Lucas Fenske

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Applications for Spring Columnist Are Now Available

By Lucas Fenske | November 4

Have you ever started a conversation with a friend by saying, "If I only had a column in The Daily Tar Heel, then I could tell everyone on campus how to ..." Are you the type of person who likes to stand up in the middle of class and scream out how you feel about a particular issue? Are you always trying to give advice to other people, even when they clearly don't want to listen to your opinion? If you answered "yes" to one or more of the above questions, then you should apply to become a DTH columnist. Applications for spring semester columnists are now available in the DTH of

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Patriot Act Questions Inalienable Rights

By Lucas Fenske | July 3

The Fourth of July is a festive holiday -- replete with Uncle Sam parading down Main Streets nationwide, fireworks lighting up the night sky, wig-wearing actors portraying George Washington and the smell of hot dogs cooking on a grill. It's a time to celebrate the origin of the United States of America and the people -- soldiers, statesmen and everyday citizens -- who sacrificed their lives and their fortunes. But Independence Day also serves as a needed period of reflection. It should be a time for all citizens to consider the meaning behind the lofty truths in the Declaration of

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2002 N.C. Primary Elections Off to Unusual Start

By Lucas Fenske | May 1

Take a court case about legislative redistricting that is still undecided, add an uncertain primary date and throw in nine candidates running for a U.S. House seat that might not even appear on the ballot. Let the mixture simmer for a few weeks -- or months -- and then serve the results to voters on Election Day, Nov. 5. It might not be a recipe for election disaster, but campaign officials and pundits alike are calling it one of the odder situations in N.C.

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Officials Defend Need for Overhead Receipts

By Lucas Fenske | March 18

RALEIGH -- UNC-system officials petitioned members of the N.C. Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee on Wednesday to protect overhead receipts from a revenue-starved state budget. N.C. officials are projecting a budget shortfall for the 2002-03 fiscal year that might exceed $1 billion, forcing legislators to consider budget cuts in most areas of the state budget. Some legislators argue that overhead receipts are a significant source of potential revenue.

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Senator Supports Altering Tuition Money Dispersal

By Lucas Fenske | March 8

One of the state's most influential legislators says he supports altering a tuition plan that would transfer about $5.6 million in tuition revenue from UNC-Chapel Hill to other system schools. The plan, which the UNC-system Board of Governors approved Wednesday, raises tuition systemwide by 8 percent for in-state students and 12 percent for out-of-state students. The plan allots the revenue to individual campuses for projected enrollment increases and to fund need-based financial aid. But the General Assembly, which convenes May 28, has the power to alter the board's plan.

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National Education Leaders Discuss Future Policy

By Lucas Fenske | February 21

DURHAM -- The current and four former U.S. secretaries of education discussed Wednesday the future of education and a variety of issues ranging from standardized testing to morality. The Education Leadership Summit at Duke University, moderated by former Gov. Jim Hunt, was the first public activity of the James B. Hunt Jr. Institute for Educational Leadership and Policy, an educational think tank established by the UNC system. A large part of the discussion focused on the No Child Left Behind Act, which is the centerpiece of President Bush's educational reforms.

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System May Need to Give Up Millions

By Lucas Fenske | February 6

UNC-system administrators estimated Tuesday that the system will lose more than $110 million in funding this year, the state's worst fiscal year since the Great Depression. Plans announced Tuesday by Gov. Mike Easley to deal with a $900 million state budget shortfall prompted the estimates. UNC-Chapel Hill's share of the cuts could reach more than $15 million. Easley announced Tuesday he would cut funds to most state agencies by an additional 3 percent -- on top of a 4 percent reversion in October.

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Bush Reiterates Themes In Winston-Salem Speech

By Lucas Fenske | January 31

WINSTON-SALEM -- Only a day after his first State of the Union Address, President Bush emphasized Wednesday how community volunteers could fight terrorism and hate while addressing a packed crowd in Winston-Salem. "At home you can fight evil with acts of goodness," Bush said, appearing on stage with dozens of police, firefighters and emergency medical personnel -- all people Bush frequently points to as the epitome of community service.

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State Deficits May Affect University Funding

By Lucas Fenske | January 25

UNC-system officials said Thursday they do not know how a multimillion dollar state budget shortfall will affect the system, but they fear additional funding cuts. State budget projections, released Wednesday to N.C. legislators, predict that revenue for the 2001-02 fiscal year is $700 million to $900 million below projections. To deal with the problem, some legislators have already discussed making cuts to money set aside for Hurricane Floyd victims and to the state's repair and renovation fund, which totals about $125 million.

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Minimum Pell Grant Award Likely to Increase by $250

By Lucas Fenske | January 10

UNC-system officials are applauding a bill that would increase the maximum Pell Grant award by $250. The Pell Grant award is a need-based financial award for undergraduate students. Higher education lobbyists expect President Bush to sign the bill, which Congress approved only a few days before Christmas, sometime later in January. Bush received the bill Jan. 4. If Bush signs the bill, eligible students could receive up to $4,000 a year -- up from the previous $3,750 cap -- from the program, starting at the beginning of the 2002-03 school year.