Laurels to people who tear themselves away from family, home and work to serve their country. South Rowan High School showed its appreciation Thursday for assistant football coach Barry Lipscomb, who is about to do just that, going to the Middle East with his Army National Guard unit. The school sent him off with a lively rally in the gym. This will be Lipscomb’s second tour of duty; he has already been to Iraq for 14 months. His wife and two children no doubt will be eager for him to return safely from this deployment ó as will his football players and others at South. This brings home to students the seriousness of the war and the sacrifices people make. When it comes to learning about serving the country, Lipscomb is a strong role model.- – –
Dart to the likelihood of tuition increases for many University of North Carolina students, even as people struggle to pay current bills. UNC-Chapel Hill has already approved a 6.5 percent tuition hike for in-state, undergraduate students, while out-of-state undergraduates will pay 5.6 percent more under the plan approved this week. Other fees will increase by about $75 per student. Yes, colleges and universities are facing the same pinch that confronts many households. Operating expenses and personnel costs are rising, and projected state revenues mean that higher-education allocations aren’t likely to get a major boost any time soon. Still, this is a particularly bad time to propose hiking college costs. UNC-Chapel Hill and other university system schools should do what most everyone else is having to do: Hold the line on spending until the economic climate improves, even if it means paring down expansion projects.
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Laurels to the people behind the scenes who are working on next Wednesday’s Holiday Caravan ó and every other parade that has become part of Christmas tradition. The Holiday Caravan has been wending its way from Spencer to Salisbury for almost 50 years. Actually, it’s a straight shot, but if you could see the way the floats, bands and other entries line up on the streets of Spencer beforehand, you’d realize what an organizational marvel a large parade is. The parade is Wednesday, starting at 2 p.m. in Spencer and 3 p.m. in Salisbury. Don’t miss it.