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ERIN MENDELL
Orange County
Kids Need to
Habla Espanol
According to the 2000 U.S.
Census, Hispanics now make
up the largest minority in
North Carolina. So it’s fitting that the
Orange County Board of Education is
taking strides to make sure its students
habla EspanoL
School board members restated
their commitment to having a full-time
Spanish teacher in each of die seven
elementary schools Tuesday night.
Currendy there is only one fall-time
Spanish teacher at Grady Brown
Elementary School.
The board had already requested
three more and added an additional
three to the request Tuesday.
It would be easy to write the request
off as frivolous.
Yeah, foreign language teachers
would be great in an elementary
school, but shouldn’t we be more wor
ried about reducing class sizes and just
getting enough teachers in general?
No.
Adding full-time Spanish teachers to
Orange County elementary schools is
something that should go along with
improving education in more tradi
tional ways.
We’ve all heard the buzz about
smaller class sizes and higher-paid
teachers, but those are by no means
the only improvements that need to be
made.
The demographics of the United
States and this area in particular are
changing.
It’s not reasonable to expect English
as a second-language teachers, who are
often struggling to just keep students
from falling too far behind, to pick up
the slack.
In this case, there is an increasing
population of Spanish-speaking stu
dents.
That’s an easily targetable demo
graphic.
While full-time Spanish teachers
wouldn’t direcdy help Spanish-speak
ing students learn English, but they
would bridge a potentially huge gap -
one Orange County Schools officials
should try to avoid.
There is a natural divide between
people who don’t speak the same lan
guage.
Racial and ethnic tensions already
exist in educational environments.
(Even at UNC, where we like to
think of ourselves as enlightened and
tolerant, we’re constantly holding
race relations forums to address con
flict.)
If elementary school-aged children
were taught Spanish, they could better
relate to their Spanish-speaking peers,
even the ones who speak English well
also.
In addition, Spanish-speaking stu
dents wouldn’t feel so alienated.
They would see their peers learn
ing their first language and so would
n’t be made to feel like complete out
siders.
It would do a lot to get rid of the
“us” vs. “them” mentality that’s so easy
to get into when you encounter some
one different from you.
Besides, when children are
immersed in a second language at a
young age, they often forget much of
their first language despite their par
ents’ best efforts.
Having a full-time Spanish teacher
would offer students who speak
Spanish as a first language the
chance to retain and refine their
skills.
That way those students wouldn’t
have to lose a skill they’ve already
worked so hard to learn.
There is, of course, the nice but
unnecessary added benefit of students
being able to start learning a second
language early.
But that’s not where the benefits
stop.
Yes, there are budget constraints,
and school boards can’t get everything
on their wish lists.
But Orange County will just have to
join the club when it comes to budget
constraints.
And full-time Spanish teachers are
not items for a wish list.
They are something of a necessity,
and Orange County officials should
find a way to work them into the coun
ty budget
Columnist Erin Mendell can be
reached at mendell9email.unc.edu.
Students Celebrate TAs
By Joe Sullivan
Staff Writer
Teaching assistants and their families congregat
ed on Polk Place to enjoy the Thursday afternoon
shade, munch on free barbecue and listen to the
voices and chords of UNC musical groups.
The food and events were all a part of the fourth
annual TA Appreciation Barbecue and Spring Fest
In previous years, Spring Fest was a showcase for
UNC groups to perform and entertain students.
Former Student Body Vice President Lerissa
Rentas said the goal of the event was to thank TAs
and to remind them that their hard work doesn’t go
unnoticed. “There aren’t very many perks to being a
TA, and this is a way for undergrads to express their
thanks to TAs,” she said. “And it’s also a gTeat way
to bridge the gap between the two communities
because it fosters an atmosphere for interaction.”
The event, co-sponsored by student government
and the Carolina Union Activities Board, was
expected to between 1,000 and 2,000 people
throughout the afternoon, Rentas said. She said the
Chapel Hill Stands Out
In Conservative State
By Michael McKnight
Staff Writer
When state leaders were deciding
where to build a state zoo in the late
19605, Chubb Seawell, a conserva
tive lawyer from Carthage and guest
on Jesse Helms’ Viewpoint Editorial
on WRAL-TV, suggested that the
easiest solution might be to simply
put a fence around Chapel Hill.
Many conservatives like Seawell
viewed Chapel Hill, the epicenter of
campus activism in
North Carolina, then
as they do now -a
dark spot on a state
map dominated by
those of similar polit
ical persuasions.
On the other side,
many liberals see
Chapel Hill and the
Triangle as symbolic
of an emerging pro
gressive movement
within the state.
A State ante
Divided
A four-part series
examining the social and
cultural differences in
North Carolina.
Tuesday: Technology
Wednesday: Economy
Thursday: Racial Makeup
Today: Politics
Others think the divide is minimal
and between moderates from both par
ties. As thousands migrate to the state
and the Triangle, the historical divide
between liberal and conservative could
be changing.
The Great Divide
Just as the state has divided itself
along technological, economic and
Two Candidates to Vie
For ASG Presidency
By Courtney Reid
Staff Writer
This Saturday, two candidates will
vie for the post of president of the UNC
Association of Student Governments at
N.C. State University.
Current ASG President Andrew
Payne will ran for re-election against
challenger David Chesley, who is ASG
vice president for legislative affairs.
The following is an outline of their
platform goals.
Andrew Payne
Payne, who has served as president
since last September, is a senior double
major in environmental science and
engineering at N.C. State University.
In the past, Payne also has served as
student body treasurer and academic
committee chairman at N.C. State.
As president, Payne helped organize
the Students’ Day at the Capitol in
February, where students lobbied state
lawmakers to raise awareness about stu
dent concerns.
Payne said he wants to return for a sec
ond term as ASG president because the
organization still has room for growth.
He said he hopes to make the orga
nization more accountable to UNC-sys
tem students by giving them a vested
crowd was a mix of undergraduates, graduate stu
dents, TAs and their families.
Tents and tables were scattered on the lawn, giv
ing students a chance to play skee-ball, get then
faces painted and try their vocal chords at a yelling
contest with the chance to win a DVD player.
Several UNC groups performed on the steps of
South Building, including the Loreleis, the
Achordants, Opeyo! and Carolina Style.
CUAB Issues of Diversity Chairwoman Kristi
Booker, who will be CUAB president next year,
said the talent showcase and TA Appreciation
Barbecue were combined into one afternoon to
enhance the atmosphere of each. “We wanted to
create this festival to showcase UNC talent and to
unify the Carolina community,” she said. “I’m just
pleased that people are out having a good time and
taking a break from the end-of-semester crunch.”
Chancellor James Moeser also addressed the
crowd Thursday afternoon to lend his support “This
is a great way to thank all of you for all the hard
See SPRINGFEST, Page 7
racial boundaries, it also appears to
be divided on the political front
between a traditionally conservative
state and a more liberal Triangle.
To some analysts, such a divide has
persisted for all of recent memory.
UNC political science Professor Thad
Beyle said Chapel Hill and the sur
rounding region always has been more
liberal than the rest of the state. “It’s
always been true," Beyle said. “When I
came here in 1964 it was true.”
Evidence of a distinct progressive
mood in the region abounds
in nearly every facet of
Triangle politics from U.S.
Rep. David Price, D-N.C., to
Carrboro Mayor Mike
Nelson, the state’s first open
ly gay mayor.
Beyle noted that North
Carolina’s fourth district
House seat, currendy held by
Price, which covers large
portions of Durham, Orange
and Wake counties, always
has been home to the state’s
most liberal member of Congress.
But some see the divide much
more subtly.
John Aldrich, a political science
professor at Duke University, said
the divide could be exaggerated.
“The Triangle is not the Democratic
bastion,” Aldrich said. “The state is
fairly evenly divided between the
two parties, and the Triangle is too.”
interest in ASG via a student fee, a pro
posal that students would vote on in a
referendum. “I want students to vote on
the idea of a mandatory refundable fee
that will hopefully serve as a referen
dum on ASG,” Payne said.
Payne went on to say he would focus
on the internal structure of ASG if re
elected. “We have visions of large goals,
and we try to jump at them instead of
taking the daily steps to make the
visions become reality,” he said. “I plan
to change that.”
Payne’s running mate is Sonja
Blanks, student body president of
Fayetteville State University.
Payne said her experiences in student
government and at die small, historical
ly black university will be of great value.
“We need to restrengthen ties between
ASG and other organizations such as
the N.C. Black Student Organization."
David Chesley
David Chesley is Payne’s only oppo
nent in the upcoming ASG election.
Chesley, a junior political science
major at Western Carolina University, is
the ASG vice president for legislative
affairs. He also served as a student senator
and chief of communications at WCU.
See ASG, Page 7
News
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DTH/BRENT CLARK
Six-year-old Chisung Cho plays with bubbles at one of the activity areas set up for
Springfest on Thursday. The event also featured free food, bands ana carnival attractions.
Aldrich said the split ideology is bet
ter described as being between a mod
erate Triangle and a conservative state.
Aldrich and Beyle both noted that
Raleigh’s election of a series of con
servative mayors, such as Tom Fetzer
and Paul Coble, could be indicative of
a political divide within the Triangle
between the traditionally more liberal
Durham and Orange counties and a
fairly conservative Wake County.
The Liberal Triangle
Reasons for the divide are varied,
but the most common are racial and
economic. “The history of the South
has led it down a different path,”
Aldrich said. “The most coaservative
people in the South tend to be poor
er. That’s why Jesse Helms’ support
is stronger in the east”
Wake Forest University political sci
ence Professor Jack Fleer suggested
that region’s political bearings might be
impacted by Raleigh, the seat of state
government “In the case of Raleigh,
you have a large number of govern
ment employees there,” Fleer said.
“They’re people who are more likely
to view government more favorably.”
All three analysts cited the area’s
close academic ties and a high minor
ity population as the factors most
responsible for the Triangle’s leanings.
A Changing State
Bill Cobey, chairman of the N.C.
Face Behind the ' Freak '
By Lanita Withers
Staff Writer
Hundreds of hours of organizing,
making phone calls, forming strategies,
meeting with committees and writing
letters will have their grand finale
tonight Then senior Charles
Campbell will have a chance to relax.
Maybe.
Greek Freak is the annual step show
and afterparty spon
sored by the Mu rvYW-.
Zeta chapter of IkWJv
Alpha Phi Alpha
Freak had a
record attendance I
of 8,132 people. The show V J
has earned a reputation as
one of the premiere step shows in the
South, with appearances by Black
Entertainment Television’s Big Tigger
and major corporate sponsorship by
BET.com and Heart & Soul magazine.
For the past two years, Campbell, a
computer science major from
Pemberton, NJ., has worked as coordi
nator or co-coordinator, collaborating
with show pros, security, the head of
Greek affairs and corporate sponsors to
produce a successful and secure event
“Last year Big Tigger was a big
name," he said. “This year we said,
‘Who could bring in a bigger crowd?’
Republican Party, said the liberal
nature of the Triangle, especially of
Chapel Hill, is entrenched in the uni
versity community.
“People across the state love
Chapel Hill, but they hate the politics
that comes out of there.”
While change might not necessar
ily happen quickly, it likely will occur
as the population of the state and the
Triangle explodes and thousands of
new residents pour in - bringing
their own political leanings.
Beyle said that during his tenure at
the University, newcomers to the area
have made it more politically bal
anced. “A lot of people are moving
(to the Triangle) and bringing their
Republicaness from the Northeast
and Midwest with them,” Beyle said.
Cobey agreed that Republicans
were gaining strength in the Triangle.
“Here locally, there was no respect
for Republicans, and you were treat
ed like an outcast, and now you’re
treated with respect”
But Cobey said the great number of
liberal Democrats associated with the
area’s universities and Durham’s large
minority population make it difficult
for his party to grow in the area.
Cobey said the party was instead
focusing on trying to grow in other
areas of the state, like in the East and
in the suburban areas of Charlotte.
See SOCIAL, Page 7
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OTU/ARIEI, SHUMAKER
Senior Charles Campbell rests in front of the truck that holds the stage
for Greek Freak 2001. Thousands are expected to attend Friday's show.
Most everybody agreed on (BET per
sonality) Hits From the Street.”
So Campbell got busy, called BET
and scheduled Hits to host the show.
“People say “you guys have connec
tions,’” Campbell said. “But I just
picked up the phone and called. They
give you the runaround, but by the
end of the day, you have Hits’ manag
er’s phone number in your hand."
LaMar Mack, president of the Mu
Friday, April 20, 2001
Forum Aims
To Advance
Moratorium
Wrongly accused former
death row inmate Darby
Tillis described his prison
term as "pure horror."
By Mandy Melton
Staff Writer
A wrongly accused fanner death row
inmate and the sister of an N.C. death
row inmate told audience members
Thursday night that a moratorium to
halt all executions is needed now and
that the abolishment of the death pen;d
ty should soon follow.
Rose Clark, the sister of death row
inmate Ernest Basden, opened the cam
pus forum sponsored primarily by the
UNC Campaign to End the Death
Penalty by apologizing in advance for
her emotions. She said her experience
with the death penalty was a harsh edu
cation.
Clark said during her brother’s trial
she became aware that money and a
high social status sometimes give defen
dants greater influence in court.
“When you’re an average poor per
son, you don’t have as good of a chance
as wealthier people,” she said.
“If you’re ignorant (about the judicial
process), then it’s even worse. It’s not an
equal system at all.”
Darby Tillis took a more personal
attack against the death penalty. He
described his experience on death row
as nine years of pure horror. “I was
incarcerated for nine years, one month
and 17 days in a penal system for a
crime that I did not commit,” he said.
Tillis was sentenced to death row in
1977 for double murder and armed rob
bery and was later acquitted.
Tillis said the death penalty is tire
most powerful weapon that a state can
use against criminals because once sen
tenced, inmates only can sit and con
template about when they will be exe
cuted.
See DEATH PENALTY, Page 7
Zeta chapter, is not surprised by
Campbell’s dedication. “A lot of people
don’t see a lot of the backstage work
that goes into Greek Freak,” Mack said.
“That’s stuff that Charles very actively
and energetically takes a hold of.”
Campbell has devoted tire majority
of his time to making sura the show
goes off without a hitch. He uses spare
See CAMPBELL, Page 7
3