Courtland Smith's 911 call reveals desperation
The audio of Courtland Smith's 911 phone call is currently unavailable. The audio will be back Sept. 26.
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The audio of Courtland Smith's 911 phone call is currently unavailable. The audio will be back Sept. 26.
Both the officer who shot UNC junior Courtland Benjamin Smith and another officer at the scene have been placed on paid administrative leave pending an investigation, Archdale Police Department officials said Tuesday.Smith, a biology major and president of the Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity, was shot to death Sunday morning near Greensboro by Archdale officer Jeremy Paul Flinchum, 29, according to the State Bureau of Investigation. The SBI is investigating the incident, which is common in cases of officer-related shootings.Flinchum, one of 25 full-time officers in Archdale, has been with the department since April 2008 and has not been under investigation while with them.A second officer at the scene, whose name has not been released, also has been placed on administrative leave. Police department officials said the second officer was not involved in the shooting. Flinchum stopped Smith’s car early Sunday morning on Interstate 85 in Archdale, about 15 miles south of Greensboro. Flinchum was responding to a 911 call from Smith, who told dispatchers that he was suicidal and needed help.A press release Sunday from Archdale police said the officer shot Smith after a confrontation. Officials have not said if he was armed.Grieving on campusThe Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity members returned to Chapel Hill on Monday afternoon after spending the night out of town.“We are heartsick at the loss of our brother Courtland Smith,” said the fraternity’s executive board in a statement. “Along with his family, we are grieving deeply over this tragedy. He was a good friend and leader at the DKE house. Alumni and house representatives of the fraternity will stay in touch with the University.”Earlier Monday, Chancellor Holden Thorp expressed his sadness over Smith’s death in an e-mail to students and parents.“There is nothing worse than losing a young person,” Thorp said. “Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends as they grieve and cope with such a great loss.”Several campus Greek organizations put off rush events Monday night and will decide later this week about other plans to remember Smith. Some are doing small favors such as donating flowers or cooking dinner for his fraternity.“Rush is the least of our worries,” said sophomore William White, a member of Phi Gamma Delta fraternity. “We’re more worried about our friends next door and being there for them.”Assistant University Editor Andrew Harrell contributed reporting to this story.Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.
Before the semester has even begun, the University likely has set rates for next year’s tuition increase for the bulk of students on campus.
Student Body President J.J. Raynor and her executive branch staff haven't been wasting their time this summer, but still, they don't have a lot to show for it. Student government is still compiling its reports from various committees and will release that information with its annual Summer Report in late August. Much of student government's work this summer has been in fostering productive relationships with town and University leaders, holding numerous meetings and starting projects that will be continued by committee members when they meet again in the fall. "Last semester I was sad that I couldn't really get my hands on things," Raynor said. "The summer's been nice because I've really been able to sit down with administrators and talk through ideas." One of the first things student government had to deal with this summer was installing three blue lights off campus - a project that has now plagued three student government administrations. The administration has gotten the locations of two blue lights passed by the Chapel Hill Town Council and proposed moving the third to a location on Merritt Mill Road to accommodate residents' concerns that student government's previous place was unsuitable. That project brought town-gown relations front and center for the Raynor administration, a focus it will pursue as the summer turns to fall. Among their projects, her officers plan to reach out to the community with a Good Neighbor Initiative on August 18, in which they will distribute resources that include safety information and will promote constructive town-student relations. When her Cabinet arrives on campus, Raynor will also be able to hand off projects for students that she has been spearheading this summer. She said that though she had enjoyed making headway, passing off the projects on her platform was inevitable. "Part of the point of student government is giving people the chance to see how they can get things done," she said. "We'd be cheating people if we didn't." Though the administration said they touched or worked on every area of the platform over the summer, much of the student leaders' time was spent learning how best to work with administrators to accomplish their goals. One working aspect of her platform is tuition talks, which Raynor has been working with the UNC Board of Trustees to improve, though she refused to release more details of her plan at this point. Raynor's officers will have their first business meeting with Chancellor Holden Thorp on Monday, and will be preparing for a Board of Trustees meeting next week, as well. "The transition is over and now you get down to business," Student Body Vice President Todd Dalrymple said. "Now you're really getting into those working relationships." Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.
WEDNESDAY - The UNC Board of Trustees reviewed a design for Carolina North's first building, again deciding that the building needed to be bolder before they would approve it. The response was tepid at best. The trustees looked at one another sideways, none wanting to be the first to give their thoughts on second iteration of the much-touted Innovation Center. The Board rejected the first facility plan in January amid similar concerns. "Well I'll walk this plank alone," Trustee Rusty Carter said. "I just can't imagine that we would put this building up on the premiere corner of the property." The reaction from the other trustees wasn't much more positive. The Innovation Center, the first building to break ground on Carolina North, was meant to be the research campus's crown jewel, a site that would proclaim a striking welcome to the town and could woo corporate partners for other ventures. The designs unveiled Wednesday at the Board's buildings and grounds committee meeting were, well, too boring for the trustees. "It's a vanilla building," Carter said, and went on to wonder aloud whether the laboratory nature of the facility was inappropriate for the entrance to the campus. Anna Wu, the director of facilities planning who was presenting the project, defended the choices that her team made. "In conversations we've had today about this site, we actually think it's a perfect match," Wu said. "It's a place where researchers from Carolina will come and translate their work into application." In the absence of two trustees who serve on the buildings and grounds committee, Nelson Schwab and Chairman of the committee Bob Winston, the Board took on the task of evaluating the design as a whole, allowing everyone to speak on the matter. It was Carter - a member of the University affairs committee, which seldom has much say in the design of buildings - who had the most to contribute. He acted as a lightning rod of dissent against the building's plan, grounding his concerns in future decisions based on the building's precedent. "Going forward, we will judge each building in the context of what else is there, and right now there's nothing there," he said. "I don't think the design of this building is worthy of this location." Other Trustees agreed, but few were as firmly against it as Carter. The mood among the trustees was that the plans were generally unimpressive, but functional. "I think this is a will-do building," said Trustee Phil Clay, who echoed most opinions. "I can't say I'm excited about it." Ultimately, the Board decided to reject the proposal, saying it would move quickly to work with designers to improve before the trustees' next meeting in September. Chairman of the Board Roger Perry even imposed a deadline for recommendations from the other trustees of 5 p.m. Friday. But Bruce Runberg, the associate vice chancellor for facilities planning who is working with Wu on the project, said that though he was surprised at their lack of enthusiasm, he was glad the Board was looking at the project critically. "We want a quality building," Runberg said. "And it's their responsibility to approve that design." Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.
Five members of the UNC Board of Trustees will be at the end of their terms next summer, a step for which some are already preparing. UNC Trustee Rusty Carter will relieve himself of his position as chairman of the University affairs committee, allowing the committee to be run by Alston Gardner, who has been on the BOT University affairs committee since his appointment in 2007. Other members who will be leaving include Paul Fulton, Karol Mason, Nelson Schwab and Don Stallings, all of whom have been trustees for the University for eight years. The other four outgoing members are all expected to keep their positions. The group of exiting board members marks the largest group to do so at once in recent memory, which could be a significant challenge for new Chancellor Holden Thorp early in his tenure. "Even under the best of circumstances, there will be a learning curve for at least 50 percent of the board," Carter said, including the 2009-10 student body president, who will change when current President J.J. Raynor leaves her office. "The good news is the remaining members are very strong, very capable, very committed people," Carter said. "You have the footprint of some very strong leadership." Changing the makeup of the Trustees could spell big differences in the way the disparate aspects of the University work together. The current Board of Trustees has heavily involved itself further in University issues, often under the watchful eye of Carter. His committee took an active role in finding funding for the UNC graduate school and in overhauling academic advising. Fulton's committee - though he has only been chairman for a year - spent time on ensuring that tuition and financial aid and private funding come together as a common resource center. "I think having a board that's activist brings a lot of strength to the institution," Carter said. "I hope the new appointees on the board will take on the same level of activism." Adding to the uncertainty is the matter of the governor's appointed positions to the board. With a new N.C. governor next summer, there could be some political implications when the two open governor-appointed positions are filled, though Carter downplayed that situation. "I've known a number of appointees from both the Board of Governors and the governor," Carter said. "And while I say the process has some inherent political implications, because that is the process, it is real. I believe it has been dealt with with great integrity." Chairman Roger Perry agreed, saying that the board had been successful in putting politics aside. The UNC-system Board of Governors is responsible for appointing a total of eight members of the board, three of whom will be leaving next summer. The board is looking for its own set of characteristics in a new Board of Trustees. "A good trustee is engaged and informed," BOG Chairwoman Hannah Gage said in an e-mail. "They understand the responsibility of the job and are willing to commit the time and energy required to move the institution forward. "In addition, they understand and respect the system of governance and the state's commitment to access and low tuition." "One other important quality found in all strong trustees, I believe, is the ability to be a vigorous advocate for the campus and yet still ask the tough questions. Good trustees support their chancellors but are never rubberstampers," she said. Other trustees gave hints as to what other traits would be sought in the new batch of trustees to be appointed. Fulton said diversity, "geographically and otherwise," was important. Perry and former Chairman Nelson both said new appointees would probably be people who had been strong supporters of the University in other volunteer capacities. Of course, the governor's appointments could be anyone who helped the new governor with his or her campaign and who has an interest in the position, like Carter. But Gage said she is excited about the prospects that will come forth, though the process has not started at the BOG level yet. "The wonderful thing about replacing trustees in a school like (UNC) Chapel Hill is that you usually have extraordinary people who are interested in the position," Gage said in an interview. Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.
By Tuesday morning, there will be a new chancellor at the University of North Carolina. James Moeser will be spending his last week, like almost all of his other weeks of the past eight years, having his schedule planned for him and meeting with other administrators. But after his final duties come to a close Monday, he'll have enough time to travel through the Southwest with his family, a prospect about which he has admittedly mixed feelings. "I'm both excited and sad," he said. "I'm excited about my free time."
When the University announced Friday the purchase of the 12-acre plot where Granville Towers and University Square stand, it announced few other intentions for the space, a void of information that has been quick to fill. Some see potential for a parking garage. Others imagine stores continuously lining Franklin Street where a low wall currently stands. University officials aren't sure what they'll do with the $46 million purchase, but they say their focus is on growth and redevelopment in the downtown sector. "I think some of those questions are just a bit premature," said University spokesman Mike McFarland. "It's not reasonable that anyone would know the answer to these questions at this point." Town officials say they are optimistic, but remain wary of UNC's vague redevelopment goals. "I don't think there's any clarity as to what the University plans to do with it," Chapel Hill Town Council member Matt Czajkowski said of University Square, but added that he trusts the University to use the property to improve downtown. "The question, then, is how do you somehow use University Square and the attributes it has to broaden the attraction of the rest of Franklin Street?" he said. The UNC-Chapel Hill Foundation bought the property from the Kenan family, longtime benefactors of the University. The foundation will continue to pay property taxes to the town. In 2007, about $868,279 was paid on the property, which is across the street from the planned mixed-use development for parking Lot 5. Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration Dick Mann said in a statement that the University has no plans to remove it from the town's tax rolls. When giving the announcement of the University's acquisition, Chancellor James Moeser acknowledged that part of the reason for the purchase was to meet the pressure for University growth in the coming years. Officials haven't indicated any plans for changes to Granville Towers, which they will also own when the sale closes. They say they will continue to honor leases for both Granville and University Square. After UNC takes control of the buildings, Granville Towers will be run by the Housing & Residential Education department. Associate Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Chris Payne said that he has always seen Granville Towers as an integral partner with UNC and that a plan will rely on a more thorough evaluation of the space and the needs of the University. "The key is going to be in developing a master plan for the future long-term needs of the property," he said, and pointed out that the master plan for the entire campus is currently under review. "The master planning process has to evolve so that there can be some conversations with the members of the town and members of the community to see what really is the best solution long-term," Payne said. But with a full year remaining until the deadline for the sale's completion, University officials are in no hurry to make predictions on what specific plans UNC has for either Granville or the Square, though for some, any difference is good. "I'm optimistic," council member Mark Kleinschmidt said. "I know that under former ownership University Square was not going to ever change." Senior Writer Sara Gregory contributed reporting. Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.
As Chancellor James Moeser's term winds to a close, he is afforded the luxury of hindsight, and the benefit of experience as Chancellor-elect Holden Thorp prepares to step into the office. Though Thorp was unavailable for comment, Moeser discussed his position and the opportunities and the most pressing challenges that could lie ahead for Thorp. A strong team in place
FRIDAY - 1:18 p.m. - Chancellor James Moeser stood beside Chapel Hill Mayor Kevin Foy and Chairman of the UNC Board of Trustees Roger Perry as the University announced today that it will be acquiring University Square and Granville Towers in downtown Chapel Hill. The purchase, which has been under consideration for about a year and a half, will cost the UNC-Chapel Hill Foundation, which manages the University's endowment and other non-public funds, $45.75 million. "This marks a milestone in the collaborative efforts between the town and the University," Foy said at the announcement. He went on to stress that the purchase would not mean any diminishing of tax revenue currently paid on the property. While the University's purchases are tax-exempt, those of the Foundation are not. In 2007, total taxes exceeded $868,279. UNC currently is leasing about 80 percent of the office complex portions of the University Square shopping center. Perry, who also serves as the chairman of the board of directors for the Foundation, emphasized plans to redevelop and revitalize the commercial sector of the property. He said the purchase is consistent with two of the Trustees' strategic priorities: their plan for growth and increased competition in the global economy, and the expansion of a vibrant and healthy downtown sector. The three leaders cited few specific plans, but pledged to maintain the commercial north side of the shopping center. Moeser also indicated a vision to construct a multi-level parking deck between the Towers and the Square. Granville Towers, which consists of two freestanding nine-story and one eight-story building, can accomodate more than 1,300 students. Moeser acknowledged that the acquisition was in part due to the University's plans to grow enrollment. "As I think now 10 years and 20 years into the future," Moeser said, "I see something that is much greater than what we have here today." Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.
With the passing of Walter Royal Davis last Monday at the age of 88, the University community lost a staunch supporter and benefactor. Davis was known for his generosity and willingness to extend a hand to those in need, said those who knew him, but he was also very evident in the University's material successes. Walter R. Davis Library represents his successful push to secure $32 million for the University from the state legislature for the sale of its utilities. His reach extended far beyond the library, though. In 1998, he worked to assure the creation of the UNC Health Care System, an immense effort that brought together the UNC hospital with the clinical faculty of the UNC medical school, said Bill Roper, the current dean of the School of Medicine. "What the UNC Health Care System represents is joining together in a single organization the doctors and the hospital," Roper said. After some of his family members were diagnosed with cancer, Davis again supported UNC Hospitals in 2004, working his influence in the state legislature to appropriate $180 million for the N.C. Cancer Hospital, a project that is currently nearing completion on UNC-Chapel Hill's campus. "I don't know anybody else who could fill the void as efficiently as he did," said Howard Lee, a longtime friend of Davis. "He would only use his power and influence to make life better for others." Though his own education was largely neglected - he was sent home from school on the first day of class for slugging the principal - Davis grew to become a wealthy and successful businessman in the oil industry. He returned to his home state of North Carolina and served on the UNC Board of Trustees for 16 years, at the same time using his connections in the state legislature to lobby on behalf of the University, where he gained the reputation of a straight-talking, no-nonsense business man. "I listened to anything he said," said Anne Cates, who served as a trustee with him. "He was a straight shooter and he never asked for anything for himself." Davis' efforts on behalf of the University resulted in the flexibility of financial management that UNC now has with the state legislature. "What he did was get the power structure of North Carolina, and especially the elected leaders, to be very supportive of the University," Roper said. When Davis was not lobbying for UNC, he was often giving away his own fortune. His penchant for giving leaves the possibility of a final gift to be left in his estate, though there is no reading of his will scheduled. "He was very kind and gentle," said his wife, JoAnn. "He was very strong in business, but fair. He was such a dynamic man. We had 33 wonderful years." Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.
For more than a year, academic advising has been flirting with an overhaul. And last Wednesday, University officials outlined a plan to do just that. The academic advising implementation committee was created in fall 2007 and consisted of 20 members of the faculty, staff and students. They presented their overhaul report to the Board of Trustees at its university affairs committee meeting. The review hinges in large part on the changes that will be made due to the Enterprise Resource Planning's implementation in student services. Members of the committee said they hope it brings greater efficiency to the clerical nature of advising's current condition. "Advisers are certainly constrained by the amount of work they have to do filling out worksheets," said Todd Dalrymple, student body vice president and member of the committee. "We don't have an adequate degree audit, so advisers are picking up the slack, and that's very time consuming." While officials see ERP ultimately as a help to advising and to students, they admit that the changeover of systems will take longer than they would like. "It's a little frustrating because the timeline is pretty long," said Stephen Weiss, chairman of the committee. "So much of this has the software as sort of the key, but we really can't do much until then." The report also includes recommendations that range from additional advisers to doing away with the entire team system that is currently used. The comprehensive review touches on every aspect of advising with the common theme of making it a more personal and connected experience for the student. "These are all excellent conceptually," Dalrymple said. "But in order to execute it we're going to need to pour additional resources into advising." Just what resources and how much of them would be required to implement the plan in its entirety was not a part of the report. A section of the report calls for advisers to take steps to ensure that available resources are being used to their full potential. A further resource that the report recommends is institutionalizing departmental advising, allowing advisors to focus on general curriculum concerns of students rather than being forced to handle questions more appropriately answered by faculty in a student's major. Another theme in the report was the idea that students need to be more actively involved in maximizing their time spent with academic advising. "The student has to take a more active role," Weiss said. "But we're providing better tools for them to do that." Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.
When Holden Thorp was elected UNC’s next chancellor, he not only stepped into the highest leadership role at the University, he created a void in his former position as dean of the College of Arts and Sciences.
Before he was UNC chancellor-elect, before he was dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, Holden Thorp headed a building he once referred to as "the front door of the University" — the Morehead Planetarium.
Student Body President J.J. Raynor was only a few minutes late. She slipped into the reconvening of the UNC Board of Trustees meeting Wednesday at about 4:45 p.m., fifteen minutes after the trustees had gotten underway. "I thought it started at 5 (p.m.)," Raynor bemoaned afterward. The Board of Trustees meeting agenda listed two start times for the meeting. The listing of the 5 p.m. start time specifically lists the student body president oath of office as an item. The other lists the meeting start at 4:30 p.m. The board changed up its order to accommodate the tardy student government official, holding off on her ceremonial swearing-in and instead proceeding to the buildings and grounds committee report. After Raynor found her seat, chairman of the board Roger Perry directed Orange County Clerk of Superior Court James Stanford to administer her oath of office. "Now that our student body president is here, we can swear her in," Perry said. Raynor looked sheepish, but made her way to the middle of the room. She rested her left hand on a Bible and swore to uphold the constitutions of the United States and of North Carolina, inasmuch as the two do not conflict. Raynor came in after making an appearance at the naming of the School of Pharmacy. The school is now known as the Eshelman School of Pharmacy and is located about 200 yards from the Carolina Inn, where the Board of Trustees met. Raynor is scheduled to deliver her first formal remarks to the trustees Thursday morning. Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.
The organ set the mood for the service with a spirited and soaring rendition of George Thalben-Ball's "Elegy," complete with trumpet accompaniment, as about 200 friends, colleagues and admirers of the late Walter Royal Davis gathered Friday at the Chapel of the Cross to celebrate and remember his life. The University benefactor and one-time chairman of the UNC Board of Trustees died quietly in his home Monday evening, according to reports. His most recognizable legacy on the UNC campus is the Walter R. Davis Library, which was completed in 1985, though his memory among the people gathered for his funeral service was much more personal and nuanced. "He was as tough as nails," said longtime friend Howard Lee, for whom Davis was a mentor. "He was a no-nonsense person." But, Lee continued, he knew how to tell a joke, too. Lee was one of three lectors to read Bible passages during the service. The others were Chancellor James Moeser and UNC-system President Erskine Bowles. Other University leaders were on hand for the ceremony, including Chancellor-elect Holden Thorp, chairman of the UNC Board of Trustees Roger Perry, General Alumni Association president Doug Dibbert and former UNC basketball coach Dean Smith. Members of the University community overflowed in their lauding of Davis' contributions and efforts on behalf of the University. "He always wanted to use his power and influence to make life better for others," Lee said. Independently wealthy, Davis strove to devote his life in service to others. He created fostered the relationship between UNC and the N.C. General Assembly, constantly working to secure funding and access for the University and its students. "I think above all what he did over his substantial career . was to translate the work of the University to the power of the state," said Bill Roper, dean of the UNC School of Medicine. "That in turn greatly benefitted the people of North Carolina." Thanks to his contributions, generations of students will benefit for years to come. He would say he did the best he could. Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.
On the afternoon of Thursday, May 9, Holden Thorp got his dream job. The UNC Board of Governors gave him its unanimous consent to be the 10th chancellor of UNC-Chapel Hill. After seven months of a search that has been shrouded in secrecy, the chancellor search committee recommended him to Erskine Bowles, who gave him a glowing endorsement in front of the UNC Board of Governors. The rest, as they say, is history.
Video: Student govt passes the torch Legitimacy in student elections this year has suffered setbacks that have caused a review of the elections guidelines. Issues concerning rules and regulations have raised questions about the process of electing student leaders, and the 80th session of Student Congress has begun to keep a closer eye on the elections rules.
The UNC Higher Education Bond Program - a major source of funding for construction on campus - is running out. The bond, which was approved by state referendum in 2000, allocated $515 million of $2.5 billion available to the UNC system to UNC-Chapel Hill. Of that, the University has dispersed 94 percent. "We're really in an extraordinarily good position in terms of how the state legislature and the people of North Carolina have treated us," said Steve Allred, executive associate provost, adding that the project has allowed UNC vast advancement during the past seven years.
Nourish International has canceled its annual Hold 'Em For Hunger 2008 Tournament in the face of concerns about the legality of the contest. A person who administrators describe as "an expert in the industry" sent a letter to the chancellor's office informing them of the University's potential for criminal liability. "The University's policy is certainly clear," said Winston Crisp, assistant vice chancellor for student affairs. "If they're sponsored or recognized by the University, then they have to follow all federal and state statutes." Gambling of any kind is listed as a Class 2 misdemeanor by the N.C. General Assembly. With only six weeks until the April 20 event, organizers are scrambling for other ways to raise funds for Nourish, which relies on the event for about 70 percent of its annual budget. "Because of the time period with which this happened, there is no way we can . do a big event," said Graham Boone, the tournament director. He said the group is determined to raise money for Nourish projects through a variety of other smaller events, including auctioning poker chips with the Hold 'Em For Hunger logo on them. "I have 20,000 of these chips in my apartment, and it breaks my heart every time I look at them," Boone said. Nourish uses the tournament money to fund international summer service projects implemented by its members. This year's service workers planned to construct a community center in Mexico, implement a water system in a remote area of Peru and start a microfinance initiative and build greenhouses in Honduras. "We need to raise about $10,000 so the projects can be run as is," Boone said. "And we're projecting that we can probably raise about $13,000 over the next weeks." The event was expected to double in size from last year, from 510 players and about $12,500 in revenue to more than 1,000 players and $25,000 in revenue expected this year. "We had over $13,000 in prizes to give out, including a full European vacation from STA Travel," Boone said. Boone stressed that because the organization projected the tournament to grow so much, coordinators sought legal advice, assuring them that they would be within the law. But Crisp said they had not consulted with the University Counsel or the Office of the Dean of Students. "The University's interest is in maintaining legality," Crisp said. "So if the organization was able to get something done that would allow the event to go on legally, I don't believe the University would be against it." But the organizers of Hold 'Em For Hunger have pledged to seek a governor's exception for the charitable project. "I can promise you this: We're going to fight as hard as we can to get this money raised, then get the tournament back," Boone said. Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.