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(The lathi (Tar Ttel www.dailytarheel.com photo galleries of the Camp Lejeune deployment and the "What Would You Do for Dook Tickets?" competition. Volume 111, Issue 9 Easley Proposes SB2M System Cut Bv Elyse Ashbirn and Emma Heroin Senior Writers RALEIGH - There were few sur prises in the governor’s 2003-04 fiscal year budget unveiled Wednesday, but SB2 million in cuts to the UNC system was one of them. “It was pretty much what he said it was going to be,” said Senate Majority Leader Tony Rand, D-Cumberland. Gov. Mike Easley’s sls billion budget proposal reflects many of the promises made in his State of the State address, including pledges to exclude potential GOODBYES NECESSARY, BUT NOT ALWAYS EASY i H By MATT Hanson / Assistant State & National Editor JACKSONVILLE - With understated emo tion, some 2,500 Marines gathered their rifles, packs and equipment Wednesday morning and stoically left Camp Lejeune and their families for what might be the last major military deployment before a possible war with Iraq. The 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit is bound for the eastern Mediterranean and likely will be gone for about eight months, said Col. Andrew Frick, the 26th MEU’s commanding officer, in a Wednesday press conference at Onslow Beach. The unit will report to U.S. Central Command for further instructions. Frick said the specific details of the MEU’s mis sion are not yet available but assured that the unit likely will do more than sit back and watch. “It goes without saying that there are a lot of things going on in the world,” he said. “This MEU has the power to engage all ranges of warfare.” The Marines boarded three ships off the coast of North Carolina: the USS Iwo Jima, the USS Carter Hall and the USS Nashville, which all left Tuesday from their port in Norfolk, Va. Frick, who also commanded the MEU in a trip to Afghanistan from September 2001 to April 2002, said his unit has used the time since to inte grate the roles of anew infantry battalion and helicopter unit. The unit now boasts new state-of the-art capabilities to deal with nuclear and bio logical warfare. “It’s just something on the batdefield we need to be prepared for, and we’re prepared for it.” Frick said. Housekeepers Attack Zone Manager with Fliers By Daniel Thigpen University Editor Barbara Prear is growing more agi tated each day. As president of UE Local 150, the N.C. Public Service Workers Union, Prear is one of a group of frustrated housekeepers who have been airing Thank You UNC officials honor a University groundskeeper who has worked on campus for 50 years. See Page 13 lottery funds from revenue estimates and to freeze tuition at the state’s public universities. As Easley previously had indicated, his budget also delays a half-cent sales tax reduction scheduled for July and halts an income tax decrease for North Carolina’s top earners in order to gen erate $460 million. His budget hinges on $836 million in cost reductions and also on a 3.5 percent revenue growth rate that would generate about SSOO million. “North Carolina cannot cut or tax our way out of the recession,” Easley said. “We have to grow out of it. A healthy Kg*,' DTH PHOTOS'JOSHUA GREER Daniel Hansen comforts his 12-year-old son, Matthew, before departing Wednesday morning. Hansen, a corpsman with the 26th MEU, leaves behind a wife and three sons. He added that he originally expected to deploy after only six months back home but that the extra three months allowed for time to drill his soldiers on sea skills and anti-terrorism warfare. “I try to give them as many looks on the bat tlefield as we can,” he said. “That way, they will concerns about the Division of Housekeeping Services to administra tors - including, most recently, the chancellor - for months. Those complaints have resulted in various actions both from the house keeping department and the Office of Human Resources. But Prear and oth ers think their concerns have resulted On the edge of destiny, you must test your strength. Billy Bishop Serving the students and the University community since 1893 Thursday, March 6, 2003 economy will lead to a healthy budget.” The Easley budget also beefs up edu cation, primarily K-12, by $144 million, no surprise in the proposal of an “edu cation governor.” But not all areas of education escaped unscathed, some surprisingly so. Jeff Davies, UNC-system vice presi dent for finance, said that even with a nearly $2 billion deficit, he was caught off guard by the SB2 million in cuts the governor asked the system to sustain. “The budget cuts were higher than I would like to see,” he said. “We had cer tainly hoped for lower than that.” Davies said he doesn’t know which be prepared when the time comes.” Ist Sgt. George Weis said Battalion Landing Team 1/8 of Alpha Company has really turned screws in the last nine months. “We’ve shot more See LEJEUNE, Page 4 in stagnation. Prear has become so agitated that she and other workers began distribut ing a couple of hundred of fliers at the Division of Housekeeping Services early Wednesday morning. Those fliers direcdy attack the per son at the forefront of their complaints - zone manager Chuck Matheson. Wake-Up Call Loss to WFU might doom Tar Heels' postseason hopes. See Page 13 specific areas would be trimmed because decisions largely would be left to indi vidual chancellors. “The approach will vary from campus to campus.” But no matter the targets, the 4.5 per cent cut to the system’s operational bud get will slice to the bone, Davies said. “One of the real challenges is that these are the most recent in a series of cuts.” The budgets of the state’s public uni versities were cut by 2.9 percent last year. Davies and other system administra tors, however, did have some cause for celebration - namely the governor’s deci sion to fund fully enrollment growth and to freeze tuition. “I’m pleased with certain The fliers issue a bold “BEWARE” atop a picture of Matheson, and under neath follows a glaring caption: “Chuck Matheson -a racist, disrespectful, out of control zone manager with the bless ings of the (housekeeping) director. Bill Burston. Does the administration sup- See FLIERS, Page 4 Weather Today: A.M. T-storms; H 62, L 36 Friday: Partly Cloudy; H 57, L 36 Saturday: Partly Cloudy; H 66, L 40 aspects for sure. I’m pleased the governor has supported the (UNC -system Board of Governor’s) stance on access.” Enrollment growth increased by more than 4 percent systemwide this academic year and is expected to increase by an additional 4.5 percent in the 2003-04 academic year. Easley cited both the economic impact of the state’s universities and their public service as reasons the state should fully fund the UNC system’s $46.5 mil lion in enrollment growth needs. “It’s an expensive problem, but it’s See BUDGET, Page 4 CAPS Care Doubted In Wake of Suicides By Eugene Scott Staff Writer Although University officials said the recent increase in student suicides is not indicative of a larger problem, friends and families of the victims have been questioning the effectiveness of Counseling and Psychological Services. University police have determined that two UNC students have committed suicide within the past six weeks, leav ing the University community searching for answers. Chapel Hill police still are investigating another student death as a possible suicide. In all three situations, people who knew the students described them as appearing happy, having great senses of humor and being fun companions. In one of the cases, friends of the student had no clue the student was battling a mental illness. The friends and families of the stu dents who died recently say that the stu dents were aware of CAPS and even sought help but that CAPS did little to solve their problems. In at least two of the cases, family members confirmed that the student sought help from CAPS and was unsuc cessful. Families now are questioning whether the University is meeting the needs of its mentally ill students. Meg MacLaren’s son, Jeff, committed suicide Feb. 2. Although Jeff MacLaren had visited CAPS since October, Meg MacLaren said the visits were not helpful. “He liked the medical doctor, but he THE COSTS OF HELP - Cost of Mental Health Care Deters Some From Help By Shelley Walden Staff Writer In light of three apparent suicides on campus, people are wondering if the University is doing everything in its capacity to ensure students’ access to mental health services. One main area of concern is insur ance premiums, the costs of which can deter students from seeking help. According to recent research, mental health disorders affect 16 percent to 17 percent of Americans between the ages of 18 and 54. Although mental health dis orders are a relatively widespread phe nomenon, insurance companies histori cally have paid lower benefits for mental illness than for other medical problems. The insurance plan UNC offers, which insures about 5,000 students, is not an exception to this rule. UNC’s health insurance plan, which is sponsored by Hill, Chesson & Woody and underwritten by Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina, covers 80 percent of most medical treatments but only 60 percent of the cost for mental Wf www.dailytarheel.com iST ' % DTHBETH FLOYD Gov. Mike Easley on Wednesday presents his budget, which includes cuts to University funding. didn’t care for the counseling at all,” she said. “Jeff said they discounted his prob lems and didn’t listen to his needs.” Meg MacLaren also said CAPS dis played a lack of interest in her son’s men tal health by referring him to a nurse prac titioner instead of a psychiatrist. “I know the nurse confers with the doctor, but when someone is battling a mental illness, they at least deserve a doctor,” she said. Althoughjeff MacLaren was referred to a doctor after his mother complained to CAPS officials, he was granted a lim ited number of visits. “They told him his problem was too big for them and that he needed to see a private physician,” Meg MacLaren said. “They tried to help us find a private physician, but Jeff never saw one.” Another problem Meg MacLaren has with CAPS is its refusal to disclose her son’s medical information to her while he was undergoing counseling. “They need to bring parents in earlier on. I could have possibly let them know about some things he didn’t tell them,” she said. Meg MacLaren also expressed con cern about CAPS not being open on weekends. Jeff MacLaren committed suicide on a Sunday. “I can imagine that Saturday night is a time when most stu dents have problems. CAPS needs to be a 24-hour service,” she said. Junior Erin Cody also visited CAPS before committing suicide. Her mother, Debbie Cody, said the lengthy waiting period for an appointment prevents stu- See CAPS, Page 4 health problems. And when people seek out-of-network help, the plan covers 60 percent or more for every covered prob lem except mental health services, for which it pays 40 percent of the cost So if students decide they want to seek help outside the University’s Counseling and Psychological Services, they must pay 60 percent of the about SIOO fee psychiatrists charge per session. John Edgerly, director of CAPS, said many students seek referrals for outside help because they are embarrassed or need more long-term help than the eight free sessions CAPS provides. But Abbi Hattem, a local psychiatrist said the high price can prevent students from seeking help. “I think when bene fits are limited and difficult to get, people wait to get therapy,” Hattem said. “Sixty dollars an hour is a lot for a student to pay, and you’re not going to pay it unless you really have to or you’re really rich.” Hattem said that in past years, UNC’s health insurance plan covered 50 per cent of outside mental health insurance See INSURANCE, Page 4
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