i
6 Th3 Daiiy Tar Heel Monday. January 23, 1979
Council chairman recogmseo chall
enge
Lou Bilionis, liditor '
Ciil'ck Alston, Mam$in lulitor
Don Woodard, As.uhmw lulitor'
David McKinnon, Associate lulitor
Bernie Ransbottom, ( ' tii versity liditor
Mary Anne Uhyne, City lulitor
Michael Wade, Sute and Satioml lulitor
Richard Barron, Sews liditor
Betsy Flagler, Features liditor
Mark Scandling, Arts liditor .'
Lee Pace, Sports liditor
Billy Newman, Photography lulitor
TUNC
reputation, housed on student
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67i jrcr o editorial freedom
ln Q
y EDDIE MARKS
With closer ties
The visit to the United States by Chinese Vice Premier Teng Hsiao-Ping,
which officially begins today, seems at first glance to be a cause for much
rejoicing. In the new ties with China which Teng's visit symbolizes, there is of
course for the United States tremendous potential for trade with the 800 or so
million Chinese who inhabit the mainland. And for many Americans there is
the simple sense of relief which accompanies our normalized relations with one
of the world's major powers. Already, in fact, it is being reported that the
American public will be much taken with the winning ways of the Chinese vice
premier; and indeed there seems to be every possibility that the historical
American fascination and feelings of affinity with China, interrupted for some
30 years, are about to be revived.
But tremendous danger, for both the United States and China, lurks as well
in their new relations. Despite the obvious similarities of immediate interest
between the two their mutual fear and distrust of the Soviet Union, and their
mutual desire for expanded trade opportunities on an international scale the
dissimilarity of their long-term interests may turn their new-found closeness to
their mutual disadvantage. In an odd twist of the old maxim,jthe familiarity
between the United States and China, if allowed to grow toolttrohgy either
party, may well breed problems of extreme danger both for themselves and for
the world as a whole.
For China, the problems to be anticipated from too-close ties to the United
States are both internal and external in nature. On the one hand, it is possible
that China might suffer1 the faWbfsd'me of the developing countries which have
made themseleves too dependent dri'the economic benefits of close ties to the
United States. And while it see'ms'ifrilikely that China's leadership is either so
tllri to reality or so dveraiaiota? f6ri progress as to place itself in such an
economically compromising r position, there are also the natural traps and
hazards of the Western economic system to be considered. And at any rate,
there is a history of popular reaction to governments which encourage foreign
economic exploitation, both in China and in the Third World in general, to
which the Chinese leadership should not imagine itself immune simply because
of its revolutionary heritage. On the other hand, with every move toward closer
relations with the United States, China can only do more damage to its already
dangerously bad relations with its vastly more powerful neighbor, the Soviet
Union.
For the United States, few internal problems of such magnitude are to be
expected from stronger ties with the People's Republic; like China, though, the
United States can anticipate tensions with the Soviet Union to increase in direct
proportion to its increasing diplomatic ties with China. In particular, the
possibility of creating a viable league with China in order to pressure the
Soviets into concessions elsewhere in the world is one which is fraught with
danger because the Soviet leadership, like the leaders of Russia throughout its
modern history, is almost inexplicably concerned with its own imagined
vulnerability to such combinations.
The newfound friendship between the United States and China is one which
is long overdue, and one which holds great promise both for the two nations
and for the cause of world order and prosperity in general. But its vast
importance suggests something of its inherent dangers in an inherently
dangerous international situation. It is one which must be cultivated with the
utmost care.
impressive promise
Procrastination is no stranger to UNC. All-nighters, last-minute crams, one
draft wonders or humble pleas for an extension are all too frequent
phenomena; all kinds of obligations are set aside for the ubiquitous tomorrow.
School, after ail, could be no other way. But when seemingly inexcusable
delays get in the way of legitimate business, when endeavors that demand
careful planning and adherence to deadlines fall prey to the will to "put it off,"
the result is normally trouble. And when the procastinator is Student
Government, the trouble can be the entire student body's.
Such appears to be the case with the planned Springfest concerts in Kenan
Stadium. Nearly three weeks ago, Student Body President Jim Phillips said he
expected selection of a promoter for the concerts to come within two weeks.
Now, Craig Brown, an executive assistant in Suite C, estimates a decision could
be as much as two weeks away.
Student Government certainly must exercise caution in selecting a promoter;
with a project as ambitious as the planned concerts, an experienced, capable
and affordable hand must be there to cope with the numerous snags that are
sure to arise. We would like to think the delay in finding a promoter is a
reflection of that added consideration and attention to detail. But the fact that
the CGC committee appointed to deal with the concerts has yet to meet
indicates that productive negotiations have been less than the norm.
Included in the dangers tfiat can r&ult from lengthy delay is the demise of a
good idea. If time continued t'olass and Student Government still has failed to
settle on some substantive' plans,; the jala weekend in April could come and go
without a single note from a'Jbrg bind in Kenan Stadium. Even worse is the
possibility that the concerts win -talfe 'plce but without sufficient planning,
, fczshl precautions 'and the gdod bands which book their engagements well in
advance. Yes, worse than no Springfest in Kenan is a disastrous Springfest in
Kenan.
Appetites across campus are whetted; students from all corners have
endorsed the return of major outdoor concerts to Chapel Hill. Thus far,
though, that weekend in April has been merely an impressive promise.
If Student Government hopes to deliver on that promise it better secure a
promoter and begin the search for bands immediately. It doesn't have much
time. ' . :
"The basketball team might be No.
2, but several of our academic
departments are ranked in the top
five themselves,' said Daniel Pollitt,
UNC law professor and chairman of
the faculty.
Pollitt began serving his three-year
term as faculty chairman this month,
succeeding philosophy professor E.
Maynard Adams.
"We have a very excellent faculty
here," Pollitt said. "Every
department has professors who are
extremely able and conscientious."
Pollitt said a nationwide poll of
4,000 university professors by the
Chronicle of Higher Education
ranked the UNC departments of
"English, sociology and statistics
among the top five in their fields.
"Whenever I go to a conference in
another part of-the country, it s kind
of big to be from Carolina," he said.
"It's not only Dean Smith that people
talk about either, even though that's
the first thing they mention."
UNC also owes its reputation to its
students, Pollitt said. "The glory of
this University is that whenever
something has to be done, it's usually
the students who initiate it and they
usually do what's right.
"Every year the student body has
leaders and non-leaders who react
during a crisis situation. They stand
up for what is right with courage,
dignity and tact.
An
D-days
"The-student body has become
much more' alert, bright and
demanding over the years."
The UNC administration is
another factor in the University's
strength, Pollitt said.
"Since I came here in 1957 we've
had more chancellors than football
coaches. That's remarkable," he said.
"But every chancellor we've had has
been extremely dedicated and hard
working. They've set the tone for the
rest of the University ."
Pollitt said he is looking forward
to his new job as faculty chairman.
"The chairmanship involves a
tremendous number of things," he
said. "Everybody has their own style
and their own areas of interest.
"As for my scheme of things, I
think the faculty can be most
effective if it stays informed. We
should take some time to find out
what's going on. I don't think the
faculty should just sit back and wait
for the chancellor to appoint a
committee."
Black admissions will be one of the
biggest problems facing the Faculty
Council during the next year, Pollitt
said. ;
"Dean (Hayden B.) Renwick has
made several charges about black
admissions and, if they're true,
they're deplorable," Pollitt said.
"Renwick has spoken to the faculty,
but the faculty has done nothing
about it yet.
"The chancellor has done
something about it, though. He's
given a report to the faculty and the
Advisory Committee (a standing
faculty committee) is looking into it.
"I think one of the problems is that
Renwick's speech to the faculty
wasn't publicized enough. If you
weren't there, you didn't know about
it."
Faculty retirement will be another
problem facing the Faculty Council,
Pollitt said.
"U nder the new law, the retirement
age for professors will be raised to 70
in a couple of years. But we're in a
transition period right now," he said.
"If we do something for the older
professors it might be at the expense
of the younger professors. It might
also mean there would be. fewer
positions which would otherwise be
available for new faculty members.
"I would like to find out how other
universities are handling the
problem. We haven't done that yet."
The Faculty Council also will have
to face problems created by the
relationship between the University
and Chapel Hill, Pollitt said.
"The Faculty Council hasn't made
a lot of input into, town-gown
relationships," he said. "But there
will be problems like the controversy
over the new Press building and the
athletic arena.
"It's really hard to guess exactly
what will come up. The big things
usually come out of the blue. There
may be a lot of external forces we
can't anticipate.
"There have been a lot of changes
since I came here. The University has
grown from 6,000 to 20,000 students
and it has become coeducational.
There will be more changes of equal
magnitude but the Lord only knows
what they'll be."
Whatever changes may come to
UNC, the faculty will be ready to
meet them, Pollitt said.
"Not only do we have a high-
L
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it
! : : - :
Daniel Pollitt
calibre administration and an alert,
energetic student body, but there's
also a large number of faculty who
will stick here through thick and
thin," he said.
"The University has been here a
long time. I don't think we'll go
away."
Eddie Marks, a junior journalism
major from High Point, is a staff
writer for the Daily Tar Heel.
.Making the lomg,-coM sprin
By HOWARD TROXLER
It's 3:25 a.m. and the policeman is singing
country music.
Outside the rain comes down steadily a cold
blanket that sends the late-night walkers scurrying
inside. I wonder why the hell they're out tonight
anyway. They pound on the doors and I run to let
them in . That's my job.
The policeman is a campus cop, a young guy
who would just as soon not have his shift
supervisor come by and catch him goofing off. He
plays a guitar and sings Merle Haggard. He's
pretty good. He also doesn't want to be patrolling
in the rain.
It's the second week of class and I'm going
insane.
"Let's go to the beach," M elanie said at 3:30 a.m.
So we went to the beach. First we spent half an
hour chipping ice from the 1 964 Volkswagen. Then
another 15 minutes starting the car and filling xC
with gas and oil and life. And then four hours
driving on ice-covered roads to Carteret County.
letters to the editor
("There's an ice storm warning out," Ann had
warned us. "Do you think it's worth it?")
The sea wasgrayan3 foamy-ancTa bitter wind
blew along the shore that made us turn up our
collars and shiver. A wave caught my shoes by
surprise and I cursed the cold I knew would come.
We walked for miles picking up shells and sand
dollars and weird pencil-shaped objects that we
decided were crab tails. After an hour the sun
broke across the water and we opened our coats to
the breeze.
When we left Emerald Isle it was 58 degrees and
Chapel Hill -was forever far away. We drove for
hours under blankets in the VW, stopping at both a
Hardee's and a McDonald's on the way.
I fell asleep and woke up and the car was on the
median and Kevin was yelling in my ear. No one
. else had ever driven the car but we made M elanie
give it a valiant try while I slept in the backseat.
We laughed and sang and swore at the broken
windshield wiper. We raced pickup trucks and
drank warm Mountain Dews and tried to hit other
cars. We usually missed but didn't care.
And then it got colder as we headed west and the
ice grew back on the roads and the windshield
froze over, obscuring the road signs that pointed to
Chapel Hill. We stopped singing and pulled into
the dormitory parking lot. We were home.
. The vacation lasted 11 hours.
I have a friend who insists that the intellectual
decline of the '70s can be traced to two factors: the
advent of disco and the rise of Colombian
marijuana.
Somehow this theory becomes more palatable
while 1 sit in the Union through the eighth playing
of "Freak Out."
"Listen," Carter said. "With the old-stuff, you
smoked and went out and kicked ass. But now, all
you do is lay back and say 'aahhhh.' "
And meanwhile, all the beards I know talk about
drugs and all the sweaters I know talk about
elections and 1 talk about both, depending on
which one I am at the moment. And, we had a
chance to be ranked first in the nation and my
Beatles albums lie dusty and unused. And it's cold
and I caught a sore throat at the beach.
It's a long, long time until spring break.
Howard Troxler is a junior journalism major
from Burlington.
-v -
Art Building essential for department unity
The communication gap between students and the administrative
powerhouse symbolized by South Building has long been a source of torment
not only for those seeking explanations, but for those who are supposed to
explain. Each semester, students in need of sound academic counseling sing the
woes of the Carolina advising system; meanwhile, the advisers lament the
excessive work loads that forbid them the time to do their jobs as they would
prefer. ' - . "
Thousands of second-semester sophomores are now reaching the stage at
which they must commit themselves to an academic program, and the
communication gap is just beginning to wreak its havoc on them. But those who
are unsure of their major preferences and who are in need of some straight talk
about the opportunities available do have a place to turn to. Today marks the
opening of Major Declarations Days. Sponsored by the General College and
Student Government, D-days a nickname not without -its sadistic
overtones offers a variety of forums for exploring the possibilities in each
UNC department. - .
The highlight of the two-week program is the Major Mart held from 1 to 4
p.rn. Wednesday and Thursday. At these times, representatives from Carolina's
various schools and departments will be on hand in Great Hall to meet with
students and explain the offerings, options and requirements that will face a
prospective- major. To supplement this academic "home show," departments
have been encouraged to offer additional programs and forums throughout the
next two weeks. -
' IdssUyi P&fsr Declaration' Days would lead every sophomore into South
Building with a clear and unshakeabie confidence in his or her choice of a
major. No advising system, though, is foolproof; there will always be
unanswered questions, confusing and changing requirements, doubts and
second thoughts. Still, sophomores lost in the menagerie of major possibilities
can and should take advantage of the resources and help available during these
next two weeks; tkey may not leave assured of their decisions, but those
'decisions will at bait bs better informed, . . -.V
To the editor:
We have read with great interest the
piece by Craig Brown ("Emphasis on
research should be lessened," Jan. 25) on
the back page of the Daily Tar Heel.
There is one piece of serious
misinformation that we believe must be
corrected, however. The reference to the
"Ackland Art Museum addition" does
not correctly understand the function of
the proposed new art building. It is being
designed entirely to respond to the
teaching needs of the art department. By
cojoining the art historical courses and
the studio classes in the same building the
opportunities for the students, both
undergraduate and graduate, will be
significantly greater. Presently the
classrooms for art history, the library and
the slide collection are housed
inadequately in the back section of
Ackland Museum; the studio classrooms
are housed in Lenoir Hall, Caldwell Hall
and out on Airport Road in the Art Lab
facility. The new building will improve
these facilities and make them more
responsive to students' needs.
Thus the art department at last will
become a unity with a close interaction
between the studio, art history, art
education and the Ackland Museum
rather than seperate Darts scattered over
the campus. This unity is essential for the
art department in its efforts to carry out
successfully its teaching mission.
J. Richard Judson, Chairman, art dept.
Evan H. Turner, director of Ackland
Museum
Unrecognized defense
To the editor:
I would like to take this opportunity to
clear up any misunderstandings that may
have arisen as a result of the
advertisement that appeared on page 2 of
the Daily Tar Heel on Wednesday, Jan.
'24. I am referring to the announcement
that positions are now available for
students interested in becoming "Honor
Court defense counsels or prosecutors."
The Association of Student Defense
Counsels, which placed this
advertisement, is not an officially
recognized student organization, nor,
does it have any connection whatsoever
with Student Government, the student
judicial process, or the Office of the
Student Attorney General. The judicial
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.SO YOU SMOTSHITI ADKINISTOIVE
C0UNC1TO fltu TWTO FILMING Or A
FEMDRETIKE'KMIHM HOUSE VIMD BE
IN THE BOTEREST OFTHIS UNIVERSITY...
branch of Student Government, to which
the chancellor has delegated sole initial
authority in matters of student discipline,
is an entirely separate entity which has as
its goals the effective operation of the
Honor System and the education of all
members of the University community
about their responsibilities under this
system.
Interviews for prospective members of
the Undergraduate Court and the student
attorney general's staff will be held soon
after Spring Break for all students who
are interested in working with the newly,
revised and significantly improved
Honor System on this campus.
Suzie Mitchell
Student attorney..general
Colorado cool
To the editor:
Okay, 1 can take a joke as well as
anyone, but Friday's "Great American
Myths" (Number 13 in a series) cartoon
by someone suspiciously designated only
as "Miller" sort of irked me. You see, the
problem lies in the fact that I'm from the
hallowed institution of Colorado
University in Boulder, Colo., and
therefore have a distinct attraction to that
town. Obviously Miller has never been to
Boulder, otherwise he she would clearly
realize that people don't have to be into
"higher consciousness," whatever the
hell that is, (I assume Miller means
consciousness, not yet having learned to
spell) to be cool. That's your great myth,
at least on the east coast, Mr. Ms. Miller.
As a matter of fact, I can definitely say
people in Boulder, Colo, are the coolest
folks east of the Rockies. In fact, they
could give Chapel Hill a few lessons,
including cartoon instructidn. So let's not
show our envious colors; we can't all be
cool or Boulderites. By the way, Miller,
Boulder is a very clean town, sans
garbage on the streets, and the beggars
are usually a bit taller and from the east
coast.
A.M. Gordon
Carrboro, N.C.