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The Daily Tar HeelServing the students and the University community since 1893

www.dailytarheel.comthursday, february 5, 2009VOLuMe 116, Issue 143

nation/world .................

indexpolice log ...................... calendar ........................sports ............................

opinion .......................

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SunnyH 54, L 31

SunnyH 37, L 20

Friday’s weather

Today’s weather

this day in history

dive | page 5

online | dailytarheel.com

ELECTIONS GUIDE Student body president

candidates list their top three campaign priorities, as well

as speak via video about tuition, academics and safety.

IMAGES OF INDUSTRY An exhibit at the Ackland Art Museum focuses on the art of

industry, showing coal, iron and steam since 1750 in a merger of history and art.

FEB. 5, 1966 …Students petition against

Communist lecturer Herbert Aptheker, who was invited to speak by student government

and The Daily Tar Heel.

university | page 3

MICROFINANCE GURUNobel Laureate Muhammad

Yunus’s speech today is expected to draw more crowds than the auditorium will hold, prompting the speech to be broadcast at other locations.

sports | page 3

SIGNS POINT UPUNC signed three out of

Rivals.com’s top four in-state football prospects and 12 of

the top 35.

BY ELIzA kERNSTAff WRiTeR

It’s not up to the student body president to ensure that the dining halls have organic food. Nor is it his or her job to create renewable energy projects on campus.

When it comes to environmen-tal issues, the president serves not as a policy setter, but as a key pro-moter of ongoing initiatives.

With more than 18 passionate and knowledgeable environmental groups on campus, the president’s job is to facilitate and advocate for others’ projects, not to initiate new programs.

Though the next president won’t be counted on to come up with new ideas, his or her support is vital for an idea’s success.

“The SBP doesn’t need to be totally hands-on,” said environ-mental affairs committee co-chair-man Bill Bobbitt, who also works for Thomas Edwards’ campaign.

“The environmental affairs committee is the expert, and if the SBP feels like they know what’s best for the community, they should just give them full steam ahead.”

Director of Sustainability Cindy Shea said that she has talked with many of the candidates about their platforms and that she wel-comes their help in promoting a green lifestyle.

“It’s always a process of getting better,” she said. “If student govern-

eNVIrONMeNtThe issues This week, The Daily Tar Heel is examining the top issues facing

the next student body president. friday: budget concerns

The University’s commitment to carbon-neutrality by 2050 will require more sustainable energy alternatives. The student body president can advocate for institutional changes and encourage students to adopt sustainable practices. implementing building and energy guidelines fall to facilities services and the office of sustainability.

Carbon neutrality and alternative energy

Several campus groups want to increase sustainable food options in campus dining locations. There is also a large push for reusable containers to replace Styrofoam. The president can meet with administrators and student groups to encourage change in dining options and practices. He or she can also encourage students to use these new options.

Campus dining

Campus groups have pushed for recycling programs in Granville Towers and Greek houses. Past presidents worked with administrators to reform the printing system to reduce paper. Many of this year’s candidates want to reduce paper by using alternatives to blue books and Scantron sheets — which would require faculty and departmental consent.

Recycling and waste management

Last year’s drought brought to light the issue of water use on campus, and many of this year’s candidates are pushing for water usage changes, including installing shower heads and toilets that use less of water. The ultimate decision to install these measures rests with facilities services and the housing department.

Water conservation

See ENvIRONMENT, PAGe 9

Cuts would threaten classes, jobsBY ANDREW DUNNUNiveRSiTY eDiToR

The University has put together scenarios for what it would have to do if the state mandates permanent budget cuts — and the results would touch every aspect of life at UNC.

In November, the UNC system was forced to undergo a one-time 5 percent budget cut and has since been instructed to reduce budgets by an additional 1 percent.

Administrators fear that sig-nificant budget cuts could be made permanent, and the possibility has caused a stir within the Faculty Council and Employee Forum.

The University was asked last

month to project what would hap-pen if cuts were extended.

Documents sent Tuesday to the UNC-system Board of Governors give the most specifics of how these cuts would affect life at UNC.

Even at the lowest possible level, administrators say the needed cuts would severely hurt the University academically and significantly impair research.

Contact the University Editorat udesk@unc.edu.

DTH ONLINE: Read the full report to the Board of Governors detailing budget cut scenarios.

setting the course for theSTuDENT

ELEcTIONS

From the candidates

Push Carolina on a track to being a paperless campus.

Work with committees to increase campus energy efficiency.

Create a green events guide to publish the activities of student groups.

Michael Betts

Create incentives for students living off-campus to use mass transit instead driving to minimize gasoline emissions.

Work with Chapel Hill businesses to encourage more environmentally friendly practices such as less packaging.

Jasmin Jones

Work with the environmental Affairs committee to get funding or grants for more recycling bins around campus.

Hold environmental training to teach students and groups good practices.

Create a sustainability outreach officer to coordinate efforts between parties.

Ron Bilbao

ensure that products bearing the UNC logo are all produced by eco-friendly manufacturers.

increase the proportion of food Carolina Dining Services purchases from local and organic farmers.

Ashley klein

Clarify and discuss the mission statements of all environmental groups to avoid overlap and increase efficiency.

Decrease the amount of bottled water sold on campus.

Create a bicycle-sharing program.

Thomas Edwards

evaluate campus sprinkler systems to more efficiently use water.

Create a program where students can buy Green Stickers to put on reusable containers to use them as alternatives to dining hall disposable boxes and cups.

Matt Wohlford

The candidates have several platform points addressing the environment. Here are some of their proposals:

Candidates’ plans for asG involvement vary

Cancel 212 courses in the College of Arts and Sciences and journalism school.

Cancel 517 class sections; 236 undergraduate and 281 graduate.

Cancel 41 faculty searches.

Cut 39 non-faculty jobs.

Release hundreds of temporary faculty and staff positions.

Reduce ability to serve 603 students at existing class sizes.

Cancel 282 courses.

Cancel 717 class sections.

Cut 121 faculty positions.

Cut 86 non-faculty jobs.

The number of undergraduate classes with more than 100 students would reach an all-time high.

UNC would have to mandate a five-day furlough for nearly all employees.

Cancel 442 courses.

Cut 232 faculty positions.

Cut 178 non-faculty jobs.

Reduce the University’s enrollment by 3,426 students, or the equivalent population of a first-year class.

Three department chairman positions would not be filled.

The school’s accreditation status would be jeopardized.

BY OLIvIA BOWLERSeNioR WRiTeR

The next student body president candidate will have to decide how best to represent UNC-Chapel Hill in a statewide student leader asso-ciation.

Few of the candidates, how-ever, have specifically out-lined their plans for the UNC-system Association of Student Governments in their platforms, and only one has ever attended a meeting.

The ASG, an organization of student leaders from across the system, has the power to lobby the state legislature on behalf of the students and takes $1 in fees from each student in the system to fund its projects.

In addition, the ASG presi-dent represents the only student voice on the UNC-system Board of Governors, which weighs in on tuition issues annually.

Despite the ASG’s ability to

BY DEAN DRESChERSTAff WRiTeR

The Campus Y has abolished a decades-old amendment to its constitution that had required one male and one female to serve as co-presidents.

The decision, made last month at an executive cabinet meeting, allows this year’s co-presidents to be of the same gender.

“Originally the rule was put in to make it more fair for women, who were a minority at the school, but times have changed,” said Jeff Chen, Campus Y co-president.

“Holding with the Y’s stance on diversity, the majority of the cabi-net felt that the rule was coun-terproductive to the mission the Campus Y was founded on.”

The tradition dates back to 1963, when the YMCA and YWCA on campus were combined. Today, the Campus Y is the largest service organization at UNC.

Three candidates are vying for this years co-presidency positions: two females and one male.

Jimmy Waters, current Campus Y minister of information, is the

sole male candidate. Waters indi-cated no stance regarding the amendment abolition.

“I think that there are both advantages and disadvantages that will be shown in future years,” Waters said.

“Whether it was the right deci-sion will be determined by time and future elections.”

The two female candidates, Maryam Farooq and Chelsea Journigan, said that a candidate’s gender should be irrelevant.

“I don’t think gender should be the deciding factor in a leader,” Farooq said.

Elizabeth McCain and Austin Hairfield, candidates for the min-ister of information position, said they believed the Campus Y was moving in the right direction by repealing the amendment.

“It makes it a more competitive election process and only the most qualified candidates, regardless of gender, will be elected,” Hairfield said.

McCain, a member of the execu-tive committee that made the deci-sion to abolish the amendment,

y elections now gender-blind

said she thought, if necessary, the decision could be reversed.

“We believe it is a step towards equal opportunity, and we’re always up for amending it should it prove to be ineffective,” McCain said.

At a forum held Wednesday night — which about 25 students attended — candidates for the co-president, minister of information, and internal treasurer positions

Candidates for Campus Y officesCo-Presidents (2 spots)

Jimmy Waters Maryam farooq Chelsea Journigan

Minister of Information Austin Hairfield elizabeth McCain

Internal Treasurer Allison Howard

External Treasurer empty

See ASG, PAGe 9See CAMPUS Y, PAGe 9

“A lot of times they don’t really get a lot of familiarity with ASG until they are elected.”JEFF NIEMAN, foRMeR ASG PReSiDeNT

advocate for the students at the state level, the organization’s his-tory of inefficiency and infighting has left some candidates uncertain about its effectiveness.

“I would work with ASG and attend meetings as long as I felt like it was directly beneficial to the Chapel Hill student body,” candi-date Thomas Edwards said.

Current Student Body President J.J. Raynor’s decision to send a per-manent delegate in her place ruffled some feathers in the ASG, and the

STuDENT ELEcTIONS

forum of record

ATTEND ThE DTh FORUMWe’re hosting a public forum

for students to ask student body president candidates questions.

7 p.m. today union multipurpose room

Can’t attend? Too shy to speak? Submit questions in advance at DailyTarHeel.com/sbpforum.

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