10The Daily Tar Heel Friday, September 16, 1988
lIMl,IIMIIMl
Battling Greodel. polio and Eoglish
96 th year of editorial freedom ,
Karen Bell, News Editor
MATT BlVENS, Associate Editor
KlMBERLY EDENS, University Editor
JON K. RUST, Managing Editor '
Will Lingo, cuy Editor
Kelly Rhodes, Am Editor
CATHY McHUGH, Omnibus Editor
Jean Lutes, Editor
KAARIN TlSUE, News Editor
LAURA PEARLMAN, Associate Editor
KRISTEN GARDNER, University Editor
SHARON KEBSCHULL, State and National Editor
MIKE BERARDINO, Sports Editor
LEIGH ANN McDONALD, Features Editor
KlM DONEHOWER, Design Editor
DAVID MINTON, Photography Editor
Losing that lost, lonely feeling
Being one of the Econ 10 students
lost in the hundreds of seats in Carroll
106 doesn't encourage student-faculty
interaction. Trying to have a serious
class discussion in such a huge class
room is next to impossible.
Of course, the Honors program
offers small sections of introductory
courses to selected students, but that
doesn't solve the problem for the rest
of the student body. And few would
be elitist enough to say that only
honors students deserve individual
attention from faculty.
The Residence Hall Association and
the Department of University Housing
have a plan that could help solve the
problem. They want to start a Faculty
Fellows program, in which a faculty
member would sponsor a residence
hall for a year.
Students could recruit the faculty
member, who would participate in one
of two ways either through a
structured series of discussions or
through informal meetings. In both
cases, the student-faculty meetings
probably would be weekly or bi
weekly. Topics of discussion could be
anything relating to the lives of
students and their professors, aca
demic or otherwise.
This program, which organizers will
kick off with an orientation banquet
Sept. 25, could benefit both sets of
participants. What better way to chase
away those daunting feelings of
anonymity than to have a faculty
member show up in your dorm, just
to chat?
However, this program could just
as easily fall flat on its face. Imagine
a faculty member showing up for an
informal discussion in a dorm lounge
and finding only a group of students
absorbed in the latest episode of
"Moonlighting." Such an experience
could send Faculty Fellows down the
tubes very quickly.
Many complain that UNC, as it has
grown into a prominent research
university, has forgotten the impor
tance of student-faculty interaction.
The concern is a legitimate one, and
the Faculty Fellows program is a
legitimate way to address that concern.
xBut the program will only work if
both students and faculty approach it
with open minds and a commitment
to participate. Otherwise, Faculty
Fellows will become just another
example of student apathy at UNC.
Jean Lutes
Expel all smoking from schools
The Chapel Hill-Carrboro City
School Board of Education has just
thrown a left jab to Public Health
Enemy No. 1, Smoking. Old No. 1
is on the ropes on campuses through
out the school system.
The board's first blow against
smoking was struck in spring 1987,
when students were banned from
smoking on school grounds.
Then, the board voted 4-3 Monday
to ban smoking in teachers' lounges
in the schools because of the danger
second-hand smoke may pose to
students.
Some faculty members who smoke
are up in arms about the decision, but
the board was just doing its job in
protecting the students they were
elected to serve.
A junior high school secretary told
the Chapel Hill Herald she did not
understand the logic of banning
smoking in teachers' lounges since
students do not have access to the
lounges. "The smoke in our lounge
doesn't affect anybody," she said.
Sorry, but the smoke does affect
several "somebodies." '
It affects the students and their views
on smoking. They are told to respect
school faculty, and that school is a
place to learn. Consider what they are
learning from the teacher who makes
a mad dash to the lounge each morning
to avoid a nicotine fit.
And it affects other faculty members
those with asthma, those who are
allergic to cigarette smoke and even
those who wear contact lenses.
Don't misunderstand some
smokers are courteous. There are
people who always squash their
cigarettes before boarding a Chapel
Hill Transit bus, and there are people
who offer to go outside to smoke when
visiting a non-smoker's home. Some
of the teachers who smoke even said
they had already quit smoking on
school grounds; they wait until after
hours.
But in general, smoking is a nasty,
dirty habit which is offensive to many
and a proven health hazard to all. Very
few, if any, smokers would encourage
a non-smoker, especially a young
person, to pick up smoking as a new
hobby. Non-smokers and smokers
alike would benefit if more local
government boards had the courage
to ban smoking on school campuses,
at all school-sponsored events and in
public service buildings.
The board has the opportunity to
throw a right hook at old Public
Enemy No. 1 next week, when the no
smoking rule must pass on a second
reading. Approving the proposal may
be the first step to a-knockout. This
is no time to throw in the towel.
Sandy Dimsdale
A Constitutional birthday wish
The Constitution will turn 200 years
old tomorrow, but not all of us see
much reason to celebrate.
The other day in my History 144
class, the professor, a distinguished
gentleman of great age, remarked that
he felt that the Constitution was the
greatest document around. He's . . .
right.
Unfortunately, the interpretation of
the Constitution is left to the same
ignorant, fickle masses that its writers
wanted to protect themselves from.
The spirit of the document was the
spirit of the enlightenment, the great
philosophical movement that
preached of the perfectability and the
ultimate good that is within all of us.
Yet, in spite of this belief in man's
inherent good, our founding fathers
were also fearful of the potential for
the abuse of democracy. After all, the
great majority of Americans, then as
now, were ill-informed to make
political decisions, thus leading to the
establishment of the electoral college
for choosing our two highest officials.
Yet, as the years passed, the respon
sibility of choosing our nation's leaders
fell to the people. -
All too often, this country has made
the wrong choice. All too often, the
minorities, who already suffer the
most', are left to suffer more because
of the insensitivity and ignorance of
others.
American government in the 1980s
doesn't fulfill our founding father's
dreams. Although there is less prej
udice and there are more people with
money, the way the country is run and
the way it chooses its executives leaves
much to be desired.
The American bureaucracy often
seems incapable of solving the most
mundane of problems until it reaches
a crisis. And we as a nation now must
face problems far more serious than
the contras or the Indiana National
Guard, problems such as the environ
ment, nuclear war and global
overpopulation.
One can only hope that on the eve
of our nation's true bicentennial, this
country is capable of selecting leaders
who can wrestle with these problems
of the future.
Happy Birthday, Constitution.
Dave Hall
Bespairing of the challenge of
college, I quit in 1978 after my
freshman year. Afterward, as a
dropout languishing in hideaway jobs, I
watched friends graduate and then flourish
in careers made possible by their education.
Envying their success, I pulled myself from
a snare oi tear ana procrastination and
decided to return to school.
To earn a degree and then enter law
school became my goal, but the academic
skills I would need to succeed had withered
from disuse. My lack of confidence
threatened the plan.
Scariest of all was the thought of writing
m
essays ana term papers, staple student
tasks. Beginning my second college career
gingerly, I enrolled in a junior college,
where a sophomore English course offered
what I hoped would be an easy first test
of my writing ability.
An assigned paper on the heroic ideal
m ueowuir dispelled that expectation ol
ease. At first, the epic poem's strange, old
language befuddled me, but after concen
trating on the hero's challenge and struggle,
I became engaged.
In studying Beowulfs fight with the
monster Grendel, I realized it was parallel
to my struggle. Pursuing scholastic success
Chris Hood
Staff Writer
after a decade-long layoff required courage
and faith if I was to overcome my powerful
fear of failure.
My teacher helped by making the
assignment relevant. In class discussions,
she related the heroic ideal exposed in the
poem to modern events, and asked if our
society had persons who fit Beowulfs role.
The search for a hero of Beowulfs
stature prompted a search for a modern
scourge equal to. Grendel. The "monster's
mysterious, unpredictable terror reduced
my choices to those pestilences as grim,
tragic and hopeless as the one that
murdered ancient Danish warriors and
scattered their limbs thfoughout Hroth
gar's banquet hall.
Relevance turned to poignancy as I
considered two people, Jonas Salk and my
mother. Despised and feared like Grendel,
polio was an intractable, capricious foe
untU Dr. Salk's vaccine, He saved our
society from polio's power to paralyze and
wither limbs but not, alas, in time for
Mom.
Her damaged leg became a challenge,
not a burden. She worked hard in college
and danced at the parties. Later, she
became a music teacher. Shame invaded
my recollection of Mom's story as I sensed
the paltriness of my sullen, self-centered
concerns about school and an English
assignment.
A week!later, my teacher returned the
paper with remarks befitting the inspira
tion that spurred me to complete it: MA
great paper, one of two or three best IVe
ever received. Congratulations!'' .
Thus, my fear of failure vanished under
the spell of Mom's example. Exhilaration
replaced worry and self-doubt. Beowulfs
victory, with its promise of freedom for
the Danes, had brought my liberation as
well. Not that a sophomore English paper,
even an excellent one, can rival Beowulfs
deeds or Dr. Salk's vaccine; or a polio
victim's determination to create a whole,
life for herself. But the achievement of that
first paper parallels those stories because
it enabled me to raise my expectations for
college and life.
Chris Hood is a junior interdisciplinary
studies major from Southern Pines.
' . . .- .... ' ' : ' : i
Readers9 Fram?v
. , - : ; .
More to sports
than revenue
To the editor:
It is a widely recognized fact '
that at UNC, "Tar Heel sports
fever" is one of the most
unifying elements of the school.
As an out-of-state student, one
of the reasons I chose to come
to Carolina was because of the
inspirational "winning spirit"
that pervades the campus.
Unfortunately, I was disen
chanted to discover that hardly
a moment's notice is ever given
to the team that represents my
favorite sport: cross country. -
Personally, I feel it is an
outright crime to belittle the
accomplishments of these
runners by barely mentioning
them on the sports page. Also,
m the Sept. 12 issue of the
paper, the two measly para
graphs about cross country
neglected to mention the worn- '
en's team.
I know that I speak for many
others as well when I say that
cross country is not the only
sport that is being neglected at
UNC In the name of all sports
enthusiasts, I am asking the
DTH to please extend its
coverage to include schedules,
results, scores, times and names
that pertain to something other
than big-revenue sports.
ROBIN BERRY
Freshman
Radiological Science
Support
the mikeman
To the editor:
Complain, complain, com
plain! That's all I have heard
and read about the new mike
man. Except for one question
able cheer, concerning sodomy,
the cheers at Saturday's game
were well within proper pers
pective. The "boom-chic-a-boom"
cheer, which featured
the Asian-speaking comment,
is a well-known harmless cheer
that could feature many speech
interpretations. Remember, he
also featured a Southern-style
interpretation.
I am sure the mikeman
knows his error and is being
reprimanded. Let's stop this
senseless criticism and focus on
the good points. This year's ,
mikeman is full of energy and
spirit. He has a unique ability
to "pump up" a crowd and to
continue that enthusiasm
throughout the game. Try
keeping a crowd enthused and
excited when your team is
losing 28-0.
When all is said and done
this year, I am sure this year's
mikeman will go down in
Carolina history as one of our
finest. So let's stop criticizing
and start supporting.
CHARLES TOOMEY
Sophomore
Business
Competence,
not partisanship
To the editor:
Does Charles Held actually
believe that the First and
, Second World Wars, the con
flicts in Korea and Vietnam, the
Cuban Missile Crisis and the
Soviet invasion of Afghanistan
were the results of weak Demo
cratic administrations? (DTH,
Sept. 14, "Dukak-eyed ideas
hazardous to U.S")
Does Mr. Held actually
believe that Herbert Hoover,
Alf Landon or Wendell Willkie
could have intimidated mani
acal Hitler? That the ever
debonair Thomas E. Dewey
would have frightened Kim II
sung, Mao and Stalin? That
"Tricky Dick" Nixon might
have handled Fidel and the
USSR as tactfully and force
fully as JFK? (Remember:
Castro came to power during
the Eisenhower-Nixon admin
istration, and it was Nixon who
negotiated the "peace" with
North Vietnam). That Jerry
"Whip Inflation Now" Ford
could have prevented the
Soviet intervention in Afghan
istan? If Held can answer in the
affirmative to any of the above,
I have to ask: "Where was
Charles?" when he should have
been in his history class.
America rose to world great
ness during Democratic admin
istrations. But I, a Democrat,
refuse to assert that America
rose to greatness because of
Democratic administrations.
Does Held now see the point
that I am trying to make?
Presidents cannot make
prosperity and peace happen;
the world is not that simple.
Presidents, however, have to be
competent and qualified
enough to deal with the prob
lems and dilemmas that arise
during their terms in office.
And, as far as competence and
qualifications go, Mike Duka
kis and Lloyd Bentsen beat
their rivals, George Herbert
Walker Bush and J. Danforth
Quayle, by a mile.
KAM LEE
Evening College
Apologize
to Clemson
To the editor:
I found your article on Clem
son University in last Thurs
day's Omnibus ("Ugly paws
v and big peaches await game
bound trippers on the way to
Clemson," Sept. 8) extremely
distasteful and insulting. It
showed a complete lack of any
sense of tact on your part. How
the author, Will Lingo, ever got
to be city editor and why he
was allowed to print such
garbage in our beloved Daily
Tar Heel is a real mystery! Is
"RADON TR0UBLESV.
MIGHT AS WFLL SMOKE!!
W(mm FIRST
1 M ; STRIKE
PREEMPTIVE FLAVORED
U-rr-V t'r AT) rt r ri i a-t-
inc lvtKC I IC I tin I
NUKES youfc LUNGS"
this how you attack every
opponent of the Tar Heels? If
so, perhaps the Tar Heels need
to start looking for a new
spokesman in order to protect
their own collective sense of
self-respect.
First, I am a Tar Heel," but
I have a son who is a sopho
more at Clemson, as well as
numerous friends and acquain
tances who have attended this
fine university. I have been
employed by veterinarians who
are Clemson graduates, and by
the firm of architects (also
Clemson graduates) who
designed the Riverbanks Zoo
logical Park in Columbia, S.C.
Riverbanks is one of the top
10 zoos in this country.
I am also a native of South
Carolina, having lived only the
last three years in North Carol
ina. I find your obvious lack
of sensitivity, not to mention
your ignorance, in calling my
home state "ugly," a personal
insult! South Carolina boasts
beautiful mountains, rolling
green farmlands (the main eye
pleasing scenery for the obser
vant traveler to Clemson) as
well as the exciting, nationally
renowned Grand Strand
beaches.
As far as the orange and tiger
paws go, I was under the
impression that team spirit was
to be admired, not ridiculed.
Should UNC be ridiculed due
to the sea of baby blue that fills
the UNC coliseum and the
footprints with black goo on
the heels? Every team has a
color and a logo, so why pick
on Clemson? Oh yeah it
must be because Clemson is at
the top of the national football
ratings and we have dropped
off the bottom somewhere.
Could this be sour grapes?
Get with it, Lingo! Mud
. slingin' aint cool. And you owe
all South Carolinians, espe
cially Clemson Tigers, an
apology.
ALECIA COLE
Junior
Journalism
Letters policy
The Daily Tar Heel
welcomes reader comments
and criticisms. When writing
letters to the editor, please
follow these guidelines:
D All letters must be signed
by the author(s), with a limit
of two signatures per letter.
B Students should include
name, year in school, major,
phone number and home
town. Other members of the
University community should
include similar information.
fl All letters must be typed
and double-spaced, for ease of
editing.
fl Place letters in the box
marked" Letters to the Editor"
outside the DTH office in the
Student Union.
D The DTH reserves the
right to edit letters for space,
clarity arid vulgarity.
Remember, brevity is the soul
of wit.
Dean's Dome needs some sou
To the editor:
I have been a student at UNC ever since
the Dean E. Smith Center opened its doors
to the public, and since that time I have
been waiting patiently for the Smith Center
to feature a rhythm and blues act in
concert. Well, I am a senior now and I'm '
still waiting.
I cannot understand why it is so hard
for officials at the Smith Center to schedule
black groups to perform in the arena. I
have heard several excuses but none of
them are even slightly reasonable to me.
I was told that if there was an R&B concert
not enough people would show up to fill
the arena. However, UNC is surrounded
by predominantly black colleges, such as
North Carolina Central University, North
Carolina A&T and Winston-Salem State
University; -these people would-flock to
UNC to see a concert. I was told that not
many black groups are touring in this area
and yet the Greensboro Coliseum is
constantly featuring black talent and
Greensboro is not far from Chapel Hill.
I was also told that a black group would
bring a raucous crowd to Chapel Hill arid
cause the town problems. However, in the
past, the Smith Center has featured white
groups such as Pink Floyd who bring a
raucous crowd. '
Before everyone starts writing in remind
ing me of the performances of Lionel
Richie, Tina Turner and Whitney Hous
ton, let me remind you that they don't sing
rhythm and blues, they sing pop and rock.
Rhythm and blues artists such as Luther
Vandross, Cameo, Run DMC and others
have a more than ample following that
would easily fill the Smith Center.
I think this proves that the powers that )
be at this University have once again made
it clear that they are not interested in its
black population. In a town where social
outlets for blacks are almost non-existent,
the least the University could do is try to
to schedule a few concerts that are of
interest to blacks.
Yet, amid this complaint and others
about the black experience, at UNC,
University officials continue to scratch
their heads and wonder why getting blacks
to enroll at UNC is so difficult.
SPENCER HARDY
Senior;
History