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tHIf? iatlu ©or Mtd www. daily tarheel. com Smoking zones in schools debated • Politics gain foothold on Internet •Sfe Look for more stories online. Volume 110, Issue 150 House Looks for New Speaker Options Bv Elyse Ashbirn State & National Editor RALEIGH - The N.C. House became increasingly fractious Tuesday as the leading Republican and Democratic speaker nomi nees stalled on a power-sharing agreement, leaving the chamber without a leader and opening the door for outside candidates. “As time wears on, more people on both sides are breaking away,” said Rep. Ed McMahan, R-Mecklenburg. “Something Congress Reverses Russell Censure Congress to consider impeaching Shaw By Jenny Immel Staff Writer Congress voted 19-5 Tuesday to over turn the Ethics Committee’s recommen dation to censure Finance Committee Chairwoman Natalie Russell for violating the Student Code by living outside the dis- trict she was elect ed to represent. Moments later a bill was present ed to impeach Rep. Alak Shah, the Ethics Committee mem ber who brought charges against Natalie Russell on Jan. 22. Ethics Committee mem bers Shah, Matthew Carter and Bill Teeter, Ethics Committee a m Student Congress Finance Committee Chairwoman Natalie Russell urged Congress to reject censure. Chairwoman Margaret Thomas and Rep. Danielle DeSimone voted to uphold the censure recommendation. Ethics Committee member Chad McCullen voted to overturn the recom mendation that he voted to pass at the Ethics Committee meeting Thursday. McCullen said after the meeting that he never agreed with censure but that he saw it as the best option Natalie Russell would receive from the committee. Charlie Anderson, vice chairman of the Finance Committee, made the motion to overturn the recommendation. “Chairwoman Russell has not violated the code in any way, shape or form,” he said. See ETHICS, Page 5 jL nBA y a DTH/JESSICA FOSTER Students listen Tuesday as Brad Wilson, chairman of the UNC-system Board of Governors, speaks during Students' Day at the Capitol. Need a New Home? Stop by the Daily Tar Heel's Housing Fair today in the Student Union Multipurpose Room from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. needs to happen soon.” Leaders on both sides said today likely will mark the last chance for Democrat Jim Black of Mecklenburg County, who is seek ing a third straight term as speaker, and Republican speaker nominee George Holmes of Yadkin County to strike a deal. Others said that Black and Holmes already have forfeited that chance and that in the 60- 60 House even one legislator with doubts could throw the entire selection process. “We’ve stuck with (Black), but now it’s HONORING UNO'S BLACK HISTORY j. gKM _ J* . . PHOTO COURTESY OF THE NORTH CAROUNA COLLECTION UNC students protest on Franklin Street in 1964. Students played an active role in the integration of UNC, pressuring the University to admit black students. The first undergraduate students were admitted in 1955. Leaders Say Race Relations Good, Could Be Better By Shelley Walden Staff Writer Race relations has never been an easy topic to discuss in this country or on this campus. It’s a topic that evokes passion, reveals igno rance and has no easy answers. Even now at UNC, which has more than 2,500 black students and was ranked the 15th best col lege or university in the nation for black students by Black Enterprise Magazine in 2002, race rela tions can be a touchy subject. “There’s nothing that’s being done covertly or intentionally wrong on this campus in regards to ■ You ever danced with the devil by the pale moonlight? The Joker Serving the students and the University community since 1893 Wednesday, February 5, 2003 time to retrench and come up with anew solution,” said Rep. Mickey Michaux, D- Durham. Michaux is one of five dissident Democrats who have questioned Black’s leadership ability since his second speaker term began in 2001. Michaux said he has supported Black thus far because he was the only Democrat with a shot at a solo speakership. “I think it would be best to have one Democratic speaker,” he said. “If Mr. Black thinks he can get that race relations,” said Archie Ervin, director of minority affairs. “But I think that race is such a difficult issue that sometimes it’s easier not to deal with it.” This does not mean that UNC is not making notable efforts to foster race relations. “I think we are in the forefront of our peers, especially in the South,” Ervin said. “There are a huge number of things that go on here that sup port the education, interaction and understand ing of different populations.” For example, Ervin thinks UNC integrates dif ferent racial and cultural components into the curriculum better than most universities and does Students Meet With Legislators to Increase Involvement Tuition increase moratorium a hot issue By Margaux Escutin Staff Writer RALEIGH - A delegation of partic ipants from all 16 UNC-system schools spent Tuesday in the state capital min gling with legislators and system officials to declare their support for increased student input in higher education issues. Students’ Day at the Capitol, spon sored by the UNC Association of Student Governments, emphasized stu dent power to impact legislative deci sions, said ASG President Jonathan Ducote. “We’re here today to start off the legislative year with a student pres Devil's Lair UNC set to battle archrival Duke at Cameron. See Page 10 extra vote, then we’re there.” But Michaux said that six tries in four dif ferent sessions have shown that Black does n’t have that vote and that serious attention must be given to the co-speaker option. “If we go to co-speakers, that’s a whole new ball game.” In that scenario, Michaux said the best option is a bipartisan coalition between Holmes and Democrat Martin Nesbitt of Buncombe County. And Michaux said Nesbitt has the votes a good job of maintaining diversity in its faculty and students. According to Lindsay Reed, president of the Black Student Movement, the construction of the Sonja Haynes Stone Black Cultural Center is one of the most productive things being done to fos ter better race relations on this campus because it will provide an opportunity for students to learn about black history. “I don’t know how you can move on in the future without accurate reflection of your histo ry,” Reed said. See FUTURE, Page 5 ence. It’s all about relationships.” The ASG will try to maintain student presence each week as long as the N.C. General Assembly is in session, Ducote said. He added that many students had meaningful conversations with legislators. The day’s agenda also included a rally featuring speakers who called for further student involvement and improvements in higher education for posterity. Part of bridging the difficulties in communication might be through vot ing. Ben Ruffin, former chairman of the UNC-system Board of Governors, encouraged students at the rally to raise the number of registered student voters. iL • mr to make it happen - 54 Republicans and seven to 10 Democrats. Holmes has repeatedly said he is willing to work with any Democrat as long as they agree to even power-sharing. He has spoken to Nesbitt over the past few days and said he would continue to do so Tuesday night and today. “We’ve got plenty of time to talk,” Holmes said. But some Republicans said that they don’t See SPEAKER, Page 5 By Jennifer Johnson Staff Writer Thousands of students walk to class every day, and most of those familiar with the UNC-Chapel Hill campus can attest to how many bricks are underfoot. But few remember that black laborers laid those bricks a cen tury and a half before they were allowed to attend the University. Today blacks on campus are closer to the equality that so many students and faculty have fought for before them. In 2002 the Journal of Blacks in Higher Education ranked UNC-CH first among top pub lic universities in overall measures of racial inte gration. UNC-CH ranked sixth out of 26 top uni versities nationwide with the most tenured black faculty and endowed chairs. Even during the civil rights debate in higher education, Bill Friday, president of the UNC sys tem from 1956-86, said UNC-CH was a leader among Southern universities. “It was an interesting experience because the University was like the state itself, and indeed the country was going through a great social change,” Friday said. “I think (UNC-CH) handled the inte gration issue as well as any major public university could.” Leßoy Frasier, the father who fought to get his two sons, Ralph Frasier and Leßoy Frasier Jr., admit ted into the University in 1955 as the first black undergraduates, said that UNC-CH was more accepting than most other universities around but that gaining admission was still a battle. “I think you could consider (the University) progressive by com parison,” Frasier said. “Carolina wasn’t a leader in the movement However, it did support it, and eventually we became very popular.” Friday said desegregation did not break like a wave on campus. It moved slowly through litigation and gradual acceptance of what was the progressive thing to do - an attitude that continues to give UNC-CH the reputation for being one of the most forward-think ing universities in the nation. This attitude was fostered by Frank Porter Graham, who head ed the University from 1930-49 and paved the way for desegre- See HISTORY, Page 5 An increased number of student vot ers would give students a direct say in which elected officials have influence over their education, he said. UNC-system President Molly Broad also spoke to the student representatives, rallying their support for the BOG’s pro posal for a tuition increase moratorium for the 2003-04 academic year. The ASG passed a resolution in January supporting the moratorium. “We think it’s time for us to stop, catch a breath and let your family and the economy catch up," Broad said. BOG Chairman Brad Wilson told stu dents to share how the lack of funding affects things such as class size and grad uation delays. “You tell me your stories about what was happening on your cam- Weather Wednesday: Sunny; H 49, L 27 Thursday: P.M. Showers; H 42, L 27 Friday: Light Wintry Mix; H 33, L 20 www.dailytarheel.com jhMB nflpgp , CTH FILE PHOTO The groundbreaking for the Sonja Haynes Stone Black Cultural Center took place in April of 2001. pus as a result of the budget,” he said. But N.C. Sen. Virginia Foxx, R- Watauga, who mingled with students and asked them questions, said she was unimpressed with the students’ emotion al anecdotes in substantiating their case. She also chided them for misspelling Asheville as “Ashville" on an ASG brochure circulating at the event. “Make sure you’ve got your facts and figures,” she advised a group of students. She said that if the legislature based its decisions on emotion, chaos would ensue. Several candidates for student body president at UNC-Chapel Hill also attended the event. Nathan Cherry said he appreciated meeting with legislators. See STUDENT DAY, Page 5 9 Rep. Martin Nesbitt D-Buncombe, couid build a coalition with GOP nominee George Holmes that would give them the co-speakership. “It was so reassuring to see the University itself emerge as the place where people could come and talk about these thing. ” Bill Friday President Emeritus
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