VOLUME 113, ISSUE 117
Young voters mostly ignore town elections
THIS YEAR MARKS LOWEST
TURNOUT IN LAST 5 RACES
BY WHITNEY KISLING
STAFF WRITER
Despite the efforts of several
student organizations, this year’s
municipal elections saw a histori
cally low turnout among college
aged voters.
While 10,411 voters born
between Jan. 1,1983 and Dec. 31,
1987 were registered in Orange
County during the Nov. 8 election,
a mere 440 showed up at the polls
about 4 percent of eligible vot
ers. The number marks the lowest
turnout since at least 1993.
The municipal elections in 2003
> at;
DTH/JULIA BARKER
Due to the severe drought this fall, Jordan Lake is abnormally shallow for this time of year. As seen here, a
water fowl even can touch the bottom. Experts say that Monday's rain didn't do much to raise water levels.
PARCHED STATE
STILL RUNNING DRY
BY RICHARD M. COE 111
STAFF WRITER
Meteorologists and govern
ment officials in the Triangle
have put anew spin on an old
nursery rhyme: “Rain, rain, come
our way, we will need you every
winter day.”
Jeff Orrock, warning coor
dination meteorologist for the
National Weather Service, said
that despite recent showers, 12
inches of rain during the next
three months will be necessary
to achieve target pool levels in
Inside ‘Police Academy: On the hill’
Badge-hopefuls trudge through training
BY KYLE BILLINGS
STAFF WRITER
What the “big D” is, how bar conduct can
warrant a traffic violation, how to handle
hazardous materials these are just some
of the lessons police trainees are learning as
they pursue their badges.
Currently, 14 trainees in Chapel
Hill are going through police acad
emy, a four-month process that is
anything but what the iconic movie
of the same name might suggest.
But even without zany class
mates and amusing hijinks, the
students are enthusiastic.
Douglas Williams, 21, a Raleigh
resident participating in the course,
said the training in Chapel Hill will
help him fulfill a longtime goal.
“I’ve always wanted to be an officer,” he
said. “I believe being a police officer is an
honor, and I’ll take pride in doing it.”
Captain Jackie Carden said the academy’s
training process entails 628 hours during the
CORRECTION
Due to a reporting error,
the cutline accompanying
Monday’s front page article,
“Tree vendors put on firs,”
misidentifies Back Achers
Christmas TYee Farm as Back
Archers.
The Daily Tar Heel apolo
gizes for the error.
Serving the students and the University community since 1893
®lfr iatlu ®ar Rltl
saw 329 people in that age group
vote about 10 percent of the reg
istered electorate at the time.
“It’s an improvement over the
last year, so we can’t be too upset
about it,” said Blakely Whilden,
co-president of Young Democrats.
“Our goal was to increase turnout.
We increased turnout.”
Student leaders said they attrib
uted the low turnout to a number of
factors ranging from alack of inter
est to students’ desire to remain
registered in their hometowns.
“Convincing students of how
important elections were was dif-
the area’s reservoirs.
“It’s not ending the drought yet,
but it’s helping,” he said. “If we stay
in this wet pattern, we may work
our way out of the severe drought
and into a minor drought.”
Since last December, rainfall
has been below normal in every
month except for two, he said.
Ed Holland, planning direc
tor for Orange Water and Sewer
Authority, which regulates
Chapel Hill’s water supply, said
the reserves at University Lake
and Cane Creek Reservoir are
course of about four months. The students
in this academy started Sept. 12 and, if they
complete the training, will graduate Jan. 13.
Carden said recruitment this year is poised
to have a relatively significant impact.
“I am very excited,” she said. “This is the
first academy that Chapel Hill has
hosted in five years.”
In a nondescript but newly
renovated classroom, the students
come armed with their notebooks,
highlighters and optional water
bottles. All the students are iden
tically clad: gray polo shirt, black
cargo pants, black shoes.
On a typical day, Sgt. Jason
Mclntyre will lecture the students
on various legal processes —one
POLICING
CHAPEL HILL
Wednesday:
Chapel Hill police
look to
staffing
issues by
beefing up security
around town.
recent class about motor vehicle law required
students to research the topic and decipher
the difference between issuing a citation for
No Operator’s License and writing one for
SEE TRAINING, PAGE 4
CLARIFICATION
Due to a miscommunica
tion, Monday’s front page
article, “An unexpected deploy
ment,” states that Cpl. Bill
Aisobrook has missed three of
his last four anniversaries. He
has missed two since 2001.
The Daily Tar Heel apolo
gizes.
www.dailytarheel.com
ficult,” said Jeremy Spivey, chair
man of Vote Carolina, a nonparti
san voting advocacy group.
Vote Carolina encouraged stu
dents to vote by helping with an
election guide in The Daily Tar Heel
and providing free food on Election
Day an event that could have
been better publicized, Spivey said.
“The voting inserts helped people
who were already going to vote get a
better idea of the candidates.”
But Spivey said efforts to con
vince registered voters to turn out
almost were in vain.
“I’m not quite sure the best way
to really connect with students,”
he said. “I think (not voting) really
goes back to people not wanting
SEE LOW TURNOUT, PAGE 4
down 45 percent.
Still, OWASA has not shifted
from its year-round voluntary
conservation plan, Holland said.
“If reservoirs are not filled by
March or April, then we’ll be look
ing for additional restrictions.”
The current level of Jordan
Lake, another water source for
the region, is four feet below
normal.
UNC has not taken further
steps other than those mandated
SEE RUNNING LOW, PAGE 4
.
pPHlllJlimpr' ll
DTH/CHRIS FIELDS
Stephanie Little sits in a basic law enforcement
training class for the Chapel Hill police Monday.
online I dailytarheel.com
NOT AN OPTION County schools pins
construction plans for alternative school
THE SILVER LINING Lousiana system
schools optimistic despite round of cuts
IN NEED OF DEFENSE Few show up
to campus group-sponsored defense class
Younger oters still keep away
Voters younger than 23* continued a trend of low turnout at the polls in 2005. About 4 percent of those eligible cast a ballot.
Voters compared with Racial make-up of oters Party affiliation of
total registered those who oted
R Black, 26
4 percent, I Q^ er unaffiliated,
440 people, voted * L_ 57 percent 132 voters
I Undesignated, 11 Democrat,
96 percent did not vote, 250 voters
9.971 registered nonvoters 0 50 ,0 ° 150 200 250 300 350 400
umber of voters
SOURCE: ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF ELECTIONS * Voters bom between Jan. 1,1983 and Dec. 31,1987. DTH/CALUE MCLEAN
Rising costs kindle
projects’ re-evaluation
Several residence hall projects to be delayed
BY ERIN ZUREICK
STAFF WRITER
As the flurry of construction
continues on campus, UNC offi
cials have announced plans to
re-evaluate the timeline of dorm
renovation projects.
As with many ongoing campus
projects, rising costs of materials
have caused the housing construc
tion to exceed its original price
tag, leading administrators to take
a second look.
“They’re just taking a short
pause to determine where they’re
at,” said Bruce Runberg, associ
ate vice chancellor for planning
and construction. “It’s a matter
of re-evaluating and making sure
Future residence hall construction plans
A series of planned residence hall renovations and reconstructions are seeing delays due to rising material prices.
Morrison Residence Hall Craige and Ehringhaus residence halls
Renovations began in May 2005 and Housing officials had hoped that these dorms would
are scheduled to be completed by be renovated after Hinton James. Both were to be
August 2007 before students move in. completed by 2011, but will face delays.
I I
Ram Village Hinton James Residence Hall
Construction began in August 2004 Housing officials wanted renovations to begin in
and is scheduled to be completed by 2007 after Morrison was back online and to be
August 2006 before students move in. completed by 2009. The project will see delays.
2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011
SOURCE: DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND RESIDENTIAL EDUCATION DTH/BOBBY SWEATT
arts I page 2
CHRISTMAS HIT
UNC senior Sean Overbeeke
will debut his original film
about Christmas on Franklin
Street at the Varsity Theater
on Saturday.
the demand is there and that the
finances are OK for the projects.”
Ram Village, which will pro
vide about 900 students with
apartment-style housing on South
Campus, exceeded its projected
budget by about 25 percent, said
Larry Hicks, director of housing
and residential education.
He said estimated costs are
about SBB million, up from the fall
2003 estimate of S7O million.
Morrison Residence Hall,
which now is undergoing renova
tion, is scheduled to be the first of
the four South Campus high-rise
dorms to undergo a face-lift.
Hinton James Residence Hall
was slated to be renovated after
UNC buzzzes with
widespread napping
BY CUNT JOHNSON
STAFF WRITER
On afternoons, sophomore Katie
Phillips rides the elevator to the top
floor of Davis Library. She finds a
comfortable spot in a corner and
sets down her things.
And then she goes to sleep.
Phillips and countless other col
lege students rely on the occasional
nap to catch up on sleep. On cam
pus, a walk through the libraries
reveals dozens of nappers passed
out on sofas, their jackets draped
over them like blankets.
Davis Library has earned a repu
tation as a prime napping location.
“The best place to nap is on the
eighth floor in Davis,” Phillips says.
“It’s a good place as long as you don’t
think about how many people have
had sex there.”
Others recommend sleeping in
the art gallery in the Student Union
’points | page 6
WHERE'S THE LOVE?
College-age voter turnout
was at a historic low in
2005, but how come? The
Viewpoints section explores
several theories.
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 2005
Morrison reopens in 2007. But
Hicks said this might not be fea
sible in light of escalating con
struction costs.
The budget for Hinton James
renovations originally was esti
mated at about $26 million,
Hicks said. But recent estimates
have pegged the costs closer to
$37 million. He said renovations
to the dorm could be delayed by
about two years.
“The construction market is
very volatile right now,” he said.
“We don’t know where that’s going
to settle.”
Christopher Payne, associate
SEE HOUSING PLAN, PAGE 4
or the third floor of Hanes Art
Center.
On a few occasions, sophomore
Sarina Maynor’s friends made sure
she did not rest in peace.
“One night after we went and
partied, my friends thought that it
would be hilarious to draw funny
objects on me,” Maynor says.
She says she also has been a vic
tim of “antiquing” when a sleep
er’s face is covered with flour so that
they look old and dusty.
“I tend to fall asleep uninten
tionally a lot,” sophomore Caitlin
Corkery says. “I once fell asleep
standing up in a subway car.”
During her graduation party,
Corkery fell asleep and woke up to
find herself covered in confetti.
Some students say they cannot
function without taking naps dur-
SEE NAPS, PAGE 4
weather
T-Storms
H 69, L 45
index
police log 2
calendar 2
crossword 4
sports .9
edit 10