VOLUME 114, ISSUE 89
Allred shapes
tuition stance
ahead of talks
BY ERIN ZUREICK
UNIVERSITY EDITOR
During the months of scrutiny
that go into tuition-increase talks,
only one person can claim owner
ship of the process from start to
finish: Student Body President
James Allred.
As student government’s execu
tive branch
leader, Allred
wears many
hats he’s
served as co
chairman of
the tuition and
fee advisory
task force and
the student
fee advisory
subcommittee
and is an ex
officio member
of the Board of
Trustees.
James Allred
is balancing
roles as a
student leader
and a trustee.
Allred said the titles also come
with a need to balance his duties as
a student advocate and a University
official during tuition discussions.
“My campaign talked signifi
cantly about... making that indi
vidual day-to-day difference in
students’ lives,” he said. “What
makes more of a difference than
how much we’re charging for them
to go here?”
Allred said the work that he puts
in before the board’s January vote
presents the real challenge, noting
that a vote against the trustees’
final proposal would represent that
his discussions were not as effec
tive as hoped.
"Hie real point here is that the
mm
DTH/ANTHONY HARRIS
Freshman Lindley Barrow signs up to vote during Vote Carolina's
voter drive Sept. 28 in the Pit. The deadline to register is Oct. 13.
Voter deadline
approaching
BY KELSEY O'NEILL
STAFF WRITER
This year, Friday the 13th is
more than a day that gives some
people nightmares- It also is the
voter-registration deadline in
North Carolina.
Johnnie McLean, chief dep
uty director of the N.C. Board of
Elections, said gubernatorial and
U.S. Senate elec
tion years nor
mally see a last
minute surge of
voter registra
tions.
A OTE
2006
“This year you’re probably not
going to see a lot of that,” she said,
citing the lower-profile nature of
the November ballot.
But UNC campus groups are
working up to the deadline to com
bat historically low youth turnout
and to encourage student registra-
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panel discusses interracial dating
SINGING PRAISES Author returns
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Serving the students and the University community since 1893
(Hire Sailu (Ear Mrri
vote on the (board) is only the last
step in a very long process of try
ing to evolve a fair tuition policy
for students,” Allred said.
“1 think if I vote no it will rep
resent, not a failure, but a disap-
SEE ALLRED, PAGE 4
Former student
body president
tuition positions
SBP: Seth Dearmin
Year 2005-06
Vote: Dearmin voted to raise
undergraduate resident tuition
by $250, nonresident tuition by
$l,lOO and graduate tuition by
SSOO.
SBP: Matt Calabria
Year 2004-05
Vote: Calabria voted to increase
undergraduate nonresident tuition
by S7OO and resident tuition by
$250. The UNC-system Board of
Governors froze in-state tuition
hikes.
SBP: Matt Tepper
Year 2003-04
Vote: Tepper voted against rais
ing undergraduate nonresident
tuition by $1,500. Resident
increases were approved at S3OO
by the Board of Trustees but low
ered to $250 by the BOG.
SBP: Jenn Daum
Year: 2002-03
Vote: The UNC-system Board
of Governors passed a one-year
moratorium on tuition increases.
“Young people tend
to be mobile and
transient, so it
makes it more
difficult to register.”
ERIK ENGSTROM, PROFESSOR
tion in Orange County.
Should I register locally?
Erik Engstrom, UNC professor
of political science, said students
often are discouraged from regis
tering locally because of the time
and effort it takes to register and
become informed.
“Young people tend to be mobile
SEE VOTING, PAGE 4
wr
II
www.dailytarheel.com
Group backs tuition cap
BOG to vote Friday on Bowles’ 6.5 percent plan
BY ERIC JOHNSON
SENIOR WRITER
UNC-system officials moved a step closer
Tuesday to establishing a direct link between
tuition rates and state funding, giving prelimi
nary approval for the most significant change
in tuition policy since 1998.
The plan, supported by the system’s tuition
policy task force, will cap tuition increases for
resident undergraduates at 6.5 percent each
year through 2011, effectively limiting the
amount of additional revenue collected from
students.
UNC-system President Erskine Bowles
presented the plan last week, and the Board
of Governors likely will offer final approval
Friday.
The result, system officials hope, will create
a heightened incentive for lawmakers to come
through with taxpayer dollars.
SECURING A SAFE AFFAIR
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DTH/KEITH HODSON
Independent contract construction workers put the final pieces on the roof of a carousel at the North Carolina State Fairgrounds in
preparation for the fair's opening this Friday. Many rides could not open on time last year because they did not meet safety standards.
BY UNDSEY NAYLOR
ASSISTANT STATE & NATIONAL EDITOR
RALEIGH Booths and vendors already
crowd the N.C. State Fairgrounds in prepa
ration for the annual blowout of fried foods,
pig races and fast rides.
But workers have much to do before gates
OUT AT THE are open to the revelry-seeking
Jair N.C. public.
f* The 2005 state fair kicked
off amid safety concerns and
m sf a last-minute rush by Wade
££££'.. Shows, the fair’s midway
the ncstate Fair operators, to meet North
Carolina’s strict safety stan
dards.
Only 59 of the 120 rides were up and run
ning for the first day.
Branches in midst of power struggle
Leaders cite lack of professionalism
BY MAC MOLLISON
SENIOR WRITER
Against a backdrop of strong
contention between the executive
and legislative branches of student
government, Student Congress
members convened later than usual
Tuesday night after their regular
meeting time was pushed back.
In an act of frustration and pro
test, Lauren Anderson, president
of the Graduate and Professional
Student Federation, presented her
thoughts to an empty room at the
regular meeting time.
campus | ptiKe
CHIU FOR CHILDREN.
Kappa Delta and Beta Theta Pi
hold a chili dinner to benefit
Dance Marathon, which raises
money year-round for the N.C.
Children's Hospital.
“I think the plan will put pressure on the
legislature and take pressure off of students,”
Bowles said.
“We’re asking the legislature to meet those
needs instead of meeting them out of tuition.”
But state funding has not expanded in
recent years at the level envisioned by the
new policy, and some fear that the tuition
cap could put a severe strain on university
revenue.
The policy anticipates an annual increase in
state funding somewhere near 6 percent, based
on an average of 5.8 percent since 1972. But
since 1997, the state has put forward an aver
age of just 3.3 percent.
“This policy is only going to work if the
legislature joins us in this commitment,” said
former Gov. James Holshouser, an emeritus
member of the system’s Board of Governors.
“If there’s a significant unmet need, we’re
But 2006 construction is on schedule,
organizers said Tuesday, and fair attendees
can expect all attractions to be ready for this
Friday’s grand opening. The fair runs until
Oct 22.
Steve Troxler, commissioner of the N.C.
Department of Agriculture and Consumer
Services, said last year’s problems stemmed
mainly from Wade Shows’ inexperience and
its unfamiliarity with state safety regula
tions.
“We can’t stress enough how important
safety is,” he said.
“We’re one of the few states in the
nation that have a rule that says, ‘lf there’s
anything wrong with it, the ride will not
open.’”
Powers Great American Midways, a
Anderson routinely addresses
representatives at the body’s meet
ings.
“It’s out of control,” she said
afterward, referring to the body’s
problems with member tardi
ness. ‘lt doesn’t help that there’s
obvious tensions between the
executive branch and Congress.
“For at least one meeting,
they were OK. After that, it went
downhill.”
Monday’s revelation that
Student Congress leaders posted
an update to the Student Code
SportS | page 11
PREPPEDTOPLAY
UNC quarterback Cam Sexton
didn't practice Monday but
says he will be ready for
Saturday's matchup against -
South Florida.
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2006
going to be back having tuition hearings like
we’ve done over the last decade.”
Those kind of contentious hearings, where
chancellors annually argued their need for
more tuition revenue, are exactly what the new
policy is meant to avoid.
Predictability is one of the pillars of the
four-year plan, and BOG members say they
are reluctant to allow any exceptions to the
6.5-percent cap, even during difficult financial
circumstances.
“The exception applies in every year, and
there’s nothing we can do to take that away,”
BOG Chairman Jim Phillips Jr. said “But as
we said, there’s going to be a very high thresh
old.”
To support the expectation of increased
state funding, Bowles said he’s planning to put
forward an ambitious budget request for the
university system.
Lawmakers will be asked to find S3B mil-
SEE TASK FORCE, PAGE 4
North Carolina-based company, is operat
ing the games and 110 rides for this year’s
fair.
Corky Powers, owner of the company,
said he’s excited to be working in his home
state.
Construction still is in the opening stag
es, and many of the attractions have yet to
arrive on the grounds.
But fair crews will be working continu
ously until opening, and the rides should be
ready for N.C. Department of Labor safety
inspections throughout the week.
Powers said the operational and safety
efforts necessary to get the N.C. State Fair
in gear are extensive.
SEE FAIR SAFETY, PAGE 4
without Student Body President
James Allred’s OK is indicative of
larger problems.
Both Allred and Congress
Speaker Luke Farley acknowledge
that a significant
rift between
their respective
branches of stu
dent government
is developing.
“Congress
has been deeply
concerned with
ONLINE
Congress meets
past midnight
debating
changes to
election rules.
challenges to their power, and to
me, that’s not what student gov
ernment is about,” Allred said. “In
the end, student government only
this day in history
OCT. 11,1966...
Old East Dormitory is designated
as a National Historic Landmark
in Memorial Hall on the 173rd
anniversary of the laying of
its cornerstone.
works when it exists as a collab
orative group and when everyone’s
working together.”
Farley said he agrees that the
branches should work together.
But he traced much of the blame to
a lack of cooperation from Allred.
“I do agree with the student
body president that student gov
ernment works best when it works
together,” he said. “But the caveat
is that James Allred wants things
to work only his way. That’s not
really working together, that’s
working for James Allred.”
Farley said that Allred has
SEE BRANCHES, PAGE 5
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