VOLUME 112, ISSUE 9
UNC
aims to
avoid
delays
Multiple changes
to plan expected
BY RAND ROBINS
STAFF WRITER
University officials are opti
mistic that a request from the
Chapel Hill Town Council to halt
proposed changes to the campus’
Master Plan will not halt UNC’s
efforts to expand.
The council decided at its meet
ing Monday to draft a letter asking
the University for its cooperation in
revamping the zoning regulations
for the changes. Construction proj
ects currently fall into the
Office/Institutional-4 classification.
The revised plan includes relo
cating a 10,000-ton chiller plant
and 600 parking spaces about 300
feet across South Road from the
Science Complex to a lot behind the
Bell Tower, said Bruce Runberg,
UNC associate vice chancellor for
planning and construction.
“We really need the chiller plant
and the parking deck approved to
continue moving forward with the
design,” he said.
A 2001 agreement between the
town and the University regarding
zoning regulations states that the
council has 90 days to assess revi
sions once they have been submit
ted.
The Master Plan involves more
than 100 projects and is expected
to cost about $1.3 billion.
Butthe muncilwantsinore time
to examine proposed changes,
council member Jim Ward said.
Instead of the 90-day review, Ward
said, he wants to see a concept plan
illustrating considered modifica
tions to give the council time to
have input early in the process.
“The council was most sur
prised by the significance and size
of the modification,” he said.
Both the chiller plant and the
parking deck are integral pieces of
the infrastructure required for the
the massive development plan to
be implemented, Runberg said.
But the council is wary of what
could be drastic changes to the
original layout of campus, and
Ward said it is too early to assess
the ramifications of the proposed
modifications.
“We’ll have to wait until a traffic
engineer can say what impact
they’ll have on road systems,”
Ward said of the parking deck and
chiller plant.
But many building schedules
depend on the completion of the
expanded parking deck and the
chiller plant, which cools water for
use by other structures.
Building the new plant and
adding 600 parking spaces to the
planned 1,000 spot parking deck
SEE PARKING DECK, PAGE 11
Turnout pleases student officials
BY JAMIE MCGEE
STAFF WRITER
Student body president cam
paign members and officials said
they were pleasantly surprised
with the voter turnout in Tuesday’s
runoff election and linked the
increased turnout to the nature of
the race and the highly publicized
investigation.
Voter turnout increased by 7
votes since the first runoff Feb. 17,
jumping from 6,113 votes to
6,120.
Board of Elections member
Walker Rutherfurd said the board
did not know how high voter
turnout would be.
“We knew there had been a lot
of publicity about the entire
process, and we were worried peo
ple would get tired of dealing with
the election process,” Rutherfurd
DIVERSIONS
URBAN LANDSCAPE
Public art exhibits enhance urban spaces across the
country, including in Chapel Hill PAGE 5
Serving the students and the University community since 1893
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DTWJUSTIN SMITH
U.S. Sen. John Edwards, D-N.C., announces Wednesday at Broughton High School in Raleigh his withdrawal from the race
for the Democratic presidential nomination while Edwards' 3-year old son, Jack, waves one of his father's campaign signs.
OPTIMISM MARKS
EDWARDS’ BID, EXIT
BY CHRIS COLETTA
ASSISTANT STATE & NATIONAL EDITOR
RALEIGH U.S. Sen. John Edwards
ended his bid for the presidency
Wednesday, returning to his home state
to make his final speech as a Democratic
candidate for the White House.
Speaking at Broughton High School,
which his son Wade attended before he
died in an accident in 1996, the North
Carolina senator looked back on his
upstart campaign with fondness and
encouraged those in attendance to con
tinue his fight.
“You should not step back. You should
step up,” he told the staff, supporters and
Broughton students who filled the
school’s gymnasium floor and the royal
purple bleachers behind it.
said. “The board is always happy
when the students’ will is repre
sented.”
“The more people that vote, the
clearer picture we have of what
they want. It says the student
body is committed to being
involved and that the students
govern.”
Rutherfurd said the voter
turnout was related to the public
ity of the investigation two weeks
ago.
“The investigation and its out
comes did have an effect on peo
ple’s decision,” he said. “The
increased publicity kept the elec
tion at the forefront of the stu
dents’ mind.”
Tre Jones, campaign manager
for Student Body President-elect
Matt Calabria, expected a lower
turnout than the first runoff and
www.dailytarheel.com
A WARM HOMECOMING
With “John Edwards: President” signs
still serving as the backdrop for the
raised stage on which he spoke, the
South Carolina-born son of a mill work-
er thanked his staff,
his parents and his
wife, among others,
and said he has run a
blessed campaign.
“All my life
America has smiled
on me, and today I’m
INSIDE
Experts say
Kerry must shift
message, focus
on November
PAGE 3
smiling right back,” he said.
As members of the Secret Service
lined the balconies in front of the gym
bleachers and misty-eyed staffers lis
tened in the corner of the room,
Edwards also took time out for some
lighthearted moments.
‘7 know some people were afraid
(turnout) would be lower, but I didn’t
think so.” matt tepper, STUDENT BODY PRESIDENT
linked the turnout to high media
coverage.
“I thought (turnout) was going
to be lower, that the students were
going to be tired of the dragging
election,” Jones said. “Overall, the
coverage of the hearing process
was enough to get students’ inter
ested.”
While Jones said his campaign
worked hard to generate initial
interest in the election, he said
that interest was maintained in
large part because of the runoff’s
controversy.
“I think the candidates’ efforts
all campaign season long con
When his youngest son, 3-year-old
Jack, became fidgety on stage, Edwards
chuckled and cracked a joke about his
children’s low level of patience.
The problem wasn’t solved until
someone handed Jack a campaign sign,
which he held proudly as his blond,
mushroom-cut hair bounced above his
eyebrows.
The crowd laughed, and as it turned
out, Edwards’ speech would address his
son and countless others.
“To have my life blessed with four
beautiful children and family and friends
I couldn’t ask for anything more.”
The suspension of Edwards’ cam
paign came after his rival for the
SEE EDWARDS, PAGE 11
tributed,” he said. “The second
runoff was not necessarily about
campaigning but more the nature
of the re-vote.”
But Student Body President
Matt Tepper said the high turnout
was no surprise to him.
“I know some people were
afraid (turnout) would be lower,
but I didn’t think so,” Tepper said.
“Students have a lot of faith in
the student leadership.”
Tepper, too, said the nature of
the race added to the student
interest.
SEE TURNOUT, PAGE 11
INSIDE
BALLIN'
UNC's club handball team hosts the national
handball championships March 12-14 PAGE 3
Student
attorney
general
selected
BY EMILY STEEL
ASSISTANT UNIVERSITY EDITOR
Carolina Chavez’s voice brimmed with passion for
the University’s honor system Wednesday evening
soon after she learned that she has been recom
mended to be next year’s student attorney general.
“All of us are here to get a degree, and we want
to graduate with a degree that means something,”
she said. “I want to make sure
that the system we are promot
ing works well.”
Student Body President Matt
Tepper announced Wednesday
evening that he appointed
Chavez for the position.
Chavez will be inaugurated
April 6, if Student Congress
approves Tepper’s recommen
dation at its March 23 meeting.
The junior English and polit
ical science double major has
worked on the attorney general
staff for three years, most recent-
ly as chief of staff to the student attorney general.
A committee composed of several student gov
ernment leaders and David Gilbert, assistant dean
of students and judicial programs officer, inter
viewed six applicants for the position.
“It was the toughest field of candidates we’ve
had in the four years that I have been here,” said
current Student Attorney General Jonathan Slain,
who served on the selection committee.
Tepper cited Chavez’s experience, presence as a
speaker and passion for the position as the quali-
SEE APPOINTMENT, PAGE 11
splits
limit on area
gay unions
BY EMILY VASQUEZ
STAFF WRITER
Chapel Hill is known throughout the state as
one of the most liberal communities in North
Carolina. But that isn’t likely to make much dif
ference for same-sex marriage activists.
Mayor Kevin Foy cannot pull a San Francisco.
Under North Carolina’s constitution it is clear
that local governments don’t have the kind of
autonomy that city’s mayor, Gavin Newsom,
claims. Newsom ordered the San Francisco coun
ty clerk to issue marriage licenses to same-sex
couples starting Feb. 12.
“I don’t have the authority, but I’d be glad to do
it if I did,” Foy said. “I think what Mayor Newsom
is doing is admirable and worthy of the state of
North Carolina. It’s a matter of equal rights.”
According to the N.C. Constitution, marriage is
explicitly defined to be between a man and a
woman, and same-sex marriages granted outside
the state are not recognized.
Though legalizing same-sex marriage isn’t pos
sible at a local level, leaders in Chapel Hill and
Carrboro have taken unprecedented steps toward
recognizing same-sex couples in the past.
SEE GAY MARRIAGE, PAGE 11
EMOTIONAL VICTORY
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f n women’s tennis team plays against William & Mary
| on Wednesday afternoon as the men’s team watches
JL from the stands. The women defeated William & Mary
6-1 at the Cone-Kenfield Tennis Center. The win continues the
team’s 8 game winning streak. For the frill story, see page 11.
WEATHER
TODAY Partly cloudy, H 76, L 56
FRIDAY Mostly cloudy, H 76, L 62
SATURDAY Rain, H 72, L 39
THURSDAY, MARCH 4, 2004
A
m
Junior Carolina
Chavez was
recommended
to fill attorney
general post.