I
t only seems appropriate to kick off our spate of ancient articles with the one that started it all: my audition piece for The Daily Tar Heel. While I wrote this as an example of my ability (or, more accurately, willingness to learn how) to put together a hard news story, it’s obvious that I was going for a bit of humor as well.
Or, at least, I hope it’s obvious.
All I’ve changed since the file was last saved on August 26, 1999, are some basic copyediting things. And of course, the quotes and the incident itself are all made up. But the name of the dorm, the student body president, the general sentiment — all accurate.
Maybe this explains why I ended up on the arts and entertainment desk for four years.
A weekend melee at Hinton James Residence Hall has left many South Campus residents disheartened while the cleanup efforts continue.
The incident began early Friday afternoon when an unidentified male student allegedly attacked a second floor resident who boarded the elevator on which he was riding. Reports indicate the attacker was a 10th floor resident on his way to a class and appeared aggravated when the elevator stopped on every floor on its way to the lobby. Eyewitnesses said that the sophomore yelled, “Why couldn’t you take the (expletive) stairs?” just prior to his attack. The fight escalated when the elevator doors opened in the lobby, and a group of students waiting there was upset that the brawl was blocking their way. They picked up the sofas in the first floor lounge and threw the furniture at the offending students. Despite the efforts of the area office and the first floor R.A.s, the fighting turned to looting and lasted well into the night.
As night turned into early morning, the Chapel Hill Police Department was confident that it had contained the looting on the first floor, which resulted in the destruction of several thousand dollars worth of lounge furniture and vending machines. However, they did not anticipate the actions of residents on other floors. At about 1 a.m., a group of male freshmen on the seventh floor stormed their R.A.’s dorm room, screaming, “Give us the air conditioning!” This sparked off a new set of violence on all floors of the hall. By sunrise, the air conditioners in 78 rooms had been forcibly removed and tossed over the balconies. Several cars in the parking lot were damaged. At press time, the damage was estimated at $2 million. The perpetrator of the elevator incident has been booked into Orange County Jail on charges of aggravated assault and disturbing the peace.
Twenty-six students have been seen at UNC Hospitals with varying degrees of injury, ranging from cuts and scrapes to a concussion. All students have been treated and released. Chapel Hill and University police are working each floor of Hinton James, trying to find additional rioters.
When conditions finally calmed down at Hinton James early Saturday morning, residents emerged from their rooms to inspect the damage. Broken glass and ceiling tiles lined the hallways. Some students expressed concern at the possibility of asbestos leaking from the ceiling. But despite seeing their residence hall in ruins, many students were optimistic about the future of Hinton James.
“I can’t believe anyone would do something like this,” said one fifth floor sophomore who asked not to be identified. “We may have to deal with no air conditioning and the elevators on a daily basis, but this is still home. People should still show respect.” She was one of a group of over 100 James residents that gave up their Saturday to clean up debris.
Another resident told of her fear during the riots. “My roommate and I, we just shut the door and tried to stay calm even though we heard all kinds of crashing and yelling outside,” she said. “It was pretty loud in the parking lot, too, but we couldn’t close the window or we would have fried.”
Student Body President Nic Heinke was surprised to hear of the events late Friday and early Saturday, but was not concerned that this incident would inspire any copycats.
“What you have here is just a situation that spun out of control. Extreme frustration led to anger and violence. This is one isolated incident and will dealt with in a way that will not encourage this behavior in any respect,” he said.
University officials echoed Heinke’s sentiments. After those responsible are dealt with in the criminal courts, they will most likely be dismissed from the University. Meanwhile, counselors have been brought in to help James residents deal with the wave of violence and help those still having adjustment difficulties.
Sunday, life seemed to return to normal. While many were still shaken by the recent events, others were amused.
“Damn, I’m surprised something like this hasn’t happened before,” laughed one first floor resident. “The conditions in this place are horrible. They just expect us to adjust?”
Repairs are expected to take six to eight weeks.
