10
Wednesday, February 7, 2001
Concerns or
comments about
otcwerage?
Contact the
ombudsman at
ombudsmart@unc.edu
or cat! 933-4611.
Jonathan Chaney
EDITORIAL PAGE EDITOR
Kim Minugh
UNIVERSITY EDITOR
Ginny Sciabbarrasi
OTY EDITOR
Board Editorials
Pooling Resources
Chapel Hill can't afford the $8 million facility some residents want.
They'll have to stick to a budget or depend on other governments.
If Chapel Hill residents want to make a
splash in anew community pool, they better
hope the Carrboro Board of Aldermen and
other area boards are willing to foot some of
the bill.
The Chapel Hill Town Council has decid
ed to seek financial help from the Chapel
Hill-Carrboro City Schools, the county and
other local governments in building the
town’s new Homestead Park aquatic center.
The board came to this decision after review
ing petitions signed by area residents and
hearing appeals from people in support of
two types of pools.
If Chapel Hill built a facility with a cool
lap pool for swimmers or a warm therapeu
tic pool for families and the disabled - which
is what residents indicate they want - it
would cost around $8 million.
But only $2.5 million in funding is available
ffonj the town. This forces the town to look to
other area sources for funding. Spending an
extra $5.5 milliqn for something many would
consider a luxury is not an option the town
has in its budget. The town now should focus
on trimming the project back. And also it
must ensure every government that con
tributes gets equal service out of the pool.
Those in support of the indoor lap pool
say a more modern facility is needed to
Price of Being Right
A CNN-commissioned study revealed its election coverage mistakes.
Network officials must follow through with the proposed changes.
There were a lot of losers in Election 2000.
A1 Gore lost the race (though some would
argue the opposite). The Supreme Court lost
a large chunk of its air of nonpartisanship. The
nation itself, a bastion of democracy, lost face.
But there was another big loser: the tele
vision news media -and at least one net
work is working to salvage something posi
tive from that loss.
CNN recently released the findings of an
independent panel it commissioned to look
into its Election 2000 coverage -and the
report didn’t pull any punches. The panel
concluded that the coverage on election
night was “a debacle.” It offered several solu
tions.CNN has pledged to enact them.
It should follow through on that promise -
and the other major networks should follow
suit. Some of the recommendations are no
brainers. CNN will not call a state for a can
didate before all polls are closed in the state,
as was done in Florida. It will not project a
winner if there is less than a 1 percent mar
gin, even if all outstanding ballots have been
accounted for. And it will fund a sample key
precinct vote reporting system so that it will
have a second source of data to check against
the projections it receives from the Voter
News Service, an organization created and
joindy funded by ABC, CBS, CNN, NBC
and The Associated Press that provides
Readers' Forum
Columnist’s Comment
Offensive, Insensitive
To All African Students
TO THE EDITOR:
An African proverb says, “One must
never pull a lion by the tail, whether it is
dead or alive.” Dan Satter has done just
that. The Organization of African Students
Interest and Solidarity and its African stu
dents might be of inconsequential impor
tance to the livelihood of this school.
Nevertheless, we are here, and you must
learn to deal with that.
In the Jan. 31 issue of The Daily Tar
Heel, Satter wrote a column in which he
was insulting the Duke basketball team. I
thought this was a good article only in ref
erence to the rivalry. However, there was
a place where he crossed the line and was
no longer channeling his insults to Duke
University, but to Africans as well.
He wrote, “Dunleavy’s Casper-the-
Ghost tan and skinnier-than-a-Somalian
frame slim build deceives opponents into
thinking biology classes use him to study
bone structure.” Even though there is no
word such as “Somalian,” it is clear that he
is making reference to the many Somali
people who are not only of a slim build by
nature but are also in that predicament
Matt Dees
EDITOR
Office Hours Frida)’ 2 p.m. -3 p.m.
Alex Kaplun
STATE & NATIONAL EDITOR
Rachel Carter
SPORTS EDITOR
Jermaine Caldwell
FEATURES EDITOR
accommodate spillover from crowded town
facilities such as the Chapel Hill Community
Center pool and the YMCA. There is also
concern for the condition of existing pools.
Supporters of the warm water pool con
tend that anew therapeutic pool is needed
since the closest one is located in Durham at
the Lenox Baker Children’s hospital.
While both types of pools have their mer
its, both sides must realize that compromis
es will have to be made and they probably
will not get exactly what they want. Officials
from both Chapel Hill and Carrboro agree
that Chapel Hill residents will not be the
only ones using the pool, citing the names of
people from outside Chapel Hill on the peti
tions. Carrboro does not have a public pool.
If the Carrboro Board of Aldermen pro
vided partial funding for the construction of
the pool, the town’s residents would certain
ly benefit, but it must be realistic with its
funds. The same is true with the Chapel Hill-
Carrboro Board of Education.
It is noble for the Chapel Hill Town
Council to try to provide a state-of-the-art
facility that fits the needs of all town resi
dents. But without outside help, the board
must be realistic and plan to build a more
affordable facility or shelve the matter until
more funds are available.
Election Day polling and voting data that the
networks use to project winners.
While these changes are definite improve
ments, the real reforming must deal with
VNS itself. CNN and other networks funded
a separate report by the Raleigh-based
Research Triangle Institute on the operations
of VNS. RTI concluded that VNS’ opera
tions were flawed and that its specific role in
future elections needed serious examination.
That’s an understatement. VNS is a virtu
al monopoly. There are no other umbrella
organizations that collect polling data and
project national elections.
The major networks and the AP banded
together and created VNS in 1990 to save
money. They knew the price tag of tallying
national election results would be high.
Media companies do not need to cut cor
ners. Their pockets are deep enough to scrap
the VNS and handle elections on their own.
But if they continue to use VNS, a serious
overhaul is needed. RTFs report calls for
additional research in VNS’ statistical meth
ods and a technical upgrade. CNN has said
that they would only stick with VNS if these
changes were carried out and pledged to pro
vide the extra funding necessary. It’s now up
to the other networks to follow CNN’s lead.
Stop cutting costs. It only cuts into the
media’s credibihty.
because of starvation, poverty, drought and
famine. There are many other references
that Satter could have used to get the same
message across without using a stereotype
that is derogatory to Somalis and Africans.
I don’t think the use of coconut tree, nee
dle, toothpick, skeleton, broomstick or
even string bean to describe Dunleavy’s
skinniness would have taken away from the
essence of his article. It is heart-wrenching,
and as I write this, it brings tears to my
eyes, to know that someone thinks this is
humorous, that this should be used simul
taneously with a reference to a rivalry in
the game of basketball. How insensitive
and inconsiderate of the fact that UNC is
a diverse school. Do you think there are no
Somalis on this campus? Perhaps the tears
of your laughter blind you so that you do
not see the people around you who weep.
I understand that this country is built on
a First Amendment basis and everyone is
entitled to his or her opinion. But may I
remind you that the DTH is our newspa
per? It is meant to give us the opportunity
to explore our creativity and should not be
used negligently to throw insults around.
As an African, I am highly offended that
even the editor did not see this as a red flag.
I am certain that it has not become accept
able in this country to demean other peo
ple because of how God created them or
Opinion
ahr Smlg (lar Itel
Established 1893 • 107 Mem of Editorial Freedom
www.dailytarheei.com
Ashley Atkinson
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR
Carolyn Haynes
COPY DESK EDITOR
Sefton ipock
PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR
Senior Class Candidate Platforms
Josh Baylin and Eugene Kim
Josh Baylin and Eugene Kim
In case you haven’t figured it out yet (by
our pink jeeps or our clad-less gallivanting
selves), we are committed to making a state
ment about the Senior Class of 2002 and hav
ing fun at the same time!
■ Senior Gift Idea
A water fountain in commemoration of the
late Chancellor Michael T. Hooker to be built
in the area between Davis Library and Lenoir
Hall. This fountain will honor not only
Chancellor Hooker’s memory but also his ini
tiative to improve the “intellectual climate” of
the UNC campus. This fountain has already
been approved by the Campus Master Plan
Committee.
■ Service
Geeks in the Streets - we want to imple
ment a public service project that is both sen
sitive to community needs and accommodat
ing of seniors and their busy schedules.
Working with the N.C. Center for Public
Service and local businesses (Red Hat,
Bell South, Time-Warner), the Geeks in the
Streets will work to install high-speed Internet
access lines into selected loci family shelters
as well as teach basic computer and Internet
skills to those that need them.
■ Community (social activities)
Senior cookouts on Polk Place with live
music from local bands, providing a chance
for the senior class of 2002 to socialize in the
spirit of the ancient Greeks.
■ Bar nights
■ Senior Week
■ The Trlditarod - inspired by the
infamous dog-sled race held annually in
Alaska, the Trlditarod will pit seniors from
UNC, Duke University & N.C. State
University against each other in friendly ath
letic competition.
■ Marshal Selection
A judicious selection process that will
reflect the diversity of the senior class of 2002.
■ Communication
■ Regular announcements in the
The Daily Tar Heel
■ A monthly newsletter
■ A Web site devoted to seniors,
similar to the great Web site produced by the
Freshman Focus Council
■ A commitment to open dialogue
■ Career Services
■ Sponsor a wider range of job
fairs, including nonprofit organizations and
international career opportunities
■ Work with Career Services in
supporting and publicizing their current job
placement programs
■ Continue the successful tradition of the
Senior Punch Card
Feel free to contact us about our ideas or
yours; we have nothing to hide, after all.
For more information, visit http://www.
unc.edu/~jbaylin.
Neera Makwana and Shawn Brooks
Long ago, the steep tradition and unity was
written here at UNC. Now it comes time for
this unity and tradition to take a broader face.
We pledge to do this as your senior class offi
because of their suffering. If it is, fine. But
let it be limited only to those who wish to
partake in the laughing at foolishness, per
haps they would not take offense. Please
exclude Africans from such nonsense
because it would not be tolerated.
0.A.5.1.5. for one will not tolerate it in the
DTH, or any other publication.
Adaure Achumba
Senior
Journalism and Mass Communication
Publicity Secretary, 0.A.5.1.5.
Student Elections Have
Value and Are Important
In a Democratic Society
TO THE EDITOR:
An Ann Landers reader once wrote that
she had spent the night with her boyfriend.
Did I do wrong? she queried. “You proba
bly did,” responded Landers.
After reading Ashley Holmes’ editorial
notebook (“When Will It End?” Feb. 6)
deploring elections for student body presi
dent as a “circus” and an office of “little”
value, I wondered whether I did wrong.
My Censorship class of 98 students
made the decision to invite student body
president candidates to speak to the class.
1
Neera Makwana and Shawn Brooks
cers in the form of a focused, three-tier plan.
We do not have outspoken fake promises, nor
are we going to promise anything that we
know are impossible to accomplish in a single
school year. What we have is a plan designed
for you to make your senior year the best.
■ Strengthen the rich tradition.
The tradition has been set; we just have to
continue in that tradition. We plan to improve
previous senior class events, while at the same
time leaving our mark.
■ Senior Class Gift. Provide an open
forum for discussion of what our gift to the
University will be. We will seek to have the
entire class’ ideas in on the gift.
■ Graduation. Plan and aid administrators
in the search for a dynamic commencement
speaker. Create a more memorable gradua
tion.
■ Sankofa. Recognize the University’s his
tory and tradition, make plans to push for a
monument to prominent UNC people.
■ Unify the senior class.
Asa class, we need to spend more time
together outside the classroom. A majority of
the things you learn in college are outside of
the classroom. We plan to learn while having
fun at the same time.
■ Senior Nights. Well-publicized
senior nights at diversified local bars and
nightclubs.
■ Senior Week. Fun-filled senior
weeks in both spring and fall semesters.
■ Homecoming 2001. Collaborate
with the Carolina Athletic Association to
improve and enhance previous Homecoming
events, including a larger scale concert and
more senior oriented events.
■ Senior Class Ball. Create a special
evening to remember and reminisce and
bring to a close all the good times here at
Carolina.
■ Senior Class Service Project.
Create a fun and exciting service project for
the University.
■ Game Tickets. Talks are already
in process with CAA to improve seating for
seniors.
■ Provide essential services.
There are some unique services that are
needed to be offered or need to be continually
offered for seniors.
■ Career Services. More network
ing, resume building, internship, and career
fairs.
■ Senior marshals. We will select a
diversified group of senior marshals to help
generate and execute services for seniors.
■ Study Abroad Programs.
Information sessions outlining and explaining
aspects of studying abroad. It is never too late
to study abroad.
We want this as much as you do. Vote
Neera and Shawn for Senior Class Officers!
Ben Singer and Ursula Dimmling
We are committed to serving the wants and
needs of the senior class. In fact, you have
even created our platform! This is the first
ever student-created senior class platform.
Therefore, the following ideas have come
from surveys distributed to hundreds of rising
Ninety-eight students is larger than most of
the forums where student body president
candidates have spoken.
The exchange among candidates and stu
dents was invigorating and informative.
Several students were so impressed with the
intellect, sincerity, dedication and knowl
edgeable grasp of campus issues that they
urged the winning candidate to find a way to
incorporate some of the candidates in a stu
dent body president “Council of Advisers”
or a student body president cabinet.
If one pursues Ashley Holmes’ disaffec
tion to its inexorable conclusion, we should
give up on electing U.S. presidents. Only
a minority of eligible voters vote, and that
percentage has been declining.
Some of the presidential campaigns
have been depressingly boring and nation
al circuses. This past election was such an
electoral farce that the Supreme Court
donated it to George Bush.
But we don’t surrender our right to vote,
nor do we give up on democracy. Unless
one prefers the alternative in China, Cuba,
North Korea, Liberia, Libya and Myammar.
Student body presidencies are early pre
ludes to productive leadership in life. They
begin honing skills on how to serve, lead,
speak publicly, and as the Melians told the
Athenians, how to work with superiors and
collaborate with equals.
Lauren Beal & Kathleen Hunter
MANAGING EDITORS
Beth Buchholz
DESIGN EDITOR
Jason Cooper
GRAPHICS EDITOR
Josh Williams
ONLINE EDITOR
Recent former student body presidents
include Aaron Nelson, a UNC-Chapel Hill
administrator and member of the board of
the North Carolina ACLU board, and Calvin
Cunningham, a recendy elected state senator.
Yes, Ashley, there is a student body presi
dent election. And only an aroused student
body can make it real and disprove Cassius’
lament: “The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our
stars, but in ourselves that we are underlings.”
Chuck Stone
Walter Spearman Professor
School of Journalism and Mass
Communication
Burning for a Candidate?
Then tell everyone. The Daily Tar Heel
accepts endorsement letters for student
elections. Letters should be no longer than
350 words and signed by no more than
two people. Students should include their
year, major and phone number. Faculty and
staff should include their title, department
and phone number. The DTH reserves the
right to edit letters for space, clarity and
vulgarity. Publication is not guaranteed.
E-mail letters to editdesk@unc.edu. The
letters will run Monday and Tuesday.
For any questions or a good time contact
editorial page editor Jonathan Chaney at
jhchaney@email.unc.edu.
Sailij (Ear Heel
Brian Frederick
READERS' ADVOCATE
Laura Stoehr
SPECIAL ASSIGNMENTS EDITOR
Ben Singer and Ursula Dimmling
seniors and represent some of the exciting
activities we will implement when elected.
Top 10 Most Popular Ideas:
10. Senior Hill. It is high time the seniors
secured their own, new set of risers for basket
ball games.
9. Heels of Fame. This is going to be the
Hollywood “Walk of Fame” of the East Coast.
We want each senior class to have the oppor
tunity to dedicate “heel” prints to noteworthy
UNC graduates. Just imagine Michael Jordan
and Stuart Scott returning home to Chapel
Hill next year to set their prints along
Franklin Street.
8. Senior to Senior. This is our opportunity
to reach out to older adults, whether it is
through taking them to buy groceries or rak
ing the leaves outside their houses. These sim
ple acts of kindness would be even more use
ful if we took them outside of Chapel Hill and
into some of the less privileged areas of the
Triangle.
7. Parking. Something must be done about
reserving more parking spots for graduating
seniors - we deserve it! We are ready to apply
that pressure. In the meantime, a senior of the
week will be drawn at random and given a
parking spot for that week right on campus!
6. The Senior Watch. This newsletter via e
mail will keep seniors up to date on safety
issues as well as exciting opportunities around
campus. Helpful reminders about issues from
the new date-rape drug, GHB, to bracelet dis
tribution days would be included.
5. University Career Services. Everyone
has heard of it, but we want to make what it
has to offer more accessible and its events
more publicized. This involves pushing for
more seminars, career fairs and job-placement
counseling.
4. Campus Lighting. Certain areas (such as
the Arboretum and East Franklin Street) have
been in the dark too long! As seniors it is our
responsibility to leave the campus a safer
place for future classes.
3. Duke vs. UNC Senior Games. We
should all get a chance to take on Duke before
we graduate.
2. Nights Out. Food and drink specials at
your favorite Franklin Street establishments.
1. Senior Textbook Discount. We have paid
full price for three years already. We think we
deserve a break.
You have also come up with some fabulous
senior gift ideas. When elected, we will com
pile a list of these ideas and let you decide
how the class of 2002 wants to be remem
bered. Some gift ideas include:
■ A statue commemorating Chancellor
Hooker
■ The always-popular jumbotron for
Kenan Stadium
■ An annual scholarship for deserving dis
advantaged scholars with notable community
service involvement.
We are still open to suggestions, so if you
would like to submit your ideas or would sim
ply like more information about what we
stand for, visit us at http://www.unc.edu/
~bsinger.
We look forward to making yours and our
senior year unforgettable!
|2>
A
The Daily Tar Heel wel
comes reader comments
and criticism. Letters to the
editor should be no longer
than 300 words and must
be typed, double-spaced,
dated and signed by no
more than two people.
Students should include
their year, major and phone
number. Faculty and staff
should include their title,
department and phone
number. The DTH reserves
the right to edit letters for
space, clarity and vulgarity.
Publication is not guaran
teed. Bring letters to the
DTH office at Suite 104,
Carolina Union, mail them
to P.O. Box 3257, Chapel
Hill, NC 27515 or e-mail
forum to:
editdesk@unc.edu.