TECHNICIAN
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Raleigh, North Carolina
Student Senate hears, passes multiple bills Elections, Appropriations and Student Government mission all discussed in Wednesday’s meeting Derek Medlin Managing Editor
TIM O’BRIEN/TECHNICIAN
Cash Michaels, a journalist for the Carolinian Newspaper and Wilmington Journal, speaks with a panel at F***!, Speaking Out for Free Expression, event in Witherspoon Campus Cinema Wednesday. Michaels shared experiences with freedom of speech working for radio station and newspaper media.
Free speech talks continue JOURNALISTS GIVE THEIR TAKE ON FREE EXPRESSION TUNNEL Sonya Deulina Staff Writer
[Editor’s Note: Members of the Society for Collegiate Journalists work for Student Media.] After two incidents of offensive speech in the Free Expression Tunnel, rallies in the brickyard and even media coverage, the Society for Collegiate Journalists decided to have an open panel discussion entitled “F***! Speaking out For Free Expression.” Four journalists and one lawyer led the discussion on the issues involved with the Free Expression Tunnel. The program involved an introduction and ground rules, opening remarks, moderated questions, audience questions, final refection and closing remarks, all during which students heard different views about the issue. Cash Michaels, editor, chief reporter and photographer for The Carolinian
Newspaper said the graffiti speech was a threat to society. “It’s not free speech what they wrote. It is a threat. There are limits to freedom, but that is what allows us to be free, is to respect those limits. We know what lines to cross,” Michaels said. President of the Society for Collegiate Journalists Helen Dear gave her own definition of free speech. “Hate crime is a public activity. When you take it outside it becomes hate crime and not free speech,” Dear said. Mike Tadych, a lawyer and former journalist, said there are better outlets to express one’s anger and frustration. “The Chancellor’s office or Brickyard are places that you should be able to express yourself freely, not the tunnel,” Tadych said. When asked if the University took the correct actions in response to the graffiti, the panel gave a plethora of answers. Cash said the University viewed the Free Expression Tunnel graffiti as a safety is-
sue and it was covered up quickly for that reason. “It was hypocritical. If it was viewed as ugly, hateful and threatening then why did the administration move with all deliberate speed to paint over it?” Cash said. “They started thinking about it in terms of their [university’s] own preservation. It was more of a safety issue.” Nicole Burnette, a freshman in political science and criminology, said she was very upset by the behavior of the wall painters and that the wall should be eliminated altogether. “[The Free Expression Tunnel] should be monitored and if it can’t be then it should be banned,” Burnette said. Blake Burnette, a junior in engineering and the painter of the Kay Yow mural, said the people who committed these acts should have the integrity to identify themselves. “They should do it with an open identity, don’t hide behind a mask of anonymity,” Burnette said.
LIMITS PASSED BY SPENDING LIMITS REFORM ACT: Student Body President: $625 Student Senate President: $525 Student Body Treasurer: $525 Student Chief Justice: $525 Senator: $200 Other Executive Offices: $420 Departmental Level Offices: $140
Members of Student Senate heard discussion and argument for several pieces of legislation SOURCE: STUDENT SENATE Wednesday in the bi-weekly Student Senate meeting and approved the Student Government more electronically accessible Mission Act, the Spring 2009 for students.” Appropriations Act and multiple The bill raised the spending acts regarding the upcoming stu- limits for those students rundent elections process. ning for SG office. The limit The most contentious legis- for Student Body President rose lation discussed and passed in from $450 to $625. The bill also Wednesday’s has a provision meeting centhat allows for tered on the stulimits to change dent body elecif all students tions process, running for a which begins particular ofin March. fice agree to a Student Senhigher of lower ate passed the limit. Clean and Fair Student Body Elections Act, President Jay which attempts Dawk ins, a to continue imStudent Body President Jay junior in civil provement of engineering, Dawkins on the increase in t he elections said the legislaelection spending process, a nd tion passed rethe Spending garding the SG Limits Act, which increases the elections process is a step in the spending limits for the cam- right direction as far as keeping paign process. track of spending. Andrew Tucker, the Elections Dawkins also said the increase Commission Chair and a senior in limits coincided with inflation in political science, said the since the last increase, which two pieces of legislation passed took place in 1999. Wednesday will make the elec“It’s pretty reasonable for the tions process fairer and more limits to go up that much,” he transparent to the student body. said. “Considering it’s been “This bill really does three about 10 years since the statutes things,” Tucker said. “It closes were at $450 and considering up loopholes in previous elec- the changes that have happened tions, adds more oversight to since then, it seems like the best the candidates’ spending limits SENATE continued page 3 and makes the entire process
“...Considering the changes that have happened since then, it seems like the best move.”
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Budgets, Campus Culture Task Force discussed at Chancellor’s Liaison North Carolina takes another percent from the University budget Samuel T.O. Branch Deputy News Editor
The monthly Chancellor’s Liaison, an opportunity for leaders of student groups to talk with Chancellor James Oblinger and other prominent University figures about current issues and concerns of the University, took place Wednesday afternoon in Talley Student Center. The two main topics of discussion at Wednesday’s meeting were the budget crisis and the recent recommendations of the Campus Culture Task Force. As far as the budget problems are concerned, the state of North Carolina retracted another percent from the University’s budget just Wednesday morning, Vice Chancellor for Finance and Business Charlie Leffler said. However, this will not mean more scrambling to cut pro-
grams for the University. According to Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Tom Stafford, “a retraction is money that we originally had in our budget that we cannot spend.” And because more cuts were foreseen, Leffler said the University is already trying to cut seven percent of its budget, which was one more percent than N.C. had previously retracted. “Today we have to give the full seven percent we budgeted out,” Leffler said. Stafford also said the cuts apply to all sectors of the University, even if the money is not stateappropriated funds. “We’re going to treat all departments the same no matter the source of money, even if it is money from dining or fee money,” Stafford said. Everyone at the University needs to be prepared to make sacrifices because of the budget cuts, according to Stafford. “We to look and stop doing things that we’re doing [that aren’t essential],” he said. “I’m
DAVID MABE/TECHNICIAN
Campus leaders discuss budget cuts and the recommendations of the Campus Community Task Force at the Chancellor’s Liaison Wednesday. The Chancellor’s Liaison is a montly meeting where the chancellor and other prominent administrators meet with other leaders on campus to talk about current issues affecting the University. Chancellor James Oblinger did not attend due to another budget meeting.
not saying everything will be permanent, but we’re in a budget crisis folks.”
The Chancellor and Provost Larry Nielsen were not able to make the Chancellor’s Liaison
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because of a budget meeting at the N.C. legislature. But, despite their absences, Stafford said the
group still had a productive discussion. Maddie Spinks, a graduate student in English and vice president of the Student Centers Board of Directors, said the University is making progress in these tough times. “What they’re doing is pretty good considering the economy. It’s just something we have to deal with, and I think it’s good that they’re reaching out for student input,” Spinks said. The second main topic of discussion was the Campus Culture Task Force. The group reviewed the conclusions, what got shot down in the final meeting and other things. One of the main proposals that got shot down in the final meeting was the possibility of a webcam which would broadcast a live feed from the Free Expression Tunnel all the time. Student Body President Jay Dawkins said the committees thought this would hinder peo-
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BUDGETS continued page 3