The Daily Tar HeelMonday, October 3, 198811
OpiMon
Voews odd the CD A protesters' Hoquot Cowl tful
Protesters endure wrist-slap for
The verdict of guilty of "willfully
interfering in the conduct of
the University" for the CIA
protesters has created quite a stir in
the Southern Part of Heaven. Did the
Undergraduate Honor Court over
step its bounds in handing down a
ruling that could potentially hinder
the protesters' chances of finding a
job, getting into graduate school or
leading a normal life in the real world?
No. Should the protesters have
considered the consequences of their
actions more seriously before they
chose to demonstrate in the office of
University Career Planning and
Placement Services? Yes.
The protesters were not disciplined
excessively for their actions. If
anything, their punishment was a slap
on the wrist. The honor court did
what it was created to do: it enforced
the Instrument of Student Judicial
Governance in a responsible manner.
Most of the time, honor court trials
go on unnoticed. Students cheat or
lie every day and end up in honor
court for these violations. But for
most of us well-behaved students who
stay out of trouble's way, honor court
is a vague notion we might remember
hearing about during Carolina
TOPS. Occasionally, however, cer
tain among our numbers will overstep
the bounds which allow us to live
together harmoniously. Under such
extreme circumstances, the honor
court steps to the forefront of our
attention, and we become aware of
the significant role, it plays in the
University community.
This happened in the trial of the
CIA Action Committee members.
With this case, the honor court had
its moment to shine, although the
circumstances in which it had to
operate were far from normal.
The court usually functions behind
It
MO TOR WINNER
EMEpSEp FFfcM TOE
PBAT,TP.
We're living
As chairmen of the Young
Democrats and College
Republicans, we are jointly
writing this column to encourage all
students to please register to vote by
October 10 and get involved in this
year's crucial elections.
Many Americans do not realize
that the right to vote is not a
guaranteed right, but one we have
given ourselves.
We do not have to remind you of
the countless lives that our forefathers
gave so that we could have freedom
and the fruits it provides; For many
Grazing in
The approaching November
presidential elections along
with President Ronald Rea
gan's recent "jreweir speech to the
United Nations have led my thoughts
away from studying to the idea of
Reagan as an ex-president. Just what
will Reagan do after he steps down
as president of the United States?
After a well-deserved vacation of
a couple of months, I am sure the
ex-president will get bored. After
having the toughest job in the world,
other occupations should certainly
pale in comparison; but, as with other
living ex-presidents, Reagan will
surely continue to make significant
contributions to society.
Following the lead of many post
World War II presidents, Reagan will
probably set up his own presidential
library, complete with notes, official
letters, pictures and books from his
two terms. Although Reagan's staff
Laura Pearlman
Associate Editor
closed doors; participating in a
hearing before 150 people in a lecture
room had to be disconcerting. The
windows on the door to the front of
the room were papered over, and
students were allowed to enter only
through the back door. The audience
was asked to follow a few simple rules
while observing the trial, Scott
Boatwright, who presided over the
trial, stopped the proceeding at the
first slight rumble of disapproval and
informed the audience that he would
not tolerate comments that could
intimidate witnesses. Being in the
public eye did not hinder the court's
operations; the court members should
be commended for their composure.
The student justices judged a
precedent-setting case with profes
sionalism and maturity, and they
took advantage of the opportunity to
show the student body just how far
a protest can go before the campus
code condones it no longer.
The danger in this precedent is
hardly apparent. The anti-CIA pro
testers took their demonstration out
of the proper forum (the Pit) and
moved it to a place of business, a place
where students go for counseling, a
place where University activities are
carried out. For these digressions, the
honor court performed its duties to
the students of this University and
censured the behavior of the five
undergraduate demonstrators. Grad
uate student Dale McKinley will be
tried at a later date by the Graduate
Honor Court.
Nobody is saying the protesters
can't demonstate again. What they
proof that
Goodwin Taylor
Guest Writers
the struggle continues. We may have
won our freedom and the right to
vote, but people the world over have
not. Presently they are fighting and
giving their lives for a freedom that
too many of us do not even honor.
If American lives were given for
this right (as they were), the least any
American should do is to take the
a pasture of
David Bone
Guest Writer
will sort through most of the paper
work, this project will certainly take
up some of Reagan's time.
And if Vice President George Bush
wins in November, Ronald Reagan
will probably serve him in some
capacity as an adviser. After all, who
knows George Bush's views better
than Reagan? But Bush would want
to assert his independence and would
probably not place Reagan in any
v official capacity.
Of course, Reagan will write and
publish his memoirs, following the
examples of other ex-presidents and
ex-officials of his own administration.
He will probably have a ghost writer
do most of the work. But what else
11 fiSillis WE HAVE, HOWEVeR, II
good cause
are saying is that the students, faculty
and administration won't tolerate a
demonstration that interferes with the
functioning of the University and in
doing so inteferes with students
rights. If the Action Committee
members had been permitted to get
away with such disruptive activity
without reprimand from the Univer
sity, they would do it again, perhaps
trying a more dramatic and even
more inappropriate display. With a
black mark on their records, the
committee members might think
twice before they disrupt the runnings
of a University office again.
The protesters are welcome to
make a statement in the Pit any time
they wish. If anything, this censure
would be good for the CIA Action
Committee. If its members fear that
people won't pay attention to a
protest confined to a certain area of
campus, they should be inspired to
plan more creative, thought
provoking demonstrations. People
should attend and interact in a protest
because they are concerned about the
topic, not because they are cornered
in a place of business where they have
no choice but to bumble , into the
protesters and their props.
The honor court made the right
choice by not imposing, a more severe
sanction, such as probation or even
expulsion! Had this happened, the
activists would have lost their oppor
tunity to educate the student body
in any capacity.
The protesters and all students
should consider this whole ordeal
food for thought. They know now
what kind of demonstrations will not
be tolerated, and they can better plan
their efforts at education.
Laura Pearlman is a junior English
major from Asheville.
voting is non-partisan
time to vote. It's very easy: the first
step is registering. You can do that
in the Pit and other prominent
campus locations, as well as at the
Chapel Hill Municipal Building (the
Post Office) and the Chapel Hill
Public Library both on Franklin
Street. You may register as a first
time voter there, or transfer your
registration from other precincts,
counties or states. Take with you a
proof of identity and residence, such
as a driver's license. And remember,
Oct. 10 is the last day to register to
vote in this year's election.
jellybeans and hairdye
is there for the ex-leader of the free
world to do?
Maybe he will return to his career
of acting. I know the American
public, and indeed the entire world,
is waiting for more "Bonzo Goes to
Washington" movies. He could even
get George Bush to play Bonzo.
Imagine the script possibilities.
Maybe Reagan could turn it into a
regular TV show, probably a sitcom.
Even better, he could replace
George C. Scott in the now-defunct
FOXX network show, "Mr. Presi
dent." Reagan could draw from real
situations from his terms for story
ideas. What a great way to record
the Reagan years for posterity!
Or Reagan could become a product
endorser. Think of what he could do
for the hair dye and jelly bean
industries alone. Imagine a backdrop
of the American flag waving in the
wind and Reagan saying: "Miss
Thursday night, Manning
1 209 was a different lecture
hall. Almost 150 people atten
tively faced forward no one stared
into space, struggled with a crossword
puzzle or whispered to fnends.
Sitting around a rectanmilar table
o -
up front were five students charged
, . . y .
dunng an April 15 anti-CIA protest
at the University's s Career ; Plarming
Willi V1U1&I.1I1K l I1C CamDUS COOe
auu riauciiiciii unices, wiin uicm
were five Undergraduate Honor
Court instils nim an JnvMtiantnr
and a defense counsel. : ;
After' a four-hour trial and about
three hours of deliberation, the court
returned its verdict: not guilty of
trespassing but guilty of willful
obstruction of University business,
The five defendants received the
lightest punishment possible, censure,
A notice will be placed in the
defendants' records that they were
disciplined, and they will received
official letter of reprimand. Accord-
ina to the Instrument of Student
Judicial Governance, heavier penal-
. - r .
ties are m store for them if future
incidents occur.
The verdict was unfortunate. By
censuring the protesters,, the honor
court set a dangerous precedent.
The protesters knew they risked
criminal charges when they first
olanned their demonstration after
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compliance or obedience. Hence the
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erm, civil disobedience But nskmg
students
sibility they probably didnt consider.
Who would have expected agents of
the University, presumably an insti
tution of open debate, to quash a
peaceful student demonstration?
Now, if the protesters are charged
again under the code, heavier penal-
ties hang over their heads. This means
Besides, if two people like us that
disagree can get together, then you
know the issues of registering to vote
and student involvement in the
elections are indeed important.
Go George! No, wait a minute. Go
Mike! Whoops, we're at it again!
Wayne Goodwin, president of the
UNC Young Democrats, is a senior
political science major from Hamlet.
Bill Taylor, chairman of the UNC
College Republicans, is a senior
political science major from Trenton.
Clairol: if it's good enough for the
ex-President of the United States, it's
good enough for you." He could
become the next Ed McMahon.
Of course, Nancy and he could
always team up with their astrologer,
Joan Quigley, in Hollywood. I will
even offer the perfect name for their
enterprise: "The Stars' Guides to the
Stars." Eventually, they would prob
ably have their own talk show,
perhaps rivaling even Oprah.
Who knows which road Reagan
will choose to travel during his post
presidential years? The possibilities
are endless. I, for one, cannot wait
to find out which direction he
chooses, and I would relish the chance
to support him in any of these future
endeavors. ;
David Bone is a sophomore pol
itical science and history major from
Wilmington.
Ttn
Matt Bivens
Associate Editor
.1 i
mcy nave 10 caciusc men rusi
Amendment rights very gingerly from
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licic uu, uicy ii nave w uv,iiiviiauo.i.v
on eggshells or risk probation or
eXpUisi0n.
So what's an anti-CIA protester
with a conscience to do? They cant
go mto Unoir's public front hall and
cause the police could come ,
" fu T,
shanties in the Pit, but they d
"""" """"
can chant outside South Building but
if a secretary throws open her wmdow
r
I can't hear myself think," they d best
apologize and shnk away - after all,
ev wouldnY want to obstruct any
University typing.
Somc that these protesters
werebeing disruptive ; and obnoxious,
nnn neserven to he chastised.
and deserved to be chastised.
But the protesters were already
chastised. Eight protesters were
originally arrested for the April 15
demonstration and charged with
second-degree trespassing. Four of
the eight later agreed to do commun
ity service as part of a plea-bargain;
the other four were tned Aug. 25.
rtn fnnA ,;it rme-iwA
; 7;;;
suspended sentences and were
ordrcd t0 do community service. The
l" uw JrrTi a ua a
police and courts had already handled
this matter
have been left at that?
One reason why is that the
pro-
testers have been irritating.
1 he live undergraduates were
supposed to be on trial only for their
April 15 demonstration. The honor
court justices understood this. That s
R
O
r
Why would a professor leave
a comfortable position at a
prestigious school like
UNC-CH? There are many possible
reasons, but the most worrisome is
a matter of cold, hard cash. Low
faculty salaries at UNC-CH are
causing a "brain drain," a stream of
scholars leaving for higher-paying
institutions and taking the Universi
ty's national reputation with them.
UNC-CH has moved into the front
ranks of American universities,
public and private. It now competes
with schools like Harvard and the
University of Michigan for students,
teachers and acclaim.
However, UNC-CH is handi
capped in this battle because it pays
its faculty much less than these
schools. In a survey by U.S. News
and World Report, American college
presidents ranked UNC-CH the 11th
best school in the nation. But when
it comes to faculty salaries, the
University stands next to last among
the top 20 schools.
The average salary for a professor
at UNC, including benefits, is
$49,300, according to the bulletin of
the American Association of Univer
sity Professors. The same professor
would make $65,800 at the University
of California at Berkeley. Top public
schools like the Universities of
Michigan, Wisconsin and Virginia
also offer higher salaries than UNC.
UNC-CH cannot afford to lose the
top-flight faculty it has harvested
because of myopic tight-fistedness,
and staying competitive in the fight
for talented Ph.D's has become even
more important now that graduate
enrollments are dropping. The faculty
deserve and need higher salaries, and
money must be found to do it.
The idea of increasing the cost of
education bothers many students and
parents. But money that helps to
retain valuable scholars is well worth
the investment. Of course, careful
consideration should be used in
establishing the criteria for the pay
increases.
It is entirely possible that the
University can offer a pay hike
without raising the cost of higher
education; that is up to the N.C.
General Assembly, which will have
final say on raising salaries, tuition
or any other parts of the budget. And
even if tuition rises, the University
could still be a bargain unmatched
among the nation's top schools.
Some skeptics complain that
defecting scholars are just fame
mongers who would rather research
and publish than teach. But the
"stars" are not the only professors
leaving Chapel Hill they are just
the ones who draw media attention
and highlight the problem. A profes-
why they concentrated only on this
one event.
But, in the minds of many other
students, the protesters were on trial
for much more. They were on trial
for being jerks. For yelling about
murine Nicaraeuan harbors. For
- - , . .
building ugly tiger cages F or e hasmg
ilWdV " VYV ivi
away recruiters,
pying shanties and chaining them
selves to South Building in 1986 to
demand divestment. For making
people angry.
If you're angry at the protesters,
' elf If you're angry
because they advocating denying a
CIA recruiter his free speech rights,
g00d for you. You have a truly valid
point. But that should not have been
an issue at this trial. It was a separate
event.
If you're angry because you dis
agree with their views and think the
CIA is a fine organization, chalk up
another plus to you. That still has
nothing to do with the trial, but you're
entitled to your opinion; just make
surc you're informed. The anti-CIA
J - . .
protesters made many good points;
can you refute them? have you
checked any of their facts in the
library?
If you're angry because the protes
ters are obnoxious, the shanties are
ugly and you want to drop your
resume without hearing about assas
sination manuals, then give yourself,
a big, fat, apathetic minus. And ask
yourself again: are you clad the
protesters were censured because, on
15 th
are you glad because the protesters
make you uncomfortable, and now
someone has finally shut them up?
" : :
Matt Bivens is a junior journalism
major from Olney, Md.
Hudson Spirtas
Staff Writers
sor does not have to be a giant in
his field to realize that $57,400 at
Duke is more than $49,300 at UNC
CH. Others explain their reluctance to
pay professors more with the argu
ment that building Chapel Hill into
one of the top schools in the nation
will lead to the exclusion of many
of North Carolina's own students.
But having an excellent flagship
school does not mean that North
Carolina has to ignore its youth. We
have a system of 16 fine state schools
to provide for these students. As
UNC-CH builds its reputation, some
of these students may be turned away
from Chapel Hill, but there will still
be a place for them. The benefits the
state reaps from UNC-CH's five-star
image far outweigh the drawbacks.
Others argue that the state would
benefit more overall from money
injected into the private sector. What
these people fail to realize is that the
future belongs to the kind of marriage
of government, businesses and uni
versities that has been so successful
in the Triangle. Painting businesses
and universities as perpetual compet
itors is an outdated point of view.
North Carolina is a poor state, but
that is no excuse for cheating our
employees. UNC-CH's national rep
utation helps the state in many ways
the Triangle would not be the
vibrant community it is today were
it not for UNC-CH and N.C. State
University.
UNC-CH's reputation also brings
jobs and national stature to the state.
The appearance of two Republican
and seven Democratic presidential
contenders at the Educational Forum
last year is just one example of this
national prominence.
The University has a long-standing
tradition of excellence, but without
proper care and financial backing,
this tradition will fade into distant
memory. The University must offer
salaries that are comparable to those
offered at the nation's other best
schools. If we fail to recognize this,
UNC-CH will slide from the pinnacle
it has reached into a valley of
mediocrity.
Kyle Hudson is a sophomore
history major from Greenville and
Michael Spirtas is a sophomore
political science major from
Washington, D.C.
y
pay
n