The Daily Tar Heel

Serving the students and the University community since 1893

Wednesday March 22nd

N.c. Agricultural & Technical State University


Mali's Musical Tour de Force

Mamadou Diabate seems happy. It has not yet been a day since he endured the 20-hour flight from his native Mali to Manhattan, but he is laughing and sharing a contagious energy.Accompanied by his kora -- a 21-string harp almost 6 feet tall -- Mamadou has performed extensively throughout his African homeland and in neighboring countries for the past three months.One might assume that a conversation with him would be dominated by the details of his latest journey.

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New Greek Director Promises to Unite, Empower

The new director of Greek affairs discussed the future of campus fraternities and sororities Wednesday afternoon at an informal reception held to welcome him on his first day at UNC.Jay Anhorn, the former assistant director of student activities at Coastal Carolina University, kicked off his new position by chatting with the students and faculty with whom he will be working.Anhorn was named to the post last month by Cindy Wolf Johnson, associate vice chancellor for student affairs.

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Nader Bemoans Corruption of U.S. Politics

Former Green Party presidential candidate Ralph Nader spoke about the corruption of American democracy and the growing success of the Green Party on Tuesday for a near-capacity crowd at UNC's Gerrard Hall.About 100 people attended the event, some paying $10 or $30 to hear Nader and for a question-and-answer session with the former candidate, who received 3 percent of the popular vote during the 2000 election.Students United for Responsible Global Environment hosted the event, raising more than $2,000 for the N.C.

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Council Set to Petition State for Road Widening

The Chapel Hill Town Council decided not take no for an answer. The Town Council passed a motion Monday, forming a delegation to plead its case to the N.C. secretary of transportation asking that the three-lane expansion of Weaver Dairy Road be allowed to move forward. The N.C. Department of Transportation did not accept the council's recommendation for a three-lane expansion of Weaver Dairy Road.On Jan. 22, the Town Council passed a motion endorsing an expansion of Weaver Dairy Road to a three-lane cross section.

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BOG Plans Tuition Evaluation

The Board of Governors decided Wednesday to re-examine its two-year-old tuition-setting policy in light of its concurrent approval of six campus-initiated tuition requests.The BOG gave the green light to tuition increases at Appalachian State University, N.C. Agricultural & Technical State University, N.C.

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Budget Woes Threaten Town, County Money

Local officials are reacting cautiously to a February announcement by Gov. Mike Easley that the state might withhold $95 million in payments to municipal and county governments.Normally, the payments are delivered biannually as compensation for revenue lost by local governments when the General Assembly repealed a statewide inventory tax in the late 1980s.

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Student Congress OKs Incoming Of_cers

Student Congress tackled an array of legislation Tuesday night, approving new student body officers for the upcoming term, discussing possible changes in registration and allocating funds to 11 student groups.Juniors Rudy Kleysteuber, Kativa Parker and Dustyn Baker were each unanimously approved for positions on Student Body President-elect Justin Young's Cabinet. Young and current Student Body President Brad Matthews endorsed all the appointees in front of Congress.Kleysteuber, who is currently co-president of the Campus Y, will be Young's vice president for the coming year.

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A Story for the Itsy-Bitsy Spider

These words are yours not because you understand their meaning but because, I suspect, you sense the trembling of my voice. You've been troubling me. You see, I am a human. We humans, you must know, are animals of diverse capabilities. We're complex, big-brained beings who with the slate of this natural world, a growing knowledge of its rules and - most importantly - an opposable thumb, have shaped our own grand version of it. Our world has a likeness all its own. We inch through it with familiar instruments: system, progress.

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GOP Senators Protest Local Fund Cut

The Senate Republican caucus sent Gov. Mike Easley a letter last week protesting his proposal to withhold $95 million from local governments as part of his attempt to combat the state's budget crisis.The $95 million is money that the state usually uses to compensate the municipalities for the elimination of inventory taxes, which are taxes placed on items stored in warehouses.Both state and local governments profited from the inventory tax, but the state government decided to repeal it based on the fact that taxation of products is already included in the sales tax.

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N.C. Studies Cutting Tax Breaks to Raise Revenue

Faced with a budget shortfall that is approaching $800 million, state legislators are attempting to raise revenue by eliminating several types of tax breaks. Tax breaks given to banks and to people purchasing expensive cars and machinery are three areas that might be targeted.Sen.

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BOG to Weigh Tuition Increase Requests

Tuition increases at five UNC-system schools could be approved today at the monthly Board of Governors meeting.During the past few months, boards of trustees at five UNC-system schools have submitted tuition increase requests to UNC-system President Molly Broad.If the full BOG approves all the tuition increases as is, tuition would be raised $150 at N.C. Agricultural & Technical University, $160 at UNC-Pembroke, $200 for N.C. Central University undergraduates and $288 for N.C. Central graduates.

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Bill Proposes Extended Terms for N.C. Assembly

N.C. legislators might serve longer terms that entail shorter legislative sessions if a bill currently under review in the Senate passes.The bill, proposed by Sen. David Weinstein, D-Bladen, and Sen. David Hoyle, D-Cleveland, would extend state legislators' terms from two to four years and limit long legislative sessions to 135 days and short sessions to 60 days.The state legislature meets in long sessions during odd-numbered years and short sessions during even-numbered years.

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Schools Review Security After Recent Violence

Almost two years after a shooting at Columbine High School left 13 students and two gunmen dead, a similar incident in Santee, Calif., has forced many to question the success of programs developed to curb school violence.Ronald Stephens, executive director of the National School Safety Center, said school shootings motivate school officials to take a closer look at their own methods for handling violence."After Columbine, (officials) certainly enhanced security plans and school safety plans," he said.

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Young's Plan for Presidential Stipend Sets Bad Precedent

Sometimes even the best intentions lead to unfortunate (and unintended) outcomes.That's what will happen if Student Body President-elect Justin Young goes through with his campaign promise to donate the student body president's stipend ($2,400 a year) to one of his platform's centerpieces -- the Student Empowerment Endowment (SEE).At first glance, Justin's plan sounds great.

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Students Air Honor Court Concerns Online

An online forum sponsored by the Freshman Focus Council will now allow students another opportunity to vent any of their concerns about the Honor Court.UNC's student judicial system is this month's topic of online discussion on the Freshman Central Web site, a site launched in January to help freshmen adjust to campus life.Freshman Web site Co-chairman Matt Tepper said the idea for this topic, which is generated by council members monthly, came from an Honor Court forum hosted by Chancellor James Moeser last week.Concerns about UNC's judicial process surfaced last fall when computer s

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Students, Faculty Defend Speaker Choice

One week after the announcement of ESPN sportscaster Stuart Scott as the May Commencement speaker, a small group of faculty have stepped forward in protest of the nontraditional choice.Several students, faculty members and Scott himself have countered this opinion, saying these concerns are misguided and should have been raised before the selection.Scott, a 1987 UNC graduate, will deliver the Commencement address May 20.

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Local Judge Doles Out Homework

In an unusual ruling, an Orange County judge has thrown the book at a local woman.District Court Judge Alonzo B. Coleman ruled Monday that Iris Andros, co-owner of Zorba's restaurant, must write a 10-page book report on guide dogs and the disabled before April 2. The ruling came in response to a discrimination suit brought by a blind man who was denied entrance to Zorba's by Andros on Oct 7.Coleman said he plans to read the book report book aloud at Andros' next court appearance, which is the same date that the report is due.

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`Unselfish' Owens Learns to Embrace Bench Role

Matt Doherty pulled senior Max Owens aside after North Carolina's win against N.C. State last Wednesday and made a brief, yet meaningful, gesture.Doherty apologized to Owens.Owens had just spent 34 of the game's 40 minutes on the bench. And he didn't attempt a single shot in the limited time he was on the floor.But for a player who has had to deal with his share of adversity, Owens didn't respond to Doherty by pouting or sulking."He said 'Coach, I understand. As long as you talk to me, I understand,'" Doherty said.

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