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STATE S NATION
Kinnaird introduces bill
for student vote on BOG
N.C. Sen. Ellie Kinnaird, D-
Orange, filed Thursday a mea
sure that would give students a
vote on the UNC-system Board of
Governors.
The student representative on
the BOG serves in a nonvoting
capacity, and previous attempts to
change the rule have been scuttled
by Sen. Tony Rand, D-Cumberland,
chairman of the Senate Rules
Committee.
“It goes through the House with
a lot of support, and I have a lot
of people in the Senate who have
signed on and are willing to vote
for it,” Kinnaird said.
But it will still need Rand’s
approval to move forward, and
Kinnaird said the job of persuad
ing the rules chairman will be
difficult.
“It will be the students,” she
said, “if he gets convinced by
anybody.”
Tobacco employees won't
join international union
Employees of R.J. Reynolds
Tobacco Cos. in Winston-Salem
voted Friday against unionization.
The International Association of
Machinists and Aerospace Workers
had announced in February a bid
to represent the workers of the
nation’s second largest tobacco
company.
A statement released by the
company reported preliminary
results of 618 votes for union rep
resentation and 1,185 against, with
about 50 challenged ballots.
Mason Alexander, a partner with
Fisher & Phillips, a nationwide
labor and employment law firm,
said employees often decide not to
unionize because of expensive dues
for minimal benefits.
Ray Riffe, secretary and trea
surer of the N.C. AFL-CIO, said
that in general, “fear is the biggest
factor” in employees’ decisions not
to unionize.
The National Labor Relations
Board will certify the results this
week.
GIT* BRIEFS
Town Council to consider
last step in developer search
The Chapel Hill Town Council
jonight will consider pending off
its request for funding documents
—one of the last steps in finding
a developer for phase one of the
redevelopment of parking lots 2
and 5.
Council members pared down
the list of potential phase-one
developers to five at its Feb. 28
meeting, based on scores from
request for qualifications docu
ments, which were due Jan. 31.
Phase one of the project will
see the redevelopment of lot 5,
across from University Square,
into a mixed-use development
and a three-level expansion to
the Wallace deck on Rosemary
Street.
The project also will include the
re-development of lot 2, behind
Spanky’s restaurant, into a mixed
use facility; the construction of a
transit transfer center beneath lot
2; and the construction of a parking
garage on the site of the Rosemary
Street RBC Centura bank.
Chatham leaders look to
approve mega-development
If the Chatham County
Commissioners approve the min
utes of their Feb. 15 meeting today,
they will approve a development 1
1/2 times the size of Chapel Hill’s
Meadowmont.
Briar Chapel —a mixed-use
community that will include a
grocery store, school, shops and
2,389 new homes has been
caught in approval stages for
three years.
But after many well-attended
meetings and public hearings, the
commissioners voted 4-1 on Feb.
15 to approve the development, to
be located five miles from Chapel
Hill.
Concerns about the develop
ment’s potential impact on area
traffic flow, especially on U.S. 15-
501 South, were voiced before and
after last month’s vote.
In approving the minutes, the
commissioners officially will give
the go-ahead to the project.
The meeting begins at 9 a.m.
in the Agricultural Building
Auditorium in Pittsboro.
CAMPUS BRIEFS
CD player, musical discs
stolen from MacNider Hall
A CD player and five compact
discs were reported stolen from
MacNider Hall on Thursday.
According to police reports,
the total value of the stolen
items was $195. The CD player
was last seen Wednesday in the
Tissue Procurement and Analysis
Facility.
From staff and wire reports.
Faculty mum on Western studies
Proposal received by silent audience
BY KATIE HOFFMANN
STAFF WRITER
A storm continues to brew
between faculty and administrators
over the proposal for a curriculum
in Western studies and its funding
from a conservative foundation.
Members of the Faculty Council
received their first peek at the
“This is... to honor our elders that came before us and all the Native Americans
that have lost their lives fighting for us.” joshua barton, CO-HISTORIAN, CAROLINA INDIAN CIRCLE
*******
DTH PHOTO/JULIA LEBETKIN
Members participate in a dancing circle during the 18th Annual Spring Powwow, hosted by the Carolina Indian Circle on Saturday.
The group is celebrating its 30th anniversary as a campus group, and the event drew an enthusiastic audience to the Great Hall.
POWWOW DRAWS
FRENZIED CROWD
BY STACEY CARLESS
STAFF WRITER
Drummers beat their instruments steadily,
dancers swirled in circles and singers’ power
fill voices echoed throughout the Great Hall.
The Carolina Indian Circle’s 18th annual
powwow was in full effect.
Dancers moved freely in the middle of a
circle formed inside the hall. As they flailed
their arms and hopped from foot to foot,
their hand-crafted clothing, marked with
colorful beads, flashy sequins and sparkling
glitter, shadowed every move.
Many dancers wore headdresses con
structed from delicate feathers, some of
which reached from head to toe.
Girls and boys danced as if they were bom
on their feet, and the chimes and bells sewn
into their clothing jingled as they moved.
They were all part of a diverse group of
about 160 guests that gathered Saturday to
watch Native American tribes from across
the East Coast compete in a powwow —and
celebrate their culture.
“This is a celebration to honor our elders
Leaders discuss
feasibility of goals
BY MICHAEL TODD
STAFF WRITER
Chapel Hill leaders fed a long
list of ideas to Orange County’s
legislators Friday morning at their
annual breakfast.
Lawmakers from the N.C.
General Assembly meet with local
leaders each year to discuss how
likely it is that local initiatives will
get passed at the state level.
For starters, both sides revisited
an almost perennial proposal the
$1 luxury “fee” idea that council
members have proposed at various
times for more than 20 years.
The town would levy the per
ticket charge at high-profile sport
ing events, such as UNC men’s bas
ketball games, on tickets exceeding
S3O in value. Revenues would go to
public transit and safety.
The University has consistently
opposed the fee since it was first'
proposed.
But area leaders said they think
current budget strains, paired with
the increasing demand on public
transit, could justify the added cost
on each ticket.
“(There was a) 5.3 million rid
ership this year. I’m not seeing
that slow down,” said Mayor Kevin
Foy.
Top News
recently revised proposal, which out
lines the programs and the budget
for the new curriculum funded by
the John William Pope Foundation,
during their meeting Friday.
The proposal has been a bone of
contention with many faculty, who
continue to say that they have been
left out of the discussion process.
that came before us and all the Native
Americans that have lost their lives fighting
for us,” said Joshua Barton, co-historian of
the Carolina Indian Circle.
The event marked the end of a week high
lighting the group’s 30 years of existence at
the University. The cultural week included
activities such as discussion forums, a dream
catcher workshop and a banquet.
“There are over 140 Native American
students on campus,” Barton said. “We want
people to know we still exist.”
This semester, UNC reports state, 151
undergraduate Native American students
are enrolled on campus.
Thirty-nine graduate students and 32
professional students bring the total to 222
more than any other UNC-system school
except UNC-Pembroke, a historically Native
American institution.
Outside the Student Union, vendors sold
hand-woven baskets, headdresses, hand
crafted pottery and jewelry. Curious visitors
stopped by the tables, which piqued their
interest in experiencing the day’s events.
“Something must be done to
lessen the burden of transit costs.”
Chapel Hill’s property taxes could
go up about 10 cents under current
spending schemes —a fact that’s
prompted local leaders to look for
other ways to raise revenue.
Sen. Ellie Kinnaird, D-Orange,
said passing the fee might be pos
sible this year because it has local
support and because the state’s
own budget deficit could force leg
islators to consider various funding
alternatives.
The University is delaying an
official response on the plan until
the council issues a formal legisla
tive agenda which it is scheduled
to do tonight.
Jonathan Howes, special assis
tant to the chancellor and former
mayor of Chapel Hill, said Friday
afternoon that the University’s
position likely won’t change.
But Town Manager Cal Horton
said the tax would lessen University
transit costs, freeing up money for
other programs.
“Fufiding the transit system is a
major concern for the University.
It’s a very delicate equation,” Howes
said.
SEE LEGISLATIVE, PAGE 5
After explaining the proposal to
the council Friday, Bernadette Gray-
Little, dean of the College of Arts and
Sciences, solicited concerns.
But no one said a word.
Afterward, many faculty members
declined to comment Those who did
said the new draft is an improvement
but still excludes faculty opinion.
“I’m glad that (Gray-Little)
shared the proposal with us, but
there seemed to be substantial
“I’m enjoying the scenery the diversity
of their culture and what you see every day,”
said Clifton Granby, a junior at Wake Forest
University who came to watch and to sup
port a friend involved in the event.
“It’s a completely different experience.”
Derek Oxendine, Carolina Indian Circle’s
outgoing president, said the week was about
culture, pride and education.
“We want to educate others that are non-
Indians on our culture, and we are hoping
to dispel any stereotypes or myths about us,”
he said.
Many students took part in the organi
zation’s weeklong celebration, and members
of the group said they hope to see students
continue to support and learn about the
Native American culture on campus.
“Diversity seems like one of the
University’s main goals,” said Oxendine.
“Students should be aware and go to other
cultures’ programs and activities.”
Contact the University Editor
at udesk@unc.edu.
White House chef works his magic
BY KATHY CHO
STAFF WRITER
The scent of vanilla lingered in
the air as former presidential pas
try chef Roland Mesnier crafted
an apricot sunburst, Bill Clinton’s
favorite, for his “Presidential
Desserts” class at A Southern
Season on Saturday.
A creamy souffle fleshed out
with pureed apricots formed the
dessert’s body.
Dressed in a tart fruit salad
and an “angel hair” wig spun
of melted sugar strands, it was
exactly what Clinton was looking
for —a delectable dessert that
would slip past his chocolate and
dairy allergies.
The jolly, energetic Mesnier
worked his sold-out audience of
46 as deftly as he would a ball of
dough, with liberal sprinklings of
humor.
When asked about the most
romantic dessert, Mesnier
answered in his typically thick
French accent, “I usually make
it wearing an apron only! That’s
where it starts.”
The audience screamed in
reply.
Mesnier also served up 25
years’ worth of White House
anecdotes.
When you want the job, know
SEE PASTRIES, PAGE 5
changes from the draft the faculty
committee originally passed,” said
Frank Dominguez, a Romance lan
guages professor.
Sue Estroff, social medicine pro
fessor and former chairwoman of
the Faculty Council, said many in
the University community have mis
understood the conflict. Members
of the faculty have expressed con
cerns about the exclusion of faculty
members from the process, she said
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DTH/RACHAEL HYDE
Former presidential pastry chef Roland Mesnier teaches his class at A
Southern Season on Saturday. He worked at the White House for 25 years.
MONDAY, MARCH 7, 2005
not about the content or political
ideology of the curriculum.
“It’s just symptomatic about
something that has happened
between the faculty and the admin
istration in the past five or six years,”
Dominguez said. “The faculty has
less resonance with the administra
tion than it should have.”
The new draft proposes a Studies
SEE FACULTY, PAGE 5
Officials
lambast
plans for
storming
Petition foresees
little N.C. success
BY GREG STEEN
STAFF WRITER
Administrators shut the door on
voter registration in residence halls
Friday during a meeting with Student
Body President Matt Calabria.
Last fall, groups were barred
from visiting students in residence
hall rooms to register voters for
local and national elections.
On Friday, administrators reaf
firmed their stance, telling Calabria
that dorm-storming for that pur
pose won’t come to fruition on
their watch.
Calabria
who submitted
a petition signed
by 40 student
leaders touted
the advantages
of allowing stu
dents to hit the
residence halls.
“This is going
to happen to a
certain degree
no matter what
University policy
fQ)
Student Body
President Matt
Calabria sees
little success for
dorm-storming.
is,” be said. “By making.it legal; we
can get students to follow guide
lines.”
But he did not have a plan to
clear the legal obstacles at the cen
ter of administrators’ concerns: the
constitutional concerns in distin
guishing between political groups
and other campus organizations.
“Legally, we can regulate time
and place but not content of speech,"
said Leslie Strohm, general counsel
for the University. “If you open it up
for public elections, you open the
door for all student groups.”
Calabria said that students
would abide by necessary security
measures. Specifically, he said, they
would follow regulations that also
are enforced during student body
elections, such as wearing identifi
cation tags, checking in and adher
ing to time limits.
But administrators still wouldn’t
budge.
Sen. Ellie Kinnaird, D-Orange,
attended the meeting to show sup
port for the petition and to high
light the importance of student
involvement in politics.
“This is a fundamental right, and
SEE PETITION, PAGE 5
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