North Carolina Newspapers

10The Daily Tar HeelFriday, November 3, 1989 LTS BE AS5eJXve 97th year of editorial freedom Sharon Kebschull, Editor MARY Jo DUNNINGTON, Editorial Page Editor JUSTIN McGuiRE, University Editor KAREN DUNN, State and National Editor TOM PARKS, Business Editor Dave Glenn, Sports Editor MELANIE BLACK, Design Editor TAMMY Blackard, Editorial rage Editor WILLIAM TAGGART, University Editor Jessica Lanning, City Editor CARA BONNETT, Arts and Features Editor KELLY Tl raMPSON, Omnibus Editor DAVID SurOWIECKI, Photography Editor Julia Coon, Nezos Editor Wasting precious time Belated confrontation not appropriate The Student Su- -preme Court heard a case Tuesday night about The Daily Tar . board opinion Heel Board of Directors a case which could have been taken care of at a special Oct. 8 meeting of the Student Congress. Rep. Jeffrey Beall's complaint against Student Congress Speaker Gene Davis could have been handled more efficiently if Beall had questioned the proceedings of a meeting on Oct. 8 instead of later filing a formal complaint. Too often, such actions have wasted congress' time and energy. Beall's complaint concerned an Oct. 10 referendum that added five positions to The Daily Tar Heel Board of Directors. Beall said the referendum was invalid because congress violated the student government code in not giving public notice of the referendum six days before the elec tion, not notifying Student Congress members by U.S. mail of the special meet ing and considering the Elections Board to be valid despite its lack of proper graduate and professional student representation. While Beall's complaints were legiti mate, there were other ways to handle the violations than taking them to the Student Supreme Court. Beall told the DTH that he knew something wasn't quite right at the Oct. 8 meeting, but that he wanted to be sure of the violations before bringing them before the congress. If he had an idea that the proceedings weren't jibing with the student government code, he could have raised a question during the session and congress would have checked out the vio Business and education RjR Nabisco plans for a positive future Don't look now, but the Keebler Elves are influencing our public schools, and their efforts may start a trend which will save American education from the growing threat of medioc rity. RJR Nabisco Inc., a producer of tobacco products and our favorite cookies and crackers, recently announced its intention to spend $30 million to promote radical innovations in edu cation from kindergarten through 12th grade. For this level of public education, that's the most money aU.S. corporation has ever granted, and it couldn't come at a better time. Public schools in this country are partly hindered by burdensome government regula tions, which often prevent new initiatives by talented teachers. While some restrictions are necessary to ensure equal education to all people, placing greater auton- mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmt omy in the hands of teachers and local administrators enables them to adapt their in struction to fit unique Many school systems are condemning future teaching methods, new students to experimental programs and the unique charac- pHnrnHnn teristics of the school Tn a time where educa- wmammma tion seems to be stagnating, bold exploration of hew frontiers is a necessity. As many as 60 schools, both rural and urban, will eventually receive grants of $100,000 to $250,000 a year for three years to pay for experimental programs. Among the first 15 schools to receive the grants, five or six will be from North Carolina, the headquarters of three RJR Nabisco divisions. In addition, the N.C. Board of Education recently passed measures granting more power to schools willing to try innovative teaching methods, and the board also promised to promote throughout the state any programs successful .in the RJR Nabisco project. The new education board guidelines require that schools show evidence of improved stu dent performance as a result of new methods, but RJR Nabisco is less demanding; the money The Daily Assistant editors: Diana Florence and Jessica Yates, arts and features; Karen Dennis and Wendy Johnson, design; Charles Brittain, editorial page; Staci Cox, managing; B Buckberry, JoAnn Rodak and Steve Wilson, news; Lisa Reichle and Richard Smith, Omnibus; Evan Eile, photography; Andrew Podolsky, Jay Reed and Jamie Rosenberg, sports; Kari Barlow, state and national; Sarah Cagle, Will Spears and Amy Wajda, university. Editorial writers: James Burroughs and Jennifer Wing. University: Cathy Apgar, Marcie Bailey, Debbie Baker, Lynette Blair, Robert Brown, Chris Helms, Jeff D. Hill, Joey Hill, Katherine Houston, Stephanie Johnston, Stacey Kaplan, Jason Kelly, Dionne Loy, Kenny Monteith, Simone Pam, Jennifer Pilla, Myron B. Pitts, Mike Sutton, Bryan Tyson, Nancy Wykle. City: Steve Adams, Tim Bennett, Julie Campbell, Jennifer Dickens, Jeff Moyer, Sheila Long, Erik Rogers, Katherine Snow, Cameron Tew. State and National: Crystal Bernstein, Robert Berry, Jennifer Blackwell, Wendy Bounds, Wagner Dotto, Julie Gammill, Eric Lusk, Alan Martin, Kimberly Maxwell, Jeff Moyer, Glenn O'Neal, Kyle York Spencer, Emilie Van Poucke, Sandy Wall, Chuck Williams. Business: Craig Allen, Heather Clapp, Victoria Davis, Kevin Greene, Lloyd Lagos, David Lloyd, Becky Riddick. Arts and features: Cheryl Allen, Lisa Antonucci, Noah Bartolucci, Shields Brewer, Gretchen Davis, Cricket French, Wendy Grady, Vicki Hyman, Mara Lee, Tim Little, Matthew McCafferty, Carrie McLaren, Elizabeth Murray, D'Ann Pletcher, Leigh Pressley, Eric Rosen, Hasie Sirisena, Heather Smith, Brian Springer, Bevin Weeks and Laura Williams. Sports: Neil Amato, Mark Anderson, Jason Bates, John Bland, Laurie Dhue, Chris Fialko, Christina Frohock, Scott Gold, Warren Hynes, Doug Hoogervorst, David Kupstas, Bethany Litton, Bobby McCroskey, Brock Page, Natalie Sekicky, Eric Wagnon and Steve Walston. Photography: Jodi Anderson, Schuyler Brown, Gina Cox, Steven Exum, Sheila Johnston, Tracey Langhorne, Kathy Michel and Catherine Pinckert. E. Joseph Muhl Jr., photographic technician. Copy Editors: James Benton, Rebecca Duckett, Joy Golden, Stephanie Harper, Angela Hill, Susan Holdsclaw, Debrah Norman, George Quintero, Kristin Scheve, Joe Seagle, Kelley Shaw, Clare Weickert, Steffanie Woodfin and Cameron Young. Cartoonists: George Brooks, Adam Cohen, Pete Corson, Alex De Grand, David Estoye, Greg Humphreys and Mike Sutton. Production: Stacy Wynn, manager, Greg Miller, assistant. lations then. The issue could have been resolved without a formal hearing. This is not the first time Beall has forced a showdown in congress; when a colleague was up for confirmation to the Honor Court, he protested that it violated the code. The code had been changed previously to allow representatives to be on the court, but the congress had failed to amend another applicable section a simple oversight. Beall could have brought the discrepancy to congress' attention before the meeting, avoiding a confrontation. While Beall has some good ideas, his actions do not work toward reform; they cause turmoil that embarrasses congress members as well as students, and Beall's colleagues have criticized his actions. In this last episode, the court ruled that the outcome of the Oct. 1 0 election was not af fected by the code violations. The viola tions needed to be checked, but they had little meaning other than parliamentary. Part of the problem is that the govern ment code has become unmanageable, as Beall has rightly noted. The code contains contradictions, and congress members can rarely be quite sure if their actions are acceptable under the code. The code, mostly written in the 1940s, needs to be stream lined. Beall has plans to help streamline the code in the future, an admirable goal. Beall was right to question the validity of congress' actions on Oct. 8, but he took the wrong approach. He made a mockery of student self-governance, only trivializ ing student government in the eyes of administrators with petty confrontations. is provided for experimentation and discovery, they say, and pitfalls are part of the game. In the words of Louis Gerstner, chief executive offi cer of the corporation: "We're going to fail in some. We'd better, because if we don't we're not taking enough risks." This is the approach which more educators must take toward the future, because innovation is the answer. While many people may argue that radical educational programs make children guinea pigs for measures which may sometimes fail, the most disturbing fact is that many school systems are falling behind the times and con demning future students to a mediocre educa tion, and, in many cases, a hard life. In North Carolina, dismal Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) scores reflect a need for new ways of teaching mmmmmmammm students things they need to know. Gov. James Martin recently announced plans to encourage other businesses to fol low RJR Nabisco's a mediocre efforts in supporting public education, and a growing trend looks i promising. Both sides of the situation will greatly benefit; businesses are always in need of a well-educated work force to stay competitive, and schools need the required financial support to implement needed programs. As it stands, schools with bold ideas for new programs can apply for the grants, and if the money is given they can use it at their discretion toward innovative ideas. The corpo ration has no control over these exact initia tives, so parents can be certain that their chil dren won't come home babbling about buying cigarettes and Nutter Butters. It's time to place worries aside and make strides in this direction The business world, with its abundance of money, should demonstrate the foresight of RJR Nabisco; the future of quality education could be partially in their hands. James Burroughs Tar Heel UNC needs Recently I had the pleasure of attending the Parent's Weekend Bar-B-Q held on the intra mural fields. These are the same fields which have been the site of great as well as not so great moments in intramural sports history. I, along with many Monday morning quarter backs, have enjoyed the pleasure and pain of intramural athletics, reliving high school glo ries or enacting athletic fantasies. As I stood on the platform, ready to address the parents, I wondered how much the students would lose if they lost intramural fields. Pres ently, Ehringhaus field, which has often been in poor condition, is the only other area which the students can use for intramural sports. As it is now, if a group of students wants to kick a soccer ball around they cannot use Carmichael fields. Understandably, they have to be welU kept, so students are given limited options for recreational space. Ehringhaus fields serves as one of the few outlets for recreational sports. What a shame it would be to restrict Caro lina students to indoor recreation. If students were to lose the intramural fields, they would Meal card expansion 4 has students in mind Editor's note: Shelburne and Bibbs are co-chairmen of the Stu dent Congress meal card subcom mittee. To the editor: We were quite disappointed with the recent editorial in the DTH criticizing the meal card subcom mittee ("Another credit card?," Oct. 31). We are certain that many students feel the same, since in the first paragraph it suggests that we have little capacity for managing money. While it is true that some students are financially irrespon sible, this should not preclude the researching of a plan that would help the rest of us who can balance an account. That is precisely what we were doing in those "several weeks" before we talked to Mr. Derby researching and creating a feasible plan. We were, in fact, in the process of setting up a meeting with Mr. Derby when we were faced with a DTH deadline. Perhaps what most stood out as a misunderstanding by Jennifer Wing was how "the plan would destroy financial independence." The whole purpose of our com mittee is to develop another op tion to credit cards and Carolina Dining Services. This can only create more independence. But what was most disappointing was the overall tone of the editorial. Basically it is the only negative opinion we have heard in relation to our ideas. Everyone else with whom we have spoken, while they may question the specifics, still supports the idea. Who wouldn't enjoy being able to pay for Fran Racism" far more complicated than words To the editor: I write in response to Courtney N. Gallop's letter to the editor ("Black Monday perpetu ates racism," Oct. 27). While I respect and admire Ms. Gallop's sense of cultural pride, I must take issue with the manner in which she has expressed it. First, while cultural pride is undoubtedly a positive thing, "we the glorious and ingenious Americans of regal African descent" seems itself dangerously close to the hateful expres sions of race supremacy against which Ms. Gallop rails. But, getting more to the point, what con cerns me in Ms. Gallop's letter is her danger ous implication that the DTH's use of the adjective "black" in a story on the stock market of all things, "confirmed and perpetuated the racism that refuses to die in this country." Prejudice is attitude, not a function of lan guage. Words are tools to be used, directed by r FA2. Readers9 Forum to preserve Joe Andronaco Guest Writer either have to go to an off-campus location to enjoy sports which are played on Carmichael fields or not enjoy many intramural sports at all. If the IM fields are so important to students, then there is no risk of losing them. Why am I crying over unspilled milk? In recent studies of the University traffic and parking system, parking decks have been recommended for the campus. As far as I am concerned, as much as we can do to alleviate the traffic and parking problems of the University, the better. But, one of the proposed sites for a parking deck is on the Institute of Government parking lot which is adjacent to the intramural fields. This leaves me to wonder if the deck is built there how much, if not all, of the fields would be lost. There is also the possibility that Ehringhaus klin Street with the ease and con venience that we have in Lenoir and Chase? All we ask is that the DTH reflect the views of the stu dents and print positive criticism. MARK SHELBURNE Freshman Political Science MARK BIBBS Sophomore Public policy Publicity stunt hurts protesters' credibility To the editor: If the CIA Action Committee had any credibility left, it lost it when Dale McKinley claimed that Jerry Jones' trip up WCHL's ra dio tower was, and I quote the DTH, "not intended to draw pub licity." Right. It was just the latest blatant attempt by this "organiza tion" to gain even more front-page publicity. The CIAAC has become expert at the art of using the media to its advantage, and this most recent stunt will ensure a front page forum for CIA protesters throughout what is sure to be a lengthy, drawn-out trial for Jones. In the months to come, the CIAAC will whine on about how Jones shouldn't be punished for crimes he committed, because he com mitted them as acts of "civil dis obedience" and that as such, he . should be treated differently from a criminal who was motivated by less "noble" reasons. It's too bad the CIAAC had to revert to such infantile tactics to make its point. Apparently, the orderly, constructive and relevant protest of the CIA at the job fair didn't get enough press for the CIA protesters, so they returned to the disorderly, nonconstructive and irrelevant protests they are so famous for. These adolescent stunts are sure to eliminate any credibility the CIAAC has ever had and will repel many people who may be sympathetic to its cause. JIM HOCK Senior Journalism Animal rights group speaks for taxpayers To the editor: From reading all the editorials about SETA (Students for the Ethical Treatment of Animals), it seems that there are a lot of mis conceptions about this campus group. SETA is in no way affili ated with PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) despite the similarity in their names. SETA and PETA are very different groups. SETA exists on this campus in order to monitor the research the North Carolina taxpayers are paying for. It is not a radical vegetarian group that is trying to ban all animal research and attack people wearing fur coats. SETA would simply like to know what sort of research is going on at UNC and to make sure that the animals are treated humanely. For example, in a letter to Chan cellor Hardin, SETA requested that dead animals not be kept in food storage areas. This request was refused in an attempt by the ad ministration not to give in to intent and not blameworthy or praiseworthy in themselves. The assumption that "black" must necessar ily act pejoratively while "white" must be "comforting, clean, attractive and good" is the insult here. Using Ms. Gallop's reasoning, Snow White could easily be interchanged with deathly white, pasty white or sickly white. "Black market," "black eye" or "blacklist," Ms. Gallop, carry no more a racial slur than do "white elephant," "white feather" or "white wash." Furthermore, the achievement repre sented by a martial ait's black belt is likewise a dubious one, if Ms. Gallop's letter is to be believed. And I'm sure that no one kept out of On The Hill would agree that black is "ugly, frightening and undesirable." In short, the words of the English language do in fact carry the ability to connote and denote various shades of meaning. But in as suming that every use of the word "black" AlAAYi! A green space field could be the site of the new business school building. The loss of either or both fields would stifle the recreational opportuni ties of students at UNC. So I stood up there and welcomed the par ents to UNC, stressing the strong tradition of student self-governance the school has en joyed. And I thought about parking decks and new buildings encroaching on our green space. It was an ugly thought, just like a hole in the big woods. I realize that I may be crying wolf too soon but I feel that preserving these fields for student enjoyment is essential. Just like studies are conducted to find out the best way to control the flow of traffic and the best way to better the parking situation, so should studies look at ways to preserve important aspects of student life. Joe Andronaco is a senior history major from Ocala, Fla. He is the student body vice president. . SETA's radical ideas. SETA real izes that much of the animal re search that goes on is necessary, but feasible alternatives should be used. SETA would like to elimi nate any repetitive research, and this is not only for the animals' sakes, but also for the taxpayers and students at UNC. SETA tries to speak out for all the animals, who have no voices, but also for the taxpayers, who are silent be cause of their ignorance of what is going on at UNC. CAROLINE HENDERSON Junior History Editorial Policy The Daily Tar Heel's board opinion editorials are voted on by the board, which is composed of the editor, editorial page editors and assistant editor, and two edi torial writers. The opinions re flect the board' s majority opinion. Signed editorials do not necessar ily reflect the entire board's opin ion. Opinions expressed by staff columnists or cartoonists also do not necessarily represent the opinion of the board. ' Letters policy ; All letters must be typed and double-spaced, for ease of edit' ing. ' Letters should include the author's year, major, phone num ber and hometown. ' The DTH reserves the right to edit letters for space, clarity and vulgarity. Remember, brev ity is the soul of wit. carries the same pejorative meaning and must always reflect poorly upon the black race, Ms, Gallop belittles the very word she is trying to defend. Ms. Gallop, racism stems not from a word, but from a mindset. For your criticism of the DTH, I say this: Those who see attacks where none is intended are perhaps as guilty of racist thought as those who actually make racist comments. How dare you treat such a complU cated issue as race relations with such black-or-white, us-against-them language? Racism will die only when both those who utter and those who hear a simple word can do so without fear of criminally assigning prejudicial mean ings and malicious intent to it. But in the meantime, Ms. Gallop, if it will make you feel better, go read "Heart of Darkness." GARY STAHLBERG Sophomore Englishphilosophy