VOLUME 112, ISSUE 74
Civil rights controversy closes
UNC blameless in Cry stall incident
BY JENNY RUBY
STAFF WRITER
The Office for Civil Rights in
the U.S. Department of Education
has closed one chapter of the
University’s controversial dis
crimination debate saga.
According to an OCR report
released Wednesday, the University
responded properly to an English
lecturer's sending a discriminato
ry e-mail that chastised a student
for making anti-homosexual com
Ramshead
won’t open
until spring
S72M facility originally
was set to open in January
BY EMILY STEEL
UNIVERSITY EDITOR
Construction lags have pushed the opening of the
Ramshead Center back to March —a three-month
delay caused by what officials now are calling overly
optimistic starting plans.
The $72 million project, which will house a rec
reational facility, a grocery store, a dining area and
a 700-space, three-level parking deck on South
Campus, was slated to open during Winter Break.
But Kevin MacNaughton, UNC special assis
tant for capital projects, reported to the Board of
Trustees’ Finance Committee on Wednesday that
officials now plan to have the center up and running
by the time students return from Spring Break.
“It was a very ambitious schedule,” he said after
the meeting.
“We were pushing the project at a very fast pace,
but it is not worth it to push so hard that the quality
of the facility would go down some.”
Officials were planning on opening the facility’s
dining hall in January 2005, even though some sec
tions of the complex, which bridges the two halves
of the UNC campus, were expected to be under
construction.
Now that the opening date has been pushed back
three months, all areas in the center should be com
plete at that time, MacNaughton said.
“We are watching this very closely to make sine
that we don’t have any further slippage,” he said.
Several construction projects on South Campus
are slated to begin soon after the Ramshead Center,
now two years in the making, is complete.
The demolition of Chase Hall is scheduled for
March 2005, and construction of the Student
Academic Services Building, which is to be built
where Chase now stands on South Campus, will
begin soon after.
Continued delays would push back the progress
of UNC’s $1.3 billion capital program, which now
boasts only three construction setbacks.
Of the 30 projects now under construction, the
Ramshead Center, the School of Nursing addition
and the Memorial Hall renovations are the only
ones that have experienced delays.
“Our committee was very impressed,” said Ihistee
Roger Perry, chairman of the BOTs Building and
Grounds Committee. “All of the projects are at or
SEE RAMSHEAD, PAGE 4
SINGING PRAISE
DTH/BRANDY NASH
Junior Jasmine Mumford sings as junior Mark Mowbray
accompanies her on the guitar Wednesday afternoon in
the Student Union. The two were practicing as part of a
band that plays at meetings for Victory Campus Ministries, a
group that emphasizes biblical studies and leadership skills.
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Exonerated man tells his story
■ Terror simulation runs smoothly
Serving the students and the University community since 1893
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ments during class.
“We want to recognize the
University for realizing that the
lecturer’s e-mail message was an
inappropriate response to the
student’s comments,” the report
states.
The decision marks an end to
several months of deliberation and
discussions of academic freedom
that began when UNC English
lecturer Elyse Crystall sent the e
mail to her class Feb. 6.
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DTH/CARTER MURPHY
Zipcar representative Steven Waters shows Roger Windsor how to operate a Segway on Wednesday afternoon in Carrboro as
part of Car-Free Day festivities. About 1,700 pledged to not drive their cars in support of The Village Project's awareness drive.
Locals give up wheels
BY BRIANNA BISHOP
STAFF WRITER
Dozens of participants gathered on
the lawn of Weaver Street Market on
Wednesday night to celebrate the end
of a day in which their cars never made
it out on the road.
Chapel Hill and Carrboro held this
celebration at the market, located at
101 E. Weaver St, to conclude Car-Free
Day, an international event designed to
encourage less vehicle use.
Those who showed up enjoyed free
concerts and speeches from distin
guished guests.
Prizes such as gym memberships
were given to those who pledged to
give up their cars Wednesday. A bike
was also given away.
The goal of Car-Free Day is to raise
awareness about alternative forms of
transportation so people can find ways
Dental dean candidate vies for spot
SURGE tackles green energy issues
Find more stories: www.dthonline.com
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“We are pleased that the Office
for Civil Rights’ review found
that the University acted appro
priately in this case,” Chancellor
James Moeser stated in a release
Wednesday.
During the analysis process,
OCR officials first investigated
whether Crystall’s actions consti
tuted an actual incident of racial
or sexual discrimination.
According to a letter sent to
Moeser on Wednesday, the civil
rights office determined that the
language in the e-mail “went
beyond a permissible reference
to use cars less.
The day also honors those who
already choose walking, biking or pub
lic transportation.
N.C. Sen. Ellie Kinnaird, D-Orange,
was on hand to address those in atten
dance.
Kinnaird spoke of how the effects
of America’s dependence on driving
extend far beyond air pollution; it also
has serious effects on physical well
being.
“A lot of public health issues have
resulted from not using your legs,” she
said.
The Village Project Inc., a local group
dedicated to environmental awareness,
organized the event, accepting pledges
from citizens to go “car-Ute* by elimi
nating at least one car trip or forgoing
using their car altogether.
Patrick McDonough, a member of
“The Arts Common is such a key and significant component ...
it is almost like holding up a nickel against a dollar” roger perry, trustee
EOT OKs demolition of West House
Takes step toward Arts Common
BY SHARI FELD
STAFF WRITER
University officials took anoth
er step toward the destruction
of West House on Wednesday
despite strong opposition from
the building’s supporters.
UNC’s Board of Trustees voted
unanimously to demolish the 69-
year-old building to make room
for the University’s new Arts
Common.
Trustees determined in their
Buildings and Grounds Committee
meeting that West House does not
coalesce with the architecture of the
common and, though historically
significant, is too costly to relocate.
Despite some opposition to
... (of) describing the student and
targeted him for criticism based
in part on the student’s race and
sex.”
Though OCR officials found evi
dence of intentional discrimina
tion and harassment in Crystall’s
actions, the group determined
that no further action is required
by the University to uphold con
stitutional protections.
Among the steps for which the
OCR credited the University was
a meeting arranged between the
student, the department chair and
the lecturer. Department officials
the demolition, trustees said they
believe it is in the best interest of
the University to move on with
the plans.
“The Arts Common is such a
key and significant component
to the University and the town,
and it is almost like holding up
a nickel against a dollar,” Thistee
Roger Perry said.
Trustees also approved the
demolition of Abernethy Hall,
Evergreen House, Porthole
Building, Hill Hall Annex and
sections of Hill and Swain halls.
The University spent one year
and more than $1 million plan
ning the Arts Common. None of
the seven major layout plans con-
SPORTS
HEELS PROTECT THEIR HOUSE
Tar Heel field hockey destroyed Appalachian State
in a 6-0 match where defense was key PAGE 11
provided additional guidance in
an attempt to ensure appropriate
classroom discussion.
U.S. Rep. Walter Jones, R-
N.C., vaulted the incident to
federal attention in February
when he contacted N.C. Attorney
General Roy Cooper and the
U.S. Department of Education,
encouraging them to investi
gate Crystall’s actions and the
University’s response.
Jones then sent Moeser a
Feb. 19 letter that informed the
SEE CIVIL RIGHTS, PAGE 4
the group’s board of directors, said the
group’s long-term goals are to make the
area less dependent on automobiles
and to improve air quality.
“We’re interested in achieving
environmental sustainability,” said
McDonough, who is also the transit
service planner for the THangle Transit
Authority.
Mayor Kevin Foy pledged to give
up his car on Car-Free Day at a Sept. 7
press conference.
Members of both the Chapel Hill
Town Council and the Carrboro Board
of Aldermen also made pledges.
“It’s not just to go without a car, but
to reflect upon how we use cars in our
lives,” said Town Council member Mark
Kleinschmjdt.
While many people agreed about the
SEE CAR-FREE, PAGE 4
sidered allowed West House to
remain in its current location.
The common’s construction,
approved unanimously by the
Board of Trustees last May, will
include underground parking, sev
eral new buildings and an addition
to the Ackland Art Museum.
Members of the Save the West
House Coalition, an organization
comprising students, faculty and
concerned citizens, disagree with
the board’s decision.
“This is a great disappoint
ment to me and a great deal of
other people,” said N.C. Sen. Ellie
Kinnaird, D-Orange, a leader in
the coalition. “We had hoped that
this would not happen.”
The group has proposed plans
to relocate the building, but
trustees are unwilling to spend
WEATHER
TODAY Sunny, H 85, L 59
FRIDAY Partly cloudy, H 81, L 55
SATURDAY Partly cloudy, H 80, L 58
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2004
Studies
to shape
face of
tuition
BOT will discuss
effects of increases
BY EMILY STEEL
UNIVERSITY EDITOR
Two documents made public
today will dictate the course for
future tuition increases one year
after the University’s governing
board approved a landmark hike.
Today, members of the UNC
Board of Trustees will receive the
results of a tuition price sensitivity
study that determines the impact
that increases such as the one passed
last year have on enrollment
These statistics, in conjunction
with the University’s long-term
financial plan set to be dis
cussed at this afternoon’s Tuition
Task Force Meeting will set
the guidelines for campus-based
tuition increases.
“Our focus when we established
the current philosophy was to be
mindful of the impact,” said Richard
“Stick” Williams, chairman of the
Board of Thistees. “These results
will get a great deal of discussion; it
is going to clearly impact our think
ing with regards to tuition.”
The board adopted a market
based tuition philosophy last
winter when it passed hikes of
S3OO for in-state students later
reduced to $250 by the UNC-sys
tem Board of Governors —and
$1,500 for out-of-state students.
The philosophy calls for tuition
at UNC-CH to remain affordable
and accessible for in-state students
by keeping their tuition in the low
est quartile of a range determined
by evaluating rates at public peer
institutions.
Thistees also agreed that tuition
for out-of-state students should
be value- and market-driven and
should reach, but not exceed, the
top quartile of the University’s
public peers.
The price sensitivity study to
be discussed today has been con
ducted by the Art & Science Group
LLC, a higher education consult
ing firm, and will show how this
market-based tuition philosophy
impacts enrollment
The philosophy maintains that
hikes are necessary in order for
the University to compete with
peer institutions and retain facul
ty. This tenet falls in line with the
long-term financial plan which
calls for tuition increases in yearly
increments of about 5 percent
that will be presented to the
Tbition Task Force this afternoon.
“It is designed to be a model
that shows us generally what mod
els we need to follow,” said Nancy
Suttenfield, vice chancellor for
SEE FINANCE, PAGE 4
the $600,000 required for the
operation.
Paul Kapp, campus historic
preservation manager, told trust
ees the building’s age would make
relocation difficult.
“It’s kind of like moving a sand
castle, a really big sand castle,”
Kapp said. “It’d be cheaper to
build anew West House than
move this building.”
Kinnaird said she plans to
continue lobbying University
officials.
“(We are) trying to get more
people involved and understand
ing what a detrimental impact this
would have on the continuity of
our architectural history and the
human scale of North Campus.”
SEE WEST HOUSE, PAGE 4
o