Good Times, Bad Budgets to Mark DTH

At least that's what I've been told.

You see, I have never before spent a summer in Chapel Hill.

I've been told by people who have that, "It's a lot like the rest of the year, only a lot more chill and a little less crowded."

And while the lines at Lenoir will not be quite as long and not as many people will pack into the bars on Franklin Street on Thursday night, there will be no shortage of events this summer that will shape this University in the next year and beyond.

And no, I'm not saying that just because I want all of you to read The Daily Tar Heel this summer.

For example, due to the state's poor economy, legislators will have to find a way to fill a $2 billion hole in the state's budget.

Inevitably, a significant percentage of those cuts will come from education and, by extension, this University. While some of you normally couldn't care less about the actions of our state government, rest assured that these cuts will not occur without some impact on the very education that you receive here at UNC-Chapel Hill.

Classes might be eliminated, University employees might be fired, and a variety of services and programs that you have come to expect from this school could be trimmed, if not cut altogether.

And, oh yeah, your tuition could increase once again.

If you were paying attention last semester you already know that the UNC-system Board of Governors recommended to the N.C. General Assembly a $486 tuition increase for all in-state undergraduates at UNC-CH and $1,778 for all out-of-state undergraduates at UNC-CH.

Don't be surprised if those numbers increase some after everything is said and done -- especially for you out-of-state students.

Likewise, University officials are expected to begin making plans this summer for tuition increases for the next few years.

The towns of Chapel Hill and Carrboro are also struggling with many of the same budget problems that are plaguing the state. As a result, some of the services that you as residents have come to expect from the towns might be trimmed while certain taxes and other fees might increase.

All these events and many other significant ones that no one can predict will occur in the next couple of months.

That's where the DTH comes in.

The DTH will be on the stands every Thursday for the next 10 weeks to keep you informed about events occurring in and around the University community.

We will let you know about all the issues mentioned above and many more that no one could have anticipated. We will provide you with reviews to the summer's biggest movies and keep you informed about fun events happening in town and on campus during these summer months.

In short, the DTH will be this summer what it has been all year, every year -- the best source of news for issues relevant to you.

Editor Alex Kaplun can be reached at kaplun@email.unc.edu. If you think there is anything we are missing this summer, please let us know about it.