Opinion

Brownstein’s plans would be asset to school board

TO THE EDITOR:I would like to take this opportunity to endorse Michelle Brownstein for Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools Board of Education. I have known Brownstein and her family for four years, and I can personally attest to her candidacy, credibility and character. Brownstein sets three priorities in her vision for improving the educational outcomes of our district’s youth.

Homeless shelter provides chance to care for needy

TO THE EDITOR:While Wednesday’s article (“Parents fear shelter move,” Oct. 28) did much to bring about an awareness of a very touchy subject, the two supporting pictures used and their close proximity to one another was a real bloody-shirt technique that I feel was most inappropriate!

Cartoon for Oct. 28

Czajkowski endorsement in DTH was contradictory

TO THE EDITOR: I am confused by the editorial board’s contradictory endorsement of Matt Czajkowski for mayor of Chapel Hill (“Czajkowski for mayor,” Oct. 21). Mark Kleinschmidt is obviously the best choice.The editorial board eloquently outlined Kleinschmidt’s many attributes, failing only to note that Kleinschmidt is the only candidate that has sought widespread student feedback for his campaign and, like Czajkowski, is very committed to revitalizing Franklin Street and Chapel Hill businesses.

Today’s public transit not the solution to oil usage

TO THE EDITOR:Tim Freer’s column (“Investing in public transit is crucial,” Oct. 27) admirably calls attention to the pressing issue of the drain the automobile places on the world’s oil reserves. Public transit as it exists today, however, fails to address this problem. Although great strides have recently been made in the development of clean energy for use by the industry, the vast majority of vehicles in service with transit providers continues to burn gasoline.

Hunting a viable solution to deer overpopulation

TO THE EDITOR:

Abundant options exist after Carolina

Most seniors find their final year in college to be a mixed bag. Senior year brings with it three years of Chapel Hill know-how so that you can spend your last months of college doing what you most enjoy and with whomever you want. But it’s also your last big dance.It’s your last Halloween on Franklin Street and your last season to enjoy Carolina vs. Duke basketball games as a student.Senior year is fun. But it’s also complex enough without having to stress out about what you’ll be doing with your life a year from now.

Game didn’t force all UNC operating rooms to close

TO THE EDITOR:

Keep them abreast: Cyber breach on study exposes need for noti?cation

The Carolina Mammography Registry is a wonderful tool for cancer research. But those overseeing the registry need to adjust their approach to include notification of those people whose data is being used.Federal law allows for certain types of research to be done without patient consent. The registry is exempt from consent because it requires such a large population to be effective. But recently, the medical school server containing some of the registry’s data was hacked, and the medical records of about 180,000 women were exposed.

NCSSM no exception: Bloat of administrative budget plagues N.C. School of Science and Math and must be curtailed

In today’s climate of budget reductions and administrative cutbacks, the N.C. School of Science and Math’s administrative costs have become unacceptable. Since 2004, NCSSM’s administrative costs have risen a whopping 46 percent, according to The (Raleigh) News & Observer. The overall budget has increased only 36 percent and enrollment has expanded by a mere 70 students, or about 12 percent. What’s more, the actual number of administrative positions has increased by only two.

Funding doesn’t match: Large appropriation to Carolina Students for Life doesn’t accurately re?ect state of abortion debate

Student Congress was a little too generous in appropriating $9,675 dollars to Carolina Students for Life. Congress granted the money to the group to help fund its event, the “Best Abortion Discussion Ever.” Although Congress cut the group’s original funding request of almost $16,500 nearly in half, the end amount is still too much. Congress originally allocated $8,350 to the group. But Carolina Students for Life came back to Congress the night of the event and procured another $1,325.

Cartoon for Oct. 27

Investing in public transit is crucial

The automobile: America’s favorite nephew. Ever since Ford’s introduction of the assembly line, we have had an enthusiastic obsession with our cars. They are a default status symbol, so to speak — they represent the ability to go wherever you want, whenever you want, for as much gas as your wallet can cover. In many ways, the car is the structure of American life.

Build the new shelter: Men’s shelter needs to move; proposed location works

Chapel Hill’s homeless shelter needs a new location — and residents opposed to the proposal should learn to embrace it.The Inter-Faith Council for Social Service has proposed building a new community house at the intersection of Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Homestead Road.The IFC has encountered opposition to the proposed relocation site from some nearby residents. But when all the discussions and hearings are finished, residents should accept the new community house at the proposed location.

No entendemos: Moving Spanish classes online the wrong move

When resources are too tight to provide enough classes to meet demand for a foreign language, the answer is not to transfer sections online. But that is the fate to which the introductory Spanish class has been relegated. This move indicates that the current model of teaching foreign language isn’t working, and the proposed solution is a misunderstanding of the University’s academic mission.

Double major nightmare: Supplemental credits posed bureaucratic headaches

The mess created by the recent supplemental education requirement change has been a direct result of bureaucratic miscommunication — one administrators should have seen coming.Currently, students majoring in the College of Arts and Sciences must complete a supplemental education requirement — three courses above the 200 level in each division of the college. But the recent change affected students in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication and the School of Education who have a secondary major within the College of Arts and Sciences.

Navy blue uniforms for football are abhorrent

TO THE EDITOR:Those navy blue football uniforms suck. There is no other way to say it. They do not imbue more testosterone; rather, they confuse the public and insult every true Tar Heel.Speaking for all whose blood runs Carolina blue, there is no way that any shade of a darker blue is welcome nor necessary.

Come and learn about issues in mayoral race

TO THE EDITOR:So many of the political decisions that directly affect our campus community are determined by local elections. Students represent a vast portion of the Chapel Hill population, and we have the power to make our voices heard in issues that impact our lives. As responsible residents, we need to be informed about the stances of each mayoral candidate in order to make an educated decision and then get to the polls.

Abortion debate was a valuable campus event

TO THE EDITOR:The article “Abortion event gets $9,675 from Congress” (Oct. 21) cited how more student funds were used per participant than other events hosted by UNC student organizations.

Applications being taken for Carson scholarship

TO THE EDITOR:Calling all juniors! The executive committee of the Eve Carson Scholarship will be holding information sessions at 7 p.m. today and Wed., Oct. 28, in Bingham 103.The selection committee, composed of UNC students, faculty and administrators, seeks individuals who have developed a passion, especially in the areas of leadership, academics and social justice during their time at UNC. Juniors with at least a 3.0 GPA are eligible to apply, with the exception of those already receiving a full merit-based scholarship.