VOLUME 114, ISSUE 91 N.C. State Fair to open gates today BY LINDSEY NAYLOR ASSISTANT STATE & NATIONAL EDITOR The N.C. State Fairgrounds will open this morning to the public, kicking off the state’s 10-day cel ebration of agricultural heritage and deep-fried food. North Carolinians are expected to arrive in droves for the opening weekend to enjoy fair weather and family fun. By the time the fair OUT AT THE closes its doors Oct. 22, organiz ers hope to have welcomed about 800,000 visitors. Fair spokesman Brian Long said workers were scrambling to get rides and exhibits up and run ning for opening day, and the effort seems to have paid off. “When you’re dealing with the state fair, you go, go, go, go, go!” he UNIVERSITY CELEBRATES 213 YEARS fK **- "'W ' ' '■‘V'r* •" *V. Pr - SB y ‘ \ |ff * Ik- - Wfe' m* \ flKk -jBHr RUT ., # hpp : 4 gUI B 9 Jmßß’ ■xm&'i- dll I fH :X "Mgs ’rS£ '-1 L TTgatSß V- * JUS' „ . „ DTH PHOTOS/LOGAN PRICE Senior Class President Meg Petersen (from left) and Vice President Eric Schmidt, Chancellor James Moeser, UNC-system President Erskine Bowles, GPSF President Lauren Anderson and Student Body President James Allred proceed to Memorial Hall for University Day ceremonies Thursday. to think that was a blessed j online I dailytHrhetieom AN EVENT-CAPPER Masala Week to end with a carnival in the Pit CULTURE OF FOOD A forum addresses the N.C. restaurant industry COMING HOME Board of Visitors to hold meetings on campus today Serving the students and the University community since 1893 obe laily (Tar Hrrl said Thursday afternoon. “Come Friday at 8 o’clock when the gates open, we’ll be ready.” This year’s attractions include everything from tractor pulls and demolition derbies to pickle-eat ing contests and a “karaoke bob ble-head” game called Dancing Heads. Steve Troxler, commis sioner of the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, said some peren nial favorites are the old-timey Heritage Circle, Paul Bunyan Lumberjacks Show and the nightly concerts offered at Dorton Arena. “That’s great entertainment,” he said. “Where can you go for a bud get of $6 and have this in front of you?” Last year the fair grossed $9.8 million in revenue from all sourc es, including games and ticket sales. Players eager for season s first big dance BY SERGIO TOVAR STAFF WRITER Sophomore forward Tyler Hansbrough claims that he is by far the best dancer on the UNC men’s basket ball team. “My dancing skills are unbelievable,” said Hansbrough, last year’s ACC fresh man of the year. “They will be the best since the Michael Jackson era.” Those dance moves, along with the skills of both the men’s and women’s basketball teams, will be on display during tonight’s Late Night with Roy, starting at 7 p.m. in the Smith Center. Senior guard Dewey Burke said fans will not be disappointed. “We’re bringing sexy back,” he said. Late Night with Roy marks the offi cial start of basketball season the first time teams nationwide can prac tice. Doors open at 6 p.m. The event will start hours earlier than in years past because of a change in NCAA rules. “By allowing it to be early, it makes it more family-oriented,” said Rick Steinbacher, associate athletics direc tor of marketing and promotions for the Department of Athletics. The event will include dances and skits, as well as scrimmages by both the I Day Left to Register to Vote go to www.co.orange.nc.us/elect/ www.dailytarheel.com DTH/LARRY BAUM Steven Ristick arranges stuffed animal prizes at his game booth at the fair grounds Thursday. Workers are eager to great the public. Weather permitting, 2006 should be another high-revenue year, Long said. Darin Figurskey, meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Raleigh, said temperature highs are expected to be five to 10 degrees , Jr* InShH '• I —: _________________ J DTH FILE/RICKY LEUNG Sophomores Danny Green (left) and Mike Copeland get down to the Jackson 5 during last year's Late Night with Roy. Players promise a similar showing tonight. men’s and women’s basketball teams. “Every coach really loves this time period ... I want fans to laugh and be excited about basketball,” said Roy Williams, head coach of the men’s team. Williams said he does not like to know what his players are doing beforehand so he cannot be blamed for anything they do. mmmr- / * lower than average. He added that by midmoming the sun should help to warm day time fair-goers. “I think the biggest issue will be SEE STATE FAIR, PAGE 5 “I’m excited... we’ll get to show our dancing and acting skills,” said sopho more Bobby Frasor. One of the best things about Late Night is the element of surprise, Steinbacher said, adding that tonight’s lineup of events is under wraps. “People have no idea about what SEE LATE NIGHT, PAGE 5 dfy (page? COOKING UP SAFETY Fire department officials use Fire Prevention Week to raise awareness about the most common source of home fires the kitchen. Event an annual rite of passage Still holds true to fanning roots BY LAURA OLENIACZ SENIOR WRITER Step off the platform at Raleigh Union Station into 1853. After a year on the farm with only your family, the Carolina-blue sky and your crop, you’re ready to enter the busy crowd of 4,000 people. Now you’re at the N.C. State Fair. You’ll sleep under a wagon. See a vaudeville show. Enter a live stock competition. Play a game of CAMPUS HONORS TAR HEEL SPIRIT BY WHITNEY KISLING ASSISTANT UNIVERSITY EDITOR Generations of UNC students have walked by the Old Well and drank its water. Thursday the historic land mark saw some returning faces. Alumni and faculty gathered around the well to begin the proces sion to Memorial Hall for the start of University Day —a celebration of UNC’s 213th birthday. The juxtaposition of senior marshals adorned with Carolina-blue sashes and UNC leaders dressed in their academic regalia helped demonstrate the day’s message remembering the past and looking to the future. “I love what this University stands for,” said keynote speaker Erskine Bowles, president of the UNC system. “It is proudly a public university. “This campus is a university of the people.” More than 500 people filled the hall including familiar faces such as former UNC Chancellor Paul Hardin and former UNC-system Presidents Molly Broad and Bill Friday. The audience heard from Chancellor James Moeser, who emphasized the University’s new virtual museum Web site during his speech. The site details this day in history OCT. 13,1944... The University's Civil Air Patrol Squadron is inaugurated when 300 students from UNC and Chapel Hill High School turn out for enrollment. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2006 chance or sleight of hand. One hundred and fifty-three years old, the fair which kicks off at 8 a.m. today was the year’s most exciting social event in its time. “Life on the farm was drab,” said Paul Blankinship, state fair histo rian. Crowds flocked to the event just for its social aspect. But it wasn’t always just fun and games. “It started out as a way to share information and techniques and tips with the farming community,” said Brian Long, director of the SEE HISTORY, PAGE 5 HflW UNC-system President Erskine Bowles delivers the keynote speech to honor the University’s 213th birthday in Memorial Hall on Thursday. all aspects of the oldest public univer sity in the nation. “This virtual museum tells our entire history, with the blunt, histori cal truth of slavery,” he said. “This is this University at its very best being truthful, honest about our past.” The site, which can be accessed at SEE UNIVERSITY DAY, PAGE 5 Might mifa Roy What: Dances, skits, scrimmage from men’s and women's basketball teams WwPw / p.m. AjfnifflMft Free Art**Cp*iJty:2l,7so OUwr sdtMlf' vmitMt ► University of Kansas' Late Night in the Phog Whefc Skits, scrimmage from men’s and women's basketball teams, informal dunk contest IMmK 6:45 p.m. MmMmu Free, attendees asked to bring canned food Ann* Cjptdty: 1 6,300 ► University of Florida's Madness 2006 Whffc Volleyball game, women's team 3-point content, men's team scrimmage, dunk contest IWNI 7 p.m. AWMnhim Free Af*i CfßMffUir 12,000 weather Partly cloudy H 63, L 38 index police log 2 calendar 2 games 5 sports 9 opinion 10