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(07/19/07 4:00am)
For some people, the wait until Jan. 20, 2009 is agonizing. They want President Bush and Vice President Cheney out of office now.
In recent months, the clamor for impeachment has grown. Activists on the left have urged the Democrat-controlled House of Representatives to take action against the administration.
Outside of U.S. Rep. Dennis Kucinich, D-Ohio, few Democrats have obliged. Kucinich introduced Articles of Impeachment, H.Res. 333, against Cheney in April.
"The Articles of Impeachment that I introduced against the Vice President represented a response to the concerns of millions of Americans who have felt that the Vice President must be accountable for his false statements which accelerated the United States toward war," Kucinich said in a press conference.
The resolution charges that Cheney knowingly manipulated intelligence reports prior to the invasion of Iraq and that he has violated international law by threatening aggression against Iran.
To date, thirteen representatives have co-sponsored the bill. However, in North Carolina, Democrats and Republicans alike said impeachment was foolhardy.
The North Carolina Democratic Party, which approved a resolution calling for impeachment before the Congressional takeover in 2006, does not currently support the idea and instead wants to focus on domestic issues and oversight of the president.
On the other side of the spectrum, the Republicans doubted the veracity of the charges against the administration and said the timing was curious.
"I'm not exactly sure what the push is behind this happening right now," said Brent Woodcox, communications director for the N.C. GOP. He pointed out that impeachment proceedings likely wouldn't conclude until several months from now - when the election would be in full swing.
Both parties doubted that proceedings would actually take place.
Multiple polls conducted in 2007 have revealed close to 50 percent public support for impeachment of Cheney and close to 40 percent for Bush.
But no substantive impeachment discussions have occurred on Capitol Hill and the Democratic leadership, even U.S. Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., has dismissed the notion.
"She has said that impeachment is off the table," said Andrew Stoddard, Pelosi's press advisor and spokesman. "She is focused on putting all her energy into ending the war in Iraq."
She might also have to focus on maintaining her Congressional seat. Activist Cindy Sheehan, who became famous for protesting outside Bush's ranch in Crawford, Texas, has declared that she will run against Pelosi in 2008 if she does not move forward with impeachment by July 23.
Pelosi has come under fire in her home district of San Francisco, where protesters have criticized her reticence to pursue impeachment.
"While Pelosi has been attacked some from the left, I think on the whole, she's maintained her popularity in the Bay Area," said Eric Schickler, professor of political science at UC-Berkeley. He added that Sheehan would be no more than an inconvenience for Pelosi if she ran.
The North Carolina Democratic Party took it a step further.
"Cindy Sheehan has as much chance of beating Nancy Pelosi as a camel does of passing through the eye of a needle," said Chairman Jerry Meek.
"Sheehan is right to have challenged this war, and she is right to have demanded our withdrawal from the war. But she could more constructively use her time going after foes, rather than friends."
Contact the State & National Editor at stntdesk@unc.edu.
House
Resolution 333
Articles of Impeachment against Vice President Cheney:
I - Charges Cheney with purposely manipulating intelligence reports regarding Iraqi weapons of mass destruction to justify an invasion of the country.
II - Says Cheney deceived the citizens and the Congress by claiming a working relationship between Iraq and the terrorist group al-Qaida.
III - Alleges that Cheney violated the United Nations Charter by openly threatening aggressive action against Iran, despite a lack of a real threat.
(06/14/07 4:00am)
Reliever Andrew Carignan lives for late-inning, high-pressure situations.
So when UNC head coach Mike Fox gave him the call from the bullpen in the sixth inning of Sunday's rubber match against South Carolina, he was more than happy to oblige.
"I always want the ball, and when that's on the line, I pitch off adrenaline," Carignan said.
"There probably couldn't be any more adrenaline than right then."
With the score tied at four, the righthander came in and retired the first four batters he faced. In an unusually long, four-inning stint, Carignan shut out the Gamecocks to earn the win. He surrendered just one hit and struck out three.
Fox - who previously described his junior righthander as a steady rock - offered up another comparison after the game.
"He's our horse, and we were going to ride him just as far as we could," Fox said. "We had a couple guys ready, but Andrew Carignan was the guy we wanted out there."
In a series that saw the Tar Heels' starting pitching bowing to the potent USC offense, the relievers played the pivotal role in giving UNC the edge. In three games, North Carolina relievers threw for 13 innings and stifled the Gamecocks' bats to the tune of only two earned runs.
The two runs came in the fourth inning of game-two off Matt Danford. Righthander Rob Wooten pitched 4.1 innings of shutout baseball during the three-game series.
By silencing USC's bats, the bullpen enabled the Tar Heels to make two comebacks that would ultimately send them to the College World Series in Omaha, Neb. - their second appearance in as many years.
In his appearance in the opening contest, Robert Woodard, UNC's all-time winningest pitcher, coughed up six runs in just about six innings of work Friday, including a grand slam.
On Sunday, starter Luke Putkonen was hit hard. The Gamecocks scored four runs and recorded eight hits on the right-hander through 3.1 innings.
But then the team's fate was put in the steady hands of the bullpen.
Wooten allowed three hits but no earned runs in just under two innings of work. With the bases loaded and the deficit already at three runs, he struck out Andrew Crisp to end the fourth inning.
The Tar Heels tied the game with three runs in the sixth before Carignan got the call and silenced USC's bats to close their season.
"The effort that Andrew Carignan gave them was special and nullified any opportunities we had of putting runs on the board," USC head coach Ray Tanner said.
The bullpen will be hoping to replicate their success, starting Friday against Mississippi State.
"We know what it feels like to be (in Omaha)," Carignan said. "I don't know if anybody has any idea how bad we want to go back."
Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.
(05/31/07 4:00am)
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - Coach Mike Fox laughed as he shook ice cubes from his pants during Sunday's postgame interview.
That's what happens when your team beats Wake Forest 3-2 to win the ACC Tournament and pours a Gatorade cooler full of ice on your head.
"I am overjoyed on behalf of all of our players to win the ACC Championship," Fox said. "They get to take something special away from this."
The No. 2 seed Tar Heels won three straight games in Jacksonville to claim the title - their first in 18 years. They had lost five straight tournament games coming in and dropped the first contest this year against Georgia Tech Wednesday.
"It has been a long drought for the University of North Carolina, and it was a pretty special day for our players and our entire program," Fox said.
The Tar Heels earned the No. 3 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament and will host opening round games this weekend at Boshamer Stadium. Their first contest is 6 p.m. Friday against Jacksonville.
Shortstop Josh Horton was named MVP of the ACC Tournament. He tripled home the winning run in the eighth inning of the championship game.
"I am tickled to death for the team. All the individual stuff kind of gets pushed to the side," Horton said.
Horton went 6-for-16 during the tournament and scored four runs.
However, instead of riding their offensive firepower, North Carolina (48-12, 21-9) relied primarily on pitching.
In the semi-final game, right-hander Alex White and reliever Andrew Carignan combined to shut out Virginia. UNC allowed only two runs in the championship game on the strength of performances by Luke Putkonen, Matt Danford and Carignan.
In the final two games, the Tar Heels scored eight runs - a sharp contrast from the 14 they poured on N.C. State on Thursday night.
"You're just trying to create something at this ballpark," Fox said. "You've got to make your own breaks."
A strong wind blew in from right field most days, preventing hard hit balls from going over the fence. UNC didn't hit a single homerun in four games.
In the early going of Sunday's championship game, the Demon Deacon faithful drowned out the fans in blue.
Wake Forest (33-27, 14-16) took a 1-0 lead in the first inning on a passed ball. The Tar Heel battery was a bit unstable; Putkonen plunked four batters and walked three.
After the first run was on the board, the game settled in to a low-scoring, back-and-forth affair.
Dustin Ackley, who couldn't extend a 15-game hit streak, led off the eighth inning with a walk and promptly stole second base. Then, with the go-ahead run in scoring position, the Tar Heels came up with their most important hit of the tournament. Horton tripled to right field, sending Ackley across the plate and putting UNC up 3-2.
Nine outs later, the Demon Deacon fans were silent and watched as the Tar Heels donned championship shirts and hoisted the tournament trophy.
Fox congratulated Wake Forest, saying it was an accomplishment for any team to compete in the title game.
Wake Forest coach Rick Rembielak said the contest included some "great baseball," but added that runs were hard to come by.
"It was nip and tuck. You're just waiting for something to happen at that inopportune time," he said.
The Deamon Deacons, who earned a No. 3 seed in Texas' regional, will play UC Irvine in their first game Friday.
Vanderbilt claimed the top overall seed in this year's tournament.
Rice has the second seed.
The winners from each of the 16 regionals - played in a round robin format - will move on to the next round.
The final eight remaining teams will play in the College World Series starting June 15 in Omaha,
Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.
(05/24/07 4:00am)
The Tar Heel baseball team defeated Wake Forest 3-2 Sunday to claim the ACC title.
Short stop Josh Horton drove in the winning run when he tripled home Dustin Ackley in the eighth inning.
Horton was awarded the MVP of the tournament.
"I am tickled to death for the team," Horton said.
UNC had lost five straight tournament games coming into Jacksonville, Fla. this year. After dropping their first game, they won the next three to win the championship. They had not played in the title game since 1990.
(05/17/07 4:00am)
The No. 4 North Carolina baseball team treated No. 24 Georgia Tech to a rainstorm last weekend at Boshamer Stadium.
The Tar Heels, winners of four straight coming into the series, took two of three games in an offensive tour de force. UNC (41-11, 18-9 ACC) scored 29 runs on 42 hits in the series.
The Yellow Jackets (31-20, 15-11 ACC) belted seven home runs during the weekend and won the second game, which was suspended due to rain.
But the Ga. Tech win was sandwiched between two memorable games for the Tar Heels.
Friday, senior Robert Woodard earned the win for the Tar Heels allowing only three runs through seven innings as UNC routed the Yellow Jackets 10-3.
With the victory, Woodard became the winningest pitcher in North Carolina history passing Michael Hoog with his 31st career win - to go along with just five losses.
"I don't know what to think about it yet," Woodard said.
"It takes a bit of luck. And if you look at the state of the program and the level of baseball we're playing, that's a big part of it."
In a rare occurrence, sophomore Tim Federowicz put away his catching mitt to notch the 14-11 winning decision in Sunday's rubber match, which started with a ceremony honoring UNC's four seniors - Woodard, Matt Danford, Joe Pietropaoli, and Bryan Steed.
The Tar Heels quickly fell in the hole after the Yellow Jackets erupted for seven runs in the 2nd inning.
But on a sunny day, UNC's high-powered offense managed to make it rain.
In the bottom half of the inning, the Tar Heels answered with five runs led by catcher Benji Johnson's three-run homer - one of his four hits on the day.
"Naturally you're going to drop your head," UNC coach Mike Fox said. "It's key that we came back right out of the gate."
North Carolina added another nine runs and held off a late Ga. Tech rally, which saw the Yellow Jackets bring the tying run to the plate.
"There wasn't a single player who didn't know or believe we'd win, senior day or not," Woodard said.
"On our last Sunday at the Bosh, getting to walk back to the dugout with a win is huge."
In the middle game, Ga. Tech jumped out to a 6-1 lead before play was suspended in the 5th inning because of weather. When play resumed 22 hours later, the Yellow Jackets added three more runs in their first trip back to the plate.
The Tar Heels battled back and cut the lead to four runs, but fell short by a score of 9-5. Yellow Jacket right-hander Chris Hicks got the winning decision, improving to 3-0 on the year.
After a road series at Maryland, UNC will travel to Jacksonville, Fl. for the ACC Tournament. North Carolina moved into first place in the ACC's Coastal division, where they have a half game lead over Virginia.
"Going into the ACC, we feel we are obviously doing pretty well," said Coach Mike Fox.
"We're exactly where we want to be."
Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.
(04/20/07 4:00am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>When the clock strikes 4:20 p.m. today, a familiar odor will fill the air in many private hangouts in Chapel Hill and Carrboro.
"4/20 has become a kind of day of celebration for people who smoke marijuana," said senior Lotus Perkins. Typical acts of celebration include smoking marijuana and watching others do the same.
Theories abound about the day's origin. Perkins said it started as a tribute to Jerry Garcia, former lead singer of the Grateful Dead. The Deadheads' favorite singer died at about 4:20 p.m. Aug. 9, 1995. It has been largely speculated that Garcia's death was partly from drug use.
As smokers elect to participate in the festivities today, researchers are working to analyze the effects and applications of marijuana.
Wake Forest University professor Linda Porrino has a grant from the National Institutes of Health to study the drug's impact on the brain. Porrino said brain activity in areas responsible for learning, memory and handling conflict is altered by marijuana.
Subjects at her lab participated in the Iowa Gambling Task, an experiment where they chose cards from four decks - two of which consistently yielded higher cards and earned them fake money.
"People generally learn to pick from the advantageous deck within 20 to 40 cards," Porrino said. "Marijuana users never learned the task. They kept making bad decisions all the way through."
In her research, Porrino does not supply marijuana to her subjects but instead chooses people who have a history of smoking.
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration estimates that about one-quarter of people in North Carolina ages 18 to 25 have used the drug in the past year.
Perkins said marijuana is fairly prevalent at UNC but is by no means ubiquitous. She said people smoke it because it is perceived more positively than other drugs and because of its pleasant effects.
"It relaxes you. It gives you a high feeling without losing control of your body, at least for most people."
However, she also said it can induce memory loss, harm the lungs and cause laziness.
"It's known as one of those drugs that's an ambition stealer," she said. "If you start smoking, it can turn you into a couch potato."
Psychology lecturer Jeannie Loeb said marijuana use, depending on the dosage, can impair short-term memory, interfere with tasks involving multiple steps and alter sensory perception. She also said that more negative effects could be discovered in the future.
However, marijuana in a purified form can be used to treat nausea, seizures, asthma and glaucoma, she added. Cancer patients often use the drug to alleviate pain resulting from chemotherapy.
Porrino said that tobacco and alcohol are more harmful than marijuana and that the drug remains illegal for political or historical reasons rather than scientific reasons.
Both strongly emphasized that they do not condone smoking marijuana.
"The idea that marijuana use may be quite benign - a very common belief - may be like many other things," Porrino said.
"It may be true in moderation, but it's certainly not true when there's heavy use."
Contact the Features Editor at features@unc.edu.
Popular explanations for the origin of 420:
(03/21/07 4:00am)
Hundreds of protesters walked out of class Tuesday and marched through campus and the streets of downtown Chapel Hill to demand the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq.
Activists rallied in the Pit and then walked a loop around North Campus, blocking, among others, the intersection at Franklin and Columbia streets for several minutes. As they marched, they chanted slogans such as "Whose streets? Our streets!"
The protest was part of the March 20 Student Day of Action Against the War, timed for the fourth anniversary of the invasion of Iraq by U.S.-led coalition forces. More than 80 campuses and high schools nationwide scheduled walkouts, including N.C. State University, UNC-Asheville and Raleigh's Enloe High School.
"I walked out today to show this campus and this town, and, along with the other 80 campuses that walked out today, to show this country that the youth will not be silent, and we won't stand aside as people are murdered," UNC freshman Molly Rose Sweetser said. "And we're going to end this war."
At noon, the anti-war demonstrators gathered in the Pit, where a brief rally was held. Hundreds of observers listened to speeches and watched as the protesters carried signs, chanted and banged drums.
The walkout included representatives and members from multiple campus organizations, including the UNC chapter of Students for a Democratic Society, Black Student Movement and Student Action with Workers. Groups from Raleigh and Greensboro also were represented.
Sophomore Chris Williams was standing near the Pit as the rally kicked off.
"I think their message is slightly misguided. (The protesters) are for democracy, but pulling out of Iraq will result in civil war," he said.
He also said that Iraq is slowly being rebuilt and that Iraqis are grateful Saddam Hussein was removed.
At about 12:20 p.m., the protesters began to march through Polk Place toward Franklin Street. Dozens of students were on the grass in the quad and stopped to watch the procession. Some joined as the marchers passed.
On Franklin Street, several people stood on the sidewalks and watched as the demonstrators blocked the intersections and danced on the pavement.
"It reminds me very much of when I was at Carolina," said Mitch Simpson, class of 1972. Simpson is the pastor at University Baptist Church and came outside when he heard the protesters.
"You have to love the fact that we live in a place where we are free to do this."
Officers from the Department of Public Safety and the Chapel Hill Police Department walked, biked and drove around the protesters to maintain order. As the demonstrators approached intersections, they rode ahead to section off traffic.
Randy Young, DPS spokesman, said the march was "civil and without incident." No arrests were made.
Peter Gilbert, a first-year law student and SDS leader, said that most of the police responded well to the march with the exception of one antagonistic officer who threatened to arrest several organizers.
"Thanks to the organizers staying calm and disciplined, there were no arrests or serious incidents," he said, adding that police officers couldn't have controlled the crowd even if they wanted to because they were vastly outnumbered.
After about an hour of marching, the anti-war demonstrators completed their route and returned to the Pit for a closing rally.
Many participants wore yellow ribbons that were passed out by the College Republicans at the beginning of the walkout.
"They're symbolic of our support for the troops," said Amanda Elise Anderson, a junior and chairwoman for the group's membership and activism committee "Though we may disagree, the commonality lies in our love for America, our support for free speech and our support for the troops in harm's way."
At N.C. State, about 100 students marched from the Bell Tower down Hillsborough Street and held a rally at the Free Expression Tunnel. Of the protesters, 37 came from Enloe High School and Southeast High School.
The anti-war actions came on the heels of a weekend of widespread protests across the country, including a march on the Pentagon in Washington on March 17.
"If we don't find our justice and our democracy in Washington, we will find it in the streets," Gilbert said.
"You can expect more of this."
Contact the Features Editor at features@unc.edu.
(02/26/07 5:00am)
They were trying their best not to collapse.
(01/31/07 5:00am)
As of Tuesday morning, senior Joshua Hilton had logged 92 days, 14 hours and 38 minutes playing the computer game World of Warcraft.
But compared with some, he doesn't even play very often.
Hilton said he knows students who have played for more than 150 days.
"Thankfully I'm not to that point where I ignore everything else and just do World of Warcraft," he said.
Those unfamiliar with the game - often referred to as WoW - are also alien to an online world populated by more than 8 million gamers. WoW is a "massively multiplayer online role-playing game," where thousands interact and complete quests with one another in the same fantasy world.
WoW, originally released by Blizzard Entertainment in 2004, has achieved enormous success. When the expansion pack - World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade - came out Jan. 16, it became the fastest-selling PC game of all time in North America and Europe. Units moved off the shelf at a rate of 100,000 per hour.
UNC students have delved into this world. Sophomore Davis Bennett - who has logged more than 58 days - estimates that each North Campus residence hall has a few players while places like Hinton James Residence Hall probably have 20 to 30.
The game's immense popularity has produced extreme behaviors.
"It's known as Warcrack because of its addictive qualities," Bennett said. He agreed that the game is addictive but said that is no reason to avoid it.
"When you read a good book, you are addicted to it, and girls are certainly addicted to shopping, in a sense. But that doesn't mean you should regulate jeans."
As Hilton battled dragons in a swampy, forested landscape, he demonstrated WoW's appeal. While his character fired flames from his hands, the senior spoke to members of his guild on a headset, coordinating a strategy to achieve their mission.
"It's more addicting than most other games because it incorporates playing with your friends and competing against other people," Hilton said. "And it's changing enough that there's almost always something new."
Players' desires to improve their characters have generated a market for in-game resources. Through Web sites such as eBay, players can purchase gold for their character, or they simply can buy another person's already developed character. Bennett and Hilton both speculated that their characters are worth more than $500.
Despite popular perceptions about WoW demographics, people point out that most gamers are about 30 years old. And some of them are girls.
"A lot of people find that it's a good way to relax and meet new people," said Mary Cook, a freshman from Banner Elk.
She said being a girl gamer has its ups and downs.
"Once you admit you're a girl, you get stalked," she said. But she added that she once received free game equipment from a male player she barely knew.
Hilton emphasized that WoW doesn't differ much from any other time-consuming diversion.
"Sometimes it seems that people characterize the game as really, really bad, but for the large majority of people, it's something they do in their spare time for entertainment value," Hilton said.
"If they weren't playing WoW, they'd be doing something else as unproductive."
Contact the Features Editor at features@unc.edu.
(01/22/07 5:00am)
Philip Emanuel took a hit of salvia, held the smoke in his lungs for a few moments and then let it escape his lips.
"Oooh, it works!" he said mere seconds later, his eyes wide. Beforehand, Emanuel explained that a salvia trip produces "the most dissociative effect you can possibly have."
He just might have been correct. For the next five minutes, the sophomore moved and spoke as though spirits had passed through his hookah's tubes and seized control of his body.
He spoke gibberish between fits of uncontrollable laughter and was unable to respond coherently to anyone. When he tried to stand, he staggered and then looked around with astonishment as if he were seeing the world for the first time.
"I will not admit any doings of any kind," he said, a statement he wouldn't recall making only minutes later.
After about five minutes had passed and the most intense segment was behind him, sweat beads covered Emanuel's face, though the temperature was a windy 45 degrees.
Emanuel had smoked salvia divinorum extract, a legal hallucinogen available at head shops nationwide.
Historically, Mazatec Indians, who lived in southern Mexico, consumed salvia for spiritual purposes; indeed, salvia is often referred to as the "sage of the seers."
"The active ingredient is salvinorin-A, the most active, naturally occurring hallucinogen," said Bryan Roth, a professor of pharmacology at UNC's School of Medicine.
In 2002 Roth helped discover how salvia influences the brain. He said it only affects a single brain receptor - the kappa opiate receptor.
"Here you have this drug that has a profound effect on the brain, and it only affects a single receptor out of hundreds," Roth said.
He said this indicates that the receptor alters consciousness, which means studying it could be helpful for treating mental illnesses such as schizophrenia and Alzheimer's disease.
But what does it feel like when salvia activates your kappa opiate receptor?
"It felt like my head was in a box and some outside force was moving it around and determining my viewpoint," Emanuel said as the effects wound down.
"It's like tunnel vision. You only see one thing at a time, but each time you look at something you get a different feeling; you feel what you are looking at."
He stood up and looked down at his hookah and said the distance had become distorted.
"Right now it seems like it's a mile away from my face," he said. It was no more than six inches away.
Emanuel also said he was unable to process sounds made by himself or others.
Despite its potency, salvia remains legal in most states, including North Carolina.
Sophomore Sara Thomas, an employee at the head shop Hazmat Inc., said salvia is a popular item because of its legality.
The plant costs $80 for one gram at 20x strength at Hazmat. Potencies at the store range from 5x to 20x . Emanuel used about a third of a gram in one sitting.
Roth, however, said he doesn't think it will remain uncontrolled.
"The only reason it's legal is that it hasn't yet been made illegal," Roth said. He added that most people he talked to did not enjoy their experience because of its intensity.
Thomas said her manager had smoked the plant and said he would rather "bang his head against a wall than do salvia again."
Emanuel, on the other hand, described his experience as pleasant.
"During your trip, you have to realize on an instinctual level that you're OK," he said. "There's no reason to be afraid; it's an illogical fear and paranoia."
From a health perspective, little is known about salvia. However, Roth said there are no signs it's addictive and that one formal study in rodents found no overt toxicity.
Roth advised against consuming salvia because "if you are in a disoriented condition you can get yourself into some trouble."
Many mistakenly view salvia as legal marijuana or legal LSD.
"Salvia's structure is very different," Roth said.
"It's completely unique."
Contact the Features Editor at features@unc.edu.
(01/17/07 5:00am)
In North Carolina citizens accused or convicted of a crime can have the records of that incident expunged - a kind of legal white-out.
However, as businesses increasingly turn to online databases for criminal background checks, some applicants are being haunted by outdated and incorrect legal histories.
"Small studies show that all online databases contain inaccuracies," said Barry Nadell, senior vice president of Kroll, a risk consulting company. Nadell works in Kroll's background screening division.
He said these inaccuracies occur because the database might be incomplete or not updated.
In theory an expunction means the changing of history. The court destroys almost all documentation of the incident, and, legally, the accused party does not have to admit to having been arrested.
Under the most commonly used statute, a record can be expunged if a charge was dismissed or if the accused was found not guilty, provided he or she has never been convicted of a felony, does not have pending criminal charges and has never had a prior expunction in North Carolina.
With the above criteria, a citizen is allowed one expunged record in his or her lifetime. Multiple expunctions are allowed in some cases, such as if two or more charges arise from the same incident.
Carol Badgett, an attorney for Student Legal Services, warned against relying on expunctions.
"To think it really and truly gets rid of the incident . it doesn't do that 100 percent," Badgett said.
She described student expunctions as common and said she has dealt with a few cases where expunged records or erroneous information have turned up in online databases.
However some companies, such as Wachovia, do not rely only on online databases for employee screening.
"We don't discount people because of something that appeared on their record," said Maggie Akers, recruiting coordinator for Wachovia. She said they move to a more thorough background check.
"If there's a red flag, we always give the person a fair chance to explain," Akers said.
Badgett urged that if students find inaccurate information about themselves online, they should alert the database. Legal recourse is possible.
"If you say something that's not true and if it harms someone in their reputation or career, then that is defamation," she said.
Primarily, however, she suggests a more preventive approach - to disclose expunged information.
"Having a record expunged doesn't change history; it's likely to come to light," Badgett said. She also said being upfront reveals a lot about a person's honesty to the employer.
Akers said Wachovia trusts the information provided by applicants and that few problems have arisen.
"We're pretty trusting of the information students provide," she said. "Everyone kind of takes care of everyone."
Contact the Features Editor at features@unc.edu.
(01/10/07 5:00am)
For many students the new year means a clean slate - an opportunity to improve their lives. But, despite bold talk and initial dedication, one word seems to characterize the New Year's resolution. Failure. The overcrowded gyms will revert back to normal in mere weeks, students predicted; old habits will win out. The Daily Tar Heel chose four students to follow. In two weeks we will check back with them to see if they have stayed true to their resolutions.
Nikki Pratt:
New Year's resolution: To floss every day and only have one
dessert per week.
(11/27/06 5:00am)
Roy Welch said he came to the Streets at Southpoint the day after Thanksgiving for one main reason.
To watch the parade.
As the Durham resident sat on a mall bench, an endless stream of shoppers strolled past him on all sides, bags in hand.
"If you sit here long enough, all of humanity will walk by," Welch said.
A day after stuffing themselves with turkey, shoppers stuffed their wallets and headed to malls such as Southpoint to take advantage of doorbusting discounts on Black Friday - traditionally the busiest shopping day of the year.
Customers gave retailers something to be thankful for.
A typical Black Friday at the mall draws 125,000 people, said Courtney Phillips, Southpoint's senior marketing manager. By mid-afternoon this year, she said the mall was "well on track to exceed that number."
Standing in department store Hudson Belk, Jennifer Hunsaker, regional director for the Dior cosmetic company, said business was good Friday.
"We've tripled our sales from this time last year," she said.
Good times for retailers don't necessarily mean good times for consumers. There are at least two commonly held theories for the origin of the name Black Friday. One says the name means retailers post profits and are therefore "in the black." The other refers to the stress and chaos of the day.
"It was horrible finding a parking spot," said Janis Roten, a bookkeeper from Charlotte. "We were so desperate, we valet parked."
She said she went to Staples when it opened that morning and saw a crowd of shoppers rush in and "clean the tables off like vultures."
Gap associate manager Jennifer Roe said people were waiting outside her store for the 6 a.m. opening. She said the number of Black Friday shoppers had increased from last year, but sale numbers were about the same.
According to a press release from the National Retail Federation, more than 140 million people went shopping nationwide Friday. The average shopper spent an average of $360.15 on Thursday through Sunday - almost 19 percent more than last year. And, partly because of high demand for electronics, men outspent women by an average of $116.07.
More than one-third of customers arrived at stores before sunrise, according to the federation.
Hunsaker attributed the increased business to consumer outlook.
"People seem very optimistic," she said. "They are not afraid to spend to get what they want."
Contact the Features Editor at features@unc.edu.
(11/17/06 5:00am)
With a smile on his face, UNC basketball player Danny Green sat, legs spread, and rolled a miniature Carolina basketball across the floor. A few yards away, Brandon Pomeroy - called "Peanut" by loved ones - took the ball in his hands and fired it back with perfect accuracy.
"You pass better than Danny!" coach Roy Williams joked.
On Thursday, the UNC men's basketball team and coaching staff visited the N.C. Children's Hospital to raise the spirits of kids such as Brandon, a 2-year-old patient, for a pre-Thanksgiving party.
And they came bearing gifts.
(11/15/06 5:00am)
Residents of the Mason Farm and Whitehead Circle neighborhood will push forward with plans to become a neighborhood conservation district tonight at a meeting with consulting firm Clarion Associates.
A neighborhood conservation district is a set of regulations on neighborhood features including lot and building size, land use, population density, fencing and lighting. These ordinances are enacted to preserve the individuality and the character of a neighborhood.
Almost 60 percent of neighborhood residents petitioned the town for designation as an NCD.
"The meeting is mainly to hear about the concerns of the neighborhood," said Roger Waldon, senior consultant with Clarion Associates, who is helping with the process.
No decisions will be made tonight, Waldon said. Clarion will use feedback collected at the meeting to form preliminary regulations.
NCD regulations are called overlays because they are added onto existing zoning standards.
Mason Farm is zoned as low-density residential, meaning property owners are subject to a set of rules including a ban on duplexes.
"The significance is that Mason Farm is a neighborhood that's older, has a distinctive character and is experiencing pressure for change and redevelopment," Waldon said.
Lee McIlwain, president of the Mason Farm neighborhood association, said he has two main goals for preservation - maintaining the single-family atmosphere as well as the number of houses.
He said the University already has purchased nine houses in the neighborhood and is using the land to construct institutional buildings and roads in place of homes. "That is the antithesis of neighborhood conservation," he said.
Neighborhood conservation districts have been set up in Northside, Greenwood, Kings Mill-Morgan Creek and Pine Knolls.
Regulations, including the duplex ban, have raised eyebrows among many students concerned about finding affordable rental properties.
Loryn Clark, the Chapel Hill housing and neighborhood services coordinator, said the Chapel Hill Town Council has decided to continue the designation process using a resident consensus method.
There has been debate about whether a consensus-based method is preferable to using a representative committee.
"I think it would be unfortunate if we didn't use a neighborhood consensus," McIlwain said.
Clark said that some think a committee guarantees consistent participation.
McIlwain said it's important for residents to attend today's 7 p.m. meeting at Chapel Hill Kehillah.
"As property owners, these design standards could affect each of our properties," he said. "They should know what's happening and be able to give input into this process and learn what's going on."
Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.
(10/13/06 4:00am)
Junior Megan Turek said she doesn't suffer from paraskevidekatriaphobia.
"Friday the 13th is certainly not cursed - it was the day I was brought into the world, and I would like to think that was a blessed day," said Turek, who was born June 13, 1986.
"Maybe my younger sisters would argue otherwise."
Friday, Oct. 13 has arrived, but instead of misfortune, most students said they only imagine horror movies bound by a silly myth.
On campus, paraskevidekatriaphobia - an irrational fear of Friday the 13th - was nowhere to be found.
"I think it's just a superstition," freshman Sarah Ashley King said.
But is Friday just another day and 13 just another number?
Many hotels and hospitals don't have 13th floors; some airlines don't include a 13th row; and many ships will not set sail on the 13th.
Additionally, many infamous figures - Saddam Hussein, Osama bin Laden, Charles Manson - have 13 letters in their names.
A study conducted in the United Kingdom 13 years ago claims that despite there being less traffic on Friday the 13th, the risk of hospital admission due to traffic accidents increased by as much as 52 percent compared with a "normal" Friday.
But UNC Health Care reported no abnormally high amount of people coming through the emergency department on Friday the 13ths, said Stephanie Crayton, media relations manager for UNC Hospitals.
Randy Young, spokesman for the UNC Department of Public Safety, didn't find any unusual data either.
Though all students interviewed knew of the supposedly cursed date, none knew its origin.
"Some will point to the crucifixion occurring on a Friday and they will point to the 13 people at the Last Supper - the last person being regarded as Judas Iscariot," Glenn Hinson, chairman of the folklore curriculum, said.
But Hinson said this is a kind of backward reasoning. Prominent folklore texts don't mention Friday and 13 being combined until the early decades of the 20th century.
Hinson said he doesn't believe today is cursed, but he understands the allure of participating in macabre traditions on the 13th, such as visiting the Devil's Tramping Ground, an area near Siler City rumored to be haunted by the devil.
"To be able to challenge Friday the 13th and dare it makes for a wonderful story."
Contact the Features Editor at features@unc.edu.
(09/21/06 4:00am)
Senior Adam Fulton can tell you that Kareem Abdul-Jabbar holds the NBA scoring record.
But nobody applauds an opera singer for merely clearing his throat.
"Jabbar scored 38,387 points. Wilt Chamberlain had 31,419. (Karl) Malone got 36,928," Fulton said, reeling off the numbers as though they were as familiar as his birthday.
"It's good genes and what you might call a photographic memory," he said.
Those attributes earned him a spot on ESPN's "Stump the Schwab" - ---a game show where contestants test their sports knowledge against master statistician Howie Schwab.
Contestants who perform well can earn money - up to $2,000 for this show, Fulton said- and an invitation to come back for more shows. Fulton said the competition operates like a smaller version of the NCAA Tournament bracket.
Only Fulton and his select insiders know the outcome of the taped show. The rest of his buddies will have to wait until tonight.
Fulton will be watching the show, which was filmed earlier in the summer, but he isn't planning anything big. However, he said his family back home in Kingwood, Texas, will make an event of it.
To qualify, Fulton took a sports trivia quiz and then participated in a taped, one-on-one interview with a show representative at the end of July. A couple of weeks later, ESPN invited him to come to their studio in New York City.
Fulton said the studio atmosphere was laid-back.
"No one was reading an almanac or anything," he said.
While there, he met the portly Schwab and the host, Stuart Scott.
"There was a catered buffet and, as you might expect, (Schwab) was all over that," Fulton said with a laugh. "I guess his version of prep was just eating."
He said Scott, a UNC alumnus and ESPN sportscaster, made a conscious effort to be friendly to him.
Senior David Leonard, Fulton's roommate, distinctly remembers the first time he witnessed his friend's statistical prowess, he said. It happened one night while some friends were playing trivia game Scene It?, the sports version.
"Eventually we were like, 'Wow, Fulty is getting all these questions right,'" Leonard said. "My first reaction was amazement - I thought the kid was a human encyclopedia for sports facts."
Fulton traces his love of statistics to an early age.
"I've always been fascinated by sports," he said. "I've followed them since I was yea high."
The numerical and historical aspects of the games were especially intriguing to the business major.
This isn't the first time Fulton had the opportunity to use his mastery of obscure knowledge to win prizes. During a junior golf tournament several years ago, a representative from the PGA Tour hosted a trivia challenge and gave away free professional equipment to the winners. He asked the distance of the longest recorded drive in PGA Tour history.
"Four hundred twenty-seven yards by Chris Smith, an Ohio State Buckeye, at the Honda Classic," Fulton said.
"I won a putter - it was actually pretty sweet."
Contact the Features Editor at features@unc.edu.
(09/12/06 4:00am)
Imagine scribbling notes during class and solving complex equations - then imagine doing all of that without using a single sheet of paper.
That's the appeal of the Tablet PC - a mobile computer with a touchscreen and a stylus, a digital pen that enables users to handwrite instead of using a keyboard and mouse.
The device soon might become a staple in UNC classrooms.
A pilot program, which began this fall, is looking to "explore and understand the value of Tablet PCs in teaching and learning at Carolina," said Kathleen Kyzer, senior manager for teaching and learning outreach at Information Technology Services and co-leader of the pilot.
The pilot includes an orientation session and a trial period where about 15 faculty members test the tablets for several weeks.
With the new technology students would be able to handwrite notes, highlight text, draw images and annotate digital files in Microsoft applications. Additionally professors would be able to edit papers on the tablet and e-mail them to students without using paper.
The tablets also come in different forms and brands. Some include keyboards, allowing for both digital and handwritten text, while others only include the touchscreen.
"It has the ability to capture and archive information that would otherwise be erased," said Marc Tillett, academic computing manager at the Office of Arts and Sciences Information Services and the other co-leader of the pilot.
Discipline-specific software also exists. For example music professors could use a program that allows them to hand-draw notes on a scale and then play them.
Although the pilot has not concluded, Tillett said feedback has been positive. "In general, (the faculty) see a lot of potential in the abilities that the tablet gives them."
Even if the Tablet PC receives acceptance from the faculty, it would probably take at least a year for the tablets to achieve widespread adoption at UNC, Tillett said.
Kyzer and Tillett both use the device and spoke highly of it.
"The handwriting capabilities of the tablet lead me to use it in circumstances where, previously, I would have had to use pencil and paper," Tillett said.
Kyzer said the device combines the best of both worlds.
"It's kind of like the right tool at the right time."
Contact the Features Editor at features@unc.edu.
(08/28/06 4:00am)
Charles Latham, nicknamed the King of Anti Folk, bowed to his opponent, shook her hand, took a deep breath and began a stretching routine.
He bounced around the front of the room like Muhammad Ali before a heavyweight bout. Audience members shushed each other; all eyes turned to the two players.
"I'm sorry that I have to destroy you," Latham said to Mary, Queen of Rocks. Minutes later, the round finished and Charles raised his hands - his weapons of choice - high in celebration of victory. Ironically, he had defeated the self-dubbed "Queen of Rocks" with a barrage of them.
Welcome to the early rounds of the fourth annual rock, paper, scissors tournament hosted Sunday at The Cave. The event drew about 30 enthusiasts who paid $2 each to enter. The top three winners split the money.
According to some, the favorite childhood game is acquiring a kind of cult following across the country. The World RPS Society boasts online that the game has become one of the most popular games in the world. The society lists thousands of members and tournaments being played in bars throughout the U.S., from St. Louis to Orlando.
The game also is being played in some unexpected places. Two months ago, a federal judge in Florida ordered two bickering attorneys to solve a dispute using the game.
The rules are simple. Fists are the only weapons. Rock beats scissors. Scissors beats paper. Paper beats rock.
It might seem easy, but the adage "a minute to learn, a lifetime to master" seems appropriate to some veterans. Sunday evening's winner, Diane Koistinen, played in the last three tournaments at The Cave before taking home the ultimate prize.
Adam Chamberlain - known as the Wallcrawler in the rock, paper, scissors world but as a political science teaching assistant in the UNC world - said many do not understand the complexities of the game.
"There are a lot more in-depth psychological elements than most people give it credit for," he said.
Chamberlain is a professional; he is ranked in the top 128 internationally and traveled to Toronto to compete in the rock, paper, scissors International World Championships.
"You have to balance your strategies against your opponent's," he said.
The Cave is a far cry from the international rock, paper, scissors competition scene.
Christmas lights are strewn about the cavern's walls, providing a dull light to the room. The low ceiling, made to look like the carved-out rock of a cave, covers the customers' heads.
Up front, a man dressed like Cuban President Fidel Castro is writing players' names on a white board. This is Roberto Cofresi - one of the event's organizers.
Cofresi doesn't consider himself a professional, but he has used rock, paper, scissors to make certain life decisions.
"I don't recommend it for life-threatening decisions, but I've used it for such things as deciding whether or not to buy a girl a drink," Cofresi said.
Back on the other side of the bar, Latham took a break after his first round victory.
"I wouldn't say I was reading her mind, but I knew exactly what she was going to throw and that had a lot to do with it," he said. "I can't smell the fear - I have a bad sense of smell - but I can see it."
Chamberlain said play can get intense. Players can reach the "zone" by consuming an optimal number of adult beverages.
"If you reach a nice point of what we call 'buzz,' then you're in a perfect state," he said.
Latham said he admires the idealism of the game.
"Realistically, rock could probably break through paper. But it's like the 'pen is mightier than the sword,'" he said. "It's idealistic, it's beautiful. I think all wars should be conducted like this."
Contact the Features Editor at features@unc.edu.
(03/24/06 5:00am)
The Big Dance is swinging into the later rounds, and even though the Tar Heels have made an early exit, the madness of March has not yet subsided on campus.
But many fans in the area now are pressed to find a new horse to back.
Junior Ashley Payne found out Wednesday that she is a finalist for the Miss Bracket competition on espn.com. She was one of eight fans selected for having the most spirit.
Her spirit, however, is for Gonzaga University.
She says her infatuation started in 1999 when the Bulldogs advanced to the Elite Eight. "I told myself that I was going to be the biggest Gonzaga fan from then on," she says.
During Gonzaga's tournament games, she wears an Adam Morrison jersey and drinks from a glass she purchased at a bar owned by the father of famed Gonzaga player John Stockton.
Payne stresses that she is not anti-UNC. "No disrespect to the Heels. I've been to every single game - I'm also a Carolina fan."
For some, interest in the tournament has become more casual.
Many say they believe the University of Connecticut will walk away with the trophy but are rooting for the recent Atlantic Coast Conference inductee - Boston College.
"I like our conference, and they're not Duke," says freshman Andrew Chapman.
Others, predictably, have lost interest in the tournament.
Hillsborough resident John Snipes says his interest in the tournament has waned since UNC's loss to George Mason University. He says he probably will continue watching the tournament, though.
Snipes can be seen during the season driving around a UNC-themed hearse known as the Heelraiser. The vehicle, which is "all tricked out, so to speak," has made Snipes a renowned Tar Heel fan.
"I guess as long as Duke (University) stays in I may watch in hopes they lose," he says. Snipes says he would like to see a Cinderella team come away with the title.
And though excitement for the men's tournament surges on, it's not as palpable for the women's team.
Despite the success of the UNC women's basketball team, comparatively few students are following its advance through the tournament.
"I usually just check the scores," Chapman says. "I'd watch if they made it to the Final Four."
Matt Holtry, manager of Four Corners, a bar on Franklin Street, says business has not increased during women's games. But he says demand will increase the deeper the Tar Heels make it into the tournament.
"We were talking in the kitchen about how no one will even say anything about the women's tournament till the Final Four," he says. "They're kicking (butt) and no one's paying attention."
Still others' interests in the tournament come more from their wallets than any desire for one team.
Freshman Bradley Farthing, a follower of both men's and women's basketball, says he will be going for the Duke Blue Devils.
"I'll be rooting for Duke because I have them winning my tournament bracket," he says. He adds that if it looks like he would not have a chance to win his pool, he gladly will root against Duke.
How does Farthing deal with the fact that he is rooting for the darker shade of blue?
"I just kind of keep it quiet."
Contact the Features Editor at features@unc.edu.