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ANNE FAWCETT
Ties to Israel
Make America
Poor Mediator
As riots continued in Gaza and the
West Bank on Tuesday,
Palestinian and Israeli leaders
agreed to a tentative peace.
Palestine’s Yasser Arafat and Israel’s
Ehud Barak agreed to publicly call for
calm and to consider reopening this
summer’s negotiations. The agreement
also opens Palestinian territories and
the Gaza airport and calls for a U.S.-
led commission to investigate the caus
es of violence that led to die deaths of
more than 100 people, most of them
Palestinian.
The United States is strangely
entangled in this conflict. President
Clinton brokered the deal and acted as
a mediator in negotiations this sum
mer. The commission’s leadership is a
compromise between Barak’s insis
tence on U.S. leadership and Arafat’s
desire for United Nations oversight.
| It’s not surprising that Arafat didn’t
fyant the United States to lead a com
ifrission that would lay blame for the
Violence - U.S. representatives active
ly support Israel on this issue.
The U.N. General Assembly will
hold an emergency meeting this week
tp condemn the “excessive use of
force” by the Israeli military, which
fired rockets at Palestinian command
denters after Palestinian mobs beat two
Israeli reserve soldiers to death,
j U.S. Ambassador Richard
Holbrooke has said the United States
will veto any new resolution,
t' The United States has a historical
basis for its support of Israel, whose
Existence began with the firm backing
of this country. The original plan was to
divide Palestine into two nations -one
for Arabs and one for Jews. Instead,
Israelis have settled much of the
Palestinian land and pushed the origi
nal inhabitants out.
When Israel began to occupy cap
tured Palestinian land in 1967, U.N.
Resolution 242 insisted on “the inad
missability of the acquisition of territo
ry by war” and the “withdrawal of
Israel’s armed forces from territories
occupied in the recent conflict.”
The international community has
therefore recognized the invalidity of
Israeli settlements in Palestinian hold
ings for more than 30 years.
So how does the U.S. government
justify its unwavering support of a
nation that breaks many principles our
Constitution espouses - religious free
dom, the value of private property and
protection from oppression?
UNC history Professor Sarah
Shields is quick to note that the conflict
isn’t primarily based on religion and
that U.S. support shouldn’t be con
strued as such. “This is a conflict over
resources, land, water, houses,
orchards,” she said.
Shields said American support
stems from this nation protecting its
interests. Israel has worked as a U.S.
proxy to South African and Central
American governments when direct
contact was forbidden by Congress.
Israel is also a frequent purchaser of
American arms.
There’s also the issue of political ide
ology in a region ruled by dictators or
royalty.
“Tbe United States has the articulat
ed policy that Israel is the only democ
racy in the Middle East, but that’s
problematic ... because people within
the occupied areas don’t have rights of
citizenship, which challenges the defin
ition of democracy,” Shields said.
Shields said the United States can
not claim a neutral role in the peace
proceedings. “It can hardly be called a
neutral broker when the United States
has clearly shown itself to be very
much a supporter of the state of Israel,
no matter what Israel does,” she said.
Then it’s up to the United Nations to
take control. Although U.N. Secretary
General Kofi Annan was present at the
meeting this week, Clinton took the
lead in negotiations. Annan should use
his consulting role in the fact-finding
commission to become a major player
in these peace talks.
Governments around the world cre
ated the U.N. to resolve international
conflicts without regard to any one
country’s vital interests. Clinton and
his successor should recognize this
nation’s bias and let a truly impartial
body negotiate with fairness to both
sides.
Columnist Anne Fawcett can be
reached at fawcetta@hotmail.com.
Students Take Mic to Share Race Experiences
By Tori Kiser
Staff Writer
Students and faculty shared their
views on racial prejudices, exclusiveness
of ethnic groups and perceived racial
barriers at UNC during a discussion
Tuesday night in the Union Cabaret.
The open-mic event, another install
ment of Race Relations Week, was pre
sented by the Living with Compassion
Series and the Cultural Diversity
Committee of the Black Student
Movement “This was an opportunity to
look at race and how it affects our lives
and the University,” saidjon Curtis, assis
tant director of Union student activities
and a moderator for the event “We want
ed people to meet each other and relate
in an intimate and comfortable way.”
Discussions began after one of the
moderators introduced a topic. Students
then stated their opinions on such issues
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Balance
Do Student-Led Courts Sacrifice Due Process?
By Robert Albright
Staff Writer
Winston Churchill once described democ
racy as “the worst system ... except for all the
others.”
With speculation swirling about UNC’s
Honor Court proceedings, some faculty and
students might understand the relevance of
Churchill’s quote to UNC, as
many say the student-led judi
cial system has its benefits and
its drawbacks.
The debate centers on
whether students’ rights are
compromised under a system
in which judge and jury are fel
low students, not professionals,
who answer direcdy to the
Instrument for Student Judicial Governance,
not the due process laws that protect the
accused in a criminal or civil proceeding.
Bob Adler, a professor in the Kenan-
Flagler Business School and chairman of
UNC’s Committee on Student Conduct, said
the University’s judicial system strives to
uphold a person’s rights.
But he said the judicial system at UNC, just
as at any judicial level, is never immune to
mistakes. “It is absolutely not a perfect system,
but there is nothing systematically bad about
UNC’s judicial system,” Adler said. “I’m a
believer in having students run the system.”
UNC’s judicial system has been hotly
debated since the Honor Court, in an open
hearing, found two of James Coggins’
Computer Science 120 students guilty of aca
demic cheating.
Bill Provisions Forgive Loans, Grant Aid for Tobacco Farmers
N.C. senators are pleased
with loan forgiveness but
hope to receive aid equal
to other states' growers.
By Monica Chen
and Michael McKnight
Staff Writers
Concerns regarding a surprise
amendment to a spending bill by an
influential Kentucky senator were abet
ted when another provision was added
to help ailing North Carolina tobacco
farmers.
Under pressure from N.C. senators,
Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., agreed to
a provision to the Agriculture
Appropriations Bill that will forgive a
as the relationships between blacks and
whites and the importance of recogniz
ing other minority groups. “So much
conflict still exists (between blacks and
whites) that (Asian Americans) begin to
feel left out,” said Rena Arora, a sopho
more representative for Students for the
Advancement of Race Relations.
The discussion also focused on
minorities’ roles in UNC classrooms.
Some students said they resented being
the only minority in a class and said they
felt they had to be a voice for their ethnic
group. “I feel like I have to set an exam
ple and go above and beyond the normal
expectations set for students,” said Ndidi
Okeke, a junior psychology major.
Other students expressed views that
suggested students at the University self
segregate. “When you are apart of a
minority, you feel that you cannot be
your true self, and when you get the
chance to relate to someone of your own
When there is a possible Honor Code vio
lation, the University requires a faculty mem
ber or student to bring charges to Student
Attorney General Taylor Lea or the vice
chancellor for student affairs.
Lea speaks with both parties involved and
then decides whether to send the case to the
Honor Court, which acts as a jury would in
a court trial. Before a case even goes before
the five-person Honor Court
panel, an associate attorney
general meets with the person
being charged in a preliminary
conference.
The associate outlines stu
dents’ rights in the Instrument
for Student Judicial Governance,
the 36-page document of UNC’s
judicial branch. “The associate
Hoiftr
A 3-part series
examining UNC's
student Honor Code
attorney general’s whole job is to make sure stu
dents’ rights are upheld,” Lea said.
Valerie Alter, one of UNC’s three manag
ing associate generals, said the Instrument’s
wording of students’ rights is difficult to
understand at times. “The language of the
Instrument can be confusing, so the associates
go through it step by step,” Alter said. “It’s the
associate’s job to advocate students’ rights.”
In the final stage of pre-hearing proceedings,
the associate attorney general assigns the
accused student a defense counsel, who repre
sents the defendant in the Honor Court hearing.
Honor Court adviser Melissa Exum said it
is important for students to know their rights.
“It can be overwhelming (for the
accused),” Exum said. “That’s why they need
to rely on their counsels.”
Despite the important role that student
$125 million federal loan to the Hue-
Cured Tobacco Cooperative
Stabilization Corporation.
Most N.C. tobacco farmers grow flue
cured tobacco.
McConnell attached an amendment
to the spending bill last week, giving
$5lO million in aid to drought-stricken
burley tobacco farmers.
Although most Kentucky tobacco
farmers do grow burley tobacco, only 2
to 3 percent of all tobacco grown in
North Carolina is burley. Sen. Jesse
Helms, R-N.C., and Rep. Bob
Etheridge, D-N.C., immediately went
into action to get equal aid for the states’
growers.
In an Oct. 12 letter sent to House
Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-111., the 12
members of the N.C. congressional del
egation requested SSOO million in aid for
News
background, you feel like you can relax,”
saidjokena Smith, vice president of BSM.
Moderators encouraged students to
end the need to self-segregate by con
fronting their own issues of insecurity.
“Everyone needs to go inside of
themselves apd come to terms with their
own prejudices,” said Chimi Boyd, assis
tant director of Campus Y.
At the end of the discussion, mem
bers of various ethnic organizations
invited everyone to their respective
meetings. “There is opportunity every
single day for dialogue between races,”
said Terri Houston, director of Minority
On-Campus Recruitment and Support
Program and a forum moderator.
“People who are different should want
to communicate with one another
because they are genuinely interested.”
The University Editor can be reached
at udesk@unc.edu.
defense counsels play, law Professor Robert
Byrd said some criticize the absence of profes
sional attorneys in Honor Court proceedings.
But Byrd, who has served as chairman of the
Committee on Student Conduct in the past,
said having professional counsel would under
mine UNC’s student judicial process, making
the system operate more like a criminal process.
Robert Mosteller, a law professor at Duke
and UNC’s student attorney general in 1970,
voiced similar concerns. “When considering
the right to counsel, it is very difficult for it to
be professional and still be student-run,”
Mosteller said. “It’s an inherent problem in
any kind of student-run judicial process. If
students are to be in charge, they may have
to be held to a lesser standard.”
In addition to the dispute over counsel, the
right to a separate trial is another student right
that has been discussed heavily, especially in
light of the computer science hearings in which
students’ cases have been heard in groups.
Senior Evelyn Salazar, one of the 24 com
puter science students turned in by Coggins,
had her case held in a closed hearing
grouped with several other students.
After her case, she said the Honor Court
proceedings need to be re-examined. “It’s
such a messy situation,” Salazar said. “I think
all the students charged (in the computer sci
ence cases) will be appealing.”
Because of the unusual number of charges
in the computer science incident, Honor Court
Chairwoman Helen Holmberg said many stu
dents had to waive their rights to a separate
trial during their preliminary hearing.
See RIGHTS, Page 6
0
flue-cured tobacco
growers be includ
ed in a spending
bill before
Congress adjourns.
Brad
Woodhouse,
Etheridge’s press
secretary, said the
action would allow
the flue-cured
tobacco corpora
tion to cut current
tobacco prices so
they could sell at
market, which will
mean a higher
Sen. Jesse Helms,
R-N.C., pushed to get
a $125 million bill
provision that will
aid N.C. tobacco
farmers.
quota for next year and a higher income
for tobacco farmers.
Tom Sabel, a statistician with the N.C.
Department of Agriculture, said quota
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DTH/MIKE MESSIER
Terri Houston (left) and Kayla Hamilton lead an open-mic discussion on
perspectives and anecdotes concerning campus race relations.
South Campus
Construction
Forums Planned
Forums will be held today and Thursday,
allowing students to address issues before
work begins in the next few weeks.
By Scott Brittain
Staff Writer
Students living on South Campus had the opportunity
Tuesday night to hear about the plans that will change their
world when construction begins on four modem residence
halls within the next month.
Fewer than 10 students attended the meeting at Morrison
Residence Hall. The forums, which will be held throughout
the week, are designed to calm any fears that students might
have about the process, said Christopher Payne, director of
housing and residential education.
The four buildings are part of the Master Plan, a blueprint for
campus growth.
The halls will house
about 900 students,
and the exact date
for the beginning of
construction will be
determined at a
meeting later this
week.
“(Construction
will start) at the end
of October or the first of November. The contracts have
already been signed, and we are ready to start,” said Rebecca
Casey, associate director of housing and residential education.
Construction fences will be the first sign of change. “Fences
will go up around construction area and laydown area,” Payne
said. “That will be one of the first things that people see."
Eight-foot chain-link fences will be covered in green con
struction fabric to block the sight of materials. Plywood might
be attached to the fences so that murals can be painted on
them, said Larry Herringdine, assistant director for facilities
management. Construction is scheduled to last 18 months,
with a completion goal of May 2002. Construction will begin
at roughly 8 a.m. each morning, five days a week. “(Funding
for construction) was subsidized with housing bonds,” Casey
said. “The money has already been secured and has nothing
to do with the ($3.1 billion) bond referendum in November.”
Housing officials have been working with students through
out the planning process to ensure that these buildings please
students.
“All along the way, we’ve involved students in the process,”
said A1 Calarco, associate director of housing and residential
education. “We went to every school in North Carolina that
was building to ask the students what those schools could have
done better.”
But this hasn’t calmed the fears of some students. “I am con
cerned on how it will affect life. I know construction on the steam
line here has been obnoxious,” said Molly Wilkerson, a sopho
more journalism major. “Parking is a problem, as it is on South
Campus. How are they going to deal with all of the new students?”
Even though the department has worked to combat problems
before they start, officials realize that unforeseen issues will come
up.
“Until the project gets started, we won’t be able to have all the
details perfectly clear,” Herringdine said. “We expect to contin
ue these forums after fences go up and construction starts.”
Calarco said he wanted input from students about the pend
ing construction. “This will be an ongoing process. This
(forum) is not a one-shot deal.”
The University Editor can be reached at udesk@unc.edu.
cuts, which determine how much tobac
co farmers can grow, have harmed
many N.C. tobacco farmers despite a
relatively good year with higher crop
yields than previous seasons.
“Over the last three years, they’ve lost
over half of their acreage due to quota
cuts,” Sabel said. “Anything that could
get growers some financial help to alle
viate the quota cuts would be helpful.”
Although the $125 million amount is
far below what Helms and Etheridge
requested in their letter, George
Holding, legislative counsel to Helms,
said it is sufficient
“Kentucky is getting a lot. Last year
we merely got down payment for need,”
Holdings said. “And because of this, we
might get full aid in two installments.
We’re still lobbying for more.”
As Congress prepares to adjourn, the
Wednesday, October 18, 2000
Living and Learning
Public forums will be held to answer
questions about the new residence halls.
■ 7 p.m. today in the Hinton James
Recreation Room
7 p.m. Thursday in the Craige
Coffee House
SOURCE DEPARTMENT OF UNIVERSITY HOUSING
clock is ticking on whether this provision
could indeed pass.
The rapidly approaching end to the
106th Congress was the original reason
N.C. representatives did not propose a
provision for more money to aid tobac
co farmers.
But Woodhouse said he was very
upset that aid for N.C. tobacco fanners
was not included in the original amend
ment.
“Traditionally, the tobacco farmers of
both crops have worked in tandem.
(Etheridge) was disappointed that
(McConnell) did not include us,” he
said.
“By gosh, if (McConnell) could get it
for Kentucky, we could get it for us."
The State & National Editor can be
reached at stntdesk@unc.edu.
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