f ' The Daily Tar Heel Tuesday. October 11. 1977
Greg Porter
Editor
Ben Cornelius, Managing Editor
Ed Rankin, Associate Editor
Lou BiUONis, Associate Editor
Laura Scism, University Editor
Elliott Potter, City Editor
Chuck Alston, State and National Editor
Sara But lard, Features Editor
Cnrp Ensslin, Arts Editor
Gene Upchurch, Sport Editor
Allen Jernigan, Photography Editor'
Bathj
(Jar lirrl
85th year of editorial freedom
Questionable questioning?
Last spring, a group called the Orange Committee seriously challenged
the right of students to vote in local elections. The challenge took
registration procedures as the main point of attack, as the gentlemen of the
Orange Committee claimed the "proper" questions were not asked of
students who wished to register in Carrboro and Chapel Hill.
This year, the propriety of the questions asked by election registrars is
again a bone of contention. Carrboro mayoral candidate Robert Drakef'ord
said Sunday he has received calls from several students who feel they were
asked questions not pertinent to establishing their eligibility as voters. He
cited two examples of questions reportedly asked of students: "Do you plan
to live here the rest of your life?" and "Did you know your parents will lose
you as a tax deduction if you register in Orange County?" The Dailv Tar
Heel, oo, has received a number of complaints from students. Drakeford's
observations have been echoed in each and every case.
The facts of the matter are that tax deductions are in no way related to
whether a student registers to vote in Orange County, and guaranteed
lifetime residency is an irrelevant and impertinent proposition which serves
better to frustrate a potential voter than establish any basis for judgment of
eligibility.
Al ter the Orange Committee debacle, it seemed that the range of proper
questions was established once and for all. Nine questions are required by
the state elections board, and, although some of them are of a personal
nature, they are not nearly as insipid as "Do you plan to live here the rest of
your life?"
The questions to be asked of the Orange County Board ot hlections, on
the other hand, are of critical importance and relevance. If the allegations
are true, then why do registrars employ questions which have nothing to do
with a voter's eligibility? Why do they spread false rumors that serve only to
intimidate students? Why are they still dissatisfied with the questions which
are used throughout the state? And why aren't they monitored more strictly
to ensure that only proper questions are asked?
Joseph Nassif, chairperson of the board of elections, said Monday he
would hear complaints only from those denied the right to vote in Orange
County, and refused to act on Drakeford's complaint because he can't
depend on "fifth-hand information."
Although no student may have been denied the right to vote, the
allegations cast the registrars' questions in a very questionable light. We
urge any student who feels irrelevant questions were asked while registering
to vote to report his or her experience to Student Government (in Suite C of
the Carolina Union or the Daily Tar Heel. And any student who feels his or
her right to vote was denied as a result of misleading information or
questioning should contact the Orange County Board of Elections
immediately.
We are entitled to our franchise and we should be allowed to obtain it
without undue hassles. Unfortunately, we are forced from time to time to
defend these rights. This promises to be one of those times.
Drop hearing needs voices
Since school began this fall, letters, editorials and more letters have
appeared on this page criticizing or praising the four-week drop period. It's
fairly obvious who stands where on this issue.
Student letters and the Daily Tar eehave repeatedly insisted that four
weeks is simply not enough time for students to assess a course's value to
them and whether they can fit the course into their academic schedule.
Letters from faculty members have supported the present four-week drop
period and said extending the drop period would just result in more
"frivolous" drops by students.
Tonight at 8 p.m. students may have the last chance to show their dislike
over the four-week drop period. The Campus Governing Council will hold
an open meeting in Rooms 213-215 of the Carolina Union to discuss the
effects of the shortened drop period on students and come up with an
alternative length of time. Student Government will then make a formal
recommendation at the Faculty Council's Oct. 21 meeting that the drop
period be extended.
Educational Policy Committee members argue that because no students
showed up at the open meeting a couple of weeks ago, students must not be
too concerned with the length of their drop period. They stated that the
M oss-Lassiter report recommending an extended drop period was excellent
but that no other student opinion was expressed. They must assume that the
M oss-Lassiter report could not be representative of student opinion on the
matter that it is just the opinion of two student leaders.
So because the policy committee is impressed by numbers, we should give
them numbers at tonight's meeting. The Faculty Council must be shown
that extension of the drop period is not the interest of a few individuals and
the campus newspaper but of the overwhelming majority of students.
The Daily Tar Heel
News: Tony Gunn. assistant editor; Mark Andrews, Mike Coyne, Meredith Crews. Shelley
Droescher, Brute Ellis. Betsy Flagler. Grant Hamill, Lou Harncd, Stephen Harris, Kathy Hart,
Nancy Hartis, Chip Highsmith, Keith Hollar, Steve Huettel, Jaci Hughes, Jay Jennings. George
Jeter, Ramona Jones. Will Jones. Julie Knight, Eddie Marks, Amy McRary. Elizabeth Messick,
Beverly Mills. Beth Parsons, Chip Pearsall. Bernie Ransbottom, Evelyn Sahr, George Shadroui,
Vanessa Siddle, Barry Smith, David Stacks, Melinda Stovall, Robert Thomason, Howard
Troxler, Mike Wade, Martha Waggoner, David Walters and Ed Williams.
News Desk: Reid Tuvim, assistant managing editor, Copy chief: Keith Hollar. Copy editors:
Richard Barron, Amy Colgan, Kathy Curry, Dinita James, Carol Lee, Michele Mecke, Lisa
Nieman, Dan Nobles, Melanie Sill, Melinda Stoall, Melanie Topp and Larry Tupler.
Sports: Lee Pace, assistant editor; Evan Appcl, Dcde Biles, Bill Fields, Skip Foreman. Tod
Hughes, Dinita James. Dave McNeill, Pete Mitchell, David Poole, Ken Roberts, Rick Scoppe,
Frank Snyder, Will Wilson and Isabel Worthy.
entures: Jell Brad. , Zap Brueckner, David Craft, Debbie Moose, Dan Nobles. Lynn W'illiford,
Peter Hapke, Tim Smith, Etta Lee. Kimberly McGuire and Ken Roberts.
Arts and Entertainment: Melanie Modlin, assistant editor; Hank Baker, Becky Burcham, Pat
Green, Marianne Hansen, l.ibby Lewis and Valerie Van Arsdale.
Graphic Arts: Artists: Dan Brady. Alien Edwards, Cliff Marley, Jocelyn Pettibonc, I ee Poole
and John lomlinson. Photographers: Fred Barbour. Joseph Thomas, Michael Sneed and Sam
ulwood.
Business: Verna Taylor, business manager. Claire Baglcy. assistant business manager. Mike
Neville, David Squires and Howard Troxler. Ciiculation manager: Bill Baglcy.
Advertising: Dan Collins, manager; Carol Bcdsole, assistant sales manager; Steve Crowcll,
classifieds manager, Julie Coston, Neal Kimball, Cynthia Lesley, Anne Sherril and Melanie
Stokes. Ad layout: l:cln Sahr.
Composition Editors: I rank Moore and Nancy Oliver
Composition and Makeup: I AC Printing Dipt Robcil Jasmkicwic, supervisor. Robcrl
Streeter. Geamc McMillan. Judy Dunn. C.nolyii Kuhn, David Paiker. Join I'cteis. Steve
(Jiiakenbush arid Duke Sullivan
Quota system ignores merits of the.individual
To the editor:
In his article on the Bakke case("Bakke
victory would be loss lor all minorities," Oct.
1). M r. Lancaster forgets that a quota system
ignores the merits of the individual. Allan
Bakke is not responsible lor "two centuries
of slavery and racial discrimination." Would
Mr. Lancaster maintain his altruistic
attitude if he were deprived of an
opportunity in order to salve the conscience
of some knee-jerk liberal'.'
As long as am distinction between races is
made, racism will exist. I do not deny that
minorities should receive a fair chance -this
I believe wholeheartedly. Quotas do not
insure everyone a fair chance; they only
extend privilege to a different group of
people. Two wrongs do not make a right.
Until we insure the right of every individual,
white or black, to a fair shake, the problem
of discrimination will not be solved.
Peter Bainbridge
27 Old East
To the editor:
Tell any liberal that you oppose reverse
discrimination, euphemistically called
affirmative action, and you will
automatically be denounced as racist,
reactionary, or as an ultra-right crypto-Nai.
Thus, Mr. Lancaster's article comes as pretty
old stuff: the big bad right is at it again,
threatening to take away minority rights
which were so painfully acquired by those
paradigms of justice, goodness, sweetness
and light.
These paradigms exemplify a very
arrogant moral persuasion, believing that
only they are concerned with injustice. But to
say that they are for eradicating injustice is
incorrect; clearly, reverse discrimination
does not reduce injustice, but merely inflicts
it on a different group. But this is ok with
Mr. Lancaster. He is quite willing to make
his amends with minorities at the expense of
some innocent third party. In reality, Mr.
Lancaster proves himself to be a racist, ready
to violate the l4 Civil Rights Act. which
prohibits discrimination.
Mr. Lancaster is dismayed at the
"rightward trend in the (Supreme) Court's
philosophy." In that case, I would suggest he
take notice of the words of William O.
Douglass, that hero of the far-left, who
realized in a rare moment ol intelligence that
"there is no constitutional right for any race
to be preferred."
Kick Kama
425 Avery
Is the race fair?
To the editor:
There has been a great amount of publicity
recently about "reverse discrimination."The
Bakke case has brought out into thebpen
just what some insecure white males have
thought about for a while: minorities are
going to edge them out of some
opportunities because the pointed-head
liberals are trying to make up for past
injustices.
the type of exercises on those tests B has
had little or no exposusp to uch fcsts. A
scores 1250 on the Scholastic Aptitude Test
B. 1200. Which one truly his the greater
capacity lor learning?
One of the battle cries ol thejnsecure white
males is: "Why don't we jilstget rid of the
quotas and give the positions to the best
qualified? Then everyone will have an equal
chance." That is bull. Here's an analogy: A is
a trained sprinter. B has not had the use of
his legs for most of his life. But because of a
medical breakthrough. B can now walk. A
and B are both put on the starting line, and
the starter says, "At the sound of the gun,
you will run a 100-yard dash. You both have
an equal chance of winning; so may the best
man win." The outcome of the race is
painfully obvious. Even though the.start
looks fair, A has had a lifetime headstart
over B. Therefore, is the race really fair?
Jenny Lanier
228 Spencer
letters to the editor
That is pure rubbish. M inorities have been
pushed around by the majority for a while.
Blacks in particular have been given the
shaft. Before busing and during the
"separate but equal" period, blacks have had
to squeeze an education out of poorly
funded, ill-equipped schools with usually
less-than-top-rated faculties. But even with
institutionalized racism, some blacks
managed to score almost as high, and higher,
on tests that were based on the projected
proficiency of students who had received a
better education overall.
Let's look at an analogy: A has had a top
quality education B. a poor education. A
has been exposed to testing situations and
Bare Gallery
To the editor:
Since the beginning of the fall semester the
Union Gallery Committee has presented
three art exhibits in the Union's South
Gallery along with two exhibits in the
Union's showcases. Of the three exhibits in
the South Gallery, all have been vandalized
or damaged, and in one exhibit theft has
occurred.
I find it very difficult to understand why
people take pieces of art and mutilate them
and thereby discourage the prospects of
future exhibits. It is my job, and the
committee's, to provide the student body
with various gallery ehibits, but why should
we continue to provide such exhibits if they
are just to be dismantled and vandalized
within one day of opening? I am writing this
letter to those of you who are wondering why
the Gallery is bare and why the Union
Gallery Committee is not doing anything at
this time.
I am sure many of you are as dismayed as 1
about thecurrent situation and I hopethatin
some way the problem can be resolved.
Susanna Bowen, chairperson
Carolina Union Gallery Committee
Turnout great
To the editor:
On behalf of the women's field hockey
team, I would like to thank everyone who
attended the UNC vs. UVa game. The large
turnout boosted the team's morale
immensely.
Though our team lost. I think the
spectators will agree that one seldom sees
field hockey played so well below the
Mason-Dixon line. Everyone who enjoyed
the game Friday is reminded that the Tar
Heels' next game will be Tuesday, Oct. 1 1 , at
3 p.m. against Catawba. This game (as the
four remaining home games) will be played
on James field.
Thanks again, fans and team.
Dana Cagle
614 James
Floundering
To the editor:
David Bodenheimer declared that he was
not "floundering " he will enter UNC Law
School next fall ('Trying to help,' Letters,
Oct. 6).
Mr. Bodenheimer. you are about to
flounder like you have never floundered
before.
George H. Masterson
UNC Law School
7d see you, so
j. uzi Hin in
ITS OKAY....
v
-r v s sjt n .
Police must obtain consent
before searching premises
Editor's Note: This advice was prepared by Student Legal Services which
maintains an office in Suite C of the Carolina Union. UNC students have
prepaid for this service and may obtain advice at no additional charge.
Police can justify a warrantless search of your home or apartment on
several grounds, and one of them is consent. The officers must obtain your
freely given permission to enter and their search is limited to those areas and
methods to which you agree. Officers appearing at your door and asking to
search the premises, however, are not required to inform you that you have
the right to refuse to consent.
Furthermore, it is possible that persons other than yourself can consent to a
search of your apartment. While your landlord's consent is inadequate, any
cooccupant with whom you share access and control of the premises has the
right to authorize the search. The law bases this on the theory that by sharing
your home you "assume the risk" that the other person might give you
consent. Such a person cannot consent to a search of any area (closet, desk
drawer, etc.) which you use exclusively. He or she can authorize a search of
any of your private possessions if he or she has been allowed to use them or has
been allowed access to them.
ADVICE FOR THE DAY: 1) You have the right to refuse a warrantless
search of your home; 2) Do not physically resist a police officer but make it
quite clear that you are not consenting if the search is not desired. 3) If the
officer is insistent, call an attorney immediately.
Two days of 'academ ic value'
Fall break a time for scholarly pursuits?
By ROMS Me WILLI AM
It appears that we may have another
fall break in October '78, one more to
add to those breaks we take for beach
and mountain-trips and the Labor Day
and Thanksgiving vacations. In order to
compensate for the two-day holiday, we
are to have two class days added before
exams.
That seems rather pointless, as the
purpose for spending four years in
Chapel Mill is not to learn, but to take
advantage of its locale in the heart of
Piedmont country, within reasonably
easy access of the coast and the
mountains.
Finals are a nuisance that professors
slam on us so they can complete their
grading assignment, and it will do the
academic spirit no good to have
students and faculty quibble over the
wording of exam questions during the
traditional cramming days. We're told a
break between Labor Day and
Thanksgiving would be academically
valuable. " 1 1 ow can two days away from
the University be academically
valuable?" a skeptical acquaintance asks
me.
"It's simple," I reply. "Quite rightly,
the proponents of this break realize our
time will be spent immersed in the
literature of the five courses we're
taking."
He doesn't believe I really think
students will study in the middle of
October. 1 tell him that no students,
especially those on a student committee
for a proposed school calendar, would
consider these days to be wasted by their
I el low s.
"Isn't this committee using the term
'academically ahiable' to get Ferebee to
ac cept the calendar?" my friend persists.
I tell him Ferebee is no fool; he knows
perlectly well we will become better
scholars because of another holiday.
With the results of the survey taken by
the Residence Hall Association and
Student Government in September, in
which three-quarters of the students
wanted a fall break. 1 trust no one would
have the audacity to deny us it. Who
better to judge what is best for a
student's education than the scholarly,
young tuition-payers? Surely no
professor in his 35th year of teaching
who tell us a four-day weekend will
easily turn into a 10-day vacation. How
can they make such damning
accusations? Isn't it well known that
students here have respect for their
instructors to a degree that they
wouldn't insult them by skipping class?
I called up a fellow by the name of
Short, or Broad, or some such
dimension, who's one of the student
"...he knows perfectly well we will
become better scholars because of another
holiday.
could know the benefits of two days of committee members. "Tremendous!' 1
classes. bellow. "To say that the fall break is
Then we have the faculty members needed and has some definite academic
advantages is precisely the kind of
statement to rally the students to a
mature, scholarly attitude."
"I'm afraid it wasn't supposed to be a
serious proposal," he says.
"What! Do you mean to tell me that
after writing this much of my column it's
all a huge joke?"
"Yes," he confirmed. "Do me a favor,
please. Make sure you let the
chancellor's calendar committee, the
deans of all the schools, the vice
chancellors and the chancellor know
that this is not a serious suggestion."
Robin McWilliam, a junior, is an
interdisciplinary studies major from
Edinburgh, Scotland.
king bkd a- h mt mm wome with the hw of oohmths gmsumer,.