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14 WEDNESDAY, APRIL 27, 2005 CANDIDATES NEEDED Committed students should consider running for local political office to ensure a student voice in a time of dynamic town-gown relations. With less than 200 days until the next round of municipal elections, it’s past time for students to start thinking about the role they want to play in local affairs. Specifically, the election of at least one student to the Chapel Hill Town Council would benefit the entire UNC community. It would provide for a more University-friendly local government. And because about one-third of Chapel Hill residents are students, the council would more accurately represent its constituency. A student Town Council member also would help provide a buffer against actions that hurt students, such as the infamous ban on duplex construction that lasted from 2002 until last year. Some people might not think a student could win a town race, but two have been elected in the past. Most recently, UNC undergraduate Mark Chilton, who now is a Carrboro alderman, won a seat on the council in 1991. There have been unsuccessful runs since then, including Michael McSwain’s uninspired 2003 bid. MOVING TOO SLOWLY University administrators should make an effort to reach out to those interested in Carolina North —but they need not please everybody. The University’s ability to compromise with the Chapel Hill Town Council on rezoning could represent a positive change in town-gown relations when it comes to Carolina North. But UNC shouldn’t necessarily wait for town offi cials before pushing forward with Carolina North plans in the future. There’s too much work to be done. University officials should use the proverbial strong arm when they can afford to do so, and they should work around barriers that can’t be moved to get the ball rolling on the project. From problems with the Horace Williams Airport to issues of rezoning to complaints about additional traffic on the site, there have been too many groups that want to weigh in on the project for the University to stop and grant everyone what they want. Carolina North is too important to the University’s future for officials to let it flounder. When UNC unveiled its plans in 2003, administrators said they wanted to begin construction by 2005. But no such groundbreaking has happened, and there’s very little indication that physical progress will take place this year. NEEDED PROTECTION North Carolina’s leaders must follow the lead of others by expanding the law to include sexual orientation as a motivation for a hate crime. The N.C. House is slated to debate the Safer Communities Act, which would include sex ual orientation as a basis for an offense to be deemed a hate crime in this state. Nationally and locally, violence against people stemming from their real or perceived sexual orien tation has proven to be a major concern, making it vital for the state to take extra action against these types of crimes. Federal law cites offenses motivated by “hatred, bias, or prejudice” and targeting victims because of their sexual orientation, among other characteristics, as being hate crimes. According to the N.C. House bill, 30 states and the District of Columbia already have sexual orienta tion-based hate crime legislation on the books. And the bill’s text makes a solid enough case for expand ing existing legislation: FBI crime reports for 2003 cited 1,430 offenses with victims’ sexual orientation as a basis. Also, the number of bias-motivated crimes involving sexual orientation is second only to those committed as a result of race. Crimes motivated by sexual orientation are obvi ously a problem in the United States. The 1998 kill 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 seven 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. Fans ought to be happy for memories of hoops stars TO THE EDITOR: I would like to join in with the praise Clare Merlin expressed in her Monday letter, “Heels should be happy for departed basketball stars,” and to shun the sort of feelings displayed by Monday’s front-page story, “Decimated by defections.” As individuals, we all should be extremely happy that Sean May, Raymond Felton, Marvin Williams and Rashad McCants even came to UNC. Such great talent is scarce, even at national college basketball powerhouses. Rather than display ing the selfish desire for our tal ented players to stay at the college level for what right do we have to claim that they ought not to take the opportunity to increase their fortunes for their own well being? we should join in praise of the good times they provided us Tar Heel fans and wish them the best of luck for the rest of their careers. Also, we should be glad that Williams decided to spend even one year at UNC, because he could have jumped to the NBA straight from high school. So I would like to thank all of our departing basketball play ers seniors or not for wonder ful times and great performances, and to wish them the best of luck wherever their lives might go. Levi Turner Junior Philosophy But a candidate better than McSwain could tap into the same groundswell of support that got Chilton elected 14 years ago. If student candidates won the support of the entire University —and drew more than the 329 young adults who voted in 2003 to the polls they would have a good shot at winning, provided that they are also informed, dedicated and seen as legitimate. Of course, a council run shouldn’t happen on a whim. Campaigns are hard work, and winning a council spot would require the victor to stay in town for the next few years. But students have an opportunity this year to help protect their future interests, some of which might come into conflict with the rest of the town’s agenda. More representation in the form of a Town Council position should be a primary goal for the entire student body. And the many students who won’t mount an actual bid for a spot should be thinking about donating to and volunteering for student campaigns. And in November, they need to get out and vote. The outside setbacks have certainly been monu mental. There’s not much more that the University could have done about the N.C. General Assembly’s decision to keep the airport open for another year. But officials should keep their own past rhetoric in mind when dealing with progress on Carolina North. When UNC unveiled its plans, Tony Waldrop, vice chancellor for research and economic development, said that rapid progress was necessary because fac ulty and staff needed more room for their work. “Even with all the growth on campus, we don’t have the space to meet the needs of students and faculty,” he said in December 2003. The situation hasn’t gotten any better during the year that’s followed, and UNC is losing faculty mem bers to universities with better research facilities. Monday’s Town Council meeting gave University officials a solid foothold to move forward until the two parties can reach further agreement on zoning rules. But University officials should make any progress they can in the future without gamering everyone’s approval. The project is important, and it’s worth exer cising some extra political muscle to move forward. ing of Matthew Shepard in Laramie, Wyo., provided a major wake-up call. Chapel Hill hasn’t eschewed this kind of violence: In February, a UNC student was attacked on Franklin Street by a group of people yelling derogatory comments related to his sexual orientation. It’s time for North Carolina to get on board by expanding the law. The House has made an impor tant symbolic gesture by introducing a more compre hensive piece of legislation than the Senate did last month. It’s a necessary step toward educating people about the importance of including sexual orientation in the state’s definition of a hate crime. Detractors might assert that the inclusion of sexu al orientation in this manner will limit speech —but threats and acts of violence certainly aren’t protected forms of speech. Hate crime legislation is especially important because of the particularly heinous nature of violence based on intolerance. Both national trends and events close to home have rendered such legislation absolutely necessary. It’s reassuring to see that both bodies of this state’s General Assembly have taken the initiative. Help your local community by looking to donate blood TO THE EDITOR: According to the American Red Cross, someone in the United States needs blood every two seconds. But only 5 percent of the eligible U.S. population donates blood. That statistic shows that blood is con stantly in high demand. Volunteer donors are always needed to keep up with the recur rent need. The Red Cross states that the donation process is safe and lasts 10 minutes and that only one pint of blood is taken. Furthermore, that one pint can be a lifeline for a critically ill patient. Did you know that your single donation of blood can help save up to three people? That is an incred ible benefit when you consider the cost of not donating blood because of a fear of needles. So, how can you help? If you are interested in donating blood, I encourage you to take part in blood drives offered in your area. If you are not sure where to begin, go to the American Red Cross Web site at http://www.redcross.org/donate/ give. The site offers information about upcoming blood drives as well as blood donation centers. Conveniently, you can make an appointment online. If you are at least 17 years old, weigh more than 110 pounds and are in good general health, you could be a great candidate to donate blood. In an effort to boost Opinion donations, the Red Cross also works closely with community groups, churches and synagogues, colleges and high schools to orga nize blood drives at places that are most convenient for donors. If you are a member of an orga nization that wants to do some thing for the community, organiz ing a blood drive is a great way to do so. I encourage each of you to take an active role. When you see posters advertising a blood drive, sign up and save a life. Evieann Clarida Senior Nursing Local representatives need to lend their support to bill TO THE EDITOR: Regarding “Bill to redefine discrimination” (April 19): The Orange County Human Relations Commission wishes to thank our local state representative, Verla Insko, for her support of House Bill 1203, which would amend the State Personnel Act to prevent dis crimination in public employment on the basis of sexual orientation. Rep. Insko has joined 23 other leg islators from communities across the state to promote fairness, inclu siveness and equal opportunity. The commission urges the other members of the Orange County legislative delegation, Reps. Bill Faison and Joe Hackney, to pub licly support H 81203. ON THE DAY'S NEWS “Leadership is getting someone to do what they don’t want to do in order to achieve what they want to achieve.” TOM LANDRY, former Dallas cowboys head coach EDITOHIAIi CARTOON COMMENTARY Through thick and thin, don’t forget about your true friends Can you remember what your life was like a year ago? What were you doing, thinking or dealing with April 27, 2004? I remember that day well, because I was in my dorm room alone as the anxiety of the last weeks of school caught up with me. A really bad sinus infection clogged my nose and distracted me from thinking about and writ ing the three papers I had to com plete. My family couldn’t come to Chapel Hill to help me move out of my residence hall, so I had to plan how to move my things into storage without a car. I had three final exams, so a few all-nighters were imminent. To make matters worse, I was shamefully making a C in African- American Studies 40. It was an 8 a.m. class —and because of that, I only went to lecture four times, including the two midterms. I was disappointed in myself, and I was sure that a C would ruin any chances I had of going to law school. I was miserable because the last days of school seemed like an uphill battle, and I felt over whelmed. I had spent most of my time studying alone, and I was pray ing that I wouldn’t have to visit Counseling and Psychological Service. But at the end of this year, my life is quite different. Now, don’t think I’m not deal ing with the routine annoyances of college life. My job is much tougher than the last one I had, and, of course, I have a sinus infection. Classes have made me pull so many all-nighters dur ing the past two weeks that my brain equates the benches in the Undergraduate Library to my real Our political climate is increas ingly characterized by mean-spirit edness toward lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender persons includ ing a proposed state constitutional amendment that not only would ban marriages already prohibited by state law, but also would ban domestic partnerships and any other “similar relationship.” The need for our elected officials to stand up for the equal protection of all North Carolinians has reached a new degree of urgency. We ask all residents of Orange County to contact Reps. Faison and Hackney in support of HB 1203 and other antidiscrimination efforts. Damon Seils Vice chairman Orange County Human Relations Commission The morning-after pill isn't some kind of abortion pill TO THE EDITOR: I am writing in response to the Tbesday article, “Bill fuels abortion debates.” Although I firmly believe that passing that kind of law is a ter rible idea and can only do harm and is based on one subset of Americans’ supposed “moral values,” that isn’t my biggest problem. It is the distinction made between the birth control pill and emergency contraception that frustrates me. It is inaccurate and harmful to imply that the morning-after pill is even remotely like an abortion pill. This * * A DERWIN DUBOSE FROM THE DIRT ROAD bed. My bank account has $5.18 in it. I have three finals. But I’m not worrying about a thing. I’m taking anew approach to dealing with end-of-year stress, one that is inspired by my friend’s AOL Instant Messenger profile. Quoting Roy Williams, it states, “You need two things in this life: someone to have faith in and someone to have faith in you.” It’s perhaps the most profound thing Roy has said. This year, I have been blessed enough to be surrounded with people who have supported me and continue to do so. They gave me a shot at writing for The Daily Tar Heel. They joined me for late night food runs. They wrote posi tively about me in their Web logs. They even watched “Sanford and Son" with me. They supported me through the bad times, too. They advised me as I made the transition from the “student leader” life. They nursed me when I had the flu and had my wisdom teeth removed. They read my columns weekly and offered words of encourage ment when people complained. They cleaned my room when it was gross. My friends have made a revo lutionary difference in my life —and like real friends, we’re sticking together during this, the most stressful time of one’s college career. I know that I’ve given a lot of advice this semester, from telling is a common misconception that, if corrected, potentially could elimi nate abortion entirely. The morning after pill is a high dosage of standard birth control, and its purpose is to prevent an egg from being released. The bottom line is this: Proponents of this bill simply want people to stop having sex out of wedlock. They use extreme argu ments and scare tactics to convince people that hormonal contracep tives are akin to abortions. That is simply not the case. If you really want to get rid of abortion, you should be supporting emergency contraceptives. People are still going to have sex no matter what you want them to do. If we can find something that will prevent an unwanted pregnancy before it occurs, we should praise it as a miracle, not condemn it as evil. Rachel Nyden Senior Psychology 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 num ber. Faculty and staff should include their title, department and phone number. 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 or e-mail them to editdesk@unc. edu. Mg (Ear Ilrrl By Evann Strathern, evann@email.unc.edu Carolina women to keep the good ies in the jar to asking protesters to use more common sense. But if you haven’t paid atten tion to anything I’ve written, please heed this: Don’t run your self ragged this week, and don’t take your Carolina family for granted. Take these last days of school to spend time with friends and to let them know that you’re there for them. Camp out with your friends in a study lounge, a dorm room or an apartment, but take breaks to eat late-night food and to play basketball. If studying in groups isn’t your thing, get your head out of a book long enough to see if anyone you know is in Davis Library or the Undergrad. If you see someone, strike up a conversation. At least zip your friends a quick e-mail or instant message, writing, “We’re in this thing together.” Take it from me, a person who succumbed to the stress of this week: Your physical and emotion al well-being will be so much bet ter if you take the time to involve the folks you care about. Sure, you might sacrifice study time, rendering yourself unable to memorize your entire chemistry textbook. But I promise that your life will be a bit calmer, a bit happier and a bit more fun. With that, I close my commen tary on the University’s intellec tual, moral and social life. I have enjoyed sharing my opinion with you each week. But I’m still waiting on that $3 check from the UNC-sys tem Association of Student Governments. Contact Derwin Dubose at derwin.dubose@gmail.com. Established 1893 112 years of editorialfreedom Slip laily ®ar Uppl www.dthQiillne.coiß MICHELLE JARBOE EDITOR, 962-4086 OFFICE HOURS: 1 P.M. - 2 PM. TUESDAY, THURSDAY CHRIS COLETTA MANAGING EDITOR, 962-0750 NIKKI WERKING DEPUTY MANAGING EDITOR, 962-0750 . ELLIOTT DUBE EDITORIAL PAGE EDITOR, 962-0750 1 EMILY STEEL UNIVERSITY EDITOR, 962-0372 RYAN C. TUCK CITY EDITOR, 962-4209 EMMA BURGIN STATE & NATIONAL EDITOR, 962-4103 DANIEL MALLOY SPORTS EDITOR, 962-4710 KELLY OCHS FEATURES EDITOR, 962-4214 BECCA MOORE ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR, 962-4214 KATIE SCHWING COPY EDITOR, 962-4103 LAURA MORTON PHOTO EDITOR, 962-0750 RANDI DEMAGISTRIS DESIGN EDITOR, 962-0750 NICOLE NEUMAN DESIGN EDITOR. 962-0750 MtVRY JANE KATZ GRAPHICS EDITOR, 962-0750 FEUDING CAGE ONLINE EDITOR, 962-0750
Daily Tar Heel (Chapel Hill, N.C.)
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April 27, 2005, edition 1
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