A guest column by Michelle Lewis was published in the Chapel hill Herald today promoting the merger of Chapel Hill and Carrboro, a position that I have advocated for many years.  But this column articulated that position particularly well. 

I am including a pointer to the column but one needs to be registered with the Herald Web Site to read it.  I have e-mailed Ms. Lewis to get her permission to post the full text in this entry.

http://heraldsun.southernheadlines.com/opinion/columnists/guests_ch/110-1028506.cfm?

In today's economic climate a merger makes more sense than ever.

Receuved via e-mail:

"Why Stories Matter: An evening of performance and discussion about development and gentrification in Chapel Hill-Carrboro."
>
> Tuesday, Nov 11
> 8:00 PM
> Bingham 103

Join us as we watch sections of a promotional DVD put together by Greenbridge developers during their plans to build ten story building adjacent to Northside.  We will watch the film in sections, with group discussion and performances by Spoken Word artists and others in between.

-Come out and learn how Chapel Hill and the University are caught up in the globalizing force of development, and the discourse that produces certain understandings of progress and progressive.

-Come out and see the amazing power of performance as an intervention in oppressive discourses and practices.

VIa e-mail:

Announcement from the Downtown Partnership:

From Internationalist Books & Community Center:

The yearly protest of consumerism, inspired by Adbusters magazine, will feature a day of sharing skills and resources.  We'll be open for our regular hours, but no money will be exchanged.  Help oppose the 
brutally exploitative and wasteful consumer economy by boycotting the biggest shopping day of the year and forging connections with other like-minded people!  More details to come soon.

From the IFC calendar:

"RSVVP" stands for "Restaurants Sharing 10 Percent" (The V's are Roman numeral 5's, so V+V=10). Participating restaurants contribute 10% of their total proceeds on that day to benefit the IFC, Food Bank of Eastern and Central North Carolina and the Urban Ministries of Durham Community Kitchen to fight hunger in the Triangle.

Now you have an excuse to go out and eat! Breakfast, lunch or dinner, it doesn't matter. Visit an old favorite, or give a new restaurant a try. Tell your friends and family to not only feed themselves, but feed others in the community at the same time! Read more at www.rsvvp.org.

While I know that UNC has programs that attempt to help students afford college, with the current economic downturn,  the problem is going to become more wide spread.  In addition UNC is likely to find a further economic squeeze, from State budgets to reduced alumni contributions.

It is my belief that affordability should never limit a qualified student once accepted from attending that college.  I also do not like the idea that a student graduates with massive debt.

So my question is should UNC be planning any changes to assure affordability for any student to whom it sends an acceptance letter?  Should it change priorities, e.g. slow growth,funnel a larger share of  money from the state, contributions, endowments to ensure the affordability for all accepted students?

While I was out (since the last post) this email appeared in my email box.