor
and the student advisory committee are
going to have a good dialogue,” said
Student Body President Nic Heinke.
Meanwhile, Duke administrators
plan to make up lost snow days on the
weekends of the next three months.
“After the provost talked with the
deans, it was clear too much work had
been missed, and it had to be made up,”
said Al Rossiter, director of the Duke
News Service.
After considering making up the days
on three different occasions - Spring
Break, a two-day reading period and
Saturdays - the provost and academic
deans decided weekend classes were the
best option, Rossiter said.
Duke adminis
trators were also
careful tq avoid
religious holidays.
Despite the
added workload,
students seem to
be understanding
of the schedule.
“It was impor
tant for the provost
to provide a block
of time so that professors could make up
the time if they needed to,” saidjeremy
Huff, spokesman for Duke’s Student
Government Association. “I think
everybody knows it wasn’t safe to go to
class, and now this is the only way to
make up class, so it’s OK.”
Kelly Atkinson, a Duke sophomore
from Raleigh, said she thought the
weekend schedule would be difficult for
students and faculty, even if it was the
most effective solution. Atkinson said.
“(The schedule) is going to be a hassle,
but based on the options they had, it
may have been die best option."
The State & National Editor can be
reached at stntdesk@unc.edu.
News/Features/ Arts/Sports 962-0245
Business/Advertising 962-1163
Chapel Hill, North Carolina
© 2000 DTH Publishing Corp.
All rights reserved.
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Thursday
Tonight’s home contest with No. 3
Duke marks the halfway point in the
ACC season for North Carolina. For a
full preview of the Tar Heels and the
Blue Devils and a recap of how UNC
got here,
MIDSEASON
REPORT y
Get Your Tickets
Bracelet distribution will continue
today at the Smith Center from 8 a.m.
| to 5 p.m. for games against Wake
J Forest, Virginia and Georgia Tech. The
chosen number will be printed Friday in
the DTH. Ticket lineup will be at noon
Saturday. Contact the Carolina Athletic
Association at 962-4300 with ques
tions.
Joanna Howell Fund
Applications are now available at the
DTH front office for the Joanna Howeli
Fund, which honors a DTH staffer who
died in the 1996 Phi Gamma Delta fra
ternity house fire. The fund includes a
| $250 grant for an in-depth story about
an issue that affects the University.
Contact Managing Editor Cate Doty at
j 962-4103 with questions.
Today’s Weather
Sunny;
Low 50s.
Friday: Sunny:
High 40s.