North Carolina Newspapers

1 ! O VC. Chapel Hill's Morning Newspaper Chgpel H::i, North Carolina, t'ontiay, January 13, 19T5 Vcl. C3, No. 78! Founded February 23, 1C33 University grapples with dese, alion plans ft fl W mm I ! I II greg by Meredith S. Duel Jr. and Den Baer Staff Writers First of two parts The fall of 1974 saw the UNC administration struggling on both the state and local level with a wide variety of policies and programs. , ; The multi-faceted problem of desegregation in" enrollment and hiring practices, the site selection for a new state veterinary school and the establishment of a med school at East Carolina University were the major . issues confronting the administration. Iii the early 1970's, the state of North Carolina was ; finally forced to deal with ten-year-old civil rights legislation. For years North Carolina has nourished a system of racial duality in higher education. There has been a distinct lack of black and female educators' working in predominantly white institutions as the result of discriminatory hiring practices. In 1972, the Department of Health, Education and Welfare's (HEW) Office of Civil Rights ordered UNC to produce a plan of affirmative action to ensure "that applicants are employed, and that employees are treated during employment, without regard to their race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. UNC-Chapel Hill, along with the 16 other campuses in the University system, submitted plans to HEW almost two years ago. These plans were rejected and another set was submitted last February. Last month this campus was notified that their second plan was incomplete. The University is now preparing a third submission to be sent to H EW within the next several weeks. Although HEW has not accepted UNCs plan, the University has gone ahead with various affirmative action efforts. On October 16, UNC Chancellor N. Fcrebee Taylor presented an affirmative action progress report to the Faculty Council. This report showed an increase of 15 blacks and 24 females on the faculty from September 1973 through September 1974. Blacks represented 2. 1 - News Analysis per cent of the faculty with females representing 17.6 per cent. According to enrollment figures last fall, blacks make up 6 per cent of the total student population. The Affirmative Action officer at UNC-Chapel Hill is Douglass Hunt, UNC Vice Chancellor for Administration. Hunt serves as a chairman for the' Affirmative Action Advisory Committee (AAAC) and is charged with putting the plan into effect for this campus. Last fall four of the committee's 22 members were students. The students on the committee have had some misgivings about the AAAC and Hunt's ability to be, an effective affirmative action officer. These doubts prompted UNC Student Body President Marcus Williams to present a resolution to the UNC Board of Trustees. This resolution called for a full-time independent University Affirmative Action officer and implied that Hunt's responsibilities as Vice Chancellor for Administration did not allow for such attention The Board voted 11-2 against the resolution. Williams feels the board used the current economic situation and lack of funds as a excuse for not facing the need for a full-time independent officer. This weekend. Hunt refused to comment on whether or not he could -effectively handle the job of affirmative action officer and Vice Chancellor at the same time. "It is my view that the committee has been performing those duties specified in the plan submitted to HEW, Hunt said. Recently some of the student members on the committee have questioned its effectiveness pointing out that no agreement has been reached on even very basic questions. It does not seem probable that HEW will use its most devastating weapon, the cutoff of federal funds, to force UNC to come up with an acceptable desegregation plan. As Richard Robinson, assistant to UNC President William Friday, said last week, "We will eventually submit a plan that is acceptable to HEW, but presently no one knows exactly what the perfect plan is. ' f i-1 v.V n enn w ijei py inmnsiiini by Alan Dawson United Press International SAIGON U.S. aircraft have been making regular reconnaissance flights over North Vietnam and Communist-held territory in the South in violation of the Vietnam peace agreement, a high-ranking American source said Sunday. American aircraft carriers and other warships have also made regular forays into the waters off South Vietnam during the. High'Wddn gathers by Tim Pittman Staff Writer members of the group moved on to the Bell 1 think we ought to have a straight High Despite warnings from University officials that the marijuana use at High Noon would be halted Friday, the Nooners met, and pot was smoked but the main topic on the Bell Tower lawn was High Noon's future. H igh Noon's ; meetings will continue, according to the group's leader, but without the pot. Several photographers atop Wilson library photographed about 50 High Nooners coming onto the Bell Tower lawn. An assistant dean of student life, who preferred to withhold her name, came to the meeting to explain the university's position to the group. She said a surveillance was a part of the plan to halt the marijuana use. "But I can't be absolutely sure the photographers are there for that purpose, the assistant dean said. By the end of last semester, approximately 250 people were joining the High Noon group on Fridays. . As the group congregated in front of the Greenlaw wall, the Nooner's leader, the student life representative, and other High Nooner's discussed the official warning. After a brief period of debate, about thirty Noon today," the leader said, "I hope you guys are clean." "I know many people come out here without smoking pot just to enjoy the fellowship and get away from the grade competition syndrome," the assistant dean of student life said. "For that reason, H igh Noon is a positive effort among the students," she. said. She said, however, that marijuana was. illegal, and that the university officials have a responsibility to uphold state law on campus. "This is the first time students have got off their asses for anything in a long time," one Nooner said. "It's about time the students here got behind a campus issue." There was talk of a beer or liquor High Noon, but public consumption of alcoholic beverages is also against state law, the student life representative said. About half the group smoked pot after the photographers left the roof of Wilson Library. When those Nooners who were smoking were finished, they left, depleting the group by about 10 persons. same period, the source said. He said the purpose of both actions is to serve notice on the Communists that U.S. support continues for the Saigon government. The reconnaissance flights over North Vietnam violate the 1973 pact signed in Paris' by Secretary of State Henry Kissinger and North Vietnamese negotiator Le Due Tho. The first paragraph of that agreement said : "The United States shall cease immediately, completely and indefinitely aerial' reconnaissance over the territory of the Democratic Republic of (North) Vietnam. The United States halted all such flights over South and North Vietnam after' Kissinger signed the communique, the source said, but they were ' resumed last winter "when it became dear they (the Communists) were stepping up the war and infiltration of troops and arms into the South." He said SR71 spy planes have made regular flights over North Vietnam, including Hanoi and Haiphong. In South Vietnam, the source said, pilotless drone aircraft with long-range cameras have been sent over Viet Cong areas just below the border with North Vietnam. The government in Saigon has printed aerial pictures of Communist activity behind Viet Cong lines, but refused to say how the photos were obtained. The source refused to confirm Communist claims that warplanes from the carriers have been launched while the ships are off Vietnam, but he agreed it is "standard practice" for warplanes to conduct "training missions" whenever the carriers are at sea. U.S. Embassy spokesmen have refused all comment on spy activity behind American aircraft and movements of the 7th Fleet since the signing of the Vietnam peace agreement. I 3 t.yV" . h i - ft .f i w. I - o X . ::: s V- A- - if f - -v- ' I i .v t . .4;-:- v 9 A :::::::::'J:::::S :-:-yyyy------- yv.-y.yyy. yyyyyyyy - :-:-:yyyyy!y 1B1 IPS v::-M- -y a &9y ;:f X-:;:i;..-,- :::.:::: WyWMi- i yff Hp! j 4 i . ..ii lMmyM -s ..--''.- .A UPf tetophoto South Vietnamese soldier mans makeshift roadblock as fifth day of increased fighting in the South continued IglheF room remit projected. by Vernon Loeb Staff Writer The Housing Department's Budget Advisory Committee has agreed to use a projected 12.5 per cent room rent increase as part of the Department's projected budget for next year. Committee chairman Doug Mallory, director of housing finances, told the Residence Hall Association (RHA) representatives and resident assistants Thursday that the committee must now decide how to distribute the increase. Either this year's rent can be increased 1 2.5 per cent across the board, or, as M aliory . favors, the men's dormitory rent could be increased by 17 per cent, while increasing the coed dorm rent 13 per cent and the women's rent 10 per cent. Although the men's and coed dorm increases are greater than women's increase, Mallory noted that eventually, under the stipulations of Title IX, the rent of all dorms will have to become equal. This projected increase in next year's room rent has been caused by wage increases, a 12-15 per cent increase in utility costs, a 34 per cent increase in steam heating costs, and a 100 per cent increase in the cost of toilet tissue. Mallory also seemed confident that the increase would not be any more than 1 2.5 per cent. Such an increase will bring an additional $390,000 revenue to the Housing Department next year. Increasing men's, women's and coed rent by 17, 10 and 13 per cent respectively would make the transition to a differential system to be used in 1976-1977 much easier, Mallory said. When the differential rent system is started, there will not be set room rates for men, women and coed dorms. Different dormitories will carry different rents, depending upon the quality of lounge, recreation, and study space, as well as room size and location. hoes: are I 1 M 1- jcariii q iS. . 9 yy., t ',' , i , , 1 ' f .w; i y' fy ",' " ' i -,.iiiiiiiiH S gUgyW-y& ySMyyWyyyyimi Mfcy- t ;" "h J l ' .J ' 'y' - , "mr - ' ' yys V y- V . t,' " ' ' yr yy' : ' t ' fn - - - I - I - 5 ' t -' ; -.i ; I he y help ra or harmful? by Sandra Millers Staff Writer ' yyyy-yyyyyyyyyyy. . . & - y y-y -y yy y.yyyjt 'wuMMw6mtfmmmK;,Hmm r lllrf:tlllllnlllllllllllMlv.vWr...?.-)gy.- Staff photo by Martha Stemm Chspsl H:i Is one of two North Carolina towns which sell Earth Shoes ' By now, you know what they look like. Wide toes. Dropped heels. Definitely on the chunky side. In fact, chances are you're among the several thousand Chapel Hill pedestrians who have invested around $35 in your very own pair. Of Earth Shoes, that is. Why? Maybe it was the improved posture, respiration and circulation promised in the Earth Shoes brochure that struck your fancy. Or the friendly atmosphere of the funky little Earth Shoes shop perched atop the red, white and blue fire escape on Franklin Street. Or maybe it was just that your roommate and the 82 per cent of the people you know already had at least one pair apiece. Whatever the reason, the Earth Shoes idea has undoubtedly caught on, and Chapel Hill, as one of only two North Carolina cities where the shoes can be bought, has quickly become a center of Earth Shoes enthusiasm. A rag to riches fairy tale if you ever heard one. However. Enter James S. Kunen, the villain of the piece.In a recent article in New Times magazine, Kunen, although admitting to Earth Shoes ownership riimself ("Mine are blue suede"), proceeds to "get to the bottom" of the Earth Shoes mystique by quoting several of the nation's foot men podiatrists and orthopedists.' With research concluded, author Kunen presents a consensus alarming enough to rock any Earth Shoes initiate back on his heels. ' Kunen's contacts were split down the middle in their opinions of the Earth Shoes effects on posture and back support. Half, including Dr. Richard Schuster, director of the Department of Bio-mechanics at the New York College of Podiatry, said neither heels nor minus-heels affect posture one way or the other. "The primary motion is at the ankle joint," Schuster explained. "There's no real reason it should affect the back." The other half, including Dr. Jack Stern, a Chicago podiatrist, believed the dropped-heel idea is an unnatural one. "Humans are not meant to function that way," Stern said, listing back problems, arthritis, knee stress and strained ligaments as the possible consequences of defying Mother Nature. "All the doctors agreed that a shoe with a front heel which is what Earth Shoes have will aggravate the pain of high arches and cause severe tendonitis and strained calf muscles in people with short Achilles tendons, Kunen concluded. Pretty scary stuff. Especially for an Earth Shoes addict. But Eleanor Jacobs . at the Earth Shoes American corporate headquarters in New York has a few foot experts of her own to quote. "For every podiatrist quoted by Mr. Kunen, 1 could quote you one who's spoken favorably about Earth Shoes," Jacobs said Friday. t "First of all, Earth Shoes are not claimed to be a panacea for anything, she continued. "But we get prescriptions from podiatrists who send their patients to us." Jacobs said recent independent and unsolicited scientific research on negative-heel shoes, including the Earth Shoe, has indicated that the idea may indeed be a good one. Jacobs 'quoted the findings of two Cleveland podiatrists published in last September's Medical World News. According to these two doctors, most people stand off balance, and the theoretical method of distributing body weight more evenly is to put a lift under the front foot the basic idea behind the Earth' Shoe's negative heel construction. ' Clarifying the context of Kunen's concluding warnings of painful arches and calf muscles, Jacobs quoted Dr. Thomas E. Sgaralto, Chairman of the Department of Biomechanics and Professor of Surgery at the California College of Podiatry. "Earth Shoes can be either very good or very bad," Sgaralto has reported. "It's the first shoe that balances the position of the foot." And balancing the foot means 30 per cent of the population specifically those with congenitally short Achilles tendons, excessively high arches or excessively flat feet may find Earth Shoes uncomfortable. But, the Sgaralto report maintains, the remaining 70 per cent of the population could benefit from balanced feet. "Mr. Kunen has taken one point of view," Jacobs concluded, "and I'm afraid his story is unfair journalism." Meanwhile, Chapel Hill podiatrist Dr. Morton B. Gaines 'expressed a third school of thought on the negative-heel controversy neutrality. I don't think it matters, he said. From the podiatrists point of view, Gaines said, there's nothing bad about the Earth shoe, and he listed a couple of advantages, including their wedge shape. Most shoes don't look like feet," he said. "Earth Shoes do, and this is a real plus. The wedgie idea is a good principle in shoes. Gaines agreed with critics of the shoe that walking on lowered heels may result in sore calf muscles, but he thinks this may be good. "It stretches the calf muscles, which get shortened over a period of years as the result of walking on heels," he said. Gaines said he does object to the price of the shoes and to their construction, which he termed "shoddy." They'd be improved if they had a counter or rigid piece around the heel," he said. Last but not least, local Earth Shoes state manager Joey Sinreich offered his own comments on the product he sells. "I've got what you might call clinical experience," Sinreich said Friday.y"In the past two years, we've sold seven to eight thousand pairs of Earth Shoes. And we've never had a person come back with the complaints Kunen lists. You'd think out of eight thousand there'd be at least one' with those difficulties. And so the story goes. To heel or not to heel...that is the question. And in the absence of definitive scientific recommendations, for the consumer there's only one answer. Pay your money and take your, choice. 4