6 Tuesday, April 11, 2000 Students High and Dry After Vandalism By Alexandra Molaire Assistant University Editor Six water fountains that were ripped out of the walls in Morrison Residence Hall about a week ago have yet to be replaced. The water fountains on floors two through seven were pulled out of the walls and left on the ground April 2, said Area Director Lynn Ellison. “It hap pened early morning after the (UNC vs. Florida basketball) game on Saturday,” she said. “We don’t know who caused it.” Ellison said water was leaking from the fountains, but emergency mainte nance responded promptly to close the pipes and remove the fountains. Ellison said it still had not been decided whether they would repair the old fountains or buy new ones. Five or six Resident Assistants were on duty that night, she said, but they are not allowed to comment on the incident. Ellison could not give a definite date of when the fountains would be replaced. “It’s when I’m able to get in touch with the maintenance supervisor,” she said. Freaknik Annual Street Party Losing Momentum By Rachel Leonard Staff Writer Freaknik 2000 might not be so freaky after all. Participation in the Atlanta event, touted as the annual Spring Break for thousands of black students, has dwin dled in recent years. Falling on the weekend of April 14 to April 16 this year, Freaknik is described by previous attendants as a loosely orga nized street festival. “During the day, usually people ride around,” said Drew Hubbard, a senior at Adanta’s Morehouse College who has attended Freaknik the past two years. “The goal is kind of to get stuck in traf fic, then get out and talk.” A******* n*a!ns*Hf 'W rTS | JJS2L, ? 407 E. Main Street • Canrboro 7 A 933-6888 r * Amk How To Rocmtvm A FREE OMnmkeP T-Shirt BRAKES 50% OFF Pads and Shoes EXPIRES 5/31/00 EXHAUST S2O OFF any exhaust that consists of | muffler & tailpipe EXPIRES 5/31/00 \ I In Chapel Hill T 969-9674® ! ! I | UV Gel Fill In ’23” | I 1 Silk Nails, Fiberglass 5 44” ij Hr Silk, Fiberglass Fill In ‘24* I fl&Bp I I Acrylic Nails Full Set ‘23* | Kjg| A /_ I | Acrylic Fill In ‘l4" | ■ Wm jtiSSk I SPA Pedicure *22* I " I SPA Manicure ‘10” I | SPA $22.99 j SPA Pedicure & Manicure 92” | I The Courtyard • 431 W. Franklin St. I across the street from Carolina Brewery and behind Pyewacket Restaurant.^ 1 ; chdw S J With this coupon or | UNC Student ID, get... \>L iL I SI OFF Dinner Buffet | ! 968-3488 ! „ , u . Dine-in only University Square otter expires man Although Ellison said she had not heard any reaction from students, Morrison residents had mixed views about the missing water fountains. Some students, like freshman Desiree Downs, a journalism and mass commu nication major, were not bothered by the missing fountains. “I haven’t noticed,” Downs said. “I just go to the sinks in our bathroom if I need water.” Sophomore drama major Jessica Kehler said she had noticed the missing fountain on her floor, but it did not bother her. “I heard my suitemates talk ing about it, but I don’t think they were complaining,” Kehler said. “They were saying just how annoying it was.” Freshman business major Russ Cunningham said he wanted the foun tains replaced. “Everyone wishes there was a water fountain because you have to drink out of the sink,” he said. Ellison said the level of vandalism in Morrison had decreased after the recent rash of fires in the residence hall. In late November Morrison residents were awakened by four fires that occurred in a five-day span. On Nov. 22, sophomore Daniel Timothy Sarrell was charged in connection with the fourth Students will go to concerts or clubs at night, Hubbard said. Bill Howard, spokesman for the Atlanta Convention and Visitors’ Bureau, said he had recendy seen fewer and fewer students come to Adanta for the event. “(Freaknik) was more a phenomenon than a long-term established pattern - it just happened to pick up speed,” he said. “It’s very unusual for people to say, ‘Let’s go to Atlanta for Spring Break.’” Hubbard blamed the event’s demise on city officials. He said they had blocked off major streets in the past, in an effort to control traffic and force students back onto the highway. “They’re trying to shut it down -and SHOCKS | Buy 3 and Get One FREE j j (right rear) or 25 % OFF the ] I second shock with purchase of 2 | _ _£££!2L s Jil 3 2L 0 !L OIL CHANGE [519.95 Oil Change OR [59.95 with any Brake, Shock [ or Exhaust Service _ XP.I _ jtM 89 DTH/JEFF POULAND Six water fountains were ripped out of the walls in Morrison Residence Hall after the UNC vs. Florida basketball game in Indianapolis. fire. But minor vandalism still occurs, Ellison added. Vandals have punched out the glass on the fire alarm cases and broken the ceiling tiles in the lobby, she said. “We have someone who keeps writ they’ve done a pretty good job of it,” he said. Hubbard also said the city began refusing to give out permits for concerts and other Freaknik events in 1998 - actions Hubbard said were racially moti vated. “There are perceptions that when a group of African Americans (come), there will be trouble,” he said. But city officials said traffic was the main concern with the event. “Wherever the traffic jam occurred, it became a party,” Howard said. Officer John Quigley of the Atlanta Police Department said 364 of last year’s Freaknik attendees were sent to jail, and another 608 were given citations. But Quigley said most arrests were “the UOGURT d) ) 1 pump Downtown Chapel Hill North Durham 106 W. Franklin St. (Nt-xllo He'sNolHL-re) Northgate Mall (NexttoCarousel) 942-PUMP 286-7868 " 50 7 OfTanY YOGURTITEM " Expires Apr 18,2000 Toppings extra. Excludes child cup. Please present coupon before ordering. One coupon per customer per visit. iJ 3 ™ Not valid with any other promotional otters. DTHj Mon-Sat 11 :UPdm-11:30pm. Sun 12pm-11:30pm Finding Your Wallet Empty? j " Participate in our life-saving & financially rewar di n g plasma donation program, j IMMEDIATE COMPENSATION! fl|jl Donors Earn up to $165 per Month! 5 i ★New donors earn S2O for first visit, \\~i, Jr \ New donors call for appointment \\ Ca// or stop by: parking validated Sera-Tec 3 < loc cals^^ | 1091/2E Franklin St. Chapel Hill *942-0251 •M-TH 10-6, FlO-4 | Haircut j 0 How Only WITH COUPON I EXPS/Z3OO - OPEN: Mon-Fri 10am-Bpm -- • % - Saturday 9am-6pm ( L- Sunday 12pm-spm m fUDsur IT C 1 IJllffwUJjj i L 141 Rams Plaza n/-f AYOOff r (located off of 15-501, on the Bus Route) 90 /'UfafaO | News ing with black magic marker in the ele vators,” Ellison said. “But it’s stuff that can be easily repaired.” The University Editor can be reached at udesk@unc.edu. for impeding the flow of traffic, reckless driving and noise violations. Few people were cited for alcohol or drug violations. Adanta has more police officers avail able for this year’s event and has designed a traffic plan to be implement ed if needed, he said. Quigley also said that fewer people had attended Freaknik in recent years. He said the fate of Freaknik had yet to be decided. “The event seems to be tapering off,” he said. As for Hubbard, he said he doubted he would attend. The State & National Editor can be reached at stntdesk@unc.edu. Moms to March For Gun Control The movement is supporting five proposed gun laws, which some moms say lack support on Capitol Hill. By Tricia Barrios Staff Writer This Mother’s Day many mothers are not expecting flowers or cards; they plan to march for their children’s safety in the nation’s capital. Mothers from around the country are organizing the Million Mom March on May 14 in Washington, D.C., to fight against loose gun control laws. Nancy Telfer, a Raleigh mom who is spreading the word about the march, said safety was the movement’s central issue. “People want safety for their fami lies,” she said. “We don’t feel safe. The children don’t feel safe.” She said the movement included everyone who was concerned about gun safety, not just mothers. Telfer’s own son was accidentally shot when a friend pulled the trigger of an unregistered handgun, causing him to lose several teeth. She said police then returned the unregistered gun, which was sold to another person with out a background check. “The fact is that that can happen in this country,” she said. “You have a license to drive a car, which is compared to a dangerous weapon, and you don’t have to have a license to have a gun, which, with one pull, can kill a child.” The movement supports five pro posed gun laws that would require a peri od of background checks before the sale of a gun. The proposals would license all gun owners and register all guns, imple ment safety locks on all guns, limit pur chases to one handgun per month and institute the enforcement of gun laws. Rachel Smith, the N.C. coordinator, said support for the movement was ' ■> c Vietnamese and Chinese Cuisine FREE EGG ROLL with ttw purchase of any entree • coupon valid through 4/25/00 118 E. FRANKLIN - 929-0168 • Mon.-Sat. 11 am-Bpm i Downtown Chapel Hill - Next to Taco Bell Katies Buy 2 Pretzels Get 1 Free Carrmill Mall 967-4922 Exp. 04/18/00 ♦Eclipse TANNING, INC. 968*3377 Open 7 days a week ZZZZZIZIII Fi FREE TAN] ii FREE TflN i New I I With Purchase | Customers J J For Existing jy Only edipie Customers cCCUHe J j 9®®-3377_ J J 968-3377 TANNING. INC. j . Rams Plaza Shopping Center QJhr oailq (Ear Hrrl strong. “It’s unbelievable, just amazing,” she said. “I’ve talked to hundreds of people. People write in with donations and personal stories.” Smith said 10 N.C. cities were coordi- - nating efforts for the national movement: Charlotte, Greensboro, Winston-Salem, Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, Archdale, Asheboro, Cary and Wilmington. She said most people were led to action in the movement because of their concern about a lack of representation in Congress. “They feel there needs to be another voice on Capitol Hill, not just that (supporting the) gun move ment,” she said. The idea for the march started in September, when Donna Dees- Thomases, a New Jersey mother, saw reports of an August shooting at a local Jewish community center and decided to take action to prevent another tragedy. Now, there are 44 state coordi nators around the country, with nearly 20 secondary rallies scheduled for Mother’s Day. The march, which will feature celebrities such as Rosie O’Donnell and other performers, will open with an interfaith sendee and will include activ ities for families. Smith said proponents for less strict gun control, such as the National Rifle Association, had not demonstrated any opposition to the movement yet. “The NRA has a national convention in Charlotte one week after the march,” she said. “It’ll be interesting to see their response.” julia Slotnik, a media coordinator for the march, said future plans for national action after the march had not been determined yet. However, Smith said she planned to continue the organiza tion and keep recruiting. “We’re going to march every single Mother’s Day until things change.” The City Editor can be reached at citydesk@unc.edu.

Page Text

This is the computer-generated OCR text representation of this newspaper page. It may be empty, if no text could be automatically recognized. This data is also available in Plain Text and XML formats.

Return to page view