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(The Daily (Tar Hprl ASHLEY STEPHENSON Scott Kicks Past Grad Speakers In the Head Kudos to the senior class officers for finally getting it right. Stuart Scott is speaking at graduation, a man who is as cool as the other side of the pillow. The people will come in droves, I predict, filling nearly every seat in Kenan Stadium, ears pricked in antici pation for what words of wisdom might tumble forth from the lips of the best announcer, bar none, on ESPN. Seniors from the days of yesteryear will no doubt curse the academic apti tude that allowed them to graduate before May 2001. And they have good reason to. Because the speakers of •graduations past sucked. They certainly had big names (well, some did, in particular circles) and had good messages (well, some of them harshed the graduation mellow). They •gave it the old college try. But there was a reason most of the parents were zoning out and changing the film in their cameras as said speak ers delivered a veritable cornucopia of pointers for the twenty-somethings on the move. Seniors passed the time napping on the shoulder of the person next to •them, only retreating from their post drunken haze to halfheartedly knock the inevitable beach ball. I understand that those lucky few chosen to wear the caps and gowns might have attended a UNC gradua tion in years past, and they know what I’m talking about. But the rest of you have no frame of reference for how bad past graduation speakers were, and thus, how terrific Stuart Scott will be. So here I present your guide, Cliffs Notes style, to those who have graced the lawn of Kenan and wel comed Tar Heels into the real world. 1996 - Nobel Prize winner and Irish poet Seamus Heaney. Name recognition: 6. (Some students will rec ognize his name, and those who don’t know they should.) Speech: Eloquent, chock full of lit erary references. Heaney quotes William Wordsworth. Quote: “Make the world before you a better one by going into it with boldness.” Comments: Great, inspiring mes sage and thus, ignored. 1997 - White House Chief of Staff Erskine Bowles Name recognition: 9. Speech: Personal anecdotes and pointers. Quote: “If I tell my wife I’ll be home at 8 p.m. and I get home at 7:30 p.m., I’m a hero. But if I tell her I’ll be home at 7 p.m. and I get home at the exact 7:30 p.m., I’m in the doghouse.” Comments: Most graduates couldn’t give two shits about his wife, but Bowles earns extra points for making the speech only 18 minutes long. 1998 - Marian Wright Edelman, founder and president of the Children’s Defense Fund. Name recognition: 2 (Who?) Speech: Money bad, help the poor. Quote: “Where’s our moral out rage? Where’s your moral outrage?” Comments: Jesus, lady, ease up. Speech kills the celebration mood, especially with tale about poor mom who could only feed her child ketchup and water from McDonald’s. That’s just plain unnecessary. 1999 - New York Knicks player, Sen. Bill Bradley. Name recognition: 8. Speech: Tinged with references to Columbine, Mr. Rogers-esque plea to treat your neighbor well. Quote: “Something is wrong when parents do not see their children are building bombs under their roofs.” Comments: Two reactions from graduates - depression and snooze. 2000 - Deputy Secretary of the Treasury Stuart Eizenstat. Name recognition: 3 (Who?) Speech: Screw your dreams. Spend future fixing our mistakes. Quote: “It is up to your generation to pick up our slack and to restore ide alism and service to this nation.” Comments: C’mon man. We’re ready to toss the caps and get soused. The senior class honchos have redeemed themselves. The path to Stuart Scott has been paved with good intentions. But there is light at the end of the tunnel. 800-yah! Columnist Ashley Stephenson can be reached at ashley2l@email.unc.edu. Shelton: UNC Should Not Be 'Cookie Cutter' Bv Brook Corwin Staff Writer Surrounded by the elegance of Alumni Hall on Friday, UNC faculty got a first look at their newest colleague - Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor Robert Shelton. Shelton, who took office Feb. 1, spoke to a crowd of about 80 faculty members after greeting most of them as they JH -*f I • . flt' 'll R > § 'ML m**m’ -■ * jjp" -■L fl Hg .•-., - _ j L ■*•' j ffl ■wj -fwpfc jm^ : - , Jmm'' jyfc..■’■ j ■' .&■'■****• •,•*• - 1.... - _ aa ■ DTH/EMILY NETZEL Antonio Pedro, Jose Pedro and Diogo Pedro celebrate at the Brazilian festival held at the Carrboro Arts Center on Saturday. The event, similar to Mardi Gras, was held to celebrate the area's diversity. Carrboro Samples Brazilian Culture The Carrboro Arts Center hosted Carnaval 2001, which was held a week later than usual in order to find an available Brazilian band. Bv Matt Viser Staff Writer People of various ages, races and nationalities gathered at the Carrboro Arts Center on Saturday to taste Camaval 2001, a celebration of Brazilian culture, through ethnic foods, dancing and music. The festivities started at 8:30 p.m. when peo ple lined up outside the center despite the dis mal weather, eager to begin celebrating the annual Brazilian Camaval. Some revelers said they felt this was the biggest year for the event. School Board Accepts Plan to Reduce Overcrowding By Phii. Bailey Staff Writer The Chapel Hill-Carrboro Board of Education approved a short-term plan Thursday aimed at easing overcrowding in the district’s three most crowded ele mentary schools. McDougle, Seawell and Scroggs ele mentary schools are either overcrowded or close to full capacity, according to a report conducted by the board’s over crowding committee. The committee recommended three separate solutions for each of the schools, which officials say will be implemented immediately. HpiS " " DTH/BESS LOEWENBAUM Former U.S. Secretary of Labor Robert Reich spoke Friday at Duke. Reich discussed the future of the Democratic Party. entered the building. As provost, Shelton is the head of academic, administrative and operating affairs at UNC, and his speech empha sized the importance of establishing an academic plan for the University that would incorporate faculty and adminis trative interests. “An overall academic plan is a vehicle for administration and faculty to offer a shared vision for the University,” he said. “We need to work Nv, • Since 1641, Camaval ha? been an annuaicel ebration in Brazil held during the four-day span' prior to the start of Lent, the 40-day period that precedes Easter. Camaval has been celebrated in the Triangle area since the late 19705, but was taken over by the Brazilian Association of the Triangle in 1999. Although Camaval was celebrated last week end in Brazil, officials decided to wait until this weekend to celebrate Carrboro’s Camaval. “It’s easier to book a band,” said Murilo Rizzo, a volunteer from the local association. Most Brazilian bands were booked last week for during the time of the actual Camaval, he added. The event has evolved from a religious cel ebration into more of an appreciation of Brazilian culture, regardless of one’s religious background. “It’s like Mardi Gras,” Rizzo said. But the festivities were not just attended by But although the board approved measures that would move some stu dents from one school to another, offi cials emphasized that the plan should not be characterized as redistricting. The committee, which consists of a group of parents, teachers and adminis trators, was formed in September. The report states that McDougle faces the worst overcrowding with 78 students over its maximum of 596. To alleviate overcrowding at McDougle, future stu dents from the Lake Hogan Farms development, which is currently under construction, will attend Carrboro Elementary instead of McDougle. News with shared strategies.” When asked what such an academic plan would constitute, Shelton replied that it would define the priorities of the University and specifically address the concerns of how to best compensate fac ulty for their time. Shelton also stressed the importance of faculty combining talents across dis ciplines for UNC to fulfill its goals as a research university. “Research repre Brazilians. “That’s what Brazil is all about,” said Max Mascarenhas, 29, from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. “It’s a rich mix of different cultures and we try, here in Carrboro, to reflect that.” Oscar Uoola, a Spanish teacher from Chile, said the diverse atmosphere made the event more fun. “One of the things I love about the culture is we’re not just one culture, but a mix ture of ethnicity and culture,” he said. Various types of dancing were featured, ranging from the improvised and upbeat samba to the choreographed axe, which originated in the Bahia state in Brazil. A major feature of Camaval was capoeira, a martial arts dance originated by slaves that came to Brazil from Africa. Mascarenhas said the slaves wanted to revolt without letting their own- See CARNAVAL, Page 6 Residents whose contracts to build or purchase new homes in Lake Hogan Farms before March 31 will not be included in the spot redistricting. The board also approved eliminating the prekindergarten class at McDougle and moving those students to a site to be specified at a later date, increasing the school’s capacity by 23 students. T>vo mobile classrooms also will be added at McDougle, increasing its capacity by an additional 52 students. Seawell Elementary School, which is now at 108 percent capacity even with several mobile classrooms, also will experience changes under the plan. Former Labor Secretary Urges Democrats to Return to Left By Michael McKnight Staff Writer DURHAM - At just over 5 feet tall, former Labor Secretary Robert Riech peered over a podi um at Duke University on Friday to deliver a doc trine for reviving the Democratic Party. Riech, who served as secretary of labor from 1993 to 1997, urged a crowd of nearly 200 to move the Democratic Party - which he referred to as “dead” - further to the left on the political spectrum. Riech began his speech, which he gave at the Terry Sanford Institute of Public Policy, sharing fond remembrances of his years in former President Clinton’s Cabinet. Riech then addressed Republicans in the audi ence. “There are many of you in the audience who are Republicans," he said. “I respect you. I don’t like you, but I respect you.” The comment elicited laughter from Democrats in sents creative scholarships in all fields.” But Shelton said it also is important for UNC to maintain standards of excel lence and not spread itself too thin while extending its resources across disciplines and into government and private sectors. “These are very exciting and demanding times,” he said. “The challenge is meet ing these demands while retaining our unique Carolina flavor. There’s no need to be cookie-cutter like everybody else." County Officials Oppose Ruling On CP&L Plant Although the Atomic Safety and Licensing Board denied county commissioners the right to more hearings, they could appeal. By Coke Whitworth Staff Writer Orange County officials said they are not sure if they will continue a two-year battle against the expansion of a local nuclear power plant after a major setback Thursday. Last week’s ruling gave Carolina Power & Light Cos. the go ahead to increase its waste storage potential at the Shearon Harris Nuclear Power Plant and denies any further hearings regarding the expansion. The Atomic Safety and Licensing Board, a branch of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, ruled that CP&L now can utilize two more waste storage pools at Shearon Harris, locat ed in Wake County. The decision also denies the Orange County Board of Commissioners the right to further hearings regarding the plant’s expansion. Commissioner Alice Gordon said she is not sure if the county commissioners will appeal the ASLB’s decision. “We will most likely discuss (the decision) in one of the next couple board meetings and decide on our next step before the end of March,” Gordon said. “We certainly haven’t missed any deadlines for an appeal.” According to a press release from the ASLB, the Orange County Commissioners did not make a strong enough case against the plant’s expansion. “The licensing board finds that (Orange County Commissioners) failed to identify any evidence of any disput ed factual or legal matters that warrant an additional eviden tiary proceeding,” the release states. Commissioner Barry Jacobs said the ASLB’s failure to lis ten to what he called “very legitimate concerns” is upsetting. “It’s sad that we have a system that remains closed to, and actually seems antagonistic toward, the health and safety con cerns of an entire community,” Jacobs said. The commissioners said that although Shearon Harris is located in southwestern Wake County, Orange County resi dents have cause to be concerned for their health and safety. Gordon said according to the nuclear consultant hired by the board, an accident at the plant would affect a 50-mile radius, which includes all of Chapel Hill. “In the worst-case scenario, a total meltdown could affect the entire state of North Carolina,” Gordon said. But CP&L spokesman Mike Hughes said he doesn’t under stand why there is even a debate about the expansion. “The two pools that are being protested were built back when the plant was built, and they are housed in the same area as the already active waste pools, so nothing will actually have See NRC, Page 6 Resource areas, specifically a science room, will be moved to Smith Middle School when that school is completed, creating additional classroom capacity. Seawell students will also use Smith facil ities for physical education, music and art A third school, Scroggs Elementary School, will move its prekindergarten students to Glenwood and Carrboro ele mentary schools, increasing Scroggs' capacity by 52 students. School board member Roger Waldon said the board was working to adjust atten dance zones so that new families moving into the community do not have to send their children to overcrowded schools. Monday, Mardi 5, 2001 In a reception that followed, audience members said they were pleased to hear Shelton’s promise to work together with faculty from his administrative position. “The overture of engaging faculty as partners is really important,” said Archie Ervin, UNC’s director of minority affairs. “That’s the olive branch.” Faculty members said they were See SHELTON, Page 6 The district hopes to gain approval from the Orange County Board of Commissioners for a referendum that, if approved by voters, would fund con struction of two new elementary schools. But school board members are look ing at other options should the referen dum fail, such as year-round schooling. School board member Gloria Faley said that even with the short-term reme dies, overcrowding woes will continue. “By the time we actually build, (the schools) will be jammed to the gills.” The City Editor can be reached at citydesk@unc.edu. the audience and halfhearted grins from Republicans. Riech said the Democratic Party is now at a crossroads. “Anybody who wants to be optimistic or upbeat about the Democratic Party has a hard argument to make,” he said. A1 Gore’s failure to win the White House in the 2000 Presidential race largely has contributed to the party’s present condition, Riech said. He speculated that Gore failed to win a larger portion of the popular vote because he and Republican candidate George W. Bush both ground ed their campaigns close to the ideological center. Riech also said Gore’s appearance in front of the cameras hurt him. “(Gore) came off as an automaton.” Riech said the Democratic Party began moving to the right of the political spectrum during Clinton’s second run for office in 1996 and continued during Gore’s presidential campaign. See LABOR, Page 6 3
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