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10 Monday, August 26, 2002 Board Editorials Students on the Bench With the Duke-UNC basketball game scheduled for Spring Break, administrators need to focus on preventing future errors and finding ways to ease the problem. If the Department of Athletics hoped to woo stu dents disenchanted with last year’s basketball team back into the stands this season, surely there are better ways to do it than scheduling the Duke home game during Spring Break. That’s right - this year’s home Duke basketball game will be held two days after students flee from Chapel Hill to warmer locales. This game date is unfair to all UNC students but is especially unfair to seniors who have waited three years for the chance to claim first dibs on some of the most coveted basketball tickets in the country. In the past, some of the basketball team’s games have been scheduled during Winter Break without much of a student fuss because they were relative ly minor games. But the Duke game deserves special considera tion because out of every event that takes place on this campus, this game just happens to be the event that best unites a student body often divided over political and social issues. Even more disturbing is the fact that the prospects for a schedule change seem highly unlikely at this point. The chairman of UNC’s Academic Calendar Committee, David Lanier, told The Daily Tar Heel that changing the calendar would require an aca demic reason and that athletics are supposed to come second. The key phrase here is “supposed to” because this maxim can and should hold up every time - except when Carolina plays Duke in basketball. Even if there is the slightest possibility of chang ing the game date, the athletics department should use all of its resources to make a schedule change Teaching Teachers President Bush's plan to solve the problem of a large number of teachers instructing students in areas that they are unqualified for needs more substance to be effective. Evil lurks in the schoolyard. There is a huge threat to students everywhere that is largely ignored by most of America. Every other student in a poverty-stricken middle school in America is being taught by an unquali fied teacher, according to a study done by the Education Trust, a group lobbying on behalf of urban and minority students. The nation’s top administrators seem to agree. “We know that a high-quality teacher is the most significant factor on how well students achieve,” says U.S. Secretary of Education Rod Paige, in sup port of President Bush’s No Child Left Behind Act, passed in January. In a nation that prides itself on its public educa tion system, there is a severe epidemic of under qualified school teachers. The problem remains then in how to address it. Few people and neither party would disagree that with a national average of 24.2 percent of sec ondary school classes being taught by teachers out side of their field, the need for qualified teachers is overwhelming. In North Carolina, 19 percent of classes in key subjects are taught by teachers experienced in another field. The rate balloons to 34 percent for high-poverty schools. Much of the problem stems from a national teacher shortage, causing school administrators to fill the classroom as best they can with teachers who have a degree in anything. The discrepancy lies in the federal requirement that “qualified” teachers in middle and secondary schools must have a degree or certification of com petency in the subject they teach. Often, the certification levels are left up to the EDITOR’S NOTE:The above editorials are the opinions of solely The Daily Tar Heel Editorial Board, which were reached after open debate. The board consists of eight board members, the assistant editorial page editor, the editorial page edi tor and the DTH editor. The 2002-03 DTH editor decided not to vote on the board and not to write board editorials. (Ihf Hatty (Ear llrrl Professional and Business Staff Business and Advertising: Janet Gallagher-Cassel, director/general manag er; Chrissy Beck, director of marketing; Lisa Reichle, business manager; Candace Doby, retail sales manager; Tara Williams, business assistant. Customer Service: Rebecca Hill, Judy Pham Amanda Taylor and Tania Vila, rep resentatives. Display Advertising: Katie Ashworth, Georgia Boklaqe, Emily Carstensen, Heather English, Tiffany Flomo, Annie Godwin, Josh Hall, Shannon Plummer and Kameese Wright, account executives, Liz Assistant Editors: Elliot Dube and Brian Milliken, arts & entertainment. Michael Davis and Jamie Dougher, city; Whitney Freeman and Nicole Neuman, design; Jon Harris, editorial page; Jordan Bartel, fea tures, Adam Gellat and Josh Stalford, graphics; Kristen Oliver, online, Sara Abrons and Brian Cassella, photography; Tim Candon and Kellie Dixon, sports; Emma Burgin, Jennifer Samuels and Cleve Wootson, state & national; John Frank, Meredith Nicholson and Jeff Silver, universi- Arts & Entertainment: Michael Abernethy and Brook Firth, senior writers; Shellie Byrum, Brook Corwin, Aaron Freeman, Jenise Hudson, Michelle Jarboe, Harmony Johnson, Caroline Lindsey, Evan Lucas, Graham Parker, Allison Rost. Jill Spivey and Kristen Williams. Cartoon: Michelle Bercovici, Adam Hall, Devin Harding, Andrew Johnson, Scott Rooker and Karen Spencer. City: Carolyn Pearce, columnist, Nate DeGraft, Laura Hinson and Jocelyn Oberdick. Copy: Lindsay Apple, Peter Gilchrist, Meqnan Greene, Kristal Jones, Amanda Warner, Jenni Williams and Jordan Williams Design: Randi Demagistris, Kim Morrisette and Justin Osborne. Editorial: April Bethea, Nathan Denny, Pat Hogan, Katie Melville. Matt Minchew, Abby Nathanson and Colin Sutker editorial board, Jim Doggett, Tiffanie Drayton, Dan Harris; Michael McKnight and Joseph Rauch columnists. Features: Lauren Rippey, senior writers, Tina Chang, Veneta Georgev, Kristen Heflin and Kirsen Valle Graphics: Gary Barrier, Beth Galloway, Katyan Ling, Niki Randall, Mary Stowell and Brian Wasson. Online: Rachel Gurlitz. Photography: Laura Bernard, Mallory The editorials are approved by the majority of the editori al board, which is composed of the editor, editorial page edi tor, assistant editorial page editor and eight editorial writers. The Daily Tat Heel is published by the DTH Publishing Corp., a non-profit North Carolina corporation, Monday- Friday, according to the University calendar. Caiiers with questions about billing oi display advertising should call 962-1163 between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. Classified ads can be reached at 962-0252. Editorial questions should be directed to 962-0245. a reality. If nothing on the schedule can be changed, the next move must be working toward accommodat ing those students who would like to stick around Chapel Hill and support their team. It is good to see that the Department of Housing and Residential Education is at least talking about the matter at a relatively early stage. The housing department, however, is not the only group that needs to be working to alleviate this unfortunate situation. The Carolina Athletic Association and Carolina Fever should also plan ahead to make sure that the basketball team ends up getting the vital support from passionate student fans it needs during this important game. Seniors and other students should also work toward making their Spring Break plans far ahead in advance to at least have the option open of going to the game. Obviously, this situation does not need repeat ing. The athletics department needs to work more closely with the Academic Calendar Committee in the future to ensure that this does not happen again. In addition, the department might also have to look at scheduling the game other than being the traditional closer as a way to avoid conflicts with Spring Break. Given a choice between seeing the Duke game in person or preserving the tradition of playing Duke last, it is a pretty safe bet that students would rather see the team beat Duke rather than hear about it as they sip pina coladas beside a pool in Jamaica. individual states. The act leaves a lot of gray area for states to continue to retain underqualified teachers. Despite the growing national trend, Bush has given less than $3 billion -a miniscule portion of his edu cation budget - to address the nation’s overwhelming concern with the quality of school teachers. One of the most widely publicized aspects of Bush’s plan calls for the school administrators to notify parents whose children lack a qualified teacher. Presumably, Bush wants to increase parent involvement and perhaps relieve the schools of some liability in decreased student achievement. While an increase in parent involvement would be laudable, Bush’s latest measure is empty. It seems counterproductive for individual school administrations to exert effort to notify parents about unqualified teachers, when, according to the Education Trust advocate Craig Jerald, “There’s good evidence that a lot of this (shortage problem) is under our control.” Critics suggest that the administrators’ time would be better spent simply reorganizing the teachers’ assignments. As it stands, much of Bush’s plan calls for “indi vidualized action” on the part of the states, setting their education goals for them and then leaving the states floundering to try and figure out how to address the goals. Bush does an excellent job providing superficial lip service to the nation’s school interests. But a paltry sum of money that only a portion of the nation’s teachers are eligible for receiving, a 94- page government report explaining what “quali fied” means and a shallow attempt at parent involvement are not going to improve the state of our nation’s schools. 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ISN #10709436 Office: Suite 104 Carolina Union Campus Mall Address: CB# S2lO Box 49, Carolina Union U.S. Mail Address: P.O. Box 3257, Chapel Hill, NC 27515 3257 Editorial Page fx*sr-K-, "SSysiou-sUY.. ."N kv-'wr "ONYtf\r-(sr \ v**MoV-er v°ET-s-r t-Gt-sr J j —s cover several controversial top ics of an international, national and local scale. I won’t hesitate to make my opinion known. Many of you might not agree with it, but such a discourse will make you think. This column, however, isn’t going to take itself too seri ously, and I plan on being light hearted at times. That said, let’s hit the ground running. The United States, before President Bush’s first term is over, will invade Iraq. An invasion would bring his presidency full circle. After his election, he appointed his father’s friends, attempted to wrestle with the same issues his father has and now will try and go to war with his father’s enemy. History is cyclical. The proposed invasion is the worst kept secret on the planet. I suspect the brass at the Pentagon are “leaking” this information to give CNN a good light show to broadcast that first night of the invasion, much like in 1991. With every week, articles in national newspapers outline war plans approach ing the absurd. The latest scheme, invad ing Iraq from Baghdad outward (what’s been called the inside-out plan), wouldn’t work in the computer game Warcraft 111, fS> A the Daily Tar Heel welcomes reader comments. Letters to the editor should be no longer than 300 words and must be typed, double spaced, dated and signed by no more than two people. Students should include their year, major and phone number. Faculty and staff should include their title, department and phone number. The DTH reserves the right to edit letters for space, clarity and vulgarity. Publication is not guaran teed. Bring letters to the DTH office at Suite 104, Carolina Union, mail them to P.O. Box 3257, Chapel Hill, NC 27515 ore-mail forum to: edltdesk@unc.edu. abr Dathj aar Itel Established 1893 •109 Years of Editorial Freedom www.dailytarheel.com Kim Minugh Alex Kaplun Lizzie Breyer EDITOR MANAGING EDITOR PROJECTS EDITOR Office Hours Noon-2 Friday Lucas Fenske Daniel Thigpen Jon Dougherty Elyse Ashbum EDITORIAL PAGE EDITOR UNIVERSITY EDITOR CITY EDITOR STATE & NATIONAL EDITOR Kelly Lusk Aaron Fitt Addie Sluder Nick Parker SPORTS EDITOR SPORTSATURDAY EDITOR FEATURES EDITOR ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR Ferri Rupar Kimberly Craven Beth Buchholz & Tiffany Pease Cobi Edelson COPY EDITOR PHOTO EDITOR DESIGN EDITORS GRAPHICS EDITOR Adam Shupe Sarah Sanders Michael Flynn ONLINE EDITOR WRITING COACH OMBUDSMAN If you have any concerns or comments about our coverage, please contact Ombudsman Michael Flynn at mlflynn@email.unc.edu or by phone at 843-5794. Early Plans for Iraqi Invasion Ignore Current Political Climate Before I get started with this week’s, topic, I’d like to take some time to say what you can expect from this column. The Raging Bull is going to Readers' Forum Not UNC’s Business to Force Students to Read, Learn About the Quran TO THE EDITOR: For a political science major, Dan Harrison’s argument in his column “National Spotlight On Quran” was woe fully inadequate. In order to facilitate his understanding of why the book was opposed by many, I would like to clear up some of his mis conceptions. “These crusaders proclaim to protect free speech but embody that noble idea by trying to keep us from reading books about cultures other than our own,” Harrison wrote. These “crusaders,” as Mr. Harrison refers to them, do not wish to “protect free speech ... by trying to keep us from reading books about cultures other than our own.” The opposition comes to the University’s policy of forcing incoming freshman to read this book. None object to UNC offering courses on a myriad of different religions, because the student has the choice in whether or not he or she chooses to take that course. To turn Crusader Dan’s quote on its head, supporters of the reading assign much less a full-scale American invasion. The Bush administration has spent a great deal of time since SepL 11 outlining that Iraq is included in the Axis of Evil. While I have no doubts that Saddam Hussein is a bad man who does morally disgusting things, I find our government’s hypocrisy on this issue amazing. During the Iran-Iraq war of the 1980s, the United States sup ported Saddam Hussein in his fight against Iran. According to an Aug. 18 article on CNN.com, U.S. intelligence officers never discouraged Saddam from using chemical weapons in this war. So JOSEPH RAUCH THE RAGING BULL why refuse to discourage Saddam when he’s using them in a war only to reverse our stance and criticize him later? Then 1990 rolls around and Saddam, bolstered by his victory in the war with Iran and what he feels is unilateral U.S. support, invades Kuwait, a territory to which Iraq has a historical claim and was only created by the British during their occupation of the region. Suddenly, he becomes Public Enemy No. 1 and has been ever since. The Bush camp is failing to realize one big fact in the current Iraq situation - it isn’t the ’9os anymore. The Middle East is far more tenuous than it was a decade ago, and our allies in the region are nowhere near as supportive as they were for Bush Senior. In Desert Storm: The First Iteration, ment proclaim to protect free speech by trying to force us to read about cultures other then our own. Asa political science major, Dan should understand that integral to the idea of free speech is the idea that, despite your right to say what you will, I have a right not to listen. Mr. Harrison then moves on to suggest that all those people who protested this reading assignment equate Islam with ter rorism. While I am not in a position to speak for every loon in our society, most people understand that Islam is fundamentally a religion of peace. However, given the current political climate after Sept. 11, it is increasing clear that sects of Islam wish to pervert the Quran and turn it into a book of vio lence. To ignore these fundamentalist Islamic sects, and the terrorists they engender, was one of the faults of this reading selec tion. A book such as Caner’s “Unveiling Islam: An Insider’s Look at Muslim Life and Beliefs” would have been not only thought-provoking but worthy of selection as a reading assignment for incoming stu dents. Instead of analyzing the core book of a religion, which is unlikely to provide % Saily (Ear Hurl the Saudis and Turks were concerned Iraq would keep searching for territory to expand into, similar to Hider’s desire for “breathing room” in Europe. Suddenly, the United States steps in with economic interests and the military to save these folks and voila - politics cre ates strange bedfellows once again. Things aren’t so simple anymore. The U.S. military has a large commitment to the Afghan reconstruction and the hunt for remaining al-Qaida and Taliban members. Saudi citizens were the main terrorists behind the Sept. 11 attacks. Iraq has lived under stifling economic sanctions and two no-fly zones since the conclusion of the first war. And the Israelis and Palestinians are just looking for an excuse to start going at each other full-blast. If anything, the Middle East has become exponentially more complicated than 1991. It is a region where people are just looking for reasons to have at each other. For whatever reason, Bush Junior seems incredibly hung up on the Iraq issue. I assume he’s reacting the way any son would and trying to correct what many people feel was his father’s biggest failure by not removing Saddam Hussein from power. But this very commitment to correcting his father’s mistakes could put him right back in his dad’s decade-old shoes. Joseph Rauch is expecting his draft notice by Friday. E-mail him at rauch@email.unc.edu. much insight into said culture, a book which approached Islamic culture in light of the Islamic Revolution and Khomeini would have been much more enlightening and still would have creat ed the intellectual climate and the con troversy that UNC administrators sought to engender. I agree that UNC has a duty to expose its students to a wide array of varying viewpoints. The cultural diversity requirement for undergraduates strives to do just that, while still allowing the student a choice in what to study. Where UNC crossed the line was in forcing its freshman class to read a book of suras; suras that, as Mr. Harrison point ed out, are commonly taught to people studying the Quran as their personal reli gion. An approach to Islamic culture would have clearly been a better choice. M this being said, I must still wonder if Dan would have an objection to the uni versity assigning its next freshman class to read the Gospels? Richard Pierce Senior Computer Science The length rule was waived.
Daily Tar Heel (Chapel Hill, N.C.)
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Aug. 26, 2002, edition 1
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