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LETTERS
A Defining Moment:
UNC and the NCAA
If, as Chancellor Thorp said in reference
to the football scandal, “we will not let these
mistakes define us,” actions will speak louder
than words. How the University responds to
this will tell the world where our priorities
truly are.
The football program will recover. If we
ignore this problem, our University’s reputation might not.
David B. Scott ’70
Lake Waccamaw
n n n
The situation at Chapel Hill is probably
just as prevalent at Alabama, Notre Dame,
Louisville, or at any other major college.
We just got caught.
A partial solution is for the NCAA to
adopt a policy that would require any student attending the university under an athletic scholarship to pay the university 15 percent of his first year’s earnings under a
professional contract if he did not complete
his junior year. There would be no penalty
for not completing the senior year. Another
good rule would be for any team to participate in a bowl game they would have to win
at least seven of its regular-season games. We
are jaded with an excess of bowl games; and
a 6-6 record should not be acceptable.
The University is in the business of
education. This does not imply that athletes
should be rocket scientists or doctors but
only that they be able to perform well
within our business/social structure. Unfortunately, they do not see that when they
are 20 years old.
Philip Gamble ’58
Charlotte
n n n
Throughout this NCAA investigation, I
often wondered whether John Bunting
allowed himself a secret smile? Although
Bunting’s record was abysmal, at least his
players and program were clean. Maybe
Coach Davis and staff could learn a lesson
or two from him? Is this the price we pay
for a winning program? I hope not.
Elizabeth Cloninger Gamiel ’91
Manteo
n n n
Speaking as a long-devoted UNC football supporter, I had great hopes for the team
this year. However, I am surprised that these
players are permitted to return at all. The
Carolina sports tradition has always stood out
with respect to character and class. This situation is an opportunity to refresh that image.
Larry Robertshaw ’64
Green Valley, Ariz.
Editor’s note: Many readers have expressed
thoughts about the investigations of UNC’s
football program; some contacted the Review,
others posted comments on the GAA’s Facebook page. For more, see alumni.unc.edu/
letters and www.facebook.com/uncgaa.
Feature coverage in this issue explores how academic advising and the Honor Court work at
Carolina, how this season’s news has unfolded
so far and a look at how Carolina faced a
similar situation in 1961.
Welcome Back, Rat
Dear Diane: Please let us know when
you open! We will be there! The Rat was
where we had our first date — over 52
years ago! We still remember the table in
The Cave where we sat! The atmosphere
must have worked (and all three of our
daughters were smart enough to graduate
from UNC and two chose husbands who
did as well). Congratulations on bringing
back a real Chapel Hill institution.
Alfred ’53 and Harriette Weinstein
Raleigh
n n n
Please serve apple pie with cheese!
Nancy Henderson Russell ’74
Lewisville
n n n
I am thrilled to hear that someone is
trying to reopen the Rat! I have many
fond memories of eating there in the early
’70s and have already taught my daughter
How to reach us
Offices: (919) 962-1208
Fax: (919) 962-0010
E-mail: CAR@unc.edu
Web: alumni.unc.edu
Mail: P.O. Box 660
Chapel Hill, N.C. 27514
Updates with news about the University and
the GAA can be found on the GAA’s website
at alumni.unc.edu.
that it’s the place to eat before a football
game. We were so sad when it closed.
As a retired Air Force officer, I must
report how the Rat played a part in my
military career. While on flying status I was
required to have three questions that could
be asked in case my plane went down in
dangerous territory and I needed to identify myself. One of my questions was,
“What is a gambler?” and the answer was,
of course, “A greasy steak from the Rat in
Chapel Hill.” It was an inside joke until
one year when I encountered another
UNC graduate who persuaded me that too
many people had heard of the famous
Gambler and I should change my question
to something tougher to figure out.
Long live the Rat!
Carol Deason McDowell ’74
Elkin
These letters were in response to an online
news report from “Out of the Blue,” the
GAA’s e-newsletter. The article also appears
in this issue on page 4.
Remembering a Governor
Who Fought for the University
I read with great interest the article
“When Chapel Hill Lost Its Purpose”
(July/August 2010). The Republicans and
Gov. Tod Caldwell (class of 1840) have
always gotten the blame for closing the
University in 1871. It was, however, the
white supremacist Democrats who bear
most of the responsibility, including one of
our heroes — Cornelia Phillips Spencer —
“The Woman Who Rang the Bell.” Her
caustic public letters, written anonymously
to the Raleigh Sentinel, were responsible
for much of the ill-will the public harbored
for the University and the Republican-appointed trustees and faculty. The Democrats were determined that the Republicans
would not succeed in keeping the institution open. The previous Board of Trustees
had incurred most of the debt before the
Republicans came to power, and it was the
debt that forced the University’s closure.
Caldwell’s efforts to reopen the University were thwarted by the Democrats, particularly after they gained control of the
Legislature in the election of 1872. Caldwell actually was responsible for saving the
University from its creditors by successfully
