VOLUME 114, ISSUE 64 Moeser readies annual address BY WHITNEY KISLING ASSISTANT UNIVERSITY EDITOR Six years ago Chancellor James Moeser started a tradition when he issued the first State of the University address, and today he still pens it himself. “It certainly helps me to focus where I want to lead this University over the year,” Moeser said. The sixth annual address, to be held at 3 p.m. today in the Great Hall of the Student Union, will give Moeser a way to engage the commu nity and detail University projects. Some of the topics he will cover are graduation rates, research, state engagement and globalization. In years past, Moeser has used the address to make major announce ments. In 2003 he introduced the Carolina Covenant program— an Tuition talks fire out of gate Task force lays initial foundation BY ERIN ZUREICK UNIVERSITY EDITOR The tuition advisory task force began to lay the groundwork Hiesday for this year’s talks. The initial meeting focused on briefing task members about policy background and history the tough work of pinpointing specific num bers won’t begin until later this month. Provost Bernadette Gray-Little, co chairwoman of the task force, began the Bernadette Gray-Little reminded the task force of its lofty charge. meeting by instructing members about their dual responsibilities: to balance the economic impact hikes have on students and to ensure that UNC’s academic quality continues to improve. “It’s a very important process and important task,” she said. The group, which will have to adapt to any restrictions or guide lines handed down by the UNC system Board of Governors, got its first taste Tuesday of what it might be up against. SEE TUITION, PAGE 6 Shooting heroes honored BY RACHEL ULLRICH ASSISTANT CITY EDITOR “I don’t usually get to intro duce heroes,” county spokes woman Anne D’Annunzio said at an Orange County Board of Education meeting Tuesday. This meeting was an exception, she said. At the beginning of the meet ing she recognized four men from Orange County who exhibited exemplary efforts in response to last week’s shooting at Orange High School. Deputy London Ivey, former state trooper Russell Leßlanc, SEE HEROES, PAGE 6 announcement WE'RE HIRING Want to join the nation's top college newspaper? Meet the editors at an interest meeting from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. in Union 3203. See you there. Serving the students and the University community since 1893 aim imht (Ear Kirrl ■ Chancellor James Moeser will talk about graduation rates, research, globalization and service. initiative that allows low-income students to graduate debt-free. Moeser declined to say whether he will make any similar revela tions during today’s address. Joe Templeton, the faculty chairman, said the speech helps set a tone for the year. “I think that... at an institution the size of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the tone is set from the top,” he said. “We kind of need some big common targets VICTIM GETS DAY OF JUSTICE BY TED STRONG SENIOR WRITER The man who drove onto a Carrboro sidewalk, injur ing a blind woman and killing her Seeing Eye dog was sentenced Wednesday to four months in prison for driving while impaired. After hitting the two on Oct. 5, Stephen Coffee, a former employee of Chapel Hill bar He’s Not Here who had been out all night drinking, drove home. Judge Orlando Hudson Jr. also imposed a concurrent 45-day sentence on Coffee, of Carrboro, for after-hours drinking and two years of parole with a suspended six- to eight month sentence for the actual hit-and-run, a felony. “I think his actions require some sort of active sentence,” Hudson said. Hudson also ordered Coffee to pay restitu- [BLOGGIiI’ I with the City Desk For the poem Iredale wrote about Inka: apps.dailytarheel. com/blogs/ tion to Danielle “Aoife” Iredale, the woman Coffee hit. Coffee pled guilty on all counts. The judge also denounced Coffee for topping off his bundle of misdemeanors with a felony by turning the accident into a hit-and-run. “Bad judgement continued, obviously, when you left the scene, and that’s why you ended up with a felony,” Hudson said. Before the sentencing, Iredale spoke about the impact the acci dent had on her. She said she sustained several physical injuries, including a bro ken leg, along with bleeding inside her skull that caused some brain damage. She also said she suffered short term memory loss and other brain difficulties, including problems understanding language. “People would talk to me, and I could understand the words, but I wasn’t able to translate that into anything meaningful,” Iredale said. Iredale, who was struck at a bus stop on BPW Club Road, said that some of the ill effects faded but that others, such as post traii DTH/KEITH HODSON Board Chairman Dennis Whitling presents an award to Orange County Sheriff Lindy Pendergrass to honor the swift response to the shooting. inside SAFE AND SOUND UNC-system schools address campus security, PAGE 4 NO SMOKING North Carolina leaders say teen smoking is decreasing, PAGE 4 PERFECT CIRCLE Memorial Hall set for Thursday, Friday show, PAGE 7 www.dailytarhqel.com that everyone can agree on.” Graduation rates have become a hot topic recently, and Moeser said he plans to address the issue. “The Board of TVustees has been focusing a lot on graduation rates,” he said. “I’m going to be much more specific in targets.” University officials hope to increase graduation rates and will present a report that details meth ods to improve retention to the board later this semester. They also are considering a policy change in which students would have to petition UNC to take a ninth semester of classes. The progress of the Task Force on Engagement with North Carolina which was announced at last year’s address also will be noted. The task force focuses on three matic stress disorder and clinical depression, have been harder to shed. She said the accident signifi cantly undermined her faith in the world she must navigate. “I really never thought about the underlying risk of being a blind person travelling on a daily basis,” she said. “The hit-and-run shattered that trust.” During her testimony, Iredale said she had trouble finding a job or doing anything beyond baseline functions because of hardships brought on by the accident. She finished her testimony with a poem she wrote about Inka, her SEE COFFEE, PAGE 6 Sports | page 13 STICKING IT TO THEM UNC field hockey team disposes of Davidson in a 2-0 shutout, but both players and Coach Karen Shelton said improvement is needed. ATTEND THE SPEECH Time: 3 p.m. Date: Today Location: Great Hall of the Student Union aspects of University-state rela tions: K-12 education, health care and the economy. “What we’re looking at is how does this three-fold mission fit into a way in which we are engaged as a University with the state of North Carolina or the world,” said Kevin Fitz Gerald, special assistant to the chancellor and a member of the task force. Globalization has been on Moeser’s agenda since his first address, and it’s been a popular issue among ofißcials. UNC recently announced a dual degree program with the National .. ""Aria - /7w U At As DTH/MAGGIE SARTIN Hit-and-run victim Danielle "Aoife" Iredale sits with her new Seeing Eye dog, Flurry, on Tuesday as she awaits the sentencing of Stephen Coffee at the Orange County Courthouse in Hillsborough. Students lament ticketing policy BY STEPHANIE NEWTON ASSISTANT UNIVERSITY EDITOR Unclaimed tickets for Saturday’s football game versus Virginia Tech, the online system’s first test, are up for grabs. Clint Gwaltney, associate ath letic director for ticket and Smith Center operations, said 7,200 stu dents registered for the game using the online ticketing system. After accounting for the marching band, block seating and Carolina Fever, 9,500 tickets were available. Gwaltney said 4,750 confir mation e-mails were sent out to students, who could receive two tickets, but not all of the tickets were claimed. He declined to say how many WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2006 University of Singapore. Moeser said that he will discuss globalization today but that he will give the issue greater empha sis at the opening of the Global Education Center later this year. “I’m delighted that it’s going to be one of the topics that he’ll address,” said Marjorie Crowell, the assistant provost for international affairs. Fitz Gerald said the speech will echo the mission Moeser spoke about during his first address. “This really is about the steps that the University is taking to real ly marry up the idea of being a great and a good public university.” Staff Writer Colin Campbell contributed to this report. Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu. GET YOUR TICKET Time: 8 a.m. Date: Today Location: Smith Center ticket office Info: www.tarheelblue.com tickets remain. A second notice was delivered to those who failed to obtain tick ets from the lottery the first time around, noting that extra tickets are available at the ticket office. On the heels of the system’s first trial run, Student Congress held a public hearing Tuesday to sift through concerns and questions. Select Congress members and about a dozen students gathered in SEE TICKETS, PAGE 6 this day in history SEPT. 6,1994... Officials say UNC's December graduates will for the first time in 10 years have a full commencement ceremony, complete with speakers, academic regalia and a reception. Past addresses 2005 Moeser announced the creation of the Task Force on Engagement with North Carolina and focused on inter national engagement. 2004 After his travels to Singapore, Moeser said he want ed to increase globalization at UNC and become more devoted to public service. 2003 Moeser revealed the Carolina Covenant program, which allows some students to graduate debt-free. 2002 In light of the terrorist attacks Sept. 11,2001, Moeser commended the University's handling of the summer reading selection. He also addressed the budget shortfall. 2001 For his first address, Moeser talked about three main issues for the University monetary needs, the academic plan and campus growth. DTH/ANNA DORN Tyler Younts (right) and other mem bers of Student Congress bring up students' concerns about ticket dis tribution at a Tuesday night hearing. weather *V v A.M. rain H 81, L 60 index police log 2 calendar 2 games 9 sports 13 opinion 14