Saily Sar MM
Fall Fest celebration
considered a success
BY BETHANY BUCK
STAFF WRITER
Nothing makes freshmen trade
South Campus for South Road like
the lure of free food.
A mix of musical acts, raffles,
games and, yes, free samples, drew
waves of students to the annual Fall
Fest celebration Sunday night.
For both incoming and returning
students, the festivities provided an
opportunity to explore the array of
organizations and activities avail
able to the University community.
More than 200 student orga
nizations recruited members and
distributed handouts from 9 p.m.
until 2 a.m., said Jon Curtis, assis
tant director for student activities
and organizations.
Freshmen and upperclassmen
said they hoped the evening would
help them become more involved.
“It’s great because rather than
inviting you to interest meetings that
you may not have time for, you just
get to scan through and get a taste
of everything,” said Jason Gonzalez,
a freshman from Gastonia studying
philosophy and biology.
“It’s a great way to jump-start
my freshman year,” he added.
Michael Smith, who performed
with the Marching Tar Heels, also
said Fall Fest was beneficial.
“I’m a freshman, so the best part
is just that everyone is here,” he said.
“I’ve never seen this many people in
Schools searching for new lawyer
BY JESSICA SCHONBERG
CITY EDITOR
The Chapel Hill-Carrboro City
Schools are looking for anew law
yer after firing long-time attorney
John McCormick.
McCormick’s contract was ter
minated last month after he disap
peared. He is now wanted on one
count of felony embezzlement.
McCormick has been the school
board’s legal counsel for more than
20 years. He did not have access to
school fimds.
“We had no indication that this
would happen,” school board chair
woman Lisa Stuckey said.
N.C. lawyer Phillip Dixon was
appointed as interim counsel until
the board hires anew attorney.
Stuckey said a committee has
been formed to lead the search. The
committee is composed of Stuckey,
school vice chairwoman Jamezetta
Bedford and board member Mike
Kelley. Dixon will work with the
committee to develop a plan for
soliciting applications and hiring
the new lawyer.
Stuckey said she could not com
ment on whether applicants will be
scrutinized more closely because of
the allegations against McCormick,
who was last seen July 10.
On that day, a representative of
home builder D.R. Horton visited
Welcome Back!
Start thinking early about Studying Abroad! V
Mark your calendar for the
19th Annual Study Abroad Fair
Monday, September 18th • 11 am - 4pm
Great Hall, Student Union
Explore program options and talk with program representatives and past
H student participants! Cet your questions about studying abroad answered!
Spring 2007 Application Deadline: Thursday, September 28, 2006
Check us out on the web at
http://studyabroad.unc.edu
The Study Abroad Office ■
201 Porthole Building Inext to the Hanes Art Center) ■
Wp ' 'ini;' B
one place before. It’s a great way to
find out about all the different clubs
and organizations.”
The evening was a chance for local
businesses to showcase their offer
ings to new potential customers.
“I think it’s a great opportu
nity for incoming freshmen to
experience Panera,” said Kristen
DeMeglio, Panera Bread’s catering
coordinator. “It’s a chance for us to
get our name out there, especially
since we’re off campus.”
She said Panera had students’
needs in mind when deciding what
to offer at Fall Fest “We have lots of
coupons we know what it’s like
to be a poor college student.”
Ira Simon, director of food and
vending services, echoed the impor
tance of reaching out to students.
“Carolina Dining Services, as
well as other vendors, like Aramark
and Pepsi and Alpine Bagel, are all
here because it’s a great opportuni
ty to give back to students and also
to market to students,” he said.
Simon said dining services
passed out 3,600 barbecue sand
wiches and 5,000 water bottles.
Relay For Life was another
organization enticing students
with handouts. “We gave away all
of our T-shirts, but we’ve still got
hats, candies, all kinds of stuff,”
said Emily Bagley, Relay’s event co
chairwoman.
“The response has been great
What's happened so far...
►John McCormick was reported
missing July 11. A car registered
to his family was found outside an
entrance to Duke Forest.
►Homebuilder D.R. Horton
accused McCormick of withhold
ing about SBOO,OOO from homes
he closed on for the company.
►The N.C. State Bureau of
Investigation has issued a warrant
for McCormick's arrest on one
count of felony embezzlement.
►The Chapel Hill-Carrboro Board
his Chapel Hill office to talk to
him about SBOO,OOO he owed the
company. The fimds were from five
homes McCormick helped close in
June.
After waiting for several hours,
the representative learned that
McCormick was no longer there.
A car registered to McCormick’s
family was found parked outside an
entrance to Duke Forest on Whitfield
Road at about 1 a.m. July 11.
After his disappearance, the
N.C. State Bar won an injunction
in Wake County Superior Court to
prevent McCormick from receiv
ing or dispersing client fimds.
A. Root Edmonson, deputy coun
DTH/EDYTHE MCNAMEE
Junior Jesse Galef draws a
crowd while performing at Fall
Fest with the breakdancing
group Mighty Arms of Atlas.
so far,” Bagley said, noting that
between 300 and 400 students
joined the group’s listserv by the
close of Fall Fest.
Curtis said the event continues
to be a success year after year. “I
think it’s just an amazing, rockin’
event,” he said.
Contact the University Editor
at udesk@unc.edu.
of Education fired McCormick as
its attorney and hired Phillip Dixon
in the interim but does not believe
McCormick had access to school
funds.
►The North Carolina State Bar
won a court order to freeze
the funds in McCormick’s trust
accounts. The bureau is continu
ing to investigate McCormick's
mismanagement of funds but does
not plan to consider filing charges
unless he is found.
cil for the bar, said he does not think
the bar will consider pressing charg
es unless McCormick reappears.
The N.C. State Bureau of
Investigation, however, has issued
a warrant for McCormick’s arrest.
Orange-Chatham District
Attorney Jim Woodall, who will
prosecute the case if it comes to
trial, said he has referred complaints
about McCormick to the state bar.
Anyone with information about
McCormick’s whereabouts should
contact, the Chapel Hill Police
Department at (919) 968-2760.
Contact the City Editor
at citydesk@unc.edu.
News
New students welcomed
at traditional ceremony
BY KELLY GIEDRAITIS
STAFF WRITER
The sidewalks overflowed
Sunday night as hundreds of
first-year students poured into
the Smith Center for new-student
convocation.
The ceremony gave new stu
dents the opportunity to be for
mally inducted into the University
and to meet key faculty members
and administrators.
Names and handshakes were
exchanged as the students took
their seats.
“I figured it would be a good
way to meet people,” said freshman
nursing major Kristina Riemen,
who lives in Ehringhaus South.
“There are a lot of upperclassmen
in my dorm, and I wanted to meet
the other freshmen.”
As new students settled in,
Chancellor James Moeser wel
comed them to the University.
The chancellor commended
students for their hard work and
diligence thus far but emphasized
what will be expected of them dur
Culture drives book dialogue
BY WHITNEY KISLING
ASSISTANT UNIVERSITY EDITOR
Sitting in a circle Monday after
noon about 20 first-year students
were given their first introduction
to University academics.
The students met Chancellor
James Moeser and Student Body
President James Allred in Saunders
Hall to discuss this year’s summer
reading selection.
Moeser began the afternoon’s
session by calling roll and then
asked students to share their per
sonal connections to the novel, “The
Namesake,” by Jhumpa Lahiri.
The book, which delves into
issues of immigration, identity and
culture, is a story about an Indian
family adapting to life in America.
Students in Moeser’s discussion
group said they felt connections to
the book on many levels. Some said
they related to Gogol Ganguli, the
main character, when he advanced
from high school to college.
“A lot of college is finding out
SufimStev&rUL
"2 K\ *
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LIVE IN CONCERT
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2006
BPM
Memorial Hall
UNC Chapel Hill
RESERVED SEATING
UNC Students: August 24 - 512.00
General Public: August 28 - 520.00 n
Where to buy tickets:
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TUESDAY, AUGUST 22, 2006
ing their future at UNC.
“Our challenge to you is to do
your part to reach as far and as
high as you can,” he said.
Student Body President James
Allred urged new students to take
advantage of the opportunities that
N.C. taxpayers have given them.
Students owe state taxpayers the
duty of attending class and study
ing hard, he said.
“Carolina is not like Sea World,”
he said. “You will not get wet if you
sit in the front row.”
Every year new students attend
the traditional event, which marks
the official beginning of their edu
cation at UNC.
But for some the convocation
experience is a just distant mem
ory.
“Did I go to what?” asked senior
Will Gerichten, an international
studies major. “Oh, I remember.”
Gerichten said he still recalls the
long walk from Granville Towers to
the Smith Center for the first-year
rite of passage.
“Everybody else was going,” he
who we are,” said freshman Abby
Farson, from Davidson.
“The discussion went really well,
and the book touched me veiy deep
ly,” said freshman Akshay Ahuja,
who is from India. “It was really the
best choice for me.”
The novel sparked debate about
cultural awareness in the coun
try. “Tolerance isn’t what we need
what we need is acceptance,”
said Durham freshman Madeline
Struttmann.
Jocelyn Glazier, a professor at
the UNC School of Education,
said she read the book before she
decided to lead a discussion.
She said the summer reading
program gave new students an
opportunity to meet each other on
a more intimate level. Other Week
of Welcome events geared toward
freshmen were less personal.
“I think it’s a really good way to
introduce students to Carolina,”
she said.
“The Namesake” will be adapt
11A
said. “It was a good way to meet
new people.”
Four years ago Gerichten and
many other members of the class
of 2007 stood to recite the same
honor pledge that the newest
class of UNC students uttered
Sunday.
As the ceremony came to a
close, the new students stood,
awkwardly linking arms, and sang
or rather, mumbled the alma
mater.
“It’s new to me, but I’m going to
have to get used to it,” said fresh
man Emilie Moseley, a journalism
major.
Although the clapping dur
ing the fight song was anything
but in sync, a booming “Go to
hell, Duke!” echoed through the
Carolina blue bleachers at the
song s conclusion.
With these words, the new stu
dents truly were inducted into
UNC culture.
Contact the University Editor
at udesk@unc.edu.
ed into a movie, directed by Mira
Nair and starring Kal Penn as
Gogol. The movie is scheduled to
be released March 9.
This is the program’s eighth year
and is the first time a work of fic
tion has been chosen. Selections in
the past have been controversial.
In 2002, five people, including
three UNC students, filed a law
suit in response to the selection of
“Approaching the Qur’an: The Early
Revelations,” translated and intro
duced by Michael Sells. Plaintiffs
claimed the book violated the sepa
ration of church and state.
Moeser said that of his seven years
leading discussions he was most
impressed with this year’s group.
“This discussion has really been
rewarding,” he said to the students.
“You’re all going to make great con
tributions to this institution as stu
dents.”
Contact the University Editor
at udesk@unc.edu.