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(10/27/09 5:17am)
Student Congress will vote today on whether to retroactively appropriate money to the student government’s executive branch for a tailgate event held before Thursday’s football game.Because Student Body President Jasmin Jones missed the Oct. 10 deadline for submitting her $667.20 appropriations request, it might be more difficult for her to secure the money.Congress members must approve retroactive appropriations by a two-thirds majority instead of the simple majority required to pass a bill before an event takes place, meaning it will be more challenging for Jones to receive approval.Organizers said about 800 students attended the event, which was co-hosted by student government and several other organizations.Student Congress has already made one retroactive appropriation this year, $1,325 to Carolina Students for Life for a debate that was happening at the same time as the Congress meeting. Only 138 people attended the debate.Congress Speaker Joe Levin-Manning said the fact Jones’ request is retroactive will probably not matter, because in most cases Congress approves funding requests with a large majority.“Almost every funding request we’ve had has been passed by over two-thirds,” he said.But Levin-Manning said he cannot predict how members will vote.“Congress sometimes surprises me,” Levin-Manning said.The tailgate cost a total of $9,912.20, and the executive branch committed to providing $667.20 of that amount. The rest was funded by seven other organizations and student groups on campus, including the Rams Club, the Carolina Athletic Association and Carolina Fever.Student government’s $667.20 contribution will help pay for maintenance, table transportation and security costs relating to the tailgate. “The money that we asked for from Congress went to fund the aspects that would directly affect the success of the event for the entire student body,” said Meggie Staffiera, senior class president and one of the event’s organizers.Jones said the executive branch already pledged to contribute the money to event organizers and will have to look for alternative sources of funding if the request is denied.As part of the finance committee’s appropriation process, Jones attended the committee meeting on Oct. 19 to present the request on behalf of the executive branch. But because the committee did not have a majority of members present, the meeting was not considered official.Members who were present made a motion to report the request favorably for today’s finance committee meeting.Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.
(10/21/09 4:57am)
Student Congress appropriated $9,675 to the group Carolina Students for Life to pay for its Oct. 13 event “Best Abortion Discussion Ever,” despite lower-than-expected student turnout at the event and controversy surrounding a display by the group last year.Overestimation of the event’s turnout led to a disproportionate amount of fee money being spent per student, which will detract from the amount other groups can request for the rest of the year.The event, which cost approximately $70 per attendee in student fees, was attended by 138 people — far fewer than the estimated 500 attendees on which the allocation was based.Each student pays $39 a year into a student organizations fee, which is distributed among Student Congress and several large campus groups to fund student activities.To put the event’s cost in perspective, College Republicans spent about $16 to $20 per attendee to bring Jonah Goldberg, editor-at-large of the National Review Online, in late September.Carolina Students for Life originally requested about $16,500 in funding for the year. Student Congress decided to give the group about half of that, with the possibility of additional money after the group raised some on its own.The Oct. 13 debate cost a total of $11,100. The group raised $1,425. The group came before Congress the same night of the debate and received an additional $1,325.Congress members expressed mixed feelings about providing additional funding for the event because of the controversy sparked by the group’s anti-abortion display last year. The graphic images on Polk Place were difficult to avoid because of their large size and proximity to classrooms. Congress appropriated $5,000 for that display.The setup failed to effectively warn students of what to expect, said Student Congress Speaker Joe Levin-Manning, who voted against the Oct. 13 appropriations request.Carolina Students for Life Treasurer Stephanie Maxwell said the animosity created by that display caused Congress to hesitate before granting the additional money. Maxwell said Congress was also apprehensive that student fees would fund 87 percent of the debate’s cost.“We want to hold them accountable for what happened last year,” Levin-Manning said. “That’s why we didn’t want to pay for the entire event.”Congress’ appropriations required that the group secure a location with at least a 500-person capacity, which it did by securing the Student Union Great Hall.Student Body Treasurer Jennings Carpenter explained the reasoning behind the decision.“We try to look at where the money we allocate can be used most effectively,” he said. “We try to get the most bang for our buck.”Even though only 138 people attended the event, Jennings said he thought it was a good use of student fees because it facilitated campus discussion about abortion.Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.
(10/13/09 4:19am)
Due to a reporting error, this story misstated the number of vacant Congress seats designated for graduate student representatives. Six of the 11 seats are reserved for graduate students. The Daily Tar Heel apologizes for the error.
(10/01/09 4:19am)
The University is considering plans to expand the Top of Lenoir dining hall as part of a long-term renovation of campus dining facilities.
(09/29/09 3:55am)
This year has seen a slight increase in the number of on-campus underage alcohol incidents as compared to previous school years, although the cause of this increase remains unclear.Since the beginning of the school year, there have been six reported incidents of underage alcohol possession on campus, according to police reports.In 2008, there were no underage alcohol possession citations at this point in the year. At this point in 2007, there were three citations.On-campus alcohol citations are handled by University police, a division of UNC’s Department of Public Safety.DPS issues citations for having open containers on campus and obvious instances of underage drinking, said Randy Young, spokesman for UNC’s Department of Public Safety.Young said he did not think that the increase was indicative of a larger trend.“There does not appear to be an overwhelming increase in the number of citations we issued,” he said.Young added that the increase could be attributed to changes in the department’s jurisdiction. The jurisdiction now includes Granville Towers, where several of this year’s citations were issued. Granville had previously been under the jurisdiction of the Chapel Hill Police Department. Chapel Hill police issue citations for underage drinking independently of DPS.Citations during large-scale events — such as football games, where open containers are not allowed — are also typical during the fall, Young said. Police intervened in several alcohol-related instances at Kenan Stadium during the first two home football games. At least one individual was issued a citation for underage possession of alcohol, reports state.Young said DPS does not plan on changing any of its policies regarding underage alcohol consumption, and he said the department is not concerned about the slight increase.Young said they would continue to monitor trends and take further action if necessary.“This is something we’d probably look at over a course of a year, and if it continued to escalate, we’d certainly be reviewing that,” Young said.Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.
(04/23/09 4:00am)
Service-learning enthusiasts presented their programs and shared theirexperiences at APPLES' fifth annual celebration of service Thursday atthe Campus Y.
(04/14/09 4:00am)
About 50 students shared personal experiences and reflected on the diversity of UNC's campus during a forum Tuesday at the Campus Y.The third annual diversity forum had two goals — to examine the University's commitment to its Diversity Plan and to discuss various issues of diversity specific to UNC campus life.The Interfraternity Council joined for the first time this year with student government's minority affairs and diversity outreach committee to sponsor the event.""We hoped that by combining forces" we could include people in the dialogue about diversity who typically do not feel as if they have a place in the conversation" said Monica Matta, co-chairwoman of the committee.The University's Diversity Plan, which laid out five goals, was designed to strengthen Carolina's commitment to diversity by establishing a common set of goals for University leaders and an avenue for sharing the strategies and outcomes related to pursuit of these goals"" according to its Web site.Since 2006, when the Diversity Plan was implemented, the forum has provided student feedback on its success. The responses are given to the administration, which can use them to revise the plan.Shane Capps, vice president of judicial for the Interfraternity Council, cited the proposal of a Carolina Latina/o Center as evidence of UNC's commitment to diversity. He said the forum was the perfect opportunity to start an open dialogue for diversity issues.It's the students that play the role in identifying the areas of diversity that should be focused on by the University"" he said.During the forum, students also voiced their concerns about the state of diversity at UNC.There will always be a place that we need more diversity" such as faculty" said Valyce Davis, a member of the committee. I think we are well on our way to filling in those gaps. With time"" it will happen.""The forum participants also discussed whether Youth for Western Civilization" a new group on campus promotes or inhibits diversity.The group sponsored a lecture by former Congressman Tom Tancredo on Tuesday where police used pepper spray against rowdy protestors and discharged a Taser to disperse crowds. No arrests were made.Attendees of the forum discussed how such events represent free speech but others countered that they spread hate.Reva-Grace Phillips former co-chairwoman of the Gay Lesbian Bisexual Transgender Straight-Alliance cited other events on campus such as the abortion demonstration in October as another instance that facilitated campuswide discussion.She said groups such as these sometimes make people uncomfortable in order to incite a conversation among members of the student body.Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.
(04/01/09 4:00am)
The severing of UNC's licensing contract with Russell Athletic will damage the manufacturer's reputation and business but will not lead to an overwhelming financial loss for the University.During the last fiscal year UNC earned $61274 in royalties from the Russell licensing agreement. The royalties are calculated as a percentage of what it costs for Russell to make the goods.This number is small relative to the more than $3.6 million of net revenue the University received from its trademark licensing program in the same period.Chancellor Holden Thorp decided March 6 not to renew the University's contract with Russell Athletic because of violations of UNC's labor code which requires that licensees allow unions and provide adequate working conditions.Independent oversight groups said Russell fired 145 workers in Honduras who tried to unionize and later closed the plant eliminating more than 2000 jobs. The contract also was hotly disputed by members of Student Action with Workers in a rally at the licensing committee's Feb. 19 meeting. About 20 schools — including Duke and Penn State universities — have also ended their contracts.Russell claims that the plant closing was a result of the poor global economy" and that the universities are buying into a ""blatant misinformation campaign" spokeswoman Catherine Gammon said.These false allegations have damaged the reputation of our company" she said. The Carolina blue is a color that we take a lot of pride in manufacturing with UNC marks.""Money from licensing contracts" which includes more than 500 companies goes to student scholarships. The decision not to renew the Russell contract will not have much of an impact on UNC's Student Stores said John Jones" director of Student Stores.""From our point of view" it really is not that an important of an event for us" he said. It's much more important for the licensing side of the University as a statement of the University principles.""Jones said there are many brands that are as popular or more popular than Russell.Student Stores will continue to sell whatever inventory it has but will not reorder any merchandise from the company.The contract" which ended Tuesday ends a continuous licensing relationship with Russell that dates to 1993.After 60 days any remaining inventory of UNC-licensed products in Russell's possession must be destroyed or surrendered to UNC's licensing agent the Collegiate Licensing Company.Russell will not be compensated for the loss of this inventory. The company can apply to reactivate its license with UNC in a year.The company would need to provide information on how it has established compliance with the University's labor code said Jack Evans chairman of UNC's Licensing Labor Code Advisory Committee.Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.
(03/04/09 5:00am)
The UNC Employee Forum will vote today on a resolution that would endorse employee furloughs to prevent future layoffs. Currently the University does not have legislative authority to furlough employees though UNC-system President Erskine Bowles has said he will seek that ability for all state universities. The resolution would call for administrators to support efforts to legalize furloughs at state institutions" where employees would be required to take unpaid leave.The goal of the resolution is to reduce further layoffs — at least 18 employees have been laid off so far this fiscal year — by using the money saved by required furloughs.""When you start to lay people off" it's a slippery slope" said Marshall Dietz, the treasurer of the forum and one of the resolution's drafters. A furlough would prevent the loss of critical skills.""Tommy Griffin" chairman of the forum said the resolution will advocate that the furloughs include a wage ceiling so that employees making less than twice the federal poverty level would not be put out of work temporarily.The poverty line is $22050 per year for a family of four.The University's budget cuts are occurring because the N.C. General Assembly expects to give the school less money next year" and has required UNC to not spend 7 percent of its current budget. The University's endowment and investment funds have also taken a hit.""Heads have been rolling" and heads will continue to roll" said Brenda Denzler, vice-chairwoman of the Employee Forum.The forum meeting comes after the executive committee of the Employee Forum met with Bain and Company — the firm hired by the University to identify the best ways to meet budget cuts — at noon Tuesday.Griffin said Bain and Company's study would increase the efficiency of the current budget so there would be as few layoffs as possible.I'm hoping we don't have to go to furloughs"" Griffin said. I'm hoping we can trim every nickel we can to trim the budget. We need to protect education at all costs.""If the resolution is passed by the majority of those present at the meeting" it would be sent to the administration. Employee support of the furlough could strengthen its case before the state legislature.If the resolution is amended the group will write another draft that will be presented at the forum's next meeting in April.Denzler said resolutions usually pass if they are presented to the forum again.Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.
(02/12/09 5:00am)
The N.C. Press Association presented two competitive statewide awards to The Daily Tar Heel at a banquet Thursday night in Cary.The DTH staff won first place awards in its division for ""Spot News Reporting"" and ""General Excellence for Newspaper Web Sites.""The two awards join a third-place Green-Rossiter Award" also called a Duke Higher Education Award which was presented Wednesday by the association.A total of 151 newspapers entered the contest. About 30 were in the DTH's division which comprises daily newspapers with a circulation of 15000 to 34999 people.The Daily Tar Heel's circulation is 20"000. No other college papers were recognized Thursday.""The DTH is the only one of the college papers that enters on a consistent basis"" said Holly Johnson, member services director for the association. You're beating out pretty substantial papers.""And the Tar Heel has won awards almost every year"" Johnson said.The award for spot news reporting was given for the coverage following the death of former Student Body President Eve Carson in March 2008.DTH Editor-in-chief Allison Nichols said the staff's professionalism during the tragic event was remarkable.""The paper we produced was a stunning example of community journalism"" Nichols said.Erica Perel, a former DTH editor-in-chief who joined the staff as the newsroom adviser this year, emphasized the importance of sound breaking news coverage.The spot news award looks at how your newsroom responds to big news and comes together" Perel said. That to me" is what The Daily Tar Heel is all about.""And Managing Editor for Online Nicole Norfleet" who served as the online editor last year" emphasized the importance training for the future of online journalism.""For us to win this type of award shows our dedication to not just being a newspaper but a news organization"" she said.As we prepare for a digital age it is important for us to be able to communicate using every medium.""The selection process for the contest began in October. Newspapers can enter articles in more than 25 categories" Johnson said.Submissions are then judged by members of press associations in other states to prevent bias. This year the judges were from Georgia Pennsylvania and Washington.The association is the only trade association for newspapers in North Carolina Johnson said.It promotes professional development in the newspaper field" lobbies for open government and seeks to increase interest in newspapers.DTH General Manager Kevin Schwartz said this year's awards are a testament to the DTH's continuing quality.""Winning first place in those two particular categories and third place in the Duke awards is a pretty good trifecta" Schwartz said. I think it says that we're doing what we're supposed to be doing" and we're doing it at a high level."" Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.
(02/03/09 5:00am)
Chancellor Holden Thorp will attend a conference Thursday to discuss ways to spur economic development in central North Carolina.He is among about 50 community leaders who hope to ensure that the region develops economically in the next five years.The conference attendees will discuss a plan set forth by the Research Triangle Regional Partnership to create more jobs.""We are at war for jobs. It's a global war"" said Charles Hayes, president and CEO of the Partnership and member of the UNC-system Board of Governors. There will be winners and losers. We're trying to do everything we can to be the winners.""We can't do that without the guidance"" leadership and participation of the University.""The Partnership is a group made up of public and private business organizations in 13 counties. The plan they created"" called ""Staying on Top: Winning the Job Wars of the Future"" helped create jobs throughout the region.At the conference, the leaders will determine what the next step should be once the plan, begun in 2004, ends in March.The plan was designed to create 100,000 new jobs in a 13-county region, which includes Orange County. As of November, 104,000 new jobs had been created, and all 13 counties had grown economically, Hayes said.The plan has received national accolades, including recognition by the U.S. Department of Commerce as being the best strategic plan for economic growth in the nation.The next generation of the plan will add a focus on green technology and jobs, as well as talent recruitment.As jobs continually travel overseas, Thorp and the University's involvement will be especially vital, said Adam Klein, vice president for economic development and government relations of the Chapel Hill-Carrboro Chamber of Commerce.I'll be there to represent the interests of the University as the region plans for its future growth"" Thorp said.Thorp will join the chancellors of N.C. Central University and N.C. State University on the committee.The addition of Thorp is especially important to represent Chapel Hill, a region dependent on higher education, Klein said.His expertise in helping faculty launch their ideas and energizing the faculty to be entrepreneurial will be valuable"" he said.Businesses increasingly need an educated force with many skills, Klein added.We don't get there by resting on our laurels"" he said. We have to be pro-active and describe the kind of regional economy we want to have.""Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.