VOLUME 116, ISSUE 115
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foCUS | page 14
SKATEBOARDING
In cities like Wilmington,
Charlotte, Durham and Raleigh,
skaters have formed a
community that carries on the
tradition of vert and street
skating even as the sport's
popularity declines nationally.
university I page 8
ART CRAWL
Student government's arts
advocacy committee is
working on plans to turn the
entire campus into an art
gallery for a spring event.
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SpOltS I page 9
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
Jessica Breland paced the
women's basketball team in its
102-68 rout of Kennesaw State,
coming close to setting a school
record with an almost-dunk.
national | page u
HISTORIC INAUGURATION
People are already scrambling
to try to nail down tickets for
President-elect Barack Obama's
inauguration in January.
online | dailytirtwl,wru
OBESITY SUMMIT
Southern leaders gather to
discuss a growing epidemic.
GLOBAL STUDENTS
Teams travel to document
nonprofit organizations.
WINDS OF CHANGE
UNC's Symphony Band and
Wind Ensemble take stage.
this day in history
NOV. 18.1989...
Senior Brock Dickinson ends
his 24-hour vigil in the Pit,
where he sat in a metal cage
to protest human rights
violations.
Today’s weather
j t *, Partly sunny
H 47, L 26
Wednesday’s weather
O H2V 31
index
police log 2
calendar 2
sports 9
opinion 10
crossword 11
nation/world 11
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LEWIS TRIAL
Football players testify
One says he was sexually assaulted
BY MAX ROSE
CITY EDITOR
HILLSBOROUGH - When a
UNC football player fought back
against the woman on top of him,
Michael Troy Lewis ran into the
room and put a knife to his throat,
the player testified Monday.
Lewis told the player, “You don’t
want your mother having to go to
your fimeral, because I’m going to
kill you,” the player said.
The three football players said
they were intoxicated and scared
the early morning of Dec. 16,2007.
The prosecution says that Lewis,
THE BEAT IS STRONG
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The Dance Marathon morale committee announces the total number of dancers that signed up to participate in the February Dance Marathon
event. By Monday, the committee had registered a total of 1,828 student dancers —a record-setting 50 percent increase from last year's total.
Record number of students sign up for Dance Marathon
BY KELLEN MOORE
ASSISTANT UNIVERSITY EDITOR
A record-setting 1,828 students
had signed up to dance at the 11th
annual UNC Dance Marathon as
of Monday morning 50 percent
more than last year.
“I knew it was completely pos
sible, but I’m still thrilled,” said
Gabby Tucci, morale chairwoman
for the marathon.
Last year, 1,196 students
signed up and raised more
than $320,000, making Dance
Marathon the University’s largest
student-led fundraiser.
Dancer recruiters were out in
full force last week, grabbing every
one they could to participate in the
marathon, which gathers money
for patients and families of the N.C.
Tar Heels open up competition for QB spot
Sexton and Yates
to split practices
BY RACHEL ULLRICH
SPORTS EDITOR
While North Carolina quarter
back Cameron Sexton was suc
ceeding, it was easy to forget that
he was third on the UNC depth
chart earlier this year.
With superstar T. J. Yates injured,
Tar Heel fans embraced Sexton as
the underdog of the year.
Now, two days after what Sexton
called “the worst game I’ve played
all year,” a healthy Yates is back in
the rotation.
Coach Butch Davis said Monday
that he will not name a starting
SEE QUARTERBACK, PAGE 13
Serving the students and the University community since 1893
www.dailyfarheel.com
33, kidnapped two of the players
and attempted to steal thousands of
dollars in electronics. He’s charged
with several felonies.
Only one player testified to being
a victim of a sexual offense, but The
Daily Thr Heel is not naming any of
the players to avoid giving informa
tion that might reveal the identity of
a complainant of a sexual offense.
Sometime after 1 am., the three
moved from Top of the Hill to the
East End Martini Bar, where one
became separated from the rest.
This student, Player 1, remembered
meeting and chatting with Lewis
Children’s Hospital in Chapel Hill.
The months of fundraising cul
minate on Feb. 20 and 21 at Fetzer
Gym, where students must dance
or at least stand for 24 hours.
Tucci said they used the same
tactics to gather dancers as they
have in past years, but to a greater
degree.
They were present daily in the
Pit and made their cause known on
South Campus, at Kenan-Flagler
Business School and at intramural
games, coaxing students into par
ticipating “for the kids.”
“They did a really good job of
publicizing it this year and let
ting it be known how successful
it is,” said first-year student Claire
Bradley, who signed up to dance.
“Even before I came to school here
Cameron Sexton (left) and T.J. Yates will compete for the starting quarterback position for Saturday's game.
■
Michael
Troy Lewis is
charged with
kidnapping
UNC football
players, among
other charges.
and two women at the bar.
Football players are supposed to
be social, he said in court “We’re a
public image of the University."
When the other players didn’t
answer calls, he caught a ride
home in the backseat of an SUV,
with Lewis driving. That is when
he “blacked-out,” he told the jury,
using his hands for air quotes. He
I knew about it.”
Although they still are accept
ing dancers, organizers now are
focusing on planning and helping
the dancers raise money.
They suggest holding cookouts
or spaghetti dinners, begging
grandparents or digging under
couch cushions to gather money.
Each dancer pledges to raise at
least $lOO.
To keep the excitement alive,
Dance Marathon organizers are
planning to hold a dancer appre
ciation day Wednesday from 10
a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Pit, which will
include card-making for children
at the hospital.
“The dancers really want to
be more connected to the cause,”
Publicity Chairman Sam Lau said.
awoke later that night tied to a
chair in his underwear.
The other two players testified
they didn’t see Player 1 with the
suspects before they left to eat at
Hector’s. Player 1 often gets inebri
ated and wanders off, one player
testified. Player 1 didn’t seem agi
tated when he called at about 2:45
a.m. to say he was home.
They took a cab to the apartment
shortly afterward nothing seemed
out of place —and upon entering,
Player 2 went directly to his bed
room, but did not fall asleep.
Player 3 walked in behind and
saw a naked man— Lewis, he told
SEE TESTIMONY, PAGE 13
mtwwmm
Go to uncmarathon.org for an
application to e-mail to
uncDMdancer@gmail.com.
For those who left their dancing
shoes at home, Dance Marathon
organizers will begin recruiting
moralers and volunteers Jan. 12.
Overall Coordinator Jenna
Brooks said organizers are
astounded by the number of stu
dents who have gotten involved,
and anticipate many more will
sign up to help.
“It says a lot about the students
we have here,” Brooks said.
Contact the University Editor
at udesk@unc.edu.
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2008
HOMECOMING
Vetting
process
draws
critique
Candidates say
process not clear
BY LINDSAY RUEBENS
STAFF WRITER
In 1988, Lee Ann Necessary,
a white student, was elected
Homecoming queen. There was
no king elected that year.
But in each of the next 20 years,
at least one member of the Black
Student Movement has been elect
ed to Homecoming royalty until
this year’s election of Meredith
Martindale and Jeremy Crouthamel
as Mr. and Miss UNC.
Many students have noticed the
unusual election, and The Daily
Tar Heel has received several let
ters to the editor alleging racism
in the balloting process.
Black candidates who didn’t
make it onto the ballot didn’t call
the process racist, but did find
fault with the transparency of the
selection criteria.
Every year, the BSM holds its
own version of a Homecoming by
electing Mr. and Miss BSM.
Like Homecoming royalty, they
complete a service project, and Mr.
and Miss BSM are expected to run
for Homecoming king and queen.
This year’s Miss BSM, Eboni
Blake, was not on the Homecoming
ballot, although she applied.
To be listed, participants had
to submit an application with the
Carolina Athletic Association,
which required a nonrefundable
fee that goes toward the winners’
service projects.
Applicants then were interviewed
by a panel of people intended to
represent the campus community.
If chosen to move forward after the
interview, candidates had to get 400
student signatures on a petition.
Senior Courtney Knowling,
Homecoming royalty chairwom
an with the CAA, said the inter
view panel included a student, a
CAA member, a General Alumni
SEE HOMECOMING, PAGE 13
Residents
object to
waste site
options
250 turn out to
discuss concerns
BY EVAN ROSE
ASSISTANT CITY EDITOR
In a middle school cafeteria
Monday night, residents concerned
about Orange County’s new waste
transfer station outnumbered com
missioners about 50 to one.
And for more than two hours,
they voiced their concerns about
the three potential sites for the
transfer station.
Some addressed the fairness of
the process, the possibility of alter
native waste management solu
tions and the proposed station’s
impact on its host community.
Others said the station should be
located in an industrial area.
“Just as no one would place a toi
let in a living room, placing a waste
transfer station in a residential area
is inconceivable,” Hillsborough res
ident Tatiana Zybin said.
The five current and two future
commissioners present did not
respond to comments from roughly
50 of the more than 250 residents
at Monday’s public information ses
sion at McDougle Middle School in
Carrboro.
A few board members took notes.
Others leaned back in their chairs
SEE TRANSFER, PAGE 13