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Leaders reflect on BSM’s evolution
Presidents gather for 40th anniversary
BY ANTHONY MCPEEK
STAFF WRITER
The Black Student Movement
brought 16 of its about 40 former
presidents back to campus for a
Saturday luncheon to reflect on
the organizations past and to talk
about its future role.
The presidents' lunch and forum
Saturday, along with a formal ban
quet later, was part of BSM’s 40th
anniversary celebrations.
Including the presidents, about
75 current and past BSM mem
bers attended the luncheon in the
Upendo Room, said Racine Peters,
BSM vice president.
“This is the first time this has
ever been done by the BSM," Peters
said of the two events. “It speaks
very highly of the strength of our
network."
In the first half of the luncheon,
the presidents talked about what
had been most memorable during
their time as BSM leaders.
The experiences of the different
presidents told an evolving storv of
BSM spanning generations.
Cureton Johnson, president
from 1969-70, talked about fac
ing the Chapel Hill police and the
National Guard when it came to
campus during the BSM-led 1969
food service w orkers' strike.
He said most of the members in
the original group of PSM probably
Fundraiser aims to provide clean water
BY JAKE RATLIFF
STAFF WRITER
The 16th annual Triangle Water
for Life Event brought local philan
thropists together Saturday to help
provide clean water to the develop
ing world.
Proceeds from the event went
to Water Partners International, a
nonprofit organization co-found
ed and directed by UNC alumnus
Gary White.
“Every seven seconds, one per
son in the world dies because of
unsafe water," White said.
Water Partners International
does not just dig wells for Tillages
in developing countries it also
coordinates with the villages to
which it provides facilities, said
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didn't want to come back to campus
because of their experiences.
Gloria Shealey, co-president
from 1975-76, talked about the
difficulty of getting funding for the
organization.
“You would think that we were
going to the government to get fed
eral dollars to be shipped over to
Iraq or somewhere," she said of the
complex funding process.
Securing funding is still an issue
for the organization. Archie Ervin,
BSM's adviser and associate provost
for diversity and multicultural affairs,
brought up the subject of the group's
dwindling funding, which decreased
from $30,000 to $13,000 per year
in the past decade, members said.
Kristi Booker, president from
2001-02, said BSM alumni would be
willing to help out as much as pos
sible. “We would love to hear from
you and be as involved as you need
us to be," she said.
When it was current president
Derek Sykes' time to share his expe
riences. he said he felt honored and
almost unqualified to be there.
Changing the direction of the
meeting, Jacqueline Lucas, president
from 1976-77, posed the question of
whether BSM as an independent
organization is still needed.
“It's almost like the BSM and the
issues we go through are cyclical," she
said, adding that the organization
Steven Byers, director yf develop
ment and communications for the
organization.
“The cornerstone of what we’re
all about is sustainability," he said.
Water Partners teaches the vil
lages in which they set up safe
water systems to manage their new
resource by electing committees for
themselves to maintain the wells
and treatment facilities.
Byers added that Water Partners
requires that women take part in
the process, empowering them in
what arc traditionally male-domi
nated societies.
“We take it for granted. We
turn on the spigot, and it comes
out." said Pat Garner, an attendee
who won a piece of artwork in the
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Former BSM presidents, including John Bradley (left), Lindsay Reed and
Gloria Shealey, met on Saturday to celebrate BSM's 40th anniversary.
would always be necessary as long as
America’s dominant culture does not
treat minority cultures equitably.
All participants seemed to agree
that an organization like the BSM
is still crucial for UNC.
Renae McPherson, president of
BSM before Sykes, said the organiza
tion still helps serve as a watchdog.
In 1968. BSM stirred campus
when it made 22 demands to the
University administration. Those
included creating a Department
of African- and Afro-American
Studies and dropping the SAT
auction.
"It makes you feel good to be
surrounded by people who under
stand this problem."
Since its founding in 1990,
the organization has provided
safe water facilities to 165,000
people in the developing world,
100 percent of which are still
working today, said Mark Elliot,
volunteer chairman of the plan
ning committee for the Water for
Life Event.
“It’s something that just ought
to be done," Byers said. “We’re not
talking about having water pumped
into their house, just water avail
able to be accessed.”
Charlie Engels, a UNC alumnus
and extreme runner who traversed
£ews
requirement for black students.
Brandon Hodges, president
from 2005-06, said the group
could not be limited to the original
22 demands it made.
He also said the luncheon
Saturday was his most memorable
moment with BSM because he final
ly met the people who helped make
UNC better for black students.
“I’m going to remember this for
ever," he said.
Contact the University Editor
at udesk(a unc.edu
4.500 miles across the Sahara
Desert in 111 days, spoke at the
event to help raise awareness.
“What I like about water is I can
see it, feel it and taste it —and I
can see the results of what I’ve
done to help," he said.
Engels and his run across the
Sahara are featured in a documen
tary produced by Matt Damon that
is scheduled for release in May.
The fundraiser was held at
the Carolina Club and featured
a dinner, a raffle and an auction
of donated items. Water Partners
will host another event today in
Charlotte.
Contact the State and National
Editor at stntdeskty unc.edu.
MONDAY. FEBRUARY 25, 2008
County implements
outdoor burning ban
BY JEFF WOODALL
STAFF WRITER
In reaction to the widespread
drought. Orange County has placed
a ban on outdoor burning.
The ban was created in response
to a statewide statute regarding
outdoor burning.
The N.C. Division of Forest
Resources called for a statewide
open-burning ban Feb. 14, along
with the cancellation of all burn
ing permits. Under the new law, no
burning is allowed 100 feet or more
from an occupied dwelling.
The statute was put in place
after 423 fires across the state the
weekend of Feb. 8 resulted in the
destruction of 10,146 acres.
Orange County reacted to the
statute by banning all fires, regard
less of distance from a building.
If caught violating the law, resi
dents will have to pay a SIOO fine and
an additional $l2O in court fees.
Orange County Fire Marshal
Mike Tapp said dry conditions were
a factor in creating a stricter ban.
“We have a lot of homes in the
county that are in highly wooded
areas." Tapp said. “That makes the
potential for property destruction
really high when cold fronts are
continually coming through with
high winds."
Along with the dry conditions
that assist in fast-spreading fires,
the lack of the county’s water
resources is also a concern when
considering the potential for local
fires. Many rural fire departments
use ponds and other local sources
Celebrate Peace Corps
Join Peace Corps Deputy Director
Jody Olsen in celebrating Peace
Corps Week and honoring the
over 1,000 UNC alumni that have
served as Peace Corps Volunteers.
Monday, February 25
Class of 2000 Lounge
Student Center
UNC - Chapel Hill
12:00 p.m. -1:00 p.m.
For more information, contact:
UNC’s campus recruiter, Liz Kane, at
919.962.0185 or peacecorps@unc.edu
Peace Corps
Lite is calling
How far will you go?
800.424.8580
www.peacecorps.gov
for water.
“All it takes is a little spark with
there being no moisture anywhere,
and we just don't have the water to
fight fires," said Braxton Foushee.
secretary for the Orange Water and
Sewer Authority board of direc
tors.
Additional provisions to the
state law include that no campfires
or bonfires be used even if there is
a metal or stone ring and that no
leaves, branches or any other plant
material be burned.
The Orange County Fire
Marshal’s Office stresses that
residents should take precaution
ary steps to alleviate the possibil
ity of starting a fire and letting it
spread.
“People should keep leaves and
other dry debris at least 30 feet
away from their homes and busi
nesses," Tapp said.
Certain businesses might be
burdened by the inability to burn
certain items.
“Certainly contractors will be
hurt, with chipping being a more
expensive way to clear land, and
farmers could be affected in
similar ways," said Brian Haines,
the public information officer
for the N.C. Division of Forest
Resources.
Haines said the ban will be lifted
only after the dry conditions end
and water tables return to nor
mal.
Contact the City Editor
at citydesk(a unc.edu.
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