Zen Master
Students' spirits
moved. See Page 3
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www.unc.edu/dth
'Cal Grant'
Makes Aid
History
California officials estimate
one-third of the state's high
school students will receive
money to attend college.
Bv Jennifer Hagin
Staff Writer
California legislators hope that a $1.2
billion financial aid program, the largest
state aid program ever, will make col
lege a more attainable goal for lower
income students.
California Gov. Gray Davis signed
the new California’s Student Financial
Aid Bill, or Cal Grant, into law
Monday. California residents at all of
the state’s public and private universi
ties and community colleges will be eli
gible to apply for the grant.
The grants are split into two cate
gories based on academic performance.
Cal Grant A provides up to $3,400 in
tuition and fees for those with grade
point averages at or above a 3.0, and the
Cal Grant B gives $1,551 to those with
at least a 2.0 who display financial need.
Students will begin receiving aid in
fall 2001. California officials estimate
that one-third of the state’s high school
graduates will benefit from the grant.
Bill Lucia, chief of staff for state Sen.
Chuck Poochigian, R-Fresno, said the
Cal Grant could have a large impact on
the state. “People have said it’s as big as
the G.I. Bill,” he said, referring to the
massive federal aid program that
allowed thousands of World War II vet
erans to attend college.
Some analysts have said the Cal
Grant could mark a shift in the focus of
scholarships around the country from
merit to need-based. But Gary Barnes,
UNC-system vice president for pro
gram assessment, said he does not antic
ipate a change in UNC’s scholarships
that would mirror the Cal Grant.
“The university has just adopted a
new need-based scholarship with no
GPA requirement,” he said. “Someone
with high need and attends a high-cost
institution can receive anywhere from
$1,500 to $2,000.”
This summer, the state legislature put
$5 million toward a requested $32 mil
lion need-based aid package.
Mary Gill, coordinator for student
financial aid for the California
Community College system, said
500,000 students in the state’s commu
nity colleges receive aid -a number she
hoped the new grant would increase.
The Cal Grant already exists in
California on a smaller scale. Under the
previous system, students applied and
See AID, Page 6
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Binder Announces Exit From Greek Affairs
By Kim Minugh
University Editor
Director of Greek Affairs Ron Binder
announced his resignation Monday
night to a shocked and saddened crowd
of 47 Greek presidents.
Binder’s resignation will be effective
Nov. 1, although he plans to leave office
in mj^-October.
Binder accepted a job with Chapel
Hill-based Gilchrist Alumni
Management Associates, opening its
Midwest operations.
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DTH/SEFTONIPOCK
Provost candidate William Roper answers questions at an open forum Tuesday afternoon. Roper, the dean of the School of Public Health
and the only provost finalist from the University, said he hopes to bring academic and health disciplines closer.
In-House Provost Finalist Discusses Plans
By Kim Minugh
University Editor
The search for UNC’s next provost
began to wind down Tuesday as a soft
spoken Southerner touted himself as a
vanguard leader in an effort to win the
favor of faculty members.
William Roper, dean of UNC’s
School of Public Health, said he will
close the rift between the academic and
health affairs disciplines on campus if he
is appointed to the position.
Roper’s speech to a gathering of fac
ulty ended the public portion of the
Singin' a New Tune
A $lO million grant for the N.C.
School of the Arts will fund anew
opera institute. See page 4
Serving the students and the University community since 1893
He said family connections lured him
back to Ohio, where he will be moving.
“I’ve been interested in getting back,” he
said. “It’s an opportunity that’s impor
tant to my family.”
During his 6 1/2-year tenure at UNC,
Binder oversaw many policy and atti
tude changes in the Greek community.
He touts success in enforcing strong rush
and hazing policies and increasing fire
safety awareness in the wake of the 1996
Phi Gamma Delta fraternity fire that
claimed five lives.
Binder said the UNC Greek commu-
search, after the fifth candidate, Peter
Spear, withdrew his name from the list
of finalists last week.
The committee is set to submit three
final names to Chancellor James Moeser
within two weeks. He will then hand
select UNC’s next provost.
Drawing upon Moeser’s wishes to
find a scientific-minded provost, Roper
implied that his health affairs back
ground would complement Moeser’s
humanitarian experience.
“If a provost were to have a music
background, he’d want to have an asso
ciate provost in health sciences,” he
OTH/MAROARET SOUTHERN
Don't trust anyone over 30.
Popular 1960s Slogan
nity has made
strides since his
arrival here. “This
is probably one of
the best programs
around in terms of
what we’re doing,”
he said.
Binder is also
credited with
bringing cultural
diversity into the
Greek scene,
including found-
Greek Affairs Director
Ron Binder
plans to leave UNC.
joked.
But Roper was serious and reserved
as he answered questions about his com
mitment to multiculturalism on campus.
“1 believe diversity of the University,
whether in the faculty ranks or in the
students, is an extremely important part
of what we do,” he said.
“(Moeser) is passionate about diversi
ty, and it doesn’t really matter what I
think because this University is going to
be a business of diversity.”
He said he will remain open to facul
ty concerns because he acknowledges
the importance of the faculty’s role at
Housekeepers Allege
Unfair Workload; Pay
By Elizabeth Breyer
Assistant University Editor
Although UNC is celebrating
International Housekeeper Apprecia
tion Week, some maintenance workers
say their situation here is marked by
unfair schedules and exploitative work
ing conditions.
Housekeepers in Ehringhaus Resi
dence Hall have received amended
responsibilities due to anew work plan,
a change which both staff and students
say they find unwelcome.
Under the new plan, housekeepers
clean certain parts of different floors
each day. Each section is only detailed as
it comes up in the rotation, leaving most
bathrooms cleaned onlv once a week.
“To me, that’s ridiculous," said a
female Ehringhaus housekeeper who
‘44*4*
ing UNC’s first Native American soror
ity. “We showed there are lots of differ
ent ways to be Greek.”
Binder said his announcement to the
Greek presidents was more difficult than
he anticipated. “I didn’t think it was
going to affect me that much, but it kind
of tore me up,” he said. “I couldn’t finish
my speech.”
Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity
President Ben Baxter said Binder’s
announcement came as a complete sur
prise. “The reaction was one of shock
and one of disappointment because
UNC. “I recognize that the School of
Public Health is not mine, and if I were
provost it sure wouldn’t be my
University,” he said.
“(Faculty) will be welcome to solicit
suggestions, opinions, thoughts as
usual.”
He said hasty administrative deci
sions without faculty input lead to prob
lems further down the road.
“Slow, cumbersome thought wields
better decisions - more permanent deci
sions with staying power,” he said.
See ROPER, Page 6
requested anonymity. “They’ve got me
jumping floor to floor.”
The housekeeper blamed the new
plan on the lack of maintenance staff in
the building and said housekeepers used
to be responsible for only one floor.
She said housekeepers are now
required to clean the bathrooms, kitchens,
lounges and exterior spaces on two floors.
“It’s been about three years that we’ve
been short-staffed and told that
(University officials) are ‘downsizing,’” she
said.
“When we go to (the management)
and approach them about getting some
one, they say they are working on it, but
as long as we pick up the floors it will
never happen."
But Michael O’Brien, director of
See HOUSEKEEPERS, Page 6
Rain's Brewin'
Today: Rainy, 88
Thursday: Rainy, 84
Friday: Rainy, 86
Wednesday, September 13, 2000
everyone recognizes what he’s done for
our community,” he said.
Interfratemity Council President John
Gardner said Binder will be difficult to
replace. “He’s done some amazing
things, and it will be really hard to find
someone with his credentials and his
experience in the Greek field.”
Chi Psi fraternity President Jason
Russell said Binder has been a good
adviser to UNC’s fraternities and soror
ities. “Whenever we need an extra opin-
See BINDER, Page 6
Carrboro
Faces Cop
Shortage
Carrboro police are close
to the minimum number
of officers needed to ensure
their safety while on duty.
By Kellie Dixon
Assistant City Editor
A shortage of officers has forced the
Carrboro Police Department to tighten
restrictions placed on vacation days.
Officer safety could become an issue
should the town dip below the mini
mum number of police positions, said
Capt. Joel Booker. Out of a total of 35
positions, the police department has 31
officers staffed.
“We are 85 percent staffed now, but
we can’t get below that standard,”
Booker said. “If we lost more people
and didn’t fill the slots, that can become
a problem."
He said the vacancies are the result
of officers leaving the force or getting
injured. In some circumstances where
officers departed, it was because they
decided the police department wasn’t
the place for them, Booker said.
As far as injuries go, Booker said few
resulted from work-related activities.
But he said the vacant spots did not
spell disaster for the community
because the police department is keep
ing the shifts full. Booker said time-off
requests are being denied unless previ
ously scheduled.
He said the shortage is not the result
of a lack of funds, and that he is not sure
about when new officers would be
hired. “It’s hard to say (when those posi
tions will be filled) because we are very
particular about who we bring on
board," he said. “We are not going to
reduce the standards.”
He also said the department will con
tinue to advertise for the positions in
police magazines and mainstream media.
Booker said a potential officer must
pass through certain stages before being
assigned to the force. First, investigators
conduct a background check. The appli
cant must also receive a recommendation
and interact in a situation with other offi
cers. For instance, the person might ride
along with another officer. Finally, the
individual must pass a psychological
examination and a drug screening.
The entry-level position at the
Carrboro Police Department pays
$28,084, which Booker said is deter
mined based on the area’s cost of living.
He said dental, medical and retirement
benefits are included.
Carrboro police officers refused to
comment on the situation.
Booker said he is optimistic that the
Carrboro police force will add one or
two new faces by sometime in October.
“While we may not move at the
speed of light, we are moving with a
mission to get good people on board,"
he said. “We’ll be talking to people from
other areas who have shown interest in
our organization.”
The City Editor can be reached
atcitydesk9unc.edu.