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14 TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2004 board editorials DTH ENDORSEMENTS These candidates have set themselves apart from the pack through dedication, platforms and experience in the 2004 student election. rp|h e UNC student body hits the polls today to I elect anew student body president, the senior A class president and vice president, the Carolina Athletic Association president, the Graduate and Professional Student Federation president and the Residence Hall Association president. During the past week, The Daily Tar Heel Editorial Board endorsed candidates for each race. Here is a brief recap: who you should vote for, and why. Vote Matt Compton for SBP Matt Compton possesses the ability and vision to be a strong student body president and, most importantly, a vocal advocate for student interests on the UNC Board of Trustees. With the tuition increase that was rushed through the BOT a few weeks back it has become exceedingly apparent that stu dents desperately need a repre sentative who is capable of elo- quently and convincingly bringing the student voice to the table. Compton’s guiding philosophy for representing the student body and the University to the state of North Carolina is commendable. His platform emphasizes the need to return to a commitment to public service, and his N.C. Service Corps would accomplish that goal soundly. The Students’ Speaker Bureau, another promi nent plank from Compton’s platform, exemplifies his commitment to representing the University. Compton’s understanding philosophically and historically —of the University and its role are unri valed. Matt Compton is suited uniquely to assume the responsibilities of a University trustee, and he should undoubtedly be the next UNC student body presi dent. Vote Irvin/Frucht for senior class Jovian Irvin and Rebecca Frucht have the best mentality for senior class president and vice presi dent, respectively. Their attitude is a combination of openness and assertiveness. The primary role of the senior class officers remains the same each year: to receive input regard ing choices for the graduation Commencement speaker and the senior class gift. Irvin and Frucht’s platform includes the best ideas for reaching as many seniors as possible. They would look both on campus and off campus to gauge sen iors’ picks for whom should speak at their gradua tion ceremony and what kind of gift they would like to contribute to the University. While they rightfully would act as vessels for sen iors’ speaker and gift suggestions, they have developed their own fascinating idea for a senior service project. Thei” literacy program would benefit both seniors, for whom it would provide a well-defined opportunity to give back to the community, and local elementary stu dents, whose reading skills would improve. Irvin and Frucht’s platform is strong, with plenty of ideas for senior activities and ways to prepare sen iors for life after college. They would do an exem - plary job as the leaders of the class of 2005. Vote Keith for CAA president The president of the Carolina Athletic Association should strive to maintain and build upon students’ access to athletics. William Keith would make a fine CAA president because of his fresh ideas and his understanding of what needs to be done to improve this access. If carried out to fruition, his proposal for a student ticket return system would give more students the opportunity to attend men’s basketball home games. VOTE ONLINE TODAY EDITOR’S NOTE: The above editorials are the opinions of solely The Daily Tar Heel Editorial Board, and were reached after open debate. The board consists of seven board members, the editorial page associate 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 DTH endorsement of Irvin and Frucht irresponsible TO THE EDITOR: The Daily Tar Heel has been very irresponsible in their endorsement for the senior class presidency. First Friday and now Monday the DTH railed Victoria Frangoulis and Blaire Huntley’s campaign for their proposed senior gift idea. Note, however, that it was an idea not a promise, and lucky for the class of 2005, Victoria and Blaire are full of exciting and prac tical ideas for this school. But that’s not all they have to offer. They are also incredibly moti vated, trustworthy, ambitious and dedicated to UNC and its students. Note also that they decided to remove the idea from their plat form when they regrettably real ized that it was not financially fea sible. They removed the proposal so as not to promise something that they couldn’t deliver. The DTH was also irresponsible in not pointing out the obvious flaws of the opposing candidates, Jovian Irvin and Becca Frucht. Yes, communication is essential as is “serious fun,” but how vague can you get. Has anyone noticed that unlike Victoria and Blaire’s campaign, Jovian and Becca have no solid ideas to go along with their cliched objectives? Victoria and Blaire think outside the box. I would rather the senior class His platform pushes for greater use of students’ UNC ONE Cards at sporting events and in campus recre ation facilities. He has feasible plans for making the Homecoming experience more expansive and fun. Keith is former head of Carolina Fever, but he wouldn’t run CAA the same way. Instead, he would look out for the interests of all varsity, club and intra mural athletics in addition to those of the average student sports fan. With William Keith as CAA president, UNC stu dents will be “turnin’ it blue” sooner rather than later. Vote Bushman for GPSF president Whenever a single candidate runs for a particular office, his or her election might seem like a mere for mality. Jennifer Bushman alone is on the ballot for pres ident of the Graduate and Professional Student Federation. But before her future constituents turn their attention to the more competitive student body president contest, they should take the time to examine her platform. By doing so, they would discover that they would be hard-pressed to think of a more qualified GPSF president candidate than Bushman. She has the experience. Currently spending her eighth year at the University, she is serving on the administrative board of The Graduate School and as GPSF vice president for external affairs. She has an extensive record of service within the School of Medicine. In other words, she knows what she’s doing. She has the dedication. Her platform includes well-developed points about how to improve post graduate students’ sense of community. She has come up with good ideas about how to increase the level of GPSF awareness and communication with other campus groups and officials. Bushman has worked closely with current GPSF president Dan Herman, and she is the logical choice for his successor. Vote Scott for RHA president Like Bushman, Colin Scott is the only person run ning for his respective office, in his case, that of pres ident of the Residence Hall Association. Students again should not overlook the fact that this sole candidate is a deserving and highly quali fied choice. Scott has been involved heavily in resident affairs since his first days at this University. His years of experience have translated into an impressive knowledge of RHA operations and functions. As president, he would work to establish a role for the RHA in the voter registration process. He has emphasized the importance of installing new print ing stations and high-tech cyber lounges in various spots on campus. On his platform, he has included ideas about how to streamline the process that the RHA must under go to get new equipment. He also would strive to increase RHA’s level of professionalism. Most importantly, Colin Scott would be willing to listen to residents. This kind of receptiveness is required of any student leader. But above all else, vote! Albert Coates, the late law professor and founder of the UNC Institute of Government, and his wife wrote a history of student governance titled “The Story of Student Government in the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.” The work emphasizes the long, rich history of student self-governance at the University, a history that will be continued today. This history deserves to be valued and upheld, and given the wealth of issues facing the student body from tuition to parking to University growth, students should find their own place in that tradition of self-governance by voting today at http://stu dentcentral.unc.edu. Matt Compton ' have representatives that propose creative ideas than none at all. It’s obvious to me, as it should have been to the DTH, that given their involvement, innovation and inspiration, Victoria and Blaire are by far the most capable candidates for senior class president. Check out Victoria and Blaire’s platform at http://www.unc.edu/o-five. Catherine Wilson Sophomore Journalism Vote for Luke Farley for Student Congress TO THE EDITOR: I am writing in support of Luke Farley, a candidate for Student Congress in the South Campus dis trict. I’ve known Luke for eight years and believe he would make an excellent representative for South Campus. Over the course of the campaign he has shown more passion and determination than I would expect for a Congress race. Every night for the past two weeks Luke has gone “dorm storming,” knocking on doors, meeting possi ble constituents and spreading his message about creative ways stu dent congress can do its part in improving the quality of life on South Campus. South Campus needs and deserves a strong voice in Student Congress. I believe Farley would be a wonderful choice for one of our Editorial Page district’s seven representatives. Vote Luke Farley on Tuesday for Student Congress in South Campus. Krisha Parker Freshman U.. decided Committee should not shy away from controversy TO THE EDITOR: “When a thing ceases to be a subject of controversy, it ceases to be a subject of interest.” These words are attributed to William Hazlitt, a British essayist more than a century and a half ago. With his words in mind, I was shocked by the concern over avoid ing controversy so flagrantly dis played in the front-page article “Behind Closed Doors” in Monday’s issue of The Daily Tar Heel. It troubles me greatly that books have already been discarded because they were “too religious”, “too patriotic” or because “inevitably someone on the com mittee (found) a potential fuse.” Ezra Pound once said that “Writers, as such, have a definite social function.” “Social functions” tend to be controversial. And while we must take great care to avoid a book that is blatant ly inappropriate in its attempts to degrade a point of view or group of people, we must not shut out books that hold a viewpoint with which people might actually disagree. OH THE DAY’S NEWS “The ballot is stronger than the bullet ABRAHAM LINCOLN, U.S. PRESIDENT COMMENTARY Durham, with big tobacco, has seen much better days Heart of Durham is bust- I ed. The windows are -A. methodically shattered. Grime coats the rails on the bal conies. The wind sweeps through the rooms uninhibited. It looks like it hasn’t been occupied in years. Of course, I’m talking about the hotel. The hotel that shares space with the Four Flames restaurant in downtown Durham and looks like it’s seen better days to the point that it looks haunted. Of course, I could be talking about the city too. Anyone who hasn’t seen Durham has high expectations for the city. It houses Duke University,one of the most promi nent and well-bred colleges on the East Coast. It’s dead in the center of one of the most thriving educational ports in the state. It’s close enough to the state capital that I used to think it was the capital. In one way, I was right. It used to be the tobacco capital of the state and certainly one of the leading producers in the South. And make no mistake that tobacco used to be the biggest cash crop in North Carolina. Your grandparents and parents probably thought cigarettes were just cool. Judy Garland was light ing up and so was Frank Sinatra. Back when articles in The New York Times advertised the style and class that came with smoking, and James Dean fit up and fired the heart of every little rebel in the country. Tobacco was king. If that was true, Durham was the throne. Everywhere you look in Durham, you see the mark of past glories. The buildings are high. The streets are complicated and circling like a hornet’s nest. Sections of town are ornate and beautifiil. Lush hills and beautiful The most appalling argument against Carolina’s Summer Reading Program is the accusation that is responsible for any sort of indoctrination. Books are meant to challenge your opinions, make you think and interact with ideas not similar to your own. I am a conser vative, yet I benefited greatly from the liberal views brought out of last year’s reading assignment. If we can’t trust 18-year-old stu dents admitted to Carolina to be able to critically read and formu late their own opinions, why are we sending them to school anyway? And why should UNC avoid standing up to bullies in politics and the media who all want filings their own way? I say bring on the contro versy and stay firm in the commit ment to challenge the hearts and minds of students who are prepar ing to enter this great University. Ryan Landoll Freshman Psychology Students should be sure to use Safe Shuttle service TO THE EDITOR: On behalf of the Campus Safety and Security Committee, we would like to encourage all students to take advantage of the Safe Shuttle service offered by student govern ment and operated by the Department of Public Safety. Safe Shuttle provides an excel BILLY BALL FOR KIDS WHO CAN’T READ GOOD mansions. Driveways stretching like streets of their own. Someone here has money, but I guarantee they’re old money. Not much is coming into or going out of Durham these days. The small train station is relative ly unoccupied aside from a few sleepy passengers. A car at the local Amoco station, hood raised, coughs and struggles for life. Some kind of motor fluid bursts from the engine as the frustrated driver guns the gas. She’s not going anywhere, buddy. In the past, Durham took the attitude that if it’s good to you, then it has to be good for you. If 21 years have taught me anything, I wouldn’t say that’s true. The fads of yesterday don’t seem to be good for you today. Grand Funk Railroad ain’t what it used to be, and neither is tobacco. A series of tobacco lawsuits and a wave of tobacco legislation have hit the industry hard. Cigarettes are just too expensive. If death wouldn’t convince a few smokers, the price might. At least that’s what Washington said. Tobacco companies have taken big setbacks recently. For some reason or another, people simply don’t want to smoke anymore. Americans are living longer now. Brutal television ads show piles of bagged bodies to symbolize the fives taken every year by ciga rettes and tobacco companies. It’s lent means of getting home safely from campus between midnight and 3 a.m. Sunday through Thursday nights. An on-demand service, Safe Shuttle does not follow a set route but will take you directly to your dorm or sorority house. The shuttle picks up right out side of the new Student Union on South Road right by the P2P stop. The shuttle is a P2P van with a large “S” on the right hand side of the front windshield. Safe Shuttle runs continuously during operating hours, so there is no need to call. Before you leave campus at night, please consider Safe Shuttle. More information can be found at http: //www.unc.edu/studgov. Mary Hauser Brantley Hull Campus Safety and Security Committee TO SUBMIT A LETTER: The Daily Tar Heel welcomes reader comments. Letters to the editor should be no longer than 300 words and must be typed, double-spaced, dated and signed by no more than two people. Students should include their year, major and phone number. Faculty and staff should include their title, department and phone num ber. The DTH reserves the right to edit letters for space, clarity and vulgarity. Publication js not guaranteed. Bring let ters to the DTH office at Suite 104, Carolina Union; mail them to P.O. Box 3257, Chapel Hill, NC 27515 or e-mail them to editdesk@unc.edu. latig ®ar Hrri part of the Truth campaign, and it might be working. Everyplace basically is becom ing a “No Smoking” zone. Smokers are relegated to standing outside, even in the dead of win ter. You can see them there, fin gers frozen to the bone, huddled around their cigarettes and blow ing on their hands. Today, Durham would like to be referred to as the “City of Medicine.” Strange that a city that made its living on the biggest killers around would turn its attention to medi cine. You get the sense that the city is trying to correct past wrongs. To add to that, one of the largest buildings in downtown Durham is a fife insurance company. The whole situation is sad for a lot of people. Tobacco farmers are strapped for cash. It’s always the little guys who get hurt, and yes terday’s sins are wreakin'- havoc on today’s businesses. A downtown Durham book store is emblazoned with a bro ken yellow sign with half of it missing. Now it just reads “The South’s Grea...” The Liggett & Myers Tobacco Cos. still is standing in downtown Durham. Its walls are old-fash ioned, painted and humongous. It’s an artifact of past glory. But its surroundings are dark and dank, almost as if the building itself is a tumor, and the cancer has spread around it. A Lucky Strike smokestack reaches high into the horizon. Its structure is thin and tube-like, almost a cigarette itself. No smoke rises from its cylindrical body. But from where I’m stand ing, it’s just not burning anymore. Contact Billy Ball at wkball@email.unc.edu. Established 1893 110 years of editorialfreedom (Sljp ®ar UM www.daUytmheel.com ELYSEASHBURN EDITOR, 962-4086 OFFICE HOURS 2:15-3:15 PM MON., WED. DANIEL THIGPEN MANAGING EDITOR. 962-0750 JENNIFER SAMUELS PROJECTS MANAGING EDITOR, 962-0750 NATHAN DENNY EDITORIAL PAGE EDITOR, 962-0750 BROOK R. CORWIN UNIVERSITY EDITOR, 962-0372 EMMA BURGIN CITY EDITOR, 962-4209 CLEVE R.WOOTSON JR. STATE & NATIONAL EDITOR, 962-4103 BRIAN MACPHERSON SPORTS EDITOR, 962-4710 MICHELLE JARBOE FEATURES EDITOR, 962-4214 NICK PARKER ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR, 962-4214 ALEX OBREGON COPY EDITOR, 962-4103 BRIAN CASSELLA PHOTO EDITOR, 962-0750 MICHELLE KUTTNER DESIGN EDITOR, 962-0750 KRISTEN OLIVER ONLINE EDITOR, 962-0750 JOHN FRANK PROJECTS TEAM LEADER, 962-0246 ERIC GAUTSCHI OMBUDSMAN If you have any concerns or comments about our coverage, please contact Ombudsman Eric Gautschi at gautschi@email.unc.edu or 918-1311.
Daily Tar Heel (Chapel Hill, N.C.)
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Feb. 10, 2004, edition 1
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