2
FRIDAY, APRIL 29, 2005
Activism sweeps up students
’O4-’OS demonstrations run gamut
BY DON CAMPBELL
STAFF WRITER
“The Pit Preacher,” Gary
Birdsong, is a landmark in the cor
ner of the Pit, shouting his beliefs
at passers-by and waving his hands
to attract attention.
But student activists recently
have drowned out his words with
cries of their own.
Students rallied around numer
ous causes this year, starting with
the frenzy of presidential elections
and ending with the current debate
about workers’ rights at UNC.
“I think we have a reputation of
an active student body,” said Dave
Gilbert, assistant dean of students.
“This year is reflective of that.
We’ve seen students stand up for
all kinds of issues.”
Voter mobilization efforts
kicked off the activist season in
October, with students campaign
ing for candidates and rallying to
turn out the youth vote.
After the election flurry, the
tuition controversy became the dom
inant topic of campus debate, leav
ing many students up in arms with
talks of another wave of increases.
In response to students’ and
administrators’ demands, for
mer Student Body President Matt
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Calabria helped persuade officials
to trim tuition increases.
The UNC-system Board of
Governors passed a S7OO increase
for nonresidents down from a
potential $1,200 increase —and
voted down an in-state tuition
increase.
As the tuition debate died
down, the assault of a UNC junior
termed a hate crime by local
police reignited campus fervor.
A group of men physically assault
ed the student, who is openly gay,
while shouting derogatory remarks
about his sexual orientation. Several
hundred members of the communi
ty banded together the next week to
unite against hate crimes.
Organizers circulated petitions to
change the N.C. law on hate crimes
and to establish nondiscrimination
policies at all UNC-system schools.
Following this solidarity, divisive
demonstrations emerged.
Carolina Students for Life
brought a display to campus that
linked abortion to genocide with
graphic pictures.
“You couldn’t go anywhere on
campus without getting into con
versations or discussion, whether
it was in classrooms, restaurants
or at work,” said Stephanie Evans,
Year in Review
DTH FILE PHOTO/RACHAEL HYDE
Protesters stormed South Building in support of workers' rights after
Lenoir Dining Hall worker Vet Dowdy was charged with embezzlement.
then-president of the group.
The anti-abortion group met
counter protest in subsequent days.
Soon after, Students United for
Darfur Awareness Now hosted
North Carolina’s largest demonstra
tion to raise awareness of the crisis.
And most recently, the workers’
rights debate has taken center stage
after the arrest of Lenoir Dining
Hall worker Vel Dowdy.
Some have criticized the student
protests, calling them futile, but oth
ers have held that such demonstra
tions effectively promote change.
“Lots of times, people become
lost in ‘What can I do to help?’
mode,” said sophomore Matt Craig,
who organized Stand for Sudan.
“(Student demonstrations) are the
best way to channel people’s emo
tional response into something
more action-oriented.”
Calabria praised student activism
but said protests are not enough.
“I think demonstrations can be
convincing that there is a need for
a change,” he said. “I’ve always felt
that even if someone is bringing a
problem to the fore, it’s important
that that group also make educated
proposals for change.”
Student Body President Seth
Dearmin said he is confident that the
activist spirit will stay alive next year
when students return to campus.
“It’s great to see students pas
sionate about issues,” he said.
“Especially when they’re causes
like... unionization that don’t even
directly affect them.”
Contact the University Editor
at udesk@unc.edu.
©ip Dotty (Tor Hppl
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 maybe
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© 2005 DTH Publishing Corp.
All rights reserved
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Funding crunch
impedes quest
to reach the top
BY JOSEPH R. SCHWARTZ
ASSISTANT UNIVERSITY EDITOR
As officials aspire to propel the
University to the leading public
institution in the world, they say
decreased funding puts significant
obstacles in their path.
A proposed $16.3 million bud
get cut from the state and an
approved tuition increase propos
al that cut $2 million in requested
funds has officials worrying about
future budgetary and educational
implications.
Chancellor James Moeser said
that if cuts occur, the immediate
impact will be devastating.
“Our ability to deal with that
in the short term will be very dif
ficult,” he said.
Cuts would yield 200 fewer
class sections and would wipe out
funding for 90 filled faculty posi
tions and 80 unfilled positions
slashes that administrators said
would erode the quality of a UNC
education.
“My concern is that we are really,
really starting to cut into bone,” said
Richard “Stick” Williams, chairman
of the Board of Trustees.
UNC has seen its budget cut from
the state for the last five years.
Provost Robert Shelton said the
University relies on state funding
for about 24 percent of its over
all budget, and cuts have forced
accountants to allocate all state
funds to pay faculty salaries.
“With all the cuts over the last five
years in the state budget, we’ve tried
to protect people,” he said. “People
have given up the state dollars that
they use to buy a light bulb.”
Last fall, the Tuition Task Force
completed a comprehensive review
of campus needs and suggested that
tuition increases be used to address
faculty retention and attraction,
teaching assistant stipends and
need-based student aid.
Williams said he’s worried that
a lack of funding could leave some
of these priorities in jeopardy
something he said could have a
widespread, grave impact.
“The worst thing that can hap
pen for an institution like Carolina
is to lose the very, very attractive
faculty and graduate students that
©jp Daily ©tr Hppl
“We really have
scrimped and
saved in every kind
of way.... You can’t
keep at it.”
JUDITH WEGNER, FACULTY LEADER
we’ve got that make university edu
cation so rich.”
Even so, officials said the annu
al cuts mean they can’t subsidize
funding anymore.
“We really have scrimped and
saved in every kind of way,” said
Judith Wegner, chairwoman of the
faculty. “This has been going on for
many years at this point, and you
can’t keep at it.”
But despite need, legislators say
their hands are tied because of a
$1.3 billion state deficit.
“I believe we obviously have to
protect our universities,” said Sen.
A.B. Swindell, D-Nash, co-chair
man of the Senate’s higher educa
tion appropriations subcommittee.
“At the same time, this is a dif
ficult budget year, and it requires
revenues to meet our future needs
of our state.”
Moeser said the proposed cuts
could be a scare tactic to inspire
public outcry and garner support
for revenue from a tobacco tax or
lottery, which could increase state
funding by $1 billion to the state.
With the budget situation loom
ing, UNC officials are examining
ways to cut costs.
More autonomy from the state
could allow UNC to cope with fund
ing problems, according to a pre
sentation at a March BOT meeting.
For example, increased purchasing
power might allow the school to
receive products for less money.
And although Shelton said the
picture is grim, he said he remains
optimistic that cuts will be reduced.
“What I believe in is the 200-
year history of the state of North
Carolina in supporting higher
education.”
Contact the University Editor
at udesk@unc.edu.