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8 TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 19. 2008 CHARLES DAHAN EYE CANDY Charles Dahan is a political science graduate student from California. E-MAIL: CDAHANOEMAILUNC EDU Governor debate needs some Munger Mike Munger. the chair man of the political science department at Duke University, received the signed endorsement of more than 100,000 North Carolinians to appear as a gubernatorial candi date on the N.C. governor ballot. He is talking about innovative methods for improving North Carolina's education system and protecting property owners from eminent domain seizures by the state government. Even after overcoming one of the most restrictive ballot quali fication processes in the nation (by comparison South Carolina that bastion of modern liberal- ° nl> \°' 00 ° signatures to COMMUNITY COLUMNIST appear as a candidate), the states major political parties oppose his appearance in public debates. Barring Munger from the debates would certainly ease the intellectual strain upon the major party nominees, but it would limit both the issues discussed and proposed solutions. Limiting solutions by a third parts candidate who spends his days writing blog posts (or columns in your local campus newspaper) is understandable, but when that candidate is a world-renowned academic with signatures of support from one out of every 70 voters in the state, such a claim is less justifiable. For a man whose academic research focuses upon creat ing models of political systems through the use of statistics and quantitative methodology, the insight he gained from the cam paign is quite profound. “At first I talked to people about issues," said Munger, whose models often take into account the relative distance between the ideologi cal positions of candidates and an electorate. "They proceeded to run away. They want to know whether they... trust me to take care of their cat." Despite this realization, Munger's platform is both well developed and innovative. While the most discussed issue so far of the election is the state of North Carolina's transportation infra structure. Munger’s focus is upon education reform and property rights. This isn’t to say this is an entirely academic effort for Munger. His campaign is far from acting as anthropologists immersing themselves in a for eign tribe to learn its customs without behaving as an active participant. Munger's biting critiques of the other front-run ners are both witty and well-sup ported. He referred to Democrats as bland at best and corrupt at worst, while labeling the N.C. Republican Party as caring more about “ideological purity than winning". This, he argues, explains the party’s penchant for running, “actual circus clowns’. Judging by the Republicans' performances of late in a clearly red state, his characterization certainly isn’t far off. By comparison, the third-party candidate's issues are surprisingly pragmatic and mainstream. Noting that North Carolina claims nine of the nation's 100 top public high schools —and four of those are charter schools Munger proposes eliminat ing the cap on the number of charter schools allowed in North Carolina, currently limited to 100. Further, funding for charter schools will not compete with public school funding for at least three years, thereby easing con cerns of dwindling public school resources. The odds of Munger win ning are about the same as me becoming the chairman of Duke's political science department. Yet Munger isn’t an ivory tower elite preaching down to citizens he’s proposing tangible solutions to everyday problems. A major parly candidate might provide more desirable policies. Munger's presence will force them to do their homework. EDITORIAL CARTOON By Terrence Nowicki, The Western front WEDOf£ RECALL THAT W E PONT TcTtORTIJRE "7* A tragic reminder NIU shooting spotlights campus safety at UNC As most of you have probably heard, Thursday a gunman shot more than 20 people at Northern Illinois University, killing five before turning the gun on himself. Like last year’s tragic shoot ing at Virginia Tech that took 33 lives, the Northern Illinois incident brings the issue of campus safety back to the surface. The shooting at NIU high lights the unpredictable nature of such events. It is impossible to know who will be a threat to others or when or why they will choose to attack. The best that universities across the nation can do is plan for similar circumstances and prepare stop-gap measures to Educated debate Professors have the right to express their opinions Last week biology professor .Albert Harris shared some personal commentary during a lecture that unsettled a few of his students. According to his lecture notes, Harris said, “In my opinion, the moral thing for older mothers to do is to have amniocentesis, ... test whether placental cells have a third chromosome 21 and. abort the fetus if it does." In layman’s terms, Harris said he believes the moral response for older mothers to finding out their fetus has Down syndrome is to abort it. Making the statement was not necessarily a smart thing for Harris to do, but it certainly was acceptable for him to do so. His commentary, as you might expect, spurred a critical response from students assault ing the professor’s statement. Some students have argued that the biology classroom is no place for the discourse of opinion. Uncovering inequality Summer reading book will spark freshman dialogue Sometimes the greatest books are not the ones that please us and make us smile, but the ones that scare us and send us back to the proverbial drawing board. “Covering: The Hidden Assault on Our Civil Rights," the book chosen as the summer reading for the class of 2012, does just that, tackling issues of free expression and equality and revealing instances of injustice within the United States that should make readers squirm. While at times repetitive, Kenji Yoshino’s “Covering" should incite valuable and rel evant discussion about equal ity, diversity and assimilation among incoming freshmen. Chancellor James Moeser signaled the University’s con tinual move toward increased diversity when he labeled the class of 2011 as the most diverse class in UNC history. However, with this increased diversity on campus come chal lenges. Recent fiery debates over wage-gap bake sales and in-state tuition for illegal immi grants suggest that contentious Opinion respond in the event of a shoot ing or other attack. UNC officials have been busy placing more safety features across campus since before the events at Virginia Tech. The March 2006 Pit inci dent, when UNC alumnus Mohammad Taheri-Azar drove an SUV through the Pit and injured nine, underscored the University’s need for increased safety and awareness. The UNC community has been no stranger to gun vio lence either. In 1995 a men tally ill UNC law student opened fire on Henderson Street, killing two. The University has installed a message alert system that will deliver safety notifications to your cell phone. In the event The basis of such arguments is that biology classes are sup posed to be grounded in fact and theory, not opinion. And without providing time for a discussion, it probably isn’t a good idea for a professor to include his personal opinion in a biology lecture. However, there is no barrier to including it, so long as it is clearly stated that it is an opin ion and not a proven fact. Harris made it clear that it was his own opinion, not a state ment of fact and he has the right to include it if he feels it is rel evant to his lecture. We hope students are smart enough to be able to distinguish between classroom material and a professor’s opinion. And while we disagree with Harris’ commentary, the dia logue induced by controversial statements is vital to the intel lectual climate in Chapel Hill. The job of faculty is not just equality rifts lurk behind UNC’s impressive diversity numbers. With this in mind, it is cru cial that students continue to engage in an open dialogue about diversity issues. Yoshino, a Rhodes Scholar, Harvard graduate and law pro fessor at Yale University, pos sesses the knowledge and per spective to push this dialogue in the right direction. He identifies three stages of authenticity: denial, where one fads to confront minority status; passing, where one accepts that status internally but does not share it with the outside world; and covering, where one openly expresses his minority status but seeks to “cover" it, putting on a mask of normalcy to more smoothly get along with neigh bors and employers. Citing both court cases and his personal experiences as a gay Asian American, Yoshino paints a picture of a U.S. soci ety that protects only immu table aspects of racial identity, encouraging the artificial prac tice of “covering." He shows that U.S. courts that something happens on campus, you’ll know what to do and where to go for safety. Take the time to sign up for the safety messages delivered to your phone. All you have to do is include your cell phone number in your UNC directory profile. There’s no harm in it your cell number w-on’t be visible to the general public unless you mark your entry as public. Go to alert.unc.edu for more information on how to sign up. Our condolences go out to the families and friends of the victims, as well as to the rest of the NIU community. While we might not be able to predict events like these, we can reduce their impact through preparedness. to administer facts via death-by- PowerPdint, but also to spur the critical viewing and discourse of course material by the students. Hand in hand with critical anal ysis of information comes an educated opinion. For the record, Harris also stated that he couldn’t bring himself to follow' his own moral position when his third child was at risk. He said he would have cherished his daughter with or without disability'. The next time a professor puts forth an opinion that leaves you in fits of rage, chances are he’s within the bounds of his job. UNC, let’s remember who we are. Challenge your professor’s opinions; partake in intellectual sparring. As inquisitive minds at a top tier university, we should seek to be challenged by our instructors and enhance our education by being eager combatants in the arena of academic discourse. have continually backed com panies and laws that ban minorities of all kinds from “flaunting" their identities, whether in the form of wearing comrows or listing one’s gay partner on a job application. At times, it can be difficult to sift through the legal jargon of civil rights law, but Yoshino does so effortlessly, facilitating a more comprehensive understanding of our justice system as he dis cusses instances of sex, gender and race discrimination. Unfortunately, perhaps because of his own experiences, he spends a disproportionately large portion of the book dis cussing sexuality issues. The sections on gender and racial discrimination could use the same amount of focus, as these are often more prevalent to a wider audience. As the UNC student body becomes increasingly diverse, it becomes even more crucial to see our own reflection. “Covering" holds the mirror up and forces us to reassess our authenticity and our tolerance of minorities of all kinds. QUOTE OF THE DAY: 7 believe that if I'm going to expect students to express their opinions , I have to express mine!' ALBERT HARRIS, UNC BIOLOGY PROFESSOR LETTERS TO THE EDITOR To read the full-length versions von rmp.//MiiytameeipuDHc.wofapress.com Post your own response to a letter, editorial or story online, VISIT www.dailytafheel.com/feedback Name change won't help to break down barriers TO THE EDITOR: In renaming his ministry Cornerstone (“New name is meant to break down barriers," Feb. 18), perhaps due in part to John Musci’s spanking (“First letter from John to the Christians,’ Aug. 31), Miles O’Neill has missed a valuable educational opportunity-. Rather than concede that the word “crusade" has wholly nega tive connotations, he should have consulted the Oxford English Dictionary. “Crusade,” it elucidates, comes from a 16th century adaptation of the French “croisee," which means “a marking with the cross." O’Neill stressed humility; is there a more humble or nobler title than that? While the symbol of the corner stone has scriptural significance, it also reminds me of a stuffy- cathe dral or a monks’ cloister. Instead of “(breaking) down barriers," O’Neill has merely raised another one, ensconcing himself in a spiritual fortress away from the world’s trials. And I, like John Milton, “cannot praise a fugitive and cloistered virtue, unexercised and unbreathed ... that slinks out of the race." What good is untried faith? It is worse than the faith that was once tried, yet now retreats behind church walls. Thomas Hopper Junior English, Classics N.C. illegal immigrants are more than just a sunk cost TO THE EDITOR: Saang Lee’s Feb. 18 letter (“Americans must aid their own poor before points out the double standard of helping the poor from foreign countries before taking steps right here in the United States. But the line between “foreign" and “American" is blurred. We’re not talking about funding univer sity education in Mexico this is about providing resources to people who live in North Carolina With a university education, these students will have the opportunity to contribute to our state's eco nomic well being for decades. The state’s K-12 education money is rightly an investment, not a “sunk cost" These students, while they might be undocument ed, are still de facto residents of the state, and most plan to stay right here in the United States. What’s “fixed," so to speak, is the presence of these students in North Carolina. Regardless of future immigration policies, today, in 2008, we have bright and motivated high school stu dents who need an education. Carolina is about accessibil ity, and instead of creating a false choice between out-of-state and undocumented students, we should work to fund the students who will enhance academic qual ity, provide diverse perspectives and become tomorrow's leaders of North Carolina. That means keeping the costs of higher education as low as possible for all students, but it also means making it possible for every N.C. high school graduate to attend college. Lauren Teegarden Sophomore Latin Amer. Studies, Spanish SPEAK OUT WRITING GUIDELINES: ► Please type: Handwritten letters will not be accepted. ► Sign and date: No more than two people should sign letters. ► Students: Include your year, major and phone number ► Faculty/staff: Include your department and phone number. ► Edit: The DTH edits for space, clarity, accuracy and vulgarity. Limit letters to 2SO words. SUBMISSION: ► Drop-off: at our office at Suite 2409 in the Student Union. ► E-mail: to edttdeskOunc.edu ► Send: to P.O. Box 3257. Chapel Hill, N.C., 27515. Conors NOTE: Columns, cartoons and letters do not necessarily reflect the opinions of The Daily Tor Heel or 16 staff. Editorials are the opinions soldy of The Daily Tar Heel edfto riol board. The boanl consists of eight bond members, The associate opinion editor, the opinion editor and the editor The 2007-08 edrtor decided not to vote on the board. Uhr Daily (Tor Her! Debate on controversial issues is necessary in class TO THE EDITOR: I know that many of us are confused about what exactly we believe, but if a professor's casual opinion threatens your whole belief system (“Professor’s com ments were inappropriate for class," Feb. 18) perhaps you don’t belong at Carolina, much less in an upper-level biology class. I love this discussion that our professor has ignited with a very simple comment, but it is a shame that he has to be attacked on so many levels for expressing a professional opinion, one that he didn't even follow. I don't really even agree with him, mainly because the doctors told my parents to abort me early in my mother’s pregnancy, but 1 understand where both sides are coming from, and it’s awesome to hear people talk about the topic so passionately. He tried to explain that his remark was stated because it is hard to raise someone with a mental disability. What our professor said was that it is because they require significantly more love, affec tion, time, attention, etc., that this makes life at least a little bit harder for most families. As one who knows many peo ple with mental handicaps, and one who has taught several Down syndrome patients how to swim. I’ve seen how it can take its toll. And to any professors being intimidated by true fools in their classrooms from sharing opinions on controversial issues, speak your mind, it wakes us up, and most of us appreciate it. Justin Amall Junior Biology Advance ticket holders should have gotten in first TO THE EDITOR: Haring purchased my tickets to this year’s on-campus show ing of “The Vagina Monologues" well in advance, I was looking forward to a fun night out with my boyfriend Friday night. When 1 arrived at Hanes Arts Center several minutes before show time, I found the lobby filled with people buying tickets at the door. Walking into the auditorium, I realized that nearly all the seats were taken, so my boyfriend and I, along with several others, sat on the steps only to be told that we were creating a fire hazard. As there were by this time no unclaimed seats we were sent to the ticket desk to receive a refund. I am appalled by the fact that although I bought tickets in advance (at $8 apiece), my seats were resold (at $lO piece) at the door. I can only assume from this that the organizers filled their seats in advance at a lower price and then decided to turn a greater profit by reselling as many of the seats as possible at the door. Given the number of ticket holders turned away, I am sure the scheme was wildly successful. Rebecca Best Graduate Student Political Science Utyr iaUy u>ar Hppl Established 1893, 114 years ofeditorialfreedom ERIN ZUREICK EDITOR. 962-4086 2UREKKOEMAILUNC.EDU OFFICE HOURS: MON..WEO..FRI 1-2P.M. ADAM STORCK OPINION EDITOR. 962-07S0 APSTORCKOUNC.EDU JONATHAN TUGMAN ASSOCIATE OPINION EDITOR. 962-0750 TUGMANOUNC.EDU EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBERS JESSICA SCISM SARAH WHITWORTH KATHRYN ARDIZZONE SARAH LETRENT DUNCAN CARLTON ELYSE MCCOY GRAHAM ROWE DAVID GIANCASPRO
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