Pretty boy bomber
Rolling Stone drew severe criticism with its decision to run a charmingly unkempt photo of Boston bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev on its latest cover. It's touchy, I know, but isn't it a bit petty to insist we only run unflattering photos of killers? Delving into his psyche is infinitely more worthwhile than doing Kanye's again, anyway.
Boxill debacle
Emails coming to light over the weekend reveal faculty chairwoman Jan Boxill redacted the 2012 report on academic fraud explicitly to avoid NCAA repercussions. We should be over this by now, but no, there's always more. Boxill, really? Did integrity just not occur to you? You literally wrote the book on sports ethics.
Roll over for rights
North Carolina took a brave step forward in the humane fight for canine rights last week with a bill allowing police to break into locked cars to free pets left in the heat. This is huge for animal welfare and basic moral values, but it's a little concerning when lawmakers show more empathy for furry quadrupeds than poor people.
Brits bust smut
The UK's David Cameron unveiled a wide range of puritanical new policies Monday aimed at censoring online porn. If England is our mother country, does that mean we should be embarrassed when she talks about sex? Maybe we're estranged enough by this point to laugh instead of feeling humiliated by association.
Dubai adopts gold standard
Public health officials in Dubai could be putting Weight Watchers and Michelle Obama out of a job with their latest initiative.
Instead of teaching good habits or trying to make it easier for dieters to eat healthy meals, they're cutting all the fatty gimmicks and getting down to the meaty, capitalistic core: bribery.
For every kilogram (a little more than 2 pounds) participants lose, they win a gram of gold. So the government's determinedly putting its money where its mouth is when it comes to rising rates of obesity -- more than we can say for Obama and school systems across America, am I right?
But isn't this risky? Who knows what criminal element could arise from Dubai's sweaty underbelly to take advantage of the situation.
NOTED.
An enormous mobile sand dune in Tunisia is threatening Mos Espa, the birthplace of child Anakin Skywalker -- or at least the movie set from 1999.
Now the Tunisian government is acting to protect it -- because even fossils from our cultural scrap heap can be culturally significant to other nations' economies.
QUOTED.
"As we continue our journey of being a better, more relevant Taco Bell, (kids') meals and toys simply no longer make sense for us to put resources behind."
--Taco Bell, the cutting edge of modern fast food, decided Tuesday to discontinue kids' meals. But fear not! Cheese roll-ups will still be featured on the regular menu.
Thursday, July 25, 2013
Keep students voting: Voter ID unfairly targets liberal demographics. (DTH editorial)
The voter ID bill in the N.C. General Assembly unjustly targets those groups that would vote against the Republicans in power -- and their restrictions for college students are particularly severe.
Making voting more complicated and inconvenient than it already is is the last thing the state should be doing.
One restriction says college IDs would not be valid identification for students at the polls, which would seriously discourage those students without N.C. driver's licenses.
A free alternative ID would be available, but the time and effort required to obtain it would keep some from voting.
Bill supporters say students should only vote in their home districts, but students invest a lot in their college towns and often live there after they graduate -- they're not just visitors.
The limits on students should be scrapped, and the General Assembly should shoot the entire bill down.
Republicans can't stave off millennial voters forever, but they're certainly trying.
http://www.dailytarheel.com/article/2013/07/keep-students-voting
Thursday, July 18, 2013
Quick Hits/Daily Dose (DTH Opinion)
Immoral afternoon
State republicans held their own protest this week in response to continued Moral Monday demonstrators, called Thankful Tuesday -- so basically Thanksgiving. By which I mean full of old, outspoken white people you'd forgotten existed. It's nice to hear an opposing opinion, but my guess is they're just hired agitators.
Drop in the bucket
Cheeky pop star Justin Bieber apologized to Bill Clinton this week after a video surfaced of Bieber peeing in a mop bucket and badmouthing the former president. Clinton shrugged it off, but I'm thinking the janitor had a rougher night. The good news? TMZ finally has enough footage to make "celebrity urination" its own category.
SHARKNADO
Faced with rapidly disintegrating civil liberties, institutionalized racism and violent unrest worldwide, our only healthy reaction can be to drown ourselves in a SyFy channel original movie about a blazing whirlwind full of flying sharks wreaking bloody havoc on Los Angeles. And that's just what we did this weekend -- cope.
Rights? What rights?
Russian President Vladimir Putin recently passed a law calling for the arrest of any person openly gay or supportive of gay rights -- so you might want to tame that wardrobe if you're considering a trip. Criminalizing sexuality and opinions leaves smiles, pastels, individuality, dialogue and self-worth only so far away from restriction.
Indulge me a moment, please?
Building up spiritual treasures for yourself in the hereafter has never been easier.
For Catholic World Youth Day, Pope Francis is pardoning the people's sins -- in return for following him on Twitter. It's not a bad deal either, because how often can a simple click get you a couple of years off of your necessary time in purgatory at the end of your life?
So as part of his push to modernize the church and take advantage of social media, Francis is bringing back the indulgences that were oh-so-popular in the 15th and 16th centuries -- but with a technological wist.
Now all that's left is for a particularly Twitter-savvy Martin Luther to tap into the internet vernacular and bring this back to the people.
NOTED.
Death Valley National Park got so hot this year that park officials actually had to release a statement asking visitors to please not fry their eggs.
Apparently, hungry thrill-seekers have been frying eggs by the dozen, and now the walkways are caked with more sticky bird embryo than you can shake a stick at.
QUOTED.
"They told me the concept was to paint a picture of superheroes who protect the world."
--The dean of Thailand's top university apologized after students included Hitler on a banner of cartoon heroes. They might have gotten off easy for that one, but the Nazi salutes were a little too far.
State republicans held their own protest this week in response to continued Moral Monday demonstrators, called Thankful Tuesday -- so basically Thanksgiving. By which I mean full of old, outspoken white people you'd forgotten existed. It's nice to hear an opposing opinion, but my guess is they're just hired agitators.
Drop in the bucket
Cheeky pop star Justin Bieber apologized to Bill Clinton this week after a video surfaced of Bieber peeing in a mop bucket and badmouthing the former president. Clinton shrugged it off, but I'm thinking the janitor had a rougher night. The good news? TMZ finally has enough footage to make "celebrity urination" its own category.
SHARKNADO
Faced with rapidly disintegrating civil liberties, institutionalized racism and violent unrest worldwide, our only healthy reaction can be to drown ourselves in a SyFy channel original movie about a blazing whirlwind full of flying sharks wreaking bloody havoc on Los Angeles. And that's just what we did this weekend -- cope.
Rights? What rights?
Russian President Vladimir Putin recently passed a law calling for the arrest of any person openly gay or supportive of gay rights -- so you might want to tame that wardrobe if you're considering a trip. Criminalizing sexuality and opinions leaves smiles, pastels, individuality, dialogue and self-worth only so far away from restriction.
Indulge me a moment, please?
Building up spiritual treasures for yourself in the hereafter has never been easier.
For Catholic World Youth Day, Pope Francis is pardoning the people's sins -- in return for following him on Twitter. It's not a bad deal either, because how often can a simple click get you a couple of years off of your necessary time in purgatory at the end of your life?
So as part of his push to modernize the church and take advantage of social media, Francis is bringing back the indulgences that were oh-so-popular in the 15th and 16th centuries -- but with a technological wist.
Now all that's left is for a particularly Twitter-savvy Martin Luther to tap into the internet vernacular and bring this back to the people.
NOTED.
Death Valley National Park got so hot this year that park officials actually had to release a statement asking visitors to please not fry their eggs.
Apparently, hungry thrill-seekers have been frying eggs by the dozen, and now the walkways are caked with more sticky bird embryo than you can shake a stick at.
QUOTED.
"They told me the concept was to paint a picture of superheroes who protect the world."
--The dean of Thailand's top university apologized after students included Hitler on a banner of cartoon heroes. They might have gotten off easy for that one, but the Nazi salutes were a little too far.
Do away with rank: Class rank turns education into a competition (DTH editorial)
Leaders in Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools want class rank taken off student transcripts, and they should have the freedom to do it.
The State Board of Education denied their request to do so last year, but next time it should recognize the district's right to do what's best for its kids.
Emphasizing class rank encourages the wrong behaviors in high school. Trying to perform well in school is obviously important, but ranking students only causes already motivated students to be more competitive.
And high school is for exploring interests and developing skills, not competing for better GPAs.
Meanwhile, disinterested students are not going to be inspired to achieve by an empty academic ranking.
Even if they commit to themselves to academics and college admissions later in high school, their weakened class rank can unfairly jeopardize their chances in university admissions.
Other factors such as essays, extracurricular involvement, actual classes taken and leadership experience are far more important.
CHCCS should be encouraged to make this change for its kids.
http://www.dailytarheel.com/article/2013/07/take-class-rank-off-the-table
The State Board of Education denied their request to do so last year, but next time it should recognize the district's right to do what's best for its kids.
Emphasizing class rank encourages the wrong behaviors in high school. Trying to perform well in school is obviously important, but ranking students only causes already motivated students to be more competitive.
And high school is for exploring interests and developing skills, not competing for better GPAs.
Meanwhile, disinterested students are not going to be inspired to achieve by an empty academic ranking.
Even if they commit to themselves to academics and college admissions later in high school, their weakened class rank can unfairly jeopardize their chances in university admissions.
Other factors such as essays, extracurricular involvement, actual classes taken and leadership experience are far more important.
CHCCS should be encouraged to make this change for its kids.
http://www.dailytarheel.com/article/2013/07/take-class-rank-off-the-table
Wednesday, July 17, 2013
34th Eno River Festival Brings Music, Community (Chapelboro concert review)
It's astounding how rapidly a kind of casual but close community seems to come together and just coalesce naturally around an event like the Eno River Music Festival.
I stroll in among waves of visibly different types of people, from the local residents looking only for an interesting July 4th weekend out in the woods, and the regional music-lovers who wouldn't miss a Bombadil show for anything but their own wedding, to the high school students looking for a thrill and the musicians themselves, who are generally impossible to categorize beyond the open-ended label of "musician."
But despite all the distinct demographics, the camaraderie is nearly instantaneous. Within half an hour I am fielding questions and shocked looks from small children curious about how hammocks work and sharing freshly cut watermelon with a local artist who makes what look to be chandeliers out of what look to be tires.
Shared laughs, meaningful looks, and backward glances bring strangers together, uniting to appreciate the homemade ice cream, the ukulele lessons, a particularly powerful song, or simply the awesome variety of dance moves exhibited at the front of the stage. (I mean "awesome" in a dictionary sense, of course.)
I am there Saturday July 6th, for the second day of the festival at Durham's Eno River State Park. I am surrounded by local music, local food, local art, and local people. But on top of all of that, there is a deep sense of pride.
Pride in the community and the wonderful things we're capable of -- on an instrument, in the kitchen, or with a welder -- but also a pride in the people and the park itself. The weekly Moral Monday protests at the N.C. General Assembly get a lot of shoutouts, but the stage never becomes a venue for a political stump speech or a rally; the protests are simply a community endeavor to be praised and encouraged.
And the announcements between each set make it clear: This festival is for the park and the Eno River itself. Money raised goes to the Eno River Association, and huge amounts of effort on the part of the staff and the visitors are intended to keep this festival from leaving even the slightest trace of human imposition on this natural land.
Many festival-goers, myself included, take the event as an opportunity to just explore the area for a while -- with a little musical backdrop as an added bonus. And few of the immediately local bands fail to mention at least something about their favorite places to swim or wander or picnic around the park.
This environment, the pride, and the shared experience of it all bring people together -- there is a trust and a sympathy there that was not before. And by the time I board the bus at the end of the day to shuttle back to parking, I can feel there's something different, something new between people. They know what I'm smiling about, and I know who that lady's talking about when she gushes to her neighbor, "And the drummer? I mean POW!"
This year a lack of funds led festival organizers to limit it to two days, instead of the usual three, but the great weather and attendance seem to bode well for next year's celebration.
They say you can tell a lot about a people by the state of their bathrooms. Well, "Toilet Row" speaks for itself: with its comfortably spaced port-a-potties (a cramped row of those monstrosities ranks among my vilest nightmares), straw-covered ground (to preempt the gross, ubiquitous mud that tends to surround these things), and locally-sourced hand-washing stations complete with soap-pedals (useyerfoot.com) ... actually I don't really know how to interpret all that. "They" tend to say a lot, but they're not great at explaining themselves or responding to follow-up questions.
Anyway, the state of the bathrooms was good. Impressive, even. The state of the park and the community was even better.
http://chapelboro.com/lifestyle/arts-entertainment/34th-eno-river-festival-brings-music-community/
I stroll in among waves of visibly different types of people, from the local residents looking only for an interesting July 4th weekend out in the woods, and the regional music-lovers who wouldn't miss a Bombadil show for anything but their own wedding, to the high school students looking for a thrill and the musicians themselves, who are generally impossible to categorize beyond the open-ended label of "musician."
But despite all the distinct demographics, the camaraderie is nearly instantaneous. Within half an hour I am fielding questions and shocked looks from small children curious about how hammocks work and sharing freshly cut watermelon with a local artist who makes what look to be chandeliers out of what look to be tires.
Shared laughs, meaningful looks, and backward glances bring strangers together, uniting to appreciate the homemade ice cream, the ukulele lessons, a particularly powerful song, or simply the awesome variety of dance moves exhibited at the front of the stage. (I mean "awesome" in a dictionary sense, of course.)
I am there Saturday July 6th, for the second day of the festival at Durham's Eno River State Park. I am surrounded by local music, local food, local art, and local people. But on top of all of that, there is a deep sense of pride.
Pride in the community and the wonderful things we're capable of -- on an instrument, in the kitchen, or with a welder -- but also a pride in the people and the park itself. The weekly Moral Monday protests at the N.C. General Assembly get a lot of shoutouts, but the stage never becomes a venue for a political stump speech or a rally; the protests are simply a community endeavor to be praised and encouraged.
And the announcements between each set make it clear: This festival is for the park and the Eno River itself. Money raised goes to the Eno River Association, and huge amounts of effort on the part of the staff and the visitors are intended to keep this festival from leaving even the slightest trace of human imposition on this natural land.
Many festival-goers, myself included, take the event as an opportunity to just explore the area for a while -- with a little musical backdrop as an added bonus. And few of the immediately local bands fail to mention at least something about their favorite places to swim or wander or picnic around the park.
This environment, the pride, and the shared experience of it all bring people together -- there is a trust and a sympathy there that was not before. And by the time I board the bus at the end of the day to shuttle back to parking, I can feel there's something different, something new between people. They know what I'm smiling about, and I know who that lady's talking about when she gushes to her neighbor, "And the drummer? I mean POW!"
This year a lack of funds led festival organizers to limit it to two days, instead of the usual three, but the great weather and attendance seem to bode well for next year's celebration.
They say you can tell a lot about a people by the state of their bathrooms. Well, "Toilet Row" speaks for itself: with its comfortably spaced port-a-potties (a cramped row of those monstrosities ranks among my vilest nightmares), straw-covered ground (to preempt the gross, ubiquitous mud that tends to surround these things), and locally-sourced hand-washing stations complete with soap-pedals (useyerfoot.com) ... actually I don't really know how to interpret all that. "They" tend to say a lot, but they're not great at explaining themselves or responding to follow-up questions.
Anyway, the state of the bathrooms was good. Impressive, even. The state of the park and the community was even better.
http://chapelboro.com/lifestyle/arts-entertainment/34th-eno-river-festival-brings-music-community/
Thursday, July 11, 2013
Quick Hits/Daily Dose (DTH Opinion)
Golden Corral
A media hatestorm's been brewing since a brave patriot released a video last week of the way his Golden Corral deals with inspections -- by hiding all the raw meat out by the dumpster, of course. I'd be outraged, but honestly I can't be shocked anymore. I give up, dirty buffet place, I'll take all the human depravity and cold pizza you've got.
NC in decline
The New York Times published an editorial Tuesday on "The Decline of North Carolina," which is sad because it makes us sound like a dying relative or a destabilized foreign nation -- which we most decidedly are not, if our legislators have a say in it. We may be morally and socially regressive, but WE'RE AMERICAN GOSHDARNIT.
Gitmo respect?
In recognition of Ramadan, staff at Guantanamo Bay are starting to allow a few detainees to start seeing and socializing with some fellow subhuman prisoners again. Maybe the camaraderie helps make everything else bearable? My only other options for the happy thumb were Egyptian coup or plane crash, leave me alone please.
Lone Ranger racism
The Lone Ranger hit theaters and flopped like a dead buffalo this weekend, as expected. I can't speak for all of America, but the weekend after the Fourth is not when I want to be reminded of our nation's history of violence and colonial oppression -- especially when it's Johnny Depp dressed as a Comanche doing the reminding.
Pain makes for long memories
Talk about a crazy bachelor party -- nothing gives you one last sweet taste of singledom before marriage like being violently kidnapped. Oh wait, no, that's blood you taste.
For some reason a British groom's buddies decided ambushing and dragging their friend out of his car and away from his screaming fiancee was conducive to wonderful congenial memories for the future.
The jokers put him in a jumpsuit, tied him up and threw him in the car for more than 100 miles before letting him know he wasn't actually about to die, undergo torture or be affixed to some sort of human centipede.
The trauma gave him shingles and a doctor's order to stay awy from his new wife for a month, but boys will be boys, am I right?
NOTED.
President Barack Obama told a kid journalist at a state dinner that his favorite food is broccoli.
It could just be a harmless lie, but it's much more: He's teaching this kid a valuable lesson about misinformation and the modern media. You've got to be tough to not get grilled. Like vegetables. Mmm.
QUOTED.
"My dad is 63 years old, he was devastated."
--A Canadian woman went with her Lego-fanatic father to visit Legoland, but they were turned away as they didn't have a child with them. Now I know creepy wandering old men is a concern, but whatever happened to the magic, huh?
A media hatestorm's been brewing since a brave patriot released a video last week of the way his Golden Corral deals with inspections -- by hiding all the raw meat out by the dumpster, of course. I'd be outraged, but honestly I can't be shocked anymore. I give up, dirty buffet place, I'll take all the human depravity and cold pizza you've got.
NC in decline
The New York Times published an editorial Tuesday on "The Decline of North Carolina," which is sad because it makes us sound like a dying relative or a destabilized foreign nation -- which we most decidedly are not, if our legislators have a say in it. We may be morally and socially regressive, but WE'RE AMERICAN GOSHDARNIT.
Gitmo respect?
In recognition of Ramadan, staff at Guantanamo Bay are starting to allow a few detainees to start seeing and socializing with some fellow subhuman prisoners again. Maybe the camaraderie helps make everything else bearable? My only other options for the happy thumb were Egyptian coup or plane crash, leave me alone please.
Lone Ranger racism
The Lone Ranger hit theaters and flopped like a dead buffalo this weekend, as expected. I can't speak for all of America, but the weekend after the Fourth is not when I want to be reminded of our nation's history of violence and colonial oppression -- especially when it's Johnny Depp dressed as a Comanche doing the reminding.
Pain makes for long memories
Talk about a crazy bachelor party -- nothing gives you one last sweet taste of singledom before marriage like being violently kidnapped. Oh wait, no, that's blood you taste.
For some reason a British groom's buddies decided ambushing and dragging their friend out of his car and away from his screaming fiancee was conducive to wonderful congenial memories for the future.
The jokers put him in a jumpsuit, tied him up and threw him in the car for more than 100 miles before letting him know he wasn't actually about to die, undergo torture or be affixed to some sort of human centipede.
The trauma gave him shingles and a doctor's order to stay awy from his new wife for a month, but boys will be boys, am I right?
NOTED.
President Barack Obama told a kid journalist at a state dinner that his favorite food is broccoli.
It could just be a harmless lie, but it's much more: He's teaching this kid a valuable lesson about misinformation and the modern media. You've got to be tough to not get grilled. Like vegetables. Mmm.
QUOTED.
"My dad is 63 years old, he was devastated."
--A Canadian woman went with her Lego-fanatic father to visit Legoland, but they were turned away as they didn't have a child with them. Now I know creepy wandering old men is a concern, but whatever happened to the magic, huh?
An undemocratic state: Recent politics have given North Carolina a bad name. (DTH editorial)
Recent policies and tactics in the N.C. General Assembly have made North Carolina a subject of ridicule for the national media, and it is not without justification.
The sweeping abortion restrictions attached to a bill in the N.C. Senate last week attracted national attention for the underhanded and undemocratic maneuvers employed in trying to sneak the regulation past the public.
They affixed the restrictions late at night to a bill originally intended to combat Islamic law and labeled it the Family, Faith and Freedom Protection Act -- blatantly capitalizing on the patriotism of the week. And this week they're trying something similar.
But for Americans watching across the nation, N.C.'s legislature is just more of the same. Recent policies and practices have lumped the state in with Texas, Wisconsin and Ohio.
This trio of states has become increasingly known for regressive policies and slimy governmental practices -- especially in regards to women's rights. These are not the peers we want.
http://www.dailytarheel.com/article/2013/07/an-undemocratic-state
The sweeping abortion restrictions attached to a bill in the N.C. Senate last week attracted national attention for the underhanded and undemocratic maneuvers employed in trying to sneak the regulation past the public.
They affixed the restrictions late at night to a bill originally intended to combat Islamic law and labeled it the Family, Faith and Freedom Protection Act -- blatantly capitalizing on the patriotism of the week. And this week they're trying something similar.
But for Americans watching across the nation, N.C.'s legislature is just more of the same. Recent policies and practices have lumped the state in with Texas, Wisconsin and Ohio.
This trio of states has become increasingly known for regressive policies and slimy governmental practices -- especially in regards to women's rights. These are not the peers we want.
http://www.dailytarheel.com/article/2013/07/an-undemocratic-state
UNC, let's keep talking: Repeated silence from UNC officials is disheartening. (DTH editorial)
With new administrators settling in last week, frustrating silence from top University officials was supposed to come to an end.
But even with the opening of a third federal investigation into sexual assault policies on campus and an unfolding P.J. Hairston scandal growing in complexity every day, the University has largely kept its mouth shut.
A statement was just made about Hairston's status more than a month after the initial arrest. It's a step in the right direction, but it said little, and the University has been completely quite about the latest federal investigation.
Regardless of what information it releases, the University should realize wrongdoings will inevitably come out int he end.
In the meantime, endless speculation is bound to spiral out of control. Stalling or being silent only bogs the University down in scandal.
If it would make the first move, then the University could control the direction these developments take -- rather than fall helplessly behind.
http://www.dailytarheel.com/article/2013/07/unc-lets-get-talking
But even with the opening of a third federal investigation into sexual assault policies on campus and an unfolding P.J. Hairston scandal growing in complexity every day, the University has largely kept its mouth shut.
A statement was just made about Hairston's status more than a month after the initial arrest. It's a step in the right direction, but it said little, and the University has been completely quite about the latest federal investigation.
Regardless of what information it releases, the University should realize wrongdoings will inevitably come out int he end.
In the meantime, endless speculation is bound to spiral out of control. Stalling or being silent only bogs the University down in scandal.
If it would make the first move, then the University could control the direction these developments take -- rather than fall helplessly behind.
http://www.dailytarheel.com/article/2013/07/unc-lets-get-talking
Thursday, July 4, 2013
Stay open, transparent: Folt has a chance to start a fresh, new chapter for UNC (DTH editorial)
Chancellor Carol Folt's arrival marks a significant transition for the University, and also a unique opportunity. As UNC moves forward and attempts to progress beyond recent scandals, Folt should set a new tone of transparency and accountability, both in treating their still-developing impacts and in handling similar problems in the future.
This is a pivotal time for the University as it addresses the recent stains on its record. And Folt, a veteran leader from the outside, is in the optimal position to proactively and aggressively tackle the problems at the roots of these scandals before they're ignored or forgotten.
And Folt is not the only new face in UNC's leadership. The collective base of fresh-faced University employees can and should bring light to past abuses without fear of blame or retribution.
This fresh administration has the opportunity to wipe the slate clean and set the standard for how the University will approach issues in the future. Folt can ensure that all problems that arise are thoroughly investigated and resolved with the administration's full cooperation.
Uncovering the extent of issues and their roots is always in the University's best interest, and a cooperative, constructive response when these sorts of problems first surface is better than dodging responsibility.
The former administration consistently shifted blame and slowed the release of any school records, all to avoid any substantive admission of fault. Instead of hiding behind FERPA or scapegoating a few faculty members for a greater problem at the institutional level, Folt can lead UNC in approaching every issue as a University -- rather than, for example, emphatically labeling a problem as "academic, not athletic," just to ward off deeper criticism.
Questionable academic practices in and around athletics departments represent a real, serious issue for many universities, and administrators should not shy away from it for fear of a little bad press -- not when there's an opportunity to serve as a role model for reform.
In the past, when University officials did try to address issues, they turned to expensive outside consultants for solutions, and sometimes only for confirmation that the issues indeed existed. Had administrators accepted problems immediately, instead of avoiding recognizing them until forced to by a third party, the costly hires would've been unnecessary.
The scandals are already rooted in the University community, and those most affected can speak out and help. The Sexual Assault Task Force charged with reviewing University sexual assault policies, for example, represents an earnest attempt to access these voices.
But the time it took for UNC leaders to admit a problem existed with current sexual assault policies and create the task force is embarrassing. A community-based approach to a resolution, however, is the only way to handle these sorts of issues responsibly and comprehensively.
Folt has already proven she respects and will respond to concerns of students and others in the community, exemplified when she canceled classes at Dartmouth last semester in order to encourage discussions of safety and social justice after widespread student protests.
Her position gives her the opportunity, and her record shows she's ready to take advantage of it. Transparency and accountability should be the fundamental principles moving forward.
If Folt doesn't act to change UNC's basic approach to controversy now, she'll only be setting up the University for more challenges and potential embarrassments in the future.
http://www.dailytarheel.com/article/2013/07/stay-open-transparent
This is a pivotal time for the University as it addresses the recent stains on its record. And Folt, a veteran leader from the outside, is in the optimal position to proactively and aggressively tackle the problems at the roots of these scandals before they're ignored or forgotten.
And Folt is not the only new face in UNC's leadership. The collective base of fresh-faced University employees can and should bring light to past abuses without fear of blame or retribution.
This fresh administration has the opportunity to wipe the slate clean and set the standard for how the University will approach issues in the future. Folt can ensure that all problems that arise are thoroughly investigated and resolved with the administration's full cooperation.
Uncovering the extent of issues and their roots is always in the University's best interest, and a cooperative, constructive response when these sorts of problems first surface is better than dodging responsibility.
The former administration consistently shifted blame and slowed the release of any school records, all to avoid any substantive admission of fault. Instead of hiding behind FERPA or scapegoating a few faculty members for a greater problem at the institutional level, Folt can lead UNC in approaching every issue as a University -- rather than, for example, emphatically labeling a problem as "academic, not athletic," just to ward off deeper criticism.
Questionable academic practices in and around athletics departments represent a real, serious issue for many universities, and administrators should not shy away from it for fear of a little bad press -- not when there's an opportunity to serve as a role model for reform.
In the past, when University officials did try to address issues, they turned to expensive outside consultants for solutions, and sometimes only for confirmation that the issues indeed existed. Had administrators accepted problems immediately, instead of avoiding recognizing them until forced to by a third party, the costly hires would've been unnecessary.
The scandals are already rooted in the University community, and those most affected can speak out and help. The Sexual Assault Task Force charged with reviewing University sexual assault policies, for example, represents an earnest attempt to access these voices.
But the time it took for UNC leaders to admit a problem existed with current sexual assault policies and create the task force is embarrassing. A community-based approach to a resolution, however, is the only way to handle these sorts of issues responsibly and comprehensively.
Folt has already proven she respects and will respond to concerns of students and others in the community, exemplified when she canceled classes at Dartmouth last semester in order to encourage discussions of safety and social justice after widespread student protests.
Her position gives her the opportunity, and her record shows she's ready to take advantage of it. Transparency and accountability should be the fundamental principles moving forward.
If Folt doesn't act to change UNC's basic approach to controversy now, she'll only be setting up the University for more challenges and potential embarrassments in the future.
http://www.dailytarheel.com/article/2013/07/stay-open-transparent
Quick Hits/Daily Dose (DTH Opinion)
Global raging
A massive string of serious protests have been sweeping dozens of countries around the world for the last month. Targets range from animal cruelty to government corruption, and tactics range from civil disobedience to self-immolation. If there's one thing we numerous, diverse world citizens can agree on, it's that we're pissed.
Waterlog flume
Chapel Hill and Carrboro briefly united to become one big water park Sunday, replete with extensive car-pools, wading areas and a tide pool at University Mall, not to mention a couple of downed trees to keep things interesting. Charging admission would've been smart, too -- we've got water damage like a sickly Bulbasaur.
Independent!
Today we wave little pieces of fabric and light things on fire to commemorate the day our stubborn, complicated country with a troubled past declared itself independent from its brutish, dirty uncle of a tyrannical monarch. We're still trying 237 years later to live up to the poetry our angsty teen self came up with, but progress is progress.
NC under the table
Legislators Tuesday tacked a set of comprehensive restrictions on abortion onto a bill orginally meant to ban consideration of foreign laws in state courts. No one will think to vote against it -- because you know how dangerous foreign laws are in America, right? Looks like our xenophobia and our sexism are breeding one ugly baby.
Elderly Chinese seeking friends
Sending your kids to keep your grandparents company is a time-honored tradition, but what happens when there's no one left even remotely interested in spending time with your elders?
A new law in China aims to fix this forever by forcing adults to spend time with their parents -- lonely old people a real, nationwide concern. The law promises fines or even jail time for Chinese people who fail to visit their parents "often," but many say it's vague and not enforceable. You just can't force people to love and care for their elders.
But maybe they could hire people to do it for them? They could even build resorts where the old people could all live together and just be each other's friends! Why haven't we thought of that? Oh, right.
NOTED.
An Arizona woman crossing the border was found with an entire pound of meth hidden in her pelvis last week.
My first question whenever anyone gets anything surgically removed is, "How on earth did it get there in the first place?" But I can honestly say I have zero interest in hearing the mechanics of this situation.
QUOTED.
"Full-figured or thin, arthritic or diabetic -- you embody our perfect spokesperson."
--Porn company PureMature.com offered disgraced chef Paula Deen a six-figure endorsement deal -- no nudity. Only in porn are your beliefs truly irrelevant -- as long as you've got Deen's chops.
A massive string of serious protests have been sweeping dozens of countries around the world for the last month. Targets range from animal cruelty to government corruption, and tactics range from civil disobedience to self-immolation. If there's one thing we numerous, diverse world citizens can agree on, it's that we're pissed.
Waterlog flume
Chapel Hill and Carrboro briefly united to become one big water park Sunday, replete with extensive car-pools, wading areas and a tide pool at University Mall, not to mention a couple of downed trees to keep things interesting. Charging admission would've been smart, too -- we've got water damage like a sickly Bulbasaur.
Independent!
Today we wave little pieces of fabric and light things on fire to commemorate the day our stubborn, complicated country with a troubled past declared itself independent from its brutish, dirty uncle of a tyrannical monarch. We're still trying 237 years later to live up to the poetry our angsty teen self came up with, but progress is progress.
NC under the table
Legislators Tuesday tacked a set of comprehensive restrictions on abortion onto a bill orginally meant to ban consideration of foreign laws in state courts. No one will think to vote against it -- because you know how dangerous foreign laws are in America, right? Looks like our xenophobia and our sexism are breeding one ugly baby.
Elderly Chinese seeking friends
Sending your kids to keep your grandparents company is a time-honored tradition, but what happens when there's no one left even remotely interested in spending time with your elders?
A new law in China aims to fix this forever by forcing adults to spend time with their parents -- lonely old people a real, nationwide concern. The law promises fines or even jail time for Chinese people who fail to visit their parents "often," but many say it's vague and not enforceable. You just can't force people to love and care for their elders.
But maybe they could hire people to do it for them? They could even build resorts where the old people could all live together and just be each other's friends! Why haven't we thought of that? Oh, right.
NOTED.
An Arizona woman crossing the border was found with an entire pound of meth hidden in her pelvis last week.
My first question whenever anyone gets anything surgically removed is, "How on earth did it get there in the first place?" But I can honestly say I have zero interest in hearing the mechanics of this situation.
QUOTED.
"Full-figured or thin, arthritic or diabetic -- you embody our perfect spokesperson."
--Porn company PureMature.com offered disgraced chef Paula Deen a six-figure endorsement deal -- no nudity. Only in porn are your beliefs truly irrelevant -- as long as you've got Deen's chops.
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