Newspapers / The daily Tar Heel. / Oct. 19, 1977, edition 1 / Page 6
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6 The Daily Tar Heel Wednesday, October Grfcj Porter Editor Bin Cornelius. Maiuixinu Editor En Rankin. Associate Editor Lou Bii.ioms. Associate Editor Laura Scism, University Editor El I ton Poiikr, City Editor Cui't K Aiston, State and National Editor Sara Ri'i i rd, Features Editor ( 'mi' t n ssi in. Arts Editor Gl NF. l lW III i'f H Vywirf Editor Ai 1 1 s i hnu.as Photography Editor UNC ranking drops Library declines disturbing l our years ago a friend of ours interested in attending UNC approached cw York Times associate editor and columnist Tom Wicker, an alumnus of the University, and asked him his opinion of Carolina. Wicker praised Carolina as a fine university but said he believed it often rested too much on its laurels. A decline in the national and regional rankings of UNC libraries over the past 1 3 years, unfortunately, tends to substantiate Wicker's contention. An article in yesterday's Daily Tar Heel reported that UNC's national ranking in library acquisitions dropped from 20th in 1964 to 28th in 1976. UNC's standing in total library expenditures dropped from 25th in 1964 to 30th in 1976. Moreover, though Carolina was third in regional expenditures for books in 1964, it now ranks seventh. The decline is disturbing, not only because we have dropped behind other universities, but also because it could mean a decrease in the amount of federal research grants the University receives. Performance in research is dependent on adequate library resources. Without significant improvement in our holdings and expenditures, the University could face a sharp cutback in research grants. University libraries are a major research instrument not only for our faculty, but also for the state and region. Carolina's library is regarded as the largest and best in the state and is one of the most impressive research libraries in the United States. But it's evident that UNC steadily has lost ground to other universities. We're glad the problem has been brought out and that UNC officials are showing obvious concern. We still wonder, however, why the obvious trend of expenditures and holdings was allowed to continue. Inflation is one of the culprits, clearly, but other universities face the same spiraling prices. Perhaps our state legislature has been too frugal in alloting funds to one of the major libraries in the southeast,- believing UNC's academic reputation to be in no danger of slipping. But our standing has declined and federal grants for research are in jeopardy. Specific goals to increase library collections must be set and met if Carolina is to continue to remain the leading state university in the southeast and among the top in the nation. With firmly pinched nose Serving a dead fish lie King has been dead for some time now. He left abruptly, and the nation is still in shock. We have soothed ourselves with hfs albums and his films. But the man who recorded an incredible 45 gold records will not make another. In order to fill that seemingly unthinkable void in our lives Elvis has been crooning for two decades manufacturers have inundated us with memorabilia: T shirts. posters, and book after book. It seems that everyone who has ever had any serious contact with the late idol is cashing in on his death. One of those passed through Chapel H ill Monday. As is standard operating procedure, the publishers of My Life With Elvis have sent co-author Becky Yancey, formerly Elvis' personal secretary, on a tour to promote her book. I he hook is in one sense a sham. Yancey did not write the book. U was ghost written for her and for her publisher. This is a common and lucrative ploy in the publishing industry. She is an author in the same sense that John Dean is an author. She merely profits from a famous man's death rather than a famous crime. Yancey may in fact be quite an innocent, well-meaning individual. But the entire process that turns the demise of a star into a business is a bit nauseating. A great deal of money was made off of Elvis while he lived, and so it is now that he is dead. But at the same time that Yancey'sdoingsare somewhat disgusting, she gives us a li x of what we want. We have been hooked on the man Elvis Presley and now we will take any snatches of him that we can get. We are being used and we enjoy it. This unfortunate commercialization of information people want can leave the press in a quandary. The individual may decide for himself if he wants to take part in the post-mortem supermarket extravaganza. For the press, the problem is more difficult. 1 here will be many readers who want information on Elvis no matter the situation. And others will be offended by the brazen commercialism of the purveyors of this information or of the press itself. Anything about Elvis is undoubtedly news because people are interested in the late King of Rock 'n' Roll. But members of the press, like most individuals, don't like to be used. 1 he answer, an imperfect compromise, is to try to play up the valuable, human interest information and minimize the publicity. Another answer is to make painfully obvious, where it is possible, how a company or an individual is reaping profits from the death ot the stai. That is part of the story as well. It is a rather sordid story, and the press must pass it on with a certain loathing, much as a waiter might pinch his nose as he serves a dead fish. The Daily News: I ony (Hinn. assislanl editor: Mark Andrews. Mike Coyne. Meredith Crews. Shelley I roeseber. Bruce l.llis. Betsy Hagler. (Irani Hamill. Lou Harned. Stephen Harris. Kathy Hart. Nancy llartis. Chip Higbsmilh. Keith Hollar. Steve Hucttel. Jaei Hughes. Jay Jennings. George Jeter. Ramona Jones. Will Jones. Julie Knight. Lddie Marks. Amy McKary. Lliabelh Messiek. Beverly Mills. Beth Parsons. Chip I'earsall, Bernie Ranshottom. Evelyn Sahr. George Shadroui. Vanessa Siddle. Barry Smilh, David Stacks. Mclinda Stovall, Robert I homason. Howard 1 rosier. Mike Wade. Martha Waggoner, David Walters and I'd 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 Nicnian. Dan Nobles. Melanic Sill. Melinda Stovall. Melanie l opp and Larry l upler. Sports: lee I'acc. assistant editor; f van Appel. Dedc Biles. Bill Fields. Skip I oreman. tod Hughes. Dinita James. Dave McNeill. I'cte Mitchell. David Poole, Ken Roberts. Rick Scoppe, I rank Snvder. Will Wilson and Isabel W orthy. Feature Pain Holding. Jeff Brady. Zap Brucckner, Amy Colgan. Dav id Craft. Peter Hapke, Ella l.ee. Nell Lee. Kinihcrly McGuirc. Debbie Moose. Dan Nobles. Stuart Phillips. Ken Roberts. Jim Smilh and Lynn Wilhloid. Arts and Entertainment: Melanie Modlin. assistant editor; Hank Baker, Becky Burcham. Pat Green. Marianne Hansen, 1 ibby Lewis. Ann Smallwood and Valerie Van Arsdale. Graphic Arts: Artists: Dan Bradv, Allen I dwards. Cliff Marley. Jocelyn Pettibone. Lee Poole and John I omliiison. Photographers. I red Bat hour. Sam I ulwood, Michael Sneed and Joseph I liomas. Business: Vcrna I aylor. business manager. Cljne liaglev. assistant business manager. Michele Mitchell. Secretary-Receptionist. Li Huskey. Mike Neville. Kim Painter. David Squires and Howard I rosier Circulation manager: Bill B.iglcv. Advertising: Dan Collins, manager; Carol Dedsnle, assistant sales manager; Steve Crowell. classilieds manager: Julie fusion. Seal Kimball. Cynthia Lesley. nne Sherril and Melanie Slokes. Ad layout: Evelyn Sahr Composition Editors: F rank Moore and Nancy Olivei. Composition and Makeup: I'Nf Printing Dept. Roben J.isinkiewic. supervisor; Robert Stieeter. Geanie McMillan. Rusty B.ualh. Judy Dunn, Catolvn Kuhn, David Patker. Joni Pelcis. Steve Quakenhush and Duke Sullivan 19. 1977 Sailij ar Hrrl 85fh year of editorial freedom Tar Heel Justice for the few, jail for the common man By ZAP BRUECKER Yukon Jack and Dusty Perkins sat in the jail block watching the evening news with 50 other inmates for their nightly recreation. The two were in for armed robbery (with pellet guns) on 10-year sentences, with parole a long way off. The TV announcer reported that Mitchell, Ehrlichman and Haldeman had their prison sentences reduced. These once powerful political figures had admitted to the judge that they were sorry for committing any wrongdoing in the Watergate incident. Yukon looked at Dusty when the program was over with wide-open eyes. "Hey Dusty, you thinkin' what I am?" "Gotcha Yukon, let's write old judge M cBride a letter. We'll tell him when we robbed that gas station we was just a little bit drunk an' lost our heads. Tell 'im that we was wrong." "Lemme get a scrape a paper, Dusty," Yukon said and began to write with an old chewed up pencil: "Dear Hon. Judge McBride: "Sir, we the undersigned convicts would like to tell you that we have had a change of heart. Once we thought that robbing that gas station was a good idea. We just had been laid off from the mill that day and were kinda mad and worried about our families (that we love dearly). Yukon has got a mother that lives alone. And he's the only one ever to split wood for her in the winter. Dusty, here has got a wife and six kids struggling on welfare in a tar paper shack. letters to the editor New perspective on intense athletic rivalries needed To the editor: 1 could not agree more with Lee Pace's article ("Is this what Carolina-State rivalry is really all about?" Oct. 18) on the Carolina State rivalry. At the Wake Forest game I was startled and dismayed to read the Wake Forest sign "This is Carolina Blue See It, Hate It, Destroy It." How does "hate" get wrapped up in athletics? I understand the strong feelings that traditional athletic rivalries generate but "hate" is no more appropriate than the ancient custom of beheading a member of the losing "team." M y real concern pertains to the transfer of Mhletic rivalries into general antipathies for. each other's schools. Sports is not the reason for the existence of Carolina and State, and their value as educational institutions is totally unrelated to their athletic effectiveness. I hough I teach at UNC, and my two children have been students here, I would have felt no distress had my son, for example, decided to pursue an engineering career at State. It is my impression that State is well-regarded in its own spheres of educational specialization, and 1 would have felt that he would have gotten a good education there. To allow our athletic rivalries to reach such intensities as to likely affect our ability to recognize the worth of our sister educational institutions is to jeopardize the educational process for all of our state's colleges and universities. It is time that vye got a perspective on this and try to keep our feelings in the arena in which they belong. George S. Baroff Succession worries To the editor: Most persons supporting gubernatorial succession, including Dean Hobbs ("Succession in Focus," Letters, Oct. 12) seek to portray succession opponents as dangerous reactionaries interested only in perpetuating weak state government and as being "unable to see beyond the possible re election of Jim Hunt in 1980." Jim Hunt's political hirings and firings in state government "career" positions and his massive political machine which was developed during his four year term as lieutenant governor hardly make me confident that Jim Hunt's motives in pushing the succession bill through the legislature were wholly altruistic. And if the Democratic Party, the legislature and Jim Hunt are truly interested in improving state government rather than extending the incumbent governor's term of office, w hy did not the party, the legislature and the governor this year support a succession bill of the tvpe introduced (and defeated) in 1973 and 1975, a bill that prohibited the incumbent governor from seeking a second term? (Coincidentally, the governor in 1973 and 1975 was Republican Jim Holshouser.) No, no, Mr. Hobbs it's not Republicans who are "playing politics" with the succession issue, and it is not succession opponents w ho allegedly cannot "see beyond the possible re-election of Jim Hunt in 1980" who bother me. Rather, 1 am annoyed by hypocritical Democratic Party stalwarts w ho blindly support their party's machine and who place fairness and the interests of North Carolina behind the re-election of Jim Hunt in 1980. Bryan Wirwicz 2418 Granville South To the editor: Dean Hobbs' letter misses the point of the anti succession campaign. This referendum is more than just a vote on allowing a governor to serve two consecutive terms. The succession referendum is a referendum on political ambition and fairness. Changes in the rules should not be made in "What we wouldn't give for some good jobs. "We've been sitting in the pen now for six months and considered our crime. It was a wrongful act honest sir. For instance, we nearly scared that old man to death with those little pellet guns of ours: M any a t ime in chapel, we go every Sunday, both of us pray real hard for that old man's heart. "Then we thought about the stealing. That was downright evil. Just because we were out of a job and money didn't mean we had to put another man in the ICQK WWAT I TAPGHT JUNIQM the middle of the game. Suppose the General Assembly voted to make the governor's term only two years. And suppose it made the change apply to the incumbent governor. Jim H unt would be furious, and he would be the first to call "foul play." North Carolina's voters deserve fair play. Succession should be defeated. Tom Buske 107 Alexander Thanks for 'compassion' To the editor: 1 would like to commend Jon East for adding an element of compassion to the question of reverse discrimination ("Allen Bakke too young to know Linda Brown," Oct. 12). This is an emotionally-charged issue which cannot be dealt with on a totally intellectual issue. Our understanding may be increased through awareness of incidents of persecution such as those related by M r. East in his article. The issue is a complex one and especially difficult in this time of tightening job markets. The matter concerns me: coming from a thoroughly WASP background, I am a potential "victim" of a policy which would grant a black person greater opportunity to secure some goal (graduate school, job) for which I am also striving. Am I willing to sacrifice to atone for the sins of my grandfathers, for which I am not individually responsible? It is often hard for us to see, in our time, the incredible hardships which have been inflicted upon minority groups in the past. Today we take it for granted that we ride buses and sit in restaurants with blacks. Only 15 years ago, this was not the case in most states in the South. Though legislation has been passed in recent years to help correct the situation, discrimination prevails. Often through no fault of their own, many blacks are still forced to live in poverty, and or to receive educations which do not prepare them to "qualify" for entrance into institutions whose criteria for excellence are determined by w hite, middle class standards. Many standardized exams (even I.Q. tests) are culturally geared to people with backgrounds similar to mine. A white student's grade-point average of 4.0 cannot be compared to a black student's 3.5, because the black student has surmounted obstacles which I cannot begin to comprehend throughout his or her life to attain that average. However, I am not in poorhouse. "These two convicted criminals writing you would like a fresh start. We made a mistake and we're sorry from the' bottoms of our wretched souls. So we were wondering if you'd take pity on us like old Judge Sirica took on them Watergate boys. ' We accept your judgments here in the prison camp but we wanted you to know that we have repented and would like to get our sentences reduced. Our families is needing us, and we can tell the difference in right and wrong. favor of quotas; the quota system is another form of quantitative analysis which does not seem applicable to human conditions. The question remains, for which I have no answer: how to insure that admissions officials and employers will give blacks individual and fair consideration? A key problem in the case of Allan Bakke .is the American cultural concept of individual freedom. Conditioned to think in terms of individual "free will" and opportunity, we often lose sight of social forces which are larger than we are. It is a fact that Allan Bakke, the individual, will probably not starve to death in a ghetto if he is denied entrance into medical school. It is also likely that our society as a whole will not survive as long as large segments of its population are not allowed to participate in and contribute to it. Cooperation between all groups is essential if we are to forestall the increasingly imminent self-destruction of our system, within which we, as individuals, work, live and learn. Alden Anne Clark 102 Birnum Wood Dr. Low scores To the editor: As the fraternity involved in the "male rodent" incident, we feel it is our duty to present the facts as they actually occurred. Ms. Phaedra Solon did indeed walk down the alley leading to Granville Towers as we were conducting our "Beat State Beauty Contest." However, bince Ms. Solon was not of competitive caliber, the judges declined her offer to participate. At this, she became enraged and demanded that she be included in the contest. Reluctantly, the judges rated Ms. Solon's attributes, such as they were, and held up their honest evaluation. The scores were LOW. Ms. Solon then became violent and screamed at the judges the most vile collection of obscenities heard since the advent of human speech. We were appalled. Faced with such shocking behavior, we were forced to postpone the event until such time as people such as Ms. Solon can learn to control themselves. The Brothers of Gamma Nu Pi 234 Fraternity Row P.S. Where does one buy knee-crotch-length khakis? " ' ' 1 - " - t W in'. J Sincerely and honorably yours, Yukon Jack Dusty Perkins" Yukon and Dusty never received a reply from the judge, but they did overhear the guards saying that the warden thought the two were a little touched in the head. In fact, the judge was said not even to consider paroling the two when their time came. Zap Brueckner, a senior journalism major from Durham, N.C., is a staff writer for the Daily Tar Heel. 'The Missing Black Botjsledder' To the editor: Black athletes now occupy positions of prominence in most major sports. . .basketball, baseball, football. But in some sports the black participant is rare. There is, of course, no reason to think that blacks are inherently or genetically incapable of swimming a 100-yard freestyle in 55 seconds, or skiing with the speed and grace of a Jean-Claude K illy. Rather discrimination is a prime suspect in The Case of the Missing Black Bobsledder. There are (I hope) no laws against blacks swimming, skiing or playing golf. But it is clear that the relative lack of economic freedom which has unfortunately accompanied American negritude and is at least partially a product of centuries of racial repression has reduced, and continues to reduce, the black child's opportunity to avail him or herself of these traditionally white middle- and upper-class recreational activities. This is a tragedy. Success in a sport has been in this century, at least an important pathway out of poverty for black youths. Clearly, however, the path to success in some sports is blocked off to the black community. What is the solution? Reverse discrimination, of course. The 1980(and '84, '88, "92 and '96) United States Olympic skiing, swimming, figure skating, bobsledding and archery teams should be required to choose as American representatives a certain specific number of minority members. It is hoped that they will be the fastest, the most skilled, the most graceful minority skaters and archers, but it is clear that many of them will be slower and less talented than their white contemporaries whose places they will be taking. The U.S. teams will suffer; a few medals will be out of reach. No matter; it is not whether you win or lose but how you play the game. And this noble and egalitarian gesture will show the world that America plays a fair, if losing, game. Steve Perry 0-13 The Villages The Daily Tar Heel welcomes contributions and letters to the editor. Letters must be signed, typed on a 60 space line, double-spaced and must be accompanied by a return address. Letters chosen for publication are subject to editing.
Oct. 19, 1977, edition 1
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