Student Leaders Address Concerns at Fall Forum

More than 40 student government representatives, organization leaders and interested students missed UNC's basketball game to voice their opinions and concerns for nearly 1 1/2 hours.

Safety issues took center stage as Alexa Kleysteuber, chairwoman of student government's Safety and Security Committee, discussed plans to cut funding for the SAFE Escort program at the end of the semester.

SAFE Escort, which transports students from libraries to residence halls at night via golf cart, required nearly $32,000 per semester to operate.

"It wasn't the most efficient way to spend students' money," Kleysteuber said.

Instead, she said, the committee will be considering walking escort plans, using the Point-2-Point service more and enacting a new lighting initiative to make sure students' paths home are well-lit.

Student Body President Jen Daum added that the SAFE Escort program will not be cut until there is a fully operating replacement. "There is no way we will compromise student safety at any price," Daum said.

Lt. Angela Carmon, a crime prevention officer at the Department of Public Safety, encouraged students to participate in today's campus lighting tour, which will begin at 5 p.m. in front of South Building.

The tour will assess how construction and the fall foliage might block necessary lighting on the highly traveled paths to residence halls.

Carmon said four more police officers have been hired this year to patrol campus and to thwart possible criminal offenses.

Several students said they have never seen the officers and feel vulnerable when walking around campus at night.

Carmon welcomed the criticisms and promised to work toward correcting the problems. "The police department cannot do this alone," she said. "Someone needs to help police the police."

Discussions later shifted gears to the issue of textbook pricing.

Jennifer Orr, chairwoman of Student Congress' Textbook Pricing Committee, said members will continue to run an advanced notice program in which professors are asked to submit book requirements to Student Stores by a certain time toward the end of a semester.

Earlier notification allows Student Stores to give back more money to students for books that are guaranteed to sell during the following semester.

Already, 73 percent of professors have submitted their requirements to Student Stores for next semester, said Store Director John Jones.

The textbook committee has set a goal of 75 percent of professors reporting, which would give back about $20,000 to students in the form of cheaper books.

Student Congress Speaker Pro Tem Matt Liles addressed changes to the Honor Court system, most notably the proposed change in the burden of proof from "beyond a reasonable doubt" to "clear and convincing evidence."

Student Attorney General Amanda Spillman fielded numerous questions and dispelled various myths about different aspects of the ongoing honor system review.

Student government officials said they were disappointed in the first-ever Fall Forum's turnout and said they hope the event will gain more attention in years to come.

Liles stressed the importance of student feedback. "There are only 30 of us to represent the whole the University," he said. "We need (students) to tell us what to do."

The University Editor can be reached at udesk@unc.edu.