8 The Daily Tar Heel Monday. October 8, 1979
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David Stacks, Editor
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John Hoke, Managing Editor
George Shadroui, Associate Editor
Allen Jernigan, Associate Editor
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Cynthia Prairie, News Editor
Eddie Marks, University Editor
. Michael Wade, City Editor
Kathy Curry, State and National Editor
Reid Tuvim, Sports Editor
Michele Mecke, Features Editor
Ann Small wood, Arts Editor
Andy James, Photography Editor
Dinita James, Weekender Editor
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Worth the work
Friday, Oct. 5 well may have been just another of-those crisp days one
almost takes for granted in Chapel Hill in the fall. But for one notable
exception, it was just another day.
As many students trekked to South Building Friday, orange drop
cards and pass-fail registration forms in hand, some no doubt recalled
that the date marked the last day of a new extended drop period.
But not many of us now remember that the shortened drop period was
launched in the spring of 1976 as ah experiment, primarily an attempt to
reduce grade inflation. A series of proposals from three student body
presidents citing no correlation between the length of the drop period
and grade inflation eventually achieved satisfying results.
For the first time in three years, more than four weeks have been
allowed for dropping courses and pass-fail declaration. The return of a
realistic drop policy to the University is indeed welcome.
Last spring, Student Government and dedicated individuals
organized sufficient support on the Faculty Council to gain approval of
a motion extending the drop period from four to six weeks. The
council's vote brought to a close three years of frustrating, sometimes
thankless, but eventually rewarding labors.
Student Body President J.B. Kelly's administration is well into its
seventh month in Suite C. During a hard-fought presidential campaign,
Kelly and his opponents hotly debated the role of advocacy as a major
function of Student Government. Among Kelly's campaign promises
was a commitment to active and aggressive leadership.
Expression of the ideas and concerns of the student body are the heart .
of any college or university. Denying the lifeblood of student input
effectively robs the learning process of its vitality and responsiveness.
Rallying student opinion and channeling involvement are keys to
Student Government's self-avowed role of challenging the University to
seriously consider student concerns.
Lengthening the drop period is a clear example of the benefits of
concentrating student input. Surely it is no quick process. But the results
are well worth the working and the waiting.
A real choice
It was a weekend Of clarifications as the once-murky waters
surrounding Notth Carolina's 1980 gubernatorial race cleared, and
three of North Carolina's political kingpins seemed intent on a long,
hard fought battled
State Sen. I. Beverly Lake Jr., in a move that surprised no one,
officially announced his candidacy as a Republican, switching from the
state Democratic Party he calls "ultra-liberal." Accordingly, Democrats
see Lake's decisionals a sellout to the financial charisma of one U .S. Sen.
Jesse Helms, who pilots one of the most powerful conservative political
machines in the country. And then, former Gov. Bob Scott announced
that he was "93 percerrtT certain he will challenge Gov. Jim Hunt for the
Democratic nomination, despite the fact that it would be an uphill
battle. Scott supporters have gone so far as to make bumper stickers and
campaign buttons that read "Bob Scott Governor 1980."-
Finally, Hunt mimicked the political games of U.S. Sen. Edward M.
Kennedy, D-Mass., when he continued to tease journalists and
supporters about his wife and family supporting his candidacy. Despite
the teasing, there is little doubt that either Hunt or Scott will run. Hunt
indicated he is prepared to do battle with Scott for the Democratic
nomination when he said, "Nobody likes a good tough campaign better
than Jim Hunt, and you can bet on that."
Political games aside, a more interesting aspect of the situation is the
inability of the state Republican party to come up with a formidable or
even acceptable candidate capable of challenging the Democrats a
situation which seems to bear out the claims of Democrats that the
Republican farty and the Helms machine virtually have become one in
the same. Lake's announcement was typical Helms rhetoric, yet the
Democrats cannot take lightly anyone supported by the big money and
conservative influence that Helms and company apparently have
promised Lake.
In the meantime, two of the most popular Democrats in North
Carolina history may well have opened the way for a party split
although considering the Democrats' intense , dislike for anyone
associated with Helms, this seems unlikely. But a Scott candidacy does
ensure that Hunt will have to devote more and more time to a game he
knows all too well, politics.
No doubt, the 1980 campaign for governor will be chocked full of
political maneuvering and showmanship. Scott already has accused
Hunt of offering jobs to former Scott supporters in hopes of gaining
their support, and Lake promises to give the people of North Carolina a
real choice in the 1980 election.
A choice indeed a politician or a politician or a politician.
A new Festifall
Sunday's cool and windy weather provided an excellent setting for
Chapel Hill's annual Festifall street fair. Enough people turned out to
make the fair a success for local rttHrchants without creating a crowded
reprise of spring's Apple ChiilSf hose who didn't make it down to
Franklin Street, missed, amongother things, a day-long series of
performances by various dancers and musicians, and booths displaying
the works of local artisans and information on local organizations.
New measures, instituted by the town's Department of Parks and
Recreation seemed to have solved the problems that made past Festifalls
less than pleasant. The number of booths was reduced from 300 to 150,
and only Orange County residents were allowed to sell their wares.
Parking seemed to be more than adequate for the largely local crowd.
Extra police details were assigned to prevent problems that seem
characteristic of outdoor fairs. The most disorderly behavior of the day
was a scrambling frisbee-football game on McCorkle place.
Best of all, the fes?ival afforded students and townspeople an
opportunity to meet and mingle on common ground. The town's
populace, in its profound diversity, turned out for the duration of the
afternoon. 5
v It was a pleasant day. ,
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To the editor: .
We are writing in response to the
column "Discrimination not absent from
frat rush," DTH, Oct. 4, 1979) that
outlines evidence "of racism and
discrimination within the UNC fraternity
structure. While it certainly comes as no
surprise that racism, whether genteel or
blatant, is pervasive throughout the
University, both institutional and
individual racist acts and statements need
to be publicly condemned and censured.
There can be no place for such behavior
within the University.
Particularly reprehensibel are the
statements by the Interfraternity Council
officers. In labeling "being black or being
homosexual or stealing a brother's
girlfriend," as possible grounds for
. exclusion from fraternities, Council
president Lucido acquiesces in the
narrow-minded, bigoted stance of many
of the houses and, in effect, gives license
to such exclusionary practices. Lucido's
statement alsTo implies that women are
passive commodities to be stolen like
other objects. Women, black and gay
students, and the rest of the University
community ought to take public issue
, with Lucido's utterance. When Council
executive vice president Beach states that
a racial problem "does not arise" in the
fraternities, he is resurrecting an
argument used by slave holders and
segregationists to deny racial tension, one
that clearly is at odds with the realities of
UNC.
Without even debating the existence of
exclusive fraternities and sororities a
matter called into question by many at
this campus and others not too long
ago we feel that a thorough, public
investigation of the houses' admission
policies is in order. While the existence of
racism is not surprising, the DTH column
raises questions about the commitment to
racial justice on the part of the University
which publicly recruits blacks to its
community yet supports a discriminatory
social system.
Cliff Kuhn
26 students and faculty members
Kudos for 'Weekender'
To the editor: ,
1 would like to commend Michele
Mecke on her piece in Thursday's
Weekender, "Lesbianism." As one of
those interviewed by her, I feel she
accurately and effectively reported on the
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many issues we discussed in our
interview. However, I would like to
correct one fallacy which did appear in
the article. Homosexuality is not a "crime
against nature, a felony." What the law
regards as felonies are certain, specific
sexual acts which are commonly (though
not exclusively) practiced by gay people.
A person can be prosecuted for these acts,
but not simply for being gay. She did
make the valuable point that lesbians and
gay men are indeed persecuted because of
our sexual affectional preferences and
that neither North Carolina nor federal
laws protect gay people from such
wanton denial of our civil rights.
Patty Carlisle
Botany Department
Communist posters
To the editor:
Although I am extremely proud of
Chapel Hill's record with regard to
freedom of speech and expression, in one
case I feel that the limits of propriety have
been exceeded; I am referring to the
Revolutionary Communist Youth'
Brigade's propaganda posters. From
every wall, trash can, mail box and
public monument peers the Big Brother
like image of Comrade Bob Avakian.
Even our venerable Silent Sam's pedestal
was recently plastered with nine of these
calls to revolution; when public property
is defaced, the rights of others have been
infringed in the effort to present the
opposing viewpoints of our numerous
groups. So, please, comrades, use a little
more restraint in your propaganda
campaign. Or at least get a new poster;
your present model is getting a bit too
familiar!
Michael Arrowood
. 02 Old West
Pep rally injustice
To the editor:
For the second time in a row Hinton
James residents have not been included in
the pre-game pep rallies. For the second
time in a row we have watched from our
windows the flashing blue lights of the
campus police cars, the crowd, and heard
the screams and cheers of the band,
cheerleaders and assorted followers. We
have also watched as the crowd marched
from Morrison to Ehringhaus, where it
disbands after putting on the
performance.
Almost 1,000 people live in Hinton
James. Surely they represent a sizable
percentage of the student body and
support Carolina's football team every
Saturday. Why are we repeatedly omitted
from Pep Rallies? It is certainly not the
extra time and walking that would be
required that is the burden. It would not
take that much more energy to make one
more stop.
If it is indeed just too much, perhaps
the coordinators of the rallies should
arrange to rotate dorms every week,
instead of repeatedly counting out one
dorm.
Excluding and alienating 1,000 fans
certainly docs not do much to promote
school spirit and unity.
Eli McCullough
dorm governor
50 residents of James
Euphemisms run wild in campus dialect
By GLORIA WEBSTER
In this world of the refined euphemism and the
polished white lie, UNC has not escaped the dreaded fate
of politely naming (and often misnaming) its various
buildings, groups, functions and actions. While we
educated types scoff from our, ivory towers at a
hypocritical world where grossly obese folks are
"pleasingly plump," men fired from their jobs are
"dismissed" or. "let go" and toilet facilities are called
anything .from powder rooms, comfort stations,
restrooms, lounges, to lavatories (all skirting the ba.sic
issue) we have in our very midst a wealth of misnamed
phenomena.
Sure, I see merit in not graphically describing what
occurs in a bathroom, but I fail to see where intentional
misnaming should be proliferated or justified. Plutarch
called the Macedonians "rude and clownish people"
because they called "a spade a spade" (no racial slurs
intended); perhaps they were just honest. Why must we
hamper our communication by avoiding calling a spade
a spade, a shovel a shovel, a pickax a pickax, or a rose a
rose? Granted, "a rose by any other name would smell as
sweet," but to avoid confusion, keep florists from
rioting and to pacify garden club fanatics why not
call it a rose?
I do not mean in any way to hamper the creative use of
vocabulary and skillfull variance of words for different
modes of expression or communication. I only object to
deceptive euphemisms or misleading appellations with
no redeeming social, artistic, philosophical, cultural or
cosmic value. I agree with Samuel Butler's observation
that The Ancient Mariner would not have taken so well
if it had been called The Old Sailor, but I urge students to
guard against off-base verbiage in their daily lives. To
convey my point, let me list a few sources of
inappropriate nomenclature existent on our campus:
Free Flick Why do we persist in calling movies here
"gratis" when they have a hard cash admission charge? Is
that what a college education has done for us? I mean
inflation has gotten bad but free things don't cost $ 1 .00
yet!
Robert B. House Undergraduate Library What a
lovely name for a veritable zoo!
Louis Round Wilson Graduate Library I recently
caught 250 students (All undergraduates) committing
the heinous sin of trespassing this nominally "graduate'
domain.. .sacrilege!
Drop Add This phrase is definitely out of order
ao'd should be reversed to Add Drop. You
nonbelievers, try dropping a full load of courses before
having your little white add cards. Problem City!
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South Du!!d!ng: euphemism source
Weekend This word has less and less meaning the
longer one has been in Chapel Hill. One finds it
increasingly difficult to differentiate weekend days from
week days as the .two slowly melt into a garbled
continuum. Heavy Thursday partying and early
morning mixers don't help clarify matters.
Panhellenic Council by name implies that all
branches of a group (here, sororities) are united; oddly
enough, several sororities at the University are not
represented in this body.
The Entre "Greek" System has seriously confused
several students and local citizens. Paul "Nico" and
George "Papa" Karylgiorgostannitopolis of Athens
decry this misnomer as most blatant. "Hell..." states
Nico, his dark eyes flashing, "these blond Americans are
not Greek; they think souvlaki is a new dance, the only
Athens is in Georgia, baklaya is a clcgcd volcano, and
Greece is used to waterproof new Bean Oxfords."
Lawn No euphemistic label here; this word is an
outright lie when it is used by the Grounds Department
in reference to the patch of hard dirt commonly know as
the dustbowl of Upper Quad. The area has no
grass...really no soil; hence, it is not a "lawn."
The Cube several people persist in referring to the
eight-sided structure outside the Union as the "cube,"
refusing to acknowledge the fact that the structure is at
least Siamese twins. Perhaps this is the old "Cube," but
it has nevertheless changed either through undergoing
cellular division or experiencing acute public
schizophrenia.
VSC is a "Liberal Arts" Institution -Liberal in
what sense? With the University operating in loco
parentis through new curriculum dicta, conservative
political and social elements still quite powerful, and
tuition still charged, where is the publicized frecness?
The "Pit" somewhat true to its name until one's eye
wanders a bit further to take in the real pits: The Pine
Room (which is, of course, noticeably pinclcss: without
a pine, fir, evergreen, or conifer to its hame...tota!ly
lacking in a woodsy motif or decor whatsoever, a
virtually unpmed area where no sell-respecting pine
would dare to show Its bark.)
Our New Gymnasium -"to be completed in
January...uh, I mean March...cr rather, it'll surely be
finished in October.. .would you believe when hell freezes
over?.. .well, maybe a month after hell freezes over) and
our stunning Central Library ("gee.. .still looks like a
parking lot to me")
A "Concert" in Carmichael Auditorium a
"concert" in such an acoustically bereft place is a farce at
best. These shows ought to be publicized as "New
Heights in Dissonance and Cacaphony...Comc feci the
Vibrations of Heavy Metal (seats and beams) Distort
and Degrade your favorite musicians."
"Study Break" A valid phrase for some students,
this saying is rarely (if ever) accurately used by many less
conscientious collegiate sorts. Just as one cannot have a
headache if one has no head, one cannot have a study
break if no studying is being done.
"Fraternity House" -Are these "Houses" like
anyone's home you know? If so, the Board of Health
would like information on such hazardous abodes, for
such squalid living conditions were officialy banned
years ago. The Chi Psi Lodge may be closer to the truth
in its descriptive name, but the dwellers in "The Lodge"
are so obnoxious about not letting anyone call the place
a house that the effective appellation gets "lost in the
sauce."
St. Anthony's Fraternity Wonder when something
saintly last occurred at Saint A.. .a divine place, but not
in the holy sense of the word. Perhaps the place ought to
be called St. Augustine's after the holy man quoted once
as saying "Lord, give me chastity but not yet" (AD
354-430).
At last, I find it truly fitting that many of these
inaccurate phrases cmenate from South Butlding
(South') Relative to what, the North Pole) at the center
of north campus, I bet the folks on south campus guffaw
at the fact that the administration doesn't know north
from south, its hindquarters from its elbow.
Rudyard Kipling points to names and words a$ "the
most powerful drug used by mankind." Here at Carolina
we're simply overdosing on a set of incorrect
prescription
Gloria Webster is a senior Jighsh, political science and
history major from Winston-Salem.
Indents want say In chancellor selection
By PA M HILDEBRA N
The selection of a chancellor is a critical decision
affecting not only the administration of the
University but also the welfare of its students.
The 13-member chancellor search committee,
headed by Ralph Strayhorn, is composed of five
UNC trustees, two faculty members, two alumni
and Student Body President J.B. Kelly. The
student body president has traditionally been
invited to serve on this committee.
As a result of this ratio, John Ragland and Eric
Shimabukurot two sophomore North Carolina
Fellows, have organized an effort to increase
student input into the search for the new
chancellor.
"Basically, we want to show students our
concern and that someone is willing to take the
time to express their ideas." Ragland said.
After consultation with Kelly, Ragland and
Shimabukuro drew up a questionnaire consisting
of three broad questions:
What personal competencies specifically
pertaining to the job would you liike the new
chancellor to have?
W;hat personal qualities beyond the job would
you like to see in the new chancellor?
What issues do you sec arising in the next 10
years that the new chancellor must face and be able
to handle?
The questionnaire was distributed to 12 UNC
student organizations and to the Carolina Union
desk for individual students to complete.
"The problem we hope to solve with these
(questionnaires) is how to contact the student body
at large." Ragland said. "We've had a limited
response so far, but the response from the
organizations has really been strong."
Ragland said they will draw up an outline of
student concerns and give it to the organizations
for modifications. A final report will then be
drafted for presentation to the selection committee
at the Oct. 25 public hearing in Morehead faculty
lounge, he said.
"If we can organize a large turnout at that
meeting, we'll have a lot more influence than
people think we will," Ragland said. "Rcgardiesi
of who the new chancellor is, if we go through all
this, he or she will havc to listen to us."
The Oct. 25 hearing will be the general public's
only chance to voice opinions on the selection
process. Strayhorn said the comments from the
hearing will aid in sorting out the hundreds of
letters of nomination.
"We are going to have the committee meet in
public to hear any suggestions and qualifications
for the selection of the chancellor which they may
have." Strayhorn said.
If there is a large student turnout at the hearing.
as Ragland and Shimabukuro hope, then the I
selection committee will be forced to recognize the
importance of their ideas and recommendations.
If students wish to seek an active part in this
process, they must prove to the starch committee
that their interest and concern is legitimate.
Ragland said support has been strong from several
faculty and stalf members. All that is needed ts!
support from the students. f
lam I hide bran, u junior joutnalnm major froml
Hickory, i a stall writer for The Daily far Heel.