February 19, 2004

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

National Coverage

Gay marriage debate heads to court in San Francisco
NBC News, "Today"
The gay marriage debate in San Francisco heads to the courts today....Like California, North Carolina has a law, actually just one sentence, covering same-sex marriages...5.51-1.2. Marriages between persons of the same gender not valid....Ms. JANET MASON (University of North Carolina School of Government): And that sentence says that a marriage between two people of the same gender is not valid in North Carolina.

Cholesterol tests never too early
The Salt Lake City Tribune
Next time your children visit the doctor, you might want to have their cholesterol checked. A study by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill shows that
about one in eight schoolchildren have three or more precursors of heart disease, including elevated cholesterol, high blood pressure and obesity.

Regional Coverage

U.Va. experiment will broaden coverage (Editorial)
The Virginian-Pilot
John Casteen, the Portsmouth shipyard worker's son, has had many proud moments in his 13-year tenure as president of the University of Virginia....The bold step,
coming on the heels of a similar commitment to affordability at the University of North Carolina, sends a message nationally that too many students are winding up
their undergraduate careers owing too much money.
Note: Shirley Ort, associate provost and director of scholarship and student aid, has submitted a letter to the editor today clarifying UNC's position with Carolina Covenant and work-study jobs. Her letter, in part,says "... Linking our promise to these students with work-study jobs is important to Carolina. Research shows a positive correlation between students who work part time and their persistence, graduation and future success. They receive invaluable hands-on experience in office, laboratory and other professional settings. In many cases, these assignments place them with faculty or professional staff who can help nurture their development as mentors."

State & Local Coverage

Lack of plan could cost Union County
The Charlotte Observer
Just before the price tag on a planned agricultural services center jumped another million, Union County commissioner Richard Stone balked...."You're able to pick up the connections between the projects and take that into account," said A. John "Jack" Vogt, a professor at the School of Government at UNC Chapel Hill and a capital planning specialist.

Man set free after 9 years in prison
The Charlotte Observer
Alan Gell immediately became the latest example for critics who want North Carolina to halt executions when a jury acquitted him Wednesday of a murder for which
he spent years on death row...."This case surely shakes the confidence of the people of North Carolina, both in the state's capital punishment system and in the people
who administer it," said UNC Chapel Hill law professor Rich Rosen, who advises the school's Innocence Project, a nonprofit that helps defendants review death
penalty cases.

Cabarrus' 1st charter school opens in August
The Charlotte Observer
Carolina International School -- a new charter school in Cabarrus County -- quietly got final approval from the state last month and has already enrolled more than 300 students....The school will partner with World View at UNC Chapel Hill, an international program that offers services and international study for partner schools
and colleges.

Utility shouldn't mean town-gown fight (Editorial)
The Chapel Hill Herald
The Town Council's attempt to establish a "stormwater utility" to take charge of Chapel Hill's pollution- and flood-control work are on the right track. But it would be a mistake for members to use the initiative to pick another fight with UNC. ... UNC's stated reasons are, on paper, pretty basic. Administrators say they're already spending about $10 million to install stormwater controls on campus. They see no reason to pay twice. ... To us, it's obvious UNC is trying to uphold a principle it embraced decades ago to the greater good of the community and the environment.

UNC system lacks security
The News & Observer
Some of UNC-Chapel Hill's computers are vulnerable to hackers, and the university doesn't keep adequate records on its information systems, a state audit has
found. ... Stephen Jarrell, UNC-CH's interim vice chancellor for information technology, said there were fewer than 10 personal computers identified as unprotected. The problems have already been corrected, he said. ... Overall, Jarrell viewed the audit as positive.

Issues and Trends

Fade to green (Editorial)
The News & Observer
Anyone who has wondered whether money was behind the Atlantic Coast Conference's expansion from nine to 12 teams now can put their doubts to rest because of
contract negotiations reported between the conference and the ABC/ESPN television conglomerate. More money is on the table for the ACC, which includes North
Carolina's two largest public universities, UNC-Chapel Hill and N.C. State, as well as private Duke University and Wake Forest University.

Note: If you have any questions about Carolina in the News, please call Russell Campbell at News Services, (919) 962-2091, russell_campbell@unc.edu, or Mike McFarland in University Communications, mike_mcfarland@unc.edu

Note: Web links on this page are time-sensitive, so stories might not be available after the day they first appeared.