Faculty seek to curb bonfires
Franklin Street bonfires are a staple of victory celebrations, but some UNC faculty members want to extinguish the practice.
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Franklin Street bonfires are a staple of victory celebrations, but some UNC faculty members want to extinguish the practice.
Although he wasn't running for office, Board of Elections Chairman Jim Brewer said Tuesday's campus election results were a personal victory. With 7,441 students filling out ballots, the 2007 election saw the most votes cast in UNC history. "Laying claim to the highest voter turnout is definitely something to be proud of," Brewer said. Turnout this year was 20 votes more than the previous record of 7,421 in 2002. But the elections board can't rest on its laurels yet. It still must oversee Tuesday's runoff election between student body president candidates Eve Carson and Nick Neptune. Runoffs typically see lower voter turnout than the general election. In 2005, the last time a student body president race saw a runoff, 2,218 fewer students voted the second time around. And a high turnout should be taken with a grain of salt, as some of the issues might be lost on voters. Brewer said part of the point of recruiting voters, however, is to prepare them for the next year. "I think the more people who vote and participate in the process become more enticed to get educated about the next election." The elections board made a big push during the election season to ensure a strong showing at polls, Brewer said. Board members posted signs in the libraries and banners in high-traffic areas. They even gave out UNC T-shirts in the rain to people who voted at the Smith Center before the Virginia Tech game. Freshman Ronald Bilbao, the enhancement officer in Cobb Residence Hall, worked with the community government and the elections board to distribute a voter education pamphlet to residents, as well as establish a polling station at Cobb - the sixth one on campus. "I know the polling place had cupcakes for anybody who voted," said freshman Berkley Webster, a Cobb resident who voted. "That probably enticed people to come out." The measure proved effective, as 55 percent of the Cobb community voted in the election, Bilbao said. Although Bilbao tried to help Brewer establish polling sites in every residence hall, RHA President Denny Lyons said the halls needed more time to enact such a measure. "We usually require a month to organize things, and Jim and the board only came to us a week before the election," he said. "To organize polling stations in each dorm would require the entire community government to organize in less than a week and ensure that each member give up time to ensure they get certified." Lyons said the idea would have been feasible if there had been more time. The high voter turnout also was reflected in Student Congress elections, especially District 6, the off-campus district, where all 10 winners received more than 700 votes. Speaker of Congress Luke Farley, said voting was high because of the issues at hand for next year. "This was the most contested Congress that I can remember," Farley said. "I think students were really motivated by the issues, like the ticket policy, and I think that got them to vote." Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.
He ain't saying he's a gold digger, but one dean candidate said he wants to tap into the wealth of ideas UNC students have in order to improve the College of Arts and Sciences. Steven Matson, chairman of UNC's Department of Biology who is vying for the top post in the college, said faculty, staff and students should have an equal opportunity to put their thoughts on the map. "Students are probably a gold mine of ideas when it comes to how to implement computers to enhance their learning," Maston said after his Wednesday pitch for the deanship. At the center of his pitch were ways to provide a unique education for students and to attract and keep the best faculty. During his forum Matson stressed the importance of the college as a key to improving the University because a liberal arts education provides a solid foundation for a research institution. "This is what we know, this is what we do well, and this is what sets us apart from other public peers." Matson also said integrating academic departments will foster more interdisciplinary studies, both in classrooms and research. If the 42 departments of the college work together, the results would benefit everyone, he said. One example he noted from his experience is a course on stem cells taught by professors from the biology, philosophy and religious studies departments. Matson also hit on a more bottom-up approach to generating ideas, especially in terms of using technology in the classrooms. Matson is the third candidate to go through the process, which includes a two-day campus visit and a forum where candidates present their ideas about heading the college. The three other candidates who are seeking the deanship are: n?Holden Thorp, chairman of UNC's department of Chemistry; n?David Zaret, interim dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Indiana University; and n?Virginia Sapiro, professor of political science and women's studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The position opened in July when Bernadette Gray-Little moved on to become the UNC provost. Since then, Madeline Levine has been the interim dean since. The dean selection committee plans to recommend a candidate by the end of January, and a public announcement should be made by the end of February. Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.
Campus elections will take on a new light this evening as candidates turn in petitions and the race for student leadership offices intensifies. Petitions ranging from 800 signatures for student body president to 20 signatures for Student Congress are due at 5 p.m. today, when the candidates will become official hopefuls and can campaign publicly. The candidates can speak to large groups, post information online, openly discuss their platforms and attend forums. Student Body President James Allred said that in his experience running for office, private and public campaigning were very different. "Public campaigning is much more open," he said. "And I think there is a lot more pressure on the candidate." Until today the candidates have been gathering signatures and campaigning privately, which means they only could speak to constituents one-on-one. In previous elections, candidates have used signature-gathering as a way to increase awareness of their candidacies. "The number of signatures is indicative of how strong of a campaign a candidate has," Allred said. "If a person goes above and beyond the required number of signatures, it usually means they have a well-organized, strong campaign." In the past, however, the student with the most signatures was not necessarily the election winner. Last year student body president hopeful Bernard Holloway turned in 300 more signatures than Allred. The year before, Seth Dearmin, who won the student body president election, turned in about 150 fewer signatures than runner-up Seke Ballard. Today also marks the beginning of the election forums - events sponsored by campus organizations in which candidates discuss parts of their platforms that relate to the host organization. At the end of a forum, the organization usually decides on a candidate to endorse. The first forum of election season is the Interfaith Student Body President Forum at 8 p.m. today at N.C. Hillel. During the course of the next three weeks, the University will see about a dozen forums hosted by groups ranging from the Young Democrats and College Republicans to Feminist Students United. The forums provide a candidate the opportunity to voice his or her ideas to a wider audience than one-on-one discussions. "Although it varies by the membership of student groups, forums are generally large and well-attended," said Jim Brewer, chairman of the Board of Elections. Along the same lines as signatures, the person who wins the most forums doesn't necessarily win the election. In 2005 Tom Jensen won the most forum endorsements and finished third in the student body president race. "If there's anything that history tells us, it is that history doesn't tell us much of anything," Allred said. Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.
Election hopefuls will attempt to make a lasting first impression around campus this week as they race to gather initial support for their campaigns. Candidates for all offices must gather a certain number of signatures to gain a spot on the ballot. Those hoping for victory in the Feb. 13 elections were out in full force Wednesday - the first day they could solicit students. "Petitions are really the first instance of competition between candidates," said Jim Brewer, Board of Elections chairman. "Especially with the student body president, a kind of signature war commences," he said. Signatures required varies by office, ranging from 800 for student body president to 20 for Student Congress. Candidates have until Tuesday to turn in their petitions to the elections board, at which point they can start campaigning officially. Students have tried various tactics through the years to garner signatures, including standing in the Pit and on the P2P, passing petitions around classrooms and "dorm storming." The most popular option for candidates in the past has been dorm storming, in which campaign teams go door-to-door in residence halls soliciting signatures. Bernard Holloway, a candidate for student body president last year, used dorm storming to get more than 1,500 total signatures. "Primarily on South Campus dorms, where there's a high volume of students, dorm storming is extraordinarily successful," he said. Student Body President James Allred said he gathered more than 500 signatures in the first night through dorm storming. The chance to petition is one of the first opportunities for election hopefuls to get their names out. "It's a chance to get out and meet the students on a one-on-one basis, tell them what you're all about and just get to talk to them about random things to get them excited about the election," Allred said. In a crowded field that includes four student body president candidates, petitioning also allows candidates to organize their campaigns and see if they can get enough support out of the starting gate. "In a lot of ways, especially in a large field like we are seeing this year, petition numbers might indicate who's the real deal, who has it to be president," Holloway said. Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.
UNC's chapter of Phi Mu sorority is trying to re-establish its presence on campus after a five year hiatus. The sorority is recolonizing after financial trouble caused it to close in 2002, and officials hope to start building interest through a fundraiser in February. The decision to reopen was made based on student interest in the sorority system. Phi Mu was driven to shut down by low membership. "The University, the Panhellenic Council and Phi Mu decided that now is the right time to try recolonization," said Julia Wilburn, coordinator of marketing and extension for Phi Mu's national organization. Phi Mu will begin the re-establishment process this semester by hosting "Hoop-a-Paluza," a fundraiser for the Children's Miracle Network. The fundraiser will be held Feb. 16 and will be a basketball free throw contest open to four-person teams. "The fundraiser was very successful when we held it recently at Mississippi State, and we're hoping to see some of the same interest here," Wilburn said. Since there are no longer any Phi Mu members on campus, the responsibility for organizing the sorority will fall into the hands of the national organization. When it gets closer to the fall and rush season, the national organization plans on sending a group of alumnae, colonization staff, volunteers and Phi Mu members from other schools in North Carolina to conduct rush and organize the establishment of the sorority. At the time, the average UNC sorority consisted of 118 members, but Phi Mu only had about 70 when it shut down. Without sufficient funds coming in, the organization was unable to afford rent and upkeep for their Henderson Street house. Phi Mu was not the first organization to vote to close its doors. In 2003 the Delta Zeta sorority also voted to shut down all activity. Delta Sigma Phi successfully recolonized in 2002 after shutting down a year and a half earlier. "It's pretty common in Greek life to temporarily close down an organization that is having difficulties and reopen at a later date," Wilburn said. Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.
While nine people gliding across ice backwards toward each other at high speeds might sound dangerous, the UNC synchronized figure skating team, UNsynC, practices it weekly and can pull it off flawlessly. The team also can pull off circles and criss-crossing maneuvers while maintaining grace and form. These moves were on display as the team practiced Monday at the Triangle SportsPlex in Hillsborough. The nine members are in the midst of preparing for their first big performance - to be given this weekend. UNsynC - which was founded by UNC seniors Alicia Boaz and Mary Duby at the beginning of the school year - will perform twice this weekend at the sports complex. The team first will skate before Nutcracker on Ice on Saturday and then will take part in a competition Sunday. And this weekend is just a warm-up for when members travel to Rhode Island in January to take part in the Eastern Sectional competition. Paula McKinley, the team's coach, said she is expecting big things out of the team at the sectional competition. "I would be surprised if they don't bring home a medal from Rhode Island," she said. "We like bringing home hardware." Boaz and Duby established the team while working with other seniors to create the UNC Ice Skating Club. "We were working with another girl to set up the figure skating club, and we just sent out an e-mail to see who would be interested in synchronized skating," Boaz said. "Everything just kind of fell into place." The team is comprised of five skaters from UNC, three from Duke University and one from UNC-Greensboro. "It's not technically a UNC team," Duke junior Lauren Davis said. "I mean, I'm pretty sure it was the Duke students who came up with the witty name." Synchronized skating is the newest discipline in the sport of figure skating and is just starting to blossom in the world of collegiate sports. In competitions, teams of eight to 20 skaters combine technical elements into a three-and-a-half minute routine and are judged on difficulty, synchronicity and five technical elements. The five elements include a line, a block, a pinwheel, a circle and an intersection. Some of UNsynC's members said they were drawn to the sport out of the desire to skate on a team. "If you're a single skater in college, it's hard to compete at a high level," Duke graduate student Kristin Huppi said. "It is much easier to skate on a team like this and still be in competition." Harold Lee, a junior geography major at UNC and the lone man on the team, said there are a few odd things about being the only male in a female-dominated sport. "It's pretty funny. I have to get one of them to turn in my outfit after practice, because they won't let me in the locker room," he said. The team practices twice a week at the Triangle SportsPlex, often early in the morning. Lee said that it takes true dedication to make it to practices some mornings. "For a college student, after all the partying on Friday night, it takes quite an effort to get out on the ice at 7 a.m. on Saturday." Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.
For students planning to go abroad, at least part of their pre-travel trials can be shortened. UNC is hosting a passport drive from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. today and Thursday in Union 1505 as part of International Education Week. Students can apply for a passport and have their photos taken without making a trip to the post office. The drive is sponsored by several groups, including international affairs, the University Center for International Studies, the U.S. Department of State and University Photo and Video. At the drive, representatives from the State Department will have the necessary forms that must be completed in order to renew or a passport or obtain one for the first time. Officials also will be on hand to answer any questions students have about the passport application process. "Even if students aren't getting a passport, the State Department officials can answer almost any question you have," said Marjorie Crowell, assistant provost for international affairs. "There's so many different scenarios that someone can have while obtaining a passport," she said. "It's good to talk to someone who can explain it all to you." A photographer also will be available to take passport photos for $10. Once all the paperwork is filled out, students should expect to wait at least a month for their passports to arrive. Those interested must bring with them proof of citizenship, such as a birth certificate or naturalization certificate, and proof of identification, such as a driver's license. A full list of what students should bring and details of the associated costs can be found at global.unc.edu. Last year the turnout at the drive was higher than officials expected, and they decided to extend it by a day this year. "We had so many people come out last year that when we closed, we had to direct people to other resources," Crowell said. And the drive is just one way that UNC promotes global education. Senior Claire Wallenborn, editor of Carolina Passport magazine, which publishes study abroad stories at UNC, said passports are an incentive for students to go abroad. "Once you have the passport in your hands, you are going to want to fill it up," she said. The Study Abroad Office offers more than 230 programs for students. The office sends about 1,100 students to 64 other countries each year. "UNC is giving students an international education," Wallenborn said. "And I think that's great." Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.
When a Board of Elections administrative decision Thursday overturned the Student Congress special election results for district six, two students lost won seats. Sophomore Jessica Thompson's seven-vote victory was erased after the elections board discovered she was campaigning by giving out candy, an elections violation. But junior Stephanie McLamb's second-place finish, which earned her a seat, also was voided. Now she's filed a complaint with the Student Supreme Court to overturn the board's decision. Board officials had declared that a new election should be held Tuesday for both seats. "The votes I received had nothing to do with Jessica's violation, so I shouldn't be punished too," McLamb said. Chief Justice Matt Liles said the case likely will be heard Sunday. McLamb e-mailed the board Friday, the day after the decision, that she wanted to appeal. "However, she did not get a response until the following Monday telling her she had to appeal to the Supreme Court, and by that time the window to appeal had passed," said Congress Rep. Tyler Younts, who will represent McLamb in court. But the elections board is not responsible for hearing such cases, and McLamb was told Monday. "We don't forward appeals to the Supreme Court," said Jim Brewer, chairman of the elections board. "That's not in our job description. She filed with the wrong people." According to the Student Code, candidates are given 72 hours to appeal a decision by the elections board to the court. When McLamb filed with the Supreme Court on Tuesday, she was well beyond the 72-hour limit. The court is required to hear every case that comes before it, though a motion to dismiss could be made based on the 72-hour limit. McLamb blames Fall Break. "I filed my appeal, and I did it in as timely a manner as possible." But a ruling by the court last year involving the elections board, the Black Student Movement, The Daily Tar Heel and two Congress candidates established that the Thursday and Friday of Fall Break still fall in the appeal time frame. "It is established by Supreme Court precedent that hours still continue during Fall Break," Brewer said. The case is the second filed within about a week with the court. The other case involves the elections board and Congress. The board's brief alleges that Congress acted illegally when it passed the Facebook Protection Act, dealing with the use of the social Web sites for campaigning. It claims the body interpreted the Student Code - a power reserved for administrative groups. A pre-trial hearing for both cases will be held by the court Thursday and trial dates will be set. Brewer said everybody involved has acted professionally. "There has been no form of bad-mouthing, and that makes this whole process easier," he said. Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.
Results from last Tuesday's Student Congress special election in district six were overturned last week after a candidate was found to be distributing bags of candy at her off-campus neighborhood. A new election will be held Oct. 31. It also will include runoff elections in districts seven and nine. Sophomore Jessica Thompson said didn't think she was doing anything wrong when she passed out Dum Dum Pops and bubble gum while campaigning. But because of that action her victory in district six was voided. She was cited for violating election laws by using incentives to garner votes. Thompson is running against junior Stephanie McLamb, sophomore Pedro Carreno, junior Quintin Byrd and junior William Schwarzer for two open seats. McLamb had claimed the other opening in the first election but still will have to run in the new election. Election bylines state that a candidate cannot offer an incentive of cash value to persuade a student to vote for him or her. Although Thompson won with 247 votes, the top four vote-getters were within 22 votes of each other. "The district's close vote total played a big part in the decision to have another election," said Jim Brewer, chairman of the Board of Elections. Thompson will be allowed to run in the new election but will be charged $3.18 for the violation. "In the (Student) Code it says students seeking office have a responsibility to know the election rules," Brewer said. "However, we can't say that Jessica knowingly violated the rule, so it isn't really fair to disqualify her." Thompson's error was discovered when board members were auditing campaign finance reports. "We found that she spent almost all of her campaign funds on candy and Ziploc bags," Brewer said. He said before campaigns begin, the board holds a mandatory meeting where candidates are briefed about campaigning rules. "We are trying to send the message that incentives will not be tolerated, whether you know about it or not." Second elections traditionally draw fewer student votes, as was the case during February's race for senior class officers. The first election saw about 1,500 votes and a following runoff drew about 1,100 votes before Senior Class President Meg Petersen and Vice President Eric Schmidt were elected. Technical difficulties last October also prompted a second election. That election drew about five times more voters - possibly because Homecoming king and queen, and the senior gift were on the ballot. Byrd, who was 15 votes off a Congress seat, said he thinks he had a better chance in the first election. "The question is how to motivate people for this new election now that they've already voted once." Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.
Today students can decide the legacy of the senior class and the direction of Student Congress. A special election will open at 7 a.m. and run until 10 p.m. During the election the student body will choose 14 representatives to Congress, and seniors will pick a gift. Students can vote either online at Student Central or by filling out a provisional ballot at one of five voting locations. For the first time seniors will not vote to determine a physical class gift. Instead, the class of 2007 will endorse donating their funds to either the Carolina Covenant, the Carolina Center for Public Service or the Office of Diversity and Multicultural Affairs. "The students are basically voting on which fund they want to endorse," Senior Class Vice President Eric Schmidt said. "We are asking students to give $20.07, since it's the class of 2007," he said. Seniors also are encouraged to donate to a favorite campus cause. Last year's class chose a welcome sign, and the previous class picked a Sept. 11 memorial garden. In the past, voting for the senior gift fell at about the same time as Homecoming, but officials decided to push voting up this year to get a jump on planning and promotion. "(We) made the decision to have the election as early as possible," Schmidt said. "A lot of problems in the past have been due to not getting started until January." Schmidt said the campaign will be ready to go once students return from Fall Break. Also on the ballots are 32 students hoping to fill 14 vacancies in Congress. Once elected the students will help dole out student fees and make changes to the Student Code, which governs such things as basketball ticket allocation and election procedures. Speaker of Congress Luke Farley said he is ready for today's special election to close so he can begin working with a full Congress. "It will be nice to get this out of the way and fill out seats." When all the vacancies are filled, Congress has 40 members - 25 undergraduate students and 15 graduate students. Vacancies include one from midcampus, two from South Campus, one from the off-campus district and nine graduate student seats. The election also will mark the first time the Board of Elections' outreach division - which consists of about 100 volunteer members - will run voting stations. "This will be the first time elections will be manned by an organized entity," said Jim Brewer, chairman of the elections board. Regardless of who wins or loses, Brewer said he just wants students to show up at the polls. "It is good to represent ourselves in Student Congress," he said. "I think it's important for people to realize that these are big issues that can affect everybody, and we can have a say in it through voting." Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.
At an open forum for students Monday, Chancellor James Moeser was stumped by a student's question about the use of recycled paper on campus. While Moeser was unaware of the policy, a memo issued in 2000 by his predecessor, interim Chancellor William McCoy, mandated that UNC use an average of 30 percent post-consumer recycled paper. The issue of using recycled paper falls in line with the push to reduce printing and an administrative aim to position UNC as an environmentally friendly institution. "Post-consumer recycled content refers to any product made from materials already in the market, such as paper thrown into recycling bins," said Cindy Shea, director of the sustainability office. UNC students printed an average of about 1,400 pages per student last year, resulting in the implementation of a swipe-to-print system and a limit of 500 pages per semester without an extra charge. Last year about 198,729 of the almost 683,334 pounds of paper that the University purchased from Staples were post-consumer recycled content - almost reaching McCoy's objective of 30 percent. That translates to about 209,461 pounds of greenhouse emissions eliminated, close to 869,442 gallons of water conserved and almost 2,385 trees saved, said Kristen Brucker, environmental products specialist for Staples. Brucker said the company will not supply UNC with anything but post-consumer recycled paper. "If you order virgin paper from us, we are authorized to substitute it for 30 percent post-consumer material," she said. Staples has been substituting post-consumer recycled paper for the past five years, Brucker said. Almost all of Staples' paper is made from a minimum of 30 percent post-consumer materials. "We are researching more ways to use 100-percent post-consumer content," Brucker said. "It is an ongoing process for us." One product of this research is a special brand of loose-leaf paper made from sugarcane instead of tree pulp. The paper hit shelves at the beginning of the school year. The rest of UNC's paper comes from the state's Division of Purchase and Contract, which only sells a minimum of 30-percent post-consumer recycled paper because of an executive order from former N.C. Gov. Jim Hunt. Douglas Crawford-Brown, director of the Carolina Environmental Program, said reducing the amount of virgin paper used can have environmental benefits. "The main issue is the environmental impact of paper production," he said. "The use of recycled paper reduces the number of new trees that have to be cut down and reduces the space occupied in landfills." According to McCoy's memo, "The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has long been a leader in environmentally responsible practices. . However, much needs to be done, can be done and will be done." Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.
As the Nov. 7 elections approach, the drive to register students to vote is kicking into high gear. Organizing a major part of the drive is VoteCarolina, a nonpartisan student group created in 2004 that's dedicated to increasing student participation in the election process. Though this year's races - Orange County Board of Commissioners, N.C. General Assembly, U.S. House and state court posts - aren't as glamorous as those in years past, VoteCarolina Chairman Kris Gould is working toward an increase in turnout. "We've been really successful at signing people up this week in the Pit," Gould said. The group has had a table in the Pit every day this week and as of Thursday, 90 students registered since Monday. Members also reserved the entire area for Oct. 13 - the final day to register. The organization also participated in "Takin' it North" on Wednesday in the Olde Campus Lower Quad and held a registration drive Thursday outside the Craige Community, said junior Katie Baker, vice chairwoman of VoteCarolina. Gould said that when election time rolls around, VoteCarolina will push students to participate in early voting, which will be held Monday through Friday between Oct. 23 and Nov. 3 and Saturday Nov. 4 at the Morehead Planetarium and Science Center. Gould said he believes more people would register if there was a more prominent race. "There are a lot of big races across the state," Gould said. "I think it would definitely help if there was a Senate race or another large race." Last year, 440 college-age voters turned out for the Orange County elections. About 96 percent of the 10,411 students failed to show up at the polls. Sophomore Kara Anasti, a chemistry major, said she did not vote last year but plans to this year. "I think the fact that I live in Carrboro now, these elections impact me a lot more," she said. James Bullard, a sophomore who transferred from the University of South Carolina this year, said the amount of activism at UNC is much greater than that of other universities he has seen. "As opposed to my old school, there's a lot more of a political presence here on campus," he said. Bullard said he plans to submit an absentee ballot or return home to vote in South Carolina. Although groups such as VoteCarolina promote registration, some students said they still feel like they don't know enough about the elections to participate. "Whether or not I vote is going to come down to whether or not I get around to researching the candidates," said sophomore Wes Johnson, an economics and public policy major. "I don't know how good the campus is about informing people of the issues," he said. "Nobody's shown me anything this year." VoteCarolina also works with UNC Young Democrats and UNC College Republicans, as well as the Residence Hall Association. In the past, VoteCarolina has worked in conjunction with RHA to place voter-registration information in residence halls. "Our goal is to create a permanent network of contacts," Gould said. "We've got some plans that we want to put into place but it's not anything we could accomplish this year. A lot of our efforts are setting up for the future." Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.
In years past, the security at Woollen Gym was so relaxed that, on many occasions, anybody who wanted could enter. But that is not the case this year. Beginning Sept. 5, Campus Recreation began enforcing previously overlooked entrance policies that required One Cards to be presented to use the facilities. Facility monitors were hired to carry out the rule. "In the past, the policy has not been enforced correctly," said Paul Dunlop, campus recreation facility operations manager. The policy limits access to Woollen Gym, Rams Head Recreation Center, the Student Recreation Center and all other indoor campus athletic facilities, said Marty Pomerantz, director of campus recreation. Those permitted in the facilities are students with One Cards, as well as faculty, staff and family members who purchase a gym and pool pass, Pomerantz said. "The enforcement of this policy is just to revamp the facility so it's working correctly." Officials are working to create a "limited-use" pass for customers. The new Woollen Gym monitors - who include students - regulate the traffic in and out of the gym. Alex Kittinger, one of the monitors and a sophomore political science major, said reactions have been mixed. "I haven't had to turn many people away on my shift, but I've heard there are a lot of people coming without ID, and they've been kind of ticked off since we've started enforcing this policy," he said. Dunlop said he believes the negative reaction to the policy is natural. "The complaints are exactly what we expected," he said. "People just find it to be an inconvenience." Increased enforcement comes after the department of exercise and sports science underwent a risk management audit last year. The audit reported that changes were necessary to reduce liability. "There was also an increase in the amount of larcenies, and we feel that enforcing this policy will reduce this," Pomerantz said. He also said that enforcing the policy will decrease the number of individuals who could be harmful or who occupy space that is allocated for paying customers. Some faculty members who regularly use Woollen said the policy is beneficial for the gym's atmosphere. "I think the new policy is a good thing. It keeps out the riff-raff," said Kevin Robinson, director of facilities for the Athletics Department. He said he has been playing basketball in Woollen Gym with other faculty members for years. "The gym is here for the students," he said. "It shouldn't be open for just anybody to walk in." Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.
In a tiny basement squeezed between Memorial and Phillips halls sits UNC's Writing Center. The center, located in the Phillips Annex, has seen increasing demand - booking nearly all of its daily appointments and hiring a new full-time staff member. Each week the center offers 168 appointments for students. Tutors had about 4,000 on-site appointments last year, with about 600 students seeking assistance online. The staff addition is a response to the growing number of students with English as a Second Language who use the center's services. Gigi Taylor is the new ESL specialist. Taylor, whose background is in ESL and coaching writers, was hired to help the center work more effectively with immigrant, international and exchange students. Taylor also develops resources, plans workshops and helps faculty understand the challenges of writing in a second language. Kim Abels, director of the center, said about 15 to 20 percent of the students who seek assistance from the center speak English as their second language. So far this year, the center has seen students with various first languages - hailing from parts of the world such as Croatia, Korea, Vietnam and Latin America. Including Taylor, the center's staff consists of three full-time professionals who organize and train 12 graduate student tutors. The center works on an appointment basis, in which students - ranging anywhere from first-year to doctoral students - may schedule a 50-minute appointment in the office or online. Students who use the service said they find it helpful. "It's an available resource on campus for students," said junior Sean Flanagan, who said he used the center during his freshman year and has an appointment next week. "It's free, so I better take advantage of it to learn to write better." The center will move to the Student and Academic Services Building when it is completed in the spring. The building is located where Chase Dining Hall used to stand. The Cashier's Office, Registrar's Office and Learning Center also will be located in the new facility. "The new building will offer a lot of space, which will be great for us," Abels said. "Hopefully we'll be able to offer programs such as workshops." Taylor said the center is a useful tool no matter where it is located. "We encourage any student to make an appointment, come by and develop as a writer," she said. "It's always good to have support, and this is a good place to find it." Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.