Newspapers / Daily Tar Heel (Chapel … / Feb. 29, 2008, edition 1 / Page 8
Part of Daily Tar Heel (Chapel Hill, N.C.) / About this page
This page has errors
The date, title, or page description is wrong
This page has harmful content
This page contains sensitive or offensive material
8 FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 2.9. 2008 % SAM PERKINS THAT'S WHAT HE SAID Sam Perkins is a senior environmental studies and journalism double major. E-MAIL: SSPERKIN@EMAILUNC.EDU This town was made for you and me Students, this is the town of Chapel Hill. Town of Chapel 1 till, these are our students. This is an introduction I've never fully realized. The Apple Chill festival at least gave me some sense of this, hut as we all know, that great community event was "shot down." While the University fosters a good relationship with the town, students are disconnected from the town. The Chapel Hill community is great, and it would Ik- nice to feel more like part of it. Tile town could provide a real world training ground; UNC could do a few things to encourage that. Dorms on campus are their own microcosms. It's definitely different from living at home but very much the same AT-LARGE COLUMNIST in the disconnect we have with regard to how everything around us i i|x*ratcs and comes to be. Utilities and town services are the Ix-st examples of what gets left out. I like the system some apart ment complexes have where they cover all utilities... to an extent. The rent price will include, say. up to slit) for the water bill. But if you have a month where you feel par ticularly dirty or downright nasty, and just one shower doesn't do it, anil you end up racking up a S7O water bill, you pay the difference (possibly with some interest on that excess). It's basically putting a credit limit on utilities, and given the struggles we have with utilities today, it s not a bad idea. In the (last the water shortage has been so had that UNC consid ered sending students home. It's not such a surprise that students use utilities as though they're free. They don’t see the costs of their actions. Ifon-campus students received water, electricity and cable bills, they might conserve these increasingly depleted and/or expensive resources. When I moved off campus after my sophomore year, especially after living up here for the sum mer. I quickly realized how expen sive it can be to keep a house at 75 degrees. And guess what: Setting the thermostat to 82 degrees is well worth the savings, especially when three people can accrue a one-month summer electric bill between $l5O and S2OO. Learning lessons such as thjs during even just one year in a dorm can be invaluable for preparing for life and exists in the real world. But while the University seeks to make life better on campus, it must also ensure the town's welfare. The next major focus of Univ ersity -town relations (after Carolina North construction begins centuries from now) ought to be to nurture downtown busi ng" well, at least what's left). fry ing to bring up a business on Franklin Street resembles trying to get pregnant while on birth control lots of failure. The IRS aborted The Rathskeller in December, and now Buffalo Wild Wings and School kids have miscarried. I can think of a dozen changes to the main section of Franklin Street since I came here. When I was 10 to 14 years old and came up here for basketball camp, a majority of establishments were different The University would be wise to work with the town to ensure there are accessible off-campus establishments that are not bars, restaurants or T-shirt shops. How long is it before Varsity Theatre closes down? Why the hell have there been three empty store spaces under Top of the Hill for the past four-plus years? The problem here is, yet again, when do enough students feel the loss? There Isn’t really anything we need on Franklin Street that we couldn't get closer on campus. But that doesn’t mean we need to sit back and let the town collapse in on itself, just like it’s doing with regard to water capacity right now. Tar Heels realize that you are members of the town of Chapel Hill. Tire University can do more to act as a bridge between the students and the town, for it’s a relationship to which we ought to become accustomed. It is one we’re bound to enter soon. EDITORIAL CARTOON ByDonWnght. Palm Beach Post ftfrELS&EW I I Full disclosure Coonin should step down as CAA president-elect Openness is a quality we expect from our elected representatives. Unfortunately, the public did not have the benefit of full dis closure when Carolina Athletic Association president-elect Andrew Coonin left out a perti nent piece of information from his campaign: the DVVI citation he received in December. While he didn’t lie about it, Coonin should have made his citation public during his cam paign and effectively misled the student body by not doing so. It is in the best long-term interest of the CAA for Coonin to resign without waiting for his Honor Court and legal verdicts to be delivered. According to the Instrument of Student Governance, driving Closing the gap Wireless Internet for low-income areas is beneficial In North Carolina, about 43 percent of children live in low-income families, defined as those below 200 percent of the poverty line. In an effort to level the play ing field, the town of Chapel Hill will offer wireless Internet services to low-income housing areas so that students will have better technology available for completing their work. We commend town officials for taking this step toward offer ing all Chapel Hill students the best education possible. The town will be offering wireless services to four public housing communities. Only parts of the communi ties will receive the service as only one antenna will be placed at each of the four locations. The town will monitor the effectiveness of the service, how ever, with the aim of expanding if it is successful which we’re hoping and betting it will be. Not even correlated The war in Iraq isn’t causing U.S.’s economic problems The war in Iraq is being blamed for something new these days: the recent downturn in the U.S. economy. Jumping on that band wagon is former Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards, who announced he was joining the Iraq/Recession Campaign, a collection of lib eral advocacy groups holding war spending responsible for America’s economic woes. Although there are usually several causes behind any eco nomic downturn, and the Iraq war has some economic reper cussions, the link between a supposed recession and the war is tenuous at best. The group argues that since the war began, it has furthered instability in the Middle East, contributing to the rise of oil prices. Before the war, oil prices were about S3O a barrel; today, they are nearly SIOO a barrel. A dramatic increase in energy’ costs can have a negative ripple effect across the economy, but the groups logic is counterin tuitive. If the U.S. economy was actually in a recession, we would Opinion while intoxicated is a violation of the Honor Code for which the available sanctions range from drug and alcohol proba tion to community service. If Coonin s sanction includes probation, he will no longer be eligible to hold a representative office at UNC, which means that he will have to relinquish his position as CAA president. And if Coonin is forced to resign anyway, then his replace ment has lost valuable time preparing for the next year. We feel bad for Coonin and the situation he’s in, and we don’t think that a DWI sud denly reduces his ability to effectively lead CAA. However, we fear that the scrutiny surrounding the situ ation, if not a distraction to The education achievement gap in the U.S. is linked to a stu dent's socioeconomic status and the resources available to them. The wealthier students in the state can afford greater resourc es and therefore have more opportunities for success. There are other factors involved, such as family involve ment and peer influence. The easiest of these to change, how ever, is the issue of resources. The Teach for America pro gram, a popular job choice for graduating college seniors, notes that 9-year-old students in low-income areas already are as many as three grade levels behind those in high income areas. In addition, a 2006 study showed that home Internet access is correlated with higher grade point averages and high er reading test scores. Wireless access will allow students in the public housing expect energy prices to decline from decreased demand. Also, oil comes from a num ber of other countries only 3.6 percent of U.S. petroleum imports come from Iraq so the price increase is probably more because of a demand increase in developing countries than a shock in one supplier. The groups claim that the hundreds of billions of dol lars spent on the war are being diverted from domestic pro grams such as health care and welfare, the absence of which are increasing poverty and hurting the economy. While it is a legitimate point that our government’s priorities often seem out of line, unfor tunately, government budgets aren’t generally designed to shift money around freely. Plus, theoretically govern ment Spending actually stimu lates the economy and leads to expansion, not recession. While the government has been spending quite a bit of money on the war, it has not coupled this spending with tax increases, which conceivably Coonin himself, will detract from the overall effectiveness of the CAA. Case in point: Cole Jones’ disastrous attempt to remain president of the Association of Student Governments during his criminal prosecution. If Coonin does decide to allow the Honor Court to determine the fate of his CAA presidency, he should at least make the pro ceedings open to the public. While students are entitled to the right to privacy, the game changes slightly when one becomes a public official. On the other hand, if Coonin resigns, whether forcedly or voluntarily, we hope he returns as a senior CAA adviser. The organization would benefit from his ideas and experience. projects, many of whom other wise must go to Davis Library, to do work at home at a more convenient time. There are about 300 students from Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools living in public hous ing communities, so if the pilot program is successful, it would be worth expanding. Greene County, in eastern North Carolina, began provid ing wireless Internet access for students in rural areas. Since the program’s inception four years ago, the school system has seen marked improvement. Greene County Schools Superintendent Steve Mazingo said the county has seen a sub stantial increase in the number of students going on to college. Judging by the success Greene County has seen. Chapel Hill’s program could make great strides toward leveling the edu cation playing field, at least here at home. could exacerbate economic downturn. But simply running a deficit does not necessarily cause a recession, though it is poor fiscal policy. It’s questionable as to why war spending would lead to a reces sion now, almost five years after the first troops landed in Iraq. If the recession and the Iraq war are linked, then the recent economic downturn should’ve begun several years ago, when government spending on the war began to spiral upward. Instead, the more likely cause of economic woes is the housing market crash, which has forced many Americans to foreclose on their homes and has sent shock waves into key sectors of the economy, such as banking. The most presumptuous claim made by’ the groups, how ever, is that the economy is even entering a recession, which is still uncertain. Although the financial and housing markets have been under heavy duress, payroll employment has yet to drop. But for a self-fulfilling proph ecy, they’re on the right track. QUOTE OF THE DAY: “Ifl had to do it all over again , I would totally do it. Just being here fills me up inside .” MEGHAN AUSTIN, UNC GUARD, ON BASKETBALL EXPERIENCE LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Feel strongly about something that has been printed? Post your own response to a letter, editorial or story online. VISIT www.daHytarheel.com/feedback Bordner's views would be more acceptable at Duke TO THE EDITOR: Seth Bordner, you appall me. Your letter (“Alumni have really good reasons to leave early,” Feb. 28) offers no excuse for the lack of respect and support shown by alumni. Asa senior at this fine insti tution and a Tar Heel fan for 21 years, 1 absolutely appreciate the opportunity to be a part of the UNC basketball experience. In no way do you have the right to tell me 1 am spoiled and ungrateful. Roy's boys give us 110 percent, and the students who stay on their feet for 40 minutes in section 218, row Q, are willing to support them the ENTIRE game. The alumni ARE disrespectful when they pack the lower level aisles with five minutes remaining in the game with the assumption their time is better spent beating traffic. Do you want the players to clear the floor at the same time? Bordner also arrogantly claims that his graduate level status ranks with alumni in that their time carries far more importance than mere undergraduates. Most of us are here to work hard for our degree; some will graduate with honors, and many of us hold one or more part-time jobs to afford this opportunity. Who are you to judge the value of my time? If you continue to hold this the ory of self-importance and disre spect for vour peers, perhaps you can move your philosophy degree eight miles down 15-501 where I'm sure they’ll warmly accept you to share their similar views. I'm on the team. Are you? Mollee Pappas Senior Comparative Literature Donor status isn't a free pass to leave games early TO THE EDITOR: Seth Bordner’s “philosophical" view of why alumni fans con sistently leave UNC basketball games affirms a certain discon nect that can potentially occur with the University upon gradu ation (“Alumni have really good reasons to leave early." Feb. 28). 1 would hate to be one of the fans who left early after the Clemson game only to find the game still on television when ever they arrived home to check the final score. Similarly it was the mass exile during the Duke game that led to further frustra tion among students attending the sacred event. Being a donor is not enough to justify- leaving early. Thousands of alumni never will be able to purchase season tickets, so we are not just booing for alumni choosing to leave early but also alumni who will most likely remain on a wait list forever. Alumni wanting to avoid traf fic should consider parking or hanging around Franklin Street for a few hours after the game until the traffic dies down. 1 know Franklin Street businesses could certainly use the boost. To sum it up, fans, next time you see an alumnus or alumna sticking around after a game, invite them to celebrate with “Hark the Sound." They might thank you for it afterward. Hunter Ellis Junior Journalism 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 250 worm. SUBMISSION. ► Drop-off: at our office at Suite 2409 in the Student Union. ► E-mail: to editdesktfunc.edu ► Send: to P.O. Sox 1257, Chapel HiH, N.C., 27515. EDirors NOTE: Columns, cartoons and letters do not necessarily reflea the opinions of ft* Daily tar Heel or its staff Editorials art the opinions solely of The Daily Tar Herd edito rial board, the board consists of eight board members, the associate opinion editor, the opinion edtor and the edtor. the 2007-08 editor decided not to vote on the board shr Sailii Jar iHrrl Kvetching board kvetch: v.l (Yiddish) to complain To the UNC basketball player who has been coddling a two week injury for nearly a month: Your game might be ready for the NBA next year, but appar ently your manhood isn’t. Ram Village does not need new tennis courts. We need a park ing 10t... and a swing set DTH, please stop printing the Sudoku puzzles so the fold goes right through the middle of it This is making it difficult for me to fold the paper up enough to do the Sudoku during class. To my POll professor NO, I don’t want to taste the Kool-Aid, and NO, I don’t care if the flavor is ’ good. Don’t you think that this week's 'Evaluating the Carson Administration" series could have featured more pictures? Possibly of Eve Carson? Why do people with big umbrel las insist on walking so slowly and take up half the sidewalk? How am I supposed to get through class if the DTH runs the same crossword two days in a row? Dear CAA, unfortunately, you HAVE NOT come up with a good ticket policy. This is to the obnoxious guy who sat in the risers and cheered for Wake Forest: I want to petition for your expulsion. To myself: Damn you! Why didn’t you get up the courage to talk to the cute dark-haired girl playing volleyball Monday night at Fetzer? Maybe next week ... Bobby Frasor, why don't I know you? If 1 did, I would not be wringing my hands trying to think of who I want to take to formal; you'd win hands down! Nothing like cigarette butts between your toes on a sunny winter day. To the kid in last week’s kvetch ing board: Passing off Mitch Hedburg jokes as your own does not make you funny or cod. Stop parking your SUV in the spaces labeled 'compart.' You got into Carolina; now prove you can belong here. Dear State: We cleaned up your paint mess... have you man aged to power-wash the perme ating stench of defeat yet? Lenoir, if those are foot-longs, then I'm Ron Jeremy. So if you were lucky enough to get Phase 1 tickets, you should probably wear Carolina Blue (not turquoise, powder blue or navy)... just a thought! Send your one-to-two sentence entries to edit desk9unc.edu, subject line ‘kvetch.' (Thr Sailii aor Hrrl Established 1893, 115 years ofeditorialfreedom ERIN ZUREICK EDITOR. 962-4086 ZUREICKOEMAILUNC.EDU OFFICE HOURS: MON., WED., FRI. t -2 P.M. ADAM STORCK OPINION EDITOR. 962-0750 APSTORCKOUNC.EDU JONATHAN TUGMAN ASSOCIATE OPINION EDITOR. 962-0750 TUGMANOUNC.EDU EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBERS JESSICA SCISM SARAH WHITWORTH KATHRYN ARDI22ONE SARAH LETRENT DUNCAN CARLTON ELYSE MCCOY GRAHAM ROWE DAVID GIANCASPRO
Daily Tar Heel (Chapel Hill, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
Feb. 29, 2008, edition 1
8
Click "Submit" to request a review of this page. NCDHC staff will check .
0 / 75