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Volume 110, Issue 88
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DTH PHOTO ILLUSTRATION/BRIAN CASSELLA
UNC's summer reading selection "Approaching the Qur'an" garnered national media attention and spurred intense debate on campus. But
some officials and high school guidance counselors say the controversy likely hasn't changed high school seniors' perceptions of UNC.
APPROACHING UNC: CONTROVERSY
COULD AFFECT APPLICANTS
By Nikki Werking
Staff Writer
Until this summer, Amanda Sponsler had never
thought about attending UNC.
The idea hadn’t crossed the 17-year-old high
school senior’s mind - that is, until her friend, a
freshman at UNC, mentioned her summer reading
assignment, “Approaching the Qur’an: The Early
Revelations,” by Michael Sells.
The book consists of 35 suras, or short passages
from the chief holy book of Islam.
Then Sponsler, a resident of Exton, Penn., began
hearing more about the book and the University -
but not from her friend. News of controversy sur
rounding UNC’s summer reading assignment
began to grace the airwaves of CNN and the pages
of The New York Times.
Just as a conservative Christian organization filed
a lawsuit against UNC for its summer reading
requirement, the controversy had solidified
Sponsler’s interest in UNC.
“UNC is a forward-thinking school,” she said.
“They’re ahead of the game. They’re looking ahead
to a different culture ... and I think it’s a good way
to step forward.”
But Sponsler could be an exception. Although
the lawsuit brought against the University garnered
Web Site Labels UNC,
Others Anti-Semitic
Campuses listed for
pro-Palestinian ideas
By Faye Fernandes
Staff Writer
Anew Web site listing colleges and
universities considered to be sympa
thetic to the Palestinian cause or the
Islamic religion has ignited controversy
on campuses across the country.
The Web site, http://www.campus
watch.org, accuses certain colleges and
universities across the country - includ-
It is better to debate a question without settling it than to settle a question without debating it.
Joseph Joubert
IN THE PUBLIC EYE
“The publicity around our stance
will assist us in recruiting
students best suited to be here -
those with open, curious minds. ”
Jerry Lucido
UNC Director of Undergraduate Admissions
national attention, many high school students and
guidance counselors said this year’s summer read
ing assignment has done nothing to change the sen
timent of many prospective students.
In July, the Virginia-based Family Policy
Network filed a lawsuit alleging that the University’s
choice for the summer reading assignment violates
the constitutional requirement of the separation of
church and state.
Three unnamed incoming UNC freshmen are
listed as plaintiffs in the case, along with FPN
Chairman Terry Moffitt andjames YacoveUi, FPN’s
state director for North Carolina.
On Aug. 19, the day discussion sections were
held about the book, a 4th U.S. Circuit Court of
Appeals judge upheld an earlier decision to deny
FPN’s request for an injunction blocking the dis
ing UNC -of being anti-Semitic.
Daniel Pipes, founder of the Web site,
said its focus is to “improve the state of
Middle East studies.”
Pipes is a member of the Middle East
Forum, a think tank that promotes
Israeli interests in that area of study.
He said the forum created the site in
September in response to concern over
the degradation of Middle Eastern stud
ies into pro-Palestinian platforms on
campuses across the country.
He said the site was a reaction to
Martin Kramer’s book, “Ivory Towers on
See ANTI-SEMITISM, Page 7
Athletic University
Sports Illustrated ranks UNC as the
eighth best athletic institution.
See Page 5
Festifall Draws Diverse Crowd to Franklin Street
By Alyssa Fine
Staff Writer
Parents pushing strollers, couples holding
hands and individuals carrying newly purchased
artwork filled West Franklin Street during
Sunday’s 30th annual
Festifall, sponsored by
the Chapel Hill Parks
and Recreation
Department
From 1 p.m. to 6
p.m., people of all ages and backgrounds lis
tened to music, browsed the booths and sam
pled a wide variety of foods.
Ceramics, jewelry, photographs, paintings
and other arts and crafts were available for pur
chase at many of the booths.
This year was the first time commercial pho
tographer Steve Exum displayed his art at
Shootout
UNC outguns Arizona
State in 38-35 win .
See Page 14
Monday, October 7, 2002
cussion sections.
The discussions went on as planned, amid a
throng of protesters, camera crews and other media
members.
After the discussions, the University filed a
motion to dismiss the charges, saying the plaintiff’s
claim is moot because it is based on activities that
already have occurred. Nothing further has pro
gressed in the case.
Despite the media attention UNC received, high
school students and guidance counselors from
around the state and nation say the controversy has
had little adverse effect on potential applicants’
views of the University.
If anything, the extra attention might bring in a
few more applicants than usual.
Jerry Lucido, UNC’s director of undergraduate
admissions, said the University’s decision to choose
a controversial summer reading assignment might
appeal to students looking for a diverse education
al experience.
“The publicity around our stance will assist us in
recruiting students best suited to be here - those
with open, curious minds,” he said.
Although student interest in UNC is always high
at New Trier High School in Winnetka, 111., Jim
See ADMISSIONS, Page 7
Festifall. He decided to get a booth to exhibit
his North Carolina lighthouse collection
because he lives close by, grew up in Raleigh
and is a graduate of UNC.
Exum said his business benefitted from a
“very, very strong crowd ... (and) constant traf
fic” and that he would consider returning next
year.
Smells from an array of food vendors wafted
from the booths into the street, beckoning to
Festifall attendees. Culinary offerings included
Italian sausages, gyros, fried rice, kettle com,
fruit smoothies and cotton candy.
Festifall officially offered three music stages
with genres ranging from bluegrass to pop to
gospel. A small group gathered to listen around
the stages, but many simply listened as they
browsed the booths.
See FESTIFALL, Page 7
Town Council to
Consider Review
Of Area Festivals
See Page 4
Distribution
For N.C. State
Starts Tuesday
About 12,000 tickets
available to students
By Jessica Bonnem
Staff Writer
Many students will rise before dawn
Tuesday, but it won’t be for their 8 a.m.
classes.
Instead, officials expect that students will
be fining up in hoards outside the ticket
office at the Smith Center, clamoring for
tickets to Saturday’s highly anticipated
game against N.C. State University.
About 12,000 student tickets are avail
able for the game, but students asking for
tickets Wednesday or Thursday will be dis
appointed, said Kris Willett, the Carolina
Athletic Association president. “I expect
we will sell out on Tuesday,” she said.
Student ticket distribution will follow the
same method as it did for the Sept. 14 game
against the University of Texas, which sold
out in less than eight hours, Willett said.
From 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through
Thursday, students can go to the ticket
office to receive randomly distributed tick
ets until the supply is depleted.
A valid UNC ONE Card must be pre
sented for each ticket received. A single stu
dent can show up to six ONE Cards.
If more than six students want to sit togeth
er, several students carrying ONE Cards
must go to the Smith Center as a group.
All general admission tickets for the
game already have been sold. But guest
passes are available at $35 each. Students
can purchase one guest pass with each stu-
Area Water Use Dropped
29 Percent in September
Water restrictions
will stay in place
By Jon Dougherty
City Editor
Water use in the Orange Water and
Sewage Authority’s service area dropped
29 percent in the last month, but OWASA
officials warn that residents should not
lessen their efforts to conserve.
In September, 8.2 million gallons of
water were used daily, down from 11.5 mil
lion gallons in August.
OWASA Executive Director Ed Kerwin
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DTH/MAC ALSTON
Durham artist Fernando Lynharas spray paints screens
to sell on Franklin Street on Sunday at Festifall.
Weather
Today: Some T-Storms; H 81, L 52
Tuesday: Partly Cloudy; H 67, L 44
Wednesday: Showers; H 65, L 49
www.dailytarheel.com
N.C. STATE FOOTBALL
DISTRIBUTION
When:
Tuesday, Oct. 8 to
Thursday, oct.lo
Time:
8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Where:
Smith Center Ticket Office
dent ticket received.
A single student may only pick up six
tickets - either all student tickets or a com
bination of student tickets and guest passes.
Applications for block seating are due by
noon Monday. The block tickets will be
handed out between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. today.
Willett said a similar distribution process
has been used for highly demanded foot
ball tickets for the last five years.
“We have to do it this way because back
in 1997 against Florida State there was a
huge rush at the gate to get down to the
best seats,” she said. “People were literally
trampled. This way no one gets hurt.”
Ticket demand will be just as high, if not
higher, than it was for the Texas game
despite UNC’s losing record, Willett said.
“(N.C.) State is such a huge rival,” she
said. “Everyone is excited.”
For the two remaining home games -
Maryland on Nov. 2 and Clemson on Nov. 9
- students can attend by presenting their
ONE Cards at Kenan Stadium’s Gate 5.
The University Editor can be reached at
udesk@unc.edu.
said he has been pleased with the response
to the drought from the community.
“Customers have done a good job
watching their usage,” he said. “Now we
have to look indoors.”
OWASA banned the use of its water out
doors Sept 9 following a board of directors
decision to enact emergency water mea
sures.
The goal of the tightened restrictions
was to reduce overall water use by 25 per
cent, a goal consumers exceeded last
month.
But outdoors is where the feasible
enforcement of OWASA’s authority ends.
See WATER USE, Page 7