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Volume 110, Issue 126
COSC OKs
Modest
Changes
To Code
Major changes put
off for more review
By John Lipps
Staff Writer
The Committee on Student Conduct
unanimously approved Tuesday a
watered-down proposal for revisions to
the Honor Code, which will be sent to
the chancellor and Student Congress
for approval.
After much debate about possible
complications, COSC members decided
to leave most of the discussed changes
out of the proposal - implementation of
the “XF” grade, changes to students’
basic rights and a complainant’s right to
appeal all were put off for future review.
The committee did make numerous
wording changes to the Honor Code but
none that would significantly impact
policy. “There is fine-tuning (left), but I
think we have the substance to it,” said
Judith Wegner, COSC chairwoman.
Aaron Hiller, student body vice pres
ident and COSC member, said the com
mittee effectively has addressed the prob
lems with the old system, adding that the
bulk of the revisions to the Instrument of
Student Judicial Governance will make
the system easier to understand.
“The instrument will become an eas
ier document to work with,” Hiller said.
“I’ve worked with it for three years,
and I still think I need a law degree to
understand it as it was.”
But he clarified that the revisions will
make an important difference. “It’s not
just a semantic change; it’s going to
have a real effect,” he said.
COSC will send the proposed revi
sions to Chancellor James Moeser on
Dec. 15. If he approves the changes, the
revisions will be sent to Student Congress.
Hiller said that once Student Body
President Jen Daum or Speaker Carey
Richter sponsors the proposal, it likely
will take a month to work through
Congress. He added that the proposal
will be put on a consent calendar, which
See COSC, Page 7
State Check
On BOG Put
Off for Now
By Kathryn Roebuck
Staff Writer
Despite a looming deadline, a legisla
tive commission charged with reviewing
the UNC-system Board of Governors
has not met and probably will not con
vene before the holidays, officials say.
The N.C. General Assembly voted to
create the commission in October 2001
after several legislators questioned the
board’s size and its impact on the sys
tem’s two research universities - UNC-
Chapel Hill and N.C. State University.
The study commission is scheduled to
report its findings in January 2003.
But the 10-member commission has
not been able to meet because of the
extended legislative session caused by
difficulties drafting the state budget.
Commission member Rep. Beverly
Earle, D-Mecklenburg, added that other
committees also have not met as a result
of budget problems because special com
mittees, such as the BOG study commis
sion, cannot meet during regular session.
“Although we definitely need to look
See COMMISSION, Page 7
One man's justice is another man's injustice.... One man's wisdom is another's folly.
Ralph Waldo Emerson
One to Go
The Daily Tar Heel's final issue of the semester
will be available Thursday.
Pick one up from distribution boxes across campus.
*3
CHAMBER CONTROL PANEL SEQUENCE OF OPERATION
1. TURN "MASTER SWITCH" ON AND NOTE IF RED UGHTS ARE BURNING FOR DOORS. DAMP
ERS AND CHEMICAL BOX. SWITCHES FOR CHAMBER AND AIR LOCK DAMPERS SHOULD BE
IN THE "ON" POSITIONS.
2. CLOSE DOOR #2 BETWEEN CHAMBER AND AIR LOCK ROOM.
3. CLOSE DOOR dl BETWEEN AIR LOCK ROOM AND CORRIDOR.
AT 2 A.M. FRIDAY, ERNEST BASDEN WILL BE
EXECUTED IN THIS CENTRAL PRISON CHAMBER.
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DTH PHOTOS/BRIAN CASSELLA
Above: Witnesses will watch executions from the witness room at Central Prison. Executions are
scheduled for Friday and Tuesday. Top: Posted instructions detail use of the gas chamber, which has
not been used in North Carolina since 1998, when the state switched to lethal injections only.
DEATH PENALTY
DEBATED IN STATE
By Matt Hanson
Staff Writer
At 1 a.m. Friday, a shackled Ernest Basden will
march down the bleached hallway from the tight quar
ters of solitary confinement in death watch. He will be
to be strapped into a gurney and spend the last hour of
his life with the Central Prison chaplain. At 2 a.m., he
will be put to death.
Desmond Carter will follow Basden on Tuesday.
Basden and Carter both were convicted of murder in
1993. Both were sentenced to die by lethal injection.
After a series of appeals, the U.S. Supreme Court
denied Oct. 2 Carter’s plea for review. Basden’s plea
was denied Oct. 21.
Gov. Mike Easley is now the only person left with the
authority to give them clemency before the executions.
Meanwhile, the option of moratoriums on execu
Serving the students and the University community since 1893
Wednesday, December 4, 2002
tions such as these has been gaining support in some
states. Illinois and Maryland both have instituted mora
toriums in the last three years.
A committee of N.C. legislators and residents also
considered what action should be taken on the issue of
the death penalty. In 2001 the committee compiled a
report used to formulate a law oudawing the execution
of mentally handicapped people.
Some state officials now are in favor of a full mora
torium. “I’m against the death penalty - period,” said
N.C. Sen. Ellie Kinnaird, D-Orange.
But others say they favor the current system and
think the state should continue to use the death penal
ty. “If the jury has determined that their crimes merit
the death penalty, then I support the jury’s decision,”
said Rep. ISdgar Starnes, R-Caldwell.
See DEATH PENALTY, Page 7
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So It Ends
Tar Heels fall to the
Fighting lllini.
See Page 9
Weather
Today: Wintry Mix; H 31, L 2
Thursday: A.M. Rain/Ice; H 44, L 22
Friday: Mostly Sunny; H 46, L 18
UNC Campus
Forgiving of
Moeser Error
Ehringhaus error admission gains support
By Dave Szwedo
Staff Writer
Chancellorjames Moeser’s acknowl
edgement of error in his compensation
agreement with UNC-Chapel Hill Vice
Chancellor and General Counsel Susan
Ehringhaus has University faculty and
staff members calling for his support.
Several prominent UNC-system lead
ers, including President Molly Broad,
criticized Moeser’s actions Monday.
Later that day, the chancellor admit
ted that his decision to pay Ehringhaus
almost $320,000 for eight months of
work in Washington, D.C. and one year
of teaching at the UNC-CH School of
Law was a mistake.
Though his decision previously has
garnered criticism from University fac
ulty and staff, some now say they
admire Moeser for admitting his error.
“I think it’s a pretty bold thing for
someone to acknowledge they made a
mistake,” said Margaret Leigh, Faculty
Council executive committee member.
“It’s increased my respect for him."
But although some are pleased with
Moeser’s admittance of fault, others have
not received his decision as well. An
anonymous flier was posted around cam
pus Tuesday calling for a chant of “Fire
Moeser” during Saturday’s nationally
televised home basketball game.
But Student Body Vice President
Aaron Hiller said such criticism is inap
propriate. “In my job I get to work with
Female Students Hold
Top 3 Leadership Posts
By Erin Ganley
Staff Writer
With the election of Carey Richter as
speaker of Student Congress on Tuesday,
women now lead all three branches of stu
dent government -a first in UNC history.
Richter, who replaces December
graduate Tony Larson as speaker, joins
Student Body President Jen Daum and
Student Attorney General Amanda
Spillman in their leadership roles.
Dean Bresciani, interim vice chancellor
for student affairs, said the event is a sign
of the University’s progress in the past few
decades. “This is a University communi
ty that was very late in recognizing and
advancing the abilities of women. It is
making very notable strides.”
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UNC's female student government leaders include Student Attorney
General Amanda Spillman (left), Student Body President Jen Daum and
new Speaker of Student Congress Carey Richter.
* <t* 4 *
www.dailytarheel.com
the chancellor more closely than many
people, and I can tell you that the chan
cellor is a friend of the students and a
fair administrator,” he said. “These com
ments are completely out of line.”
Law Professor Charles Daye, another
member of the Faculty Council’s execu
tive committee, said he hopes the
University can move past the decision
and continue to
push forward.
“(The chancellor)
has made an
extraordinary
statement. We
should take it at
face value and
move on.”
Some faculty
members said it
is important to
consider the
chancellor’s very
prominent -and
very public -
I \
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Student Body Vice
President
Aaron Hiller
said Moeser is a
fair administrator.
standing at the
University as a contributing factor to the
attention his decision has drawn.
“When administrators make mis
takes, they’re very public mistakes that
invite a lot of criticism,” said Noelle
Granger, professor of cell and develop
mental biology and member of the
Faculty Council executive committee.
She also said Moeser’s decision might
See REACTION, Page 7
Richter said the accomplishment is
especially notable because of the
University’s late acceptance of women.
UNC began admitting females as grad
uate students in 1897 but did not admit
women as freshman undergraduates
without restrictions until 1972.
“It is amazing considering we
(women) haven’t been at the University
as long as at our peer institutes.”
Daum said she hopes students will rec
ognize that representation reflecting the
female majority on campus is long over
due. “I hope that most people would
think it’s about time (women were in lead
ership positions),” she said. “This campus
is so predominantly female that it makes
See LEADERS, Page 7