VOLUME 115, ISSUE 133
Some
fault
state’s
testing
Seek alteration of
NCLB standards
BY JACKI HUNTINGTON AND
ARIEL ZIRULNICK
STAFF WRITERS
North Carolina has received
national recognition for its stan
dardized testing programs, but
the state is now reconsidering how
best to make its exams more rel
evant and beneficial to students.
School officials have charged that
N.C. exams should be more focused
and in-depth rather than merely
meeting the broad federal require
ments set by No Child Left Behind.
Stephanie Knott, assistant to the
superintendent for community rela
tions for Chapel Hill-Carrborro City
Schools, said she thinks streamlin
ing the state's exams would be a
step in the right direction.
“There has been sort of a gen
eral consensus that many curricula
in the U.S. are a mile wide and an
inch deep," she said. “They should
be an inch wide and a mile deep."
Local charter schools have also
come under fire for failing to reach
benchmarks of academic progress,
raising the question of whether
those schools should be evaluated
according to the same standards as
traditional public schools.
“I think North Carolina is abso
lutely missing the boat when it
comes to charter schools," said U.S.
Rep. Virginia Foxx, R-N.C.
“To make them fit the mold of
other public schools is a mistake.
We are badly missing what charter
schools provide," she said.
In general, Foxx said the state's
standards are not stringent
enough. ‘I think it is very well
accepted that North Carolina's
tests are very, very weak,’ she said.
“(They) are not giving us the kind
of assessment that we need.”
SEE NCLB IMPACT, PAGE 9
‘Healthy tension’ in town-gown
Both sides stress communication for the future
BY DAVIS WILLINGHAM
STAFF WRITER
Chapel Hill, chartered in 1793 specifically
to serve the needs of the new University, is a
true college town.
Today, however, it takes no more than a glance
down Franklin Street to see that the University
also exists to serve Chapel Hill's needs.
“If Franklin Street could be conceived as a
front door to the University, it is incumbent on
both of us to make sure it is the best face that
we can present," town council member Laurin
Eas thorn said.
She said it is up to both groups to make the
downtown a pleasant place because they each
have a stake in the way it looks and functions.
As the University expands and projects like
Carolina North push forward into other parts
of Chapel Hill, town leaders said that commu
nication becomes crucial to maintaining a col
laborative town-gown relationship.
Sunday, top town and University officials
met to talk about plans for Carolina North, the
University’s proposed research campus. Easthom
said there is “healthy tension” between the two
groups, which she said is a good thing.
Linda Convissor, UNC director of local
relations, said the high number of University
employees working downtown increases the
importance of the mutual relationship.
‘Attendance at our cultural events, our sport
ing events and students coming for admissions'
visits are some of the main components of the
announcement
WE'RE HIRING
The Daily Tar Heel is hiring new staff for the
spring semester. Applications will be ac
cepted for writing desks and visual desks.
Applications are available in Union 2409
and are due by 5 p.m. Jan. 23.
Serving the students and the University community since 1893
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DTH/SAM WARD
Deon Thompson blocks a shot attempt by Georgia Tech's Gani Lawal in the second half of the ACC
matchup Wednesday in Atlanta. Thompson finished the game with nine points in 24 minutes of action.
downtown customer base," Convissor said. “Not
to mention the students and faculty members.”
University-owned buildings
As part of its desire to maintain a vibrant down
town, the University owns several buildings on
Franklin and Rosemary streets. Tenants include
Carolina Coffee Shop. Schoolkids Records, and
the University's Information Technology Services
building
Katrina Ryan leases one of the University’s
buildings. She owns Sugarland, a bakery and
dessert cafe, located at 140 E. Franklin St.
Ryan said in order to rent from the
University, she was required to submit a pro
posal detailing how the space will be used.
Convissor said that’s to ensure all University
properties become downtown assets.
“We feel pretty lucky that they chose us,
since we love our spot," Ryan said.
Ryan added that her experience with the
University as her landlord has been positive.
“UNC has been very helpful in negotiating with
the town to issue our building permits, which are
always tricky for an old building," Ryan said.
Convissor said that the University’ selects
occupants it deems are of long-term value to
both the University and the downtown and that
they don't just pick the first renter they find.
“This gives us a chance to set the bar high for
what should be expected of other downtown
property owners,” Convissor said.
online
EXPANDING CHOICES
Anew planned development
in Efland called Buckhom
Village will aim to bring anew
shopping option to Orange
County consumers.
| www.dallytarheei.com |
SWATTED AWAY
i 1
DTH/ALEXANDRA PORTER
The old Julian's clothing store location, now
home to Sugarland, is one of several properties
the UNC owns on Franklin and Rosemary streets.
How UNC compares
Off-campus properties owned by universi
ties are becoming attractive options across the
SEE TOWN-GOWN, PAGE 9
Bw
t^l
Late block helps
seal UNC win
by jesse Baumgartner
SENIOR WRITER
ATLANTA ln a game that
seemed sure to be character
ized by breakneck speed and
offensive firepower, No. 1 North
Carolina managed to survive a
snail-paced, free throw-filled
final five minutes and knock
MEN'S
BASKETBALL
UNC 83
Ga Tech 82
and-forth 83-82 victory wasn't
secure until UNC’s Danny Green
and lYier Hansbrough collapsed
on Yellow Jacket forward Zack
Peacock in the post and Green
blocked his shot. Peacock gath
ered the ball back in but missed
Heels encounter
familiar strategy
BY SAMANTHA NEWMAN
SENIOR WRITER
ATLANTA There are cer
tain things the North Carolina
men’s basketball team is known
for. The Tar Heels like to run,
and with the powerful presence
of TVler Hansbrough, they tend
to dominate inside play on both
ends of the court
But when UNC hit the road
to take on ACC foe Georgia Tech
on Wednesday night, the Yellow
Jackets were ready to give the
Tar Heels a taste of their own
medicine.
UNC notched its first win at
Alexander Memorial since 2001,
but not without a fight through
the final seconds from Ga. Tech.
“Great effort physically, I think
by both teams,’ UNC coach Roy
Williams said. “When balls were
on the floor, guys were after it
Guys were knocking each other
down but they were also picking
each other up."
The home team seemed to be
on a mission to prove it could
keep pace with one of the fastest
Black enrollment
drops in ranking
UNC goes from
top of list to third
BY ALICE MILLER
STAFF WRITER
For six of the past eight years,
UNC has topped a national survey
measuring the highest black fresh
men enrollment rates, but this year
the University fell to third place.
UNC’s freshman class is 11.1
percent black, while last year’s
freshman class was 12.3 percent
black. The black student popula
tion remains the largest minority
group on campus.
The University admitted 36
fewer black students in 2007 than
the year before. That’s a 7 percent
decline in the black freshman pop
ulation, while the entire freshman
class increased in size by 1 percent
Despite the results of the survey
conducted by the Journal of Blacks
in Higher Education, recruitment
and minority officials at UNC said
they aren’t concerned.
“We are among the national
leaders (in black enrollment), and
1 do not see that changing,” said
Archie Ervin, associate provost for
diversions | past r>
THE WEST SIDE
Diversions gives a sampling of
some eatery options located
within walking distance and
west of UNC's campus, such as
sandwich and coffee joints.
THURSDAY, JANUARY 17, 2008
a short jumper that was tapped
out of bounds by Georgia Tech
with 0.5 seconds remaining,
allowing UNC (18-0,3-0 in the
ACC) to run out the clock for the
win.
“It was me,’ Green said,
claiming the block. “But Tyler
came across (and) helped ... he
had to bring it behind his head,
made him alter his shot’
The win was UNC's first at
Ga. Tech's Alexander Memorial
Coliseum since 2001, a statistic
that Roy Williams said the team
knew coming in.
“Nobody on our staff has won
here except me when I was an
assistant, and that was 800 years
ago,’ Williams said.
“So there's no question that
we talked about trying to come
down here and play better."
Offense was the story of
the first half, as the two teams
SEE VICTORY, PAGE 9
off Georgia
Tech on, of
all things,
a defensive
play.
The back-
DTH/SAM WARD
UNC’s Tyler Hansbrough led the
Tar Heels with 27 points and 11
rebounds in North Carolina’s
83-82 win versus Ga. Tech.
teams in the country. The Yellow
Jacket defense constantly pres
sured the UNC ball handlers and
forced 15 turnovers for the game
for 15 points.
SEE STRATEGY, PAGE 9
diversity and multicultural affairs.
Enin said looking at the drop in
standings during a one-year period
does not suggest future declines.
“We are certainly ahead of the
others," he said. “This drop in stand
ings is certainly not a trend."
In the journal’s survey, which
tallies the nation's highest-ranking
universities and liberal arts col
leges, Columbia University and the
University of Virginia tied for first
Both Columbia's and Virginia's
freshman classes are 11.4 percent
black this year. Fourth place went
to Vanderbilt University, which
has a freshman class that is 10.3
percent black.
The journal bases its ranking
on percentages of entire fresh
man student bodies, not actual
numbers of enrolled students.
Out of the top 29 universities
listed in the survey, UNC has the
largest number of black freshmen,
with 434 enrolled.
Officials also said they aren't
worried because diversity is a
major part of UNC’s image.
During his State of the
University address in the fall,
SEE ENROLLMENT, PAGE 9
this day in history weather
JAN. 17.2002 ...
Sen. John Edwards, D-N.C., is
chosen as the May Commence
ment speaker. Edwards, a UNC law
school graduate, was chosen for his
University ties and political work.
teiny
H 38, L 31
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