Burning Query? I've Got Answers

Or maybe you've asked yourself, "What's the shortest route from Chapel Hill to Boston?"

Perhaps the fact that you don't know the record holder for the most rebounds in the ACC has been knockin' you upside the head.

Well, here I am.

(No, not the basketball player, the person with the answers).

I'm Alex, and this semester, I'll be heading Ask Alex, a weekly informative column that will appear exclusively at The Daily Tar Heel's Web site. (Read: They didn't have room in the paper, so I got shoved online, but it's all good. No hard feelings.)

The premise: You ask questions, and I answer them.

Yeah, that easy.

Well, for you, at least.

I have to do all the research.

At The Daily Tar Heel, we cover the pressing issues of the University, surrounding areas and the nation. This column aims to offer another service.

Rather than waiting to see if the paper will answer your questions, you can send your queries to me and bam! -- instant answers.

These questions can range from the standard (Where do I send my letters to Joe Forte?) to the obscure (How many bird species reside in Chapel Hill?). In other words, when you've got a leaky faucet or a head cold, ask me for help.

Now, I don't claim to be a "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?" freak, a sports wiz or anyone else who has an excessive amount of knowledge (although my parents hoped for that when they sent me to Carolina).

I just have some extra time on my hands and an interest in fact-finding.

I've also got a steady case of senioritis, so this column gives me a great excuse to procrastinate.

(Sorry, Professor Stone, but I didn't finish my assignment because Bill Clinton wanted to know how he could land a date with the girls at the uncgirls Web site.)

OK, maybe I'll work on the excuses.

My credentials: I am familiar with the Dewey decimal system, covered University news for three semesters and have worked at The Daily Tar Heel since I was a wide-eyed freshman getting lost on campus.

I also know some pretty good resources to tap. (Note to all my former professors: Don't be surprised to hear from me.)

One disclaimer: For all those lazy, rushed or very busy students looking to dodge a homework assignment or two, go somewhere else.

I won't be churning out two-page papers or answering your Journalism and Mass Communication 50 Treasure Hunt questions.

So, if you ever wondered who built the Arboretum (UNC's first botany professor, William Chambers Coker), the last day to apply for May graduation (today), or why you can't dance (well, I can't give you rhythm, but I can refer you to some pretty good dance classes, like the SRC's funk aerobics), then log on and Ask Alex.

Alex Molaire is a senior journalism and mass communication major from Rochester, N.Y. Send your questions to alex47@email.unc.edu.