Hate crimes forum Thursday afternoon

A UNC commission considering a possible student conduct policy on hate crimes will hold a public forum Thursday to hear people's concerns and perspectives about the issue.

The forum will take place at 1 p.m. in the board room of the Spangler Center, 910 Raleigh Road in Chapel Hill.

UNC system President Erskine Bowles created the commission in the wake of threatening, racist graffiti about President-elect Barack Obama that four students painted in the Free Expression Tunnel at N.C. State University.

The panel will advise Bowles on whether a university-wide policy addressing hate crimes and acts of violence and intimidation should be recommended to the UNC Board of Governors.

The 11-member commission, which includes students, staff and faculty, also will consider the development of a university-wide requirement for diversity orientation for all first-time students.

The panel will give its recommendations to Bowles by March 31.

People wishing to speak at the forum are urged to register. Prospective speakers should forward their requests, including name, organization, address, telephone number, and e-mail address, to Commission Chairman Harold Martin at study_commission@northcarolina.edu.

Forum speakers will be asked to limit their public comments to five minutes but may file more extensive written statements with the commission.

Those unable to attend the forum also may forward input to the commission at study_commission@northcarolina.edu.

-- From staff reports

UNC sleuths target online alcohol sales

UNC cyber-detectives are heading out on a new quest to track down underage sin.

Students between 18 and 20 -- under academic and legal supervision -- will be recruited for a $400,000 study later this year to test how easy it is to order alcohol from the Web. The same researchers running the alcohol study helped put a major dent in online cigarette sales to minors with similar tests earlier this decade.

The number of underage people who buy booze over the Internet is a matter of controversy. But at some sites, a mouse click asserting that a buyer is 21 appears to be the only proof a minor needs to buy liquor, wine or beer. Offshore locations, variations in law from state to state, and the chance to avoid sales tax have all contributed to the growth of online alcohol-marketing sites.

"They don't do enough to keep underage people from buying," said Laura Borders, 18, a N.C. School of Science and Mathematics senior who's doing a preliminary survey of sites for the project.

UNC researchers Rebecca Williams and Kurt Ribisl have secured the $400,000, three-year grant from the nonprofit Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to attempt underage purchases from as many as 100 Internet alcohol sellers.

In the study, UNC students will be given immunity by prosecutors, then order alcohol from Web sites to see how well the sites determine buyers' ages.

-- Staff writer Thomas Goldsmith

DURHAM

Duke follows UNC with rentable cars

Zipcar, which is described as the world's largest car-sharing company, has arrived at Duke University.

Four self-service vehicles are available for rent on Duke's West Campus: two hybrid Toyota Priuses and two Toyota Matrixes.

Chuck Catotti, director of event management at Duke, said the "green" aspects of the program give people who want to reduce their carbon footprint more transportation choices.

"When you talk to people about why they can't consider alternative transportation, people often have lots of reasons," said Catotti, who oversees parking and transportation services. "This is one of the ways that help lower the barriers for being able to participate in alternative transportation."

In Chapel Hill, UNC has had Zipcars since 2004.

To join Zipcar at Duke, users pay a $35 registration fee that is applied as a credit toward reservations in the first month. The cost to reserve a car is $8 per hour or $66 per day. Fuel, maintenance and insurance are included.

-- From staff reports