February 23, 2004

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

International Coverage

Study links antidepressants to foetal brain damage
The Age, Australia
Pregnant women who use Prozac and similar drugs to combat depression could be damaging the brains of their unborn babies, according to research....Research leader Philip Zeskind, professor of pediatrics at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, said: "We've found SSRIs disrupt the neurological systems of children...and we're talking about hundreds of thousands of babies being exposed to these drugs during pregnancy."

National Coverage

CNN Presents: The Mystery Of Jesus
Cable Network News
ANNOUNCER: The story of Jesus has transcended generations and cultures. But why is the greatest story every told the greatest mystery never solved?...DR.
BART EHRMAN, CHAIR OF RELIGIOUS STUDIES, UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA: The Gospels weren't meant to be historically accurate
accounts in the way we would think of. They weren't written according to our standards of biographical accuracy.

Prozac during pregnancy could harm baby
Chicago Sun-Times
Pregnant women who use Prozac and similar drugs to combat depression could be damaging the brains of their unborn babies, research shows....Lead researcher Philip Zeskind, a professor of pediatrics at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, said his study of 34 mothers and their babies, which appeared in the journal Pediatrics, was small, but he added that the results were alarming and demanded a followup.

One community, two governments
Tallahassee Democrat
Since Tallahassee's inception 180 years ago, its reason for being was government....Last year researchers at the Institute of Government at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill also reported little correlation between communities' structure of local government and their economic condition.

Caution: Danger Ahead
Orlando Sentinel
Goodbyes are often difficult, symbolism often wicked....A new study to be published this spring will make a startling link between concussions and depression. Dr. Kevin Guskiewicz, director of the Center for Retired Athletes at the University of North Carolina, has studied more than 2,500 football players and says that athletes who had at least three concussions are more likely to suffer from clinical depression at some point.

State & Local Coverage

Critics, Kerry question Edwards' draw in N.C.
The Charlotte Observer
As Democratic presidential hopeful John Edwards emerges as Sen. John Kerry's sole competition, he's drawn whispers that he's not as strong back home as one might think....But that's not the point, says Ferrel Guillory, director of the UNC Chapel Hill Program on Southern Politics, Media and Public Life.

On the agenda: Improving the county's economic development
The Charlotte Observer
Leaders of about 10 local companies plan to meet March 3 and discuss ways to improve the county's economic development....The meeting will be run by Jim Johnson, a UNC Chapel Hill economic development expert the chamber hired for $15,000 to help launch the strategic process.

Panel's book debate goes on
The Daily Tar Heel
A group of passionate readers transformed into passionate debaters Sunday evening as the committee selecting this year's summer reading book argued into a deadlock about the final choice.

Lawyers take sides in election
The News & Observer
It's now lawyer vs. lawyer for the Democratic presidential nomination. And that includes more than just the candidates...."Since there are lawyers in American professional life doing virtually every sort of task on behalf of every sort of interest, you are right to look beyond the label of 'lawyer' and to the sort of lawyer," said Gene Nichol, dean of the law school at UNC-Chapel Hill. "That will tell you more."

Who killed Jesus?
The News & Observer
For many Christians, the release of Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ" is generating unprecedented enthusiasm...."Whatever else you say," said Bart Ehrman, a professor of religion at UNC-Chapel Hill, "it was the Romans who crucified Jesus."..."I have problems thinking Pontius Pilate was squeamish about killing one Jew," said David Halperin, a retired professor of religion at UNC-CH.

New Ph.D.s face rugged climb to professorship
The News & Observer
In another lifetime, Leslie Huye might have landed a university faculty job two years after earning her Ph.D. in molecular biology....Postdocs at UNC-Chapel Hill, who now number more than 600, created a postdoc association in 2000.

Borderwars
The News & Observer
Ron Thoreson cherishes his home on a wooded acre in unincorporated Wake County, even though it lacks round-the-clock paid police and fire protection and relies on a septic system and well...."People didn't want to get annexed any more then than they do now," said David Lawrence of the Institute of Government at UNC-Chapel Hill.

Dance Marathon draws 1,000 to aid Children's Hospital
The Herald Sun
To be honest, UNC's Dance Marathon isn't really about dancing.

UNC to explore West House options
The Chapel Hill News
The structural engineer who designed the relocation of the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse will team with a local architect to explore the feasibility of moving the West House out of the way of UNC's planned Arts Common.

Issues and Trends

Conservatives say liberal bias on campuses taints courses and stifles free discussion
The Herald-Sun
Students in the UNC class were talking about why straight men might feel threatened by gay men....At UNC, Duke and beyond, conservatives point to incidents like these as examples of what they see as not merely a liberal bias on campus, but a culture that no longer encourages or tolerates free discussion.
Related links:
Academic Bill of Rights excerpt

Flare-ups on UNC, Duke campuses


At NCCU, students feel free to express their opinions
The Herald-Sun
They call him Cornelius the Conservative....While some conservative students at Duke University and UNC-Chapel Hill say they can't talk openly in some left-leaning classrooms, and while many universities debate whether party affiliation should affect whom they hire, NCCU's conservative students say they don't share those concerns.

Careful what you say at Chapel Hill (Editorial)
The Durham Herald-Sun
When an episode of political correctness erupts at an American university, the chest-thumping response from administrators generally goes like this: We cherish intellectual discourse, celebrate diversity and protect free speech.

Downtown owners seek 'right' tenants
The Chapel Hill News
Vacant buildings on Franklin Street, in the short term, are part of the strategy....Hashing out the university's role in the creation of a downtown development expert and perhaps reshaping the downtown commission will be an important part of upcoming discussions, Foy said.

University alumni can help N.C. develop (Letter to the Editor)
The News & Observer
Recently the paper has been replete with editorials/articles about North Carolina's competitive economic development issues, from industrial financial incentives to military base protection. On Feb. 13 the Council of UNC Alumni Association Presidents formally approved an offer to the state to use the support of our 900,000-plus UNC System alumni on such greatly needed efforts.

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.