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14 Wednesday, October 11, 2000 Concerns or comments about our coverage? Contact the ombudsman at ombudsmarteXinc.eilu or call 933-4611. Kelli Boutin EDITORIAL PAGE EDITOR Kim Minugh UNIVERSITY EDITOR Ginny Sciabbarrasi CITY EDITOR Editorial Series Separate Scenes In the final part of a series examining campus race relations, the editorial board looks at the ethnic mix outside the classroom. It might seem insignificant, but when walking near the Pit, you see a predomi nantly black crowd of students gathered at the Undergraduate Library. Just a few feet away, you see a group of white students hanging out near Greenlaw Hall. Greek functions tend to be ethnically homoge nous. Franklin Street bars and clubs tend to attract specific crowds. Often, what you do not see is a lot of interaction among different kinds of students in their extracurricular activities. Familiar Faces Campus minority and cultural organiza tions are vital for helping students find their niche. These organizations offer members the chance to meet and socialize with other students from similar ethnic backgrounds. It is important, however, for all minority organizations on campus to encourage their members to branch out and join other groups. It is also important for nonminority students to take advantage of the overwhelming amount of social diversity on campus. Jokena Smith, vice president of the Black Student Movement, pointed out that minority students arrive at UNC with the same worries and concerns as any other student. So natu rally, minority students look to join groups that will nurture their need for familiarity. Smith also said the BSM serves as a step ping stone for black students to become involved with other campus groups. She said the BSM is not a separatist organization and that it encourages its members to serve in leadership positions in other groups. Another minority group on campus is Sangam, the South Asian awareness organi zation. Sujay Kansagra, the group’s treasur er, said although students of an Asian ethnic background constitute the majority of the group, there are more students of different backgrounds showing an interest this year. Sangam, like the BSM, strives to organize social events that involve a variety of stu dents. It holds mixers at local clubs like Gotham and encourages anyone interested to attend its meetings and learn more about South Asian culture. Separate Systems In the Greek community on campus, there are 2,600 students, or 18 percent of under graduates, represented in 49 chapters. Students have the option of choosing from four types of Greek groups: the Interfratemity Council, the Panhellenic Council, the UNC National Pan Hellenic Council and a group of specialty fraternities and sororities. It was only 27 years ago that the first his torically black fraternity and sorority was established. Currently, the UNC National Pan Hellenic Council contains chapters of eight of the nine historically black fraternities Achieving Journalistic Excellence Worth Its Weight in Gold How much would you be willing to pay for this issue of The Daily Tar Heel? For many of you, it is the only news paper you read on a daily basis. Some readers rely on the DTH for its cover age of campus news not found in any other medium. Others look forward to our commentary. And of course many, including myself, cannot live without the crossword. Yet, how often are you critical, not to mention appreciative, of your pri mary source of local news and sports? A true measure would be the amount you’d pay for an issue. I’d guess that most would give a quarter, but few would give more than two. “Nobody thinks for a moment that he ought to pay for his newspaper,” wrote Walter Lippmann 40 years ago. “He expects the fountains of truth to bubble, but he enters into no contract, legal or moral, involving any risk, cost or trouble to himself.” Most of you expect the DTH to pro vide you with the truth about campus news, yet are quick to dismiss it when we make mistakes. And rightfully so. We seek to publish a superb newspa per. And you are the ultimate judge. Yet, not through purchasing power. Matt Dees EDITOR Office Hours Friday 2 p.m. -3 p.m. and sororities in North America. A group of eight other Greek organiza tions, which are mostly either religiously affil iated or ethnic, are considered specialty. There are four ethnic organizations, all of ■UCK&HHIU A three-part editorial series about the historical, academic and social aspects of race relations at UNC. But this growth of specialty groups does not mean different Greek groups do not interact. Relations among the four groups are improving steadily as well. In recent years, there has been more inter action in both philanthropic and social events with the National Pan Hellenic Council partnering with the IFC fraternities and Panhellenic sororities. With relations continually making signifi cant gains, Greeks of all backgrounds need to sustain their growing interactions. Casual Division Chapel Hill’s night-lights bring out the racial barriers. Nightclubs, bars and taverns seem to unintentionally attract specific types of people, creating an avenue for the separation of UNC students. The Treehouse Club hosts mostly minorities, estimated on one night at 85 percent. Because of this, it is known as the “black” hangout Club patrons seem to be comfortable with that label. Several visitors said they sought out Treehouse as an unofficial hangout due to its unique “African-American vibe.” On the other side, Pantana Bob’s and 23 Steps, both well-known bars, host mostly whites on a consistent basis. “Bob’s,” as it is unofficial ly known, is considered the spot to be for Greek fraternity and sorority members, a label that the bar’s managers say they are comfortable with. The greatest mix of races around town seemed to be Players Club and Woody’s, two well-known spots for athletes and mixed crowds. These clubs were observed to have the most equal representation of all ethnic groups. Despite a small amount of integration on Franklin Street, it is unlikely that one will see complete social mixing around town. A bar or club exists to stimulate business, and sometimes that means appealing to a certain crowd. Improving Real-World Education Students come to UNC with a thirst for academic knowledge. But what goes on out side of the classroom is just as important at shaping strong minds and healthy attitudes. When students leave the University to face the real world, they should be well-prepared by having very open and tolerant attitudes for an increasingly diverse population. For that to happen, UNO’s students need to take advantage of opportunities to interact outside the classroom. ■ BRIAN FREDRICK OMBUDSMAN The DTH is in a unique position of aspiring to achieve all the goals of a metropolitan newspaper - fairness, depth, accuracy and excellence - while at the same time, the staff is aware that readership rarely fluctuates. Regardless of what is printed, students and others in the University community will always pick up a free copy of the cam pus newspaper. The DTH cannot measure itself according to the interests and concerns of the “buying public.” The usual mark er of subscriptions does not apply here. And the circulation, how many papers are printed and distributed, serves as the main marker only for advertisers, who also are aware that students will always pick up a free paper. Thus, it is of even more importance Asa, Mg (Jar Heel Established 1893 lO7 Years of Editorial Freedom www.unc.edu/dtb Kathleen Hunter STATE & NATIONAL EDITOR T. Nolan Hayes SPORTS EDITOR Will Kimmey SPORTSATURDAY EDITOR which are sororities found ed within the past decade. The recent growth in spe cialty Greek groups is a pos itive trend that gives stu dents more options to join a group that shares their com mon ethnic origin, cultural values and traditions. that the DTH provide you with out standing journalism. And just as critical that you provide us with feedback. Without the check of the “buying pub lic,” we are in danger of becoming stagnant, biased or careless. Thus, we must hold ourselves up to the stan dards we envision. The first mission statement of The Daily Tar Heel is to put the paper to bed on time, every time. As is the case when most of you write a paper for class, as the deadline approaches, your output increases, as does your chance for errors. Sometimes these errors are minor. A name is misspelled. A subject and verb don’t agree. Other times, a reporter and/or editor doesn’t take the neces sary step back from the story to see if he or she truly understands the issue. One recent example of the latter occurred when we ran an article explaining what role faculty members can take in supporting the bond refer endum (“Faculty Must Keep Bond Talk Neutral”). Most of the article was based on an interview with Faculty Council Chairwoman Sue Estroff. Estroff made a distinction between what the faculty can say and do in their private lives and what they can do in the classroom, Opinion Jermaine Caldwell FEATURES EDITOR Ashley Atkinson ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR Carolyn Haynes COPY DESK EDITOR f Do you solemnly swear Vo Ve\y V +he wViole y but ~Ha& irutlAiy What’s the Big Deal About Voting? Whatever you do, don’t vote, because it’s not that important. And you don’t matter. No one really cares what you think or what you have to say. So please don’t try and comfort yourself with the thought that your vote actually counts, because who really cares, anyway? Everyone says voting is important. I’m not sure why, but I’m told it is. Jesse Ventura says, “It’s my civic duty.” MTV tells me to “Rock the Vote.” Eve tells me to “Rap the Vote.” The NAACP is trying to get prisoners to vote. The candidates have yet to tell me why I should vote, only that I should vote for them. But what is a vote anyway? What does my measly vote count for? All the politicians and Newsweek jumped on “the fate of Social Security” bandwagon this past week and also obsessed over the price of senior citizens’ prescription medica tion. How does that pertain to a 21-year-old like myself? And do I really care? Not particularly. Is it bad to say everything that runs through my “pretty little head?” I hope not, because here I go again. I don’t mean to be mean, but let the baby boomers and senior citizens fight for them selves. We’re the ones who will be working the next 20 years while they’re haggard and retired. It sure does seem that the politicians favor the old folks though. And why? Because they’re a demographic demon at more than 78 million and they do that thing called vot ing. So what about a student like me? Do I have voice even though I’m not a special interest group, a corporation, a senior citizen or a Hollywood director? Certainly not, if I’m alone. But if you put us all together in our generation, we run a close second, at a cool 72 million. Albeit some of our voting demography is still in diapers, but we could be a voice to be reckoned with. a line that was muddled by the DTH. That mistake, coupled with a mislead ing headline, caused concern among Estroff s colleagues and embarrassed her. The issue of what faculty can say in the classroom is indeed a complex one. Estroff draws the line between what is legal and what is advisable. Biology instructors, for example, have every right to tell their classes they are pro bond, but how is deep discussion of the issue directly related to the purpose of the class? In other words, wearing a button supporting the bond is different from putting aside the day’s lecture to encourage bond support. Perhaps Estroff put the problem best: “The headline sets an erroneous frame for the rest of the story. At no point did I use the word ‘neutral.’ Nor did I make any statement about faculty ‘talk’ in general. To headline a story with this erroneous generalization - that any bond talk must be neutral - represents a substantial misunderstand ing by the editor and the reporters.” The headline was written by Matt Dees, the editor, who felt the headline was accurate, but conceded the word ing was chosen because “it fit.” And thus lies part of the problem with writ Cate Doty & Lauren Beal MANAGING EDITORS Sefton Ipock PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR Cobi Edelson DESIGN EDITOR Saleem Reshamwala GRAPHICS EDITOR fgg? ■ ANNE MARIE TEAGUE GLAMOROUS TRASH Think about it. What are the things that you complain about? What are the things that you wish were law but think never will become law? Do you hate how much power law enforcement officials have? Do you hate taxes being taken out of your paycheck and having no idea where it all goes? Wouldn’t it be better if you were given some power to allot your tax dollars to what you believed to be important? No one pays us any attention because we don’t have money or power, but we do have numbers. When everyone in our generation votes, more issues will be discussed that will affect us now and in the future. Would you like to see the drinking age reduced to 18? I would. How about those of you who are 18-20? Would you like to have been taught a second language beginning in kindergarten, so you wouldn’t feel like such a global schmuck when you meet some foreign er who speaks five languages? Or how about the legalization of marijuana? Or the federal spending for education and technology? Or increased rights to privacy? Or how much control doctors have over our bodies? (Ladies, wouldn’t it be nice to get the Pill without giv ing your life history and taking that miserable pap smear?) Apparendy, government still thinks we’re not smart enough to take care of ourselves. Things that pertain to young people aren’t being answered because by not voting the rest ing headlines, and stories in general: What is right often doesn’t fit. In the rush to get the story out and make it fit, those goals we strive for - accuracy, depth, balance and excellence - begin to fall by the wayside. These cases are rare, however. This year, Mr. Dees and his staff at The Daily Tar Heel have done an outstand ing job of providing you with hot news and hotter commentary. From Kofi Bofah’s fresh musings about himself to Craig Warner’s disturbing rants, we have a more diverse group of colum nists than ever. Some of you may have noticed one major change this year: columnists on the third page. Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, Ashley Stephenson, Anne Fawcett and Erin Mendell, respectively, offer commen tary on the issues in the news that affect you. This is different from the role of the columnists on the opinion page. Opinion-page columnists are free to write about whatever they like, and very rarely do they write about the news that’s printed in the DTH. Perhaps an even more important change has occurred online at daily tarheel.com. (Props to the kick-ass online staff.) Do yourself a favor and SaUg ®ar Mppl Josh Williams ONLINE EDITOR Brian Frederick OMBUDSMAN Laura Stoehr SPECIAL ASSIGNMENTS EDITOR of the world assumes we don’t care. I care. I don’t want to wish things were different. I want them to be different. And you have 28 days to decide the next four years of your life. I know it doesn’t seem like there’s much of a choice. I’m so in the middle of the road, having to choose between Bush, the Hee-Haw “fuzzy math” candidate and Gore, better known as Mr. Rogers, who’ll say anything to get a vote. Sometimes I think I’ll just close my eyes and just pick one. There’s always Ralph Nader. He’s a guy I’ve been curious about, simply because no one will pay him any attention. He doesn’t seem to have a lot of money, and for that, he interests me already. I wonder if all those spe cial and powerful groups would sway him? Or would he possibly just listen to average little me? Regardless, the choice is not Gore or Bush, or even Ralph Nader. Jesse Ventura also said, “If you don’t vote your heart and your conscience, then you’re not voting.” He’s right. Voting is not about being in the most popular crowd. It’s about voting for or writing in the person who you feel will best represent you. It doesn’t matter if he or she is flashed all over the news. At least I’ll be voting. At least I’ll be show ing the senior citizens that I am a force to be reckoned with, but I can’t do it by myself. I need you to close your eyes and pencil in a candidate, too. Anne Marie Teague is a senior business administration major from Lumberton.This column was paid for in part by the NRA, the Democratic National Convention, the Right to Violence filmmakers, the pharmaceutical com panies, the Whitewater Fund and the Vote Your Heart and Conscience Movement. E-mail her in the voting booth at teague@email.unc.edu check it out sometime. The opportuni ty to provide us with that critical feed back I’ve mentioned is now simpler than ever online. If you’re provoked, passionate or just interested in a news story or column, you can post a mes sage about it and view the postings of other readers. The idea is simply to encourage discussion, elevating the level of education and awareness for everyone. Now, lest you think I’m too much of a company man, I must offer some crit icism regarding our election coverage: Where’s Nader? Tonight in Winston-Salem, the bi partisan debate commission will offer you a debate between Bush and Gore. Imagine that: a bipartisan commission limiting the debate to two parties. I can only hope that the DTH will break ranks from the mainstream media and cover the protests outside. It doesn’t have to be a two-party race. At least not in our paper. That’s the kind of critical reporting we should aspire to achieve. Now, how much would you pay for the crossword? Reach ombudsman Brian Frederick at ombudsman@unc.edu or 933-4611.
Daily Tar Heel (Chapel Hill, N.C.)
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Oct. 11, 2000, edition 1
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