Newspapers / Daily Tar Heel (Chapel … / Oct. 17, 1988, edition 1 / Page 15
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The Daily Tar HeelMonday, October 17, 198815 A to) lea foe oofoirmatfoii afooiit a tadleofs death UNC.s am writing to ask for help from my fellow Tar Heels. This is a XLlast resort to get some answers to questions that haunt me daily, questions which can only be answered by UNC-CH students. On March 26, 1988, I lost what I loved most in this world David Mantey. The only thing I know about his death is that it was due to injuries sustained from a fall from Granville Towers West. (I do not even know from which floor or which window he fell.) David was a wonderfully inquisitive person who told me several times that sometimes his curiosity drove him crazy because there was so much that he wanted to learn, but so little time to learn it. I was told after his death that David had become curious about the effects of hallucinogenic drugs. In particular, he was interested in hallucinogenic mushrooms, so he t thoroughly researched them. Believ ing that he knew every possible eliect to expect, David supposedly ate "shrooms' the night of March 26. Just before his death, which occurred U n 5 versoty Day waslm' t for everyone those walking innocently by the South Building on Wednesday i i had to have been awed by the majesty of the event. There in the cool mid-day sun stood an impressive array of students, professors, officials and other notables, many decked out in their finest regalia and wearing their proudest smiles. Banners adorned the lampposts, and toward the rear of the seating arrangement catering tents had been erected to facilitate the distribution of lunch. The brochur es outlining the program were very stylish indeed; the seat cushions imprinted with the University logo a delicate touch. I heard they were begging students to take entire boxes of leftover pastries from Memorial Hall. No doubt the University Day festivities were deemed a great success by almost everyone concerned. A new chancellor was installed, and he delivered the almost obligatory assurance of progress and change. Several outstanding citizens were awarded honorary titles. The original UNC charter was brought from Raleigh for display. Oh, and the food wa very, very good. ' Pyt wairooinig labels dim TTam writing in response to the editorial, "Boos for labeling llbooze," (Sept. 30). In the editor ial, Sandy Dimsdale argues against legislation to place warning labels on alcoholic beverage containers. Dims dale feels the Senate commerce committee is "missing the mark" by unanimously accepting this new proposal. In actuality, she is the one missing the mark. Not only does she have no proven authority on the subject, her unaccommodating tone allows no contradictions to her views. Dimsdale boldly states that even "the most uninformed person in the nation" knows the dangers of drink ing and driving. However, how can she accurately make this statement when it is possible that there are people who are presently unaware of the risks? For instance, how can a mountaineer who is separated from Campos Watch ignores proper Editor 's note: The author is speaker pro tern of Student Congress. Campus Watch is a conservative lobbying organization headed by Edward Cottingham, a UNC alumnus. This new group recently approached the North Carol ina legislature in an effort to stop Student Congress funding of the Carolina Gay and Lesbian Associa tion from above. As a Student Congress Finance Committee member who sat through more than 50 hours of budget deliberations last year, I would like to say a few words to Campus Watch sympathizers. Conservatives, moderates and liberals alike should stand up and defend our University against Cam pus Watch's allegations. This group not only threatens student self government at UNC, but it is woefully ignorant of the avenues open to monitoring and challenging congres sional decisions without interference from outside the UNC campus. Its public statements are an insult to the intelligence and integrity of the elected representatives who form Student Congress. If Cottingham and his friends had their way, student activities fees would no longer be available to student congress for allocation. Instead, UNC student issues would be inserted into the statewide political scene. Student representatives would no longer decide whether a few cents of your money (not that of the North Carolina taxpayer) would be approp riated to the CGLA. The buck would stop in Raleigh, not the Student Jackie Moore Guest Writer approximately four hours after inges tion, David supposedly began to act unusually. He then ran out of a door on the ninth floor of Granville West, never to be seen alive again. To fill in a little background information, the night of David's death there was a terrible thunder storm with terrific lightning and there were parties, as usual, in Granville West. David was wearing socks but no shoes. The lounge windows on every floor of Granville West were open. (David's body was found in front of .lounge windows.) No one reported to the police that they had seen David after he ran out of a friend's room that night. I have a real problem believing that no one saw anything. I have been to Granville on weekends when there were parties and I know people are everywhere. I know it is possible that Bradley Levinson Guest Writer But there was a darker side to the University Day festivities, a side tainted by the absence of those students struggling to gain access to the University. Chancellor Paul Hardin announced that under his leadership no student will be denied entrance to the University for eco nomic reasons. However, the very pomposity of the University Day spectacle underscored a sad irony: every year some students must forego their education because they are unable to pay off "debts" from the previous semester. Let me give you an example: A friend of mine was unable to receive financial assistance last year. Not wanting to interrupt his studies, he enrolled and completed his course work while working full-time nights, weekends and some weekdays. What he earned, however, was only enough to support himself and pay for books. He could not cover tuition and fees. Catherine Nelson Guest Writer the rest of civilization possibly realize the dangers? This question may seem exaggerated but all extremes must be taken into consideration. Unin formed people run the risk of never fully realizing the dangers of drinking unless they are printed plainly and clearly. Cigarettes are a good example of how labels can increase awareness of a product's dangers. The labels catch the attention of many buyers. Some smokers used to be unaware of the risks, but now they are informed each time they buy a pack of cigarettes. The labeling may not stop the person from smoking but it just may help. Jurgen Buchenau Guest Writer Union. This is the first point I want to make against Campus Watch: stay out of our affairs. You say we are financing a political organization in violation of Title V of the Student Code? Take your case to the Student Supreme Court. That body is the impartial arbiter in the CGLA case, as well as in any other grievances with the legislative branch of Student Government. Or, even better, come to our meetings, get informed and listen to our debates. But don't come in and say we are guilty of unconstitutional behavior without having taken your complaint to the appropriate people. The truth is that informed people in Campus Watch know full well that Student Congress acted in complete compliance with our Treasury Laws, for none of our members who were opposed to CGLA funding filed such a complaint with the judicial branch of Student Government. Second point: inform yourselves and get students, not outsiders, to take appropriate action. It is obvious that Campus Watch is a community-based group rather than a student organization. Cot tingham's comments and the declared purpose of the group to oppose "campus radicalism" reveal the blatant ignorance of campus affairs prevalent in much of North Carolina. no one saw David just before his death, but I do not believe that it is probable. This raises many questions in my mind about exactly what went on the night of March 26. . I want to address some of these questions. Not only do I have to deal with the pain of losing David, I have also had to listen to campus rumors of students seeing "the whole thing" and to read poor, tasteless journalism about his death. As David's family, friends and I were hounded by the press, we were sickened at the dramatic sentimental ity with which some journalists reported their stories. The last straw seemed to be when the results of the last drug test were finalized. The test was for psilocybin, the hallucinogenic ingredient of "shrooms." The results were negative for alcohol and several drugs, including psilocybin. When the results of the psilocybin test were reported by the press, however, most of the journalists failed to explain what the negative results meant. According to the medical examiner, the test for psilocybin shows positive results only when the drug is present This year he did receive financial aid. But when he went to the office to claim his check, he was told that it would not be available until he had paid the tuition and fees from the previous semester. Thus, not only was he unable to use the check to pay for the previous semester, he couldn use it for the present semester, either. Ultimately, there is no excuse for a national or state education policy which drains valuable funds from the assistance of economically disadvan taged students. Indeed, if my friend had received the assistance he so deserved in the first place, he wouldn't be forced to postpone his education indefinitely. Until we elect sympathetic admin istrations, however, we must utilize resources right here at the University in a more just and equitable manner. If the University is truly committed to free and equal access for qualified students, it will take some steps to remedy this situation. There is no reason that students with legitimate economic hardship cannot be pro vided with interest-free loans for a term of at least six months or a year. alcoodlic The same idea applies to drinking. Even though the labeling may go unnoticed by some, it could stop one person from putting his key into the ignition and driving while under the influence. The one person whose life is saved constitutes the reason for this new proposal. Since labeling is only one more step in educating the people, I see no reason not to put the proposal into action. The tone of the editorial also detracts from the effectiveness of the argument. Dimsdale stereotypes all types of people in a condescending manner. From "the woman who reads nothing but Glamour or Cosmo" to "the most uninformed person in the nation," she neglects the idea that any walk of life may not realize the dangers of alcohol. If she had .been considerate to the individ uals who are not aware, her argument There is no such thing as a rise in radicalism on the UNC campus. We have a protest here and there, and some of our campus activists are radicals, but on the whole, students at this University are far more concerned with grades, basketball and social lives than with activism. I would even hazard that we could be much more aware and much more active. The existence of Campus Watch is a good example of the misconceptions about UNC. Cottingham's statement that the 19 Congress members who voted in favor of CGLA funding last year bowed to intense political pressure from gay-rights activists does not only reveal ignorance; it is also a blatant insult to people who had very different reasons to vote in favor of funding. I voted for CGLA funding because the group's use of student fees was in compliance with the Treasury Laws. The CGLA is using their money for AIDS education, for their newsletter Lambda and for activities promoting the inalienable human rights that homosexuals possess as much as "straight people." Also, I stated my intention to vote for CGLA funding very clearly when I ran for re-election in February, so I think I had a mandate fr r my decision once the budget prowess came around. Other congress members brought forward different arguments for funding, such as the need to sponsor minority groups and the fact that the CGLA does more than any other group for awareness about venereal diseases. In any case, none of us acted in extremely high concentrations. It is very possible to have negative psilocybin results and still have enough in the bloodstream to affect behavior. It was reported that David's behavior was unusual when he was last seen. Therefore, the drugs could have been directly or indirectly responsible for his death. I would like to review some pos sibilities of the circumstances sur rounding the fall. The thunder and lightning may have been part of a hallucination that enticed David to go out the window. He may have been sitting in the window or leaning out of the window and his shoeless feet may have slipped out from under him, possibly due to drug-impaired perception. Another possibility is that someone pushed him out of the window, either accidentally or inten tionally. How many times have we all seen someone leaning out of a window and another person walk up behind him and pretend to push him out? A final possibility is suicide, but I will never believe that because We must utilize resources at the University in a more equitable manner. Many other universities with far smaller budgets provide such a service. Some of us were fortunate to be here Wednesday to partake of the University Day festivities. Others were off working to save enough money for the coming semester. I suggest that the University 's rhetoric would have a far greater force of sincerity if it channelled half the funds it spends on University Day each year into a special assistance account. Perhaps then the glory of University Day would not be tainted in the way it presently is. Bradley Levinson is a graduate anthropology student from Van Nuys, Calif .v beverages The one person whose life is Saved constitutes the reason for this proposal. would have been more appreciated by the unknowledgeable. Sandy Dimsdale had a chance to presents convincing editorial, but as it is written it convinces no one. Her unaccommodating tone and inaccu rate evidence leaves the reader with no other position but to argue against her editorial. Catherine Nelson is a freshman undecided major from Jacksonville, Fla. chamimels foo- defundins CGLA 1S We -fee that furWinq the C,fiLA is an on the riofitSr of Students with traditional Ithrts L3 in response to liberal pressure groups at UNC. There was no pressure on us to vote for CGLA funding during the budget process, and we made our decisions based on our varying interpretations of the Student Code and its application towards the budget process. My final point: trust democracy at UNC. If you think the Student R values. David had too much going for him. He . was about to graduate Phi Beta Kappa with a bachelor of science in mathematics and was to attend Bowman Gray School of Medicine at Wake Forest University on a full scholarship this fall. There he wanted to pursue radiology so that he could combine his love for computers with his desire to help others. His relation ships with me, his family and friends were all great. I saw David the day of his death and he was very happy and looking forward to graduation. Now that I have presented some of the questions I must live with daily, I am begging each of you to think about losing the one you love most in this way. Think about knowing that all of your beautiful dreams of a future together can never come true. Think about not being able to hear that loved one's voice, see his smile, or hold his hand ever again no matter how much you want or need to. Now, if you can imagine all of this, imagine that you don't even know how you lost that person. What would you do if you thought there was a possibility When fingers misbehave, hands should be slaooed 'm writing in response to the editorial "One for all and all ilfor one" (Oct. 1 1). The editor ial stressed that groups, namely fraternities, should not be pun ished for the actions of their individual members. I'm not con vinced David Starnes understands the administration's position in situations like these or that he has specific goals in mind to end the punishing of groups for individual wrongs. Staraes only gives one example of a case where an administration punished a group for the wrongs of its members; in that case the members were breaking the law by selling cocaine on the fratenity house property in Alabama. He is blowing the administration's position out of proportion by claiming they were "getting the word to thousands of campus groups." Administrators aren't out to get anybody. They only want to make sure the groups associated with the University are obeying the law and ' respecting the rights of others"; .v ,!l " StaYnes falsely assumes that the reason officials would suspend an organization is because they believe the organization causes the behavior of its individuals. The real reason is not that groups cause the individuals to do wrong, but that they either condone or don't concern themselves with such wrongs. A threat to the group makes it more likely to be respon sible for its members. . Furthermore, the example of the two fraternity brothers at UNC who were accused but not con victed of rape does not show any official university involvement. The problem there was with students bringing down the frater nity, and isn't this to be expected? This happens all the time people are judged by the company they keep. Fraternities choose . the people they want to represent them; maybe they should choose a little more carefully. In any case, assart us UNC all. Congress does not represent your interests, act within our system. There are congressional elections every year, and all students at this University will have an opportunity to make their voices heard next February. If you think we are funding any group in violation of our student laws, there are a lot of things you can do besides turning to the North Carolina legislature. J W 'J 4r y M. that someone knew more than you did about the circumstances sur rounding that death? You would probably do what I am doing, and r appeal to the hearts of others. I know that it is only human not to want to get involved. I also know that if there were others involved in David's death it would be natural not to come forward but to cover up in an effort to stay out of trouble. But who could honestly live with his conscience? All that David's family, -friends and I want is the truth. If someone else was involved, we are not after an indictment. We just want a little peace of mind. Please put yourself in my place. If you have any .information, please contact me at the following address: Jackie Moore, 209 Brandon Avenue, Tarboro, N.C., 27886. Or contact my brother, Mark Moore, at 545 Hinton James on the UNC campus. I will appreciate this more than you will ever know. Jackie Moore is a 1988 graduate " of UNC with a bachelor of science in biology. is Stephanie Smith Guest Writer group punishment certainly will make them think twice about the kind of representation they want. ' Starnes also says that "organ izational responsibility . . . could easily be abused because no clear limits exist; it works strictly by precedent and inclination." What does he want the administration to do, punish the entire group only if the crime is drugs or rape? What standards does he wish to set and who should decide on them? If precedence works for our national court system, why can't it work in this situation? Lastly, Starnes says that "stand ards of behavior already exist in our society for individuals." We all have standards of behavior, it's just that not everyone abides by them, and this means society must pay, as . a whole. Groups t have . standard's of .behavior,' too.1 "Ath letes have a code of play'arid Christians have different stand ards from non-Christians. A movie star who is a homosexual is more likely to be accepted than a priest who is a homosexual because the groups they belong to " have different standards. It's a shame all the individuals don't live up to the standards of the groups they are a part of because it has to hurt the group as a whole to get changes made. The editorial concludes that "colleges should refrain from punishing the hand for its lingers," but maybe if the fingers did what they were supposed to do and respected the hand, the hand wouldn't have any worries; it would just be happy. Stephanie Smith is a freshman business administration major from Greensboro. ifl Whatever your opinions and emo tions about CGLA funding let students decide where our money goes. Jurgen Buchenau is a graduate student in history from Cologne, West Germany. V 1
Daily Tar Heel (Chapel Hill, N.C.)
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Oct. 17, 1988, edition 1
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