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ERIN MENDELL
School Board
Mustn't Dodge
Growth Issues
The best way to deal with any
problem is to just ignore it. At
least that’s the example the
Chapel Hill-Carrboro and Orange
County school boards are setting.
A proposed ordinance, the Schools
Adequate Public Facilities Ordinance,
would require developers to get school
board permission to build before tak
ing their requests to town boards or
the Board of Commissioners.
The Chapel Hill-Carrboro Board of
Education and the Orange County
Board of Commissioners are the only
boards considering the ordinance now.
The goal of the proposed ordinance
is to alleviate school overcrowding.
I can’t argue with the goal.
Under the ordinance, school boards
would consider whether the schools
serving an area a developer wants to
build in have enough space to support
the new students that new homes
would bring to the schools.
While the goal of the proposed
ordinance is a noble one, giving school
boards power in determining develop
ment is only avoiding the problem of
overcrowded schools.
It’s not the best solution.
One of the attractive things about
living in Orange County is the school
systems.
Chapel Hill-Carrboro is arguably
the best school district in the state, and
Orange County Schools is also a high
quality district
Halting development to try to stop
overcrowding of those school systems is
like hoarding two good school systems
and not letting new people use them.
People are going to want to move
here so their kids can get a good edu
cation, and the school district should
be able to grow and change with the
community.
Running away from the problem by
just not letting too many people in is
too passive.
School overcrowding is a problem
everywhere.
If Orange County’s districts deal
with it by keeping people out, they’re
just pushing the problem elsewhere.
In North Carolina “elsewhere” is
most likely a school system under
much more financial stress than one of
our local ones.
The proposed ordinance seems
almost like an elitist attempt to save a
good school system from experiencing
the same problems the rest of North
Carolina’s schools are experiencing.
Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools
has an overcrowding commission that
is considering other solutions as well.
The school board presented a list of
options Thursday night at its meeting.
As The News & Observer reported
Thursday, the options are changing
the schools children in certain neigh
borhoods go to, relocating some
kindergarten and exceptional educa
tion classes, increasing class size at
Scroggs Elementary School (which has
a lower student-to-teacher ratio than
the other schools in the district) and
adding mobile classroom units to over
crowded schools. There also are the
options of moving the fifth-grade stu
dents at McDougle Elementary School
to Seawell Middle School, leasing out
side space for classrooms or programs
for overcrowded schools and creating
incentives at schools with open class
room space.
None of these options are entirely
desirable.
No one wants to go to school in a
double-wide. And God knows middle
school should take up as little of some
one’s life as possible.
But at least they’re options, and at
least they’re not aimed at keeping peo
ple out.
That said, town planning is always a
good idea, and it would be valuable
for the school boards to act as consul
tants when developers ask town
boards or the commissioners to let
them build.
But they shouldn’t have official
power over it. Giving school boards
the power to deny developers’
requests to build is giving them power
outside their jurisdiction.
Developments do get political, so
board members should stick to dealing
with school problems and stop run
ning from them.
Erin Mendell can be reached at
mendell@email.unc.edu.
Community, Campus Dance in 'Wonderland'
By Jenny McLendon
Staff Writer
The winter weather outside was cold
Thursday night, but at Carolina Campus
Civitan’s “Winter Wonderland,” the
dance floor was hot.
The dance was one of two hosted
each year by CCC in cooperation with
The ARC of Orange County, formerly
known as The Association of Retarded
Citizens. It aimed to give the mentally
handicapped and UNC students the
opportunity to interact.
About 80 guests from the two organi
zations had an opportunity to showcase
their dance moves in the Union Cabaret
while enjoying food and friends.
CCC, the UNC chapter of Campus
Civitan, boasts 65 members and is
involved in community service projects
on campus, around Chapel Hill and
Durham, and in eastern North Carolina.
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Sophomore Taena Kim studies for her Political Science 54 class in Starbucks on Thursday afternoon.
Many students choose to study in coffee shops for the casual and relaxed atmosphere.
Are You Final-ly Ready?
By Sara Parsons
Staff Writer
Your palms sweat, and your heart pounds. Your eyes
droop lazily as they focus on page after page of material
you should have started to study weeks ago. Facts and
figures swim in your head while distractions float in and
out of your thoughts.
The hours remaining before the exam dwindle as you
drown in a choppy sea of anxiety and stress -with no
lifeline in sight.
Chances are, you aren’t alone in this predicament.
William Knaus, a psychologist, estimates that 90 per
cent of college students procrastinate. Of that number,
25 percent are considered chronic procrastinators and
might eventually drop out.
And with finals approaching, more and more stu
dents are looking for a life preserver in effective, last
minute study methods to keep their heads above water.
UNC professors discourage cram tactics but say they
realize there will always be students who put off study
ing. So, they have their own ideas on which study tactics
do and don’t work in those final, crucial hours.
“I remember cramming when I was in college,” said
biology Professor Kerry Bloom. “It is not the best way,
but if they can pull it off, more power to them. It is just
one of those things that is always going to happen.”
Bloom posts old exams on the Internet for his students.
He said practicing previous tests reduces anxiety by pre
senting a picture of what can be expected on the real final.
Bloom also said his old exams highlight major points
covered in each chapter and could be especially helpful
to those who might not have the time to study details.
Students in a time crunch also are likely to skim their
class notes. But economics Professor Boone Turchi said a
little extra effort with notes can help in the long run.
“The best thing you can do is religiously recopy your
lecture notes,” he said, noting that this process allows
students to identify gaps they might have in understand
ing concepts and discover where they need help most.
Transplant Recipient Inspires, Gives Thanks
By Russ Lane
Assistant Arts & Entertainment Editor
There is a sense of gratitude in
Charlie Tolchin’s voice.
It’s a gratitude for the ability to
breathe, a basic and often-taken-for
granted function UNC Hospitals doc
tors restored when Tolchin underwent a
double lung transplant on
April 13, 1997, after spending
four years on the waiting list.
But there’s also soft-spoken
strength in his voice. A self-"
described fighter, Tolchin was <
diagnosed with cystic fibrosis
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at age 5. Doctors told the Tolchin fami- '
ly that Charlie should not expect to live
past 8 years old - he is now 32.
In a gesture that demonstrates both
his gratitude and strength, Tolchin relat
ed his experiences with the recent pub
lication of “Blow the House Down”
Members said CCC dances in the
past have been well-received by partic
ipants. “We’ve been doing this for sev
eral years, and we’ve had a great
response,” said Kevin Chapman, CCC
co-president. “It’s a really great way to
bring mentally handicapped members
of the community to campus.”
Organizers said many of the adults
affiliated with The ARC live in group
homes and don’t always have an oppor
tunity for social interaction. “A lot of
these individuals really look forward to
and enjoy getting dressed up for these
events,” said Kim Costello, community
relations coordinator for The ARC.
“CCC is a wonderful group, and
what they are doing is important
because they are not just doing some
thing for the community but providing
friendship and a social oudet as well.”
And social is definitely the right word
to describe Thursday’s dance.
Cramming Made Easy
A four-step process that will help students who procrastinated
this semester make the most of their last-minute studying.
■ Make choices. Don't attempt to take in all
of the information for the exam. Take the new
material and the most important sections of the
class, and devote your study time to them.
■ Use self-made study devices. Create flash
cards, review sheets and illustrations, and make
good use of them. These devices help consolidate
information and make it easy for repetition.
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Relying on their own notes might not be an option
for students who have been absent from class or inatten
tive during lectures. But there is still hope.
Ram Book & Supply sells class notes for almost 50
large lecture courses. The notes cost about $35 for an
entire semester.
Store manager Steve Thurston said he has received pos
itive feedback on the notes, though professors stress this
should not be considered a substitute for going to class.
“For the most part, virtue is rewarded,” Turchi said.
“Virtue is not using someone else’s notes.”
See STUDYING, Page 7
(Writers Club Press, $14.95). Plain-spo
ken, honest and direct, the autobiogra
phy documents Tolchin’s illness and
recovery and has touched its readers
whether they are in need of a similar
transplant or not.
The book, and Tolchin’s life by exten
sion, makes full use of the “Three Little
Pigs” allusion in the title. A seventh-
grade hit-and-run victim, to whom the
i book is dedicated, provided him with
anew set of lungs.
Because his previous lung
capacity was only 30 percent,
! the transplant gave him anew
lease on life.
“(The transplant) has given me
a lot of oxygen, a lot of energy and
a totally normal life now,” he said. “Four
years ago, I was at home working on my
health, and now I can give something
back to society.”
Given a clean bill of health, Tolchin
News
“It’s really fun to sit back and watch
everyone having such a great time
together," said April DeCatsye, a junior
art history major from Angier.
Erin Potts, a sophomore biology
major from Salisbury, said she was
impressed by the turnout as well.
“Everyone said this was Civitan’s biggest
event and not to miss it, but I had no
idea it would draw this many people.”
The crowd responded energetically
as a DJ played everything from
“Grease” medleys to The Jackson 5.
“I’m having fun -and I’m the best
dancer here,” said Chris, an ARC mem
ber, as he did a very convincing Michael
Jackson impersonation.
Party onlookers reflected on the suc
cesses of the evening and said the open
nature of the event should set an exam
ple for service to ail UNC groups.
See ARC DANCE, Page 7
■ Recite, recite,
recite. Drill the
information into your
brain by reviewing the
material over and over.
■ Chill out. Be sure
to take some time to
yourself while studying.
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up with and to live with more ease,
lanks to “I think my
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has caught up with
lost time. Thanks to
the efforts of UNC
Hospitals, Tolchin
can now continue
his life without
running out of
breath. He
plays ice hock
ey, lifts
weights regu
larly and
keeps an active
social life.
But his vigor
ous lifestyle was
intact even before
his transplant. He
said his positive,
energetic point
of view helped
him to
recover
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Chris Walzer and girlfriend Brenda Spivey get down Thursday night at a
holiday dance party thrown for The ARC by Carolina Campus Civitans.
N.C. Voting Process
Under Examination
Many officials are pushing
campaign finance reform,
while smaller parties are
advocating ballot changes.
By Leslie Bumgarner
Staff Writer
Officials from across North Carolina
are stepping up efforts to change elec
tion processes throughout the state in
light of Florida’s voting problems in this
year’s presidential election.
Everything from ballot design to
campaign finance reform is being scru
tinized from different angles as political
officials search for ways to improve
future elections in North Carolina.
One change being considered is the
reorganization of the ballot -a reform
supported by the state’s smaller political
parties. The Green Party has been work
ing to make it easier for third parties to
get on the ballot and make sure all
write-in votes are counted.
In the 20fft) presidential election,
Green Party candidate Ralph Nader
could not get on the N.C. ballot because
UNC's Teacher Training
Program Ranked 10th
By Michael McKnight
Staff Writer
RALEIGH - UNC-Chapel Hill was
ranked 10th in the state in teacher train
ing Thursday on yet another report card
for N.C. education, behind nine other
UNC-system schools.
The state Board of Education
released a report Thursday morning on
the ability of North Carolina’s colleges
and universities to train new teachers.
The Institutions of Higher Education
Performance Report graded public and
private colleges and universities on the
quality of their teacher education pro
grams.
The report awarded exemplary rat
ings to teacher education programs at
four North Carolina schools -
Greensboro College, UNC-Asheville,
UNC-Greensboro and UNC-Pembroke.
UNC-Chapel Hill’s School of
Education received a score of 125 and
was tied for 10th place in the state with
Lenoir-Rhyne and Chowan colleges.
The report rated and awarded points
to each of the state’s 47 teacher education
and to live with more ease.
“I think my attitude has-
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Tolchin’s story
and vivacity struck a
chord in many of the
book’s readership, as e
mails from readers
ranging from fellow
lung transplant sur
vivors to those who
Friday, December 8, 2000
he did not get enough signatures in by
the deadline. Even write-in votes for
Nader were not counted.
“We’re fighting restrictive ballot
access and trying to open up the ballot,”
Green Party volunteer Chris Hindi said.
“It is a democratic principle that people
have the right to vote and somebody
should count those votes.”
Hinch said the present system lists
the Democrat and Republican candi
dates at the top of the ballot, which is
unfair to other candidates.
“It is human nature to want to vote
for the top candidates,” he said.
Marc Basnight, D-Dare, president
pro tern of the N.C. Senate, has pro
posed meeting with two of the state’s
other influential political leaders - N.C.
House Speaker Jim Black, D-
Mecklenburg, and Governor-elect Mike
Easley - to discuss how campaign land
scapes have changed in recent years and
to consider possible reforms.
“The intention is to have a wide-rang
ing discussion about the changing face
of political elections," Basnight
spokesman Rob Lamme said.
See N.C. VOTING, Page 7
programs based on their compliance
with state and national accreditation stan
dards, the quality of graduates they pro
duce, and their involvement with and
service to the state’s public schools.
Institutions receiving 135 points or
more were awarded exemplary status
and those receiving fewer than 105 were
given a rating of “low-performing."
A significant portion of schools’ rat
ings came from the results of surveys
completed by graduates and employers
of each institution but the return rate of
the surveys was low.
State Superintendent of Public
Instruction Mike Ward said the report
was still valuable despite the low
response. “We are of the opinion that
this kind of performance report to the
institution and the community will be a
wake-up call,” Ward said.
This report follows Wednesday’s
release of the “N.C. First in America
2010” report detailing the mixed progress
of the state’s public K-12 schools toward
Gov. Jim Hunt’s goal of making the
See TEACHING PROGRAMS, Page 7
are simply inspired flood Tolchin’s
inbox. Tolchin’s book reads as both a
guide for people facing a double-lung
transplant and a reminder that research
monies and the organ donor box on
your driver’s license do matter.
“I’m here because people raised
money for (medical) research and
agreed to be a donor -1 don’t think peo
ple realize that a golf tournament for
lupus means something, and it does,” he
said.
In late 1996, Tolchin moved to
Chapel Hill to wait for a donor, go
through surgery and begin physical ther
apy, a process that lasted eight months.
Rather than sit and wait, he immersed
himself in Chapel Hill culture in the
interim - seeing shows at Cat’s Cradle,
haunting Caribou Coffee, dating often
and falling in love with Chapel Hill’s
See STARHEEL, Page 7
3