VOLUME 112, ISSUE 23
Bill could alter conflict policy
CONGRESS TO DECIDE IF MEMBERS
CAN VOTE ON OWN STUDENT GROUPS
BY KELLI BORBET
STAFF WRITER
Student Congress likely will vote on a bill
Thursday that, if approved, would alter its
conflict of interest policy so that represen
tatives would be able to vote on binding
allocations to student organizations of
which they also are members.
Congress representatives are not allowed
to vote on legislation concerning any student
organization they have been a member of in
the last 12 months. But, if passed, the pro
posed bill will allow representatives to vote
UNCto
present
changes
to plan
University , town ,
to meet Thursday
BY ERIN GIBSON
STAFF WRITER
University officials will meet
face-to-face with the Chapel Hill
Town Council and local residents
Thursday to present proposed
amendments to the UNC
Development Plan.
There are six major modifica
tions to the original plan that need
town approval before the
University can continue develop
ment of several structures.
“We will provide an overview of
the changes and reasons for these
changes,” said Bruce Runberg,
UNC associate vice chancellor of
planning and construction.
The University submitted its
proposal to the town March 16
despite an earlier letter from
Chapel Hill Mayor Kevin Foy and
the council asking UNC to halt all
applications for changes to the
plan.
The council has had a chance to
review the University’s proposal,
but the meeting will open dialogue
between the council, the
University and residents.
“We will finally hear firsthand
what we’ve heard second- and
thirdhand through the media and
from people,” council member Jim
Ward said.
He said members of the town
staff also will present their opin
ions on the University’s proposed at
the meeting. “The town’s presen
tation will let us know where the
(staff) stands on the issue of
changes,” Ward said.
Runberg said the tentative
changes were made for several rea
sons, including financial benefits
and the impact on future projects.
He said he doesn’t anticipate
much resistance from the council
or residents because most of the
major changes are in the middle of
campus.
One proposal includes remov
ing the 600-car parking deck orig
inally planned for the Science
Complex Phase II and adding 600
spaces to the Bell Tower parking
lot.
A 10,000-ton chiller plant to be
located at the Science Complex
Phase II also has been removed.
Instead, there will be a 25,000-ton
chiller plant in the Bell Tower area.
Under the proposed changes,
Fetzer Gym will see an addition of
28,000 square feet, which will
house office and clinical space for
a sports medicine complex.
The final mid-campus modifi
cation is the addition of an office
building to the N.C. Clinical
Cancer Center.
But Ward said there might be a
need for more time concerning a
couple of proposed projects along
Franklin Street.
The two modifications that
could affect the greater Chapel
Hill population the most are an
SEE TOWN-GOWN, PAGE 4
INSIDE
ON A ROLL
Carolina Rollergirls strive to bring back the glory days
of roller derby through fun and competition PAGE 3
Serving the students and the University community since 1893
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on all legislation affecting organizations in
which they participate.
Rep. Kris Wampler had the idea for the
bill and will propose it at the meeting.
“I came to the conclusion that there
needed to be a change in the system,” he
said.
Wampler said the current conflict of
interest policy does not fairly include stu
dent groups in the discussion of fund allo
cations. “I feel like we are supposed to be
fair with other organizations,” he said. “Bias
can be for, but also against.”
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DTH/JUSTIN SMITH
Professor James Leloudis displays a photo of his friend and fellow UNC professor, the late Robert Kirkpatrick Jr., during a memorial service for
Kirkpatrick held Tuesday in the Morehead Banquet Hall. Kirkpatrick, a professor of English, died Feb. 24 from complications during surgery.
MOURNERS
SHARE MEMORIES
BY NORA WARREN
STAFF WRITER
Just days after the Feb. 24 death of beloved
English Professor Robert Kirkpatrick, Thor
Fjellstedt, the father of one of Kirkpatrick’s
students, jotted these words in his journal:
“I’m grieving for a man I hardly knew.”
Tuesday, Fjellstedt and his wife, Nancy,
joined about 150 of Kirkpatrick’s colleagues,
students, friends and family members to
remember the life of a man about whom, they
say, words can do no justice.
“I feel like any words I use to try and
describe his presence would fall short of his
everlasting impact on all of his students,” said
senior English and biology major Shruti
Chudasama.
Like Chudasama and just about everyone
else who gathered in the Morehead Banquet
Hall, the Fjellstedts said that Kirkpatrick
touched their lives with his kindness, wisdom
and humanity; in their case, through their
son, Anders.
Franklin St. Gap to close its doors
BY DAN SCHWIND
ASSISTANT CITY EDITOR
The Gap clothing store on East
Franklin Street will close May 31,
continuing the trend of shop
turnover in downtown Chapel
Hill.
Kimberly Terry, spokeswoman
for Gap, said the company decided,
after a great deal of consideration,
not to renew the lease for the
Franklin Street location when it
expires June 1.
“It’s always a difficult decision
when we have to decide whether or
not to keep a shop running,” she
said.
Terry said several factors,
www.dailytarheel.com
He said that the change, if implemented,
will create fairness in Congress.
But some Congress members disagree
and said they do not support such a move.
Congress member Sarah Dees said she is
already frustrated with bias votes in
Congress and feared this would increase
with the bill’s possible approval.
“As Congress members, we represent the
best interest of everybody, not just our own,”
Dees said. “If this bill was passed, we could
make decisions that might not represent the
best interest of the whole student body.”
Rep. Jennifer Orr agreed with Dees and
said her first impression was to vote against
this bill. “In order to vote fairly, we need to
keep a certain distance from the issues at
hand,” she said.
REMEMBERING A MENTOR
“He said Dr. Kirkpatrick was the smartest
man he ever knew,” Thor Fjellstedt said of his
son. “He absolutely admired him.”
He said that Anders, shortly after his
brother’s death, took one of Kirkpatrick’s
poetry classes. With tears in his eyes, Thor
Fjellstedt recalled how Kirkpatrick reached
out to his son, offering a sense of compassion
and a method to work through the pain.
“He used the vehicle of poetry to help him
grieve,” Thor Fjellstedt said.
Photographs of the white-haired, beaming
Kirkpatrick, along with copies of a poem he
wrote for his wife, Pamela, flanked the
entrance to the banquet hall to once again
bring smiles to mourners’ faces.
Members of UNC’s Department of English
and the Honors Program related stories about
Kirkpatrick’s passion for cooking, teaching,
words, humor and poetry.
“In the kitchen, Robert was a god,” said
English Professor Thomas Stumpf. “To his
students, he was a god everywhere.”
including other store locations in
the Triangle, sales volumes and the
amount of customer traffic at each
location, go into the company’s
decision regarding whether to keep
a store open.
Gap Inc., the parent company of
Gap, has three other store loca
tions in the Triangle. There is one
in Cary, one in Raleigh and a larg
er store at the Streets at
South Point Mall in Durham.
Terry said the company plans to
send all merchandise that is unsold
as of the closing date to other stores.
All those employed at the
Franklin Street location also have
been offered jobs at other area
Although she is against the bill, Orr said,
she wants to hear other opinions before
making a decision.
“I’m interested to see what goes on dur
ing the debate regarding this issue,” On
said. “I’m sure there was good reason to
prompt the idea of this change.”
When asked for comment Tuesday,
Student Body President Matt Tepper had
not reviewed the legislation and was not
aware of its details.
Abby Youngken, chairwoman of
Congress’ Rules and Judiciary Committee,
where the bill already has been reviewed,
said she thinks this bill should be consid
ered carefully by the full Congress.
SEE CONGRESS, PAGE 4
“I feel like any words I use
to try and describe his
presence would fall short
of his everlasting impact”
SHRUTI CHUDASAMA, UNC SENIOR
Kirkpatrick’s son, Robert “Kirk”
Kirkpatrick, read aloud one of his father’s
poems, “The Bermudas,” to honor his father’s
love of poetry.
“I know he believed in the supreme power
of the word to convey meaning,” he said.
Two other poems were also read aloud:
“Henderson Street Mason” and “Patmos,” both
written by Kirkpatrick’s daughter and UNC
student, Mela.
Students said they remembered
SEE KIRKPATRICK, PAGE 4
locations.
Terry said Gap Inc. does not
have any plans to open any new
locations in Chapel Hill.
Gap first came to Franklin
Street in 1992. It was brought in by
Fayetteville developer Joe Riddle,
who also brought in Top of the Hill
Restaurant and Carolina Theatre.
There were hopes that bringing
in a high profile chain store would
boost business downtown by
encouraging consumers to
“spillover” into locally owned busi
nesses after visiting such chain
franchises.
SEE GAP, PAGE 4
SPORTS
RETURN TO FORM
The men's tennis team looks to cap its best season in
26 years with a win against Wake Forest PAGE 5
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 31, 2004
DTH/KATE BLACKMAN
After 12 years on East Franklin Street, Gap clothing store will close
its doors May 31 in part due to the proximity of other franchises.
WEATHER
TODAY Thunderstorms, H 61, L 42
THURSDAY P.M. showers, H 61, L 38
FRIDAY Few showers, H 63, L 40
Money
serves
to push
leaders
Congress justifies
new payments
BY TORRYE JONES
STAFF WRITER
By the time members voted on
a bill to give stipends to nine offi
cials in student government,
Student Congress had dwindled to
16 members in attendance.
After six hours of debate and
several weeks of discussing the
issue, many members already had
made up their minds.
“The debate was initially brought
up in Congress meetings about
seven times since it came up with
the referendum Feb. 4,” said
Charles Anderson, Congress speak
er pro tern. “Everyone had made up
their mind. It was going to pass.”
But because so few members
were present, the bill almost was
sent back to committee before
being overwhelmingly approved.
The bill allows for student gov
ernment funds to be used for
stipends for the student body pres
ident, student body vice president,
student body treasurer, student
body secretary, Congress speaker,
Congress speaker pro tem, student
attorney general, student Honor
Court chairman and student
honor outreach coordinator.
The highest stipend is S3OO per
month for the student body presi
dent, with the other stipends being
either S2OO or $125 per month
during the upcoming school year
and the summer.
While members of Congress say
many of the stipends were support
ed from the beginning, the $125
stipend for the honor outreach
coordinator encountered opposi
tion before its eventual approval.
Several representatives were
concerned about whether the posi
tion deserves to receive money
because it was created just last year.
“I originally was against it, but
now I feel (the position) serves a
vital purpose to the University,”
Anderson said. “$125 is reason
able. They can devote themselves
more to the job.”
Several representatives said they
don’t believe the bill will lead to
more positions receiving stipends.
“I don’t see any other positions that
are vital for the University’s func
tioning,” Anderson said.
Despite prior discussions,
Congress debated the stipends’
merit and the process for altering
them long enough to prompt the
departure of several members.
“The reason it was so contro
versial is because it was a change,”
Congress Finance Committee
Chairwoman Natalie Russell said.
“Anytime Student Congress
decides to do something we’ve
never done before, it’s contested.”
In the end, the bill was
approved because most Congress
members felt the stipends were
needed to ensure accountability.
“The general consensus is that
stipends are the way we can hold
SEE STIPENDS, PAGE 4
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