Newspapers / Daily Tar Heel (Chapel … / Aug. 21, 2004, edition 1 / Page 11
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oatUj (Tor Heri ' ’ * ' ‘S^S?^ ?;- 4 f| "' ’ , DTH/GILLIAN BOLSOVER Orange County school board chairman Keith Cook resigned his position following a controversy surrounding a speech he gave at Orange High School's graduation ceremony that was found to be taken from an Web site. School board chairman resigns under pressure Plagiarism scandal fuels decision BY CATHERINE SHAROKY STAFF WRITER June 10 A collective gasp emanated from the overcrowd ed board room as Keith Cook announced his immediate resig nation as Orange County School Board chairman Monday night at a Board of Education meeting in Hillsborough. Cook’s resignation came as a result of a plagiarized graduation speech he delivered on May 28 at the Orange High School gradua tion service. The speech was originally deliv ered in 1998 by Donna Shalala, then U.S. secretary of Health and Human Services. Cook selected the speech after performing a Google search for “graduation speech.” Throughout the ordeal, Cook has maintained that the speech wasn’t attributed to Shalala on the Web site. “I have tried very hard in 15 years in the community to carry myself in an ethical manner,” Cook said in a prepared statement. “We are all human beings, and human beings make mistakes.” His resignation decision, which he said he made only min utes before the meeting, was met with approval from the six board members. Cook said he will remain an active board member and still plans to run for re-election July 20. “I think that the children and the district still need a voice like mine,” Cook said. The plagiarism incident has received national attention and created an uproar in the com munity. Cook apologized for the embar rassment that his action caused, especially for the graduating class and their parents. “Hopefully I did the right thing and we will be able to move on,” Cook said. He said that the focus of the school board should return to the children of Orange County. “This is a sad evening for each of us,” Vice Chairwoman Brenda Stephens said. Ultimately, the board members had a responsibility to hold him to standards of faith and honesty, she said. Cook was greeted with hugs and pats on the back from sup porters who spilled out of the board room as he left after the announcement. He said that his supporters had encouraged him not to step down, saying that one incident shouldn’t wipe out a decade of service. “He has been in the forefront of education for children,” said Elvira Mebane, who has a child in the school system. “He is for all of the kids.” At the start of the meeting, the board denied Cook’s request to add public comment to the agenda. Cook said that he wished the board and the public heard more from his supporters throughout the week. “People in the community and on the street have been very posi tive about me,” he said, claim ing the media had distorted the issue. He said that he had endured many personal attacks in the past week that had provided him with many humbling lessons. Brand New 20 Bed Salon, Largest in the Area! Now carrying licensed NC handbags: I ScUftie S<dm The Holiday Inn - Chapel Hill is proud to introduce the NEW... Discounts! Rewards! Value! Carolina Preferred Patent Program Member Benefits: Preferred Discount Room Rates throughout the year **579.95 per night including 2 Hot Breakfast Buffets each morning Preferred discounts on UNC football weekends SSO per night discount off prevailing Graduation Rates if you stay 24 nights over four years! (That's just 6 nights per year) Special amenities / gifts when you join and each time you stay with us! 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T fTT T Guest Laundry, Pet Friendly Rooms, L/iIArC/L FULL Fitness Center, Outdoor Pool, and Shuttle Service fti UJ lul .. * We are only V/i miles from UNCI I Welcome Back Julie Hunt, who graduated from Orange High School last week, said she isn’t satisfied with the apology. “I think that a lot of people are disappointed,” she said. “It gives a bad reputation to Orange High and Orange County.” Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu. University considers signage BY BRIAN HUDSON ASSISTANT UNIVERSITY EDITOR June 3 The University’s Task Force on Signage in Athletic Facilities endorsed the idea of corporate advertising in UNC sports venues during their final meeting May 27. The recommendation will now go before Chancellor James Moeser and the UNC Board of Trustees. If approved, it could result in the formation of another committee to determine how the revenue would be distributed. In response to the “substan tial need for the Department of Athletics to meet rising scholar ship costs, facility demands and sport-by-sport operating budget requirements,” the resolution recommends that the University “explore signage and other related partnerships, for athletic venues.” The task force also included several guidelines for signage to ensure it had a limited and taste ful effect on UNC athletics. “Signage or partnerships should only be introduced in a limited and tasteful way, with a BAR(® GRILL INTRODUCING A REVOLUTION IN FRANKLIN STREET DINING & NIGHTLIFE Offering lunch and dinner with hearty sandwiches, fresh seafood, delicious salads and creative twists on all ofyour pub favorites. Featuring a wide selection of draft and bottled beers, a variety of wines, and all liQuor permits. Monday $3.2$ Margaritas (16 oz), $2 Mexican Beers Tuesday $2.00 Domestic & $2.50 Import Pints $3.00 House Highballs & Shooters Wing Night $.35 Wings!!! 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The task force also recom mended that the signage have “significant financial impact within the athletic department; and the partnerships protect ... the environment and tradition of the institution.” UNC Athletics Director Dick Baddour, who is chairman of the task force, has said in the past that the corporate presence would have as little effect on the University as possible. “I can’t imagine that we would change the names of our facili ties ... I think we’ll always be the Dean Smith Center and Kenan Stadium,” he said at a forum in April. “We won’t use floor logos like the McDonald’s one on the Georgia Tech court.” The task force assembled by the BOT in October was charged with the responsibil ity of examining the possibility of signing with corporations to allow permanent advertising in Kenan Stadium and the Smith Center. The revenue from corporate advertising in sports venues would provide necessary funds to the booster club that funds stu dent athletes’ scholarships. Due to recent tuition increases, the club failed to cover all its schol arship obligations. The funding alternatives to corporate signage included increasing ticket prices, increas ing student fees and eliminating teams. Judith Wegner, 'chairwoman of the faculty, said that although she was not happy with the idea of corporate signage and its effect on the University, the task force did successfully explore other options. “They really had talked about how unfortunate it was to have to go this route, but it was really because they felt there would be some serious shortfalls.” Staff Writer Lauren Harris contributed to this article. Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu. 4 cepEMS 4 sent VOY Cfifil! 4 bedrooms, 2 bath, SISOO Fantastic floor plan! Wooded lot w/plenty of parking. All modern appliances, w/d, ceiling fans, and much more. Conveniently located near bus lines and bike paths. see it repair! wwwCfieiswcßentais com (919) 605-4810 11
Daily Tar Heel (Chapel Hill, N.C.)
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Aug. 21, 2004, edition 1
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