VOLUME 116, ISSUE 17
Online comments hurtful
Carson s killing draws offensive slurs
BY MATTHEW PRICE
STAFf WRITER
In the past few weeks, online
message boards have exploded
with comments regarding the kill
ing of Student Body President Eve
Carson.
And when suspects were
apprehended about a week after
DOG GONE GOOD
Tar Heels headed
to New Orleans
BY POWELL LATIMER
ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR
NORFOLK, Va. - No. 1 seed
North Carolina ran and ran and.
in the end, sprinted right past
past eight-seed Georgia 80-66
Tuesday night at the Ted Constant
Convocation Center.
Rashanda McCants led the Tar
Heels with 23 points and grabbed
eight rebounds, slicing through
the Georgia defense time and
time again.
“We were walking down the
hall after the game, and 1 patted
her. And I said.
'Thanks!" UNC
coach Sylvia
Hatchell said.
“1 thought
she made real
ly good deci
sions on her
penetration
and her drives
to the basket
that made a
major differ-
WOMEN'S
BASKETBALL
Georgia 66
UNC 80
ONLINE
Defense ruled
during UNC's
second-round
win. See daily
tarheel.com.
ence. She had
an outstanding game."
Coming into the evening,
UNC knew its strategy: Speed it
up as much as possible to coun
ter the Bulldogs’ size advantage
at almost every position. That
started with UNC’s frontcourt
of Erlana Larkins and LaToya
Pringle.
Larkins and Pringle did their
jobs on the offensive end, with
28 points and 18 rebounds com
bined.
More importantly, however,
they shut down Georgia's front
line throughout the evening,
not only holding Georgia to four
points in the paint in the first
half but also proving they could
out-muscle the Bulldogs.
UNC out-rebounded Georgia
37-32. Both of Georgia's starting
forwards, Tasha Humphrey and
Angel Robinson, were hampered
by early foul trouble.
While the Bulldogs struggled
to dominate on the inside, their
SEE BASKETBALL, PAGE 7
Actor Kel Mitchell hosts hip-hop contest
Teams from across state to compete
BY SETH WRIGHT
STAFF WRITER
When Kel Mitchell arrives at
UNC and takes the Memorial Hall
stage today, he won’t be selling
“good burgers” with his special
sauce. Instead he will be serving up
some of the hottest hip-hop dance
teams in the state.
The second annual “Show Us
What You Got" dance competi
tion, presented by Carolina Union
Activities Board, will take place at
7 p.m. tonight in Memorial Hall.
Mitchell, best known for his role
in the 1997 movie “Good Burger’
and on the Nickelodeon show
“Kenan and Kel," said he is excited
to be hosting the event for the first
time.
online I dailytarliwl.com
CITY The Downtown Partemship looks
into a monthly market for local vendors.
STATE & NATIONAL UNCs Young
Democrats and College Republicans debate.
SPORTS The UNC softball team shut out
Eton 7-0, led by Lisa Norris’ 16 strikeouts.
ohr lailu (Far lire!
her death, derogatory and racist
remarks about the two black men
charged with murder in the inci
dent and black males in general
began to appear on Web sites such
as JuicyCampus.com.
“I was made aware of the com
ments on JuicyCampus.com when
some students brought it to my
BL
" • ■ | s •
T z.
1 r
~'M ' ill' 7
DTH/EMMA PATTI
North Carolina forward LaToya Pringle blocks a shot attempt by Georgia's Angel Robinson during UNC's 80-66
second-round win against the Bulldogs. With the win, UNC advances to this weekend's Sweet 16 in New Orleans.
“I love speaking at schools. 1
love giving back to the commu
nity, and I love talking to students
who aspire to do the same things
that I’ve done," Mitchell said. “It’s
also great when you talk to the col
lege kids you guvs grew up with
me."
Last year’s competition was per
formed in front of a full house at
Memorial Hall and was hosted by
Black Entertainment Television’s
Terrence Jenkins.
But this year, Marie Monroe,
chairwoman ofCUAB’s performing
arts committee, said the show will
be different while still producing
the same amount of energy.
*We wanted a different host, but
someone that still had name recog
university | pa^.j
IT'S JUST A TEST
The University plans to test its
alert sirens between 11:30 a.m.
and 12:30 p.m. An all-clear will
also sound. Find out more about
the alert system, pg. 3.
Serving the .students and the University community since 1893
www.dallytarheel.com
attention,” said Archie Ervin, asso
ciate provost for diversity and mul
ticultural affairs. “I have talked to
more than 20 students about these
comments, and I can tell you that
they’re very hurtful."
The abundance of comments
raises the issue of where to draw the
line in regulating hateful speech.
The offensive speech was not
itself grounds for University action,
though there is a concern about
nition," Monroe said. “Everybody
know's Kel for his goofy, fun per
sonality. He was more than happy
to do it”
Unlike last year’s event, this
year’s event is on a weeknight, but
Monroe said she is optimistic that
attendance will be high.
“I’m still hoping to get a very
good turnout We have given away
about 700 tickets so far.” she said.
The competition isn’t limited to
groups from UNC; dance groups
from all across the state have been
■
finding potentially threatening
speech, Ervin said.
“Threatening speech is action
able," he said. “The University
would not tolerate threaten
ing speech to other members of
the community. Hateful, hurtful
speech is distinct from threats of
physical harm or danger.’
Ervin said Chancellor James
SEE WEB COMMENTS. PAGE 7
Kel Mitchell,
one-half of the
Nickelodeon
show 'Kenan
and Kel,' will
host the
competition.
ATTEND THE CONTEST
Time: 7 p.m. today
Location: Memorial Hall
Info: www.unc.edu/cuab
Tickets: Free to UNC students.
$5 to general public
invited to fight for the winnings
a SSOO prize as well as a trophy.
Groups slated to perform include
two of UNC’s own Opeyo!
Dancers and Misconception Dance
Company along with others from
North Carolina Central University
and UNC-Pembroke.
Kareemah Lewis, president of
reigning victors Opeyo!, said the
audience can expect just as much
intensity from the performance
this year.
SEE CONTEST, PAGE 7
university | pa^*
IN MEMORY
Junior varsity cheerleader Jeremy
Crouthamel has received the
Jason Ray Memorial Spirit Award
in honor of the UNC mascot who
died a year ago.
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 26, 2008
SBP-elect must
play catch-up
Now serving on
chancellor search
BY KELLY GIEDRAITIS
SENIOR WRITER
J.J. Raynor never expected to
serve on the chancellor search
committee.
But when the committee
meets today, the student body
president-elect will have three
sessions under her belt.
And although the meetings allow
Raynor the chance to contribute to
the future of the University before
she’s even taken office, the oppor
tunity emerged from tragedy .
Raynor is taking the position
because Student Body President
Eve Carson, who served on the
committee, was killed March 5.
Carson's death occurred just
as the chancellor search com
mittee, charged with selecting
three finalists for UNC's top spot,
whittled down its applicants from
more than 100 to about 20.
To ensure that undergraduates
are represented, committee mem
bers invited Raynor to serve in
Carson's place as the undergradu
ate representative.
“It's definitely one of the
toughest things I’ve had to do
recently just because I know why
I’m there," Raynor said.
Committee Chairman Nelson
Schwab said Raynor, who was
appointed March 11, has become
a vocal member of the committee,
providing student perspective.
“She’s hit the ground running
and been a very active participant"
Schwab said, “it’s obviously a tough
position considering all of the emo
tion around it... but she’s doing a
very good job, as Eve did, as far as
representing the students.’
The committee, which was
appointed in September, met six
times with Carson. During that
Questions remain
year after accident
Ray case going
through court
BY ZACK TYMAN
STAFF WRITER
One year ago, UNC lost a friend
and student to a tragic accident.
Three months ago, two men
were arrested in connection with
his death.
Today a grieving mother still
has questions that haven't been
answered as the suspects in Jason
Ray’s death continue to defend
their story.
Before the March 23, 2007,
accident and his death three days
later, Ray was one of three students
who portrayed UNC’s mascot,
Rameses. He was accompanying
the UNC men’s basketball team
at the NCAA tournament in East
Rutherford, N_J„ at the time.
Gagik Hovsepyan, 52, and
Armen Hovsepian, 26, of P&ramus,
N.J., are awaiting trial for involve
ment in the fatal accident.
For his mother, Charlotte Ray,
the arrests haven’t been enough
to provide closure.
“He meant everything to me,"
she said. “It’s hard to believe any
thing. ... Your mind plays tricks
on you."
Gagik Hovsepyan told police
at the time of the accident that
he was the driver of the car that
struck Jason Ray. According to
police statements, his son Armen
Hovsepian was asleep in the pas
senger seat
Witnesses came forward to say
that Armen Hovsepian was actu
this day in history’
MARCH 26, 2003...
UNC heightens Internet security by
enoytping messages sent through
Carolina's wireless computing
network so unauthorized people
will see a scrambled message.
J.J. Raynor
has assumed
Eve Carson's
position on
the chancellor
search
committee.
A
ATTEND THE MEETING
Time: 8:30 a.m. today
Location: Morehead Building.
Faculty Lounge
Info: www.unc.edu/chan/seafch
time, the committee heard com
munity input solicited applicants,
review'ed applications and inter
viewed candidates.
As Raynor settles in. the com
mittee Ls moving ahead, with about
20 applicants being considered.
Raynor said committee members
have helped case her transition.
They 've been trying to help me
make up for some of the knowl
edge gaps," she said.
Schwab said he has met with
Raynor to provide background
material to help her catch up on
discussions.
Raynor said she also has con
tinued to seek input from the
students’ chancellor search advi
sory committee, which Carson’s
administration created.
And with only two spots for stu
dents on the 21-person committee,
members wanted to make sure stu
dents' voices continue to be heard.
“Certainly it's important that the
student voice isn't diminished by
not having another student there.”
said Graduate and Professional
Student Federation President
Lauren Anderson, the only other
student on the committee. “J.J. has
been a quick study, especially under
the circumstances."
Contact the University Editor
at udesk@unc.edu.
“It’s hard to believe
anything. ... Tour
mind plays tricks
on you."
CHARLOTTE RAY, MOTHER OF
JASON RAY. FORMER UNC MASCOT
ally the driver of the vehicle, which
led to the arrests in January.
Armen Hovsepian is being
charged with driving with a sus
pended license involved with a
death and hindering apprehension
charges that can carry penalties
of five years in state prison and 18
months in state prison, respective
ly, Bergen County assistant district
attorney John Higgins said.
Gagik Hovsepyan also is charged
with hindering apprehension.
The matter is currently pend
ing a presentation to the grand
jury," Higgins said. ‘I expect that
to be done within the next couple
of months."
And as proceedings go on,
Gagik Hovsepyan is sticking by
his story.
The witnesses made a big mis
take." he said Tuesday. “1 have pic
tures and papers to prove my son
could not be driving that night. I
did not let my son drive. What stu
pid father would do that?"
For the Ray family the past
yfear hasn’t been easy.
“At Christmas time, it was
awful," Charlotte Ray said. “It was
the first Christmas I’ve spent with-
SEE JASON RAY, PAGE 7
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