VOLUME 113, ISSUE 93
COURT RULES IN CASES
ORDERS RESULTS OF DISTRICT 2 ELECTION TO BE
RELEASED, UPHOLDS NOV. 1 AS NEXT ELECTION DATE
BY BRIAN HUDSON, university editor
After almost a week of limbo, plans for
how to deal with widespread voting
irregularities during Tuesday’s special
congressional election were laid out by the
Student Supreme Court on Sunday.
The court ruled unanimously that another
election will be held Nov. 1 to fill vacant seats
in Student Congress.
The court also ordered the UNC Board of
Elections to release the District 2 election
results, which were certified pending the receipt
of candidates’ financial statements.
Junior Nicete Moodie was elected for the seat
with 65 votes out of a total of 187.
The ruling upheld most of the decisions made
last week by the board decisions that were
called into question by three separate formal
complaints from the Black Student Movement,
The Daily Tar Heel and two candidates.
The complaints alleged that the board
breached the Student Code both when it decid
ed to certify and seal the results for District 2,
which is composed of mid-campus dorms, and
when it decided to remove from the re-election
ballot one of the seats in District 3, which repre
sents South Campus dorms, Odum Village and
student family housing at Baity Hill.
SEE HEARINGS, PAGE 6
DTH here to fight
for its readership
Many of you might be surprised
to see today’s dominant stories
revolve around The Daily Tar Heel
filing grievances in the Student
Supreme Court against the UNC
Board of Elections.
Some of you may have charted
the progress during Fall Break,
thinking to yourself, “Why would a
newspaper sue a student group?
‘lsn’t that overstepping a news
paper’s bounds?’
The answer might be a little of
yes and no, but at the beginning of
the year I promised you one core
thing among many others: We are
here for you, the readers and mem
bers of this university community.
If something doesn’t smell quite
right, we’ll sniff it out for you.
If someone violates the public’s
trust, we’ll be the first to call them
on it. The last time we had a lawsuit
heard was 1998. The opponent was
U.S. death toll nears 2,000
Might spur scrutiny of Iraq conflict
BY MATTHEW BOWLES
STAFF WRITER
As American military casual
ties in Iraq approach 2,000, a
milestone likely to raise national
attention about the ongoing con
flict, the future of U.S. involvement
could be questioned further.
The deaths of three Marines,
including one from Greensboro,
killed by an explosion near Nasser
Wa Salaam, were announced by
the U.S. Department of Defense
Friday. The official total as of that
day was 1,983, but officials haven’t
CLARIFICATION
Due to a reporting error,
Tuesday’s front page story,
“Edwards Rocks UNC” states
that the UNC chapter of
Student Poverty Reduction
Outreach hosted a kick
off event. SPROUT aided
Opportunity Rocks in hosting
the event. The Daily Tar Heel
apologizes for the error.
Serving the students and the University community since 1893
Sift Satin ©ar Meri
RYAN TUCK
EDITOR IN CHIEF
the Honor Court, which the editors
at the time felt was violating the
public’s right to know the most
important ideal in our industry.
Essentially, a violation of the
public’s right to information is the
driving force behind our conflict
with the Board of Elections.
I don’t want to go too much into
the case (For one, there are articles
with the requisite information
lying next to this), but we discov-
SEE FIGHTING BACK, PAGE 6
publicly confirmed other deaths
from the weekend.
The figure reported by Antiwar,
com, however, is slightly higher, at
1,996 casualties since the begin
ning of the war in March 2003.
The number of total casualties
is high, but reflective of the United
States’ involvement in the con
flict, said Thomas Alan Schwartz,
professor of history at Vanderbilt
University.
“It’s the most significant
American engagement since the
Vietnam War,” he said.
online | (lailytarheel.com
WHEN'S CLASS? City schools likely will
eliminate zero period and lunch classes
TWO BIRDS, ONE STONE N.C. brass
agree to give $1 million to Learn and Earn
MULTIMEDIA Visit the Blue Fusion
section for images from the N.C. State Fair
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DTH/WHITNEY SHEFTE
Student Attorney General Matt McDowell (center), distributes a copy of the defense's statement at the outset of The Daily Tar Heel v. UNC Board of
Elections case heard by the Student Supreme Court on Sunday as BOE Vice Chairman Jim Brewer (left) and BOE Chairman Nick Mosley (right) confer.
BOE, FARLEY ACTIONS
STILL LEAVE QUESTIONS
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DTH/WHITNEY SHEFTE
Student Supreme Court Justice Kelly Short (left) and Chief Justice Drew Erteschik
hear one of the three arguments laid out before the court in Sunday's hearings.
Though public support for the
Iraq war probably will decline
with the news of nearly 2,000
casualties, he said extensive policy
changes should not be expected.
Rodger Payne, a political sci
ence professor at the University of
Louisville, said the casualty report
probably will serve to reinforce
some opinions that already have
been shifting, rather than spark
ing a dramatic change.
Other events, such as the rein
vigorated peace movement with
Cindy Sheehan and critical com
ments from Republican senators,
SEE DEATH TOLL, PAGE 6
arts I page 2
FROM 'HEAD TO HEART
Director Tim Kirkman debuted
his film, "Loggerheads," Friday
in Chapel Hill making it the
second Sundance-nominated
movie open in town this year.
Candidates turn eyes to downtown
BY TED STRONG
CITY EDITOR
When Hillsborough tries to sell
itself as a town, one of the biggest
assets the colonial hamlet has to
flaunt is its historic downtown,
replete with red brick, historical
markers and an old court house.
How exactly to nurture a down
town that many candidates say
has been doing well through the
last few years might impact the
two elections facing Hillsborough
this fall: town board and mayor.
Candidates have said that the
downtown is a key component
of Hillsborough’s economy and a
treasure for the community.
Many also have said that the
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MONDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2005
BY LINDSAY MICHEL
AND JENNY RUBY
ASSISTANT UNIVERSITY EDITORS
In light of recent controversy sur
rounding Tuesday’s special campus
Elections, some students are question
ing select student leaders’ abilities to
carry out their duties properly.
A letter issued the morning of the
elections by seven student leaders,
including members of Student Congress,
claims that Speaker Luke Farley over
stepped his bounds when he decided to
include a second seat in the District 3
election without openly informing the
general public concerns that were
addressed in Sunday’s Student Supreme
Court hearing.
“I question the motives and further
desire an investigation,” Representative
Elizabeth Freeman said. “I can be a lit
tle skeptical as to his motives and if he’s
SEE CONCERN, PAGE 6
i MUNICIPAL
>s* 2005
Issue Spotlight
HILLSBOROUGH
DEVELOPMENT
Tuesday: How
candidates plan
to stabilize or
reduce the
relatively high
water rates in
Hillsborough
town already is operating a rela
tively vibrant center that needs
only to be fostered further.
“There’s a lot of businesses that
have come in and there’s a lot that
have closed up, but that’s business
America,” Mayor Joe Phelps said.
“I think it’s actually been func
tioning quite well,” he added.
But board challenger Paul
Newton called the downtown a
“diamond in the rough” and has
SportS I page 12
MAKING A STAND
The Tar Heels defensive unit
only gave up a field goal and
made a key interception late
in Saturday's game to seal a
7-5 win against Virgina.
said that the area could bloom
with proper handling.
Candidates have said that in
order to manage the downtown
properly, officials need to not
only plan for the future, but also
to help the businesses already in
place.
And leaders said the key to
that relationship is cooperation
between stakeholders.
Board incumbent Mike Gering
has proposed that merchants
band together in order to pool
their abilities and know-how.
Tom Stevens, a candidate for
mayor, has said that the town
SEE GROWTH, PAGE 6
weather
V PM showers
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index
police log 2
calendar 2
crossword 4
edit 8
sports 12