6 The Daily Tar Heel Monday, Seotember
Greg Porter
Editor
Ben Cornelius, Managing Editor
Ed Rankin, Associate Editor
Lou Bilionis, Associate Editor
Laura Scism, University Editor
, Elliott Potter, City Editor
Chuck Alston, State and National Editpr
Sara Bullard, Features Editor
Chip Ensslin. Arts Editor
Gene Upchurch, Sports Editor
. Allen Jernioan, Photography Editor
Condie harasses students,
blames marshal for blunder
Using fire safety concerns as a smokescreen. Housing Director James
Condie moved arbitrarily and unfairly to dismantle all but two campus bed
lofts last week. Condie claimed the student-built structures were unsafe in
the eyes of the state fire marshal. He ordered that they be torn down and
established a committee to set guidelines for loft construction and
maintenance in the next two weeks.
Yet, even as he feigned concern for student safety, Condie proved much
less than sincere in his dealings with students. Condie announced that the
state fire marshal had nixed the lofts, but Kenneth Dixon, state fire marshal,
denied ruling against dorm lofts and told the Daily Tar Heel he had never
even spoken with Condie. Dixon said, in fact, that the majority of dorm lofts
are in compliance with state regulations. He said lofts are safe as long as they
are: 1) painted with fire retardant paint; 2) sturdily supported by cross
braces; and 3) free of flammable materials such as parachute silk and
draperies.
When confronted with these facts, Condie replied to the Daily Tar Heel.
uIf you print this story, you'll have me to deal with." Condie has yet to "deal
with us," nor has he deigned to offer honest, sensible reasons lor his
harassment of loft-owning students.
questions, but he gives no answers.
For instance, Condie says his committee will set new guidelines within a
couple of weeks. If this is so, then why has he ordered students to tear the
lofts down, only to reconstruct them under new specifications two weeks
later? Why can't Condie accept the state's fire code, keep the safe lofts up
and bring the rest into compliance with the law? Our housing car seems
more interested in tearing down lofts than in making them safe.
And what of Condie's committee? Simply, it is a stacked deck for him to
"deal with." Five of the 10 members work for Condie in University Housing,
including one whose loft has been left standing as a "model" for study. One
of the remaining five has also bargained to keep her loft up as a model. Three
of the remaining four asked to be on the committee because their lofts have
been ordered down. So Condie has just the sort of committee he wants
one that is dependent on him, be it for loft or for job. In short, Condie's
committee is designed to quiet the critics with "student input," lead the issue
quietly into obscurity and leave the czar to do as he wishes.
This farce of "student input" is consistent with Condie's approach to the
whole matter. Condie wants no publicity or real input. He asks only to be
left alone to bother students as he pleases.
We cannot oblige him. Condie has made a mistake and should recognize
it as such. There is little question that lofts should be safe and comply with
state regulations, but they should also go back up without further delay.
Any other course or 'action is a petty harassment of students.
cookie case that crumbled
The Great Chocolate-Chip. Cookie Caper is kaput.
A New York judge dismissed charges Saturday against Lawrence E.
Wallick, who had been accused of eating a chocolate-chip cookie in public
at Ocean Beach and Wallick's friend, Ruth Bushnell, who had the audacity
to eat a piece of crumbcake at the same beach.
The two were arrested because of a local ordinance designed to prevent
littering. The judge decided to dismiss the case after the prosecutor agreed
with the defense attorney that the ordinance was discriminatory police
were nabbing cookie munchers but not ice-cream tickers.
The law was supposed to apply to those people whose food left a residue
of bones or wrappers, not to those devotees of cookies or ice cream. Soon,
however, police decided to protect the denizens of Ocean Beach from those
people brandishing double dip cones or armed with Oreos.
Wallick was jubilant when he heard that the cookie case had crumbled.
When he returns to his summer home next year, he said, "The first thing I'm
going to do is walk down the street eating a chocolate-chip cookie."
The ordinance, at most, offers food for thought.
Mickey Michaux now enforces civil
GREENSBORO In the heat of the
civil rights movement of the 1960s, he
was one of the protestors who occupied
Durham City Hall. Later, he and 500
other blacks were arrested for sitting in
at the Howard Johnson's Motor Lodge
in Durham.
Today, Mickey Michaux is enforcing
the civil rights laws he demonstrated for
10 years ago. He is U.S. attorney for the
Federal District Court in Greensboro.
The only black federal prosecutor in
the South, Michaux says he is just
following through to the end result of
the civil rights movement in which he
participated.
"I'm fulfilling what the civil rights
movement was all about," Michaux
said. "I'm taking an active part in the
total society."
Since July, part of Michaux'sjob has
been to enforce the civil rights laws he
agitated for in the 1960s. But, he says,
blacks still have a long path ahead in
achieving total acceptance from the
nation's white majority.
"The Constitution still says the black
is only three fifths of a human being,"
Michaux said. "But even so, the black
has come a hell of a long way in the last
hundred years."
Michaux has come a long way, too.
He was born in Durham and attended
high school at Palmer Memorial
Institute, a prestigious school for blacks
in Greensboro that closed several vears
19, 1977
fiailij
(Ear Hrrl
85th year of editorial freedom
Condie's actions raise a lot o
ago. Armed with a bachelor's degree in
biology from N.C. Central U niversity in
Durham he was drafted by the U.S.
Army in 1952.
Intent on becoming a doctor,
Michaux enrolled in graduate school at
Rutgers University and took courses to
prepare him for medical school. New
York Medical College accepted him in
1 955, but M ichaux returned to Durham
to work in his father's insurance and real
estate business before going to med
school.
'IN QUOTES'
Hv DAVID STACKS
"Well. 1 got back dow n here and liked
the work," Michaux said. So he used his
G.l. benefits to enroll in NCCU law
school part-time while continuing to
work for his father.
He graduated with honors in 1964.
After changing his mind about entering
law school and three unsuccessful
campaigns for the N.C. House of
Representatives, he became an assitant
prosecutor in Durham County in 1969.
Michaux won his fourth race for the
state House in 1972. During his first
session in Raleigh, he was one of only
three black legislators, something of an
oddity.
"Being that conspicuous actually was
beneficial." Michaux said. "A lot of
Alter-ego helps map strategy for senate race
liy CHUCK ALSTON
I got to thinking the other day (a
dangerous event in the newspaper business),
wondering about my future and all that. The
prospects of suffering through a career as a
starving reporter didn't seem too appetizing.
So I said to myself. "Self, what you need is
a change. Something to pick you up. Your
esteem and prestige aren't what they should
be."
And myself replied. "You know, that's
true. And I'm the one that has to lake the
blame for it when it shows through. You
can't imagine what it's like."
"Well, what do you want to do about it?" I
countered, not wanting to let myself get the
edge on me.
"1 don't know. I haven't given it a lot of
thought, but maybe, just maybe, I have the
answer. It'll solve the prestige problem,
spread your name around and everything.
But. . . naw. it's too crav."
"Come on." I said back. "It never hurts to
try out an idea. Let me hear it."
"Well. okay. I was just thinking, why don't
MCI UTlrtklf
111 jvjrfinyi,
letters to the
Schoolkids
To the editor:
This is to express amusement at the
innocence portrayed in the cartoon by Allen
Edwards in Wednesday's (Sept. 13) paper.
The drawing shows two scared, sell-minding
"schoolkids" about to be devoured by a
raging, dinosauric "Record Bar" and seems
to be commenting on the imminent fate of
the Schoolkids Records store on Franklin
Street which has recently acquired a new
neighbor.
Should one sympathize for this poor
populist victim of the Hexing of a corporate
muscle? Well, consider some more details.
Schoolkids is a part of a Georgia-based
chain that specializes in opening low-budget
stores in very close proximity to successful
record outlets. By taking advantage of their
chain's massive purchasing capabilities,
Schoolkids is able to undercut the
competition's prices. If they can maintain
volume, they stay; if not. they disappear
quickly and quietly (evidence Schoolkid's
Durham store). The first store originally
invests in developing the market and the
location, after which Schoolkids enters and
profits by waving their low-price banner in
front of the workhorse's clientele.
those guys in the General Assembly
figured if you were a black and had
gotten yourself elected, you had to be a
'super nigger.' Otherwise, there was no
w ay you could have been elected, right?"
Michaux says he was irritated by that
attitude, but he took advantage of it.
"Since they figured 1 had to be so
smart, they listened to w hat I said, and I
was able to get things done." Michaux
said.
One of Michaux's biggest legislative
accomplishments was getting $360,000
appropriated to NCCU's law school.
That was a personal victory for
Michaux. because he flunked the bar
exam twice before he finally was
admitted as a practicing attorney in
1966.
Michaux represented Durham
County in the House for three terms
until President Carter appointed him
U.S. attorney in July. When he resigned
his House seat at the end of the 1977
session, his colleagues gave him a
standing ovation after he made a speech
calling for racial equality.
Michaux, 47. has seen things change
since 1958. the year he first became
aware that blacks were not getting a lair
shake from society.
"People began to change," Michaux
said. " I hey began to realize the only
difference between me and anybody else
is the pigmentation of my skin.
"I hey began to sec that I bled and
you run for the U.S. Senate. It's a popular
thing to do these days and. . ."
"WHAT!! you're crazy," I cried out,
waking up. my roommate.
"What's going on," he muttered. "You
talking to yourself again?"
Hah. I thought to myself, and myself
laughed too. Little does he know.
"Naw. just a bad dream, go back to sleep."
"Good work." said myself. "Now. let's talk
about running for the Senate."
"I STILL THINK!!"
"Shhhh. you'll wake him up again." myself
whispered. "Part of politics is keepingthings
close to your chest. I can see you have a lot to
learn already."
"OK. I'll talk about it. but why?"
"Here's why." myself answered.
"Everybody is doing it. Just look around
you. 01' Jesse has to defend his seat next
year, and the Democrats are running into
each other trying to decide who is going to
run. Look at 'em. Just the other day there
was a line of people in front of the secretary
ol state's office waiting to file papers to run."
"You mean it's that popular? I thought
you had to be someone special to run for the
Senate. You know, Daniel Webster. Henry
Clay and all that."
editor
records no victim of corporate muscle
In Chapel Hill, we have a particularly
interesting situation. Years ago. a pleasant
little operation opened above Columbia
Street calling themselves Springfield
Records, selling their records at very low
prices. They prospered and moved to above
Franklin Street. After a time, there was
discord, and one of the founding paitners
left to open the beautitul Buffalo Records
store on street level almost directly across
Franklin. Buffalo's opening dealt the final
blow loan already tumbling Springfield, but
the new business soon found itself facing a
more formidable competitor as Schoolkids
entered the scene with their traditional "store
across the street." As an independent.
Buffalo could not afford to compete with the
chain's rock-bottom prices, and it therefore
wasn't long before the lines which had once
gathered to liquidate Springfield's inventory
returned to pay the same homage to Buffalo.
Shortly thereafter, the entrepeneur behind
Buffalo (and originally with Springfield) re
crossed Franklin Street and is now operating
Schoolkids.
Meanwhile, the sleeping Record Bar has
been awakened by the scurrying of little feet
under its nose and has lifted a paw to stifle
rights for which he protested in '60s
cried like everybody else and had the
same feelings and limitations as
everybody else." Michaux said.
"The satisfaction came in seeing
people who had gone so long without
hope come to realize they were not
inferior." he said.
Michaux says the civil rights
movement has changed since he and
others occupied city hall and sat in at
lunch counters.
"We're in a new phase of the
movement," Michaux said. "Instead of
demonstrations and sit-ins, blacks are
becoming more involved in politics and
economics."
The civil rights movement has
changed in other ways, too. Michaux
says people who once campaigned
against the movement have mellowed in
their ways.
"We had a local Ku Klux Klan in
Durham." Michaux said. "And 1 knew
the grand dragon. As time went on, he
began to accept some things.
Eventually, he was an active supporter
of my candidacy. And when he was
running for public office, he came to the
black community and sought black
votes.
"Things just seem to be moving in that
direction." Michaux said. "1 daresay
that a generation from now. people will
wonder what the hell the civil rights
movement was all about. People will be
accepted as people
'That's the trouble with you." myself
answered. "You never thinkenoughofme."
"lell me about it."
"Here's the plan," myself said. "Luther
Hodges Jr., a Charlotte banker: McNeill
Smith, a state senator from Guilford
County; E. Lawrence Davis, a state senator
from Forsyth County; David McK night, a
former editorial writer for a Fayetteville
newspaper; Hugh Cannon, Terry Sanford's
friend; and Joe Helmut are already in the
race. And Rufus Edmisten. N.C.'s attorney
general, and John Ingram, the N.C.
insurance commissioner, are still thinking
about the race, seriously."
"Joe who?" 1 said.
"Felmut. f-e-l-m-u-t. from Winston
Salem." myself replied. "A cable TV
salesman and world peace candidate.
Remember, he ran against Rep. Steve Neal
for Congress a couple of years ago."
"That's a lot of people." I said.
"Sure, but that's my point," myself
answered. "Look at 'em. They don't know up
from down. H ugh Cannon, one of the first to
announce for the race, is already thinking
about dropping out of the race and probably
will make a statement later this month. Dave
McK night, despite his walk across the state
the noise by moving their downtown store to
within one shop width of Schoolkids and
operating at whatever loss is necessary to
squeeze the competition out of the market.
And so. the Franklin Street record karma
continues. U ndoubtedly. w hen Schoolkids is
out of the picture. Record Bar prices will
soar. The result of the bitter competitions for
Chapel Hill's discount record business will
be much higher prices for everybody.
Could a reasonably-priced record store
ever survive in Chapel H ill? I doubt it, unless
more consumers (such as you?) were willing
to pay a little more in order to do business
with a company that is more interested in
providing a continuing service than in the
temporary ego-gratification of posting
unrealistically low prices and watching each
other go broke. The dime that you saved
yesterday by going across the street will cost
you a dollar tomorrow when all of the non
exhorbitant record outlets are gone.
As for the Record Bar. the cost of this little
chuckle will be only a tiny fraction of their
corporate profits.
Steve Tulsky
Graduate student
Business School
U.S. attorney
Michaux seems right at home in the
political arena. With his experience in
state politics and as U.S. attorney, he
says he is eyeing a Congressional seat if
one favorable to his candidacy is created
after the 1980 census.
Another sequence of events could
change the timetable. If N.C. Attorney
General Rufus Edmisten resigns to run
for the U.S. Senate next year.Gov. Jim
Hunt may appoint Michaux to fill
Fdmisten's unexpired term.
"All this is hypothetical, of course,"
to stir up interest in his campaign, really
doesn't have a good shot at it. Now, McNeill
Smith has been working hard, and the jury is
still out on his campaign, but both he and
Davis have a name recognition problem.
Smith may be the longshot, but some of his
positions on issues in the General Assembly
may take too much explaining to make
effective campaign material."
"Yeah, sounds pretty good so far. Go on,"
1 said. "But what about Hodges. Edmisten
and Ingram? That's some competition."
"Weeeeellllll," myself said, "1 guess you
could be right. But then again, Rufus just
hasn't made up his mind about the whole
thing. He's pretty crafty. He doesn't want to
start something he can't finish. As a matter
of fact, he had a poll taken to test the
political water, and when the results are
collated later this month, we'll know for
sure. Rufus's people have been telling him, I
hear, that he could probably win the
primary, but beating Jesse may be too much.
He might be able to get the money to do it, if
he gets started early, and he's good on the
stump. He probably won't run."
"And .Hodges, what about Hodges?" I
asked, starting to get excited about the idea.
"He's off and running," myself said
cautiously, "and he's got money behind him.
But a lot of that money may disappear if the
conservative Democrats put their money in
with Jesse. Besides, he's not that inspiringon
the stump. I'm told. Talk is, though, that
being just to the left of Jesse, not much, you
see, but a little, may not be a bad thing if he
wins the primary. Reason is, the Demos
might not have any other choice, and he may
still be able to pull some of that conservative
support, too."
"And Ingram, what about him?" I asked.
"Ingram. He'd like to run. but the support
probably isn't there, unless, of course, the
insurance industry backs him just to get him
out of their hair."
"Well." I said, "it all sounds okay, but 1
don't have any money. And they do."
"M oney." myself said. "All you're worried
about is money. Hah. Who needs money in
the post-Watergate days? Honesty, that's the
thing. And you don't have any record to
defend."
"Self." I said, "you dream too much. I'm
going back to the saltmines. Who nec'is
prestige anyway."
"But I've got the papers and. . ."
C huck Alston, a junior political science
major from Greensboro, N.C, is state and
national editor for the Dailv Tar Heel.
Keep your goodies
To the editor:
1 have just received a complimentary
"Collegiate Communications" packet from
Southern Bell containing:
one plastic pencil holder
a book in which to list phone numbers
a pad for records of longdistancecalls
two bookmarks (shaped like telephone
receivers)
two postcards with a place to fill in a
class schedule on the back, and
a long distance rate wheel.
These gift packages were provided for
every girl in my dorm coincidentally about
one day before the phone bills began
arriving. If this ploy was intended to soften
my heart, it didn't work. 1 don't want these
items and I don't need them. Distributing
this junk seems to me to be nothing more
than a ridiculous waste of money my
money! Southern Bell, why don't you keep
your goodies and lower your rates?!?
Dianne Hubbard
307 Kenan
Mickey Michaux
Michaux said. The attorney general's
post depends on whether M ichaux is on
good political terms with Hunt.
"You can set certain goals for yourself
in business and in school," Michaux
said. "But not in politics. You just have
to ride the tide. And man, I'm high on
the wave."
David Stacks, a sophomore
journalism major from Blowing Rock,
N.C, is a staff writer for the Daily Tar
Heel.
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