August 23, 2004

Carolina in the News

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

National Coverage

The profiling puzzle
The Boston Globe
Ever since the Sept. 11 attack on America by radical Islamic terrorists, the use of ethnic and religious profiling in assessing security risks has been a subject of controversy....Eric Muller, a University of North Carolina law professor and author of the 2001 book "Free to Die for Their Country: The Story of the Japanese-American Draft Resisters in World War II," who has debated Malkin on the Internet, agrees that "there were valid reasons...for the government to take some sort of protective action touching Japanese aliens...but no basis for the nature and scope of the actions that were taken.

Former top brass enter the fog of political war
The Houston Chronicle
As the verbal shots from former Vietnam swift boat officers continued to sting John Kerry, Democrats rushed out a television ad Friday in which former Air Force Gen. Merrill McPeak lauded the candidate for his "strength" and "common sense."..."In the past dozen years or so, the professional ethic against involving oneself in politics among even retired officers has fallen away," said Richard Kohn, professor of military history at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill.

Tiny camera gives insider's view of small intestine
Scripps Howard News Service (National Wire Service)
You've heard of disposable cameras....The capsule "does what food does," said Dr. Douglas Morgan, a gastroenterologist and an assistant professor of medicine at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill's School of Medicine.

A website for active kids
Seattle Post Intelligencer
It may be counterintuitive to check out a website for ideas and information about healthy eating and activities for kids, but here's a good one: www.getkidsinaction.org....The site, run by the University of North Carolina School of Public Health, has tips for kids and parents on how to read food labels, determining appropriate portion sizes, ways to start a regular family activity, decreasing TV viewing and calculating children's Body Mass Index to determine if they're overweight or obese.

Chipping Away at the Wall (Opinion-Editorial Column)
The New York Times
Nearly 80 years ago in Dayton, Tenn., an epic trial pitted the literal truth of the Bible against modern science....A Republican congressman called for a civil rights investigation last week, after the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill declined to recognize a Christian fraternity for refusing to accept non-Christian members.

Newark nonprofit stretched for cash
The Star-Ledger (Newark, NJ)
For more than three decades, a grassroots organization run by a tough parish priest has slowly helped transform Newark's bleak Central Ward....That is not an uncommon issue for community development corporations nationwide, said William M. Rohe, director of the Center for Urban and Regional Studies and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, who examined CDCs that have failed, downsized or forced to merge because of money problems.

Regional Coverage

Oceanfront asks: Retreat or renourish?
The Sun News (Myrtle Beach, SC)
When Hurricane Charley set its sights on the Carolinas Aug. 14, residents on the east end of Ocean Isle Beach feared it could be the storm that wiped out their homes...."Certainly, man's impact is an important one," said Eleanor Camann, a doctoral student researching erosion along the N.C. coast at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's Institute of Marine Sciences in Morehead City.

Weathering the storm: National program seeks to preserve area's aging lighthouses
The Advocate (Stamford, CT)
For more than 125 years, the six Fairfield County lighthouses that remain in U.S. Coast Guard hands have guided mariners around Long Island Sound's tricky reefs and shoals....While determining the number of spark plugs around the country is difficult, at least 35 of the cast-iron beacons, including the privately owned Stamford Harbor Lighthouse, still stand today, according to a lighthouse directory Web site maintained by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

UVa one of the fittest schools
The Daily Progress (Charlottesville, VA)
For many college students, the "freshman 15" equals weight gain from junky eating habits....In addition to UVa, Hollins University, near Roanoke, was honored in Newsweek's list of "America's 25 Hot Schools" as the nation's "hottest riding school."...the University of North Carolina was noted for its scorching health careers.

State & Local Coverage

Debt-free education; New UNC financial aid program gives low-income students a chance
The News & Observer
For Renatta Craven, there was never any doubt she would succeed in college....They found a much better deal. With a merit-based scholarship and grants through UNC-Chapel Hill's new financial aid program, Renatta Craven will attend the school for four years, absolutely free....She is part of UNC-CH's first class of Carolina Covenant students, whose debt-free college education will be made possible through a combination of federal and state grants, scholarships, work-study funds and money from the campus. About 250 UNC-CH freshmen coming to campus this weekend will receive help through the Carolina Covenant.
Related link: Carolina Covenant website: http://www.unc.edu/carolinacovenant/

Stone Center takes new step
The News & Observer
The doors swung open, and hundreds poured in. They craned to see funky, modern chandeliers in the tall lobby....And they wore broad, oh-my-word-can-you-believe-all-this smiles, showing they were pleased and proud of UNC-Chapel Hill's new home of the Sonja Haynes Stone Center for Black Culture and History.
Related link:
http://www.newsobserver.com/news/nc/ncwire_news/story/1552788p-7740578c.html
http://www.newsobserver.com/print/sunday/city_state/story/1552964p-7741116c.html

For the love of art
The News & Observer
Vivian and John Hewitt bought their first piece of art in 1949 to hang on the wall of their home....On Sunday, Vivian Hewitt saw her collection hanging once again in UNC-Chapel Hill's newly dedicated Sonja Haynes Stone Center for Black Culture and History.

Center's opening shows a changing face (Editorial)
The Chapel Hill Herald
This morning, with former campus leaders in attendance, with political eminences at the dais, with joyful music in the air and signs of celebration everywhere, it may be difficult to remember how divisive an issue the idea of a free-standing black cultural center at UNC was.

Stone Center dedicated in honor of professor
The Chapel Hill Herald
After more than a decade of struggle, led by black students who marched, protested and worked endless hours behind the scenes, the Sonja Haynes Stone Center for Black Culture and History was dedicated Saturday on the UNC campus.

UNC welcomes new African-American cultural center
News 14 (Time Warner, Raleigh)
After years of planning and months of construction the Stone Black Culture and History Center is officially dedicated.
Note: WRAL-TV, UNC-TV, WTVD-TV and WNCN-TV also covered Stone Center opening events.

Set in Stone
The Daily Tar Heel
Overcast skies and light rain didn't stop the grand opening ceremony Saturday morning for the freestanding Sonja Haynes Stone Center for Black Culture and History - an event that marked the culmination of more than a decade of controversy, advocacy, planning and fund raising.

Thousands of UNC students move into dorms before classes start Tues.
The Chapel Hill Herald
Shannon Chestnut and Taylor Wall sweated as they carried heavy boxes of textbooks back to their dormitory Saturday morning....It was move-in day at UNC Chapel Hill, but the two freshmen had moved in earlier in the week because they were Teaching Fellows scholarship winners.

Students take up residence in their new rooms
News 14 (Time Warner, Raleigh)
Thousands of college students spent their weekend moving into dorms at UNC-Chapel Hill. While the moving part might be a headache for students and parents, it's a sight for sore eyes for store-owners along Franklin Street, Students, family, friends, and Tar Heel fans of all sorts packed Franklin Street, roaming in and out of stores; shopping for everything from school supplies to souvenirs.
Note: Similar stories also aired on WRAL-TV, WTVD-TV and WNCN-TV.

UNC research funding jumps 7.5%
Triangle Business Journal
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's sponsored research funding increased 7.5 percent in fiscal 2004 to $577.6 million - up from $537.4 million in 2003.
Note: This story was also mentioned in today's News & Observer university page.

Pepsi Bottling Ventures wins $5.25M UNC deal
Triangle Business Journal
Raleigh-based Pepsi Bottling Ventures LLC has been awarded the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's preferred vendor contract for soft drink services.

UNC-CH officials meet over reading requirement
N.C. Associated Press
After two years of back-to-school controversy over the summer reading assignment for UNC-Chapel Hill students, there is silence as incoming freshmen meet to talk about ideas this week.

Pick for this year's UNC-Chapel Hill freshmen draws no cameras, little ink
The Chapel Hill Herald
This summer, the silence was deafening...."There's not as much electricity about the selection this year," UNC Chancellor James Moeser remarked last week.

Fewer potential MBAs applying
The Winston-Salem Journal
Wake Forest University received nearly 30 percent fewer applicants for its business school for the 2004-05 academic year, but officials said yesterday that they were satisfied with the quality of their first-year MBA students....The Kenan-Flagler Business School at UNC Chapel Hill increased its enrollment of first-year students by 10 to 277, said Kim Spurr, the news director for the school.

Contractor says firms beating the system
The Herald-Sun (Durham)
Several times each day, the fax machine in Donnell Thompson's office whirs with the sound of empty promise....But that sort of data doesn't necessarily tell the whole story, said Kevin MacNaughton, special assistant for capital projects at UNC Chapel Hill.

Minority contractors securing campus jobs
The Chapel Hill Herald
Quintin Munn knows the construction business is all about relationships....At UNC Chapel Hill, black firms have done about 3.5 percent of the total bond program work.

Sick inmates costly for jail
The News & Observer
A Johnston County man skipped out on $1,000 in child support....Inmates are kicked off Medicaid when they enter a jail, even if they haven't yet been tried and convicted, said Jill Moore, a UNC-Chapel Hill professor who specializes in jail health issues.

UNC clears lots for parking spaces
The Chapel Hill News
Just before new legislation goes into effect that expands the power of local governments to review state construction projects of all types, a new UNC-Chapel Hill parking lot will be completed on Cameron Avenue between South Graham Street and Merritt Mill Road.

$64K question: What's eating Krispy Kreme?
The Business Journal of the Greater Triad Area
The sudden exit this week of Krispy Kreme Doughnuts' No. 2 officer is the latest twist in a summertime string of misfortunes for the Winston-Salem company....Whether Livengood stays on as CEO depends on how deep the financial problems run and how much he had to do with them, said Tom Hazen, a law professor and specialist in corporate governance at the UNC-Chapel Hill School of Law.

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/newsserv/clipsindex.htm.

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