TECHNICIAN
may
24 2012
Raleigh, North Carolina
technicianonline.com
Eugenics Victims to receive reparation The 1,500 estimated living survivors of the state’s eugenics program will receive $50,000 each. Jessie Halpern News Editor The Judicial Committee of the Generally Assembly met Tuesday afternoon to discuss compensation for victims of North Carolina’s Eugenics Board. In 1933 the state legislature officially authorized the practice of sterilization via the Eugenics Board of North Carolina. The board actively sanctioned the forced sterilization of an estimated 7,600 people until 1977, when the program was shut down. According to Department of Administration records, many of these victims were African American and female. In January, a task force of five members approved the recommendation to compensate affected families with payments of $50,000 each. Gov. Bev Perdue allotted $10.3 million in her budget proposal to allow these payments. Tuesday’s discussion of the Eugenics Compensation Program bill brought about mixed reactions to the payments, as well as more details on who qualifies to receive them. Representative Larry Womble of Forsyth County made a strong appeal when discussing the bill. “It is a bill that separates North
thursday
Proposed Wake County transit plan to accommodate more commuters The plan includes increased bus service and creating light rail and commuter passenger rail systems.
Chapel Hill for a game or vice versa. It’s for entertainment as well as for commuters,” Rindge said. Rindge wants the train system to be upgraded, which would allow trains to arrive every 30 minutes. Laura Wilkinson The third part of the transit plan Deputy News Editor is a light rail system to run between A new transit plan for Wake Cary, to and throughout, Raleigh. County is being debated in the But this part would require some Wake County Commissioners Of- federal monetary assistance. “It’s about moving people shorter fice that, if passed, would go on the distances but more frequently, like November ballot. every 10 to 20 minThe plan is deutes, and the stasigned to do three tions are closer tothings: increase gether so that people bus service, create can walk,” Rindge a light rail system said. “It’s to increase and create a comwalkability and to muter passenger increase transit-orirail system. ented development Ka ren R i ndKaren Rindge, Wakeup Wake around rail stations.” ge, director of County Director However, the plan Wa keUp Wa ke must first be acceptCounty, said the plan would double bus service from ed by the commissioner’s office and then be put to a vote, which comes its current levels. “That means more buses com- at a price. “The only way this plan’s going ing more frequently that would go to all 12 towns in Wake County,” to happen is if the voters agree to Rindge said. “It would also create a increase sales tax by half a cent,” commuter passenger rail system on Rindge said. Durham voters apexisting track that would run from proved this referendum for a half Durham to RTP, Cary, Raleigh and cent sales tax increase last November, and it passed by 60 percent. down past Garner.” The idea behind the commuter It looks pretty likely that Orange passenger rail is to have trains mov- County voters will vote on this too ing people, especially at rush hour, this coming November. We’re hopand travelling greater distances, ing we’re going to do the same thing in Wake County because it’s really Rindge said. “But also it’s for people who want to go to Durham for a show, or to TRANSIT continued page 3
“That means more buses coming more frequently.”
CHARLIE HARLESS/TECHNICIAN
Charmaine Cooper speaks to a Wake County resident before the public hearing Tuesday. Cooper has a Masters of Public Administration from N.C. State. The 2007 alum is Executive Director of the N.C. Justice for Sterilization Victims Foundation.
Carolina from the rest of the world,” Womble said. “This is an auspicious time in North Carolina history.” In order to qualify for monetary compensation as stipulated by the bill, victims’ sterilizations must have been court-ordered. In addition, families of victims who were alive as of March 1, 2010 can receive compensation on the deceased’s be-
half. Charmaine Fuller Cooper, executive director of the North Carolina Justice for Sterilization Victims Foundation and graduate of N.C. State’s masters program in public administration, isn’t convinced that monetary
EUGENICS continued page 4
Summer reading released for freshmen Incoming freshmen can expect an exciting first assignment as they are welcomed to the University.
Pots and spoons give voice to the 99% More than 100 people gathered downtown, beating on pots and pans to let their voices be heard, though others chose to “plug” them out. Laura Wilkinson Deputy News Editor
More than 100 protestors gathered on Bicentennial Mall on May 16 to “voice” their frustration with the North Carolina legislature by banging on pots and pans for 15 minutes straight. Groups such as the AFL-CIO, a federation of local unions, and the Raleigh-Wake MoveOn Council sponsored the Pots and Spoons Protest to allow citizens to speak out against government overspending and catering to rich corporations and the elite, according to them. Jeremy Sprinkle, communications director for the AFL-CIO, said the idea was based on cacerolazo, a
popular form of protest in Latin American countries such as Chile and Argentina. “It consists of ordinary folks grabbing what they’ve got in their kitchen and walking outside their homes and communities at a given time and banging their pots and pans. It’s a call for attention,” Sprinkle said. “We felt it was time to bring the spirit of cacerolazo to North Carolina where, since the 2010 election, our out-of-control General Assembly has been working hard for corporate lobbyists and right-wing ideologues.” Sprinkle said this movement, called the “99 percent Spring,” was inspired by the Arab Spring and the Occupy Movement. The Arab Spring began in 2011 when a protestor in Tunisia set himself on fire “because it was the only thing he could do to get people to pay attention,” Sprinkle said. The Occupy Movement took hold in the United
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States shortly thereafter, another example of a popular peoples’ protest. “I think the intention of the 99 percent Spring was to carry over the message and the momentum and the passion behind Occupy Wall Street into the new year in a way that would keep activists invested, energized and excited about the possibility of making real and substantive change in the United States,” Sprinkle said. According to the protestors, 1 percent of the country controls almost all of the wealth, and the remaining 99 percent pays the price for that “inequality.” They did something simple — banging on pots and pans — but together created a cacophony that could be heard inside the legislative building. “I could see the smile across
PANS continued page 4
“The committee first solicits nominations for books in the early fall...”
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CONTRIBUTED BY JEREMY SPRINKLE
The 99 Percent protest with pots and spoons in opposition to legislative policies of late.
Reading, as with all common readings selected in the past, was chosen by the University’s Common Reading Selection Committee. Starting in August and going through about January or FebruLindsey Rosenbaum ary, the committee meets regularly Deputy News Editor to discuss different books with poIncoming freshmen for the Fall tential to interest and engage the 2012 semester will be reading It incoming class of freshmen. Marcia Gumpertz, of the office Happened on the Way to War by for institutional equity and diverRye Barcott. The book explores Barcott’s sity, and assistant Vice Provost for summer in 2000, in which he, as a faculty and staff diversity shed light on the process of 20-year old college selecting Common student training Reading books. for the Marines, “The committee took up residence first solicits nomiin a tiny shack in nations for books the Kibera slum in the early fall of Nairobi, Kenya. and later reviews Barcott’s mission the nominations. was to gain a deepThey select a small er understanding number of these as of ethnic violence Marcia Gumpertz, assistant Vice Provost for faculty and finalists and they whilst befriending staff diversity rank them. The a widowed nurse committee then and a community organizer from the slums. Togeth- recommends a book to the Dean of er, the three sought to create a bet- Undergraduate Academic Programs ter organization in the slums that for the final selection.” One of the most important factors would train future leaders for the next generation. This organization, playing into book selection is the called Carolina for Kibera, is one of author and whether he or she will be the first organizations of a the par- able to speak at the commencement ticipatory development movement. ceremony in the fall. Last year The It Happened on the Way to War Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by was chosen for this year’s common Rebecca Skloot was selected. As per reading for many reasons. Barcott tradition, Skloot spoke to the new is a resident of North Carolina, and freshmen. If the author of the chosen sumthe book itself has a an important, clear mission, which many hope mer reading is unable to attend will get students involved in the is- convocation, the committee tries sues at hand. This year’s Freshmen Common READING continued page 3