Opinion -

Policy for suicidal students isn’t really ‘voluntary’ at all

By Letter to the Editor | September 13

TO THE EDITOR:The Daily Tar Heel recently published an article on the University’s policy about suicidal students (College students struggle with alcohol, suicidal thoughts,” Sept. 2). Campus Wellness Services stated that it recommends “voluntary time away from school.”

Immigration forum panel lacked education expert

By Letter to the Editor | September 13

TO THE EDITOR:Immigration is one topic that this campus apparently cannot address comprehensively, much less in the specifics. The forum held by the Parr Center for Ethics concerning access to higher education, “Undocumented Immigrants in America: Access to Higher Education,” proved that even when the audience stays civil, seemingly no one can get to the point, give straight-forward answers, and more importantly, back those answers with policy solutions.The fundamental and outright absurd flaw in last Thursday’s forum was in the selection of the panelists.

DTH should have placed more emphasis on 9/11

By Letter to the Editor | September 13

TO THE EDITOR:When I grabbed a copy of The Daily Tar Heel on Friday, I was positive I would see a tribute to 9/11 as the feature story. Instead, Michael Jordan covered the front page, leaving only a small section for an article about the anniversary of that terrible day. Don’t get me wrong, I love Michael Jordan and the fame he brought to the University. But where is the DTH’s patriotism? Instead of a reflection, the only article the DTH ran about 9/11 claimed that most people have moved on.

Self-control is the solution, not blaming Harris Teeter

By Letter to the Editor | September 13

TO THE EDITOR:I have to say, I’m astounded at the dichotomy that can exists among intelligent people here at UNC as displayed in Abbey Caldwell’s column in The Daily Tar Heel (“Condoms can be hard to come by,” Sept. 11). The idea that a food corporation is irresponsible because they’ve made condoms too hard to find actually took me off guard.

Condoms can be hard to come by

By Abbey Caldwell | September 11

The priorities of the Harris Teeter in Carrboro are a little out of whack.The store keeps its condoms behind the customer service desk, so customers have to ask an employee for assistance to purchase them.There’s something terribly wrong with that.I’d heard rumors that condoms are where they are because they’re a “high-theft item.”So when I decided to look into the issue further, I thought it might be a fruitless search. It’s tough to argue with corporate measures combating petty larceny.

Square deal: University Square development must serve many

By Editorial Board | September 11

Granville Towers and University Square are an eyesore, but the University shouldn’t rush to demolish the towers or the square now that it controls the property.

Student advisers a plus: New peer advising program is a great idea, should help students navigate the University

By Editorial Board | September 11

With the addition of peer advisers, students will now have an opportunity to receive academic mentoring from their fellow students. The Academic Advising Program is still in place to help students with some of the more administrative problems they may face, but the peer advising program gives students something they have never had before — an adviser their age, with similar interests and ambitions, who has useful knowledge to share.

Hiking the fee trail: Some hikes might be warranted, but students should scrutinize all proposed fee increases

By Editorial Board | September 10

After the N.C. General Assembly-mandated $200 tuition increase and rumors of a larger hike for out-of-state students, the proposed $85 student fee increase might seem like bad timing.That’s why students need to be cognizant of the proposed increases. As the various fee committees meet to decide whether to bump annual fees to $1,845, students should scrutinize the proposals so they have a full understanding of where their money is going.

School spirit overlooked in Fuller’s column on slurs

By Letter to the Editor | September 10

TO THE EDITOR: I commend Jessica Fuller for attending UNC’s opening football game last Saturday, but I think maybe she was missing the point of the game in her column (“Slurs only reinforce gender labels,” Aug. 7). The point wasn’t to be politically correct — the point was to cheer on our team.

Political correctness and free speech at the DTH

By Letter to the Editor | September 10

TO THE EDITOR: I recently replied to a column by Domenic R.A. Powell (“Pause helpful for calmer analysis,” Aug. 26), which compared Youth for Western Civilization to a rotten apple, claiming that Marcus Epstein, charged with a hate crime, was an early leader.

Insults help to reinforce gender labels, stereotypes

By Caroline Johnson | September 9

TO THE EDITOR:Jessica Fuller’s column (“Slurs only reinforce gender labels,” Sept. 9) is right on the money. It’s depressing and demeaning to hear serious issues, such as rape, declared in superficial and childish insults. As a close friend of a rape survivor, I am not amused by people who toss such words around lightly.By the female-negative nature of the insults Fuller described, it appears women don’t waste time forming new insults that offend men or glorify our own bodies.

Push for a South Campus ‘Pit’ doesn’t make sense

By Alex Jakubsen | September 9

TO THE EDITOR: The Daily Tar Heel article “Campus moving South” (Sept. 9) outlined a valid but sophistic line of reasoning for hosting more events on South Campus. Administrators argued that because the majority of students live on South Campus, events should be held there, presumably because it would make it easier for them to participate.

QuickHits for Sept. 10

By Editorial Board | September 9

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 | September 9

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 | September 9

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 | September 9

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 | September 9

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 | September 9

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 | September 8

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 | September 8

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.