VOLUME 115, ISSUE 157
Castro will not seek re-election
Brother Raul likely to take over in Cuba
BY ARIEL ZIRULNICK
ASSISTANT STATE & NATIONAL EDITOR
When Cuban leader Fidel Castro
announced very early Tuesday morning
that he would not seek re-election in next
Sunday's contest, he ignited a flurry of dis
cussion about how much the island nation
and its global relations will change.
The general consensus: not much if his
brother wins the election. Raul Castro has
been acting as a figurehead since Fidel
Castro became ill in July 2006 and is almost
unequivocally expected to win.
EMBRACING THE VEIL
UNC holds lecture as
Turkey lifts scarf ban
BY GREG SMITH
STAff WRITER
Sophomore Nadiah Song, a Singaporean
exchange student, was first asked by her
parents to wear a hijab when she was 14.
“Singapore has a secular system of
schools, so 1 would wear a hijab out of
school when I was with friends,” Song said.
“After 1 graduated, it became full-time."
Although Song was warned by family
and friends about possible prejudice in
the U.S., she said she has never felt dis
criminated against.
Muslims on American college cam
puses have worn headscarves for years,
but Turkish Muslim women were only
recently allowed to don headscarves in
universities across the country.
UNC geography professor Banu
Gokariksel, who is from Turkey, will be
presenting a lecture about the issue at
noon today in Toy Lounge in Dey Hall.
A ban on wearing headscarves on
Turkish college campuses was lifted Feb. 9
when Parliament passed two constitutional
amendments to allow them as religious
expressions. The ban. part of an attempt
to secularize the country, was instituted in
1983 after a military takeover.
The repeal follows the 2007 electoral
victory of an Islamic political party, the
Justice and Development Party, and is just
one of many changes as Turkey works to
modernize and gain membership in the
European Union.
“We are a Muslim country, but we are
globalizing and modernizing,' said Serkan
Yuksei, president of UNCs Turkish Student
Association.
The repeal has been criticized by both
traditional secularists in Tbrkey and institu
tions such as the European Court of Human
Rights. They supported the ban and worry
about rising Islamic extremism.
“(The repeal) is something new and
modern in every way," Gokariksel said.
“It may not be secular modernity, but it
is modernity because it improves women’s
access to jobs and education and things
they want to do," she said.
Turkey’s secular government also
banned its civil servants, teachers, law-
SEE HEADSCARVES, PAGE 4
Biology ethics remark
sparks speech debate
BY LAURA MARCINEK
STAFF WRITER
The controversy surrounding the
expression of opinion in the classroom
is not new.
In fact, its absence would be surprising,
said Ed Neal, director of faculty' develop
ment at the UNC Center for Teaching
and Learning.
“That would be a sign that we’re not
risking enough," Neal said.
Last week comments that biology pro
fessor Albert Harris made in class — that
he thinks it is moral for older mothers to
abort fetuses with Down syndrome —
caused some concern among students.
Neal, who didn't attend the lecture, said
he does not think Harris meant to force his
views on any student but probably could
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HISTORIC CARRBORO Submissions are
being accepted to designate historic sites.
ACC CHAMPIONSHIP The women's
swim team prepares for the Atlanta contest.
JUVENILE JUSTICE The state looks into
its rules of who is eligible for adult trial.
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“If his brother Raul is elected, there
will be more immediate continuity than
immediate change," said Louis Perez,
director of UNC s Institute for the Study
of the Americas and a leading expert on
Cuba who regularly travels to Havana.
But that could change as Raul Castro
develops as a leader and Cubans begin
looking to him to direct the government.
Perez said.
“I think there comes a point where he’s
going to be his own person. ... Nobody
talks about Fidel Castro anymore. They
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Singaporean exchange student Nadiah Song, a sophomore, has worn a hijab since she was 14 years old. Turkish women only
recently were permitted to do so on college campuses. A UNC geography professor will hold a lecture about the issue today.
have included more time for discussion.
“The fact that there was no opportu
nity' for dialogue is part of the problem,"
Neal said. “It was an error in teaching
technique rather than an error in ethical
judgement."
The Center for Teaching and Learning
offers seminars and publications that spe
cifically address the discussion of moral and
ethical issues in the classroom. Faculty; who
can suggest topics for the seminars, are not
required to use these resources.
“We try to fill peoples needs without
putting too many restrictions on them.’
He said teaching a college course can be
challenging given class sizes at least 10
percent of UNC s classes haw more than 50
students —and the time constraints that
SEE DISCUSSION. PAGE 4
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CHRISETTE MICHELE SINGS
The Grammy-nominated R & B
songstress performed to more
than 750 people Tuesday night
in Memorial Hall, playing piano
and interacting with the crowd.
Serving the students and the University community since 1893
| www.dailytarheel.com |
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recognize it’s time to move on."
Some say Fidel Castro’s decision doesn't
change the fact that he has a strong influ
ence over his brother’s decisions.
“He's still there, and he's still the revo
lutionary hero and is exercising some
constraints," said Susan Kaufman Purcell,
Animals stay anonymous
BY SARAH FRIER
STAFF WRITER
Freshman Mariea Umerah was hiking
back from class when she saw a moose
and turtle playing Frisbee in Polk Place.
“It really made me smile hard." she
said.
Last week students masquerading as a
moose, turtle, rabbit and squirrel roamed
the campus just to make students smile,
sponsored by the Carolina Union Activities
Board.
The random acts of animal tomfoolery
were part of Carolina Comedy Week.
But CUAB officials have been secretiw
about the program, refusing to comment
on specifics because they didn't want to
ruin the mystery.
“The first rale about animal costumes is
that you don't talk about animal costumes,"
Mallory Cash, coordinator of the Carolina
Comedy Festival, said in an e-mail.
SEE ANIMALS. PAGE 4
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Fide! Castro’s
announcement
marks a
possible turning
point in Cuban
governance and
U.S. relations.
director of the Center for Hemispheric
Studies at the University of Miami.
Once Raul Castro is able to exert con
trol over daily activity in Cuba, he’ll be
able to command the same degree of
respect as his brother, Perez said.
That is crucial for the new leadership
because many Cubans have more loyalty to
Fidel Castro than to the government he has
represented for more than 50 years.
“Because the government and Fidel
Castro have been so closely tied for the
past 50-odd years, I don't know how much
people differentiate between the two," said
SEE CASTRO, PAGE 4
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COURTESY OF CAROLINA UNION ACTIVITIES BOARD
An unidentified Carolina Union
Activities Board member wears a moose
costume during Carolina Comedy Week.
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY ‘20, 2008
REMATCH:
vs. N.C. STATE
DTH fllE/LAUREN COWART
The North Carolina men’s
basketball team plays N.C.
State at 7 p.m. today in
Raleigh. At the January matchup,
the Tar Heels won 93-62. For a
lowdown of game predictions and a
story on Tyler Hanshrough’s player
of the year chances, see pg. .9.
Show airs,
focused
on area
homeless
Part of nationwide
marathon broadcast
ELIZABETH JENSEN
STAff WRITER
Audrey Lay den w ants to make home
lessness personal on WCOM radio today.
Layden organized the local program
ming for Chapel Hill's first Homelessness
Marathon broadcast.
"Putting faces on the homeless is criti
cal," Layden said.
She first became involved with the
homeless when she recruited volunteers
for the Inter-Faith Council for Social
Services 20 years ago.
She wants to see people become “a little
less judgmental, a little more open" as a
result of the broadcast.
Local leaders, volunteers and shelter
guests will talk beginning at 7 p.m. about
different aspects of the issue and take
questions from listeners for the first three
hours. Then WCOM will switch to nation
al programing from the Homelessness
Marathon, now in its 11th year.
Laurie Tucker, IFC’s director of residen
tial services, will be on air for one hour with
SEE RADIO. PAGE 4
Catch the broadcast
► On the radio at 103.5 FM
► Online at www.communityradio.org
7 p.m. to 8 p.m.: Laurie Tucker,
housing director for the Inter-Faith Council
shelter, and Abdul and Elaine, two current
shelter guests, will lead with a discussion
on who make up the homeless population
in our community.
8 p.m. to 9 p.m.: Chapel Hill Town
Council member and chairwoman of
Orange County's 10-year Plan to End
Chronic Homelessness executive team
Sally Greene will talk with Carrboro
Mayor Mark Chilton.
9 p.m. to 10 p.m.: Inter-faith Council
Director Chris Moran will host a call-in show.
10 p.m. to 7 a.m.:wCOM will
link to the national broadcast of the
Homelessness Marathon. This broadcast
will include segments on homelessness
and crime, the working poor, homeless
veterans and generational homelessness.
this dav in history
FEB. 20.1965 ...
A UNC freshman runs 26 miles
to collect a $45.50 bet. He wore
shorts and track shoes during
his about 4.5-hour run in 30-
degree weather.
weather
Sunny
H 61, L 29
index
police log 2
calendar 2
sports 9
games 9
opinion 10