news-record.com

Learning to get along

Back in 2003-04, High Point police spent an inordinate amount of time dealing with unrest on the T. Wingate Andrews High School campus. Fights and disturbances were commonplace.

But with some help from the National Conference for Community and Justice of the Piedmont Triad, chaos has given way to calm.

City Manager Strib Boynton told the High Point Enterprise that the $60,000 the city has spent over several years on the NCCJ Any-town summer leadership program has paid off.

Just by getting kids from different ethnic and cultural backgrounds to communicate can help head off campus confrontations.

Early voting under way    

Think about voting early, but not too early.

Starting last Thursday and continuing through Oct. 30, voters wanting to cast ballots before Election Day can vote at the county courthouse in Greensboro and elections board office in High Point.

Oct. 24-30, they also can vote at a number of senior and recreation centers in both cities as well as the Guilford County Agricultural Center on Burlington Road. For an online map and details, see news-record.com/news/early voting.

However, those going to the polls before Nov. 2 should be sure they have the information necessary to make wise decisions. Several candidate forums and a third U.S. Senate candidates’ debate are still to be held, as well as endorsements made by various organizations and publications.

Convenience is important, but so is feeling comfortable about pulling that voting machine lever.

Politics and wildlife

Were you looking for a copy of Wildlife in North Carolina, a magazine published by the N.C. Wildlife Commission, last week?

It was made unavailable — briefly — because officials were unhappy with the editor’s response to a letter critical of Gov. Bev Perdue.

The drastic reaction by commission Director Gordon Meyers and Chairman Steve Windham, a Perdue appointee, made it look as though politics was influencing editorial judgment. The public shouldn’t be paying for that sort of mischief.

The governor didn’t approve, according to a spokeswoman, and the magazine was returned to circulation — a happy ending to the story, until the next dumb move by someone in Raleigh.

Spiffing up at GTCC

The GTCC Board of Trustees had good reasons to issue new policies in three areas last week: student dress, student identification and smoking.

The dress code calls on common sense rather than setting strict regulations. Student attire should respect the “serious academic intent of the college.” The message should be clear to anyone who gives it some thought: Don’t dress like a slob. Look as if you’re here to get an education, and after that a job.

Asking students to carry student identification at all times on campus is a security measure. It discourages people who don’t belong from hanging out and potentially causing problems.

The trustees also acted to bar smoking even from outdoor areas that previously were designated for smoking. It will be a cleaner, healthier campus without discarded cigarette butts or clouds of smoke drifting through the air.

The environment at all GTCC campuses should be marked by courtesy and professionalism. The trustees took steps to polish GTCC’s image and appearance.