Newspapers / Daily Tar Heel (Chapel … / Feb. 16, 2000, edition 1 / Page 9
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Zb t e loilg (Ear Heri Hate-Crime Rally Speaker Sparks Discord Bv Worth Civils Staff Writer The organizer of a Sunday rally to support the gay victim of a hate crime at the University of Arizona-Tuscon stirred up the crowd with some controversial comments of his own. David Robinson, the speaker of the allegedly controversial remarks and an associate professor in the Department of English at UA-Tuscon, said he was out raged over the attack and wanted to organize an event to support the victim. But a fellow organizer said Robinson’s remarks at the rally hin dered the cause rather than helped it. The victim, a UA-Tuscon junior, was sitting outside the Rainbow Planet Coffee House on Feb. 6 when Gary Grayson allegedly stabbed him in the back. Fuscon police arrested Grayson Makeup Day Amendment Creates Confusion By Jennifer Hagin Staff Writer I'he wording of an amendment that I addresses how public schools can make I up the classes they missed because of I Hurricane Floyd has sparked much 1 debate between legislators and educa -1 tion officials. Rep. Bob Hensley, D-Wake, pro- I posed an amendment during the N.C. p General Assembly’s December special I session calling for the 66 counties I declared disaster areas to choose I between extending the school year to I finish the required 180 days or complet ?' ing the 1,000 hours missed in fewer than | 180 days. The amendment provided the option I of increasing each school day by 30 I minutes. Because it does not expire until = Aug. 15, some counties are considering the amendment’s options to make up jfi snow days. Although the amendment passed, administrators trying to extend their school days to fulfill the 1,000 hour requirement have run into problems. The amendment does not explicitly state that teachers are excused from their 180 required days of class, regard less of whether they make up the 1,000 hours. The Department of Public Instruction interpreted the amendment In Honor Of BLACK HISTORY MONTH This week the Black Student Movement would like to call your attention to our heroes in THE ARTS Alvin Ailey - founder of the Alvin Alley American Dance Theater in 1958; renowned for revolutionizing modem dance forms especially representations of African-Americans; died in 1989. Nikki Giovanni - prolific African-American author and poet; works include the famous Ego-Tripping and Other Poems for Young People and TTic Women and the Men. Spike Lee - contemporary African-American filmmaker who presented to mainstream America the Oscar-nominated story of Malcolm X as well as controversial issues regarding acceptance of African-Americans by conventional American culture. Paul Robeson - African-American opera star of the early century famous for his portrayal of Othello the Moor in Othello; as well as his civil rights contributions and support of the NAACP in its infancy. Debi Thomas - first African-American medalist in the Winter Olympic Games in 1988 in Figure Skating; she earned a Bronze medal to accompany her 1986 Figure Skating Championship Gold Medal, where she became the first person of African descent in the world to achieve that honor The Black Student Movements meets every Wednesday at 5:30 PM in Upendo Lounge This advertisement was paid for in part by student foes. that day and charged him with aggra vated assault In an interview with The Daily Tar Heel, the UA-Tucson student, who requested anonymity, said he was sitting in a cafe studying when he decided to take a study break and went outside to relax. “I saw (the assailant) across the street, knocking over trash cans and newspaper stands,” he said. “Then time got really strange.” The student said before he knew it, the assailant was behind him. “I thought he punched me,” he said. “I got up and started to walk away, and that’s when I realized (I’d been stabbed).” The student said, “I heard him say ‘This is what gays deserve. Let this be a warning.’” The UA-Tuscon Pride Alliance and the Tuscon chapter of the Lesbian Avengers helped Robinson, who was to apply solely to students. This would require teachers to work when classes were not in session. But Rep. Verla Insko, D-Orange, said she supported having the amendment apply to both teachers and students, but she understood the problems with inter pretation. “I think it was our mistake that we didn’t include teachers (in the amend ment)," Insko said. But Hensley is claiming foul play with the amendment’s interpretation. He said the public instruction depart ment didn’t support the amendment when it passed and was now interpret ing it in a way that made it void. “The bureaucrats in DPI decided (the amendment) is not wanted or needed.” Insko said Hensley’s accusation could get DPl’s attention, but that “they are just following the letter of the law.” Asa result of the interpretation, the Wake County Board of Education voted earlier this week to extend the school year to compensate for school days lost because of the recent snow. A representative from the board said the decision to extend the school year was based on three reasons. ■ The Wake County school board did not want to force teachers to work additional days when students weren’t in class. also one of several speakers, plan the march and speak out. Kira Mauro, speakers’ panel coordi nator for the Pride Alliance, said Robinson made some comments at the speakout that many people in the crowd found controversial. “He was coming out anti-Christian and saying ‘smash the family,’” she said. “No one agreed with him, and he was disregarded. He didn’t seem to be speaking for the victim.” When the victim did speak, the crowd of several hundred applauded, Mauro said. She said the victim had faith that people wanted to stop hate crimes. Robinson said he only met the victim once, but that several students in his gay and lesbian literature class knew the vic tim. Robinson said he found out about the stabbing from a friend who was at ■ The school board did not think the extended class time would be as pro ductive as additional class days. ■ Bus drivers and cafeteria workers would lose seven days of pay. But State Superintendent Mike Ward k^^^.AngieAparoxom Featuring “Spaceship" as heard on SHL 106.5 The End. Debut album, The American, in-stores this Spring. Email angie_aparo@hotmail.com for free sampler and info. News the cafe. “What hit me most, what made it hor rifying, was that (the stabbing) under scored so clearly that there have been people taught to hate gays,” Robinson said. “The mere fact of our existence would spur people to kill us.” The victim said he spent several days thinking about the nature of hatred after the attack. “Hate isn’t isolated* incidents,” he said. “It’s something a lot of people go through daily. It’s part of their life. “The life of an individual doesn’t shrink from hate, but grows stronger to meet the challenge. We can eradicate the darkness of our hate, by the light of our courage.” The State & National Editor can be reached at stntdesk@unc.edu. said he wanted schools to have flexibil ity. “We’re revisiting the issue and hope to have a resolution soon.” The State & National Editor can be reached at stntdesk@unc.edu. ■jMßto •£.. -ml |l~ * *.*■- ts ' * • "TlUfei ~ & Q& Mi\ fborrvrntdhC'*fapir jjT :r ■ Si hsh si mi k w i smim the paMernentcom L— JPM L- opurtmunts cars lilt tin World runnlH j) American Beauty' Leads Held of Oscar Hopefuls Associated Press BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. - “American Beauty,” a dark comedy about family mayhem in suburbia, led a diverse slate of Academy Award con tenders with eight nominations today. “The Cider House Rules” and “The Insider” were right behind with seven each. The three movies all received nomi nations for best picture along with “The Green Mile” and “The Sixth Sense.” “American Beauty’s” other nomina tions included best actor and actress for Kevin Spacey and Annette Bening, director Sam Mendes, screenwriter Alan Ball for best original screenplay, as well as for cinematography, film editing and original score. Besides best picture, “The Cider House Rules” received nominations for supporting actor Michael Caine, direc tor Lasse Hallstrom, adapted screenplay by John Irving from his own novel, as well as score, editing and art direction. “The Insider” also received nomina tions for lead actor Russell Crowe, director Michael Mann, adapted screen play, cinematography, editing and best sound. Besides Crowe and Spacey, the best Wednesday, February 16, 2000 actor nominations went to Richard' Farnsworth in “The Straight Story,”-; Sean Penn in “Sweet and Lowdown" and Denzel Washington in “The-; Hurricane.” The other lead actress nominees were Janet McTeer in “Tumbleweeds,” Julianne Moore in “The End of the Affair,” Meryl Streep in “Music of the Heart” and Hilary Swank in “Boys Don’t Cry.” The other supporting actor nominees were Tom Cruise in “Magnolia,” Michael Clarke Duncan in “The Green Mile,” Jude Law in “The Talented Mr. Ripley” and Haley Joel Osment in “The Sixth Sense.” The supporting actress nominees were Toni Collette in “The Sixth Sense,” Angelina Jolie in “Girl, Interrupted,” Catherine Keener in “Being John Malkovich,” Samantha Morton in “Sweet and Lowdown” and Chloe Sevigny in “Boys Don’t Cry.” The other two director nominees were Spike Jonze for “Being John Malkovich” and M. Night Shyamalan for “The Sixth Sense.” Hie nominations were announced in an early morning ceremony by actor Dustin Hoffman at the Academy head quarters. 9
Daily Tar Heel (Chapel Hill, N.C.)
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