10
FRIDAY. JANUARY 11. 2008
and
SAM PERKINS
THE SHORTER. THE WHITER
Sam Perkins is a senior environmental
studies and journalism double major.
E-MAIL SSPERKINOEMAIL.UNC.EDU
Walking
a mile in
another’s
cleats
Putting ourselves in another's
shoes is often the only true
way to understand what
another goes through. It’s true for
teachers and parents, who rarely
get due respect until we pop out a
few children and try to raise and
educate them.
The same general lack of respect
goes for a third group football
players. It might be easy to casually
say or think that f( Kit ball players,
even on perennially losing teams,
play their hearts out. But there’s
more than that. Young men truly
sacrifice their bodies for their goals
and your entertainment.
This fall I found out just how
true that Is, scratching a lifelong
itch bv joining
the UNC Club
FiKitball team.
UNIVERSITY
COLUMNIST
Above anything else, my respect for
die game and the players went to a
whole new level.
It was an interesting perspective
t< i come in and play competitive,
full-contact football from essen
tially the perspective of a tan. Every
instance of screaming something
along the lines of “CMON, I
COULD ha\t: made that
PI AY!" was put to the test
As I learned plating most of the
season at defensive tackle and on
special teams against other club
teams and even Division-11l and
junior colleges, nothing comes
close to tlie real thing. Not poorly
refereed flag football. Not backyard
tackle fiKitball. Nothing.
Our 30-person squad had
practice three days a week, and it
almost lasted until 11 p.m. on some
nights. There were no worries
about just bench-warming, and
that was good because these were
all guts who wanted to plat . No
one receives scholarships. In fact
we have to pay more than $lOO in
fees just to play. And Coach Lynn
Feathcrstone doesn’t get paid
a dime —much less $2 million
for his time.
On the field, football pads
seemed to be a bit counterintui
tive. They definitely remove any
inhibition one guy might have
about turning himself into a missile
against another guy. The hits don’t
really hurt any particular spot
Thanks to how pads dissipate ener
gy. hits hurt all over. When they
resonate into tour head, you lose
valuable focus already hampered
by a traffic jam of bodies and action
in your field of vision.
And pads don't protect every
thing. My arms quickly had more
black and blue than natural pig
ment —and I don't bruise easily.
Especially at defensive tackle, the
contact between forearms and
facemasks is plenty and brutal.
And then there are places where
pads don't matter. Watching foot
ball on TV or from the stands, tak
ing a hit at the knees doesn’t look
tiKi liad. But it doesn't take much
force the wrong way on a knee
before it feels like w alking won’t be
in your near future.
On my very first play in a game,
I drew a chop-block penalty,
engaging the left guard while the
center dove at my knees. It felt
like pulling a muscle and hitting a
fttnny bone ... with a lot more pain.
Knees might not be able to produce
children, but take a hard hit at
the knees from even a small guy,
and you’ll treasure your knees as
though they can.
Look, were you to show Duke
football platers any sympathy, it
would hate to be for the reason
that they go out on the field, know
they are going to blow like a hur
ricane and get about as banged up
as a mobile home in one but still go
out and play the game for their love
of it and the fans' love of ft.
My whole experience changed
how I watch and write about foot
ball. It's more difficult now to listen
to sports critics who constantly ride
a guy. Am I still critical of players?
Of course, but not nearly as much.
Seeing contact and engaging a
300-plus-pound man in contact
are worlds apart. So if you’re sit
ting in the stands next fall watch
ing the Tar Heels win 12 games
or none at all. feel for the guys
out on the field. Otherwise, go
put yourself in their shoes, pads
and helmet.
EDITORIAL CARTOON By Alex Lee, lobinOemail unc.edu
Barack: Obama gi'V&s. Hillary Clinton <x
carvyatuVatory £or her victory
*.......
Contribute to your legacy
Violence in Kenya provides extra reason to donate
When UNC senior class
officers took a phil
anthropic turn and
decided to focus the 2008 senior
campaign on fixing the slums
of Nairobi. Kenya, they never
guessed that political uprisings
would put a kink in their plans.
Carolina for Kibera, an orga
nization that works to promote
youth leadership and ethnic
and gender cooperation in
Nairobi, is the hub of this year’s
senior campaign.
But with the organizations
operations temporarily ceased
because of recent post-elec
tion violence in Kenya, seniors
might be unsure of what to do
with their money.
However, seniors should
remember that CFK is not com
pletely defunct, just temporar
ily halted, and will surely need
money more than ever to help
rebuild and restore the war-tom
area once violence subsides.
With the ability to donate
to many different causes, only
seven of the 71 seniors who
have donated so far have ear
marked their gift for CFK.
But that number is actually
Arid proposals
Raleigh mayors drought proposals were rightly beached
Raleigh, like Orange
County and much of
the state, is in a severe
drought. With only 120 days
of water left, it’s possible the
city's main reservoir will not be
replenished by the time sum
mer rolls around.
But rather than calling up
Lil' Wayne or relying on ancient
tribal rain dances to help end
the water shortage crisis. Mayor
Charles Meeker brought a host
of legislative measures before
the Raleigh City Council this
week to help combat the issue.
Although we admire
Meeker’s gung-ho attitude
toward water conservation, his
proposals aren’t the most effec
tive solutions.
Foremost among these
measures was a recommenda
tion suggesting each person
limit his water usage to 25 gal
lons per day and a proposal to
increase water and sewer rates
by 50 percent temporarily.
License to verify
DMV right to finally enforce license regulations
North Carolina might
lose its reputation for
being one of the easiest
places in the nation to obtain
a driver's license, thanks to a
recent crackdown by the state
Department of Motor Vehicles.
While the extra precautions
might inconvenience some, the
increased security from scruti
ny in giving out drivers licenses
is worth any minor pains.
The DMVs crackdown coin
cides with the enactment of the
REAL ID Act, a federal pro
gram that creates minimum
standards for federally accept
ed forms of identification.
It requires, for instance, a
complete match between the
information in a would-be
driver’s Social Security record
and the information contained
Opinion
higher than last year's numbers,
when only 46 seniors contrib
uted first semester, Senior Class
President Ashley Shores told
The Daily Tar Heel.
Despite the moderate suc
cess in getting early donations,
the violence in Kenya still puts
a slight hitch in the senior class
officers' plans, making their job a
bit more difficult this semester.
Donations to the senior cam
paign or gift traditionally have
increased closer to the end of
the year, when students are
thinking about graduation.
But because of the problems
CFK is facing, that trend might
not have the same intensity. It
will be up to the senior class
officers to push the senior cam
paign even harder, ensuring
that seniors know that they can
still donate to CFK.
At a first glance, rampant
violence in an area would
certainly make a donor think
twice before sending money to
help with aid efforts.
But with the right public
ity', the senior class officers can
work this to their advantage.
After the fighting ends,
Few people feasibly can limit
their water use to 25 gallons per
day —that’s one-third of what
the average resident consumes.
Also, it is unclear that the sug
gested rate hike, which would
cost the typical single-family
home about SIBO, would have
much effect other than making
people who are trying to make
ends meet choose between
decreasing water consumption
and breaking the bank.
While five of Meeker’s less
draconian ideas passed on
Monday, these two dried up
before the council but likely
will be brought up for another
vote in two weeks.
Instead of trying to cut all
water usage across the board, a
better solution would be to try
to cut down on people's unnec
essary water consumption,
such as washing the car. This
is something most people can
certainly do without.
Raleigh could also take a page
within the DMVs files in order
to obtain or renew a license.
Checking driver’s license
information against Social
Security records ensures that
the people who receive IDs are
who they say they are, some
thing that hits not always been
the case in the past.
An examination of DMV
records last year revealed thou
sands of licensed drivers without
valid Social Security numbers.
The state’s reputation for
attracting illegal immigrants
desiring driver’s licenses with
few questions asked should be
evidence enough that the DMV
should have been taking these
measures all along.
It isn’t that illegal immigrants
are less safe on the road, but
with drivers licences counting
CFK will be able to resume its
operations.
CFK will need donations
from the senior campaign to
help combat the adverse effects
of the post-election violence.
The senior class officers were
already planning on promoting
the campaign more during the
spring semester. Now they just
need to persuade seniors that
the violence in Kenya provides
more of a reason to give, not
the opposite.
Once the violence subsides
in Nairobi, the donation made
from the senior class fund will
go toward helping clinics in
Kibera and sending UNC vol
unteers directly to the Kenyan
slums. The class of 2008 offi
cers are encouraging students
to continue donating, promis
ing that their money can still
be put to use.
The temporary- roadblock
in Kenya should by no means
prevent seniors from donat
ing to CFK; they should take
the aggression and difficulty
there as a sign that the orga
nization needs help now more
than ever.
from Los Angeles' book and
follow its successful Drought
Busters program, which has city
employees follow up on reports
about excessive water use.
However, the best means of
limiting water consumption
would be to implement a rate
surcharge plan, whereby any
person with water usage over a
certain ideally reasonable
amount would see an increase
in their rate on the water thev
use over the limit.
This would help suppress
excess water usage and would be
a fairer alternative for everyone,
especially the poor, who can ill
afford a 50 percent rate hike in
their water bill on top of rising
prices for food and gasoline.
Still, even if their council
doesn’t make them, the resi
dents of Raleigh —and the rest
of the state need to conserve
as much as water as they can.
Arguments against doing so
simply don’t hold water.
as an official form of identifica
tion, it’s absolutely vital that we
ensure that there are no fraudu
lent licenses issued.
As an added precaution,
beginning in July all drivers will
leave the DMV with “temporary
driving certificates" and will
receive their actual licenses by
mail within 20 days.
This will give the DMV the
time it needs to compare Social
Security information with the
documents drivers present
to the DMV without hinder
ing their ability to drive in the
meantime.
With identity theft becoming
an increasingly- widespread prob
lem and terrorism becoming the
new great threat to Americans,
the minor inconvenience of extra
scrutiny is worth it
QUOTE OF THE DAY:
“She was always positive. ... She's
going to climb that mountain ”
PATRICIA DECATOR, UNC CLINICAL NURSE, ON CANCER
PATIENT HARRIET FARB'S PLAN TO CLIMB MT. KILIMANJARO
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
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VISIT www.daitytarheel. com /feedback
Quit your whining about
the cost of blue books
TO THE EDITOR:
I am amazed at how crazy it is
to complain about such a small
amount to pay (for testing sup
plies) ('Students now must pay
up to take tests,' Jan. 10).
When I was in school here in
1977-81, blue books were $.25
cents each, and buses were $.50
per ride on campus bus and $.75
for other buses.
To register for class you stood
in huge lines; to buy books you
stood in huge lines: to drop a
class and add a class you stood in
even bigger lines; no dorms were
air conditioned except one. You
have it made, dear students.
Yes. tuition is more expensive,
but in relation to the amount of
money people made then, it w-as
still expensive.
You should feel very fortunate
you get free bus rides throughout
the city and have all the tech lux
uries that you have now that we
did not have then. Get over it.
Kathy Morgan
Student Services Assistant
Friday Center
CFK, even more than ever,
is now a great class gift
TO THE EDITOR:
I was disappointed by the sug
gestion in “UNC’s Kenya NGO
Closed," (Jan. 9) that seniors would
or should reconsider their contri
bution to Carolina for Kibera
CFK underscores Senior Class
President Ashley Shores' appeal,
urging seniors not to abandon the
cause at this critical moment in
Kibera Indeed. 1 can think of no
other moment in which gifts from
the class of 2008 would have a
greater impact in the lives of the
people CFK serves than now.
CFK Is not dosed but has tem
porarily suspended its regular
activities in order to provide emer
gency relief.
Because CFK has local leader
ship, we are in a unique position to
participate in relief efforts with the
generous support of our donors.
We began food distribution,
are providing emergency medical
treatment and have plans to begin
dothing distribution and tempo
rary shelter activities.
The summer volunteer sdection
process will continue as planned,
and the application deadline has
been extended to Jan. 18.
Every structure around CFK’s
offices and clinic was burned
to the ground. Kibera residents
banded together and fought a
gang of machete-bearing thugs
to save CFK from the same fate.
CFK’s programs, which reach
more than 5,000 youth, promote
ethnic reconciliation through
sport. The willingness of the
community to risk their lives for
this mission is a sign of the value
of CFK’s work.
From SUDAN to Nourish
International, UNC students have
a remarkable history of support
ing international victims of crisis.
If the seniors were to choose
another fund based solely on
the current violence in Kibera,
it would be the first time, that I
can recall, UNC students turned
their backs on the tradition of
bringing hope to those who need
it most.
Emily R. Pierce
Vice President
Carolina for Kibera
SPEAK OUT
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(Tiii Oailu (Tar Hrrl
Kvetching board
Kvetch:
v.l (Yiddish) to complain
Seriously, you're dedicated
enough to secure yourself a spot
in the first row of risers, but
you think TEAL is an acceptable
substitute for Carolina blue? You
must be one of those color-blind
sorority girls that goes to foot
ball games just to stand around
and send text messages.
So I have to pay an extra
SI,OOO for being out-of-state,
and I still get e-mails asking me
to donate to the school. YEAH
FREAKING RIGHT!
Thanks to everyone's complaints
that led to a stronger UNC
spam-filtering system, I now
have to read my e-mails from
my spam trap because the only
e-mails it lets through to my
inbox are informationals.
If the couple in front of me in
chemistry lecture don't stop
canoodling. I'm going to pro
jectile vomit ail over them both.
And yes. I’m bitter.
I understand that you're just
having a good time and "party
ing your way through college'
... but drunken screaming down
the hallways on any given week
night? Some of us actually like
sleeping and have to wake up
early for classes, so try to be
respectful.
Would the health inspector
please refrain from waking up
my suite to make us get our
*oh my gosh they have a rug'
out of our bathroom because
it is a health hazard. If it is
such a hazard, why did ft take
you until December to say
something?
If I'm too sick to leave my room
to take an exam, why does the
registrar's office think I'm well
enough to pick up a note and
physically deliver it to my pro
fessor? Thanks for making me
feel worse.
Attention Ron Paul acolytes:
your little demigod went to
DUKE I
Start taking showers before
class, or I'll drop a chain saw on
top of you from the top of the
stairwell.
Perhaps, if you checked your
mail on a regular basis, you
wouldn't be 'excited* to have
mail or have a mailbox full of
advertisements! After all, don’t
forget an actual mail carrier
has to stand there and put
those advertisements in your
box on a daily basis, and I hon
estly don’t think they or any
one else cares if you complain
or not. Recycle, build a bridge
and get over it.
Send your one-to-two
sentence entries to edit
deskOunc.edu, subject
line ‘kvetch.’
£hr Saily (Far Hrrl
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