VOLUME 114, ISSUE 83
Tuition policy
could cement
trend in hikes
BY ERIC JOHNSON
SENIOR WRITER
Seven years ago, when the UNC
system first allowed campuses to
propose their own tuition increas
es, die measure was billed as a last
resort, to be
used only under
extraordinary
circumstances.
Next week,
the system’s
Board of
Governors will
INSIDE
Tuition task
force to meet
for the first time
since proposal
PAGE 3
vote on an updated policy that
would virtually guarantee annual
rate increases of hundreds of dol
lars for the next four years.
“What has happened in the last 10
years has been a 180-degree change
in policy,” said John Sanders, a for
mer BOG member and longtime
observer of university politics.
‘And it’s been step-by-step.”
A combination of rising expens
es, uncertain state appropriations
and inevitable turf battles shifted
the policy’s focus from low tuition
to predictable tuition, which has
become anew mantra among uni
versity officials.
“Previously, university presi
dents relied on the General
Assembly to make the final deci
sion, with the hope that tuition
increases would be lower, and
that state appropriations would
provide for university needs,” said
Jeff Davies, chief of staff to system
President Erskine Bowles.
“The goal now is to have regular,
predictable increases rather than
no increases.”
From its inception, campus
based tuition has been an issue of
who would control tuition rates
and the revenue they generate.
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Professor James Thompson speaks at the dedication of the Thomas Wolfe
memorial and garden between Murphey and Greenlaw halls on Tuesday.
Wolfe brought
home again
BY LUIS TORRES
STAFF WRITER
Although Thomas Wolfe gradu
ated from UNC nearly 90 years ago,
his presence still is felt on campus.
A memorial for Wolfe who
graduated from the University with
a bachelor of arts degree in 1920
was held Wednesday afternoon
at the Thomas Wolfe Memorial
Garden in honor of what would
have been his 106th birthday.
The garden features an 850-
pound bronze angel sculpture.
The sculpture which was
given to the University by the
class of 1966 represents one
of Wolfe’s most famous literary
works, “Look Homeward, Angel.”
About 75 people attended the
ceremony, including the angel’s
sculptor, Richard Kinnaird.
James Thompson, chairman
online | dailytarhieel.com
MIND OVER MAHER New center
will target women's mental health
RAKING IN JOBS AnN.C.fund
brings companies to the state
RACY SUBJECT Students view a
presentation on race and sexuality
Serving the students and the University community since 1893
latlu ®ar Reel
Tuition increases for
the past 35 years:
Year Resident Percent
undergrad increase
tuition
1974 316 N/A
1977 330 4.4
1980 364 10.3
1983 436 19.8
1986 480 10.1
1989 504 5.0
1992 774 53.6
1995 874 12.9
1998 1,428 63.4
2001 1,860 30.3
2004 2,955 58.9
2007 3,455 16.9
2011 4,444* 28.6
* Maximum possible under new proposal.
SOURCE: UNC-system Board of Governors
Prior to the creation of a
campus-based process in 1998,
increases in tuition were imposed
almost exclusively by the state leg
islature, and lawmakers had full
control over the revenue.
“That’s what the campus-based
policy tried to avoid,” Davies
said.
It also attempted to balance the
desire of campus administrators
to have a flexible revenue stream
with the desire of system officials
to maintain some control.
Serving as dean of UNC-Chapel
Hill’s* Kenan-Flagler Business
SEE POLICY, PAGE 7
of the Department of English and
Comparative Literature, said the
location is well-suited to make the
campus aware of Wolfe’s legacy.
“Every day I walk by here, and I
see students reading and talking.”
In the spring, the angel statue
was moved to the more promi
nent spot between Greenlaw and
Murphey halls after spending
decades in a rarely viewed alcove
near New East Residence Hall.
“I couldn’t be more pleased
with this site and this memorial,”
Chancellor James Moeser said.
“I think we’ve created a beauti
ful space on this campus that says
something about the heart and
sold of this University.”
Joe Flora, English professor and a
past president of the Thomas Wolfe
SEE WOLFE, PAGE 7
campus I page 6
WALKING ON WATER
The UNC water ski club team
will compete in a national
competition after a strong
showing at regionals, where
they finished fourth.
www.dailytarheel.com
Rams Head bests blaze
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Chapel Hill firefighters consult with each other after extinguishing a grease fire that broke out at Rams Head Dining Hall on Tuesday.
Firefighters put out the blaze in about 15 or 20 minutes and then broke a window to help ventilate the area. The hall will reopen today.
BY KAYLA CARRICK
AND RACHEL ULLRICH
ASSISTANT CITY EDITORS
Afire broke out at Rams Head Dining
Hall at about 5:54 p.m. Tbesday, causing
the entire building to be evacuated.
The blaze started as a grease fire at The
Chop House, said Mike Freeman, director
of auxiliary services for the University.
“The staff attempted to put out the
flames using extinguishers,” he said.
“The smoke set off the fire alarms.”
The flame was three to four feet tall
and about two feet wide, Freeman said.
Campus police shut down the entire
plaza when the fourth floor of the Rams
Head complex filled with smoke.
The fire department arrived and put
out the fire in 15 or 20 minutes, Chapel
Hill fire Chief Dan Jones said.
He said there were seven units pres
ent about 22 firefighters —and two
Emergency Medical Services units.
“We were able to control it with the
kitchen hood and hand extinguishers,”
Jones said.
One window on the front side of the
main floor was broken to help ventilate
the floor. Other than the window, there
was no structural or equipment damage,
Freeman said. The fire was contained in
the Chop House area.
He said Rams Head Dining Hall
County meets its manager finalists
BY DANIEL PRICE
STAFF WRITER
Orange County is one step closer to naming
anew county manager.
The two finalists for the position were intro
duced to the public Tuesday at a reception in
the new courthouse in Hillsborough.
Both Tom Robinson and Laura Blackmon
came to Orange County with many years of
experience in city and county government in
hopes of replacing John Link, who retired
Sept. 1 after 18 years at the post.
“I’m not John Link,” Robinson said. “I don’t
want to be John Link, but I do want to learn
from him.”
Blackmon also has big goals in mind.
“I have dedicated my life to being a public ser-
UNC to contact students with recalled batteries
BY NITISHA DESAI
STAFF WRITER
UNC Information Technology Services received
new information Tuesday on the specific laptops
affected by the battery recall which Lenovo tech
nology company initiated last week.
The recall followed an incident at a Los
Angeles airport last month when a computer
battery overheated and began smoking.
Priscilla Alden, assistant vice chancellor for
user support and engagement, said ITS now
knows die specific serial numbers of comput
ers with defective batteries.
“There are 857 computers campuswide that
are affected. Of those, 549 are students’. The
should be open by lunch today.
“We will not be open for breakfast,
but we should be by 11 or maybe 10:30
(a.m.).”
Chris Smith, a Rams Head Dining
Hall employee, said he was eating din
ner near the grill when the fire started.
“I got up and forgot about the food,”
he said. “I ran over to see what I could
do. ... I was trying to help, but they
wanted me to leave too.”
Smith said nobody was hurt in the
incident. He said that a dining hall
employee was manning the grill at the
time but that he jumped away from the
flame before he could be burned.
Freshman Daniel Outen said he saw
the flame just as it caught and took pic
tures on his cell phone.
/I was jn there, where they cook the
mac ana cheese in the grill area, when
my friend was like ‘Oh my God,’” he said.
“I turned and it was like, a six-foot flame
behind me.... When we left, there was
black smoke covering the ceiling.”
Smith said that in addition to the
smoke, the flame burned the counter near
the grill before it was extinguished.
“It was out of control,” he said. “I have
a headache from it.”
Outen said that after some initial
confusion, Rams Head managers.han
dled the situation efficiently.
vant,” she said. “I am here to serve the public.”
The Orange County Board of Commissioners
has specific qualities in mind when it comes to
hiring anew manager.
“We’re looking for vision, skill and passion,”
commissioner Moses Carey said.
“And we’ve got two candidates, both of whom
bring all that and more.”
Robinson has been manager of multiple
counties across North Carolina. He currently
acts as manager of Rockingham County.
“Periodically in your career, you evaluate
where you are,” Robinson said Monday. “It’s
an opportunity to be there in Orange County,
a greater metropolitan area ... next to the
Research TViangle and close to the University.”
At the reception, the public got an opportu-
remaining are faculty or staff machines.”
The only University-issued models that
are affected are the Think Pad T 43 and the
Think Pad R 52, Alden said.
The serial numbers are posted on the ITS
Web site its.unc.edu.
The Web site also includes a program stu
dents can download to determine whether their
computer is affected.
An e-mail will be sent to all students whose
computers might contain defective batteries.
“If you don’t get an e-mail, you are probably
not affected,” Alden said. “That e-mail should
be going out no later than Thursday morning."
“The e-mail is basically going to say that your
campus I page 7
NO HANGING CHAD
Student Congress and the
campus Board of Elections
butt heads over the Student
Code heading into special
elections Oct. 17.
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2006
7 v in
COURTESY OF DANIEL OUTEN
A grease fire breaks out at Rams Head Dining Hall on
Tuesday. The fire started at the Chop House, causing
firefighters and police to shut down the facility.
“They didn’t look like they knew what to do at first,”
he said. “Someone grabbed a fire extinguisher and
asked us to leave because there might be a gas leak.... I
guess they did what they were supposed to do because
everyone was out in about a minute.”
Jones said that there was no gas leak but that the
gas was shut off as a precaution.
Outen and other students who already had paid for
their meals were told by a Rams Head manager they
SEE FIRE, PAGE 7
nity to meet the candidates and ask them ques
tions about their plans for Orange County.
The candidates, county commissioners and
interested citizens and officials gathered in the
jury room for an hour before shifting the proceed
ings to the courtroom for formal presentations.
When asked what she intends to implement
in Orange County if selected, Blackmon said
“good government.”
Blackmon stressed her professional devel
opment from a substitute teacher in Florida to
manager-hopeful in North Carolina during her
15-minute presentation in the courtroom.
“One of the most rewarding things I ever did
... was helping with student government,” she
SEE MANAGER, PAGE 7
battery is being recalled,” she said, adding that it
also will instruct students to remove their battery,
use the AC adapter and not discard the battery so
that they can exchange it for a replacement.
“As soon as we receive a replacement battery,
we will notify those people and say, ‘Come get
your new battery/” Alden said.
She said the University doesn’t know when
the replacement batteries will be delivered.
Lenovo spokesman Ray Gorman said, “I
don’t want to put a specific day on it.”
Most students don’t see the battery recall as
a pressing issue.
SEE RECALL, PAGE 7
this day in history
OCT. 4,1982...
UNC faculty members rank first in
reputation among Southeastern
universities in biostatistics, chemis
try and statistics, according to the
National Academy of Science.
weather
Sunny
H 87, L 57
index
police log 2
calendar 2
games 5
sports 9
opinion 10