12
THURSDAY, AUGUST 28, 2003
BOARD EDITORIALS
LET’S GET TOGETHER
Leaders from Chapel Hill and the University must agree to work as a
team in order to combat future conflicts over development proposals.
For much of the past decade, University leaders
have grappled with finding ways to meet an
increased demand for UNC’s services —and
the issue isn’t likely to go away anytime soon.
The campus’s need to grow also comes during a
time of many changes for the town of Chapel Hill,
which is coping with its own growth while trying to
protect its small-town feel.
Over the years, the pursuits of both of these
groups, as they attempt to meet these goals, has not
come without conflict.
The recent debates about changes to the Master
Plan the University’s 50-year blueprint for growth
illustrate the challenges both groups face in agree
ing on a common growth plan.
The Chapel Hill Town Council approved Tuesday
by a vote of 6-2 a plan that calls for the construction
of a 500-space parking deck and chiller plant near
Cobb Residence Hall and an 800-space deck in
Jackson Circle on South Campus.
The vote came after weeks of intense talks, includ
ing a nearly four-hour debate in the council’s cham
bers Monday.
The approval of the Development Plan also called
for the creation of a task force to oversee restoration
of the Old Chapel Hill Cemetery that would include
both town and University representatives.
Many town residents, especially those living in the
Gimghoul Historic District, opposed the plans out of
fear that they will dramatically increase traffic and
noise near the area.
Residents also lamented the projects’ close prox
imity to the historic cemetery.
University officials have countered that the proj
ects are necessary in order to expand access to and
resources on campus.
Some argue that having easy access to parking
decks on campus can play a crucial role in attract
ing and retaining University faculty and staff mem
bers.
In addition, the chiller plant is essential to keep
the northern part of campus afloat.
While it is important for campus officials to pur
sue the necessary avenues to manage growth, they
must do so being mindful of concerns from town res
idents.
From the very beginning, the success and growth
TRAINING THE BEST
The Ready to Teach Act will provide states with the resources needed
to attract and retain quality teachers to the nation s public schools.
■w- "T+iether it was the friendly face who greeted
%/% / you on your first day of kindergarten or the
▼ v tough math wiz who drilled geometry for
mulas into your head, chances are you have a mem
ory (or two) of a teacher that sticks out in your mind.
For most of us, teachers played a critical role in
our early development and are one of the many long
lasting imprints from our childhood.
But all around the nation, many school districts
are having a difficult time recruiting and retaining
individuals to serve in the classroom.
More than two million additional teachers will be
needed at the nations public schools during the next
decade, the National Education Association reports
on its Web site.
Finding the resources to identify, train and keep
these teachers could be soon be made a little easier
by provisions within the Ready to Teach Act 0f2003.
Under the bill, eligible states can receive money to
implement teacher preparation programs, such as
a charter college aimed at teaching education, In
addition, states can develop programs to retain and
promote teachers.
The bill, which cleared the U.S. House of
Representatives in July, has been referred to a Senate
committee.
The Ready to Teach Act is a great initiative that
will help to ensure that our nation’s schools have the
tools they need to recruit and train the best and
EDITORS' 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 editor and the DTH editor. The 2003-04
DTH editor decided not to vote on the board and not to write board editorials.
READERS’ FORUM
Campus memories to live
for many years to come
TO THE EDITOR:
Today I read a reprint of an arti
cle by Vermont Royster in the Wall
Street Journal's online “Opinion
Journal.”
It struck a special chord with
me, because 30 years ago as an
incoming freshman from out of
state I attended UNC’s “Freshman
Camp” and Royster was the
keynote alumnus welcoming us to
the camp and to the University. He
gave a great talk and was a big part
of a memorable week of orienta
tion before classes started.
I had heard of The Wall Street
Journal, where he was editor emer
itus, but I really did not appreciate
the scope of his experience and the
brilliance of his writing until years
later in graduate school when I
started reading his editorials in the
Journal.
Then and today when I read his
articles, I feel privileged to have
known such a renowned Tar Heel
up close and personal for that one
day. So for all you incoming fresh
man, know that you are entering a
very special place. I hope that you
too will hear from today’s incarna
tion of Vermont Royster who will
introduce you to the mystique of
Chapel Hill as he did for me 30
years ago. Good luck!
Rob Channon
Class of 1977
of Chapel Hill and the University have been linked
to both parties’ interaction with each other.
The decisions enacted by one group no doubt
affect the other, and leaders from both sides of the
fence should be cognizant of this fact.
As such, UNC officials should be applauded for
their efforts in reaching out for feedback from the
Chapel Hill community in discussions about the
parking decks and chiller plant.
University leaders could have brushed aside resi
dents concerns and gone directly to the council with
their plans.
Instead, campus representatives sat down to ham
mer out a compromise on a smaller Cobb parking
deck and a larger buffer zone for the chiller plant to
which town officials could lend their support.
Campus leaders also retreated on their intentions
to push for the widening of South Columbia Street
and instead offered to back the town’s plans to make
the road more friendly to pedestrians.
These efforts illustrate that campus leaders are
willing to work with the town.
Chapel Hill Mayor Kevin Foy even praised the
University’s efforts in working with town residents
and council members regarding the plan.
In addition, by giving a thumbs up to the plan the
council showed that it recognizes the University’s
need to grow, and one hopes that this spirit of cama
raderie will continue.
Still, it would be overly optimistic to believe that
there never will be any conflicts in the future.
As the years go on, there is a chance that campus
leaders could identify other needs that could lead to
proposals to amend the Master Plan once again.
But one hopes campus officials again will actively
seek input from residents, including through pub
lic forums and surveys, and will take any of their
concerns into consideration before making any deci
sions.
In turn, it’s important that town leaders be more
receptive to the debate and understand that growth
at UNC is inevitable in the future and is to be expect
ed when living next to a major university.
By keeping an open dialogue, Chapel Hill and
University leaders can help prevent any resentment
that one side is not appreciative of the needs or con
cerns of the other.
brightest educators and also find ways to decrease
turnover.
Another benefit of the program is that it will give
leaders a chance to learn from successful education
initiatives occurring in other states.
Much of the inspiration for the national move
ment comes from North Carolina’s own Teaching
Fellows Program.
The initiative, which began in 1986, provides four
year scholarships to 400 N.C. high school seniors
each year who commit to teach at a public school in
the state after graduation.
The additional resources provided by the Ready
to Teach Act come at a critical time when other edu
cational and service initiatives have taken dramatic
financial hits.
Earlier this year, Teach For America lost a major
chunk of its funding due to budget cuts to the
AmeriCorps program. The initiative has trained
more than 9,000 educators since 1990.
Education and congressional leaders including
Rep. David Price, D-N.C., who has spearheaded
efforts to boost educational training should be
praised for taking concrete steps in order to boost
the number of teachers before the problem worsens.
There is no cure-all strategy for solving the
teacher shortages that many areas are facing, but the
Ready to Teach Act and its grants for states are a
good first step.
Columnist ignores benefits
to boosting enrollment cap
TO THE EDITOR:
Nathan Denny’s premier edito
rial makes excellent points, though
the points don’t agree with each
other.
He asserts that our “top priority,
as stated in the University's mis
sion, is to serve all the people of the
state.” He argues that therefore the
lion’s share of the student popula
tion should come from the North
Carolina.
But then he argues (rather spu
riously) that since more out-of
state students paying at an
increased rate will mean a lower
allocation from the state, the
University will gain nothing.
If we suspend disbelief and
believe this argument makes per
fect sense, who does Denny sup
pose would benefit from a lower
allocation to UNC-Chape Hill?
His beloved “people of the state,”
of course.
A smaller need of allocation for
our school would lessen the state's
budgetary woes and might entice
the legislature to hesitate cutting an
already thin appropriation for the
school.
As an article on page six of the
same issue points out, we received
$24 million in cuts and had a 5 per
cent increase in tuition last year
alone.
Perhaps if we ask for less, the
legislature will feel worse about
Editorial Page
taking away more.
Rich Finneran
Sophomore
Classics and Philosophy
Student upset over lack of
information about projects
TO THE EDITOR:
Everyone knows that construc
tion should be endured for the
future development of the
University. However, students do
deserve to be fully informed on how
construction affects them, especial
ly students living on campus.
The University’s Construction
Watch Web site, located at
http: / /constructionwatch.unc.edu,
is clearly lacking to inform resi
dents of relevant construction proj
ects.
For example, the current project
on Stadium Drive is virtually left
out. I have still to find one mention
that the road is one-way and that
walkways near Carmichael and
Teague residence halls are blocked
by fences.
On the other hand, the
Department of Housing and
Residential Education provides
details of how construction will
affect students living on-campus
and dates of projects.
Although this is a valuable
resource, one would expect the
University's main construction
Web site to provide similar infor
mation to help everyone better
ON THE DAY'S NEWS
“Change is scientific; progress is ethical. Change is
indubitable, whereas progress is a matter of controversy
BERTRAND RUSSELL. PHILOSOPHER
mmsy \ 4
| _ % ik \ 1 _
POP CULTURE
Rankings of pop idols offer
only glitz and no substance
All the stars in all the world
fought it out, and of course,
Oprah Winfrey won.
A few weeks ago VHI answered
the question no one asked, and
now we have the “200 Greatest
Pop Culture Icons.” Oprah,
empress of a vast legion of subur
ban women, sits atop the list. Yeah,
she needed that ego boost. Seen
the cover of O Magazine recently?
Maybe she bought the top spot.
It isn’t just Oprah: I have
major issues with this bloated
excuse for another week’s worth
of specials on the former music
network, now shunning music in
its vainglorious incarnation as
home of “The Greatest.”
Here’s a clue that the network's
stretched itself thin with it’s spec
tacular makeover: The host is
Kristin Davis, Charlotte of televi
sion’s “Sex and the City.”
What, Todd Bridges was busy?
Who’ll host “I Love the 1880s,”
Evan Marriott? I hope so.
As if the whole ordeal needed
to be any more pointless. How is
John F. Kennedy Jr. at number 24
while the original JFK wilts at
32? There’s no John John without
plain John who are the ad wiz
ards who made that call?
How George Clooney (33)
landed higher than Kurt Cobain
(37) or even newly conjoined
Venus/Serena Williams (158) is
beyond me.
But UNC fans rejoice: Michael
Jordan (8) narrowly defeated liv
ing cartoon Michael Jackson (10)
in the battle of those known
eponymously as just “Michael.”
It’s a terrible list, and I’m
ashamed to have watched so
much of it, but the sad thing is
that it says more about us, about a
culture that idolizes news anchors
(Katie Couric, a remarkable 39),
magical children (Harry Potter,
cope with construction.
Will Hall
Senior
Psychology
SEAC to celebrate 15th year
anniversary over Labor Day
TO THE EDITOR:
If you’re staying in Chapel Hill
over Labor Day weekend, you have
a great opportunity to network with
dozens of students and alumni who
have been part of the nation's oldest
and largest student environmental
organization the Student
Environmental Action Coalition.
SEAC’s history began in the
spring ofl9Bß, when students from
the University of North Carolina at
Chapel Hill placed a notice in
Greenpeace Magazine asking to
hear from student environmental
ists interested in forming a network.
SEAC moved into the Campus Y
and held Threshold, its first
national conference, at which 1700
students from 43 states and over
225 schools came to Chapel Hill.
SEAC as a national organization
was born!
At UNC, SEAC has a proud his
tory of activism and volunteer
work. We started the recycling
project you see on campus. We
were instrumental in initiating the
University's campaigns for sus
tainability and energy efficiency.
SEAC has been an ally to the cause
of the lowest paid workers on cam-
I
%wr~
K
___
BRIAN MILLIKIN
SO HOT RIGHT NOW
just 154) and the pathetic (Monica
Lewinsky, 161).
It’s not enough that we hold
Wacko Jacko in such regard; we
can’t stand not knowing if he’s
better than Britney Spears (he is,
by 10). I don’t know what’s worse,
that they're so important or that
we have to make them compete.
Ah, America.
What makes a pop culture icon?
VHI mandates that the icon be
immediately quotable, a
Halloween costume and known
by a single name or word.
Clever, but I believe it’s some
thing else that we wish we
were them. It’s really VHl’s 200
people we’re most jealous of.
Image makes a pop culture
icon, which is why so much of our
star love is so misplaced even as
we throw it around everywhere
(who gave it to Ashton Kutcher all
of a sudden?).
It’s gotten to the point where
we have TV specials exploiting
our tastes and reminding us how
we’ve failed our ancestors,
because for every JFK there’s a
Jay Leno (explain to me how he’s
72, not 72,000).
Just how does one go about
ranking pop culture icons? VHI
tried and failed. And the lesson
learned? Never try.
I'd like to think that there’s no
way to rank what or who someone
loves. It shocks me to the core
that anyone could actually wor
ship J.Lo to the point that she
pus.
On the national level, SEAC’s
work helped to stop the construc
tion of a massive, destructive dam
project in Canada; protect Native
American sacred land in Arizona;
initiate sustainable energy and
paper purchasing policies at count
less universities and high schools.
The public is invited to a round
table discussion on Sunday, titled
“15 Years of Student
Environmental Activism and
Leadership: Celebrating SEAC’s
15th Anniversary,” in the Johnston
Center for Undergraduate
Excellence, Graham Memorial
Hall, from 2:30 to 5:00 pm.
For more information about the
reunion visit www.seac.org. A few
people are needed to host partici
pants or volunteer. Contact Andrew
Pearson, kangaroo@emafl.unc.edu,
919-960-5217.
Andrew Pearson
Student Environmental Action
Coalition
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®lje Daily (Ear Merf
“Just how does
onego about
ranking pop
culture icons? VHI
tried and failed
merits a top 20 position, but after
I wake up (for I’ve passed out on
the floor), I’m all right with that.
My friends (and family) make fun
of me for thinking Buffy is cooler
than Tony Soprano, and in the
end I’m okay with that, too.
If I’ve learned anything from
all the embarrassing amount of
time I’ve spent watching movies
and TV, reading magazines and
absorbing all the unimaginable
minutiae, it's that there’s no quan
tifying what you like, no telling
someone that what they like isn’t
as good as what you like.
Have your opinion, please
opinions make life worthwhile
but don’t ever be fooled that
you’re right.
I’m addicted to these lists, in
spite of my hate. I rank my
favorite stuff, from albums to fla
vors of Cap’n Crunch (berries win,
clearly).
It’s pointless, and I know it, but
it still makes me happy when I see
Superman ranked second, as in
some small way it validates the
Superman sheets my bed once had
or the fact that my dresser drawers
are still painted red. It’s pop cul
ture at its best.
I suppose I should thank VHI
for reminding me that it’s the lit
tle things that matter. I’ll keep
them in mind from here out.
Even if Oprah owns them all.
Contact Brian Millikin
at millikin@email.unc.edu.
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