i
6The Daily Tar HeelWednesday, Sept'wNv ?r
Jim Ht'MMi i . Uiuh
Susan Mauney. .Unu Mm
Jonathan Rich, ahm mm
John Drkschfr. a&vuic Mm
Edwina Ralston, vmvrsuy va
John Royster. cay Mm
Charles Herndon. nmmuIMm
Beth Burrell. n Mm
Clifton Barnes, ty. Mm
Tom MtXWE. Am Mm
Keith King.
SCOTT SHARPE. Pkraphy Mm
Ann Peters. Nvff ;,,.r
Chuck James. OmnJWm
Teachers need.
hig
Mei sti5iM(uiaii (LiLSa ires Lpecu
By JACKIE M. BLOUNT
lailg
cHar lied
o'Pfj year of editorial freedom
Nestle' s crunch
Through the efforts of the North Carolina Infant Formula Action Co
alition, positive steps have been taken in Chapel Hill toward pressuring
the Nestle Corporation to change its means of promoting infant formulas
in the Third World. However, with INFACT's proposed picketing of
Byrd's Food Center store next Monday, the group's tactics have become
counterproductive.
The intent of the group is to pressure Nestle, but a picket would bring
undue punishment on Byrd's. Almost any other means of promoting a
Nestle boycott would still be effective against Nestle without keeping cus
tomers away from stores carrying Nestle products. The main result of a
picket would be to hurt the store, particularly one as small as Byrd's.
INFACT members said they did not want to punish the stores, but in fact
that would be the end result.
Byrd's sells more Libby's (a Nestle subsidiary) products than any other
store in Chapel Hill or Carrboro, but INFACT members said the main
reason for singling out Byrd's for picketing was that the management there
had called out the police whenever INFACT attempted to distribute leaf
lets there.
Neither reason justifies a measure as extreme as picketing. Although
Byrd's has been far from cooperative with INFACT, there is no obligation
by the store to participate injthe boycott. Indeed, the boycott should need
the cooperation of oruV. consumers and not of businesses to be successful;
The picketing is partip ularly disturbing following INFACT's agreement
with Fowler's Food Store to .distribute grocery bags publicizing the boy
cott. INFACT had given Fowler's a list of 10 demands with the threat of a
picket if Fowler's did not meet the specified conditions. Negotiations be
tween the two groups ended with an agreement. The fact that they reached
a settlement beneficial to the boycott is welcome, but INFACT's tactics of
threatening a picket is distressing.
It is far more important for INFACT to be organizing consumers than
protesting against small businesses. Regardless of whether INFACT pic
kets a store, the success of the boycott will depend on consumers' refusal
to buy Nestle products. Although a picket may bring needed publicity to
the cause, it is just as likely that it will alienate consumers and give the
movement an unnecessary setback. , -
I wish to respond to the recent column by John deVille
entitled "Reader, columnist off target on education'
DTH, Sept. 24). I wrote a very brief letter to the editor
which stated that the generally poor quality of public
school teachers in this state is caused not by low wages
(as an earlier DTH editorial claimed) but rather by low
teacher status. Mr. deVille challenged my views and my
salary figures. I will respond by expanding on my all-too-short
first letter because I believe there is much to be
said about the important issue of teacher quality.
For the record, I stated in my letter that public teacher
pay in North Carolina ranged upward to $21,590 in the
1980-81 school year. This figure is documented in the
State Salary Schedules for Public School Employees, a
booklet produced by the State Department of Public In
struction (SDPI). Pay in North Carolina is based on four
factors: 1) college degree, 2) years of experience within a
school unit, 3) local supplements, and 4) other supple
ments, if any. A teacher with a master's degree and 10
years of experience earns $21,590 for a 10-month period
plus any other supplements and benefits. North Carolina
ranks 28th in the nation in teacher wages instead of 38th
as reported by deVille. (See How North Carolina Ranks
Educationally Among the 50 States, a booklet also pub
lished by the SDPI.) "
My point in using these figures, however, is not to say
that teachers are well paid. Monetary rewards are scarcely
commensurate with the demands of the job of teaching.
Rather, my point was that public school teachers often
earn higher wages than professors. Thus it seems that the
disparity between the quality of individuals who are
. teaching in the public schools and those who are teaching
in the universities cannot be explained simply in terms of
monetary compensation. Rather, additional factors, such
as the greater status of a professorship, must account for
this difference.
Letters to the editor
Why is it, though, that the public school teacher enjoys
a relatively low status when compared to other profes
sionals? The process of loss of respect begins in college
when students discover that the requirements for entrance
into teacher training programs are often abysmally low.
The proposed state teacher Quality Assurance Program
will ensure that there will be stiffened requirements for
entrance into teacher training programs.
Once a student proves his or her potential by hurdling
these entrance requirements, however, he or she finds
another obstacle at many schools: a series of education
courses, many that are shakily grounded in archaic dogma
or that border on being Mickey Mouse.
rospons
A number of colleges have watered down their educa
tion curriculum in order, to allow large numbers of stu
dents to transit easily through the program. In fact, many
colleges are dependent for their very livelihood on sheer
numbers of education majors, cranking them in and out.
Very few colleges or universities have designed curricula
that actually train students to become excellent teachers
or to question their educational philosophies. Selfishness
on the part of college admissions offices keeps the num
ber of education majors high and the quality of the cur
riculum low. , -.--..
Perhaps the single most significant cause of low status
for educators is the lack of a well-defined, comprehensive
and effective body of professional knowledge. This is
partly caused by a lack of agreement among educators
on what should be taught, how it should be taught, and
to whom. Such divisiveness within a profession is healthy,
yet it is unfortunately quite confusing. Society adds
smoke to the confusion by making diverse and often
contradictory demands of educators.
A strong drive, toward the professionalization of
education contributes to the lack of an ef fective body of
professional knowledge, contradictory as this may sound.
In the rush to produce scholarly material, thousands of
educators in the last few decades have churned out hun
dreds of thousands of documents. A new system of cata
loging was devised within the last decade by the federal
government to accommodate the current deluge of edu
cational information. Much of this new material is inter
esting and helpful, yet it tends to remain tucked away in
microfiche drawers or in the offices of educators who
are years removed from public school teaching.
Even worse, much larger portions of the material are
written in a notorious language called educationese, a
language that obscures the author's lack of a point. Mr.
deVille calls it educational science. "Educational science,"
or the study of education by someone not actually invol
ved in the process, leads to cut-and-dried dogmas that
are not applicable to the real world of public schools.
In conclusion, to gain the higher status we as educators
deserve, we must first establish standards for entrance
into teacher training programs. The Quality Assurance
Program will attempt to do this. Secondly, teacher train
ing programs must be vigorous and pre pare students to
be excellent teachers after they have first mastered their
primary subject areas. Thirdly, the best current research
must be applied in the public schools rather than merely
discussed among closet educators.
I admit that, at best, this discussion of teacher quality
is simplistic in that it considers only a few of the numer
ous factors which all spin together into a complex picture.
I hope at the very least that my thoughts will provoke
more vocal concern among students and educators alike.
After all, the quality of student-teacher interaction is one
of the most important factors in determining the quality
of educational experience.
Jackie M. Blount is a senior education and psychology
major from Asheville.
Citizen fined? outraged by 'plainclothes officer
The whole truth?
When an FBI agent arrived at UNC last week, he was met by the type
of demonstration that was more common in the early 1970s. Only a few
years ago; the strong memories of illegal activities and political spying
during the reign of J. Edgar Hoover and Richard Nixon caused public
sentiment to run strongly against the FBI.
Although the bureau has since cleaned house, the agency still requires
close scrutiny by both the government and citizens.
The protest, sponsored by the UNC Coalition for Social Justice, did
not prevent students from interviewing with the FBI. Its purpose was to
balance the FBI recruiter's position by educating students with personal
stories of illegal FBI involvement in their lives.
Not even the protesters, however, can argue that the FBI has not chan
neled its investigations into better areas under the Ford and Carter admin
istrations. Even FBI critics say the bureau has cut down drastically as
much as 95 percent on political surveillance. Instead, Director William
H. Webster, a former appellate judge, has focused the FBI's efforts on
fighting white collar crime and political corruption, as it should.
Even with improvements, however, the FBI remains a highly structured,
hierarchical organization. One of its largest faults over the last three dec
ades has been the lack of diversity within the organization.
Since 1978, for example, more, thari half of all FBI recruits have been
military veterans. This lack of cjiversity in people often leads to a danger
ous homogeneity of ideas that limits the process of rational decision mak
ing. Thai's why it's important for the FBI to seek diverse recruits at places
like UNC. : ;-v
In the meantime, the FBI remains a secretive organization that is too
often unchecked by the Justice Department and Congress. No government
agency is beyond reproach, as many feel the FBI is. The public, therefore,
needs to know more about the internal practices of the FBI. The protest
by the Coalition for Social Justice revealed another side of the FBI story
that needed to be told.
To the editor:
I am writing in regard to the recent
crackdown by the Chapel Hill Police De
partment on public consumption of al
cohol. Since I have been in Chapel Hill
for several years, I have long been aware
of. the drinking laws in the town. I have
, also been aware of the very small extent
to which they have been enforced.
But this has suddenly v changed. This
weekend I observed several public disturb
ances because of enforcement of this law
and I was personally cited for not heeding
the ordinance. I am quite outraged at this
occurrence not because I was fined but
because of the sneaky manner in which it
was done.
Granted, it is against the law to drink
on public property. This is obvious and I
am not advocating breaking any laws.
The question I cannot, resolve, however,
is what is the purpose in having undercover
policemen rather than those in uniform to
enforce this law. It seems to me that if the
police wanted to keep people from drink
ing on the streets, uniformed officers
would be much more effective than those
in plain clothes; unless of course the pur
pose is to collect as much money as pos
sible from beer drinking students.
At $31 each, I imagine it is a profitable
operation. And after all, I'm sure the town
officials had to think of some way to fi
nance the new police station.
Paul Herchen
204 W. Cameron Avenue
Pedestrian safety
To the editor:
Early Wednesday morning while walk
ing to class, I witnessed a sight that will
probably remain embedded in my memory
for years to come. A student, while cross
ing the street at the crosswalk in front of
Cpker Hall, was struck by a car; although
I still have yet to hear how seriously this
person was injured, I felt the accident was
, grave enough to provoke me to write this
letter.
: ' h life
The safety of pedestrians is the respon
sibility of both the pedestrian and the dri
'ver of a vehicle; it is not the job of any
. one person. Yes, the law says that pedes
trians have the- right of way at. marked
crosswalks; but as we all know, laws are
often overlooked, whether consciously or
subconsciously.
I have no idea as to whose fault this
particular mishap was, or if it was just an
unavoidable accident. I only know that
too many times I see people crossing the
street assuming that cars will be able to
stop automatically for. them, or darting
across the road thinking that they can
"make it in time."
Please, don't put your life in the hands
of another person who may not be able to
put his or her foot on the brake in time.
Look three times before crossing the
road, even if you are at a crosswalk. And
drivers, please don't zip around Chapel
Hill as if you were on a race track; recog
nize the fact that you are in a college town
and that students will be crossing the
streets in all places.
Accidents such as this one are costly
no one wants to experience the pain of be
ing injured and tne expense ot medical
bills. Likewise, no one wants to shoulder
the memory of having hit someone for
the rest of his or her life. In the long run,
both the driver and the pedestrian are the
victims, not to mention the families and
friends of both parties.
Although this accident was something I
would rather not have seen, I know that
now I will be a much more responsible
driver and pedestrian. I can only challenge
other people to do the same.
Margaret Gattis
317 Kenan
Bathroom graffiti spreading over ChapelMill
By KEN MINGIS
The Daily Tar Heel
Assistant Managing Editors: Mark Ancona, Cindy Cranford, Rachel Perry
Editorial Writers: Kerry Derochi, Geoffrey Mock, Beverly Shepard
Assistant News Editor David Jarrett
News Desk: Mclodi Adams, Cheryl Anderson, Paul Boyce, Stacia Clawson, Keith Cooke, Lisa
Evans, Manic Hayworth, Reniece Henry, Ivy Milliard, David McHugh, Melissa Moore, Sharon
Moylan, Lynn Peithman, Michele Pclkey, Laura Pfeifferi Yvette Ruffin, Laura Seifert, Jan
Sharpe, Kelly Simmons, Louise Spieler, Steven Stock, Darryl Williams and Chip Wilson.
News: Ted Avery, Greg Batten, Scott Bolejack, Sherri Boles, Laurie Bradsher,' Alan Chappie,
Michelle Christenbury, John Conway, David Curran, Nancy Davi s, Tamara Davis, Pam Dun
can, Lynn Earley, Richard Flynn, Tracy Ford, Jane Foy, Deborah Goodson, Steve Griffin,
Louise Guntcr, Karen Haywood, J.B. Howard, Lou Ann Jones, Peter Judge, Frank Kennedy,
Dave Krinsky, Katherine Long, Dean Lowman, Elizabeth Lucas, Diane Lupton, Kyle Marshall, '
Elaine McClatchey, David McHugh, Alexandra McMillan, Ken Mingis, Robert Montgomery,
Ann Murphy, Eddie Nickens, Jamee Osborn, Lynn Peithman, Leisha Phillips, Scott Phillips,
Jeannie Reynolds, Suzette Roach, Nancy Rucker, Mark Schoen, Laura Seifert, Ken Siman, Kelly
. Simmons, Jonathan Smylie, Bill Studenc, Jonathan Talcott, Anna Tate, Lynne Thomson, Arcane
Vendetta, Lynn Worth, Tammy Wright, Jim Wrinn and Kevin Kirk, wire editor.
Sports: Norman Cannada, Linda Robertson, assistant sports editors; Kim Adams, Tom Berry,
Jackie Blackburn, R.L. Bynum, Stephanie Graham, Morris Haywood, Adam Kandell, Sharon
Kester, Draggan Mihailovich, Scott Price, Lee Sullivan, and Tracy Young.
Features: Jill Anderson, Ramona Brown, Shelley Block, Jane Calloway, Teresa Curry, Lorrie
. Douglas, Valeria Du Sold, Amy Edwards, Cindy Haga, Susan Hudson, Chip Kames, Lisbeth
Levine, Lucy McCauley, Mary McKenna, Steve Moore, Mitzi Morris, David Rome, Sandy
Steacy, Vince Steele, Lawrence Turner, Rosemary Wagner, Randy Walker, Cathy Warren and
.Chip Wilson, assistant Spotlight editor.
Arts: Marc Routh and Leah Talley, assistant arts editors; Peter Cashwell, Jesse Farrell, Den
nis Goss, Vick Griffin, Julian Karchmer, Ed Leitch, Christine Manuel, Dawn McDonald, Tim
Mooney, David Nelson, Nissen Ritter, Karen Rosen, Bob Royalty, Cathy Schulze, Guha
' Shankar and Charles Upchurch.
Graphic Arts: Matt Cooper, Danny Harrell, Dane Huffman, Janice Murphy and Tom Westarp,
artists; Suzanne Conversano, Matt Cooper, Jay Hyman, Faith Quintavell and Al Steele,
photographers. . 1
Business: Rejeanne V. Caron, business manager; Linda A. Cooper, secretaryreceptionist;
Brooks Wicker, bookkeeper; Dawn Welch, circulationdistribution manager; Julie Jones,
and Angie Wolfe, classifieds.
Advertising: Paula Brewer, advertising manager; Mike Tabor, advertising coordinator; Jeff
Glance, Julie Granberry, Julia Kim, Keith Lee, Robin Matthews, Jeff McElhaney, Karen
Newell and Betsy Swartzbaugh, ad representatives.
Composition: Frank Porter Graham Composition Division, UNC-CH Printing Department.
Prison: Hinton Press, Inc., of Mebane.
From the amount of green, blue, and red ink, a casual
observer might think writing on bathroom walls is fash
ionable. Neither marble nor wood, janitors nor soap, can stop
creative artists from splashing their prose across the stalls.
Graffiti like kudzu in the summer may be spreading
all over campus.
Having visited numerous bathrooms recently, let me
say, I have seen the, er... writing on the stall, so to speak.
In fact, I've reached the conclusion that a lot of people's
minds are in the bathroom.
A quick trip across campus proves the graffiti differs
with the bathroom and the building.
Artists in Greenlaw are notable for philosophical scrib
blings, while the artists in Hamilton Hall tend to concen
trate on politics. But most other walls are a mixture of
the obscene, stupid and downright deranged.
But across campus national politics inspire the most
responses; Election Day 1980 was labeled BLACK TUES-
DAY. (Looking at the results, I must agree.)
Below that, someone who had studied presidential suc
cession had scrawled, REAGAN IN 80, BUSH IN 81 , HAIG
' IN 82, KENNEDY IN 84. Maybe they know something we
don't.
Sen. Jesse Helms is a favorite target; his name turns
up everywhere. Aside from the usual comments on his
mental faculties (or lack thereof), some phrases seemed a
bit offbeat. ...
JESSE HELMS MUST DIE, one says. OK, but what's
the big deal? So must we all.
. ABORT JESSE, another one reads. Well, it is a bit late
for that, guys. Still, maybe we now know why he is push
ing this anti-abortion amendment of his.
RAYGUN FOR PRESIDENT was scratched into a
wooden door in Hamilton Hall. That's either a subtle
comment on presidential foreign policy, or someone can't
spell. "
And the Democrats had the last word this time. Neatly
penned below was AT LEAST CARTER ONLY KILLS
RABBITS.
But climbing five flights of steps, and searching a dozen
bathrooms, caused one particular problem. I was finding
it very difficult to slip from stall to stall, notebook in
hand, without looking a bit weird. But, in the journalistic
pursuit of excellence, I managed.
I'd like to note that the phrases I'm omitting could
stand your hair on end. Some of this stuff is so obscene,
I began to wonder if Jesse was right when he suggested
fencing in Chapel Hill as a new1 North Carolina Zoo:
In addition to the obscenities, some joker always scrib
bles in a wisecrack or two.
WHY DONT WE WRITE SOMETHING ON THESE
WALLS THAT REFLECTS A LITTLE INTELLIGENCE?
BECAUSE INTELLIGENT PEOPLE DONT WRITE
ON WALLS, was the red-ink reply.
One irate visitor wrote, DON'T YOU KNOW IT'S
STUPID TO READ BATHROOM WALLS?
DON'T YOU KNOW IT'S STUPID TO WRITE ON
THEM?
Suddenly" I realized that graffiti could be the newest
form of communication. Southern Bell's future would
look awfully dim if this bathroom message service ever
caught on nationwide.
Let's face it everybody goes to the bathroom. And
as I continued my search it seemed everybody felt impell
ed to write on the walls.
In faded handwriting one author wrote what could
give English professors a collective heart attack. IF YOU
CANT ACCOMPLISH, THEORIZE. IF YOU CANT
THEORIZE, PLAGIARIZE. These guys could not have
read the Honor Code.
Drawn in a bathroom of Greenlaw, frequented by
English students, is a castle with a small dog sitting out
side. The caption reads, HE MESSED UP THE RUG
AGAIN OUT, OUT DAMNED SPOT. Shakespeare
" would be proud. Maybe.
Riddlers would appreciate a two-liner on the wall in
the undergraduate library. WHAT DOES A MAN DO
STANDING UP, A WOMAN DO SITTING DOWN,
AND A DOG DO ON THREE LEGS.?
Now think ... the answer is SHAKE HANDS.
WHERE ARE YOU GOING TO SPEND YOUR
ETERNITY, asked one philosopher. AT MY MOTHER-IN-LAW's
THIS WEEKEND, was the answer. Poor guy.
Of concern to patriots everywhere was this scribbling:
A RUSSIAN CEMETERY IS NOTHING BUT COM
MUNIST PLOTS. If true, there is not a lot we can do
about it, but if Joseph McCarthy was still alive, he would
appreciate it.
On an alcoholic note, one beer lover wrote: I'D RA
THER HAVE A BOTTLE IN FRONT OF ME THAN A
"S
J
tiff!!, -M:m ,Mi) J:
I si-
I
lulu
v'
H
Y
A
4 J
; ,
1 I
S n
liri''
DTHMatt Cooper
Bathroom graffiti at the Cat's Cradle
... scribblings show where people's minds are
FRONTAL LOBOTOMY.
An optimist obviously out of touch with reality
wrote, IT COULD BE WORSE. One eloquent writer
simply asked HOW?
I should say at this time I have limited my graffiti re-"
search to men's rooms only. Sorry girls, but I do have
morals.
After visiting numerous bathrooms and fending off
many ugly stares, I finally have found the one statement
with which I agreed.
NO INTELLIGENT LIFE HERE BEAM ME UP
SCOTTY.
Ken Mingis, a junior journalism major from Raleigh, is
a staff writer for The Daily Tar Heel.