Happy Trails
Tracing history's
paths. See Page 3
tTlre laity ®ar Heel
www.dailytarheel.com
Candidates Get Ready
To Launch Campaigns
The Board of Elections hopes
the candidates will comply
with revised laws to ensure
a smooth campaign process.
By Tyler Maland
Staff Writer
The gates have officially opened for the
annual flood of UNC student elections.
Candidates were released to rove the
campus and plan their attack after Board
of Elections mem
bers unloaded
pages of current
election laws and
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petition forms at the election kick-off
meeting Tuesday.
At the meet
ing, students
officially
declared their
candidacy for
the offices of
A Rundown
Of the 2001
Candidates
See Pages 4 & 5
student body president, Carolina
Athletic Association president, Graduate
and Professional Student Federation
Ticker Stops Thanking; Starts Informing
After the ticker project was
under way, responsibility for
updating it moved to CAA's
marketing committee.
By Rachel Clarke
Staff Writer
While the news ticker in the front of
Student Stores is meant to keep students
informed about current athletic events,
all it has been doing lately is thanking
Ed.
A message that flashed “Thanks Ed”
followed by “Foundation” had been
running since Winter Break due to orga-
nizational delays
within the
Carolina Athletic
Association.
The message
was meant to rec
ognize the
Educational
Foundation, which
funded the news
ticker.
On Tuesday
“After break, we
were just slow
in getting it
running. ”
Trisha McWilliams
Marketing Committee Vice Chairwoman
night, the ticker began running times for
upcoming basketball games and the
results of recent basketball games and
swim meets.
But the change came too late to
inform students of one basketball distri
bution and several sports events that
have been held since the beginning of
State Grants UNC Building Policy Exemption
By Faith Ray
Assistant State & National Editor
RALEIGH - The state Building
Commission granted permission
Tuesday for 30 UNC-system construc
tion projects to be overseen by con
struction managers, exempting them
from a state law and freeing system offi
cials of their usual oversight role.
The current law states that any state
building project must have separate bids
from individual contractors. The law was
designed to assure fair bidding practices
among small and large construction com
panies and empower subcontractors.
UNC-system officials might eventual
ly have to petition the commission for all
300 construction projects to be exempt.
They argued that the “multi-prime
I must say, acting was good training for the political life which lay ahead of us.
Nancy Reagan
president, Residence Hall Association
president, rising senior class officers and
Student Congress members.
Board of Elections Chairman Jeremy
Tuchmayer kicked off the meeting by
introducing the members of the board
and explaining the organization’s role in
the elections process. “Our philosophy
for the election is
this: Our aim is to
be a behind-the
scenes player in
(the election),"
Tuchmayer said.
He stressed the
importance of fol
lowing the election
laws and adhering
to the different res
idence hall can
vassing policies.
“Iprefer not to see my picture
in the paper. If my picture’s in
the paper, it usually means (the
board) had to do something. ”
Jeremy Tuchmayer
Board of Elections Chairman
Tuchmayer said it is in the candidates’
best interests not to engage in any activity
that would require the Board of Elections
to take action against their campaign.
“I prefer not to see my picture in the
paper,” Tuchmayer said. “If my picture’s
in the paper, it usually means (the Board
of Elections) had to do something.”
the semester.
CAA President Tee Pruitt said the
project was under the jurisdiction of
Special Projects Co-coordinators
Michael Songer and Adam Walters
while it was getting off the ground last
semester.
But now that the ticker is in place and
secured, Pruitt said it is the responsibil
ity of the CAA Sports Marketing
Committee.
“It is their responsibility to handle all
our sports marketing endeavors,” he
said.
“This is an exceptional opportunity
for them to carry out these types of
informative projects.”
Trisha McWilliams, vice chairwoman
of the marketing
committee, said it
is completely
understandable
that the ticker had
not been changed
recendy.
“After break, we
were just slow in
getting it running,”
she said.
Pruitt attributed
the delay to problems in getting the
committee members organized.
“The beginning of the semester
always presents some logistical hur
dles with everyone’s schedules,” he
said.
McWilliams said the committee did
not meet the first week after break. The
contractor” law will slow down the con
struction process and cause unnecessary
complications with the numerous pro
jects that will take place on state cam
puses following the passage of the $3.1
billion bond package.
Campus officials hope to complete
the 300 construction and renovation
projects on the 16 UNC-system cam
puses by 2006.
“The current method of construction
procurement presents an undue manage
rial burden on in-house campus project
managers and jeopardizes its successful
completion,"Jeff Davies, UNC vice pres
ident of finance, told the commission.
Commission member Norman
Whitaker asked how the state will keep
control of the project if a construction
manager works directly with contractors
Today's the Day
Daily Tar Heel applications for
this semester are due at 5 p.m.
Decisions will be posted Thursday.
Serving the students and the University community since 1893
Addressing door-to-door campaigning,
Tuchmayer said that senior class candi
dates are prohibited from canvassing res
idence hails, but that all other candidates
can campaign in residence halls from 7
p.m, to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday.
Along the same guidelines, Tuchmayer
said the Board of Elections prohibited
candidates from
sliding campaign
materials under stu
dents’ residence
hall doors. “You
can talk to them,
have them fill out
your petition, hand
them a flier, but
you cannot slide it
under their doors,”
Tuchmayer told the
43 candidates.
Along with the election laws, poten
tial candidates received petition forms to
get their names on the ballot.
He said that the upcoming election
will be conducted entirely online
through Student Central and that all stu
dents with a valid Personal Identification
Number can access it from any comput-
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1 -
DTH/CHRISTINE NGUYEN
Although it should be informing students of sporting events, the sports
ticker at Student Stores has flashed "Thanks Ed Foundation" for weeks.
meeting last week had to be rescheduled
because it was interrupted by
Wednesday’s basketball game against
Clemson University.
But Songer said he was upset because
the ticker was updated frequently during
the fall semester.
He said he found the present delays
frustrating.
“(The ticker) gives us a lot of potential
to really raise awareness of UNC athlet
ics,” he said. “It’s not being utilized that
way.”
instead of the state and universities.
UNC-system officials said contractors
must put up a bond to serve as an insur
ance that the work will be completed to
their satisfaction and on time.
Another commission member, John
Feezor, expressed concern that UNC
officials might be taking the wrong course
of action by petitioning the commission.
“Have you asked the General Assembly
to give special legislation instead of com
ing here and going over 300 projects?”
But Davies argued that officials have
looked at alternative means, even
approaching the General Assembly, but
maintained that going before the com
mission was the best method.
J.B. Milliken, vice president for public
affairs and university advancement, said
the exemption will allow a construction
JSBS
* - —s* —-- fgHEsgam
DTH/MIKE MESSIER
Board of Elections Chairman Jeremy Tuchmayer addresses the crowded meeting Tuesday where
students declared candidacy for student body president and other offices.
er. Tuchmayer said he hopes voter turn
out will double from past years due to
the new online access.
“It will be a lot easier for uninformed
voters to use and hopefully attract more
people,” Tuchmayer said.
Because of this change in the election
process, candidates are prohibited from
Beginning this week, McWilliams
said the committee plans to update the
ticker every Monday and Thursday for
the remainder of the semester.
McWilliams said the ticker will con
tain all the latest UNC sports news and
that the updates will not stop for the rest
of the semester.
“We apologize to everyone for being
slow.”
The University Editor can be reached
at udesk@unc.edu.
manager, hired for individual projects, to
represent the university by working direct
ly with contractors and subcontr actors.
Milliken added that the multi-prime
system still will exist with the electrical,
plumbing and mechanical aspects of con
struction. “The key here is the difference
of having a construction manager-at-risk
as opposed to traditional contracting.”
Davies said the request was made
“based on the extraordinary circum
stances associated with the unprecedented
scale of this entire construction program.”
“The proposed construction manag
er-at-risk method of delivery will pro
vide a higher level of managerial over
sight that will be necessary to ensure a
predictable and timely project delivery.”
The State & National Editor can be
reached at stntdesk@unc.edu.
placing political materials within 50 feet
of all campus computer facilities that
contain four or more computers.
The revised election law also pro
hibits any use of sound equipment used
in the campaigning process within
earshot of any University computer labs.
Tuchmayer said the penalty for
Congress Takes Steps
Toward Free Busing
The plan, which would raise
fees, will go to a student
vote but must be worked
out with town officials.
By Scott Brittain
Staff Writer
In its first meeting of the year, Student
Congress unanimously passed a resolu
tion that potentially could provide Chapel
Hill with a fare-free transit system.
The resolution calls for a referendum
to be placed on the Feb. 13 Student
Elections ballot that would give students
a say on whether to accept an increase in
student fees in return for the free service.
If passed by students, there will be an
$8.49 increase in student fees per semes
ter for the fall and spring terms and an
increase of $1.49 per credit hour for the
summer sessions.
The plan is the brainchild of Student
Body President Brad Matthews, who
included the project on his platform dur
ing his campaign last year. “We wanted to
create a way for stu
dents to use the bus
system without pay
ing the high prices
that exist with the
current system,”
Matthews said.
Under the pro
posed plan, all cur
rent Chapel Hill
Transit buses
would be convert-
‘We wanted to create a way for
students to use the bus system
without paying the high prices
that exist with the current system. ”
Brad Matthews
Student Body President
ed to buses that operate similar to the U
bus in that no fare would be charged for
anyone wanting to use the service.
Several members of Congress
expressed concern about UNC students
paying for the entire transit system, but
Student Body Vice President Lerissa
Rentas said it would not be the case.
“We are going to be paying for the
amount of service that we use - no
more, no less,” Rentas said.
The University will pay for about 40
percent of the transit system. The
remainder of the money will come from
the towns of Chapel Hill and Carrboro,
Matthews said.
He cautioned that nothing has been
set in stone with the resolution because
it all depends on the Town Council’s
actions after the student vote. “It’s a con
ditional offer, which means the towns
have to go along with us,” Matthews said.
“Just because our students approve this
Cloud City
Today: Cloudy, 54
Thursday: Rainy, 48
Friday: Partly Cloudy, 50
Wednesday, January 24, 2001
breaking any election law will be serious
and immediate. “Be careful with what
you do,” Tuchmayer said. “There are
probably some loopholes, but we are
not going to help you find them.”
The University Editor can be reached
at udesk@unc.edu.
deal doesn’t mean that it will happen.”
Matthews said Chapel Hill leaders
are more willing than those in Carrboro
to go along with such a plan.
“I think that it’s a very exciting
proposition,” said Congress Speaker
Alexandra Bell. “It could be very bene
ficial to the students who go here.”
Some students said they would vote
for the referendum because they would
save money in the end. “Although I am
normally against any kind of increase in
student fees, I do support this particular
one because I know that there are a lot
of people who five off campus and have
to take the bus to get here,” said Andrew
Dennis, a freshman from Pinopolis, S.C.
A year-round bus pass costs students
$250 for unlimited rides on city buses.
The proposed charge would greatly
reduce the amount that students must pay.
“It would cost students a lot less money for
the exact same service,” Rentas said.
The remainder of the Congress meet
ing was filled with allocation of funds,
confirmation of appointees and consid
eration of bills.
Groups such as the Hellenic Student
Association,
THINK Transit
and Black
Graduate Student
Association
received money to
promote their
organizations.
Congress also
approved the
appointment of for
mer student attor-
ney general staffer Geniene Loucas to the
Honor Court. “I would like to establish
effective communication between (the
attorney general’s) staff and the Honor
Court,” Loucas said. “I know what train
ing the council goes though, and I can see
through any antics that they may pull.”
One of the more heated bills of the
evening dealt with a resolution to abol
ish exam days on Saturday due to it
being the Sabbath. Debate sprang up
with others feeling that University poli
cy should treat all religious convictions
in the same manner.
Another Congress member then pro
posed an amendment to the resolution
that would allow exams on Sundays.
Both versions of the resolution failed with
many members feeling that the topic was
too controversial for one meeting.
The University Editor can be reached
at udesk@unc.edu.