Opinion - The Daily Tar Heel

QuickHits for Sept. 10

By Editorial Board | Sep. 9, 2009

AttractivenessThumbs downAccording to a recent study, more attractive people get higher GPAs in high school. Anybody who didn’t already know high school is a complete popularity contest just wasn’t paying attention.SnakesThumbs upA new N.C. law says that owners of snakes must keep their pets in bite- and escape-proof cages. Keeping a snake in its cage is a good thing, especially if you don’t want to take things too fast.Butt CakesThumbs down

N.C. Governor’s school is an important investment

By Laura Hartley | Sep. 9, 2009

TO THE EDITOR:As a 2006 Governor’s School alumnus, I couldn’t ignore Ms. Bale’s letter to the editor criticizing the past policy of free tuition (“North Carolina Governor’s School shouldn’t be free,” Sept. 9). Her ignorance on the subject is excusable, being from out of state with no knowledge of the school. Please allow me to enlighten you.

Microloan officer clears up editorial’s inaccuracies

By Andrea Ramos | Sep. 9, 2009

TO THE EDITOR:The Community Empowerment Fund seeks to clarify and to correct the editorial “Lending a hand” (Sept. 8) in which suggestions for the program were made.During the CEF pilot program — currently the only microloan program in the country for the homeless — we processed 18 loan applications and approved five. In place of a loan, the unapproved applicants received support from a minimum of two student volunteers who spent countless hours connecting them to services in the community to better their current situation.

Expansion not priority

By Editorial Board | Sep. 9, 2009

The Chapel Hill Public Library might be one of the top public libraries in the state, but plans that call for the town to borrow approximately $16.3 million to expand the existing facility are excessive.Dried-up revenues have forced the town to make funding cuts to vital programs. Spending millions of dollars on a library expansion should be at the bottom of the list.When the budget tightens and spending is reined in, local government must focus on maintaining the status quo and keeping citizens safe. Expanding a library does neither.

Liquor laziness

By Editorial Board | Sep. 9, 2009

Only pure negligence can account for the Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission’s limited operations over the past four months.Because the commission only has one sitting member, it cannot issue liquor licences to restaurants and no violations can be heard.Gov. Bev Perdue simply needs to appoint another member to the board in order for it to resume full operation.The ABC board is supposed to meet monthly, but because N.C. statute requires a majority of members to be present for public meetings, the commission cannot convene.

Get your H1N1 facts, vaccine

By Andrew Moon | Sep. 9, 2009

The fear-mongering scientists have underestimated me again. They forgot that the mutant super-bacteria in beer pong cups are no match for my young immune system, even when it is handicapped by a string of all-nighters.So why do they think I need a vaccine to protect against a flu that started in pigs? I eat those things for breakfast — literally.Alas, this is one of those times when sucking up my pride and getting vaccinated is worth it.

Slurs only reinforce gender labels

By Jessica Fuller | Sep. 8, 2009

There was no doubting this past weekend that Carolina football had begun.I could barely see the field through the sea of powder blue, but my ears assured me that the athletic season was in full swing. Over the marching band blaring the fight song and the helmets cracking on the gridiron, I heard the traditional call of the Tar Heel fan: “Hey Citadel, you suck!”Of course, what exactly The Citadel was sucking was rarely specified, but I’m pretty sure most fans knew which direct object followed.

Tutor for the community: Habitat for Humanity program an important asset

By Editorial Board | Sep. 8, 2009

A joint effort by the Hillsborough Police Department and UNC Habitat for Humanity offers a great way for University students to help in the community through tutoring.The tutoring sessions are conducted by UNC students and are available to all Orange County grade-school students wanting to attend.Unfortunately, the program only runs twice a week, on Mondays and Tuesdays, from 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m., and registration is limited to about 15 students per session.

Rain on our parade: Jones’ administration should host an exciting and inclusive parade or not at all

By Editorial Board | Sep. 8, 2009

Student Body President Jasmin Jones is moving forward with plans to revive UNC’s Homecoming parade as a way to showcase school spirit.But with time and budget restraints, the proposed parade is shaping up to be modest at best. With only an hour for the parade to start and finish and a limited amount of money, no floats will be featured and some student groups will inevitably get left out. Reinstating a comprehensive Homecoming parade is impractical in a time of budget cuts.

Take a hike: University misled out-of-state students by indicating they wouldn’t face more tuition raises

By Editorial Board | Sep. 8, 2009

Out-of-state students who thought they were safe from onerous tuition hikes this year shouldn’t hold their breath. It was announced at Friday’s Faculty Council meeting that the option for higher tuition hikes for these students is now on the table. Raising the possibility for further tuition increases does not guarantee that out-of-state students will get a larger hike. However, it flies in the face of previous gestures by officials implying that out-of-state students were safe.

Congressman Price should have brought bill with him

By Letter to the Editor | Sep. 8, 2009

TO THE EDITOR:Most agree a Congressman should be well-prepared for a town hall meeting with their constituents on health care reform. However, U.S. Rep. David Price, D-N.C., fell short of such preparation on Sept. 2. In fact, the Congressman had the audacity to conduct a town hall at UNC without a copy of the very bill which he so adamantly supports and claims to be so knowledgeable of.

North Carolina Governor’s School shouldn’t be free

By Letter to the Editor | Sep. 8, 2009

TO THE EDITOR:In response to the editorial “Keep school free,” (Sept. 3), I would like to the author ask a very simple question: What’s with the sense of entitlement?As a native of Maryland, I was not given the opportunity to attend a governor’s school. I honestly had no idea what one was until my freshman year at Carolina, so I readily admit that I just don’t get the big deal.

Decision to cut academic library journals is foolish

By Letter to the Editor | Sep. 8, 2009

TO THE EDITOR:Thursday’s editorial (“Small cuts, big difference,” Sept. 3)about serials cancellations was foolish, anti-intellectual and just plain wrong. I speak in particular defense of the “Journal of Metamorphic Geology.” As one who teaches and does research in this area, I can assure you that many students and faculty rely on that journal. You don’t “flip through it.” It’s not “People.”

Athletes should give back financially to Carolina

By Letter to the Editor | Sep. 8, 2009

TO THE EDITOR:Last Friday, many former Carolina basketball players currently in the NBA played an alumni game to launch the year-long celebration of the 100th anniversary of UNC basketball. Buzz Peterson was quoted as saying, “It’s not just a group of guys, it’s a family.”

Varsity is integral to UNC experience

By Hannah Thurman | Sep. 7, 2009

The first Saturday night of my freshman year, my friends and I consulted the maps we’d gotten at C-TOPS and made the long trek up to Franklin Street to see “Superbad.” Before I’d lofted my bed or memorized my PID or figured out that the last three words of the fight song weren’t “Rah, rah, rah,” I’d already had my first real Carolina experience: going to the Varsity Theater. The Varsity — which closed this summer after more than 80 years of Carolina students showing up late and talking through the previews — was an icon.

Lending a hand: Microloan program for homeless should be expanded

By Editorial Board | Sep. 7, 2009

The Community Empower-ment Fund, a collaborative effort by three campus organizations, has found success in reaching out to Chapel Hill’s homeless.This microloan program, which gives participating homeless people $300 to pursue skill workshops, should be expanded and should also include outreach for applicants who aren’t approved for loans.Those who apply should all be granted access to the resources made available in the program, specifically by pairing homeless participants with student advisers regardless of whether they receive one of the loans.

Give them a break: Stop forcing UNC employees to shoulder so much of the burden from budget cuts

By Editorial Board | Sep. 7, 2009

The University and the state have asked our employees to sacrifice too much. There’s been a mandatory two-hour workday cut on Oct. 22 for a football game, a 0.5 percent reduction in salary, a 10-hour furlough and now a decrease in employee course waivers from three classes to eight credit hours. The budget crisis requires sacrifices from everybody, but too much is being asked of a group that has little say in the budget decisions of Gov. Bev Perdue. They seem to be the first group hung out to dry when it comes time to make more cuts.

Take H1N1 seriously: The virus is here on campus, but with several small lifestyle changes we can help prevent its spread

By Editorial Board | Sep. 7, 2009

As the H1N1 virus sweeps through college campuses across the country, students must remember to take the virus seriously.This is not to imply most of us aren’t … though we have heard our fair share of “swine flu” jokes across campus. But by staying aware and making small changes in our day-to-day routine, we can try to live in a healthier environment.Campus Health Services administrators have done their part, disseminating information and getting students the help they need.

Fewer TAs in classroom hurts quality of teaching

By Letter to the Editor | Sep. 7, 2009

TO THE EDITOR:I have read the article “Fewer teaching assistants hired” in The Daily Tar Heel (Sept. 5), and I am disappointed.The fact that UNC departments have to hire fewer teaching assistants is an alarming sign for graduate students who can only afford to do their research because they are offered the positions of teaching assistants.

Letter misrepresented the idea of ‘positive rights’

By Letter to the Editor | Sep. 7, 2009

TO THE EDITOR:In his recent letter to the editor (“Rep. Price’s views differ from Founding Fathers’,” Sept. 4), James A. Wadsworth makes a number of preposterous assertions.First of all, he criticizes U.S. Rep. David Price, D-N.C., not for his views on health care, but rather for supporting the idea of positive rights in the first place. Wadsworth believes that somehow this isn’t in keeping with the ideals of the holy Founding Fathers.On the contrary, one needs only look as far as the United States Constitution to find positive rights.