Newspapers / Daily Tar Heel (Chapel … / Aug. 26, 2004, edition 1 / Page 12
Part of Daily Tar Heel (Chapel Hill, N.C.) / About this page
This page has errors
The date, title, or page description is wrong
This page has harmful content
This page contains sensitive or offensive material
12 THURSDAY, AUGUST 26, 2004 BOARD EDITORIALS WORTH THE BATTLE Now that University officials are defendants in a lawsuit concerning civil liberties, they should stand their ground throughout the conflict. The Alliance Defense Fund, in announcing its lawsuit against UNC, brought a fight to the heart of campus Wednesday from which our University cannot afford to back down. The ADF contends that the University acted ille gally in revoking official recognition for Alpha lota Omega, a Christian fraternity that refused to abide by a nondiscrimination clause. The suit came after weeks of heavy media attention sparked by a letter of complaint by the Philadelphia based Foundation for Individual Rights in Education. The letter defended AlO’s actions, arguing that by refusing to recognize the group, the University sup pressed the fraternity’s First Amendment rights. Although the lawsuit potentially could last years and might cost the University a considerable amount of resources and manpower, UNC should stand its ground without conceding its stance. The nondiscrimination policy is a reasonable and necessary requirement for student organizations at a public university. These groups receive access to facilities and equip ment funded by fees that all the students pay it’s TWO LITTLE WORDS Lawmakers should rethink their decision to modify a land usage bill so that local governments don’t have excessive power over development. From an outsider’s perspective, it seems innocu ous enough: state lawmakers added the words “and land” to a bill that was introduced last year and will go into effect Oct. 1. But the addition, which legislators meant to clear up municipal planning across the state, will create plenty of new roadblocks for the University and other N.C. agencies. The alteration will give the Chapel Hill Town Council and other local govern ments the ability to review most land disturbances and not just building developments. The relationship between UNC planners and town officials is tense enough as is. The University wants to move Carolina North negotiations forward, but the town is stalling talks and is waiting to hear what UNC intends to do with the Horace Williams Airport. If Chapel Hill and other municipalities are allowed to keep this new power over land usage, it could seri ously impede the University’s long-term efforts to build Carolina North and to complete other unfore seeable projects. Bruce Runberg, associate vice chancellor for plan ning and construction, said the development of a OPENING DISCUSSION ' ' a ] >. Duke University administrators are encouraging healthy debate at the school by letting a pro-Palestinian conference meet on campus. In a campus setting, ideas, opinions and senti ments that lead to lively debate are precious com modities. Recently, officials at Duke University affirmed the value of such debate on their campus. Facing a considerable amount of protest, they chose to go ahead and allow the Fourth National Student Conference of the Palestine Solidarity Movement to meet Oct. 15-17. By making this deci sion, Duke officials reinforced a level of academic freedom and tolerance of discussion that should exist at Duke, UNC and any other college or university. The Middle East conflict is an issue that has drawn ideological lines between people for decades. Addressing the subject so directly —as in the context of a pro-Palestinian conference on a major university campus is a risky endeavor, as thousands of peti tioners opposing the event have made clear. But it’s worth the risk to shed light on such a divisive issue. If anyone comes away from the conference with an understanding of Middle Eastern issues that tran scends mere polemics or a reactionary taking of sides, the event can be considered a success. Duke’s officials 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 five board members, the editorial page associate editor, the editorial page editor and the DTH editor. The 2004-05 DTH editor decided not to vote on the board and not to write board editorials. Debate highlights University’s importance to me Growing up in Chapel Hill, I always believed that the really important news happened “out there.” My father and grandfather both came out of Manhattan, so I was no stranger to the big city. I felt comfortable enough being raised in this sleepy Southern town, which just happens to have a bustling public university as a tenant. But I was sure that the most notable trends were created in the presence of skyscrapers and gridlock traffic, not glasses of sweet tea and dogwoods. As the day on which I would choose a college came closer and closer, most of my choices could be defined as “North” and “expen sive.” Putting UNC on the list was almost an afterthought. My parents probably were secretly delighted, because my becoming a Tar Heel would have put considerably less strain on their wallets than my other options. But despite the facts that both of them are Tar Heel alumni and that they spoke glowingly of their time on this campus, I rarely considered the possibility of following in their footsteps. Instead of paying closer atten tion to what soon will become my alma mater, I kept my nose in my high school textbooks and dreamed about life after college. only sensible that all students should have equal opportunity to participate in them. Campus Ministers’ Association, a group of Jewish and Christian leaders, joined the ranks of University supporters on Monday by releasing a statement backing UNCs nondiscrimination policy. Representatives from eight religious student organizations from the Baptist Student Union to UNC Hillel to the Newman Catholic Student Center Parish agree that student organizations do not have the right to discriminate. “Not accidentally, none of our groups have within their by-laws exclusive clauses that require a particu lar religious affiliation for membership,” the state ment reads. “We encourage the University to continue to pro tect the right of all students to participate in orga nizations of their choosing.” To waver on this issue would be for the University to undermine its role in facilitating the free exchange of knowledge. The walls of the University should shield its students from outside pressures. They should never be allowed to divide students along the lines of faith. parking lot on Cameron Avenue is the only project currently underway that could be affected by the change. But the University undoubtedly will come up with future plans that will fall under the discretion of the town. If the current text of the legislation is allowed to remain, UNC will have to pay significant amounts of money to push these plans through. Council members might appreciate the extra control over development that the change will afford them. But they actually will be enjoying what amounts to excessive power any of the University’s attempts to expand or modify itself will be at the town’s mercy. State legislators should reconsider the addition to the bill’s language. At least in the context of UNC and Chapel HiU, they have opened a brand new can of worms that should be closed as soon as possible. Chancellor James Moeser estimated that the law might be changed in a year. He and other UNC administrators had better hope that such a specula tion turns out to be correct. Otherwise, their ties to the town of Chapel Hill likely will sour. have allowed for that type of learning to take place. Also, Duke’s Freeman Center for Jewish Life should be commended for its decision not to oppose the event. Pro-Israeli interests obviously don’t run parallel to any call for Palestinian solidarity, but the center wisely is seeing the arrival of the conference as a chance to open the debate floodgates. The executive director of the center said a forum to discuss other sides of the Middle East issue is in the works. If it coincides with the pro-Palestinian event, it will help to create an even greater flow of ideas and opinions at Duke. Overall, this is an instance of leaders choosing to embrace controversy in the hope of making progress through education. Duke administrators could have taken the easy way out and bent to pressure. They could have refused to house the conference, disappointing its coordinators while pacifying the thousands of people who signed a petition calling for officials to ban the event. They didn’t Asa result, Duke can continue to lay claim to being the top-level station of ideas that it is. ELLIOTT DUBE EDITORIAL PAGE EDITOR I was set on leaving the Old Well, the Pit and the Bell Tower behind. In my mind, UNC was like the girl next door. It was always close by, nice to visit and fun to be around, but it didn’t catch my eye in that special, wonderful way. I was mindfhl of the University, became a diehard fan of its bas ketball program and enjoyed walking past its landmarks. Nevertheless, throughout most of my teenage years, the place didn’t really come close to win ning me over entirely. But something changed along the way. I ended up attending col lege here, and I’ve fallen in love with this campus in a way that I hadn’t ever before. I don’t have as great a com mand of University history as some of my peers —but I’m still trying to attain it. I haven’t been thinking about what I’m going to do after graduation as much as I’ve thought about what goes on at UNC in the here and now. Opinion And in the three-plus years I’ve been at Carolina alone, an awful lot has happened. Planning for Carolina North has been set in motion. The Carolina Covenant is now a real ity. Ca *. !ina First, one of the most impressive university-based fund-raising campaigns in the country, has been going strong. Of course, not ah of the developments have been good. Recently revised tuition guide lines, which have added to the financial burden on the backs of out-of-state students, quickly spring to mind. But as the saying goes, to err is human. And although not counting its students, faculty and staff—this campus is a giant con glomeration of brick, stone, wood and glass on the surface, it seems like more of a living, breathing force with each passing day. In many instances, UNC leaders take a step forward. Sometimes, they take a step back. And occasionally, they incur peo ple’s anger with their choices. Although recent controversies have created tension and conflict on campus, they have compelled members of the University com munity to think more for them selves. And I’ll always support such an outcome. Ihke the summer reading con ON THE DAY’S NEWS “We must convince by reason , not prescribe by tradition.” ST. CYPRIAN, BISHOP AND ORATOR EDITORIAL CARTOON R <4 f \ pi; .IpiPPRI -NES w6t> T*>* . ffipt—v - 1 'jpyi agvHi, - [ p.n. ae<AA*y M COMMENTARY Renaming road might have meaning after much debate Close your eyes for a moment and imagine: the citizens of the world folks of all races, genders, and religious backgrounds joining hands and singing songs of peace, love and charity. This could only occur in a beautiful land, a happy place. Somewhere with spacious skies and majestic purple mountains towering over plains with fruit and waves of amber grain. Somewhere with unicorns, cotton candy and bread that’s not low-carb. Judging by the recent hubbub, somewhere like Airport Road. Surely, one might wonder, why would such a noble four-lane strip of asphalt bear so bland and shamefully practical a title? What an embarrassment to our creativ ity. How belittling to the micro cosm of world peace that exists on this vital channel into Chapel Hill. Sadly, I have not seen any such singing while driving along I-40’s exit 266 these days. Instead, the scene is one of bitter controversy —a city divided between those who want Airport Road simply to remain Airport Road and those who wish to change its name to something more idealistic, dignified and politically correct. And who better than Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to represent the latter sentiment? Airport Road has borne its name for decades, as critics of the movement are quick to point out. Why change it now? Indeed, this argument makes sense. Businesses and residences would have to change their addresses and update telephone directories, stationery, business cards, Internet-based files and other reference data. The cost to taxpayers could be quite high to do something that is not nec- troversies 0f2002 and 2003, for example. One could argue either that the University was being progressive in its selection of non mainstream books, or that officials were being irresponsible in making incoming students cover only one end of the intellectual spectrum. Regardless, the basic oppor tunity to argue and discuss and debate is a large part of what UNC should be about. This opportunity results in people mulling about which side of debate they support. It leads to people finding reasons to back up their arguments. Which brings me to the law suit that was filed Wednesday against UNC by the Alliance Defense Fund. This is a major issue, one that involves questions about con stitutionality and civil liberties. This is important news —and it’s happening right here, on this campus, in the sleepy Southern town of Chapel Hill. It once again will put the University’s relationship with the public under the microscope. Without a doubt, there are those who wish that this type of contro versy would disappear just as soon as it comes to the surface. Some are maddened by UNC’s apparent inability to remain calm and unob trusive. Others likely wish that the MEG AUSTIN STREETWISE essary for the community and might even stir up some problems among citizens. Furthermore, what good does renaming really do? People will always remember the original name. Many will even slip up and call it by its old moniker. Case in point: KFC now mar kets itself as “Kitchen Fresh Chicken ’ Yet, despite its efforts to appear both down-home and diet-friendly, it will forever remain “Kentucky Fried” in the eyes of the American public. Finally, why Airport Road? Other than the fact that it’s a large thoroughfare, what symbolic meaning does it have? Was Martin Luther King’s dream for us to jump in our cars and drive more? If we insist on renaming some thing, why not focus on a school or a bench or heck, why not Rosemary Street? It would be sim pler, less costly and more symbolic. Rosemary Street connects one of the most affluent, historically white areas in Chapel Hill with the mostly black, low-income neighborhood of Northside, where Dr. King himself once held a rally during the civil rights era. Wouldn’t the impact be much more profound if the pearl-neck laced gals of the Panhellenic Council sororities stated their residency as Martin Luther King Drive rather than if deliveries to the Beer Cave at Run-In-Jim’s were made to 800 Martin Luther University would be scrutinized to much less of an extent But the controversy will trans late into UNC continuing to look inward and to seek ways to improve itself. It will highlight the University’s importance to its stu dents, its employees, its state and the world of higher education. New York or Washington or Los Angeles or Chicago or who knows where can wait. Right now, what’s happening on this campus is exciting enough for me. It’s because UNC and its leaders are so often a part of such a vibrant dialogue that the University has won my heart. This girl next door will be a part of my life forever. Contact Elliott Dube at dubee@email.unc.edu. 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 is not guaranteed. Bring letters to the DTH office at Suite 2409, Carolina Union, mail them to P.O. Box 3257, Chapel Hill, NC 27515 ore-mail them to editdesk@unc.edu. Slip Batty Sar Hppl By Rtz Holladay, wfhollad@email.unc.edu King Blvd. rather than to 800 Airport Road? And what would it mean for Chapel Hill’s economy if the Budweiser truck became confused by the new address and never made it to that chilly little empo rium of ales that momentarily unites young and old, black and white, Bush fanatics and Kerry lovers in perfect harmony? I shudder at the thought. But the debate has gone on for so long now and has become so heated that renaming Airport Road actually might stand for more than Chapel Hill broad casting mere lip service to our nation’s most prominent civil rights leader. Instead, it would signify a real commitment to racial cooperation and tolerance. It would be a fresh start and a precedent for genera tions yet to come. It would be a living testament that Chapel Hill is committed to the attitude that cost and inconvenience are noth ing compared to the struggle and sacrifice of Dr. King and thou sands of others who devoted their lives to equality and justice for all. Old-time Chapel Hillians might later say to their grandchil dren, “I remember when this was called Airport Road and all the citizens came together to support and respect each other, marking this camaraderie with the name ‘Martin Luther King Boulevard.’” It doesn’t matter if no one ever utters these words. The comment would be redundant. The history will always be there for those who seek it out and pass it along. It is now up to Chapel Hill to rededicate itself to the future. Contact Meg Austin, a junior classics major, at margarea@email.unc.edu. Established 1893 111 years of editorialfreedom Mg (Sar www.ilthonfine.eQin MICHELLE JARBOE EDITOR, 962-4086 OFFICE HOURS 11:30 A.M. -12:30 PM MON., WED. CHRIS COLETTA MANAGING EDITOR, 962-0750 NIKKI WERKING DEPUTY MANAGING EDITOR, 962-0750 ELLIOTT DUBE EDITORIAL PAGE EDITOR, 962-0750 EMILY STEEL UNIVERSITY EDITOR, 962-0372 RYANCTUCK CITY EDITOR, 962-4209 EMMA BURGIN STATE & NATIONAL EDITOR, 962-4103 JACOB KARABELL SPORTS EDITOR, 962-4710 KELLY OCHS FEATURES EDITOR, 962-4214 PHILIP MCFEE ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR, 962-4214 KATIE SCHWING COPY EDITOR, 962-4103 LAURA MORTON PHOTO EDITOR, 962-07S0 RANDI DEMAGISTRIS NICOLE NEUMAN DESIGN EDITORS 962-0750 MARY JANE KATZ GRAPHICS EDITOR, 962-0750 BRANDON PARKER SPORTSATURDAY EDITOR, 962-4710 FEILDING CAGE ONLINE EDITOR, 962-0750 MATT HANSON PROJECTS TEAM LEADER, 962-0246
Daily Tar Heel (Chapel Hill, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
Aug. 26, 2004, edition 1
12
Click "Submit" to request a review of this page. NCDHC staff will check .
0 / 75