6
MONDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2005
Other states add new
chapters to ASG ‘stories’
BY SETH PEAVEY
STAFF WRITER
Student groups across the
country are following the lead of
the UNC Association of Student
Governments when it comes to
integrating personal stories into
student lobbying efforts.
In the fall of 2003, the asso
ciation began gathering narratives
from students and parents across
the state with the aim of high
lighting the human element in the
debate over tuition and budgets.
By Februry 0f2004, the associa
tion put together a 500-page book
titled “The Personal Stories Project:
Faces, Not Numbers,” compiling
more than 800 individual narra
tives from those who were affected
adversely by tuition increases.
“I knew it was practically impos
sible to have hundreds of students
to come to the state legislature,”
said Amanda Devore, the former
ASG president who spearheaded
the project.
“I thought of this as a way to get
their story across,” she said.
Copies of the book were dis
tributed to N.C. Governor Mike
Easley, the UNC-system Board of
Congress OKs appointments
Officials take less time than last year
BY MAC MOLLISON
STAFF WRITER
Members of Student Congress
met in a special session Sunday
to consider the appointments of
students to a number of student
government committees.
Most of the appointments were
made by the executive branch of
student government, and every
nominee that was present at the
meeting was confirmed.
More than 40 students were
approved to boards and commit
tees including the student advisoty
committee to the chancellor and
PHELPS
FROM PAGE 3
Despite its importance, attract
ing new businesses can be a dif
ficult task, he said. He cited
Hillsborough’s high tax rates and
low unemployment rate as two
possible reasons for the difficulty.
But Phelps said Hillsborough’s
feel will help attract business.
“You just try to sell them on the
fact that it’s a great place to live, and
that we’re just a nice community.”
He said that he believes the
downtown area is as developed as
it can be, and that any additional
growth will be outside of the city’s
center.
“You can remain a small town,
and I love a small town, but when
you don’t grow ... where does the
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Governors, university chancellors
and state legislators.
“We decided that these people
really needed to see who they were
affecting,” said Zack Wynne, the
current association president.
The book won praise from other
student government groups across
the country, who saw the project as
an effective way to lobby against
tuition hikes.
“I thought it was a very good idea
and very innovate and creative,”
said Eddy Morales, president of the
U.S. Student Association.
He said the USSA always
encourages student advocates to
include those people who are being
impacted directly.
It s always good to come up with
new ways of highlighting those per
sonal stories,” he said.
While no other universities have
exactly copied the ASG’s book, they
have developed their own varia
tions on the idea.
After seeing the book, student
government groups in Oregon
compiled a yearbook showing stu
dents affected by tuition increases
and leaving empty spaces rep
resenting those pressed out of
Union Board of Directors.
Emma Hodson, chairwoman
of the student affairs committee,
said she was excited about the new
appointees.
She said the appointees to the
Freshman Focus Council, all of
whom are new to student govern
ment, showed potential and are
likely to lead the campus in the
future.
“I think the group will serve the
freshman class and the campus
very well.”
The appointees had already been
approved in separate meetings of
“7 think I know what’s vital to
Hillsborough. I’ve been here my whole life
and I’m not sure you could get me to leave.”
JOE PHELPS, MAYOR
extra revenue come from except
for from the taxpayers?” Phelps
said.
Phelps also said he thinks pro
tecting the Eno River is important.
Though his stances on the issues
haven’t changed, Phelps said he will
put more effort into this year’s cam
paign than in the previous election
because he is being challenged.
He plans to get the word out by
distributing literature, going door
to door and posting signs.
Phelps said he hopes people
college by financial concerns,
Morales said.
Eastern Illinois University is
taking a different approach by
gathering personal stories and pho
tographs to send to state legislators
in the form of postcards. They’ve
dubbed the initiative “Faces Not
Figures.”
“Right now we are challenging
our student government people to
go out and find these stories,” said
Adam Howell, former chairman of
Eastern Illinois’s Student Action
Team.
Howell, who keeps a copy of
the ASG book, said the personal
stories will represent an ongoing
effort in Illinois, not just a one
time event.
While there are no plans as of
yet to release a second Personal
Stories book in North Carolina,
Wynne said the idea is not about
to fade away.
I think we will probably rev it
back up at some point, maybe not
this year, but there’s certainly no
reason not to continue with it.”
Contact the State & National
Editor at stntdesk@unc.edu.
the student affairs committee and
the rules and judiciary committee
Tuesday.
“The way this process unfold
ed is a sign of the progress we’ve
made towards efficiency,” said
Student Congress Speaker Luke
Farley.
He pointed out that the session
lasted only about one hour an
improvement from a similar ses
sion last year, which lasted until
3 a.m.
He attributed much of the prog
ress to the work of the student
affairs committee.
Contact the University Editor
at udesk@unc.edu.
will keep his experience in mind
when they head to the polls in
November.
He stressed that he thinks it is
important for people to know all
they can about a candidate before
they go to vote.
“My political philosophy is to try
to help the tax payers save money
by being more efficient,” Phelps
said. “I think I’m a proven leader.”
Contact the City Editor
at citydesk@unc.edu.
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Saturday, October 8
8:00am-4:00pm
UNC Campus, Carroll 111
$2 for CPMA members; $5 for non-members
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Space is limited. Call to register.
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Carolina
(pre-Medical Princeton
Association v — Review
News
Center celebrates first year
BY JABEEN AHMAD
STAFF WRITER
Dogs at Orange County’s Animal
Protection Society’s adoption cen
ter had cause to celebrate Saturday,
as the society hit an important
milestone in its young life.
The APS Felicite Latane Animal
Sanctuary celebrated its first birth
day complete with purple balloons
and a performance by the APS drill
team an elite canine cadre that
en S a ges in obedience drills and
other maneuvers.
The full day event included
Doggie Daze,” an agility course chal
lenge for dogs and their owners, as
well as an official dedication ceremo
ny and a reception for all donors.
Animals go from Orange
County’s animal shelter, located on
Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard
in Chapel Hill —as well as shelters
in Durham, Caswell and Franklin
counties to Felicite Latane be pre
pared for adoption.
The facility, located in Mebane,
includes 18 dog rooms, two large
cat rooms, a kitten room, a barn
for large animal care, a learning
center, a training facility, a 3-acre
private dog park with natural set
tings and an agility course.
Saturday’s celebration marked a
year since the county took control
of the shelter management from the
society, which had been criticized
for its management of the shelter.
The center’s start was slow, but
there has been constant improve
STEVENS
FROM PAGE 3
Development that doesn’t
impede Hillsborough’s historic
atmosphere likely will be a major
concern for both government office
hopefuls and residents this term,
Stevens said.
“I believe we need to encourage
growth, but encourage the kind of
growth that enhances the broadest
base of prosperity for everyone,”
he said.
“(We should be) encouraging
locally owned businesses and hav
ing a good plan to preserve and
celebrate historical cultures and
natural aspects we have.”
But while growth is important,
Stevens said the area’s water avail
ability and rising costs must be
addressed first.
RACE RELATIONS
FROM PAGE 3
Recipe for Wider Understanding”
at 7:30 p.m. tonight in the Toy
Lounge of Dey Hall.
Other events today include black
history tours of campus, which
uncover UNC’s unspoken history
and a forum on women’s rights.
Perry said he hopes everyone has
a chance to hear this year’s keynote
speaker Kevin Powell, a critically
acclaimed journalist and poet.
“He’s an engaging speaker,”
Perry said. “He really interacts with
the crowd. He’s blunt and up-front,
and very charismatic.”
“People don’t really have an idea
ment, said Ali Johnson, manager of
the shelter’s dog training program.
All dogs at the center are trained
and walked four times a day, she
added. The goal is “alleviating
stress from a shelter environment,”
Johnson said.
That environment was one of
the concerns critics of the county's
animal shelter cited in years past.
Kay Flaminio, executive director
of APS, provided a future outlook
on the center.
“We hope to expand the center,
expand the learning center, build
up more courses, everything that
feeds into increasing adoption
rates,” Flaminio said.
“August was our highest adoption
month; 62 animals were adopted.
“Since we have opened, 558 dogs
and cats have been adopted,” said
Flaminio, who called the center a
success.
Flaminio noted that all animals
that come through the shelter would
have otherwise been euthanized.
One success story from the shel
ter was Jenn Merritt, a certified pet
dog trainer, and her adopted dog,
Bernie, a collie mix, who were in
the dog park.
“If he’s the caliber of dogs that
you get at this facility, then you
couldn’t go wrong,” said Merritt,
giving a thumbs-up sign.
Bernie has taken five obedience
training classes with APS since he
was adopted during the summer.
“He’s the perfect family dog,”
“I believe we should we should support
the things we believe in, and I believe in
Hillsborough. ”
TOM STEVENS, CANDIDATE
Town water and sewer rates
have risen markedly in recent
years.
“Water resources is clearly one
of the major issues,” he said. “We
need a long-range plan so we know
how to allocate water. The other
issue has to do with cost we can
help stabilize water rates by having
a plan and keeping up with infra
structure.
“If we aren’t careful, we could
see major problems.”
Stevens also said the town
should delve into initiatives
of how much the media has an
effect on racial issues,” Perry said.
Organizers also have brought
back one of the most popular
events from last year, a show called
“Expressions After Dark.”
The show pairs the predomi
nantly white Chapel Hill Players
comedy improv group with the
Ebony Readers/Onyx Theater, a
group of predominantly black spo
ken-word artists.
“The sluts are candid, not script
ed,” said Perry, “so you get the real
social commentary.”
Leaders said they hope Race
Relations Week will encourage stu
dents to break out of comfort zones.
“You’re doing a disservice to
yourself by not opening your eyes
to diversity,” Hodges said. “Race
affects everyone, not just a few.”
Contact the University Editor
at udesk@unc.edu.
Did v | I
J ou
have VaW
an
experience
abroad?
CAROLINA ' .
passport
3 magazine featuring students' international experiences
...wants to hear about it!
Submit an article (recommended 1000 words) and
related photos on any aspect of your international
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affected you. You may be featured in our next issue!
All materials are due on Friday, October 7th to
Passport.unc.edu or mail them to:
Carolina Passport
University Center for International Studies
223 E. Franklin St.
Chapel Hill, NIC 27514
Contact Passport (oTj.nc.edu for more information.
Shp iailg (Ear lirrl
* > 'testa?
DTH/GILLIAN BOLSOVER
Denise Johnson, a volunteer at the
Animal Protection Society, coaches
an Airdale Terrier, Penny, at APS’
adoption center festivities Saturday.
Merritt said.
Robert Marotto, Orange County’s
director of animal services showed
up to support the center.
“It is a wonderful facility with pro
gressive work that cultivates respon
sible pet ownership,” he said.
“The shelter is going well. We are
working to smoothly increase adop
tion transfer numbers to APS.”
Contact the City Editor
at citydesk@unc.edu.
already in place by Habitat for
Humanity and local churches
that seek to eliminate area home
lessness.
“Homelessness has to do with
economic opportunity for people,
mental health and basic services,”
he said.
“We need to make sure that as
a town we cooperate with county
and state organizations to benefit
those who don’t have homes.”
Contact the City Editor
at citydesk@unc.edu.
JEOPARDY!
FROM PAGE 3
expect,” she said. “But it was really
exciting and a lot of fun.”
Ellis, a senior history major, said
the many energetic NCSU fans
helped him during the tournament.
And if Ellis wins the tourna
ment, he said it might boost his
popularity on campus.
“I guess I’ll be the most eligi
ble bachelor at State if I win that
$100,000,” he said.
But because of the gag rule, Ellis
will have to hold off for awhile to
tell people whether he won or not.
He, a sophomore who plans to
double-major in biomedical and
mechanical engineering, said she’ll
have no problem with the stipulation.
“I can keep a secret pretty well.”
Contact the University Editor
at udesk@unc.edu.