sH}f iailii (Ear Med
*■
Police
Roundup
University
Wednesday
■ A suspicious person was reported
in the Undergraduate Library early
Wednesday morning. The person was
talking loudly and would not leave the
area, reports stated.
When an officer arrived on the
scene, the person was in the Pit acting
strangely, reports stated. The subject
was transported to UNC Hospitals.
Tuesday
■ Cash that was to be used by the
UNC Psychology Department from
inside a Coke machine in Davie Hall
\vas reported missing Tuesday morning.
There were no signs of of forced entry
Into the machine, w'hich was missing
around $3OO.
■ Two directional roadway signs
were taken from the Manning Drive
area early Tuesday morning. One was
located later in the day at 1007 S.
Columbia Street, according to police
Reports.
The other sign was found Tuesday in
Carrboro at Ridgewood Apartments,
reports stated.
■ A UNC employee left $l5O in a
steel lock box when she left her office
on Monday evening.
The money was missing the next
morning, although the keys and box
were in their correct places, according
to police reports.
City
Wednesday
■ Calvin Lee James, 25, of 2322
Charles St. in Durham was arrested at
the intersection of Sykes Street and
Gomain Avenue for trespassing at
Chapel Hill Public Housing, 700
Gomain Ave.
Police cited James for one misde
meanor count of second-degree tres
passing. Police also searched James and
found two rocks of crack cocaine, a total
of 4.8 grams, in his underwear, reports
state. He was cited for one felony count
of possession with intent to sell and dis
tribute.
James was taken to Orange County
Jail with a $2,000 secured bond. His
•trial is set for April 17 in the Orange
County District Court in Hillsborough.
■ Nettie Mae Norwood, 3(i, of 200
Barnes St. in Carrboro, w'as arrested
after attempting to cash a forged check
.at the BB&T, on 143 East Rosemary St.
Police stopped Norwood on West
.Rosemary Street near Roberson Street
after she left the bank and fled in her
•vehicle towards Carrboro, reports state.
She was charged with one felony count
of obtaining property by false pretense
and one felony count of uttering.
Norwood w'as taken to Orange
bounty Jail, where she was held in lieu
{fa $5,000 secured bond. Her trial is set
|jsr March 30 in District Court. Reports
gate the bank confiscated the check.
* ■ Jerry Ray Alexander, 28, of 1000
Smith Level Road in Carrboro, was
arrested for possessing a handgun in his
vehicle, a two-door 1995 black
Ifercedes.
v Police stopped Alexander for speed
-sig 68 miles per hour in a 45 miles per
tour zone on Kordham Boulevard near
frandon Road. When stopped, police
t>und that Alexander was hiding a
handgun under a towel lying on the
front passenger seat, reports state.
* Alexander was cited for one misde
-steanor count of speeding and one ntis
emeanor count of carrying a con
jealed weapon. His trial is set for April
*5 in the Orange County District Court.
Reports state the handgun was kept by
Solice as evidence.
t ■ Police stopped Hugo Enrique
Ventura, 20, of 2607 North Roxboro
ftoad, for speeding on East Franklin
Street near Couch Road.
J When approaching Ventura, police
Smelled alcohol and asked him if he had
jjeen drinking. Ventura said he had had
|jwo beers, reports state.
* Ventura was give an intoxicator test
Snd his blood alcohol level registered
i‘2.
2 Ventura was cited for one misde
meanor count driving while impaired
and one misdemeanor count of driving
frith a provisional DWI license.
£ Police also found open beer cans in
Centura’s car and cited him with one
Misdemeanor count for having an open
Container after consuming. In addition
g) being cited one misdemeanor count
for speeding 52 miles per hour in a 35
miles per hour zone, he w as also cited
tor turning left of center, one misde
meanor count.
2 Ventura's 1990 gray Chevrolet was
impounded by police. He was held at
grange County Jail until sober, reports
State. Ventura’s trial is set for May 2 in
jjbrange County District Court in
Tiillsborough.
Tobacco Problems Prompt Special Session
Bv Lucas Fenske and Cheri Melfi
Assistant State & National Editors
In an effort to curb the economic
impact of a Florida court decision, Gov.
Jim Hunt called a special legislative ses
sion Thursday to determine tobacco’s
fate in North Carolina.
The General Assembly will convene
Wednesday to address the impact of the
court decision on tobacco companies
and farmers in North Carolina.
But a UNC law professor said the leg
islature’s method might pose a problem.
A Florida jury decided last year that
cigarette companies, including RJ.
Reynolds Tobacco Cos., conspired to
manufacture a deadly and addictive
Students Protest Rape, Assault
Male and female students,
activists and survivors, met
Thursday night to protest
sexual assault in a march.
By Karey Wutkowski
Staff Writer
More than 200 UNC students came
together for Take Back the Night on
Thursday, an event marked by marches,
tear-choked speeches and a strong male
presence.
Take Back the Night is part of the
third annual Carolina Women’s Week,
which aims to promote women’s issues
and highlight their accomplishments.
"It’s a known fact that sexual assault
is a huge problem on campuses every
where,” said Kathryn Kooistra, a
Women’s Week committee member and
co-chairwoman of Advocates for Sexual
Assault Prevention. “(Take Back the
Night) brings together survivors, and it’s
Traveling Toward Gender Equality
By Jermaine Caldwell
Staff Writer
Kathryn Kooistra has embarked
on a journey.
Guided by the desire to spread
awareness about women’s issues and
trigger change in social justice,
Kooistra has stationed herself at
UNC to see what changes she can
spark.
And it is evident in her lifestyle.
Kooistra, a junior from Cary, is
involved in multiple groups dealing
with sexual
assault, domestic
abuse, children’s
rights and sex
ism.
A women’s
studies major
and resident of
the Women’s
Perspective floor
of Cobb
131
Residence Hall, Kooistra is knee
deep in activities to change the status
of women in today's society.
“Everything that I’m doing, from
the classes I take, the internships I
do, to the people I hang around with,
is dedicated to equality and empow
erment for women and society in
general,” Kooistra said.
But her epiphany - to take the
path of social work - came when
Kooistra was a junior in high school
and a World War II concentration
camp survivor spoke at her school.
She said the survivor’s story and
experiences moved her so much, she
knew then that living a life of social
idleness was not an option for her.
Greeks, Student Politicos Barbecue for Charity
Ih. ■*
imi/MARUAUKT SOUTHERN
Junior Justin Wright fills his plate at the Greek Barbecue on Thursday
evening. The event featured an improv performance by CHiPS.
product
The jury is now deciding how much
to award the three plaintiffs in compen
satory damages. Jurors will then deter
mine how much to award an estimated
500,(MX) smokers in punitive damages.
Tobacco companies claimed they
could go bankrupt if the award exceed
ed SIOO billion.
The lawsuit is the latest legal action to
slam the tobacco industry, costing major
companies billions of dollars and forcing
them to reduce farmers’ quotas.
Tad Boggs, Hunt’s spokesman, said
the governor called the special session to
protect tobacco farmers and companies.
“The idea is to avoid (the Florida
decision) having a catastrophic impact
a healing experience for allies who have
seen their roommate or mother go
through sexual assault.”
ASAP member Kristen Roksvaag
said the rally had meaning for everyone.
“Some might think, ‘I haven’t been
raped. I don’t need to go to Take Back
the Night,”’ Roksvaag said. “But it’s for
everybody. Everybody has fear.”
The UNC campus sustained a brief
spree of sexual assaults in August. The
BOLO case was resolved by Jesus
Alvarez Ramos’ guilty plea in March.
A march starting at the Pit and cir
cling around North Campus gained the
attention of bystanders. Car honks and
the occasional yell from residence hall
windows accompanied the line of stu
dents chanting by candlelight.
The march followed two speakers
who kicked off the night. The first,
Alyssa Wilson, was a 1999 UNC gradu
ate who was sexually assaulted her
sophomore year by a graduate student.
“ This is the first time I’ve spoken out
about my sexual assault,” Wilson said
ni aiHyi 1 4H|B| ••
i ■ ■■ w J
nTH/EMILY SCHNURE
For an event during Carolina Women's Week, Kathryn Kooistra, co-chairwoman of Advocates for Sexual
Assault Prevention, hangs a T-shirt in the Pit decorated by a UNC female sexual assault victim.
“I was so emotionally drained,”
she said. “I decided that night that I
was not going to be sitting on the side
of the road and watch justice go
unserved.”
And Kooistra’s position is far from
just standing by, twiddling her
thumbs. She’s actively piloting her
ship of social work and justice.
Kooistra is co-chairwoman of
Advocates for Sexual Assault
News
on fanners,” Boggs said.
He said legislators would discuss
imposing a temporary payment cap on
the amount tobacco companies would
pay in the Florida court decision.
Under Florida law, tobacco compa
nies would have to place a bond in the
amount of the judgment before they
could appeal the verdict, which possibly
could bankrupt the companies.
Norma Mills, general counsel for
Senate President Pro Tern Marc
Basnight, D-Beaufort, said the cap was
constitutional because it protected com
panies during the appeal process and
did not allow them to forego payment.
“This is definitely constitutional
because it does not prevent the person
tearfully. “That’s what’s making me cry
- this show of support.”
Wilson’s attack took place the night
after UNC’s Take Back the Night three
years ago. “It’s sort of ironic being here.”
She said she was speaking out to val
idate others’ assault experiences and to
let them know their experiences were
not isolated.
Senior Melissa Kilboum attended the
event for a social work class and said she
was moved by Wilson’s speech. “It’s in
your face,” she said. “I felt safe when on
campus, but it makes me think twice.”
The second speech promoted the
White Ribbon Campaign, an April
drive to get men involved in the sexual
assault issue. Junior Jesse Moore, a coor
dinator for the campaign, said he was
impressed by the size and the makeup of
the crowd.
“The turnout of men tonight is out
standing,” he said. “It’s so important for
men to be equal partners in this issue.”
Senior Chris Jordan said he came to
the rally because a personal friend was a
Prevention, a group that she and four
other students started injanuary 1998
to fill the vo : d of student groups deal
ing with sex i violence.
The now 15-member group
orchestrates various outreach pro
grams directed at raising awareness
about sexual violence.
Smita Varia, a 1999 UNC graduate
and current program coordinator for
the Office of Dean of Students, said
By Brooke Roseman
Staff Writer
Student government teamed up with
all three councils of the UNC Greek
community Thursday for a barbecue to
benefit the Orange County Rape Crisis
Center.
About 100 people, including mem
bers of the Interfraternity Council, the
UNC National Pan Hellenic Council,
the Panhellenic Council and student
government, came out to McCorkle
Place to see the improv comedy troupe
CHiPs and eat plenty of barbecue, hot
sauce and cole slaw.
Zach Fay, chairman of the human
relations committee, said the event’s
purpose was threefold.
Fay said barbecue organizers aimed
to raise money for the crisis center and
to mobilize the Greek community. “We
also wanted to provide an opportunity
who received the judgment from col
lecting what is due to them,” Mills said.
“One of the fundamental rights under
the law is the right to appeal.”
She added that Virginia, Georgia and
Kentucky had already enacted a similar
law, making it important for North
Carolina to also join in and take action.
But UNC law Professor Louis
Bilionis, who specializes in constitution
al law, said the complex nature of the
case meant the legislature must proceed
carefully. “It all depends on the details
(in the bill),” he said.
Bilionis said the current version was
even-handed, as it applied to verdicts
regardless of where they originated.
He added that some people might see
DTH/MARGARET SOUTHERN
Students promote awareness of sexual assault during a Take Back
the Night march on Thursday. The campus event featured three speakers.
victim of sexual assault.
“Some men see women as objects,”
he said. “Hopefully seeing the passion of
these women tonight might change their
perspective.”
A vigil that allowed students to share
their thoughts and connections to sexu
she respected the great drive Kooistra
showed when just a freshman.
“She was extremely energetic and
motivated,” Varia said. “She was
ready to take on everything.”
Kooistra took on even more this
week with the celebration of Carolina
Women’s Week, giving her additional
opportunities to get the word out
See STAR HEEL, Page 9
for mixing between all three councils of
the Greek community,” he said.
Director of Greek Affairs Ron Binder
said the fund-raiser allowed Greeks to
give back to their community.
“Orange County helps us each
semester educate our new members on
the issue of sexual assault and has been
doing so for the past four years,” Binder
said. “They’re a very vital part of our
education process here, so we’re delight
ed to be providing support.”
Students paid $7 to attend the barbe
cue, and all profits benefited the center.
Christian Sawyer, vice chairman of
the Human Relations Committee, said
student government members were
working toward a unified student body
by targeting both Greeks and non-
Greeks. “We’re trying to further cele
brate and recognize the tremendous
See BARBECUE, Page 9
Friday, March 31, 2000
a possible problem with the bill’s focuS
on punitive damages.
“(The bill) singles out punitive dam
ages for different treatment than other
verdicts,” Bilionis said.
He said some people could take the
bill’s focus as a violation of the U.S.
Constitution’s Full Faith and Credit
Clause, which requires one state tb
respect the judgments of another.
But Mills said it was important to take
action soon.
“Our surrounding states have taken
action on this matter, so if we don’t do it,
North Carolina will be a sitting duck.”
The State & National Editor can be
reached at stntdesk@unc.edu.
al violence ended the evening. “We try
to have the march as the angry part that
gets attention,” Kooistra said. “The vigil
is then the healing experience.”
The University Editor can be reached
at udesk@unc.edo.
Local Buses
Could Run
lare-itc©
As UNC enrollment grows,
free bus fare could ease
traffic and parking issues
for Chapel Hill bus patrons.
By Kevin Krasnow
Staff Writer
If some area and University officials
have their way, UNC students wishing
to visit friends or go shopping will be
able to hop on a bus without having te
pay a dime.
The Chapel Hill Town Council,
along with the town of Carrboro and
the University, are considering making
public transit fare-free for students and
residents. The measure would apply to
all routes served by Chapel Hill Transit
Town Council member Flicka
Bateman said that while the issue had
been under discussion for years, it came
to the forefront with Town Manager Carl
Horton’s annual budget report.
“The manager put fare-free ridership
as an option in the budget,” Bateman
said. “It would cost us SI77,(XX) per veai
and would be over a half-cent tax raise
for town residents.”
Bateman expressed concern that thp
town would not be able to handle thp
costs but she was willing to give the plan
a try for at least one year.
Carolyn Elfiand, UNC associate vice
chancellor for auxiliary sendees, said
the town and the University had been
working closely on the issue for years.-
“We have a memorandum of under
standing with the town,” she said.
“When we were negotiating anew
memorandum in the spring of ’9B, wp
talked to the student government abotj
their desires, and one of those desireS
was fare-free transit.”
Elfiand said the University was
strongly pushing the idea because as
UNC’s enrollment continued to
increase, there would be less parking. •
“We are not going to increase park
ing; in fact, the amount of parking pro
portionally will decrease,” she said. -
Elfiand said the University would
have to pay $500,0(M) to $600,0(X) ari
would probably need an increase in stu
dent fees in order tc absorb the costs. -
Student Body President Nic Hemli
said even with a small increase in fee*,
students would benefit.
“If it is done right, the hope is tl£
increase would be minimal,” he said. “If
it costs a student S2OO for a bus pass anjl
everyone has to pay an extra $ 10 fee, it
will benefit that student.”
Heinke also said fare-free ndershiji
See TRANSIT, Page 9 \
3