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Friday, October 12, 2001
Safe Zone Kicks Off, Offers Chance to Be LGBT Ally
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Provost Robert Shelton speaks Thursday afternoon at the kickoff for Safe Zone, a network of allies created for the lesbian, gay, bisexual
and transgender community at UNC. Shelton encouraged students, faculty and staff to sign the Safe Zone pledge that hung in the Pit.
N.C. House Again Delays Passage of Redistricting Plan
Staff & Wire Reports
RALEIGH - Democratic leaders sent
N.C. House representatives home for a
week Thursday without a redistricting
plan in place after it became clear the
party’s plan didn’t have enough votes.
While Democrats have a slim 62-58
majority, five black Democrats unhappy
with minority representation in the pro
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We accept Master Card, Visa, American Express and UNC One Card
posal derailed efforts by Speaker Jim
Black to get it approved this week.
Rep. Toby Fitch, D-Wilson, one of the
five Democrats, said the plan debated
Tuesday and Wednesday might lower
black influence within the chamber, in
violation of federal law. “I want the
Voting Rights Act complied with,” Fitch
said. “Presently, 1 don’t think it is.”
Black said he believes the Democratic
plan will receive federal approval. He said
black North Carolinians would benefit in
the plan by electing them and making
their voting bloc substantial in other races.
The bill was taken off the floor
Thursday morning and Black said the
next full session would be Wednesday. “I
thought it was time for folks to cool
down and talk about the issues people
seem to have problems with,” Black said.
The impasse reflects the challenges
facing the Legislature as it performs the
once-a-decade remap of House and
Senate district boundaries. The map lays
Campus Calendar
Today
8 a.m. - Students with a minimum
grade point average of 3.0 may register
for spring 2002 honors courses on a
space available basis in 225 Graham
Memorial. Honors course descriptions
are available at http://www.unc.edu/
depts/honors.
Saturday
5:30 p.m. - The Asian Students
Association will holdjoumey Into Asia
FRfPAVOctober Tt
Midnight with the Heels
7 7 pm, Cormichoel Auditorium
- doors open at 6pm -
- seating is limited -
Harriprt sports shorts
’■**" Students & Faculty Admitted FREE w/ID!
The Curriculum in Peace, War, and Defense
presents the first in a series of presentations on
The War on Terrorism
“American Civil Liberties
and the War on Terrorism"
Gene R. Nichol, Jr.
Dean, and Burton Craigie Professor of Law
School of Law, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Tuesday, October 16, 2001, 7 pm
Main Auditorium, Thte-TUrner-Kuralt Building
Co-sponsored by the School of Law, UNC-Chapel Hill
News
the groundwork for political control of
the N.C. General Assembly and policies
it approves for the next 10 years.
Rep. Joe Hackney, D-Orange, said that
black legislators were consulted about the
changes made in their districts and that 11
were satisfied. “The five members who
objected are trying to help the 11 who
don’t want their help,” said Hackney, who
serves as House speaker pro tem.
He said he was not sure what changes
the five dissident Democrats wanted.
“I don’t think their changes have
been clearly expressed.”
in the Great Hall. Dinner is at 5:30 p.m.
The show is at 7 p.m. with Kamikazi,
martial arts, Lion Dance and special
guest Christy Medrano, a comedian
who has appeared in “Friends,”
“Seinfeld,” and more. Price is $8 for stu
dents, $lO for nonstudents and $5
excluding dinner for either.
She Daily (Tar Mrrl
RO. Box 3257, Chapel Hill, NC 27515
Katie Hunter, Editor, 962-4086
Advertising & Business, 962-1163
News. Features, Sports, 962-0245
© 2001 DTH Publishing Corp.
All rights reserved
By Ruthie Warshenbrot
Staff Writer
In celebration of National Coming
Out Day, the kickoff event for UNC
Safe Zone -a network of allies for les
bian, gay, bisexual and transgender stu
dents, faculty and staff - took place in
the Pit on Thursday.
A rainbow-colored arch of balloons
and two cakes with rainbow icing com
plemented the festive atmosphere in the
Pit as students gathered at noon.
Although this program has existed
for four years, it is being revamped this
year, said Marcie Fisher, diversity advo
cacy and research training coordinator
for Student Health Service.
Fisher said the event, sponsored by
the dean of students and the Center for
Healthy Student Behaviors, has been in
the works since last summer. Safe Zone
offers training sessions for any students,
faculty or staff members who wish to be
allies for LGBT students.
Traci Wike, a second-year graduate
student in the School of Social Work and
intern at the Center for Healthy Student
Behaviors, said anyone can be an ally.
She said those who choose to be allies
and complete the necessary training ses
sions must place a Safe Zone sign at their
work or home as a visible representation
that they support the LGBT community.
“They will be somebody that’s a safe
person for a student, faculty or staff
member to talk to if they have any
LGBT issues,” Wike said. “(Safe Zone)
offers a safe space for that person to be
themselves.”
The event was hosted by junior Fred
New Center Opens
For Neuroscience
By Philissa Cramer
Staff Writer
The dedication of the new
Neuroscience Research Building on
Thursday was more than a photo oppor
tunity - University officials called it a
major step in medical research at UNC.
“This is the beginning of what might
be a number of happy occasions,” said
Jeffrey Houpt, dean of the School of
Medicine.
The 35,000 square-foot building will
house both clinicians and scientists.
Research there will focus on brain
development and neurological disease.
The dedication ceremony empha
sized the benefits the new center will
provide for patients at UNC Hospitals.
Researchers will work to identify genes
and proteins that cause neurological dis
orders, allowing them to isolate thera
peutic targets and develop new treat
ment options.
“The collective goal is to help
improve the lives of people,” said
Chancellor James Moeser. “(That is)
really what this university is about.”
William Snider, director of the UNC
Neuroscience Center, which occupies
three of the eight floors in the new build
ing, said the center will house
researchers studying genetics, genomics
and the neurological processes that con
trol human behavior and thought.
Neurological science is progressing so
rapidly, Snider said, that “any agenda I
or anyone else might present here today
would be obsolete in five years.”
A Special Event for the Senior Class
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Thursday. Nov. Bth, 2001
9:00 pm in the John Sprunt Hill Ballroom of the Carolina Inn
■ Featuring Doug Clark and the Hot Nuts
Black Ti.e
Hosted by
Julian's
To benefit the Senior Class Gift
Attendance .limited. Tickets $25 per person
Tickets available at Julian's, 140 East Franklin St. 942-4563
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Hashagen, LGBT administrative assis
tant. Provost Robert Shelton started the
event by encouraging students to sign
the Safe Zone pledge that hung in the
Pit. Student Body President Justin
Young also recited the pledge verbally
in front of the gathered audience.
The Safe Zone pledge stated, “I pledge
to work toward making the UNC com
munity a safe and welcoming place for
persons of all sexual orientations.”
Senior Marcus Harvey spoke, evoking
audience applause. “I speak today as one
black gay college student,” he said. “I
speak because not all blacks are straight
and not all gays are white.... No group
or class of people should be oppressed.”
After Harvey spoke, musical groups
Tar Heel Voices, the Achordants and the
Walk-Ons sang. Jenny Walker, a junior
member of the Walk-Ons, said she was
grateful to have her group participate. “All
of us really support Safe Zone,” Walker
said. “To us, it’s really important that
Carolina is open to all groups on campus.”
Student Body Vice President Rudy
Kleysteuber quoted George Bernard
Shaw, saying indifference is a worse sin
than hate. “If you’re straight, the way to
not be indifferent is to sign the Safe
Zone pledge,” Kleysteuber said.
Hashagen said he hopes someday Safe
Zone will have a representative in each
academic department to respond to any
problems LGBT students might have.
“We hope to change Carolina’s atmos
phere where everyone will either be a
Safe Zone ally or it won’t be necessary.”
The University Editor can be reached
at udesk@unc.edu.
Despite the competitive nature of the
field, Snider expressed confidence in the
University’s ability to keep up.
“If our neuroscience studies continue
to receive support, exemplified by this
beautiful new building, UNC will be in
the forefront.”
Half of the funds for the building
came from UNC Hospitals, which
received the former site of the Biological
Sciences Research Center building in
return. In addition, a grant from the
National Institutes of Health paid for the
construction of one floor of the building,
and other grants were given to individ
ual research programs to equip their
facilities.
Growth for the School of Medicine
doesn’t stop with Thursday’s dedication.
Further construction will finish in 15
months on anew structure for the Cell
and Molecular Physiology departments,
paid for by the $3.1 billion bond refer
endum passed by N.C. voters last year.
The sounds of construction were audi
ble even during the ceremony.
Officials said these new facilities will
allow UNC to be more competitive
when attracting faculty and students.
Dick Richardson, former UNC
provost, said the Neuroscience Research
Center will have positive effects on the
overall academic climate of the
University. “(The building will be) an
enormous recruiting service for faculty,
not only for the School of Medicine.”
The University Editor can be reached
at udesk@unc.edu.