38 items found for your search. If no results were found please broaden your search.
(11/24/08 5:00am)
Hay personas en esta Universidad que creen que La Colina no es necesaria en el Daily Tar Heel. Yo no estoy de acuerdo.Hace tres semanas Yatin Shastri un estudiante de negocio en su cuarto año" escribió una letra a la editora abogando que nuestra sección en español dejara de ser publicada o que al menos fuera su propia publicación.Shastri dijo que La Colina ""representa el movimiento de atender a nuestros vecinos del sur.""Pero yo no veo como esta sección" la cual solo es publicada una vez al mes y esta enfocada en la comunidad local hace esto.La razón por la cual tenemos una sección en español y no en francés en hindú o en alemán es porque la comunidad Latina en el Condado Orange es mas grande que esas otras comunidades.La población Latina en el condado forma el 5.6 por ciento de la población del condado según estadísticas del Censo.El numero de Latinos en Carolina del Norte sigue creciendo y La Colina al menos trata de alargar su mano a esta comunidad la cual no recibe el cubrimiento que merece.En las últimas semanas muchas personas también han escrito sobre las razones por las cuales La Colina debe seguir existiendo — como que la sección reconoce los logros de la comunidad Latina.Pero aunque tantas personas han escrito letras a la editora y hasta una columna en el periódico pro La Colina el DTH esta considerando si La Colina debería seguir siendo publicada el último martes de cada mes — o que papel la sección tendrá en el futuro.Esta edición podría ser la última vez que la sección aparece en este periódico. Esto es muy triste porque después de haber editado esta sección por el último año yo puedo decir que La Colina en verdad sirve su propósito — informar a la comunidad hispanohablante en la Universidad Chapel Hill y Carrboro.Esta columna será la última que yo o mi co-editora Catarina Saraiva vamos a escribir porque nosotros renunciamos como editores de La Colina la semana pasada después de haber estado al cargo de la sección desde enero.En verdad nosotros no tenemos el tiempo suficiente para que La Colina siga mejorando y nuestra intención de dejar esta posición fue para dejar que algunos de nuestros talentosos escritores tomaran las riendas de La Colina. Hasta el 2006 La Colina ha estado publicado para dar una voz a la comunidad Latino de la Universidad. Espero que lo continua en el futuro.Contacte al editor en tov@email.unc.edu.
(09/29/08 4:00am)
El racismo es algo que se puede encontrar por todas partes del mundo pero hay veces que el racismo es tan claro y tan repugnante que hace que personas como yo nos sintamos enfermos en el estomago.Steve Bizzell el alguacil del Condado Johnston" hizo un comentario racista al periódico News & Observer de Raleigh hace algunas semanas.Bizzell dijo que los inmigrantes Mexicanos se ""reproducen como conejos"" y que ""violan"" roban y matan."" El alguacil hasta tuvo el descaro de decir que los Mexicanos eran una porquería.¿Pero como puede Bizzell decir algo como eso" cuando hay millones de inmigrantes quienes están trabajando decentemente y no causan ningún problema a la comunidad o las autoridades?La mayoría de las personas que deciden dejar a su tierra tratando de conseguir una vida mejor son personas honestas quienes están aquí para dejar a la pobreza que los afecta tanto es sus países atrás.Estamos en el siglo 21 y el tipo de conducta demostrada por Bizzell no debería ser aceptada — mucho menos de un oficial publico. Una persona en los zapatos de Bizzell no debería dejar que opiniones racistas salgan al publico porque eso hace que sus decisiones sean cuestionadas.Bizzell se disculpo" diciendo que sus comentarios no eran una reflexión de inmigrantes legales porque ellos son deseados y necesarios. El alguacil añadió que él seguiría cumpliendo con sus obligaciones de proteger a todas las personas de su condado sin considerar su estatus legal.Pero esto puede ser un desafío cuando es claro que él tiene prejuicios contra Latinos. Bizzell es la misma persona que dijo que ""en todas partes uno mira es como un pequeño México por aquí.""Aunque lo que dijo Bizzell está protegido por la Primera Enmienda de la Constitución de los Estados Unidos" creo que el alguacil debería renunciar por lo que dijo.Pero esto nunca sucederá. El alguacil es popular en su condado donde más del 75 por ciento de la población es blanca. Lo mas inquietante es que muchas personas han apoyado al alguacil incluyendo al consejo de su condado.La decisión sobre que sucederá con su trabajo está en las manos de los votante del Condado Johnston. Bizzell buscará su re-elección en el 2010.Mi recomendación para el alguacil es que si no tiene nada bueno que decir sobre un grupo racial se debería quedar callado de ahora en adelante.Contacte al editor en tov@email.unc.edu.
(09/18/08 4:00am)
(Click here to see the graphic at full size.)
(04/24/08 4:00am)
The student protest aiming to convince Chancellor James Moeser to sign the Designated Suppliers Program is entering its second week.
Members of Student Action with Workers, a chapter of United Students Against Sweatshops, started their protest April 17.
Students will mark their first week of protest, which has included a sit-in inside South Building, with a rally at noon today.
SAW members are waiting for the University to join the DSP, which would require UNC to source most of its apparel to factories that allow workers to organize and pay reasonable living wages.
Moeser rejected to join the program last year, citing questions about the program's effectiveness.
Salma Mirza, a protest organizer, said about 20 people have been staying in the building every night for the past week.
She added that dozens of people have come in during the day to relieve other students who have to attend to their academic responsibilities. But Mirza is committed to the cause.
"I haven't gone to my classes at all," she said. "We're going to stay in here throughout exams."
She added that protesters will continue rotating so they can take their finals.
Chuck Stone - long-time activist, civil rights leader and former UNC professor - will deliver the keynote address for today's rally, which will take place on the steps of South Building.
Professors, representatives from labor unions and more than 20 representatives for organizations supporting the DSP will also speak at the event.
Mike McFarland, director of University communications, said protestors will not be removed from South Building unless they break any of the ground rules that were set up in a meeting between officials from the Division of Student Affairs and the Department of Public Safety on April 16.
"The students are still following the ground rules," McFarland said.
Protesters are allowed to remain in South Building after business hours as long as they are affiliated with the University and don't let anybody into the building after 5 p.m.
Other protesters are not allowed to enter the building after that time to relieve their cohorts. A DPS officer also remains in the building.
McFarland said protesters also must "respect University property," refrain from disrupting regular business hour operations and keep from occupying any offices.
Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.
(04/18/08 4:00am)
Student Body President J.J. Raynor has proposed a more personalized approach to advising.
(03/27/08 4:00am)
A group of 10 student government officials and editors of student fee-supported publications met Wednesday to discuss two proposals that could maximize how much money they get from Student Congress.
(03/20/08 4:00am)
More than 45 years after Rachel Carson's "Silent Spring" was published, people still talk about her book's significance and the long-lasting effects that it has had.
Wednesday night, Priscilla Coit Murphy, a Chapel Hill scholar and author of "What a Book Can Do: The Publication and Reception of Silent Spring," told a crowd of nearly 70 people that the book revolutionized the general consensus on pesticides.
"She caused the blossoming of environmentalism in the U.S.," Murphy said.
The book deals with the way pesticides affect the environment. It caused an uproar from both people who wanted the banning of these products, as well as chemical companies that wanted to discredit Carson's research.
"She wasn't just explaining the potential dangers of pesticides . she wanted the public to act," Murphy said.
In addition to discussing biographical information about Carson and how "Silent Spring" came about, Murphy talked about the extreme scrutiny Carson endured.
Murphy talked about different articles and opinion pieces that have been written in the last few years about Carson's research - some praising her and others attacking her.
In addition to being credited for the eventual creation of the Environmental Protection Agency and of restrictions for pesticide usage, Carson has been accused of indirectly causing the death of millions of people who have died from malaria - a disease transmitted through mosquitoes that could be eliminated with the use of certain pesticides, such as DDT.
Murphy, who earned her doctorate in media history from the School of Journalism and Mass Communication in 2000, started her research about "Silent Spring" while at UNC.
Peter White, director of the N.C. Botanical Garden, praised Murphy's "biography of a book" and discussed her role in designating what would have been Carson's 100th birthday "Rachel Carson Day" in Chapel Hill last year.
Laura Cotterman, publications and publicity coordinator for the Botanical Garden, said Murphy was selected to speak after she approached officials about giving the lecture.
"She thought that it would be a good topic for the Botanical Garden to support," Cotterman said, adding that officials seek out speakers who can use their experience as a way to relate to the garden.
"Rachel Carson is a very important person in history," she said.
Cotterman said the date of the lecture was closely related to Women's Week, which kicks off Monday.
Because of this, the garden partnered up with the Carolina Women's Center, and the General Alumni Association and the Morehead Planetarium & Science Center also sponsored the event.
Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.
(02/21/08 5:00am)
One of UNC's most iconic landmarks was vandalized early Wednesday morning - hours before UNC and N.C. State tipped off at the RBC Center.
Red paint was splashed onto one of the Old Well's columns, and red and white chalk graffiti also was found on the bricks surrounding the monument.
Some chalk writing and spray paint also was found on the bricks around the Bell Tower.
No suspect has been identified.
Department of Public Safety Spokesman Randy Young said officials received a call about the vandalism at about 7:30 a.m.
DPS contacted facility services officials, who arrived at the scene and repainted the column back to its original color. A member of the grounds crew also pressure-washed the bricks to get rid of the graffiti.
"It was pretty much cleared by 10 (a.m.)," Young said.
Upon hearing of the Old Well vandalism, students expressed discontent and suggested that N.C. State fans might be responsible.
"It's very high school," freshman Chloe Whiteaker said. "It's a little drastic - they're probably a little resentful."
Many students said N.C. State fans could just be angry after the 93-62 defeat Jan. 12. Some said the actions went a little too far.
"I get the rivalry prank thing, but defacing property is a whole other story," junior Corey Inscoe said.
Defacing of public property, Young said, can be considered a class 1 or 2 misdemeanor, which could carry jail time. But he said that those charged with the crime usually only have to pay for the damages they've caused.
In 2005 there was an incident in which people used stencils to paint the N.C. State logo on bricks around the Bell Tower and other parts of campus, Young said. The vandals were apprehended in that case.
Bobby Mills, N.C. State's student body president, said an incident took place a couple of years ago when UNC fans painted their Free Expression Tunnel Carolina blue. Students now patrol the tunnel the night before games to protect it from rowdy UNC fans.
Mills said he hadn't previously heard about the Old Well incident.
Young urged the campus community to contact DPS officials if they have any information that may lead to an apprehension.
"All we basically have is reports of suspicious activity around the Bell Tower area at around 3 a.m."
Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.
(02/21/08 5:00am)
One of UNC's most iconic landmarks was vandalized early Wednesday morning - hours before UNC and N.C. State tipped off at the RBC Center.Red paint was splashed onto one of the Old Well's columns and red and white chalk graffiti also was found on the bricks surrounding the monument.Some chalk writing and spray paint also was found on the bricks around the Bell Tower.No suspect has been identified.Department of Public Safety Spokesman Randy Young said officials received a call about the vandalism at about 7:30 a.m.DPS contacted facility services officials" who arrived at the scene and repainted the column back to its original color. A member of the grounds crew also pressure-washed the bricks to get rid of the graffiti.""It was pretty much cleared by 10 (a.m.)"" Young said.Upon hearing of the Old Well vandalism, students expressed discontent and suggested that N.C. State fans might be responsible.It's very high school"" freshman Chloe Whiteaker said. It's a little drastic - they're probably a little resentful.""Many students said N.C. State fans could just be angry after the 93-62 defeat Jan. 12. Some said the actions went a little too far.""I get the rivalry prank thing" but defacing property is a whole other story" junior Corey Inscoe said.Defacing of public property, Young said, can be considered a class 1 or 2 misdemeanor, which could carry jail time. But he said that those charged with the crime usually only have to pay for the damages they've caused.In 2005 there was an incident in which people used stencils to paint the N.C. State logo on bricks around the Bell Tower and other parts of campus, Young said. The vandals were apprehended in that case.Bobby Mills, N.C. State's student body president, said an incident took place a couple of years ago when UNC fans painted their Free Expression Tunnel Carolina blue. Students now patrol the tunnel the night before games to protect it from rowdy UNC fans.Mills said he hadn't previously heard about the Old Well incident.Young urged the campus community to contact DPS officials if they have any information that may lead to an apprehension.All we basically have is reports of suspicious activity around the Bell Tower area at around 3 a.m.""Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.
(02/01/08 5:00am)
Este año traerá varias novedades. En el verano mirarémos los Juegos Olímpicos en China y en noviembre los Estados Unidos escogerá su nuevo presidente ... o presidenta. Entre todas estas occurencias internacionales habrán asuntos locales que aunque sean menores tendrán quizás un impacto más significante en la vida cotidiana de cada uno de nosostros. Queremos tomar esta oportunidad para entroducirnos como los nuevos editores de La Colina que será siendo publicada el último martes de cada mes en el Daily Tar Heel. Nosotros queremos enfocar nuestra cobertura en noticias locales. Sabemos que nuestros lectores pueden encontrar información sobre lo que acontece en el resto del país en otras fuentes noticiarias. Como La Colina no es una publicación diaria creemos que lo más importante es traer a los lectores noticias que impactan directamente a la comunidad Latina local. En esta edición nuestra primera hemos intentado escoger temas no solamente informativos" sino también interesantes. El artículo sobre una nueva ordenanza en Carrboro se trata de un asunto que fue controversial en el otoño. Ahora podemos ver como la nueva ley affecta a los jornaleros en el pueblo. El artículo sobre la Cooperativa Comunitaria Latina de Crédito y el artículo sobre la Scholars' Latino Initiative se tratan de organizaciones que fueron establecidas con el objectivo de mejorar problemas en la comunidad Latina. La noticia más reciente que se encuentra en esta edición de La Colina es el artículo sobre los vendedores de tacos en Carrboro. Aficionados de esta comida que solo se encuentra tarde en la noche han sin duda notado su falta.Nuestro artículo principal es sobre una clase que está estudiando el periodismo de México. Creemos que este tema es interesante para los lectores de la Universidad.Oportunidades como las ofrecidas en esta clase hacen parte del ambiente único de aprendizaje que es ofrecido en esta universidad. UNC tiene un programa llamado ""Lenguas a Través del Currículo"" que permite que estudiantes en algunas clases se matriculen en grupos de discussión dirigidos en diferentes idiomas. Es importante que estudiantes interesados en aprender otros idiomas aprovechen estas oportunidades porque cuándo nos graduemos" ya no habrán tantas oportunidades. Nosotros queremos aprovechar las oportunidades únicas que Chapel Hill y las comunidades cercanas nos ofrecen. Como vivimos y reportamos en un pueblo relativamente pequeño tenemos mejor acceso a fuentes que quizás no podriamos contactar si viviamos en una ciudad como Nueva York. No es muy difícil contactar al alcalde de Chapel Hill por ejemplo. Entonces nosotros vamos a aprovechar nuestra situación y esperemos que esto les traiga artículos más relevantes y comprehensivos. Si tiene cualquier pregunta comentario o crítica no dude en contactarnos. Contacte a La Colina enlacolinadesk@gmail.com.
(01/18/08 5:00am)
A search is under way for the leader of a new center that soon will absorb the University's Center for Teaching and Learning.
The Center for Faculty Excellence aims to connect faculty members with resources across the University to assist them in becoming better teachers, researchers and leaders.
Applications are available for the director position of the center, which the University hopes will be up and running in July.
"We want to provide a more comprehensive set of resources on campus for our faculty," said Carol Tresolini, associate provost for academic initiatives.
She added that the center will absorb and build on the responsibilities of the Center for Teaching and Learning and expand it to include more outreach to support faculty in research and leadership.
The search committee met Thursday to discuss the qualifications desired in job candidates.
Bill Balthrop, communication studies professor and chairman of the search committee, said the group is narrowing its search only to tenured faculty members at UNC.
"We're looking for someone who is visible and recognized for his vision and leadership," Balthrop said.
The director will be responsible for planning the center's programs, promoting collaboration between disciplines and securing funds and grants.
Balthrop added that he hopes to select the director by mid- to late-February.
The idea for the center came after Provost Bernadette Gray-Little appointed a task force to look for ways to enhance the professional development of faculty and to make resources more available to members of the University.
"The provost asked us to look at what would make faculty more successful on campus," said Patrick Conway, economics professor and chairman of the faculty development initiative planning committee.
The task force presented a report in May that made recommendations in three areas - research, teaching and leadership.
Conway said some of those tips include developing more leadership and faculty mentoring programs and providing better research support to associate professors.
Balthrop said the report was enthusiastically received by both the faculty and the administration.
He added that once the director is hired, the committee will conduct a nationwide search for an executive director, who will be responsible for day-to-day operations.
The executive director position is needed because the director will serve only part time so that professorship duties are not overlooked.
"This member could still be teaching and doing research for half the time," Balthrop said.
The director would receive a stipend, in addition to current salary, that will be decided after the selection process is completed.
Tresolini said the money now being appropriated to the Center for Teaching and Learning will be used for the new center's budget.
Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.
(01/17/08 5:00am)
Three finalists for dean of the UNC School of Education will visit campus for interviews next month.
Steve Reznick, professor of psychology and a member of the dean search committee, said all three candidates - Leonard Abbeduto, Bill McDiarmid and Jonathan Plucker - have strong leadership and vision, among other important traits.
"We were looking for somebody who we want to be part of our community and would be effective in their job," Reznick said.
He also said the committee looked for applicants who had good management, fundraising and external relations skills.
"We wanted to keep the School of Education on its path," he said.
All three candidates work for major public universities and have been actively involved in research in the educational field.
n?McDiarmid, a professor at the University of Washington, said the strong faculty and the ongoing research at the School of Education makes the job attractive.
"It's a very promising moment both at the University and the School of Education," he said.
A 1969 UNC graduate, McDiarmid said coming back to his alma mater provided an extra incentive to apply. He will interview Feb. 1.
McDiarmid has held several leadership posts, such as co-director of the Washington Center for Teaching & Learning, which aims to improve the quality of education by working with teachers.
n?Abbeduto, a professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, will interview Feb. 5.
He is also a scientist and administrator at the Waisman Center, which researches human development and neurological disabilities. Among other leadership positions, Abbeduto was the chairman of the Department of Educational Psychology at UW-Madison from 2000 to 2004.
Abbeduto could not be reached for comment by press time.
n?Plucker, professor of educational psychology and cognitive science at Indiana University, said he became interested in the position because of UNC's reputation and research opportunities.
"The School of Education is quickly attaining a reputation for going the right direction," he said.
Plucker, director for the Center of Evaluation & Education Policy at Indiana, will interview Feb. 7.
The selection process began after Tom James, former dean of the school, took a position at Columbia University in April. Reznick said the new dean should be announced before the end of the semester.
Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.
(11/13/07 5:00am)
When the Carrboro Board of Aldermen asked El Centro Latino to help the board communicate with the Hispanic community, it added one more concern for the organization that aims to improve the quality of life for Hispanic residents in Orange County.
The center, located in Suite 2F on the second floor of 110 W. Main St., opened its doors in July 2000 and employs only three full-time workers. The remainder of the staff is composed of volunteers.
"We do a lot of work with a very small, dedicated staff," said Ben Balderas, executive director of El Centro Latino.
(10/30/07 4:00am)
A group of 32 local residents gathered on Polk Place on Monday to protest lax gun laws and to honor the lives of those who died during the April Virginia Tech shootings.
Protesters stood in silence for three minutes to honor the victims of the shootings. The three minutes represented the length of time it took gunman Seung-Hui Cho to be approved for his guns.
During the demonstration, residents wore black clothing, as well as maroon and orange ribbons, Va. Tech's colors, around their necks.
"Our focus was to recognize and remember the 32 people who were killed at Va. Tech," said Connie Padgett, UNC-32's organizer.
The shootings have brought the issue of gun control into the national spotlight, but Padgett said there is still room for reform.
"Since the Va. Tech shooting, nothing has been done about gun laws," Padgett said.
In North Carolina, laws require passing a background check before buying a firearm and a state-issued purchase permit, though there are exceptions.
But some people believe the National Instant Criminal Background Check System, which investigates an individual's identity and record before authorizing a gun permit, is not working properly.
Various factors, such as a criminal record, being declared "mentally defective" or being committed to a mental institution, can make a person ineligible to purchase a gun.
Cho was legally declared a "danger to himself and others," which should have precluded him from purchasing a gun, but privacy laws concerning medical records have caused inconsistent reporting to NICS.
And mental health is not the only factor that can go undetected.
According to the Government Accountability Office, during a five-month period, 35 of 44 applicants for a gun whose names matched a Terrorist Watch List Record, were allowed to purchase a gun.
Abby Sprangler, the organizer of the first protest of this kind in Alexandria Va., said the system of gun control is inefficient.
"We're outraged about our lax gun laws in the U.S. that allow criminals and dangerous individuals to get guns," she said.
Sprangler said that improving the background system, closing the gun show loophole and reinstating the assault weapons ban and the federal ban on high-capacity magazines - the ammunition storage - could prevent unfit individuals from acquiring guns.
During a gun show, an individual can buy a gun from a provider without a license, though this practice is outlawed in 17 states, including North Carolina.
Sprangler said the only way to change these and other gun laws is to talk to local representatives.
"The bottom line is that we want these protests to become deafening - to make the American voice heard loud and clear," she said.
But others don't think gun control laws should be tougher.
"If we gradually legislate away our constitutional right, we won't end up with anything," said John Houston, co-president of the Tar Heel Rifle and Pistol Club.
Houston emphasized the importance of Second Amendment rights.
"The right to keep and bear arms is the most important liberty in this country," he said.
Protesters also honored three former Tar Heels who died because of gun violence: Travis Cooper, former student killed in 1997; Shennel McKendall, former UNC hospital worker killed in 2004; and Jamie Bishop, former UNC German professor killed during the Va. Tech shootings.
Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.
(10/26/07 4:00am)
Hodding Carter will approach the podium Dec. 16 not to speak for a president, but to speak to the next generation of leaders.
Officials announced Carter as the December Commencement speaker Thursday. He is a UNC professor of leadership and public policy and former spokesman for the U.S. Department of State during the Jimmy Carter administration.
"As anybody who has admired this University for as long as I have, you've got to know it means a great deal," Carter said of his selection.
The New Orleans native was recommended, along with four other faculty members, by the speaker advisory committee to Chancellor James Moeser in the spring.
Steve Allred, chairman of the committee and executive associate provost, said the chancellor approached Carter during the summer about Commencement.
Allred said one of the main reasons Carter was nominated was his multigenerational appeal, as he has had a long and diverse career.
"Our sense is that he's someone who will resonate to folks from different generations," Allred said.
After a stint in the U.S. Marine Corps, Carter was a journalist for the Greenville Delta Democrat-Times in Mississippi for 17 years.
Carter said his years at the newspaper were his most exciting.
"They came at a time of major transition . during the civil rights revolution," Carter said.
But it was his job as the spokesman for the State Department that garnered him national attention.
"We all remembered him from the Carter administration's Iran crisis days," Allred said. "He was in the news every night."
Before coming to UNC in 2006, Carter was the president and chief executive officer of the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation , an organization that promotes journalism excellence.
"He will have a very interesting perspective to share," said Lauren Anderson, Graduate and Professional Student Federation president and selection committee member.
Last year the December speaker was announced in early October.
"The announcement was postponed for a while because there was a number of major events which had taken place which probably would ensure that nobody would know that I had been chosen," Carter said.
But Carter emphasized that he is not as important as the Commencement itself.
"The graduation speaker is not the point of the exercise. The graduating class is," Carter said. "I don't intend to belabor them too much with the genius of their speaker."
Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.
(10/10/07 4:00am)
During Saturday's football game against Miami, University police officers attempted to use a Taser on a student after he ran away from the officers.
Sophomore Jeff Baker had been turned away from Kenan Stadium's student gate after a flask was found in his possession.
Baker said that he tried going to other gates but that he was told to return to the student entrance, where he was then told again by University police officers to leave the game and go home.
Instead Baker, who was intoxicated, started running from police officers as they were coming toward him.
"I guess it was just instinct to start running after I saw them out of the corner of my eye," he said.
It was at this point, Baker said, that officers attempted to use the Taser gun on him.
"They said they did fire it, but I guess they just missed," Baker said, adding that he was tackled and handcuffed before police officers put him in their car Saturday.
While those weapons aren't used on campus often, the incident brings a national issue to UNC - the debate over law enforcement use of Tasers.
During a speech by Sen. John Kerry on Sept. 17, a senior at the University of Florida, Andrew Meyer, was Tased even after he was subdued by Florida campus police.
"Don't Tase me, bro!" Meyer said as police wrestled him to the floor.
And last fall a student at a University of California at Los Angeles library computer lab also was Tased when he failed to provide identification.
UNC's public safety department owns nine Tasers, six of which have been assigned to lieutenants and sergeants in the force.
But Randy Young, spokesman for the Department of Public Safety, said using Tasers is never the University's first response to an incident.
"A Taser is one in a menu of options that officers have at their disposals," Young said.
Officers first can make verbal warnings, then try to restrain a suspect by force or by using chemicals - such as pepper spray - instead of using a Taser on the person they are trying to restrain.
Officers use a Taser only when they believe it to be the best option to subdue a suspect and to maintain the safety of all people involved, Young said.
"It is at the discretion of the officers," he said, adding that during the past year officers have Tased only one suspect.
But Young said Tasers are not used every time they could be.
And despite some concerns about the weapon's health effects, a study from Wake Forest University released Monday on the use of Tasers by law enforcement agencies suggests that the devices are safe because they have a low occurrence of serious injuries.
The study examined nearly 1,000 cases, and it found that almost all - 99.7 percent - of people who were Tased had either mild injuries or were not harmed at all.
Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.
(09/28/07 4:00am)
Only a door divided Meg and Marty Pomerantz's offices in Woollen Gym last year.
Today they're divided by eight miles of Tobacco Road and one of the greatest rivalries in college sports.
On Aug. 1, Meg - former director of the physical education activities program at UNC - became the director of Duke University's Faculty Club, a recreational facility for Duke faculty and their families.
For Meg, who worked at UNC for 18 years, the move has meant frequent teasing from her co-workers and friends.
"Everybody is paying attention to what shade of blue I wear," she said.
Marty, the director of UNC Campus Recreation, knows where his allegiance lies.
"I only look good in Carolina blue," Marty said. "She looks good in all shades of blue."
But Marty admitted that he has pulled for the Blue Devils only when UNC has been eliminated in the NCAA tournament -- as he likes seeing all ACC teams do well during March Madness.
"I don't get terribly wrapped up in the rivalry," he said.
One of the only things that has changed since Meg left UNC, she said, is that she talks to Marty more often about work.
"It's nice having a spouse in similar jobs," she said.
Meg, who went to the College of William and Mary in Virginia, said the move to Duke has not been too dramatic, as it reminds her of her alma mater. Meg attended graduate school at UNC.
More than collegiate tensions, the increased distance has changed the couple's interaction during work hours.
"I do miss not having my husband next door anymore," Meg said.
And Marty said he can't just call his wife to his office to help him resolve issues such as Microsoft Office Excel spreadsheets.
"She's more computer savvy than I am," he said.
Meg also said she missed teaching classes.
"I don't actually get to interact with many students at my new job," she said.
Meg still has a UNC license plate on the front of her car, which her husband referred to as living dangerously.
"This is probably the riskiest thing that she's ever done," he said.
But Marty said his family, overwhelmingly populated with Tar Heels, is keeping tabs to make sure Meg doesn't completely go to the dark side.
The Pomerantz's son is the assistant director of the UNC Farm, a recreational facility for UNC faculty and staff. Their daughter and son-in-law are graduate students at the University.
"We really outnumber her 4-to-1," Marty said.
But Meg said leaving UNC to work at its rival university has not affected her relationship with her family.
"It's really been a bigger question for people outside our family."
Contact the Features Editor at features@unc.edu.
(09/26/07 4:00am)
A motion that called for an override of Student Body President Eve Carson's veto failed Tuesday during a heated three-hour meeting of Student Congress.
Because of the override's failure, students will get to vote on whether to increase a student fee during the Oct. 30 Homecoming elections.
The vetoed bill, which passed in Congress on Aug. 28, would have increased the necessary number of votes from a simple majority to two-thirds in order to refer fee increases to the student body for consideration.
In a 15-to-10 roll-call vote, the override attempt gained the majority of representatives but did not garner the necessary two-thirds to override Carson's veto.
At the meeting, Carson said she vetoed the bill because she thought it would have limited the student body's voice in important decisions.
"This fee proposal is about whether or not you want to limit or encourage or control student participation," Carson said.
Because the override wasn't successful, a referendum now will allow students to vote on an increase to the safety and security fee by 50 cents to take effect for the 2008-09 school year.
The referendum only garnered 57 percent of the vote but still passed because the veto was upheld, meaning the referendum only needed a majority to pass.
The safety and security fee, which is at $1.70 this year, goes toward projects such as putting emergency blue lights off campus and supports the victim's assistance fund, which supplies sexual assault kits among other things.
"You can't put a price on security," Rep. Val Tenyotkin said.
During the meeting, some animosity arose between Carson and Speaker Tyler Younts.
Younts explained that Carson had at first supported the proposal but took her support away.
He added that the day Congress passed the bill, Carson told the body that she trusted its decision-making abilities and would support the measure.
"I believe this has strained our relationship and isolated her administration," Younts said.
Carson said the main reason she vetoed the bill was because the bill would have made it harder for students to have a voice in the process.
"The student body may or may not like fee increases, but it's up to them to decide," Carson said.
The APPLES fee increase of 30 cents, which was up for approval at the meeting, was tabled until the full body reconvenes Oct. 9. The Student Legal Services fee passed with little dissent, bringing it to $13 for the 2008-09 school year.
The UNC-system Board of Governors makes the final decision on student fee increases.
Staff writer Emily Stephenson contributed to this article.
Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.
(09/13/07 4:00am)
Technological experiences for students at the University are on their way to morphing into a more accessible format.
University leaders gathered Wednesday to usher in the next generation of UNC technology - Enterprise Resource Planning, which seeks to integrate the University's computer systems.
Some of those changes include the registration and financial aid systems.
"All of us today are making Carolina history," Provost Bernadette Gray-Little said.
Officials outlined a rough timetable for the project and explained the importance of ERP.
Gray-Little said the upgrade will bring UNC into the 21st century.
"This is a legacy that we will leave for this campus," she said.
Speakers discussed how the current system is not completely connected, making it harder for users to access information.
Steve Farmer, director of undergraduate admissions, said one of the biggest issues is that systems are not communicating with each other.
"It's like we speak different languages," he added.
The implementation stage for ERP's first phase, which will update student information services, is set to begin in February.
"We're to the point where we have great expectations," University Registrar Alice Poehls said.
She said some of the answers that students want to know are not clear yet - such as when the new system will go online and begin to directly affect their daily lives.
Poehls said that even though specifics have not been set, some of the changes include having a real-time course search engine and implementing a shopping-cart registration system.
Officials also announced that Information Technology Services is planning a variety of ways to train staff as the system comes online.
Laurie Harris, ERP director of change management, said training should begin in early 2009.
Stephanie Szakal, assistant vice chancellor for ERP, said a reason for the updates was the systems' age. The University's software is about 20 years old - older than many students.
Szakal said that the vendor for the current system decided that its maintenance wasn't profitable.
UNC was given until 2009 before it would have to maintain the systems by itself.
Although most upperclassmen won't see the outcome of the project, Student Body President Eve Carson said she hopes students will remain involved in the planning stages.
"We will help to develop it and make Carolina stronger for future Tar Heels," Carson said.
Gray-Little said the project will be lengthy - consuming a large amount of money, time and sweat.
"It may be frustrating at times, but it will be worth your while."
Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.
(09/12/07 4:00am)
Enterprise Resource Planning will have its official launch today after years of planning.
The estimated $100 million overhaul in campus computing systems aims to increase efficiency and effectiveness at the University.
ERP will restructure the three main online areas of the University - student affairs, human resources and financing.
Stephanie Szakal, assistant vice chancellor for ERP, said the main purpose for today's event is to inform officials about what ERP will do.
"It impacts lots of people, and they might or might not understand what it is," she said.