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14 THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2005 BOARD EDITORIALS NO. 1 IN THE HOOD, G Chancellor Moeser’s move to affirm the freedom of the press on UNC’s campus is good news for anybody who supports the First Amendment. Chancellor James Moeser made a bold and historic move Tuesday, one that should be applauded by everyone on campus who cares about a free press. During a meeting with Daily Tar Heel editors, Moeser signed a statement affirming the “editorial independence and press freedom of all student-edit ed campus media.” He did so at the behest of this editorial board, which wanted to take action after the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled this summer that the right to a free press does not extend to college publications receiving student fees. The DTH is independent from the University, so that case wouldn’t affect us even if it went to a court that has jurisdiction in North Carolina. Moeser’s declaration, however, is still a ground-breaking step that colleges and universities across the country should emulate. And the decision is all the more commendable because in defending freedom on campus, the chancel lor welcomes criticism of University policy and officials something officials at other schools won’t do. In the case of Hosty v. Carter, the dean of stu CLEAN UP THE ACT Members of Student Action With Workers need to reconsider the tactics that serve only to alienate them from the people who make key decisions. There can be no dispute that the University’s lowest-paid workers need campus advocates. While officials do a good job of listening to employees, many workers still have concerns about their jobs, and it’s only fair that they have a forum in which to express them. Unfortunately, the most vocal group on campus dedicated to employees Student Action With Workers is a cynical hodgepodge of disillusion ment and disrespect. Its tactics, swiped straight out of a 1970s protest playbook, do more to alienate than they do to provoke. In short, SAW does a disservice to the people it says it supports. The most recent flap between SAW and UNC offi cials came about when facilities services announced that a group of housekeepers would participate in a 120-day trial of “team cleaning” —a system in which teams of workers do specific jobs to clean specific areas. (For example, in residence halls, one worker might clean toilets while another wipes floors.) To protest what they view as a gross injustice, SAW members went to the open-house meeting Chancellor James Moeser held Monday —and at FOLLOW THE MONEY Though Student Body President Seth Dearmin could have done more to publicize a tuition forum tonight, it’s still important for people to attend. Today, student leaders will hold a tuition forum at 8 p.m. in 116 Murphey Hall. And Student Body President Seth “What, Me Worry?” Dearmin will be there taking your questions, hearing your concerns about tuition hikes and discussing the likelihood of increases for in-state and out-of-state students. This is an opportunity to give Dearmin an earful on the tuition fight, so we should all be there if we can regardless of what plans we’ve already made. If you don’t want tuition hikes, you need to be in Murphey tonight. If you want trustees to increase tuition in order to provide for student needs, then you need to drop in and tell Dearmin. Heck, if you think the Board of Trustees should cut tuition by $1,500 well, you know where to go. This is especially true because nobody is really sure where Dearmin stands on the tuition issue. Last week, he said it was “too early in the game” to talk about specific numbers for tuition increases —but, as we have written before, it’s never too early. Having a smart, specific plan as soon as possible is one of the best ways to get people on board with students, provided that students also are willing to listen to EDITOR'S NOTE: The above editorials are the opinions solely of The Daily Tar Heel editorial board and were reached after open debate. The board consists of four board members, the associate opinion editor, the opinion editor and the DTH editor. The 2005-06 DTH editor decided not to vote on the board and not to write board editorials. Students should attend the tuition forum in Murphey TO THE EDITOR: Tuition is a hot topic that is widely discussed in newspapers, with families and among friends. The cost of an education at UNC- Chapel Hill and the impact of ris ing tuition is perhaps the single issue that you cannot afford to be silent about. As your student body president, I co-chair the Tuition Advisory Task Force and also serve as a member of the Board of Trustees, the body that will eventually act on the recommendation of this year’s task force. The task force has met a num ber of times to review facts and figures and to determine the needs our campus faces. With only one meeting left before formulating our decision, I would like to discuss this topic with the larger student body. Come out at 8 p.m. today to 116 Murphey Hall to see firsthand the information taken into account by the Ttiition Task Force. Have your questions answered and partici pate in a discussion about tuition and potential tuition increases. I look forward to talking with you tonight. Seth Dearmin Student Body President dent affairs at Governors State University in Illinois halted publication of the student newspaper, which printed several editorial criticisms of GSU officials. Thankfiilly, that won’t happen here at UNC; Moeser’s official statement ensures that student editors have the authority and responsibility to make all decisions regarding the content of publications. The next step is for all campus media, including WXYC and Student Television, to take advantage of their guaranteed freedoms. They can do so by creating hard-hitting, responsible journalism that enlightens and informs. And they can rest assured that even if they slip up along the way, Moeser will have their back. “Even if we had an editorial group that I didn’t trust, that I thought were actually poor journalists and making bad judgments —and (in) the most extreme case, abusing their privilege of putting ink on paper I still think that’s not grounds for our stepping in to censor a newspaper,” Moeser said Tuesday. He’s got the right idea. And campus media shouldn’t let that freedom fall by the wayside. first, all seemed to be going well. Members asked probing questions and treated Moeser with respect. But a few members of the group then gave a silly “presentation” that wondered what would happen if administrators used team cleaning. The group’s attempts at humor including the conclusions the presentation reached about how many meetings an administrator can attend in one day were really insults in disguise. And on Wednesday, SAW continued its efforts by marching to the offices of Carolina Dining Services, where police had to ask members to leave. Perhaps if SAW had a swell of support on campus, these tactics would be appropriate there is power, after all, in numbers. But as it is, they seem like the desperate actions of lOth-graders who have Dead Kennedys patches on their backpacks. It makes no sense to alienate people such as Moeser who have the final say on the way campus treats its workers. SAW members have likened themselves to the civil rights workers of the 1950 sand ’6os. But that was a real movement; this is a tempest in a teapot. And until SAW recognizes that, it will only do harm to the people it wants to help. campus administrators. We’re in September. Tuition will likely go before the trustees in December or January. When else is the student body president supposed to have a plan? Our confidence in Dearmin is even more shaken when he starts telling people about a major tuition forum the Monday before it is to be held —and doesn’t send a letter about it to the major campus publication before Wednesday afternoon. We were not aware that tuition forums were a secret to be kept under wraps for as long as possible. If there is information to be given out, it must be given out in advance via e-mail, fliers or perhaps skywriting. Oh, well. Regardless of the state of the tuition game, it will be nice to know what Dearmin thinks —and what, if any, plans he has on the issue. So come to Murphey Hall tonight and speak your mind. Ask Dearmin directly what his strategies are for the Tuition Task Force and the Board ofTrustees. Ask him how much he thinks tuition needs to be increased. And then tell him whether he is right or wrong. Communist Cuba isn't evil, it's just a bit misunderstood TO THE EDITOR: We were shocked and saddened when we read the guest article titled “Take the time to explore the world around U.S.” Andrew Patterson’s portrayal of Cuba is the furthest thing from reality. We would know, because we took part in the same exact program he did just one year ago. We find it incom prehensible that having spent time in Cuba, he could come away with such misconceptions. Having also been to Africa, as Patterson has, we thought that he would realize that throughout much of the world, things do not move at quite the same pace as in America. Indeed, it is common for restaurants to take the amount of time that he thinks is outrageous. It is terribly sad to see some one who has actually spent time in this wonderful country rein forcing common misinformation and false stereotypes. If Patterson wants to parrot the hard-line, com pletely ignorant views of Cuba that pervade our society, he should go work for the right-wing extremists at the Cuban-American National Foundation. Sascha Bollag Senior History Opinion Sarah Hench Senior International Studies Feel free to make student voices heard on CAA tickets TO THE EDITOR: There are few issues with which Student Congress deals that stir up more passion in our constituents than men’s basket ball tickets. In a Wednesday edi torial titled “Give ’Em Away Now,” the editorial board called on stu dents to contact their representa tives in Student Congress if they were displeased with the number of tickets currently allotted to the Carolina Athletic Association for its members who help with ticket distribution. Whatever your feelings are whether you think CAA deserves more tickets or fewer tickets please contact your representatives. Your input is important. You can find a listing of members of Student Congress and their contact infor mation at congress.unc.edu. Also, you may contact me directly at ljfarley@email.unc.edu, and I will share your comments and concerns with the full Congress at one of our upcoming meetings. Luke Farley Speaker Student Congress FROM THE DAY’S NEWS “I get tired, but I’ll do it for the team. Whatever they need me to do l’ll go out and do it.” MIKE MASON, UNC WIDE RECEIVER, ON PLAYING ON SPECIAL TEAMS EDITORIAL CARTOON 'vk.' > M \!!eC a. Jk /. // VV COMMENTARY Good student government isn’t exclusive to Chapel Hill I spent my summer in Washington, D.C. And I almost felt as if I didn’t belong. I’m much more a New York City gal, complete with Manolos on my feet and a cosmo politan in my hand. While in D.C., I felt like I accidentally had left my affinity for Lily Pulitzer (ick!) and expensive cars at home. But there is a buzz about Washington, a competitive energy that excites and pervades every thing you say and do. Something has to be said for a town where attending a White House press briefing can be written off as just another to-do on your list. Or you meet Angelina Jolie at a humani tarian event while on assignment. But when 5 o’clock comes around, the atmosphere doesn’t change. Ever. I even had a hard time outrunning politics when going out. One guy I met talked of nothing but the U.S. Department of Defense in the middle of a loud, crowded sports bar. But I did fit one stereotype in Washington: Only the super ambitious need apply. Many people I met this sum mer reminded me immensely of people I’ve met through my four years covering the Association of Student Governments for The Daily Tar Heel. They’re all ambi tious, full of goodwill and have a true sense of leadership. It’s good that UNC-Chapel Hill hasn’t dominated ASG leadership. When it comes to other system schools, our student government tends to think we’re on a nicer playing field. But the past two ASG presidents have viewed all 16 universities of North Carolina in the same light. Jonathan Ducote is from Georgia, yet he was able to serve two terms as ASG president and gain a true appreciation of the UNC system. He was the first leader who dealt with the association’s budget, and he set the foundation for most Baity Hill families treated disrespectfully by housing TO THE EDITOR: In the matter of Baity Hill, Rick Bradley, assistant director of housing and residential education, is quoted in a Sept. 27 article as observing that “No families have decided to leave because of the addition of Cobb residents.” We were not informed of undergraduates’ being shunted into the “family friendly” envi ronment of Baity Hill until well after our arrival in mid-August. Cobb residents were informed long before and given a 50 per cent reduction in housing costs for their inconvenience. In response to our inquiries about a commensurate reduction in rent while we were effectively living in an undergraduate dormi tory, we were refused and told we could uproot ourselves again and go somewhere else. Janies Hunt Resident Gloria Hunt Graduate Student (Editor’s note: The quote on yesterday’s opinion page was erroneously attributed by The New York Times to Judge John Roberts.) EMMA BURGIN IT'S A GLAMOROUS LIFE of the ASG programs to date. Amanda Devore was his suc cessor. My confidence in her leadership was solidified when I sat outside a BOG meeting with her mother and sister. We talked for about an hour about tuition struggles. I was amazed at how in tune her mother was with the goings-on of the UNC system. But I know from experience that when a daughter calls home to talk about work, a mother listens. With Ducote and Devore at the helm, the working relationship between the association and the UNC-system Board of Governors has been a productive one. Perhaps their dealings with the ASG budget weren’t professional, but asking them to get it right the first time would be like asking a baby to walk before it crawled. And we mustn’t forget that the BOG approves ASG’s budget. So if there were a huge problem, it would have been promptly remedied. So while the BOG doesn’t always agree with students Ray Farris made it very clear that he does not support a student vote on the board when Devore made a major push for one— it has allowed the ASG president to be as vocal as he or she wants. Many who claim to be “in the know” in UNC student politics say the $1 student fee that builds the ASG’s $170,000 budget is extravagant. I have to disagree. The stu dents who run the ASG are just as responsible as those who dole out the funds to UNC student organi zations maybe even more so. Spsak Oat We welcome letters to the editor and aim to publish as many as possible. In writing, please follow these simple guidelines: Keep letters under 300 words. Type them. Date them. Sign them; make sure they're signed by no more than two people. If you're a student, include your year, major and phone number. Faculty and staff: Give us your department and phone number. The DTH edits for space, clarity, accuracy and vulgarity. Bring letters to our office at Suite 2409 in the Student Union, e-mail them to editdesk@unc.edu, or send them to P.O. Box 3257, Chapel Hill, N.C., 27515. All letters also will appear In our blogs section. SaUif tTar Hrel Established 1893 112 years of editorialfreedom RYAN C. TUCK EDITOR, 962-4086 RCTUCK@EMAIL.UNC.EDU OFFICE HOURS:TUESDAY, THURSDAY 1-2 P.M. PIT SIT: FRIDAY 12-1 P.M. JOSEPH R. SCHWARTZ MANAGING EDITOR. 962-0750 JOSEPH_SCHWARTZOUNC.EDU REBECCA WILHELM DEPUTY MANAGING EDITOR. 962-0750 BECCAO7OEMAIL.UNC.EDU CHRIS COLETTA OPINION EDITOR. 962-0750 EDITDESKOUNC.EDU BRIAN HUDSON UNIVERSITY EDITOR, 962-0372 UDESKOUNC.EDU TED STRONG CITY EDITOR, 962-4209 CITYDESKOUNC.EDU KAVITA PILLAI STATE & NATIONAL EDITOR, 962-4103 STNTDESKOUNC.EDU DANIEL MALLOY SPORTS EDITOR. 962-4710 SPORTSOUNC.EDU Saily By Philip McFee, pip@email.unc.edu For example, the association’s dollars mostly fund travel and are especially necessary this year the first in five when the ASG president does not hail from N.C. State University. President Zack Wynne is at AppalEichian State University for graduate school. Wynne had to set up a satellite office and must travel to meet with legislators and BOG members. So the travel dol lars are justified. Most of ASG’s critics sharpen their swords on the funds it sets aside for lobbying. But the associa tion, after three years of trial by fire, is starting to gain its footing in this area as well. The best idea to come out of the ASG this year is its decision to limit their lobby ing efforts to North Carolina. Last year, the association appointed Ducote as director of federal relations. Despite an ill ness that prevented Ducote from traveling, 49 ASG delegates trekked to Washington to lobby the state’s national players. Many, myself included, thought the trip itself was ridiculous, espe cially with a legislative session ongoing in Raleigh and the threat of unprecedented budget cuts to the UNC-system budget. True, the Higher Education Act is up for reauthorization for the first time in seven years, but it’s difficult for an association of that size to stay abreast of all the intricate amendments that will be a part of the final package. And the ASG should be focusing on lobbying state legislators, espe cially those who are trying to infor mally break up the UNC system, as well as rallying students for what is sure to be a tough tuition battle. In my experience, time is more valuable than money. And we haven’t got much left till spring. Contact Emma Burgin, a senior dramatic arts major, at emmaline@email.unc.edu. www.daillytajtheel.com TORRYE JONES FEATURES EDITOR. 962-4214 FEATURESOUNC.EDU JIM WALSH ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR, 962-4214 ARTSDESKOUNC.EDU SCOTT SPILLMAN CO-COPY EDITOR, 962-4103 CATHERINE WILLIAMS CO-COPY EDITOR, 962-4103 WHITNEY SHEFTE PHOTO EDITOR, 962-0750 JEN ALLIET CO-DESIGN EDITOR, 962-0750 DANIEL BEDEN CO-DESIGN EDITOR, 962-0750 FEILDING CAGE GRAPHICS AND MULTIMEDIA EDITOR, 962-0246 CHRIS JOHNSON ONLINE EDITOR, 962-0750 ONLINEOUNC.EDU KELLY OCHS WRITERS' COACH, 962-0372 EMILY STEEL WRITERS’ COACH, 962-0372 ELLIOTT DUBE PUBLIC EDITOR, 260-9084 DUBEEOEMAIL.UNC.EDU
Daily Tar Heel (Chapel Hill, N.C.)
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