April 19, 2007

Carolina in the News

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

National Coverage

Virginia Tech Victims Remembered
"Day to Day," National Public Radio
When a gunman opened fire in a classroom building on the Virginia Tech campus Monday, he took the lives of at least 30 people, including students and faculty members. ...Christopher James Bishop:
Bishop, 35, was a German instructor teaching in a classroom in Norris Hall before he was killed. He moved to Virginia Tech in 2005 from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Related link: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=9678541
UNC Statement: http://www.unc.edu/news/statementjamiebishopcolleagues.html

A gifted scholar and 'born teacher'
USA Today
Fulbright scholar. Teacher. Artist. Technologist. Husband. Friend. Christopher James "Jamie" Bishop seemed equally gifted in varied fields. ..."He was the kind of person who made a visit from your computer tech a happy experience," said Clayton Koelb, chairman of the UNC Department of Germanic Languages.

Students mourn with Virginia Tech
CNN.com
"Today, we are all Hokies." ...At the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, UNC students and Virginians Alison Linas and Stephanie Berman decided to help organize the event. "We felt so helpless that this was the only thing that we could think to do to make a difference and use our nervous energy," Linas said.

Making judicious use of a commissioner's power (Opinion column)
USA Today
The pendulum swings in sports as it does in every other aspect of our culture, its arcing approach toward the side of law and order now unmistakable. ..."This is the week of Jackie Robinson, who held himself with dignity and decency in the public arena, and we are all better for it," said John Sweeney, director of the sports communication program at the University of North Carolina.

The record label as venture capital firm
Fortune.com
Three years ago, a couple of economists rankled the music industry when they released a report that ran counter to all common sense by concluding that swapping music for free on the Internet did not hurt sales of compact discs. The study, by economists at Harvard Business School and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, was hardly the last word on the issue - proving right Nobel prizewinning playwright George Bernard Shaw's assertion that, "if all the economists were laid end to end, they wouldn't reach a conclusion."

Regional Coverage

Teens get hip to exercising caution when online
The San Francisco Chronicle
When Autumn Smith joined social-networking site MySpace a few years ago, she filled her online profile with all sorts of details: her hometown, the name of her high school, her year in school, her friends, her job, her hobbies, even the car she drives. ..."Young people are very cognizant about what they should share and what they shouldn't share, more than we give them credit for," said Fred Stutzman, a graduate student at the University of North Carolina who is studying social networks.

Reading between the minds: Novels help us interact
The Orlando Sentinel
Eighteen years ago, when Julia Simpson was pregnant with her second child, she read the novel Beloved. ...This state resembles "flow," immersion so deep and satisfying that we don't notice the hours flying by, says Melanie C. Green, an assistant professor of psychology at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill.

State and Local Coverage

Schools need evidence to act upon
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
It seems as if everyone who knew Cho Seung-Hui at Virginia Tech -- professors, classmates, roommates and two women he stalked -- had witnessed his disturbing behavior. ..."Students may say they are concerned about their friend because he sent us the following e-mail messages or [instant messages]," said Melissa Exum, dean of students and associate vice chancellor at UNC-Chapel Hill. "We respond immediately."

Tar Heels become Hokies
WCHL-AM (Chapel Hill)
There was a lot of maroon and orange on the UNC campus last night…as hundreds of people turned out for a vigil to remember the victims of the Virginia Tech massacre.

UNC Program Links Science With Students
WNCN-TV (NBC, Raleigh)
The "Destiny" bus brings the latest high-tech gadgets to schools for science experiments. ..."It allows the students to compare the proteins of different species of fish to see which fish are more closely related," said Lisa Pierce, a UNC science educator.
UNC Media Advisory: http://www.unc.edu/news/media/2007/destiny040907.html

Carolina Breakdown coming to ArtsCenter
WCHL-AM (Chapel Hill)
ArtsCenter audiences will explore North Carolina’s musical heritage when traditional folk performers take the stage Saturday. ArtsCenter facility director Tess Mangum-Ocaña says the concert of roots music is titled “Carolina Breakdown.”
UNC News Release: http://www.unc.edu/news/archives/apr07/folklore041707.html

2 local students are Phi Beta Kappa
The Charlotte Observer
Two students were recently inducted into Phi Beta Kappa, the nation's oldest and most prestigious of college honorary societies, at UNC Chapel Hill.
UNC News Release: http://www.unc.edu/news/archives/apr07/pbk041207.html

What of those who can't afford expensive defense attorneys?
The Independent Weekly (Durham)
When it was over, the defendants thanked their families, who paid large legal bills, and wondered aloud: What happens if a prosecutor like Mike Nifong comes after you and you're not rich? ...Richard Rosen, law professor at UNC-Chapel Hill, says prosecutorial misconduct is neither common nor rare. It happens, he says.

How to stop losing the same 10 pounds (Commentary)
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
We got an early taste of summer this year. I suspect that has something to do with the number of readers who have told me they're making a big push to lose 10 pounds. ...Suzanne Havala Hobbs is a registered dietitian and a clinical assistant professor in the Department of Health Policy at UNC.

Palate Can Provide Tissue to Repair Gums
WRAL-TV (CBS, Raleigh)
Healthy gums are just as important to producing a nice smile as clean and healthy teeth. But even people with good teeth can have problems with their gums. ..."They're so intense about brushing their teeth that they're really scrubbing the soft tissue away," said Dr. Nadine Brodala, a periodontal surgeon at the University of North Carolina.

Have a classical music night
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
Grant Llewellyn and the N.C. Symphony visit Chapel Hill tonight for a concert in Memorial Hall. Tonight's performance features guest violinist Brian Reagin. Selections include Mozart's "Symphony No. 38: Prague," Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto and Elgar's "Enigma Variations."

Activists to speak at UNC's Pit
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
The venue for a weekend talk by two peace activists has been changed. Cindy Sheehan and Sami Rasouli will now speak at 7 p.m. Saturday at the Pit, outside the Student Union at UNC-Chapel Hill.

Few parallels between Duke, Dorrance cases (Letter to the editor)
The Chapel Hill News
I would suggest more research into the insinuations against Anson Dorrance would have been appropriate before the editorial piece was written attempting to draw parallels between his case and that of the Duke lacrosse players. ...He has made an enormous contribution through years of hard and dedicated work in building a successful local women's soccer program at UNC that has impacted the national and international soccer community as well.
UNC Statement: http://www.unc.edu/news/archives/apr07/appealsruling041007.html

Issues and Trends

Laws Limit Options When a Student Is Mentally Ill
The New York Times
Federal privacy and antidiscrimination laws restrict how universities can deal with students who have mental health problems. For the most part, universities cannot tell parents about their children’s problems without the student’s consent.

N.C. to review campus security
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
A task force created in response to the massacre Monday at Virginia Tech will help the 110 universities, colleges and community colleges across North Carolina examine their security plans. ...Erskine Bowles, president of the University of North Carolina system, said that the crime rate on his 16 campuses was already low, about one-sixth of the state average.
Related link: http://www.heraldsun.com/durham/4-840510.cfm

Should college students have background checks before enrollment?
USA Today
The Virginia Tech student who went on a shooting rampage Monday before killing himself may have had a troubled past, but it's not yet clear whether he had a criminal one. ...Kemal Atkins, director for student academic affairs for the North Carolina system, says the decision to do the checks came only after a number of "tough conversations."

Biotech hub builds steam
The Charlotte Observer
Standing before a skeletal structure at his North Carolina Research Campus, billionaire Dole Food owner David Murdock assured an audience Wednesday that the biotech hub would be successful. ...UNC's Nutrition Research Institute should be completed by next April, followed several months later by N.C. State's Institute of Fruit and Vegetable Science and the Dole Nutrition Institute.
Related link: http://www.news14charlotte.com/content/local_news/?AC=&ArID=136876&SecID=2

Red Hat to set up in Kannapolis
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
Red Hat will be one of the first corporate partners at the new N.C. Research Campus, a $1.5 billion academic-business project under construction in this once-booming textile town. ...Open-source software will help health-care researchers more effectively, quickly and cheaply collect data from not only teaching hospitals and federally funded medical trials, but also private practices, health departments, health education centers and walk-in clinics, said Etta Pisano, vice dean for academic affairs at UNC-Chapel Hill.
Related link: http://www.wilmingtonstar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070419/APF/704191261

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.

Please share any questions, comments or suggestions at news@unc.edu.