2
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2004
Students’ protest reflects
plight of African nation
BY WILLIAM FONVIELLE
STAFF WRITER
Those who caught dinner at
Lenoir Dining Hall on Tuesday
likely noticed an unusually solemn
band of what appeared to be pro
testers.
A line of students stood under
the shadow of trees, peppering the
Pit with small specks of candle
light.
The event separated itself from
a typical protest because it was a
candlelight vigil, orchestrated in
complete silence.
More than 20 students, some
who arrived together and some of
whom were just passing by, all held
signs and tiny white candles as they
stood with their heads bowed in a
semicircle.
Students United for Dafur
Awareness Now, a group based out
of N.C. Hillel, sponsored the event
to not only raise awareness about
the organization and the crisis in
the Sudan, but also to spark con
versation among students.
Since February 2003, when
rebel groups in the Dafur region
J-school changes core, advising
BY KATIE HOFFMANN
STAFF WRITER
Officials in the School
of Journalism and Mass
Communication announced two sig
nificant changes to the undergradu
ate program Monday in an effort to
rejuvenate the curriculum.
The school removed Web-based
course JOMC 50, “Electronic
Information Sources,” from the list
of classes required for graduation.
The change is effective immedi
ately for all students in the school.
The course will count as an elective
for students who have completed it
Tom Bowers, senior associate
dean of the school, cited a decreasing
need for a mandatory Web-related
class as the reason for it’s removal.
“(The class) started nine years ago
when not many people were aware
of how to use the Web,” Bowers said.
“Students today are much more
knowledgeable about it’
Deb Aikat, a professor who
taught the course, said it’s neces
NO FAKE ID
REQUIRED.
tr ,
IT FILLS YOU UP RIGHT."
of the Sudan rose up with accusa
tions of neglect and discrimination
against the Arab-dominated gov
ernment in Khartoum, portions
of the Sudan have been ravaged by
conflict
Numbers released in July count
ed at least 50,000 people who have
died; an additional 1.2 million have
lost their homes.
Students in SUDAN now are
looking to raise awareness of the
conflict.
A table was set up in front of the
participants that provided addi
tional information about the crisis
to better educate those who were
interested.
The silent aspect of the vigil
prevented an audience from form
ing, but many students walking
by stopped to take a glance at the
signs proclaiming messages such as
“Stop the genocide!”
“This event is getting some
thing out there that not many
people know about,” said fresh
man Nicholas Politte, who viewed
the vigil. “It sparked an emotional
reaction in me, and I support and
sary to make these adjustments to
keep up with the ever-changing
world of mass communication.
“This school is one of the best of its
kind in the nation,” Aikat said. “We
want to lead the pack by constantly
re-evaluating our curriculum.”
Some students met this altera
tion with frustration.
“I think it’s really unfair because
now it doesn’t really count for any
thing for people who took it,” said
Tyler Stilley, a senior journalism
major who already took the course.
But officials in the school main
tain that students who have taken
the class have benefited from it
“I understand that some stu
dents are upset,” Aikat said. “The
main thing they need to remember
is that they did learn something.”
The school also announced major
changes to the advising process.
Students no longer are required
to see advisers to receive their per
sonal identification numbers before
registration. Instead, students can
stand with them, even though I’m
only one.”
As the conclusion of the vigil
approached, the sun almost faded
into the horizon, but the candles
created a solemn glow. True to the
spirit of the vigil, the participants
never uttered a word and allowed
their candles and signs to do the
talking.
About 22 students already are
participating in SUDAN as the
organization makes its debut at
the University.
The group is the brainchild of
Anna Thompson, a senior anthro
pology major. She founded the club
while interning at N.C. Hillel and
was required to start a project that
advocates a cause of importance.
“Awareness is vital,” said fresh
man Marie Garlock, a participant
in the vigil. “Knowledge is respon
sibility. I heard people pass by
saying that they wished for more
info on the Sudan; this initiated
dialogue.”
Contact the University Editor
at udesk@unc.edu.
access the numbers through the
Student Central Web site and can
use the portal to check on their
academic progress. Advisers pre
viously used paper worksheets to
track students’ progress.
This change will create a more
efficient process and will bring the
school into line with other campus
professional schools, officials said.
But officials stressed that the
modifications do not mark an end
to advising at the school; students
still will be assigned an adviser and
will be able to make appointments.
In fact, some advisers believe
these changes might help the
advising process. “By implement
ing these systems, faculty are able
to better serve students,” said Jan
Yopp, associate dean for under
graduate studies in the school.
“Those students who decide to
still come in will get more out of it”
Contact the University Editor
at udesk@unc.edu.
'©2004 CSC
News
Annexation would raise taxes
BY CATHERINE SHAROKY
STAFF WRITER
Residents in communities north
east of the Carrboro town limits
could soon face higher taxes.
The communities of Camden,
Highlands, Highland North,
Highland Meadows, Fox Meadow,
Fox Run and portions west of the
northern part of Rogers Road
could be annexed into the town of
Carrboro by Jan. 31,2006.
Annexation would give the
residents access to the public
services available through the
town but would also force them
to pay town taxes, in addition
to the Orange County taxes they
already pay.
“Right now people being
annexed are paying a county tax, a
Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools
district tax and a fire department
tax,” said John Smith, Orange
County tax assessor.
He said a house in Highlands
valued at $316,000 currently would
cost a homeowner $3,618 in taxes as
a county resident. The same house,
had it been annexed into Carrboro
effective Jan. 1, 2004, would have
been taxed $5,671.
But the increase in taxes would
come with benefits, said Roy
Williford, Carrboro’s planning
UCS stresses job fair prep
BY KRISTLE SPELLMAN
STAFF WRITER
Officials at University Career
Services said this year’s graduates
will enter one of the best job mar
kets since 2001.
While the job market varies
from field to field, it is less com
petitive overall than it has been
since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist
attacks, said Marcia Harris, direc
tor of UCS.
She predicted that students
looking for jobs in the fields of arts
and communications will face the
most competition.
Those pursuing career paths in
pharmacy, education, accounting,
business, health fields and service
sectors will have the easiest time.
To help students prepare for
entering the job market, UCS is
hosting a variety of events through
out the fall.
Almost 50 students turned out
Tuesday for a seminar entitled
“How to Prepare for a Job Fair,” in
preparation for the two job fairs on
campus this week.
Vicki Lotz, associate director of
UCS, began the presentation by
explaining how students can get
the most out of career fairs.
Lotz said students should not be
discouraged if the types of compa
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director. “They’ll get all the services
that all the other citizens of the town
are provided,” he said.
Town services include public
transportation, fire department
response, trash collection, water and
sewage lines, recreational facilities
and other amenities that Carrboro
provides to all its residents.
“The advantages that (annexa
tion) would bring outweighs the
taxation,” said Robert Campbell, a
resident of Rogers Road.
He said annexation would
enable children in the area to take
advantage of the resources that
public transit would provide.
“Our children are isolated if par
ents aren’t available to take them
to certain places, where children in
the town have access to the bus,”
Campbell said.
At its Sept. 14 meeting, the
Carrboro Board of Aldermen asked
town staff to examine the cost of
providing transit service into the
annexed area.
Carrboro’s town line divides the
Rogers Road neighborhood. The
western section of the community
is under consideration for annexa
tion, according to a report on the
potential plan.
On Sept. 14, Mark Chilton was
the only alderman to vote that the
nies they are interested in working
for are not represented at the job
fairs.
She said certain fields do not
recruit and only hire when they
have openings. Lotz did assure
students that attending UNC gives
them a leg up on the competition.
“When employers are recruiting,
we are one of the first schools they
come to,” she said.
Lotz stressed that the organi
zations at the job fair want stu
dents who stop at their tables to
be dressed in business attire, have
professional attitudes and show
enthusiasm.
She said attending the job fair
will allow students to be more com
fortable in the business world.
Charles Williams, a senior geog
raphy major from Fayetteville who
attended the seminar, said it was
helpful in preparing him to attend
the Carolina Career Fair, which
will be held from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Thursday in the Smith Center.
“I come to UCS a lot to get a foot
in early” he said, noting that the
seminar “soothed some anxiety.”
Two UCS sponsored campus
job fairs will be held this week
Minority Career Night from 6 p.m.
to 9 p.m. Wednesday in the Great
Hall and the Carolina Career Fair.
Otye laily (Tar Heel!
area annexed to Carrboro should
include either all or none of Rogers
Road, instead of just the western
half of that community.
The other board members voted
to continue as planned in includ
ing just half of die road in the area
to be annexed.
“I’ve heard from residents out
there (on Rogers Road) before that
they don’t want the neighborhood
split,” Chilton said.
Residents of the community
should decide whether they want
to be annexed by Carrboro or
Chapel Hill, he said.
“I guess I don’t see taking steps
to annex part of the neighborhood
as the first steps in the process of
straightening out where the town
line ought to be,” Chilton said.
Chilton said that Mayor Mike
Nelson of Carrboro is expected to
send a letter to Mayor Kevin Foy of
Chapel Hill to address annexation
of the road by either town.
On Nov. 1, Carrboro will hold
a public meeting to discuss the
annexation in the Carrboro
Century Center. At 7:30 p.m. Nov.
16, the town will hold a public
hearing in the same location.
Contact the City Editor
at citydesk@unc.edu.
More than 50 employers are
scheduled to attend the Minority
Career Night, and 96 organizations
will be available at the Carolina
Career Fair.
“It will be a wonderful opportu
nity for students of all levels, from
freshman to graduate students,
to talk with many ... employers,”
Harris said.
Both Harris and Lotz encour
age all students to attend the job
fairs, regardless of their graduation
dates. They suggested that all stu
dents bring copies of their resumes
and collect business cards.
Officials also encouraged stu
dents to visit the UCS Web site at
http://careers.unc.edu to find out
more information about the com
panies that will be at the job fairs.
Contact the University Editor
at udesk@unc.edu.
(Elje Uailg (Tor Heel
P.O. Box 3257, Chapel Hill, NC 27515
Michelle Jarboe, Editor, 962-4086
Advertising & Business, 962-1163
News, Features, Sports, 962-0245
One copy per person; additional copies may be
purchased at Ihe Daily Tar Heel for $.25 each.
© 2004 DTH Publishing Corp.
All rights reserved