A better process: Center will help local farmers with equipment

A food processing center proposed for Orange County is a great idea that will prove beneficial to local farmers, local food consumers and the county at large.

The business of illegal drugs

Some people might have been shocked in September when several UNC students were arrested for selling cocaine. And, if the charges prove true, they probably weren’t making the best career choice in the world. I wouldn’t be too surprised. After all, illegal drugs are big business.

QuickHits for March 30, 2010

Due to an reporting error in this editorial, the board incorrectly states that RNC Chairman Michael Steele attended an erotic nightclub while traveling in California. Steele was not present at the nightclub. It was an employee of the committee. The Daily Tar Heel apologizes for the error.Virgin GalacticThumbs up

The pride of Pittsboro: Loss of Chatham County courthouse immense

Students at UNC understand what it means to have respect for an iconic structure.And just like the Old Well epitomizes Chapel Hill, the aesthetic of Pittsboro is largely defined by the historic Chatham County courthouse.

Time to take our $1 back: Incoming administration should lobby Board of Governors to end relationship with ASG

The Association of Student Governments’ budget is funded by a $1 fee from every student in the UNC system. It’s about time we got it back. Students simply are not seeing the benefits of belonging to the systemwide student lobbying body.

Cartoon for March 30, 2010

Cartoon for March 28, 2010

Make them an offer: Major gift from Kenan Charitable Trust will help avoid a long-term brain drain of young UNC faculty

Recruiting young talent for professorships is the last thing we would expect academic departments to presently be doing. The recent economic downturn has fueled major cost cuts, furloughs and layoffs, not hiring efforts.

Not making the grade: Dean’s List should be a true distinction at UNC

The Dean’s List should be reserved for students who have an exceptional academic record. A new policy from the Dean’s Council comes much closer than the current rules to accomplishing just that. But there’s still work to be done.

Waterworld, UNC style: After negligence by UNC, Orange County must step in to oversee Bingham Research Resource Facility

Given UNC’s recurrent inability to avoid unsafe wastewater leaks at the Bingham Research Resource Facility, the county should step in and take some of the responsibility for overseeing its operations.

Nice to meet you; now kiss me, please

There are a lot of things the French do that bother me. The administrative red tape, the distant public personas, the frustratingly aloof academic system — if someone chucked them all in the Seine tomorrow morning, I wouldn’t mind a bit. At times, being here in Paris makes me appreciate many parts of life in America that I always took for granted before.

Cartoon for March 26, 2010

Is our children learning?: Suspended students need an alternative education

N.C. children have a right to an education. That right shouldn’t be infringed, even if a student is being disciplined.On Monday, the N.C. Supreme Court heard arguments in the case King v. Beaufort County Board of Education.

Take the ?ne and smoke it: Orange County should allow legal process to unfold, rather than continue to ?ne Hookah Bliss

Until there is a resolution, Orange County should stop fining Adam Bliss. Bliss, owner of the popular Chapel Hill smoking establishment Hookah Bliss, was fined $200 Monday for not complying with the new indoor smoking ban mandated by the state. He will continue to be fined $200 by the health department for every day that he is open.

Due to lots of magic, cost of bill is ‘low’

Proponents of health care reform everywhere have reason to celebrate like Kool and the Gang for finally triumphing in a struggle that predates that pop culture reference.

Cartoon for March 25, 2010

Feeling better can be dangerous

You’ve probably heard about the power of positive thinking. In a nutshell, the theory states that when we affirm something and believe in ourselves, it’s more likely that we will achieve our goals.So it comes as no surprise that the reverse process works just as well. Thinking about the negative parts of something in your life can change your beliefs and actions toward it.

Rent responsibly; A nominal fee can protect your property

When moving off campus, students should seriously consider acquiring a renter’s insurance policy. Recent events have emphasized how important this protection is. A group of four students were displaced last month when a fire started in the home they rented. None of those students had renter’s insurance. There was also a noticeable jump in robberies last fall.

Language policy should exclude archaic terms

TO THE EDITOR:

Get graduation rates up; New rule would recognize athletes are students, too

A proposal to require NCAA Division I basketball teams to graduate at least 40 percent of their students is a great step to further the underlying principle of college athletic programs: preparation for life after sports.