12A
Thursday, June 22, 2000
Brian Frederick
EDITOR
Jonathan Chaney
MANAGING EDITOR
Board Editorials
Hot Potato
The North Carolina General Assembly is making a smart move by
letting a child-abandonment bill fall to the wayside.
Legislators made the right move last week
when they nixed a proposal that would help
mothers abandoned unwanted children with
out criminal prosecution.
Under a bill sponsored by Guilford
County Democrat, Sen. Bill Martin, a moth
er would have legal protection if she aban
doned her infant within 15 days of birth as
long as she left the child with a "responsible
adult.” She could also toss the child to a law
enforcement officer, hospital, health depart
ment or emergency medical technician with
out fear of prosecution.
Similar laws have been passed in Texas
and are currently under consideration in
California, Georgia and Kentucky.
Though it has the noble intention of pre
venting infanticide, the bill is riddled with
legal questions, as well as ethical concerns.
And the General Assembly is making the
right decision by letting it fall off the docket.
The bill was sent to a Senate subcommit
tee last Thursday, where Sen. Martin says
that it will sit collecting dust until the legisla
ture adjourns later this summer.
And any such measure belongs in the
trash bin of the General Assembly.
By allowing negligent mothers to toss
away their newborns like hot potatos without
legal consequences, the General Assembly
would be passing a bill tantamount to sanc
tioning child abandonment.
Leaving your child without proper care is
abuse, and is subsequently against the law.
The focus should be on preventing unwant-
Editorial Notebook Jonathan Chaney
Hit the Books
Administrators should drop the pretentious idea of raising the
'intellectual climate' through elementary school-like assignments
Someone forgot to mention that Oprah
Winfrey has been hired into the upper ech
elons of UNC’s administration.
For, much like the queen of daytime talk
has been on a quest to spark the brain cells of
American housewives through her Book of
the Month Club, UNC has been forcing
incoming freshmen and transfer students to
digest a novel in hopes of elevating that elu
sive “intellectual climate” of the University.
It’s insulting to incoming freshmen, and
the student body as a whole.
The new book requirement is a part of the
First Year Initiative program. A panel of stu
dents and faculty members decide on the
reading selections.
And they have done an excellent job of
choosing intriguing, worthy books.
This year, the selection is “Confederates in
the Attic,” a Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by
Tony Horwitz. Last year, it was Alex
Kotlowitz’s “There Are No Children Here:
The Story of Two Boys Growing Up in the
Other America.”
But to make it a requirement for freshmen
to read the book is ridiculous.
How insulting to find out about this assign
ment right after you get the acceptance letter
to Carolina. It tells you that your grades, test
scores and extracurricular activities qualify
you as one of the best and brightest in the
state of North Carolina, and that your talent
shows through in your admission to one of
the top public universities in the country.
And if you’re outside of North Carolina,
it’s twice as hard to get in.
So you’re smart enough to get into
Carolina, but we don’t think you’re “intel
lectual” enough.
But have no fear, we’ll solve that mistake
by making you read this book.
lUje Daily ear Hrrl
Business and Advertising: ianet Gallagher
Cassel, ditectot/genera! manager; Chrissy Beck,
director olmarketing; Laurie Morton,
classified/customer service manager; Lisa
Arts/Features: Kit Foss, Ariadne
Guthrie. Karen Whichard and
Michael Woods.
City/State & National: Karen
Brewer, Kate Hartig, Russ Lane and
Ivkesha Spivey.
Copy: Katie Young.
Design/Graphics: August Jenkins,
Ashley Jones and Zetteng Xiao.
Photography: Alexis Richardson.
the editorials are approved by the majority of the editorial board, which is composed of the editor and
the managing editor.
the Daily tar Heel is published by the DIH Publishing Corp., a non profit North Carolina corporation.
Monday Friday, according to the University calendar
Callers with questions about billing or display advertising should call 962-1163 between 9 a m. and
5 pm Classified ads can be reached at 962-0252 Editonai questions should be directed to 962 0245
ed pregnancies through sexual education and
advocating safe sex or abstinence.
Allowing a mother to escape personal
responsibility is not the answer.
Besides the major ethical problems, he bill
raises other legal questions. Where do the
parental rights of the father come into play?
A father can do little if the mother of his
child takes the newborn into a police station
and leaves him for good. It’s doubtful the
police would simply hand the child back to
the father if he tries to take custody of his
flesh and blood. Most likely, the infant would
be under the ward of Social Services or
placed in a foster home.
The bill would not even force the mothers
to reveal their identities or medical histories.
So in many instances, a father could never be
found and notified of what has happened.
And in the end, if this proposal passed into
law, would it be that effective? While the aim
is to prevent infanticide, by dropping the
criminal attachment to child abandonment,
it makes it an even more viable option for
desperate or negligent parents to leave their
newborns on a hospital’s doorstep. And
there will certainly be repeat customers.
Between 1985 and 1997, 22 abandoned
babies died within a day of their birth. That’s
22 too many. But it doesn’t warrant amend
ing current legal codes when there are so
many unresolved legal and ethical questions
surrounding the proposal.
The best thing for legislators to do is aban
don this bill.
Oh and by the way, you can go pick it up
at our bookstore. We have a giant stack of
them right as you walk in the door.
Proponents of this new program say it
gives incoming students a jumping-off point
from which they can begin to relate to one
another, or a common ground from which
they can begin meeting new people when
they arrive on campus.
I know that when I was a freshman, I
would have loved to introduce myself and
begin dissecting a novel in an informal,
friendly chat.
As students, we do not need oversight
when it comes to building on our intellectu
al strength. Each student does it his or her
own way, through the groups they join and
the classes they take.
As much as the nebulous term “intellectu
al climate” sounds appealing, it’s nothing but
fluffy talk from faculty and administration.
Don’t let anyone fool you. The intellectual
climate at UNC is vibrant and intense. We
have some of the top scholars in the nation
gathered in one place.
Just because we don’t sit around the Pit in
berets and quote Kafka does not mean we’re
lacking a strong intellectual spirit.
I have a couple of little hints for the
administrators here. If you want to improve
the intellectual climate at UNC, improve its
facilities. Hire more professors and encour
age them to teach in innovative ways.
Diversify the course selection and offer more
specialized courses. One book isn’t going to
go a long way.
In the meantime, I recommend a little
summer reading assignment for the adminis
trators themselves.
It’s called “The Complete Idiot’s Guide to
Running a University.”
Professional and Business Staff
Reichle, business manager.
Display Advertising: Katie Bawden and Skye
Nunnery, account executives
Advertising Production: Penny Persons, man
Editorial Staff
Sports: Adam Hill and Hal Wansley.
University: Michael Abel, Jennifer
Brown, Tommy Johnstone, Craig
Ledford, Chris Stegall and Mark
Thomas.
ISN #10709436
Office: Suite 104 Carolina Union
Campus Mail Address: CB# 5210 Box 49, Carolina Union
U.S. Mail Address: P.O. Box 3257, Chapel Hill, NC 27515 3257
(lltl' iDaihf aar lini
Established 1893 ■ 106 Years of Editorial Freedom
www.unc.edu/dth
Worth Civils.
CITY/STATE/NATIONAL EDITOR
Courtney Mabeus
UNIVERSITY EDITOR
Classified Production: Sheila Lenahan
Editorial Production: Stacy Wynn,
manager
Printing: Triangle Web.
Editorial
Justin Winters
ARTS/ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR
Will Kimmey
SPORTS EDITOR
New Chancellor Ready for Work
I’m delighted to extend greetings to the
new members of the Class of 2004 and all
of our students. Each of you should be
proud to be associated with Carolina. In
many ways, I feel much like anew student
myself, and although I’ve been doing my
homework this summer, I hope I can rely on
you to help me with the Tar Heel learning
curve when I begin work as chancellor in
August.
When I was first approached about leading
UNC-Chapel Hill, the University’s academic
excellence and tradition as the nation’s oldest
public university immediately came to mind.
Of course I was familiar with Carolina and its
status as a top public university. It’s the kind
of school we looked to as a model at the
University of Nebraska at Lincoln, where I
have been chancellor for the last four years.
Ultimately, however, it was the people - the
students, faculty, staff, alumni and others who
are in the Carolina family - who proved to be
the deciding factor. There is a spirit on this
campus that 1 have never felt on any other
campus in America, a spirit of love and devo
tion, a sense that this is a very special place. I
have been privileged to go to school and
serve on the faculties of some of the best pub
lic universities in America - Texas, Michigan,
Kansas, Penn State and Nebraska. But what
Carolina has is absolutely unique - it is a
mystique, a pride in the place, a feeling that
people express that this is a special place set
apart - that no other campus in America that
I know of has. You will sense it too, if you
have not already.
I found the challenge of Carolina irre
sistible. It offers an unparalleled opportunity
to take a great university to the very pinnacle
of its existence - to help move UNC from
one of the best public universities in the
nation to the very best public university. Few
schools can begin to aspire to such a lofty
goal; yet at Carolina, with the right combina
tion of public and private support, I am confi
dent that it’s well within our grasp.
A key to that success will be the $3.1 bil
lion bond referendum to improve capital facil
ities on UNC system and community college
Readers' Forum
November Bond
Crucial for Future of
Higher Education
TO THE EDITOR:
North Carolina’s community col
leges and universities contribute so
much to our state - they give students
the skills they need to succeed, they
provide our businesses with a well
trained workforce and they keep
North Carolina's economy competi
tive both nationally and internation
ally.
While our campuses have helped
build North Carolina and its econo
my, they now face some monumental
challenges: the need for critical
repairs and renovations as well as
new facilities to prepare for booming
enrollment growth.
Our 59 community colleges can
expect 15,000 new students over the
next five years, and our universities
can expect another 48,000 students
by 2010.
At the same time, nearly 800 uni
versity buildings are in dire need of
repair, while the community college
system’s construction and repair
needs top $1.4 billion.
Mike Ogle
SPORTS EDITOR
Caroline Hupfer
DESIGN EDITOR
■
JAMES MOESER
CHANCELLOR
campuses.
During my first three months at Chapel
Hill, my top priority will be to garner support
for the referendum, which will be on the
November ballot. If approved, the bond pack
age promises to be a watershed moment for
North Carolina higher education in general
and for Carolina in particular. It would pro
vide the university with nearly SSOO million
for building projects over about six years.
Compare that to the $25 million in state
appropriations the University typically has
received in a good year for capital projects,
and you begin to see the staggering impact the
bonds can have. Never has the university seen
such an infusion of money, and never have its
needs been so pronounced.
We have our work cut out for us. Carolina
is a top-flight university - you probably
wouldn’t be here if it weren’t. We have the
brainpower, reputation and expertise to move
forward and surpass our peers.
We have bright students, outstanding teach
ers and world-class researchers. At the same
time, however, we face a critical need for dol
lars to finance renovations, repairs and new
construction. Returning students know what
I’m talking about. You’ve seen the condition
of our classrooms, laboratories, libraries and
support facilities. They are in dire need of
repair, many are outdated and outmoded, and
some are simply unusable or unsafe.
Without the bond money, not only will our
students suffer, but so will the state and its citi
zens. Carolina will be unable to continue ful
filling its mission to teach North Carolina’s
future leaders and professionals, expand the
Recently, the General Assembly
approved a $3.1 billion bond refer
endum to help address those chal
lenges. The bond package - which
enjoys bipartisan support from gov
ernment, business and education
leaders all across the state - is the
right decision for North Carolina.
It will not raise taxes, according to
Treasurer Harlan Boyles, and it will
help create jobs, economic growth
and opportunities for generations to
come.
The bonds will be on the
November ballot this fall, and I am
confident that voters will make the
right choice for North Carolina’s
future by voting “Yes" for higher edu
cation bonds.
Marc Basnight
Senate President Pro Tempore
NC General Assembly
Downtown Benefits
From Dedication of
Town Employees
TO THE EDITOR:
As anyone who has lived in or vis
ited Chapel Hill for more than a cou
Emily Schnure
PHOTO EDITOR
Josh Williams
ONLINE EDITOR
frontiers of knowledge and help grow the
state’s economy. Successful passage of the ref
erendum will dramatically improve how we
teach our students, conduct research that
helps people live healthier lives and carry out
public service that makes our state a better
place to live.
North Carolina will experience important
economic and social challenges in the decades
ahead, and UNC-CH, as well as the other
public universities and community colleges,
can be an integral part of the solution. But we
must have appropriate facilities to do that job.
I know you will hear more about the bond
referendum in the coming months, you need
to do your share to educate your friends, fami
ly members, local legislators, government
leaders and others about Carolina’s needs. We
must tell our story. We must show the state’s
citizens why this and the state’s other campus
es need the bond money. We must explain
how the money will help them, their sons and
daughters, and the people of North Carolina.
Please participate in this educational
process and help Carolina reach its potential.
I also urge each of you to register to vote and
to show your support for the referendum in
November.
If your family is from North Carolina,
make sure your parents, siblings and other rel
atives go to the polls, too. Our state’s future
depends on everyone’s support.
This fall I will be part of the new class at
Carolina. So if you see a 60-year old balding
administrator walking around the campus
looking lost and confused, that will be your
new chancellor. Stop and say hello and help
me find my way. I promise to do the same for
you. Thank you in advance for your help, and
best wishes for a great fall semester.
Dr. James Moeser begins work as UNC’s
ninth chancellor on Aug. 15. He has served the
past four years as chancellor of the University
of Nebraska at Lincoln. An internationally
known concert organist, Moeser also has held
leadership positions at the University of South
Carolina, Pennsylvania State University and the
University of Kansas.
pie of days knows, this is a town that
knows how to celebrate.
Like any good party preparation
must be made. We can enjoy all of
these public gatherings with a rea
sonable assurance of safety because of
the work of the folks at the CHPD
and Fire Departments. Their pres
ence, and the anticipation of the need
for their services by their panning
departments, allow those of us who
attend these gatherings to enjoy our
selves. Our safety is their concern,
and they handle it effectively.
When the last of our guests head
home for the night, the well-oiled
machine that is the Chapel Hill Public
Works Department swings into
action. No matter how late the festiv
ities go, these folks descend upon the
party locale and sweep it clean.
We are fortunate to have such a
truly terrific group of town employ
ees. It’s obvious that they care about
the town and take pride in their work.
So, from all of us who enjoy the fruits
of your labor, thank you. You are the
elite in your fields.
Kathleen Lord
Chairwoman
Downtown Commission
ahr Daily (Ear Hrrl
(3>
A
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. Faculty and staff
should include their title,
department 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 email
forum to:
editdesk@unc.edu.