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ANNE FAWCETT
Put Some Faith
In Faith-Based
Charity Plan
The line separating church and
state grew blurry last week when
President Bush created anew
office to grant federal funds to reli
gious organizations providing social
services.
But if the government can make the
program work in practice as well as it
does in theory, the new initiative is
cause for cautious optimism.
To receive the funds, the agencies
must separate their service and reli
gious functions. Thus, volunteers
could not talk about Judaism to people
at a synagogue soup kitchen and still
receive federal funds.
Advocates for and against the pro
posal met in a televised press confer
ence last week.
Office Director John Dilulio, a
Democrat, told critics and the press
that the initiative will level the playing
field for religious organizations to
compete for the same funds as secular
organizations. It will seek to connect
the two groups and to identify success
ful models for social service provision.
The idea of federal funding for faith
based organizations, or FBOs, isn’t new;
it’s an expansion of programs that have
been a part of the government for years.
One of these, called Charitable Choices,
provides publicity for organizations that
meet its accountability standards,
including FBOs.
Bush’s idea sparks concern on both
sides of church/synagogue/mosque
doors. Among local liberals, the fact
that a Republican (and therefore, obvi
ously evangelical Christian) signed the
executive order makes a widespread
conversion effort even more likely.
But Clinton and Gore supported
such an office during their terms, and
former vice presidential candidate,
Democrat Joseph Lieberman, supports
the initiative now.
Many who oppose the office won
der if it’s realistic to expect religious
organizations to separate their reli
gious teaching from their outreach.
Others, such as the People for the
Separation of Church and State, worry
that the strings that come with govern
ment funding will give Washington
control over the nation’s religion.
Critics also see a catch-22 in hiring
for these programs. On one hand, orga
nizations receiving federal funds cannot
discriminate based on the religious affil
iation of their employees. Yet the other
side claims that requiring FBOs to hire
people without regard to their religion
interferes with the separation between
church and state.
If the organizations are doing what
they’re supposed to do - keeping reli
gion out of their social service provi
sion - they should want to hire the
most qualified people to provide ser
vices, whatever their religion,
j If the religious organizations don’t
ngree with the strings, they don’t have
to apply for the grants. It’s that easy.
But those who desire and are able
to separate community service from
religious mission work have the
chance to supplement the federal gov
ernment in doing great things.
, Dilulio noted that Habitat for
Humanity has been very successful at
separating its religious background
from its service mission. While
Christianity is still a component for
some groups of volunteers, UNC’s stu
dent chapter is good evidence that
people can participate on a purely sec
ular level.
Jim Wallace, director of the Call to
Renewal social activist movement, said
the wrong way to run the new initia
tive would be to have FBOs replace
government organizations. Instead, he
said the FBOs should investigate larg
er policy questions such as the roots of
poverty and model how to solve them.
. In addition, Eugene Rivers, co
founder of the Boston Ten Point
Coalition, advocated partnerships
between different faiths with common
interests. “The question is not religion,
but results,” he said.
Exactly. The initiative is admittedly
psky. A team of watchdogs is ready
and waiting to make sure neither
churches nor the state overstep their
boundaries.
But if (and hopefully when) the ini
tiative succeeds, think of all the good it
could do.
Columnist Anne Fawcett can be
reached at fawcetta@hotmail.com.
Poor Lighting in Town Troubles Students
Chapel Hill police officers
offer advice to students
who are concerned about
safety in badly lit areas.
By Katie McNeill
Staff Writer
Many UNC students say they are
concerned about a lack of street lighting
around town and are wondering what
efforts are being put forth to remedy the
situation after several recent assaults.
Hillsborough and Rosemary streets
are just two areas of Chapel Hill that res
idents have complained are poorly lit
and potentially dangerous when it
comes to walking or jogging at night.
UNC junior Logan Stewart, who
lives in the Alpha Chi Omega house on
Rosemary Street, said until this semester
she would jog every night after dinner.
But in light of two sexual assaults that
occurred this year and a mugging that
w ■ .\M. •
DTH/EMILY NETZEL
A student dodges construction equipment on Manning Drive en route to Hinton James. Construction on South
Campus continues to cause inconveniences for pedestrians, although many have adjusted to the changes.
Construction Under Way at Last
By Rob Leichner
Staff Writer
The construction of the four new
South Campus communities is finally
beginning to proceed as planned after
adverse weather, upset students and
other delays put the projects behind
schedule.
The new communities, which will
house about 900 students, are scheduled
for completion in June 2002 as part of
the University’s Master Plan for manag
ing long-term campus growth.
Rebecca Casey, assistant director of
University housing, said unexpected
snow and rain late last year, combined
with other more routine obstacles, set
the project back a couple months.
Construction crews are now working on
the weekends to make up for the delays.
Casey said the foundation work for
the Ehringhaus, Morrison and Craige
communities is almost complete. During
February, the structural steel could start
being set for these halls.
Reactions to the construction are
mixed from students in the neighboring
residence halls.
In Morrison Residence Hall, many
residents said students living on opposite
sides of the building experience drasti-
Tar Heel Fan Seeks Support for Vandalism Victim
By Coke Whitworth
Staff Writer
As authorities work to identify those
responsible for vandalizing two cars dur
ing Thursday’s postgame celebration, an
Orange County Tar Heel supporter is
taking it upon himself to raise funds for
one of the victims.
After North Carolina’s 85-83 victory
over Duke, revelers flooded Franklin
Street to celebrate. But the celebration
became destructive when partyers over
turned two vehicles, damaging one pos
sibly beyond repair.
Tom Benfield of Cedar Grove, who
watched the game and the postgame fes
tivities on television, said he was angry
when he saw the celebration after the
Duke game turn into a breaking story
about vandalism and violence.
“It was uncalled for, and it made for
a bad end to a great night and great cel-
occurred at Little Fraternity Court in the
fall, Stewart said she feels unsafe run
ning or walking alone at night She said
she has rearranged her day so she does
n’t have to rim at night. “I feel more
lighting would make everything more
convenient and safer,” Stewart said.
UNC senior Caroline Roberson said
another area of concern is Hillsborough
Street. Roberson, who lives in an apart
ment complex off Hillsborough near the
site of one of the recent sexual assaults,
said the area gets extremely dark at night
“I won’t go outside unless I’m with a
group of friends at night,” she said. “It’s
scary coming home at night from the
library and campus because it’s so dark.”
Chapel Hill Crime Prevention
Officer Chris Blue said people know the
dangers of walking alone at night and
should be careful. “Lighting is a prob
lem, but most people are aware of it and
are cautious of it,” he said.
Blue said the Public Works
Department works hard in making sure
street lights are functioning. He also said
cally different levels of inconvenience.
When asked if the noise bothers her,
freshman Lara Whittaker said, “No, it’s
not on my side of the building.” She sup
ported the idea behind the construction,
saying that South Campus definitely
needs improved residence halls.
But sophomore Brett Emmerton
holds a different view. “It bothers me
because it wakes me up at 8 a.m. on
Saturdays to the sound of jackham
mers,” he said.
Emmerton said he does not believe
the new communities will benefit a large
enough number of students to be worth
the costs.
Some Hinton James residents also
have said the construction has been an
inconvenience.
Construction on the Hintonjames
community lags slightly behind the
other three, Casey said. An electrical
duct bank that runs underneath the side
walk along Manning Drive had to be
completed before the workers could
start the foundation work.
Casey explained that the work on the
bafik caused the closing of the sidewalk
from the intersection of Manning Drive
and Skipper Bowles Drive to the end of
the construction site. A fence was then
erected along Manning Drive from the
ebration,” Benfield said. “It was just bad
for the image of Tar Heel fans.”
Benfield said he decided to do some
thing to help that image by raising
money for Mindy Guadagnino, 26,
whose 1997 Honda Accord was damaged
by vandals. Benfield said he is going to
open a bank account in Guadagnino’s
name and then try to collect donations
from UNC students at the Pit. “I’m look
ing for any student organization to go
along with me on this and help me with
the collecting of donations,” he said.
Guadagnino said she couldn’t believe
it when she heard about Benfield’s idea.
“It’s overwhelming and amazing,”she
said. “It’s just awesome that some Tar
Heel fans will go out of their way to
redeem themselves for the actions of
other fans.”
Guadagnino also said she was unsure
of the damage estimate because her
insurance company will not be able to
News
the department continually checks the
town for broken street fights and areas
that might need more fighting.
Chapel Hill police spokeswomanjane
Cousins said people should always be
aware of their surroundings, take note of
where an assailant could hide and notice
places where they could go for help.
Cousins also recommended walking and
parking in lighted areas if possible.
“Trust your feeling, if something
doesn’t feel right, trust your instincts and
act on it,” she said.
The alleyway and parking lot area
through Fraternity Court, which for
many Granville Towers residents is a
common route to and from campus, is
another area of concern for students.
Granville Towers General Manager
Dennis Emy said he worked with former
Director of Greek Affairs Ron Binder last
year to improve the fighting along the
pathway. But Emy said half of the path
way belongs to Sigma Nu fraternity, and
See LIGHTING WOES, Page 7
construction site to the Hinton James
parking lot.
The fence was installed to prevent
Hintonjames residents from jaywalking
across Manning Drive on the way to
campus, which incited objections and
the repeated destruction of the fence.
But now that the electrical duct bank is
complete, the sidewalk has been
reopened and the fence has been taken
down.
Some Hintonjames residents said
they are not as upset about the con
struction now that the fence has been
taken down. “Now that we can walk on
our normal path, it’s not much of a pain
anymore,” said sophomore Nathan
Talbert.
Freshman Jessica Barbour is less sat
isfied. She said the new communities
will not be worth the construction
because it is too aggravating for current
Hintonjames residents. “There’s just a
big fenced-in area of our pretty green
lawn that nothing is happening in,” she
said.
“I was very happy to see them burn
ing construction stuff on Franklin
Street.”
The University Editor can be reached
at udesk@unc.edu.
take a look at her car until today, at the
earliest.
Guadagnino’s car was just one that
were damaged in the celebration. UNC
junior Sarah Coffey paid $225 to get dam
ages to her 1999 Nissan Sentra repaired.
Coffey said that no one except her father
offered her any financial assistance.
Benfield said he plans to take a half
day off work from his job at a post office
in Durham to get some things done for
the project benefiting Guadagnino. “I’m
doing this for Tar Heel fans everywhere;
I feel like it’s just my turn to do some
thing for someone,” Benfield said.
“I wouldn’t even wish what hap
pened to Ms. Guadagnino on a Duke
fan,” Benfield added with a laugh.
UNC Student Body President Brad
Matthews said he did not know about
Benfield’s efforts, but said the student
See CAR HELP, Page 7
Keep Your Head Up
It is important to pay attention to surroundings when walking around town at night.
Here are some basic safety tips to help stay aware of what is going on around you.
■ Notice where people could hide and
Iwhere you could go for help.
■ Trust your instincts. ■ Walk in lighted areas
and be sure to park in
| _ lighted areas if possible.
I fDimiy lit streets 1
j l and places I North Street/ gl
j Rosemary Street]
I i
J|--| Fraternity! i
Ml Granville 1 I
/HI lowers 1 Cameron Avenue I
SOURCE CHAPEL HILL POLICE DEPARTMENT . DTHA LAUREN DAUGHTRY
Few Meet Deadline
To Run for Congress
By Tyler Maland
Staff Writer
More than half of Student Congress’
37 seats will have no candidate names
attached to them
on the Feb. 13
ballot, with only
14 candidates
I student 2001
turning in the required 10 petition sig
natures to the Board of Elections by
Tuesday afternoon.
Though the candidates handed over
their petitions Tuesday, they will not
officially be assured a place on the bal
lot until Thursday or Friday.
Jeremy Tuchmayer, chairman of the
Board of Elections, said these 14 candi
dates are battling for 11 seats.
Tuchmayer said the candidate with
the highest number of votes wins the
election. “All congressional seats are
done by what is called a plurality,” he
said. “All other elections are done by
majority votes.”
Student Congress represents 26 dis-
Congress Allocates Part
Of Remaining Funds
By Rachel Clarke
Staff Writer
Student Congress voted to spend
about 21 percent of its remaining hinds
Tuesday night, leaving $9,813.03 to
finance funding requests until the end of
the semester.
The $2,673.75 distributed by
Congress will fund campus groups such
as Queer Network for Change, Bounce
magazine, the Ballroom Dance Club
and the Korean American Students
Association.
Finance Committee Vice Chairman
John Vollmer said the Finance
Committee agreed to vote favorably on
these bills after meeting Monday night
for about four hours.
Vollmer said the committee had to
eliminate several requests because more
money was requested than Congress has
in its budget.
“About 125 percent of what we had
left was requested,” he said. “We had a
whole lot of money requested. We cut a
whole lot out.”
Bounce magazine, anew publication
on campus, will receive SBBB.
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DTH/MIKE MESSIER
Tar Heel fan Tom Benfield is organizing a fund-raiser to help pay for
damages sustained by this car during Thursday's Franklin Street celebration.
Wednesday, February 7, 2001
tricts, a total of 37 seats.
The 12 undergraduate candidates are
freshman Robert Shapiro and freshman
Rose Miller for District 11, junior Mark
Townsend for District 12, freshman
Kimberly Turner and freshman Allison
Perry for District 14, freshman Nathan
Cherry and freshman Seth Floyd for
District 15, freshman Christa
Cottemond for District 16, freshman
Haroun Habib for District 17, freshman
Thomas Sweeney for District 18, sopho
more Matthew O’Brien for District 20
and junior Andrew Wagner for District
21.
Districts 1 through 9 are graduate dis
tricts and contain 12 congressional seats.
But only two graduate students got the
10 required signatures to be put on the
ballot.
Gregory Wahl, a law student, is run
ning for District 1, and Elmarie Bodes, a
graduate toxicology' student, is running
for District 7.
See CONGRESS RACES, Page 7
Representatives from the magazine said
it will provide humor and political satire
about events both at UNC and around
the world.
Congress voted to fund three issues of
the magazine, with 3,000 copies of each.
QNC will receive $220 to fund the
publicity, equipment rental and techni
cal fees for a drag show involving pro
fessional drag queens. It will be held in
the Union Auditorium in March.
KASA will use its $915.75 to host
Korea Night on Feb. 24, which will
include a professional fan dance.
Congress restored money to the
UNC Ballroom Dance Club that had
been cut by the Finance Committee.
The club originally asked for $1,200
to pay for advanced dance lessons for
club members. This was reduced to
$350 by the committee, but the
Congress voted to restore S3OO of this
funding. The Ballroom Dance Club said
it could raise the remaining SSOO to
S6OO itself through the two fund-raising
events it has planned.
Three nonfinancial bills also were
See CONGRESS, Page 7
3