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ANNE FAWCETT
Sanders' Snub
Bodes Poorly
For System
I was shocked to read in Friday’s
Daily Tar Heel that John Sanders
was not re-elected to the UNC
Board of Governors.
Granted, my experience with the
university system’s governing body
has been limited to the last two years,
but Sanders has been the heart and
conscience of the BOG during that
time.
He has been one of the board’s
most knowledgeable members and stu
dents’ most stalwart supporters during
his two-year tenure.
Above all, Sanders believes in the
University and its capacity to do good
with its students and the state.
He has spent his career in service to
North Carolina.
Sanders was a member of the facul
ty at the Institute of Government for
33 years, with 25 as the institute’s
head.
He is one of the fathers of the state’s
modem constitution. When the
General Assembly convened in 1968
to redraft the Constitution, he served
as staff adviser.
Sanders helped create the statewide
community college system. He helped
design a plan for desegregating the
UNC system in the early 19705.
How did the N.C. House not re
elect him to the BOG?
Sanders was the one person who
should have been a shoo-in to keep his
seat. He and others estimated that he
was running second or third among
the 12 candidates for the seats.
The decision makes no sense.
Who knows what our illustrious
representatives were thinking when
they cast their votes?
Maybe everyone assumed that
Sanders was guaranteed to keep his
seat, so they voted for other candi
dates.
Or maybe Sanders was doing his
job too well. Perhaps he made the
General Assembly and the other mem
bers of the board think too hard about
raising tuition capriciously.
Perhaps he was too great an advo
cate for students and too loud in his
refrain of only raising tuition under
exceptional circumstances.
He warned with great foresight that
the decision last spring to raise tuition
on five of the 16 UNC campuses was a
dangerous precedent that would lead
to a flood of future requests. Just as he
predicted, N.C. Central and
Appalachian State universities, among
others, requested tuition increases this
year.
Perhaps representatives from the
west were intent on increasing the influ
ence of Piedmont and Charlotte resi
dents on the board. Others could have
been trying to raise the board’s minority
presence. There are rumors of an
alliance between the Black Caucus and
the GOP.
Theories abound as those who
know and respect Sanders try to
explain the illogical decision.
It could have been politics; it could
have been carelessness.
Politics seems the likely explana
tion, but it’s also the worst reason.
Support for public higher education
shouldn’t be an issue that splits
Democrats and Republicans.
“It’s unfortunate how politicized
this process often gets,” said Jeff
Nieman, a former student BOG mem
ber.
“(BOG) votes almost never come
down along party lines, yet party affili
ation plays an inordinately large role
in the membership selection process.”
Nieman is currendy circulating a
letter of support for Sanders among
the state’s leaders, many of whom
have looked to Sanders as a mentor
throughout their careers.
The only certainty is that the UNC
system and the state as a whole will be
worse off after Sanders’ last BOG
meetingjune 8.
I hope Sanders will continue to stay
involved with higher education in
North Carolina. Even though he and I
are only slightly acquainted, I know he
has the integrity to not let one vote
from the N.C. House keep him from
pursuing his passion.
He will be a dangerous watchdog
for the interests of students and univer
sities in North Carolina.
Columnist Anne Fawcett can be
reached at fawcetta@hotmail.com.
Town Studies Options for New Land
By Leah Cole
Staff Writer
After a public hearing that attracted no com
ment from residents, the Chapel Hill Town
Council passed a resolution to purchase a tract
of land that could soon house the Chapel Hill
Public Works Department
The council needs to find anew location for
both the Public Works and Transportation
departments because of the likelihood that their
current University-owned leases will not be
renewed.
“As the council well knows, we face difficul
ty,” Town Manager Cal Horton said.
The departments are currently located on
the Horace Williams property on Airport Road.
The town rents this land from the University
for $1 a year, but this lease expires Dec. 31,
2006.
The University has not agreed to the town’s
requests to extend the lease for an additional 10
years because UNC plans to develop the land
into a research and housing facility.
The failure to obtain an extension has led the
town to search for new sites to house both of
these municipal operations.
In an 8-1 vote Monday night, the council
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DTH/MIKE MESSIER
UNC men's crew club rowers Paul Scruggs (foreground) and Matt Clark row on the club's "erg" machines in the Pit on Monday
night as a part of the club's annual Erg-A-Thon fund-raiser. The Erg-A-Thon lasts 26 hours straight, and dub rowers take one- to
two-hour shifts, advertising for businesses that contribute money to the club.
Outlook for Downtowns Is Moving Up
By Michael Davis
Staff Writer
During the last few decades, downtowns of
Piedmont cities have been marked not by bur
geoning business but by desolate buildings and
little pedestrian activity.
But prompted by intense downtown revital
ization efforts in several N.C. cities, Main
Street is back.
At least that’s what .community leaders
across the state have in mind.
After seeing downtowns suffer as a result of
suburban growth, city leaders are planning
ways to reinvigorate commerce in these areas.
So far, results are promising. Buildings are
filling, sidewalks are brimming with shoppers,
and residents are more eager to venture down
New Club Brings 'Class' to Greensboro
By Russ Lane
Assistant Arts & Entertainment Editor
GREENSBORO The Artistika Cafe Concert is the type of
music club that makes you think twice before lighting a cigarette.
Located at 523 S. Elm St -a part of downtown Greensboro’s arts
and antiques district the Artistika’s decor is a far cry from the con
crete floors of Go! Rehearsal Studios or Cat’s Cradle, making smok
ers a little self-conscious to light up in a building that exudes class.
The wooden ceilings and grainy pale brick walls are juxtaposed
with colorful tapestries hanging from the walls. The 20-by-30 stage
was built so that all the wiring is under the performance space and
reaches the $25,000 sound system tucked away in the far comer.
An iMac and a statue of Cupid sit on the L-shaped bar close to
the door. It’s a mix of the old and new- of technology and
antiques -and it gives the venue an unpretentious but dignified
atmosphere. And smoking is permitted at the Artistika.
The relatively empty streets are a sharp contrast to the Artistika’s
interior. The owner, former advertising executive Hugo Pascale, and
house manager, film industry veteran Audra Angela, have convert
ed an old hardware store into a 5,000-square-foot concert venue.
Pascale said the Artistika was built in a location without much
competition on the street or in the city.
“We are aiming for the live music fans that are going to other
cities instead of staying in Greensboro,” he said.
Pascale and Angela - neither of whom had run a club before -
began researching revitalization in the state and realized their plans
approved an installment
contract for the purchase
of a 54-acre parcel of land
that is bounded by
Eubanks Road, Mill
House Road and
Interstate 40.
This 54-acre site was
selected to house the
Public Works Department
because it is one of the
few large vacant areas in
Chapel Hill.
“We were looking at
areas that would have
enough acreage," council
member Jim Ward said.
“They are pretty easy to find because there
are not that many left.”
Horton said the large area of land is needed
to shield residents from the new facility.
“One of the reasons that we need so much
land is because we plan on significant buffer
ing,” he said.
Ward said he has concerns about the ability
of the town to relocate both operations within
six years, when the lease expires.
“Under the best circumstances it would be a
ROW, ROW, ROW YOUR BOAT
town after the sun sets.
Wilmington; Battling Suburbia
Like many cities across the state, Wilmington
saw its share of suburban sprawl in the 19705.
The trend was highlighted by the opening of
Independence Mall in 1979, with most urban
retailers fleeing either to the mall or to other
shopping centers on the outskirts of town.
Bob Murphrey, executive director of
Wilmington’s Downtown Area Revitalization Effort
Inc., remembers the fading days of downtown all
too well. “(The downtown region) bottomed out in
the early 80s, and then it started picking up steam,”
he said. “It’s been steady progress since then.”
The re-emergence of the downtown can be
credited partially to the work of Murphrey’s non
profit organization, which has been recruiting
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tight time frame in which to make that move,”
Ward said.
Council member Kevin Foy said he feels the
town probably will not be able to relocate both
operations within the six-year time frame, but
because this would cause problems for both the
town and the University, he feels something
can be worked out
“No transportation system is a problem for
the University, as well,” Foy said.
“I think that something will be able to be
worked out.”
Horton said no sites have yet been identified
as a possible home for the Department of
Transportation.
“We are still searching for a transit site,”
Horton said.
Council member Pat Evans said there are
more options for the Department of
Transportation site because of the far-reaching
community impact of the transit system.
“We are partners in terms of transportation
with Carrboro and the University, and there
may be other options of locations for (the
Department of Transportation).”
The City Editor can be reached
at citydesk@unc.edu.
Chapel Hill Town
Council member
Jim Ward
said the search was
made easier by the
limited choices.
for the Artistika were in sync with their findings.
“We found the most crucial element of any down
town (revitalization project) has to be that it reflects
the arts and cultures of its residents," Angela said.
The foundation of the Artistika began in 1997,
when Pascale bought the property and slowly
began construction. Since its Christmas 2000 open
ing, Pascale and Angela have focused on bringing
more live music to Greensboro.
Pascale creates a compilation CD each month
highlighting several tracks from bands with
forthcoming performances. In addition to pro
viding live music Wednesday through Saturday,
Pascale plans to include a latin music showcase
and informal jam sessions to the weekly roster.
“It’s obviously different than hearing a band
in a bar - the band commands the room here,"
Angela said.
On March 23, Wilmington-based pop-rock out-
fit Velvet were playing as several police walked in and chatted with
Angela. While the sight of police at a concert venue could evoke neg
ative reflects for the club, both Pascale and Angela said they have
experienced no problems with crime since the Artistika’s opening.
“I’m surprised that downtown Greensboro (and most downtown
areas in the state have) this reputation of being ‘unsafe,’" Angela
said. “I feel safer here than at the Four Seasons’ parking lot.”
The police seen visiting the Artistika, Angela said, are present
business to the region since 1977.
With more than S2OO million invested in the
downtown, Murphrey has witnessed the renova
tion of 250 buildings, the creation of 250 living
units and the addition of between 3,000 and
4,000 jobs to the area since the late 19705.
In die late 19905, after realizing many of their
goals were reached, Murphrey and his team cre
ated Vision 2020, an urban development plan to
guide the downtown into the new century.
One of the major parts of the plan is the con
struction of a convention center on an old indus
trial site bordering the Cape Fear River.
Murphrey is in favor of a room occupancy tax
and a prepared food tax increase to help fund the
project, but he said that so far legislators have
been hesitant to approve the tax increases.
Murphrey said such issues, as well as those
DTH/BRENT CLARK
Proprietors of Artistika, anew club in downtown Greensboro, watch as
the Wilmington-based band Velvet performs a set.
Wednesday, April 11, 2001
Student BOG Rep
One Step Closer
To Voting Power
The bill needs the approval of the N.C.
Senate and Gov. Mike Easley's signature
before the ASG president can vote.
By Kristy Jones
Staff Writer
RALEIGH - The N.C. House Education Committee
approved a bill by voice vote Tuesday that would allow a stu
dent vote on the Board of Governors, despite some opposition
from committee members of both parties.
About 10 students, including UNC Association of Student
Governments President Andrew Payne, listened to the com
mittee debate the bill, which will now go before the Rules and
Calendar Committee and then on to the full House. The house
committee must determine if the proposed bill is properly
written and then schedule its introduction on the House floor.
Rep. Joe Hackney, D-Orange, vice chairman of the rules
committee, said he believes that the bill will not die in the rules
committee. The bill also must be approved in the N.C. Senate
and signed by Gov. Mike Easley before it becomes law.
The bill’s safe passage through the committee is a major vic
tory for student leaders, who have been lobbying for a BOG
vote for years. A similar bill died in a Senate committee in 1999.
About 40 legislators took part in the committee meeting,
debating the merits of the bill and how it would impact the BOG.
Rep. Alma Adams, D-Guilford, who sponsored the bill, told
committee members the bill would allow students fair represen
tation on the board. “It would restore meaningful participation to
the student member of the Board of Governors,” Adams said.
She said student body presidents at each UNC-system
school already receives voting privileges on their respective
boards of trustees. Adams argued this privilege should be
extended to the lone student member on the BOG.
But some committee members said the student sits on the
board for only one year - not enough time to get a grasp on
the issues the board considers.
And Rep. Gregory Thompson, R-Catawba, said allowing
the student member to vote is unfair to the rest of the BOG.
“This is a slap in the face to those who work hard to get elect
ed,” he said.
The BOG sets policy for the UNC system, as well as
approving tuition and student fee increases.
Rep. Phillip Haire, D-Graham, said he opposes the student
vote because the student population changes every year
meaning that student priorities might shift frequently.
But other committee members countered that an extra vote
on the board would not change the direction of the BOG and
said their fellow committee members’ concerns are invalid.
There are currendy 32 voting members on the board, all of
whom were elected by either the state House or Senate.
Rep. Maggie Jeffiis, D-Guilford, vice chairwoman of the edu
cation committee, said student leaders are highly capable. “These
student leaders did not get where they are overnight,” she said.
After die meeting concluded, Rep. Donald Bonner, D-
Hoke, co-chairman of the committee, said he supports the bill
but would not speculate if it will pass the House.
Payne, who is running for another term as ASG president,
said he is optimistic about Tuesday’s meeting and that he
believes the bill will pass. “With support from the committee,
we should have the same success in the House.”
If the bill is approved this summer, Payne or his successor
will be able to vote on the BOG. “Today’s results were awe
some because we’ve been working 10 years for this.”
The State & National Editor can be reached at
stntdesk@uncedu.
with suburban developers concerned their efforts
will take a hit, are inevitable. “There are always
those who are going to oppose the changes or
think they have a better idea for it.”
Raleigh; What Next?
Errol Frailey, president of the Downtown
Raleigh Alliance, a nonprofit organization look
ing to improve business in the capital’s down
town, said there have been noticeable differences
recendy. “We’ve been trying to raise visibility to
all the changes in downtown Raleigh in the last
five years.”
Frailey said there has been a recent interest in
visual and performing arts in Raleigh. Several
galleries have opened in the last several years,
See REVITALIZATION, Page 9
because they are fans, not watchdogs, of the club. She said six to
eight police officers stop by the venue regularly. “We’re so thank
ful for the word-of-mouth,” Angela added.
Joe Trappe, keyboardist for Suitcase, said the mix of the venue’s
theater-like atmosphere and attitude make a better musical expe
rience for both musicians and audiences.
See ARTISTIKA, Page 9
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