How to Eat a Mango

You always know the whereabouts of the riverbeds. You can see them coming, still far off in the distance as you make your way forward on your bone-jarring journey across Eastern Chad. The rivers – dry, of course – are highlighted on the horizon by the long line of lush green mango trees that seem to rise out of nowhere. Sucking sustenance from some deep water table lying dormant under the earth’s sandy floor, they grow together in mighty groves stretching as far as the eye can see. Once among them, the air changes and you can sense it. It gets cooler, fresher and is laced with a sweet fragrance that lingers above the carpet of dried leaves. You can raise your eyes without squinting and listen to the foreign sounds of monkeys rustling in treetops. Up above, you hear the creaking of a limb straining under the weight of its treasure – mangos!

These plump, juicy and fibrous fruits have been called many things throughout the ages, including such portentous titles as “fruit of the gods.” I don’t doubt that ancient mythological creatures would treasure the sweetness and sense of fulfillment one gets from devouring a ripe mango, but I am skeptical that they would actually eat one for fear of getting their hands sticky and staining their white robes.

After personally enjoying mangos on four different continents, I have come to the conclusion that the world lacks some serious mango know-how. I have seen people try to peel it, chop it, rip into it and all have managed to get themselves incredibly messy. Please, allow me to explain the best way to eat a mango, learned from the experts themselves in the dry riverbeds of Eastern Chad.

Step 1: Get a mango. Big, juicy and ripe (otherwise they are kind of sour). Look for the ones that are starting to turn reddish or yellow and not just solid green. Avoid the ones with maggots.

Step 2: Get a knife. Doesn’t have to be big, just effective.

Step 3: Stand the mango upright on a hard surface. Each mango has a broad side and a narrow side – point the narrow side towards you.

Step 4: Carefully cut off one entire broad side of the fruit. Position the knife just off-center (to avoid the hard inner core) and in one clean stroke, go from top to bottom.

Step 5: Cut the half of mango by making deep cuts in a criss-cross pattern (like tic-tac-toe). Don’t cut the skin, but go deep enough to separate the “meat” into little squares.

Step 6: Grab the cut half and flip it inside-out. Push the outer edges back and the center toward you. This will make the squares “pop out” and stand ready to be eaten. Enjoy.

Step 7: Repeat steps 3 through 6 with the other side of the mango. Enjoy again.

Step 8: With the knife, carefully peel off the skin from the remaining core.

Step 9: Hold the core in the middle with your hand and eat the fruit around the edge, similar to biting the crust off a piece of bread. Now, you have eaten an entire mango with very little mess.

Step 10: Get out the dental floss and remove the hundreds of fibers stuck between your teeth, rinse your hands and wipe your smiling face.

These 10 steps have provided many hours of succulent bliss in my life and I am glad to share them here. Unfortunately, with the current chaos and violence wreaking havoc on the areas of Eastern Chad and Darfur, there is little time to enjoy the simply pleasures provided by the mango. These lands are embroiled in what the UN calls the “world’s worst humanitarian crisis" and all food is now scarily scarce. More than 200,000 people have already died and millions more are on the verge.

We can help. We can restore peace, justice and hope to this land and its beautiful people. We can assist my friends and their families return to enjoying the simple fruits of life. For a list of things you can do, check out the 20 WAYS I CAN HELP link on the right side of this page.

Our great big world...

One of my most memorable New Year’s Eve celebrations in my young life was the one at the turn of the millennium. While the rest of the world was trying to outdo their neighbors in either Y2K panic or frenzied jubilation, my family was packing our bags for a special, one-night vacation.

We quickly loaded our clothes and toiletries, eager to get on the road and experience one of the biggest events of our lifetime - the change of the millennium. Our excitement would have you think we were headed to New York City, or Paris or Sydney to ring in the year 2000 with millions of other revelers. But this was not the case – we were going someplace better. We were headed all the way across town to the unoccupied house of an aid worker friend.

Why was this house special? For starters, the aid compound had electricity. With this privileged existence came the real prize – satellite TV. We bundled ourselves into our rough and tumble 4x4 and drove through the dusty town as evening fell. We quickly settled in to our home away from home and immediately turned on CNN International. My family gathered in front of the flickering screen, soaking up the images of the outside world and its rich diversity of celebrations. We saw amazing fireworks, huge parades and extravagant shows. Outside, the donkey started braying. We saw people dressed in their glitz and glamour braving the cold to giddily grip their microphones. Through our window came the far-off wailing of a Muslim call to prayer. As CNN’s coverage flew us around the world to witness noisy celebrations, we gathered together as a family on the concrete floors and lit a few quiet, orange candles.

As midnight struck, we sat around illuminated by the twin glows of our candles and the TV and enjoyed being a part of the great big, beautiful human race. It was fun to feel a part of something spectacular even though it stood in stark contrast to the reality of life in Chad. But despite the fun being held elsewhere, as I looked outside my screen door, I remember thinking – there is no other place I would rather be than right here, right now. I love my family and I love Africa.

Small steps

I had the pleasure of teaming with the UNC-G chapter of STAND for their DarfurFast evening on Dec. 5. The event consisted of two presenters (myself included) and two musical acts. It was held at a cool community space known as The Hive in Greensboro, NC. Although small, the evening was meaningful and the entertainment very good.

The Hive was hard to find and in a not-so-good part of town. However, the light from within the room shone into the street and welcomed us in. Standing outside briefly, I noticed people would stop on the sidewalk and be drawn into the happenings indoor – people who are now aware of the tragedy in Darfur only because they were strolling by.

Although the crowd was small in number, they were engaged and asking good questions. To me, this is more important than having hundreds of disinterested people simply being nice to you as you speak! DarfurFast in general was a huge success, raising hundreds of thousands of dollars across the country to fund protection campaigns in Chad and Sudan.

Kudos to the organizers for persevering and for doing something, even a small something, to help bring the Darfur crisis one more step closer to ending.

DarfurFast

On December 5th, students around the world will ask their peers, families, and communities to join them in DarfurFast by fasting from one luxury item for one day and donating the money they would have spent on those items to protect civilians in Darfur. Just three dollars– less than the cost of a latte– can provide protection for one woman for a year.

For more about this international campaign led by students, go to www.standnow.org/darfurfast

On a personal note, I have been invited to speak at a DarfurFast event in Greensboro, N.C., that evening at 7;30 p.m. Sponsored by the UNC-G STAND chapter, this event will include a mixture of music, art and awareness. For more information, email standuncg [at] gmail [dot] com.

Hope to see you there!

The danger of doing good

Here’s an interesting recent development in my former hometown of Abeche.

Several members of a French agency have been detained in Abeche due to the accusation of child trafficking. The French agency, Zoe’s Ark, is being accused of illegally trying to export hundreds of children back to France. France, UNICEF and Chad have all denounced this “rescue mission” and are pressing criminal charges. Meanwhile, hundreds of host families were waiting pointlessly at an airport in France to receive a Darfur orphan. Officials contend that some of the children are not from Darfur and some are not orphans – but most importantly, they say Zoe’s Ark did not follow international law governing the movement of children.

Read more about this in the UK’s Times newspaper.

I do not know this group and cannot say whether their motives were good or evil, but either way, this is a gravely unfortunate situation and illustrates the danger of inexperienced people trying to “do good.” Humanitarian work needs to be left up to the professionals.

I remember when an American mega-church raised thousands of dollars and sent the pastor over to my town in Chad to “do good.” The pastor was clueless to the local culture, local needs and was more intent on giving the money then thinking carefully about the consequences. He dropped into town unannounced, gave all the money to a local pastor with instructions to do good, and then left. Five days later, the local pastor was gone and so was all that money.

In our rush to come to the aid of people (which is a very good thing, by the way) we can sometimes act without thinking. I would like to assume that this is the case with Zoe’s Ark – a group of generous people with good intentions rushing ahead without playing by the rules. My prayers are with these children, no matter where they end up in this world.

Darfur peace talks open in Libya

Today, key UN and other international leaders are meeting in Libya to begin official peace negotiations to try to end the long-running conflict in Darfur. However, many people are calling the negotiations futile and doomed since the main rebel group’s leader pulled out before it started. It is true that there is severe intra-fighting between the splintered rebel groups and no one voice that speaks for the people of Darfur. That fact makes a comprehensive peace agreement virtually impossible. But is all really lost before it’s even started?

If one views peace talks like a win-lose situation (like a sports game) where the win is a piece of paper with everyone’s signature promising everlasting peace, then, yes, these talks are doomed.

But instead of viewing the peace talks like a sports game, let’s view them as a medical conference. Here, talented men and women with experience in international diplomacy can get together and put their heads together to come up with a long-lasting cure. We must share ideas, listen to the opposite sides and then push for action. So much can happen when people get together around a common goal.

I would much rather they have “doomed” peace talks than no peace talks at all.

The Picture

This picture from my childhood strikes a chord deep inside me. It makes me wonder what has happened to my young, carefree friends in the picture. Our dreams were filled with optimism - not murder and mutilation. Without the luxury of escaping the violence like me, have they been murdered? Are they hiding in the wilderness? Have they joined the fight? Do they have families and are their families safe? These are the burning questions that I want answered. I want to track them down, find them, and tell their stories. Can you help me?

PRNews Award = Wider Audiences

As I said in a post not too long ago, I am in the business of sharing stories. I do this at work during the day and on behalf of my friends in Darfur every other second that I can.

One of the founders of the public relations (PR) industry said “the essence of PR is doing good and telling others about it.” I believe this is true – but in the case of Darfur, someone is doing something very bad and I’m telling about it. I enjoy taking a complicated subject and making it something that can be understood and acted upon.

As I get to learn and grow as a communicator, I have been given the opportunity to speak to larger audiences. Recently, the international PR industry magazine – PRNews – named me one of the “15-to-Watch Best Young PR Stars” in the country. I am honored and humbled…. and really excited at using this recognition to reach wider audiences with my message. I am not someone special, but I have the privilege of serving a great God, having a great family and working with a great team.

To read the press release by the University of North Carolina, click here.

Nighttime Ritual

The soft glow of the moon outlined the four beds lined up like soldiers at attention as I slowly began my nighttime ritual.
First, I walked outside my house and headed to my bed, stepping through the cool sand and avoiding a few wayward bricks. I passed the large queen-sized bed that belonged to my parents, past two identical twin beds with matching pink sheets for my sisters and continued down the line until I finally reached my own wooden frame. Once there I made sure the inch-thick wooden slats were all aligned evenly to prevent uncomfortable holes from developing in the night.

I slowly unfurled my dusty, flat mattress that had been rolled like a taco all day long to prevent the harsh sun from baking the sheets all day. The mattress, with its color faded from green to white, was long overdue for a refill of cotton and was thinning badly – leaving walnut-sized lumps eager to destroy a good night’s sleep.

A quick shake of the sheets to brush off any insects and leaves that might have accumulated during daylight was followed by a swift deployment of the overhead mosquito net. Taking great care to never lift a corner of the netting once it was unfurled, I slowly tucked it in with sheets under my bed. Now my flimsy fortress was complete.

Slipping my hand under the middle edge of the bed I undid the tucked netting and slithered my body inside, as if I was sneaking under a fence. Once my torso was inside, I spun and sat on the edge of the bed with the netting secured tightly around my legs to deny access to any adventurous bug. Lifting one foot after the other, I brushed off the sand and brought each leg into the safety of my cave.

Once safely inside, I gave a quick survey of the area and pounced upon a wayward cricket that, despite my best efforts, still had managed to sneak inside my mosquito net. Once he was put in his place (on the other side of the netting) I was finally free to relax and lay my head against my board-like pillow.

Snuggling under the sheets heated from the sun and feeling the cool African breeze against my cheeks was a great feeling. As I concluded my nighttime ritual, I gave one more look up at the brilliant night sky, said a prayer, and drifted off to sleep.

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For ways to help stop the violence in Darfur, click on the 20 WAYS I CAN HELP link to the right.

Sharing the Story

Numbers have a way of numbing people. Statistics bombard us about everything, from how many out of ten dentists recommend a certain product to the gruesome statistics of genocide. It’s too easy to distance ourselves from the horror when it’s couched in numbers – that’s why I tell stories.

Stories have the ability to draw an audience closer to a topic than anything else. Stories bring humanity to pain and context for atrocities. It is much harder to ignore something once you care for it.

I jump at every opportunity to share my story of growing up in Chad on the border with the Darfur region of Sudan. The latest chance was with a local newspaper, the Cary News. The Sept. 4, 2007, edition contained a profile of my childhood and a rather interesting photograph of me in traditional clothing!

To read the Cary News article about me, click here, or go to www.carynews.com and check out the Names & Faces section under the Arts section.

This article has sparked several follow-up conversations, which is the point of sharing my story in the first place. Due to this article, several local groups are going to learn more about the crisis facing my friends in Africa and a local high school has a mentor for his senior project of raising awareness about Darfur in his neighborhood. Stories have a way of building upon themselves.

Compassion Permanence

If I were to hold up a pen in front of you and ask whether or not it exists, you would reply with a resounding “yes!” If I moved the pen behind my back and out of sight and asked the same question, I would get the same response. How do you know the pen exists even though you can no longer see it? The reason is that you and I, as adults, have grasped the concept of object permanence. We know that just because it’s not right in front of us doesn’t mean it fails to exist.

Babies, on the other hand, have zero capacity for object permanence. Once a brightly colored toy is not in front of them, the object ceases to exist for them (as far as child psychologists can determine). Out of sight, out of mind.

Too often, we as humans treat injustice the same way as the baby treats a toy. If it’s not in front of us and does not directly involve us, then it ceases to exist or matter. As mature global citizens we must develop a sense of compassion permanence. We must be able to consciously engage a broken world and the injustice in it even when it’s not right in front of us.

Countless mass atrocities, human rights abuses and lives could have been saved throughout history if only individuals had not looked the other way. This is our world – we must engage it.

The debate

So, many of you are probably wondering if my video question was used in Monday night’s CNN/YouTube Democrat Presidential Candidate Debate. The short answer is no, it wasn’t. However, much to my delight, the issue of Darfur was addressed by using equally impressive and emotional video questions from aid workers in Chad. The real victory is that for five minutes, the “entire” world watched US presidential candidates react to the issue of Darfur. This is quite impressive – the crisis facing the African villages where I grew up is now valued enough to take time in a nationally televised debate to address it.

Here is a brief rundown of what I observed during some of their answers:
Gov. Richardson – A strong, steady advocate who would prefer to use the UN to achieve peace in Darfur. He advocated a permanent UN troop presence, with soldiers coming from Muslim countries. He sees “doing right in Darfur” as a way of restoring America’s leadership in the world.

Sen. Biden – Very outspoken against the genocide and showed true emotion while passionately addressing the crowd. He obviously has little patience for diplomacy and is an advocate of swift action (what action was not clear). “These children will be dead by the time diplomacy takes it course” was one of his quotes.

Sen. Clinton – Wants to “act and not talk.” Not as passionate as the others, but proved she has given the issue real thought by throwing out many possible actions, including a no-fly zone led by NATO and supported by the US, targeted divestment, increased sanctions and more. She said US ground troops were not needed but did advocate using US logistical support for the AU/UN mission.

Whirlwind Week

When I posted my CNN/YouTube debate question two weeks ago, I had no idea what it would spark. The video question caught the attention of the YouTube.com Political Editor and before I could hardly blink, I was asked to be interviewed live on CNN.

Last Wednesday, I had the privilege of going on national primetime TV and sharing my passion for saving my friends in Darfur. The experience was both surreal (sitting in a cold room speaking to the voice in my ear) and exciting (spreading an important message, even if for just a few seconds).

The response from that interview has been impressive. Many people were genuinely moved and encouraged by the interview and reached out to me to let me know. I have had a nurse tell me she has found her life’s calling after seeing me, a missionary kid share deep secrets, a newspaper contact me about writing a feature piece and a theatre director in London call for an interview. I also did an interview with the local 24-hour news channel, News 14 Carolina. This aired on Friday and over the weekend as part of their Presidential Debate coverage.

Granted, it is nice to receive the many encouraging emails and phone calls – but what means more to me is the fact that Darfur was placed on the national and local agenda for at least one week and prompted genuine, strong reactions from people as they discovered the truth.

Purpose of this blog

I write this blog not only to provide the occasional commentary on world events pertaining to Darfur, but also to share the stories of life in Darfur as I knew it before the genocide began. My hope is that these creative pieces will grab your attention and make you want to learn more about this region and its wonderful people. They are all based on real life events or people I knew as I lived and played in Eastern Chad.

To save you the trouble of scrolling through months of posts, here is a list of some of my more creative pieces:
A Night Without Gunfire
Evacuation Is Not An Option
The Water Boys
When Is A Chicken Worth Its Weight In Gold?
A Tale of Two Girls
How To Catch A Bat

CNN/You Tube Debates

I have submitted a question for the upcoming Democratic Candidate Presidential Debate on CNN. They are accepting video questions via YouTube and so I thought I would give it a shot. I apologize for the crummy resolution, but my only video camera was on my digital still camera.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LvR6kFrzAA4

Bush sets sanctions, Democrats spar

A lot of happened recently with regards to the US response to my friends dying in Darfur. First of all, the anticipated Plan B from President Bush arrived with much fanfare and sanctions. I personally was extremely pleased to see Bush talking about Darfur in a major speech. However, the flood of emails from activist organizations post-speech suggest they believe he is still not doing enough. I believe that as long as America is going alone in this, my friends are still going to die.

On the other side of the political spectrum, the Democratic presidential nominees sparred in a recent CNN debate over what they would do in Darfur. Joe Biden came across the most resolute in his desire to stop the violence and Bill Richardson once again demonstrated his real concern for the area. The other candidates seemed more intent on not committing anything or not getting tricked by the "all raise hands" questions than on saving my friends. At one point, when asked about military force they all balked in a loud cacophony of protest.

The truth is, the Democrats have one message to use to beat the Republicans - that Iraq was a mistake and we must pull out - that even considering using force in Darfur could "hurt" their race. It was sad to see them squabble over petty differences and avoid standing up for my friends.

20 WAYS I CAN HELP

A resource guide for North Carolinians seeking to fight injustice in Darfur.

Excellent General Resources:
Save Darfur Coalition: www.savedarfur.org
Genocide Intervention Network: www.genocideintervention.net
US Holocaust Memorial Museum: www.ushmm.org/conscience

LEARN
1. Although there is a serious lack of media coverage, some can be found if you look hard enough. Seek out media reports on the area:
BBC: http://news.bbc.co.uk/Africa
CNN: www.cnn.com/WORLD/africa
African media: www.AllAfrica.com

2. Get current news directly from agencies working in Darfur:
Reuter’s humanitarian agency news: www.alertnet.org
World Vision: www.worldvision.org
Amnesty International: http://news.amnesty.org/regions/AFR

3. Browse online journals (blogs):
www.DyingintheDust.com (my personal site)
www.passionofthepresent.com
www.coalitionfordarfur.blogspot.com
Search Google Blogs for posts on Darfur

4. Sign up for alerts from any of the three “general resources” above.

ATTEND
Seek out events about Darfur in our community
5. Check out events calendar on www.savedarfur.com

6. Join groups on social networking sites such as Facebook.com, Meetup.com and MySpace.com and subscribe to email distribution lists. http://sudanpeace.meetup.com/84/?gj=sj3

EDUCATE/VOLUNTEER
Don’t keep it to yourself – share!
7. Share what you are learning with your family, closest friends and Bible Study members.
-Darfur on Google Earth for “techies”
-MTVU for teens

8. Plan a fundraising event
5K Run, Dimes for Darfur, classic fundraisers, etc.
www.genocideintervention.net/fundraising

9. Plan an awareness event
-Darfur Stories – a theatre piece www.darfurstories.org
-Film showings (Hotel Rwanda), Dinners for Darfur, Dream for Darfur gatherings
-Publish it: www.savedarfur.org
-Check out the event planning guides from the “general” resources

LOBBY
10. 1-800-GENOCIDE (easy to use system tells you the latest talking points and automatically connects you with your elected official)

11. Encourage your senators to support the Darfur Accountability and Divestment Act (DADA) which passed the House of Representatives 418-1 on July 31, 2007.
Senator Elizabeth Dole (R-NC): 202-224-6342, dole.senate.gov
Senator Richard Burr (R-NC): 202-224-3154, burr.senate.gov

12. Stay current on how all elected officials are doing: www.DarfurScores.org
U.S. Rep David Price (D-NC4): (202) 225-1784
U.S. Rep Brad Miller (D-NC13): (202) 225-3032

Highlight
13. Generate press coverage of your events and the crisis
-Issue press releases, media advisories prior to event
14. Make sure the crisis is covered in the news when important events occur
-Write a guest editorial for a newspaper
-Write a Letter to the Editor in response to an article
15. Publish posts online about the crisis or in magazines

Contribute
16. Provide funding for the humanitarian missions
Great list of groups on BBC: How to help. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/3793577.stm
17. Provide funding for security/protection missions
Genocide Intervention Network provides funding for “non-lethal” security aid
18. Provide support for missionaries working in the area
WEC International (USA) www.wec-usa.org

Divest
19. Make sure you are not unintentionally funding genocide. www.sudandivestment.org

Pray
20. Never underestimate the power of prayer. Make lifting up Darfur a regular part of your prayer life.

SMALL STEPS LEAD TO BIG CHANGE

Crisis or cash cow?

The Sudanese government recently refused to allow the World Food Programme to bring 100,000 metric tons of sorghum flour into the country to feed the Darfur refugees. The reason was that the government claimed the sorghum was genetically modified, or GM. First of all, there is no such thing as genetically modified sorghum in the world today. Second of all, even if there was – why would the government object to the food needed to keep its own citizens alive?

The real reason behind the Sudanese government’s attempt to blockade this sorghum is because it is trying to pressure the WFP to buy the flour from Sudan. In other words – the Sudanese government wants to make a profit off of this disaster.

In my mind, I have to wonder that if the Sudanese government has the sorghum supplies available to gladly sell to WFP, why isn’t the government using it to aid the plight of its people? If supplies exist then why is there a famine? I believe it’s just one more indication of the marginalization of Darfur by the central government and the root cause of this crisis.

I am glad the WFP stood firm and insisted on bringing in its flour. For starters, the claims that it was GM were false. Secondly, with the rainy season approaching, it is imperative that all the supplies for the next three months arrive early. And thirdly, it would be self-defeating to allow the Sudanese government to make a profit off this refugee crisis. What motivation would the government have to stop the fighting and allow refugees to return home? The war would be a cash cow and we would have no choice but to pay up or lose lives. Instead, we have to make it financially difficult for Sudan to justify supporting the crisis and delaying aid to its own people.

Thoughts?

Virginia Tech & Darfur

Yesterday, more than 30 people were killed at point blank range for no reason. These innocent had done nothing to provoke this violence and the brutal massacre came as a surprise, prompting terror in neighbors and forcing young men and women to flee. I am not referring to the recent tragic events at Virginia Tech – I am talking about the village of Tiero in Eastern Chad.

Our nation is fixated on the grief, shock and terror of the senseless shooting at Virginia Tech, which has stolen the lives of 30 college students. In Tiero, more than 400 men, women and children were massacred simply for having the wrong color skin. This recent massacre in Chad, more than ten times as large as the massacre at Virginia Tech, is a result of the spreading violence from Sudan’s Darfur region into Chad.

This genocide in Darfur has been called the “world’s worst humanitarian crisis” and over 300,000 people have been murdered over the last few years. More than 2.5 million have been forced to flee and are on the verge of starvation. The rainy season is approaching and major non-governmental organizations like OXFAM are expressing their deep concern that the rains will prevent delivering aid to these desperate millions.

We are rightly angered at the fate of the VaTech students and our whole nation is rocked with grief. Imagine this grief multiplied and spread out across an area the size of Texas. Imagine that the gunman responsible for the Tech murders was still on the loose and every two hours more people were slaughtered. The terror that we would feel and the demand for swift action would be next to none. And yet – we as Americans are content to let the terror and slaughter continue to our brothers and sisters in Darfur.

Over the next few weeks we will all ask questions about the tragedy at Virginia Tech and we will all search for some meaning. Perhaps the greatest testimony and honor we can give to the US college victims is to use this sad day to catapault the Western world into action to prevent more of these daily massacres in Darfur.

Today, my heart mourns for those in Blacksburg, VA, and in Tiero, Chad.

Local media coverage

I could go hoarse screaming at the top of my lungs and still not reach the sheer number of people that the media can. An article in a paper or 20 seconds on TV is so important to saving my friends as the media often "set the agenda" for what people talk about. Getting the media to take notice of Darfur is step one in a global awareness campaign.

To this end, it was encouraging to see a local newspaper journalist at last Sunday's community panel discussion on Darfur. Although this event was not well attended by members of the community, the resulting article reached across many communities and onto the doorsteps of more people than I could ever do in one day.

To read the article in the Chapel Hill Herald, click here.