Try a fantasy league of politics
On Friday, the president’s 18-member, bipartisan deficit commission failed to get the 14 votes it required to send its plan to Congress, though it still had majority support with 11 votes.
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On Friday, the president’s 18-member, bipartisan deficit commission failed to get the 14 votes it required to send its plan to Congress, though it still had majority support with 11 votes.
The media has overly sensationalized the rough economy in which we live. For many families, this economy has indeed created dire times. But our quality of life is not as bad as many would have you believe nor as bad as many seem to believe. So this year, when you emerge from your college bubble, let me suggest giving thanks for a sadly disappearing generation that embodied being humble, independent and basically American.
Three years ago, the NAACP buried the N-word. The word isn’t as forgotten as Middle English, but it did seem to alleviate some racial tension. Yet I don’t think we should focus our efforts on a genocide of racial epithets.
I have come to think that if Michael Vick had been running a deer-fighting ring, even PETA would have been tempted to place a bet and cheer on.
Tuesday marked T-minus four weeks until midterm elections. Students chatter about national politics plenty. Yet, state and local politics gets ignored here like NCAA student-athlete policies.
Five months ago, it seemed immigration would be the issue to rile up voters this election. Maybe we just wanted to be mad at something other than the economy. But people HATE this economy, even here in North Carolina — home to roughly a quarter-million undocumented immigrants.
After seven years at UNC, one thing has worn on me about this campus: the political climate. UNC has sadly become a stagnant cesspool for political thought. I came here considering myself liberal, but now consider myself a moderate Democrat, truly viewing it as the lesser of two evils. The liberal voice here became so shrieking and annoying, I backed up to the middle. Really, I’m extremely curious as to whether this has happened to others, especially in this day and age when people at least seem to think this is a harshly partisan era.
Summer is a valuable time for those of us in academia. It’s like our halftime. We can game plan or — for the more realistic, modern athletic parallel — tweet. But sometimes, you lose summers and just have to get what you can out of them, striving for at least a Pyrrhic victory.
Students" this is the town of Chapel Hill. Town of Chapel Hill these are our students.This is an introduction I've never fully realized. The Apple Chill festival at least gave me some sense of this but as we all know" that great community event was ""shot down."" While the University fosters a good relationship with the town" students are disconnected from the town. The Chapel Hill community is great and it would be nice to feel more like part of it. The town could provide a real-world training ground; UNC could do a few things to encourage that.Dorms on campus are their own microcosms. It's definitely different from living at home but very much the same in the disconnect we have with regard to how everything around us operates and comes to be. Utilities and town services are the best examples of what gets left out.I like the system some apartment complexes have where they cover all utilities ... to an extent. The rent price will include say up to $60 for the water bill. But if you have a month where you feel particularly dirty or downright nasty and just one shower doesn't do it and you end up racking up a $70 water bill you pay the difference (possibly with some interest on that excess). It's basically putting a credit limit on utilities and given the struggles we have with utilities today it's not a bad idea.In the past the water shortage has been so bad that UNC considered sending students home. It's not such a surprise that students use utilities as though they're free. They don't see the costs of their actions. If on-campus students received water electricity and cable bills they might conserve these increasingly depleted and/or expensive resources.When I moved off campus after my sophomore year especially after living up here for the summer I quickly realized how expensive it can be to keep a house at 75 degrees. And guess what: Setting the thermostat to 82 degrees is well worth the savings especially when three people can accrue a one-month summer electric bill between $150 and $200. Learning lessons such as this during even just one year in a dorm can be invaluable for preparing for life and costs in the real world.But while the University seeks to make life better on campus it must also ensure the town's welfare. The next major focus of University-town relations (after Carolina North construction begins centuries from now) ought to be to nurture downtown business (well at least what's left).Trying to bring up a business on Franklin Street resembles trying to get pregnant while on birth control - lots of failure. The IRS aborted The Rathskeller in December and now Buffalo Wild Wings and Schoolkids have miscarried. I can think of a dozen changes to the main section of Franklin Street since I came here. When I was 10 to 14 years old and came up here for basketball camp a majority of establishments were different.The University would be wise to work with the town to ensure there are accessible off-campus establishments that are not bars restaurants or T-shirt shops. How long is it before Varsity Theatre closes down? Why the hell have there been three empty store spaces under Top of the Hill for the past four-plus years?The problem here is yet again when do enough students feel the loss? There isn't really anything we need on Franklin Street that we couldn't get closer on campus. But that doesn't mean we need to sit back and let the town collapse in on itself just like it's doing with regard to water capacity right now.Tar Heels - realize that you are members of the town of Chapel Hill. The University can do more to act as a bridge between the students and the town for it's a relationship to which we ought to become accustomed. It is one we're bound to enter soon.
UNC is liberal. No one will challenge that. However especially during election season UNC becomes about as receptive to conservatives as a Southern Baptist church would be to Elton John.I came to UNC as a liberal person but my disappointment has been in the difficulty to find diverse thought in a marketplace of ideas where anything nonliberal is tucked away in the back. But the contrast is something we need.After four years here all my views have been reworked but with little thanks to the efforts of the University. UNC desperately needs to encourage both sides of the spectrum and that means bringing in some voices not everyone might want to hear.A year before I came to UNC I spent a summer working for Habitat for Humanity picking up supplies and donations in an old 27-foot truck with a busted radio capable of picking up only one station. And on that one station I was exposed to the omnipotent brilliance of Rush Limbaugh.Just kidding; I think Limbaugh is an idiot. But a lot of people don't. A lot of people listen to him and form their opinions off thoughts like his. It was insightful to hear how he and those who call in think about issues. Listening to his show became a thought-provoking experience valuable in that it forced me to reconsider my own views but above all else let me in on how the other side (the Right) thinks and thereby allowed me to refine how I develop my counterarguments to views opposing my own.UNC botched a similar prime opportunity a year and a half ago when John Ashcroft visited campus. Aside from the embarrassing display of hospitality (or lack thereof) inconsiderate students ruined an opportunity to really absorb and understand the mind-set of such a powerful man in government who many felt had done the nation and world wrong. They were depriving themselves of the opportunity to intellectually engage the man firsthand.Last year my global issues class compiled a panel of a dozen students including myself who supported the war in Iraq ... in front of a lecture hall of at least a couple of hundred who despised people like us.For about an hour students brought every question (and comment) they could to discredit us and try to make us see the ignorance of our views.My view is that President Bush botched the war and started it in the first place to benefit his corporate cronies. But it's the human rights atrocities that get to me and I am glad that at least there is a chance of justice there now.Such are my views on the war. I don't know if I changed anyone's mind but I was at least able to explain and expose people to a relatively suppressed view on a campus vehemently in opposition to the war. For those who remained unchanged in their views at least they reconsidered their own views and ultimately better know and understand the opposition they're attacking.Besides who would want to hear a panel of people agree with everything the audience thinks for an hour straight? It's one reason there's such a fascination (yes we all have it whether or not we stop and engage) with the Pit Preacher. Of course practically no one agrees with him and it's not like he's in a position of authority. But it's still interesting to listen to the polar opposites of our own views to help us refine and improve our thought.I'm not saying UNC should invite Neo-Nazis or bring back the KKK's David Duke just to diversify the speaker landscape. People like Ashcroft add so much perspective and with many Bush administration members out of real jobs in less than a year there ought to be some very interesting speakers available and it wouldn't hurt us to hear what they have to say.
Congratulations J.J. Raynor. I'm sure you will be all that a student body president can be. But what does UNC allow a student body president to do?About 40 years have passed since students held sit-ins protests and other demonstrations to clearly let it be known that they deserved and desired better. Yet little is done today as students remain effectively complacent with the authority above us and the scraps of authority given to us.Student government highlights this. During my time in student government two years ago I found that various campus departments were more than open to discussions but it was nothing that any other student or group couldn't go out and do. Student government does many great important things but it should be able to do more.As adults we contribute to the state appropriations given to the University which comprise about 25 percent of UNC's revenue. Yet University administration treats the campus like TV-designated market areas with rights given to people by age range.We all know a 40- to 65-year-old adult can be just as irresponsible ignorant uneducated and bad at policymaking as can an 18- to 24-year-old or a 25- to 39-year-old. Why is it OK to discriminate by age but not race or gender? We can't help our age. All adults regardless of age are fully equal under the eyes of the law as are people of all races.Even if it's representation via those in their 20s who were at least recently in school students need and deserve a more integral part of bigger-issue decision making. Our presence tuition and fees are the foundation for this University.Of the 12 members on the Board of Trustees (excluding the student body president's ex-officio seat) only two received their undergraduate degrees after 1980 (1983 and 1984). The average graduation year for them is 1972 and plenty of them are old enough to be our grandparents. What kind of connection does that demonstrate with today's student? Back then tuition and fees were only a few hundred dollars.For the Board of Governors the situation is even worse and more disproportionately representative. The average age goes up and students only get one seat which belongs to the head of the Association of Student Governments out of a few dozen.So what is the result from administration and the boards? We get a bunch of unanimous votes from a marketplace of ideas about as diverse as the Soviet Union would have ever wanted. While we get to elect the student body president we have no say in electing any University administrators. Not the chancellor. Not the Board of Trustees. Not the Board of Governors. We've gained little more responsibility since high school and we're adults now - tax-paying voting adults worthy of a more representative presence.In trying to maintain more accurate equal representation how about mandating that a few board members be no more than X years out of college or no more than X years old? Maybe younger administrators and board members would dig a little deeper and try a little harder to develop policy of which students can be a bit more supportive.Do I want to incite a riot and encourage students to lock themselves in South Building? Well" not unless the right moment and issue were to come about. Maybe people will come to demand ""no tuition without representation."" Or maybe this country will develop a youth movement to address this age discrimination.Next time the administration makes (or fails to make) a policy move" and it gets under your skin remember that you can't do anything about it. But you or someone you elect should be able to.
In one of his stand-up acts"" Chris Rock advocates not gun control but rather bullet control. ""'Cause if a bullet costs $5"0" there'd be no more innocent bystanders.""Today we are in a situation where printers are shooting off ream after ream of their cheap ammunition - paper.As technology developed during the past few decades in the ""digital revolution"" the need for paper was supposed to diminish.A single hard drive can be used to store ream after ream's worth of paper. E-mails can take the place of snail mail and permit quicker communication with better record keeping. The find"" function can pick out specific words and phrases instantly.The transition to at least a nearly paperless world never fully happened. It got about halfway there" then stalled. Yes technology can go awry and it's a lot more likely to happen than a fire destroying an archive of paper documents. Plus the consequences of tearing up paper are a lot less expensive than those of putting your fist through a computer screen.Still the Carolina Computing Initiative was supposed to make us a frontrunner riding the digital revolution wave. But like the revolution the CCI has stalled in its mission leaving too many good opportunities not utilized.UNC has been successful in many aspects. It has used computers and the Internet to reach more people bring them together and add a world of convenience in the process. But gaps still exist.Blackboard software provides a great interface for submitting and retrieving documents from readings and homework to syllabi and schedules. Yet despite online availability professors often print a copy of the course syllabus and schedule for every student. Information like syllabi need only made available online and students can choose to print. Nor do many professors use other features such as digital paper submissions in the online dropbox. It's nice not to have to go to the printing lab" worry about lines and worry about some girl who just starting printing off ""War and Peace.""Most semesters" I've had one professor opt for digital submissions" and it's a great system. Some mark up the papers with ""track changes"" while others make comments at various points in all caps. The best professors are those who teach off materials posted on Blackboard - no paying for textbooks! Plus" the variety of articles is a nice change a pace. It's all especially interesting in concert with Blackboard's discussion threads.While software has been used too little printing has been used too much. The printing quota implemented in fall 2006 was desperately needed for budgetary reasons among all the others. Printing had been out of control in the labs and those recycle bins were filling up quickly. The original printing quota was 500 pages - an accurate reflection of cost at 5 cents a page (the total per-page cost of paper ink printer and maintenance) given the $25 printing fee students pay. However even that has taken a step back.About 20 percent of students had less than $5 on their printing account by the end of the first semester the printing quota was in place. So the quota jumped to 800 pages and today people are still taking it to the brink.A 500-page coverage was more than reasonable (not to mention an accurate reflection of student contribution). People will go to the edge of a limit with any quota. It's like a plate full of food - bigger portions mean you'll eat more than you would have otherwise needed to be satisfied.No one said that letting go of paper would be easy. Paper is like crack. It's white cheap harmful and on the street and people often use it without giving it a smidgen of thought. But it wouldn't hurt to start weening at some point.
The fencing team opened this year's schedule with a trial-by-fire. Within the first three competitions, the Tar Heels stood toe-to-toe with some of the nation's best, including an NYU Dual Meet that featured five perennial top 15 programs. Despite the tough start to the year, North Carolina looks to have a promising young squad that will continue to develop as the year progresses. On Saturday, the Tar Heels travel to Philadelphia to compete in the Haverford Duals, where they hope to improve their record and build toward the postseason.
Two games off of a three-game losing streak against top-10 teams, the North Carolina field hockey team will take on its fourth powerhouse opponent of the season, No. 2 Wake Forest, at Henry Stadium on Saturday. No. 6 North Carolina (8-3, 0-2 in the ACC) will host the Demon Deacons (10-1, 1-1) in what looks to be a grind to the finish. The teams are similar - both have good depth, dominate time of possession and take major advantage of penalty corners, while giving up few of their own. But as they've shown in the past three games versus top-10 competition, the Tar Heels have had a tough time pulling out a win against more notable teams on the schedule. Despite the team's recent struggles, UNC Coach Karen Shelton said she is not planning on changing her game plan much. "Wake's not more important than William and Mary," she said. "Our goal is to be as good as we can be in November." Senior Karen Mann, North Carolina's leading goal scorer with 10, also has her sights set higher. "That's our goal - to win a NCAA championship," she said. "We want to win our other games, too, so we're prepared for the tournament." Indeed, while the end-all goal for the season is a championship, finally getting a win against an elite team would be a sign that the Tar Heels are heading in the right direction. Sophomore Britt van Beek, who unleashed four goals against Appalachian State on Wednesday, expressed some of the frustration that likely has been a vicious monkey on the back of the team. "We're tired of losing the big games," she said. "We really want to win against a team ranked higher than us." Shelton wants to make sure it's a monkey they get off their back before tournament time, saying that her team was not mentally tough when under pressure. Such pressure will be abundant come tournament time. Of course, there is an adjustment to be made from unranked teams that give up 11 goals to better-coordinated teams with more assertive offenses and stingier defenses. What makes a team like Wake Forest such a challenge? "We'll be facing athletes as skilled and talented as us," Shelton said. Wake Forest forward Christine Suggs is one of those athletes. She is tied for the conference goal lead - posting 11 in as many games - so don't expect North Carolina to give her much room on the field Saturday. Unrelenting defense is key in big games. While North Carolina has allowed only four goals in its eight wins, the team has given up seven in its three losses. Offense, however, is just as key. The Tar Heels, who average 4.9 goals in their wins, have managed only one goal in each of their three losses. Though the team is still developing, losing those games is a problem that Shelton and her players know must be remedied - and soon. The coach is looking to the continuing development of the team, both individually and as a whole, but also hinted at some fresh ink in the playbook. Shelton noted that the team tried out some new formations and combos against the Mountaineers. They certainly didn't hurt. Freshman Dani Forword added that the team is trying to refine its game. "We've been doing a lot of video analysis with the game versus Duke," she said. Mann summed up the team's hopes with just with one word. "Win." Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.
Almost exactly 20 years ago, October 3, 1986, to be exact, the Tar Heels annihilated Appalachian State 11-0. Coach Shelton must have been experiencing d
Imagine the culture shock Tyler Hansbrough would have faced if he went to Greece to play basketball after high school. That's essentially the move made by field hockey freshmen Dani Forword and Illse Davids, both South Africans who came to UNC in January. Forword and Davids are standouts on a Tar Heel team ranked No. 5 in the nation. Both have played field hockey since elementary school, and both have played for the youth South African national teams. Life in the U.S. has been a transition but one they have embraced. "We've adjusted fine," Forword said. "It was kind of built up for us. We knew there'd be a lot of pressure. It's intense with time management - juggling school, work, friends and everything. But that's what athletes have to juggle." Of course, anyone coming to a new setting has expectations. What did they expect? "Hot boys!" Forword exclaimed before quickly, but unconvincingly, trying to retract. "I didn't know what to expect," she continued. "I didn't know how prestigious the University was here, but I saw a few basketball games, settled in and thought, 'We're really lucky to be here.'" Davids especially likes Chapel Hill's balance. "If it was back home we'd be so one-sided to field hockey," Forword agreed, "Whereas here we get a mix of things - academics, making friends, socializing. We're broadening our horizons." Still, with so much more national prominence for field hockey in South Africa, one might expect it to harbor a better setting for learning the game. Not quite, Forword said. "We compared it to what we could have had back home, and everything here is so professional. We're training at a professional level every day here, and it wouldn't have been like that there," she said. Forword has found that the two styles of play can go hand in hand. "I came here to learn more and grow more. Learn more new styles to the game. Become more competitive and step up my game and find different things to incorporate into games back home," Forword said. Aside from the game, Davids and Forword have kept close by sharing a room and helping one another adjust. "We know what it's like to miss home," Forword said. Both also speak Afrikaans, admittedly throwing in the occasional comment in that language for at least a brief sensation of home. But they better watch what they say. There is a third South African on the field - assistant coach Grant Fulton. "We laugh about it. It's good to hear every now and then," Fulton said, referring to Afrikaans. Fulton was an assistant coach for the South African national team before coming to UNC. In his second season he has been equally impressed by the program. "Back in South Africa we're about 10 years behind," he said. "The sports science behind the program, the support and financial backing behind field hockey here . not even national teams worldwide have this kind of support." Fulton pointed to construction in the southeast corner of the Henry Stadium field. "Look at that over there - that's $200,000 worth in a scoreboard. The college I went to back home, I don't think they've spent that much since the college started," he said. The biggest difference, however, is the professional opportunities. While coaching opportunities exist at schools across America, professional play for women does not. "The biggest thing about field hockey here is that there's nothing after college level," Fulton said. "In South Africa you can play until you're 50. There's no league structure here after college and that's sad." Fulton plans to stay at UNC and continuing coaching for years. Davids and Forword expect to return to South Africa after college and continue their national play with a few new skills. "I aspire to wear the national colors," Davids said. Still, they will always have Carolina on their mind. "I want my green card," Forword said. "I would like to go back (to South Africa), but I would like to get American citizenship." And while Davids and Forword denied having added the phrase "y'all" to their vocabularies, Forword admits that they have shown signs of westernization. "Friends back home do get on us for saying 'yeah,'" she said. Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.