April 16 , 2007

Carolina in the News

Here is a sampling of links and notes about Carolina people and programs cited recently in the media:

International Coverage

Overfishing large sharks takes the teeth out of marine ecosystem
The Daily Times (Pakistan)
Fewer big sharks in the oceans mean fewer bay scallops and other shellfish, according to an article in the March 30 issue of the journal Science, tying two unlikely links in the food web to the same fate. ..."This ecological event is having a large impact on local communities that depend so much on healthy fisheries," says Charles Peterson, a professor of marine sciences biology and ecology at the Institute of Marine Sciences, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and co-leader of the study.
UNC News Release: http://www.unc.edu/news/archives/mar07/petersonshark032807.html

Early sexual development is a serious issue
The Jamaica Observer
Most parents will admit experiencing anxieties as their children approach normal puberty. ...Research done by Dr. Marcia Herman-Gidden, University of North Carolina, shows that "boys are starting puberty earlier than previously believed and African American children are ahead of other racial groups".
UNC News Release: http://www.unc.edu/news/archives/apr97/puberty2.html

Breathing for better lung health
Scenta.com (United Kingdom)
Scientists have discovered that regular breathing is essential for the health of our lungs while working to find new ways to treat the life-threatening disease of cystic fibrosis (CF). Researchers at the University of North Carolina (UNC) found that the rhythmic motion of the lungs during normal breathing is a critical regulator of the clearance of bacteria and other noxious materials.

National Coverage

DeCode to Offer Genetic Test for Type 2 Diabetes Risk in U.S.
Bloomberg
DeCode Genetics Inc., an Icelandic biotechnology company, will sell the first genetic test for type 2 diabetes risk in the U.S. ...Future tests may help determine whether patients will respond to drugs, diet, or other interventions, said John Buse, a professor of medicine at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill and the ADA's president-elect for medicine and science.

Make yourself happy with positive psychology
Gannet News Service
Sometimes it's hard to be happy in a hell-in-a-handbasket world. ...In a study begun months before the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, Barbara L. Fredrickson, a professor of psychology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, found that people identified as being resilient and optimistic before the tragedy were half as likely to suffer depression afterward as those more pessimistic by nature.

Galaxy's ghostly arms finally explained
Space.com
Scientists have discovered the source of a galaxy's two extra, ghostly spiral arms that show up only in some telescope images, cracking a 45-year-old mystery. ...In 2001, Wilson, Yang and Gerald Cecil of the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, noted that the jets are tipped 30 degrees with respect to the galaxy disk.

Federal Appeals Court Revives Sex-Discrimination Case Against North Carolina Soccer Coach
The Chronicle of Higher Education
A federal appeals court has revived a sexual-harassment lawsuit against one of the highest-profile women's coaches in the NCAA. In an opinion issued last week, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit ruled that Anson Dorrance, who has led the women's soccer program at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to 19 national titles in his 26 years there, can be brought to trial on accusations that he created a sexually hostile environment for members of the team.
UNC Statement: http://www.unc.edu/news/archives/apr07/appealsruling041007.html

Regional Coverage

Blame rests on powerful in Duke case
Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel
It seems an apology is in order. ...Walter Farrell, former professor at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, has been a professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill for several years. In a phone conversation last week, he compared the dynamics surrounding the Duke rape case to his memories of Milwaukee.

Missouri avoids bat debate
Southeast Missourian (Cape Girardeau)
The state's high school association has not discussed metal bat ban. ...Fred Mueller, the director of the National Center for Catastrophic Sport Injury Research at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, said baseball, when stacked against high-impact sports, is considerably safer.

Battle of the brews
Spectator Eau Claire (Wis.)
There's a reason McIntyre Library offers free coffee when students are cramming for final exams - it keeps them alert. But research shows that's not the brew's only benefit. ...In 2006, the Beverage Guidance Panel at the University of North Carolina put unsweetened coffee and tea on Level 2 of its recommendations for Americans' beverage intake, second only to water.
UNC News Release: http://www.unc.edu/news/archives/mar06/healthybeverage030806.htm

'We never saw it coming'
The Middletown Journal (Ohio)
Tina Croucher loved to sing. ...A 2003 study from the University of North Carolina shows that one out of every three teenage girls will be physically or sexually abused before she graduates from high school.

Beach replenishment on ballot in South Nags Head
The Virginian-Pilot (Norfolk)
Whatever the virtue or sins of beach nourishment, the Outer Banks is one of the few resorts along the state's 320-mile coast where the shoreline has not been widened by extensive replenishment projects. ...So does that mean Nags Head's project - with almost half that amount of sand - won't last? That depends on how you look at it, said Charles "Pete" Peterson, marine science professor at UNC-Chapel Hill.

State and Local Coverage

UNC series full of major artists
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
Get out your calendar. Between Aretha Franklin in September and Mitsuko Uchida in May 2008, The Carolina Performing Arts Series at UNC-Chapel Hill may well include a performance you'll want to note in red letters.
UNC News Release: http://www.unc.edu/news/archives/apr07/cpa041007.html

Author Spencer earns award
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
If she needed to impress someone, Elizabeth Spencer could drop a few names. ...Add Bernard Malamud to the list. Spencer, who teaches writing at UNC-Chapel Hill, has been named a recipient of the PEN/Malamud Award, given annually for 20 years for a body of short fiction.

Campus monument a reminder of sacrifices for democracy
The Chapel Hill News
Editor’s note: The following remarks were delivered by William Friday at the dedication for the Carolina Alumni Memorial on Thursday. We gather to dedicate the Carolina Alumni Memorial in memory of those lost in military service. They number 787 noble spirits whose names are inscribed in the Memorial Book that graces this place.
UNC News Release: http://www.unc.edu/news/archives/apr07/memorial041007.html

Program helps kids find the beat
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
Middle schoolers giggled as they knocked their knees together for a West African dance move Friday morning in the Lincoln Center gym. ...On Thursday, they were among the 1,400 students who attended a special matinee performance by the company at UNC-Chapel Hill's Memorial Hall.
UNC Media Advisory: http://www.unc.edu/news/media/2007/ailey041207.html

Ibiblio Builds a Case for Its Support of Groklaw, Which Is Now Target inn SCO Suit Against IBM
WRAL-TV (CBS, Raleigh)
The ongoing SCO-IBM legal case surrounding the dispute about use of Unix code is one of the most important legal issues facing the open source community has strong Triangle connections. ...Groklaw is hosted at iboblio.org, the Internet library created at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and now hosted at MCNC.
UNC News Release: http://www.unc.edu/news/archives/apr07/groklaw041207.html

UNCC wants to cut lender
The Charlotte Observer
UNC Charlotte is seeking to end its contract with one of the loan companies accused by New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo of offering kickbacks to financial aid officers. ..."It's pretty simple," said Shirley Ort, financial aid director at UNC Chapel Hill. "Most lenders just can't touch the benefits of the College Foundation of North Carolina. That's why 99 percent of our student loans at Carolina go through CFNC."
Related link: http://charlotte.com/122/story/84978.html

Numbers of uninsured keep rising (Commentary)
The Charlotte Observer
"It takes a community to address the problems of the uninsured." This quote, taken from Pam Silberman, president and CEO of the N.C. Institute of Medicine, sums up what happens here in Cabarrus County. ...Between 2000 and 2004, the number of uninsured Cabarrus residents grew from 15,394 to 21,507, according to the latest estimates from the Sheps Center for Health Services Research at UNC Chapel Hill.

Study links stress, acne
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
As teenagers prepare for the gantlet of advanced placement tests and year-end exams, they may see the stress erupt on their faces. ..."We're still a long way off from that," said Dr. Dean Morrell, a pediatric dermatologist at UNC Hospitals in Chapel Hill, noting that most dermatologists still rely on the same creams and pills they've used for decades.

To fight racism, end legacy admissions (Opinion-editorial column)
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
Apologizing, as the General Assembly did recently, for slavery was a nice gesture. ...One thing that has already been done by UNC-Chapel Hill is the Carolina Covenant. This is a great idea for the campus because it opens a magnificent university to more of the people of our state by reducing the economic barriers for poorer students. ...Gary D. Gaddy has s doctorate from the School of Journalism and Mass Communication at UNC-Chapel Hill.

Case's end worries crisis counselors
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
Some Triangle rape crisis counselors said the Duke lacrosse case's end could inhibit sexual assault reports, but the organization that runs the National Sexual Assault Hotline supports N.C. Attorney General Roy Cooper's decision to dismiss the charges. ..."Any time you have a case that is heavily publicized and includes a lot of survivor stigmatization, it has an effect on reporting," said Donna Bickford, director of the Carolina Women's Center at UNC-Chapel Hill.

Assessing The N&O's lacrosse coverage (Opinion column)
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
One of the stories that I didn't see in The News & Observer's coverage of the Duke lacrosse case last week was this: How well did The N&O cover the Duke lacrosse case, start to finish? ..."They did a number of detailed factual pieces," said Joe Kennedy, criminal law professor at UNC-Chapel Hill and a fellow at the Parr Center for Ethics.

Some uneasy days may lie ahead for UNC (Editorial)
The Chapel Hill News
Back when the Duke lacrosse case broke, we here in and around Chapel Hill were able to look on from a short distance away, like neighbors who come out on the front porch to watch after a traffic accident. The whole affair was so sordid, and the allegations so serious, that it made moot the rivalry between Duke and Carolina that gives so much spice to the athletic competitions between the two.

No language barrier for IRS; immigrants pay, too
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
Immigrants to the United States, including those here illegally, are increasingly taking part in one of their new country's most reviled rituals: tax time. ...In North Carolina, a UNC-Chapel Hill study estimated that Hispanic residents paid $145 million in state income taxes in 2004, and another $86 million in small business taxes.
UNC News Release: http://www.unc.edu/news/archives/jan06/economicimpact010306.htm

Drake community ponders city annexation
Rocky Mount Telegram
A small community north of Rocky Mount may ask to be annexed as part of the city's planned expansion during the next two years. ...Anita Earls, director of advocacy for the University of North Carolina Center for Civil Rights, said any minority community requesting annexation into the city would likely have a good case under the provisions of the Voting Rights Act.

Cochlear implant conference held in NC
News 14 Carolina
More than 20 million people in the United States are deaf or hard of hearing. About a million of those people are children under the age of 17. But advancements are making it possible for the deaf to hear. ...Dr. Harold Pillsbury, an Otolaryngologist and Otologist/Neurotologist at UNC Hospitals, explained, “They call them bionic ears, because they really enable people to re-enter the hearing world.”

The lifelong science museum
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
For a couple of hours last month, Barry Van Deman's vision of a better Museum of Life and Science was reality. ...They gathered on a weeknight to hear a prominent UNC-Chapel Hill pharmacologist talk about nanotechnology.

Dig this
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
Even people who know their Bible might have a hard time placing Medeba. Moses, Joshua and Isaiah mentioned it, and so did Ezra, identifying it as the place where the Ammonites' allies camped before fleeing from David's army. ...And "Fashioning the Divine: South Asian Sculpture at the Ackland Art Museum" drew from the UNC-Chapel Hill museum's collection.
UNC News Release: http://www.unc.edu/news/archives/jan07/divine011107.htm

Prom poseys
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
You mastered the do-it-at-home prom up-do. A few of you even designed your own prom dress. ...In Chapel Hill on Friday, students at UNC's Kenan-Flagler Business School are putting on the annual Harambee Fashion Show, organized by the Alliance of Minority Business Students.
UNC Event brief: http://www.unc.edu/news/briefs/2007/040907.html

'Breakup' aftermath surprising
The Chapel Hill Herald
Carolina student Ryan Burke was dining in New Orleans with friends, in town celebrating Mardi Gras. A Tulane student came up to him and asked for an autograph.

Issues and Trends

Tuition break benefits (Editorial)
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
Before state legislators climb aboard an idea to repeal free tuition at University of North Carolina branches for students from the N.C. School of Science and Math, they need to take a deep breath -- and a long view.
Related link: http://www.journalnow.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=WSJ%2FMGArticle%
2FWSJ_ColumnistArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1173350735920&path=%2Fopinion

N.C. Research Campus To Disclose New Alliance with ‘Major Technology Company’
WRAL-TV (CBS, Raleigh)
Representatives of the emerging North Carolina research Campus, the University of North Carolina system, and private sector firms will gather at the Campus on Wednesday to disclose a new research alliance.

Produced by News Services, Carolina in the News is an e-mail sampling of current news media coverage about Carolina people and programs, as well as issues and trends that affect the university. Stories usually will be online and available free for a limited time - often one to two weeks. Expiration dates before stories move to archives vary by media outlet. Some outlets require free user registration or a subscription.

Carolina in the News is also posted daily to the News Services Web page, http://www.unc.edu/news/clips/index.shtml.

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