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NAACP reacts to racist messages, plan meeting with chancellor Student leaders will continue dialogue this week, NAACP leader wants to meet with chancellor Wednesday Chris Allred News Editor
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Andrew Poon, a senior in engineering, sings a poem to a crowd during a speak out about the incidents in the Free Expression Tunnel. He wrote the poem for the International Activities Council show on Friday night. “I guess it is just further proof that the world needs change,� Poon said.
Student and regional leaders continued to confront issues from the racist messages left by four students in the Free Expression Tunnel last week. Rev. William Barber, president of the North Carolina NAACP, sent an open letter to Chancellor James Oblinger encouraging a “strong response and punishment� for the students’ actions. Barber said he has not been satisfied with the University’s response to the racist spray-painted messages, which targeted president-elect Barack Obama. “The first concern we have was this is not graffiti,� he said. “At the start, to label it as such and to discuss it as such we think is very troubling. You have to begin right if you’re going to end right.� After Secret Service and Campus Police investigated spray-painted messages left in the tunnel Wednesday morning, including “Let’s shoot that n——- in the head,� the Secret Service concluded that the four students who had admitted to it had not committed a crime. Student Government hosted a “Unity Rally� Thursday that drew about 300 students, and during it, Tracey Ray, director of multicultural student affairs, expressed that she wanted the public to have more information about the acts and those who committed them. Barber wants to meet with the Chancellor Wednesday with leaders of the NAACP to discuss the issues
KFC FIRE
RACE DISCUSSION CONTINUES
Rev. William Barber, president of the North Carolina NAACP, wrote an open letter to Chancellor James Oblinger expressing concern over the racist spray-painted messages in the Free Expression Tunnel Nov. 5. Barber said he wanted to meet with the Chancellor Wednesday: “At this meeting we want to review the evidence (i.e. pictures, videos, etc). Furthermore, we want to examine all legal and school policies for rendering punishment in situations such as this. Finally, we want to explore implementation of activities that can change the atmosphere of negativity that more than five hundred students of all races, who came together on November 6th, have expressed exist on the campus and must be changed.� The NAACP worked to make hate crime activity a felony in North Carolina, he said, and the University must take these matters seriously. Student leaders will host a meeting Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. in the Witherspoon Cultural Center, in which students are encouraged to share their views about this subject. Student Government will have a town hall forum Nov. 15 at 7 p.m. to further address racial issues on campus. SOURCES: REV. WILLIAM BARBER, STUDENT BODY PRESIDENT JAY DAWKINS, JAMES HANKINS, SENIOR IN POLITICAL SCIENCE
surrounding the messages and the University’s response and look at all available evidence, he said. According to Barber, he had not been contacted by a University official as of Sunday afternoon, but he expected a call Monday. If the University does not effectively discourage acts like this, Barber said it could lead to a more hostile environment with more consequences. “We in the civil rights community understand, black and white, that often times violence or harmful acts were preceded by ugly speech,� he said. That the students who painted the messages were still likely walking around campus angered Barber. “When the Chancellor says he’s not going to tolerate it, the question is, what does that mean?� Barber said. “Does that mean persons who engage in it are going to experience a level of punishment equal to the crime?� Student leaders will meet Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. in the Witherspoon Student Center to discuss the issues raised by last week’s events, and James Hankins, a senior in political
science, said many students are expecting more from the University. “Anybody who’s willing to put something like that is either too immature to be at the University or is too dangerous to be at the University,� Hankins said. University officials must be sure not to treat any instance like this as a joke, he said. “I hope a very diverse group of students show up so that we can discuss these things openly and honestly so that nothing like this will ever be taken lightly on campus again,� Hankins said. Barber said that by labeling the racist messages as “graffiti,� the University was making them seem less harmful. “These matters are not light matters to be played with and we don’t take them as such,� he said. “While we may not chase every incident that happens, the sinister and suggestive and direct nature of this incident gives us great concern and great pause and has to be addressed.� The campus chapter of the NAACP met with student leaders Saturday, REACT continued page 3
Groups meet to discuss Hillsborough events Hike was success, planner The hike on Halloween went wants to promote more smoothly, Lovette said, and city events officials were more at ease with Chris Allred News Editor
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Damages occurred to the Kentucky Fried Chicken on Western Boulevard, which caught on fire Sunday.
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State feeling healthy after winning weekend. Himelright, Walker blast past duke at pack invitational story. See page 8.
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Members of the Hillsborough Street Partnership will meet Wednesday to discuss plans for the street and future events, according to Alan Lovette, owner of Melvin’s Hamburgers and one of the founders of the Haunted Hillsborough Hike. Lovette has a petition encouraging the City of Raleigh to allow more events on Hillsborough Street similar to the hike. “I’m hoping that they agree to go along with it, because when the city was presenting the plan for the business improvement district, one city official said this would be a gathering place for N.C. State,� he said.
“Obviously it would mean more traffic on the street and more money for the businesses, the event than they were in the which will be needed whenever planning stages. the street improvement is underThe University added new way,� he said. restrictions Other a round t he events for Haunted Hillsborough Hillsborough St reet wou ld Hike this year, include other allowing only hikes, as well those with valid as t he new University IDs a Hillsborough chance to park Street Renaisin most campus sance. The Reparking lots. naissance will Mitch feature l ive Hazouri, owner music and green Alan Lovette, Melvin’s owner arts, and its orof Mitch’s Tavern, had said ganizers said it the restrictions could bring culwere unnecessary, and that most ture and life back to a street that of the patrons of the street did has struggled in recent years. not park on campus anyway. The Raleigh City Council apEven with close to 8,000 people proved for Hillsborough Street on the street, Lovette said the to be closed for the Renaissance, event proved others could also be a success. EVENTS continued page 3
“... One city official said [Hillsborough Street] would be a gathering place for N.C. State.�
ing for Spring 2009 is OP r e d r O k o o b EN! xt e T e n i www.ncsu.edu/bookstore Onl