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Jan. 23, 2006Carolina in the News
Here is a sampling of links and notes about Carolina
people and programs cited recently in the media:National Coverage
A generation serves notice: It's a moving target
The New York Times
Joe Hanson, 22, of Chicago likes to watch television, but rarely on his TV. A folder on his computer lists an inventory of downloaded cable and network programming - the kind of thing that makes traditional media executives shudder. ...Some researchers, like Dr. Melvin D. Levine, director of the Clinical Center for the Study of Development and Learning at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine, have expressed concerns about the group-mentality dynamics that the Internet and the instant-message age may be fostering.New hope for cystic fibrosis patients
U.S. News & World Report
In cystic fibrosis, a defective gene lets mucus collect in the lungs, making them vulnerable to infection—which causes lung damage. ...Patients' own stories inspired the work, too, says pulmonologist Scott Donaldson, who led the study at the University of North Carolina. "In Australia, that was a common anecdote patients would give—when they were out at the beach surfing, they felt more clear in their chest, less congested."
UNC News Release: http://www.unc.edu/news/archives/jan06/cfrelease010706.htm
New Orleans doctor sees progress in his practice
USA Today
At least the bad dreams have stopped. ...Buras is among an estimated 6,000 doctors in Louisiana and Mississippi displaced by Hurricane Katrina, the largest single displacement of physicians in U.S. history, according to University of North Carolina researchers.
UNC News Release: http://www.unc.edu/news/archives/sep05/ricketts092605.htmMany Europeans Don't Seek Help for Overactive Bladder
HealthDay News
Bladder problems affect one in six Europeans over 40 and while more that 75 percent of people with overactive bladders say their condition makes it difficult for them to perform daily activities, only 43 percent would consider consulting a doctor about the problem. ..."Thirty-two percent of the people interviewed said that their condition made them depressed, and 28 percent reported feeling stressed. Yet 48 percent of women and 40 percent of men felt that it was not a valid medical condition," lead researcher Debra E. Irwin, School of Public Health at the University of North Carolina, said in a prepared statement.
High-tech football helmets sense impact
ABC World News
John Bunting suffered three concussions during his 10 years as an NFL linebacker. ..."What is unique about it [the helmet] is that we have placed these six single access accelerometers that are about the size of a nickel," said Dr. Kevin Guskiewicz, director of the Sports Medicine Research Laboratory in the Department of Exercise and Sport Science at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
The Xs and O's of social change (Commentary)
The Los Angeles Times
The new Disney film "Glory Road" tells the story of a basketball game that put sports in the middle of the civil rights movement. But it also recalls a time when the ordinary actions of coaches could unwittingly transcend sports and make a mark on history. ...Legendary coach Dean Smith played a large part in desegregating not only athletics at the University of North Carolina but also the city of Chapel Hill, the site of the campus, when he recruited Charlie Scott and integrated the Tar Heels basketball team. Smith was derided and even lynched in effigy for his efforts, but his move later became another item on his resume of greatness.
The same Kay Yow, almost
The Baltimore Sun
Kay Yow had won an Olympic gold medal, coached in the Final Four and earned a place in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. Yet to many, it was the graceful way the North Carolina State coach handled her fight against breast cancer nearly 20 years ago that best defined her. ...Yow has also been active in raising awareness and money for breast cancer research, earning an outstanding volunteer award from the University of North Carolina Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center and having a research laboratory named in her honor.From guerrillas to politicians
The Miami Herald (Fla.)
One staged the dramatic kidnapping of the U.S. ambasador to Brazil. Two others were members of Uruguay's notorious Tupamaro guerrillas. Another belonged to a group that bombed pipelines and electric pylons around Bolivia. ...In fact, Jonathan Hartlyn, a professor at the University of North Carolina who specializes in Latin America, blames non-guerrillas for the greatest attacks on democracy in recent years.
Regional Coverage
Early education essential, pays off (Opinion-editorial column)
The State (Columbia, S.C.)
The verdict is in, and the judge has spoken: ...But youngsters who are not prepared to start school don’t do well in school. A recent study conducted by the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill found that student retention costs Tar Heel taxpayers $170 million annually in grades one through three. In South Carolina, preliminary estimates put the annual cost at $75 million.
Face time: College students link up via Web site
The Pioneer Press (St. Paul, Minn.)
If you aren't a university student or a recent graduate, you likely know little or nothing about Facebook. But this "social networking" Web site is all college students and many alumni have been talking about in recent months. ...At the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, for instance, fully 94 percent of freshmen were recently found to have Facebook accounts, according to Fred Stutzman, a doctoral student in information and library science who has scrutinized Facebook patterns at his school.
State & Local Coverage
Keeping the ones that get away (Opinion-editorial column)
The Charlotte Observer
Somewhere in North Carolina there's an 18-year-old college student wondering about his future. He didn't do well on his courses last fall, and the spring semester's not much better. ...Only one of North Carolina's universities -- UNC Chapel Hill, the flagship campus -- graduated more than half of the freshmen entering in 2000. Only six graduated more than 50 percent of those entering in 1998. Only one -- again, Chapel Hill -- graduated more than 70 percent in six years.
Carolina North about collaboration (Opinion-editorial column)
The Chapel Hill Herald
The university and the local community have begun the new year with an important new phase of planning efforts for Carolina North, which we envision as a vibrant setting for research and innovation that will enhance the university's academic mission. Carolina North is crucial to the university's future. We urgently need space for new academic buildings, business partnerships and public outreach. ...James Moeser is the chancellor of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Note: No link available.
U.S. losing edge in world market, Edwards says at poverty forum
The Associated Press (N.C.)
With China and India aggressively investing in math and technology, the United States needs leaders who think about how to keep the nation competitive for coming generations, John Edwards, a former Democratic vice presidential candidate, said yesterday. ...The main theme of the forum was poverty, a topic Edwards championed both during his bid for president and then as the vice presidential running mate of Sen. John Kerry. He now directs the Center for Poverty, Work and Opportunity at the University of North Carolina law school and said he hasn't decided whether to run for president in 2008.
Jobless rate falls for N.C.
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
For the first time in nearly five years, North Carolina's unemployment rate is below 5 percent. ...Nobody expects that trend to subside as long as competitors overseas can do the work for less. Still, unemployment could drop as low as 4.3 percent over the next year, said James F. Smith, an economist at UNC-Chapel Hill.
What keeps us from saving?
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
The numbers are daunting. Americans outspent their disposable income to the tune of $19.1 billion in November. Fewer than two-thirds of adults say they saved any money in the past year. And North Carolinians are below average when it comes to building their nest eggs. ...James F. Smith, an economist at UNC-Chapel Hill, doesn't think the situation is as dire as it looks, but he said the trend is clear.
Preventative maintenance for the body
The Triangle Business Journal
You can't live forever. But you stand a good chance of living longer if you do two things - adopt a healthy lifestyle and keep up with screenings designed for the early detection of disease. ...Dr. Kim Kylstra, an associate professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine and a general practitioner, and Dr. Leroy Darkes, medical director for the Rex Senior Health Center, have offered common-sense health tips.
Panel: Have city, county do planning
The Charlotte Observer
Could the county and city do a better job planning and building schools than Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools? ...David Salvesen, the director of UNC Chapel Hill's Center on Smart Growth and the New Economy, said linking school and land planning is a good idea, but one way might be to strengthen an existing planning liaison committee that includes members from all the boards.
Profs' ills find home in blog
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
A new blog, rateyourstudents.blogspot.com, gives faculty a chance to vent their frustrations about today's college students, often characterized as rude, lazy or brain dead, with an overwhelming sense of entitlement. Professors slam students' classroom behavior and their lack of drive and intellect. ...At UNC-Chapel Hill, faculty chairwoman Judith Wegner says the blog may have some novelty appeal. But she adds, "I would urge people to talk about that over coffee. That kind of a site could draw rants."
Blues legend inspires quest
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
John Clark remembers his uncle, Hampton Allen, telling him about another relation named Fulton Allen. Clark's uncle regaled his nephew with tales of Fulton, a young bluesman from Ansonville playing at an Anson County juke joint in the first decades of the 20th century. ..."He was probably one of the most influential purveyors of the style," said Glenn Hinson, chairman of the folklore curriculum at UNC-Chapel Hill. "The combination he brought to the music -- melodic inventiveness, finger-picking fluency, a supple and engaging vocal delivery, a quick wit -- pulled Fuller into a separate place."
Jesse James rides again
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
Theater producer Franklin Golden knew his revival of "Diamond Studs" was on track when the director had to tell a performer what theater's "fourth wall" is. ...The success of this approach caught the original "Diamond Studs" principals off guard, recalls (Bland) Simpson, 57, who now teaches creative writing at UNC-Chapel Hill and performs with the Ramblers.
Go ahead, the new music is fine
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
Contemporary music in the concert hall is a tough sell. Those who eagerly attend the latest gallery opening, watch a new independent film, see theater premieres and go to cutting-edge dance performances rarely apply that same openness to contemporary classical music. ...The genuine, prolonged ovation from Thursday's audience at UNC-Chapel Hill's Memorial Hall should sway anyone hesitating about tonight's performance in Raleigh. This is new music as it should be.
Orange grapples with school funds
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
The Orange County Board of Commissioners renewed discussion Friday about how it funds both school systems. ...Commissioner Alice Gordon pointed out that a study the board commissioned by a UNC-Chapel Hill group last year concluded that the county system needed more money for programming while the city system needed additional school buildings.
Princeville meeting questioned
The Associated Press (N.C.)
Contrary to an opinion by the town attorney, a recent meeting of Princeville officials was a legal gathering for business, an expert on N.C. open meetings law and county government said. Princeville Town Attorney Anthony Flanagan had told Mayor Priscilla Everette-Oates that the meeting was out of order because there was not a quorum, or the minimum number of board members present for the board to conduct business. Everette-Oates objected and David Lawrence, a municipal government and open meetings expert from the Institute of Government at the University of North Carolina, said Everette-Oates was correct.
Defiant ABC may have met illegally
The Greensboro News & Record
Facing allegations of financial misconduct, the High Point ABC Board met in a private session last summer to hire an attorney to conduct a parallel inquiry into the charges. ...Under the meetings law, it was OK for them to go behind closed doors to discuss legal representation, said Frayda Bluestein of the Institute of Government at UNC-Chapel Hill.
At retirement, Lake's legacy is both political and nonpartisan
WCNC-TV (NBC, Charlotte)
State Supreme Court Chief Justice I. Beverly Lake Jr. had already angered some Democrats at the Legislature before 2001, when he became the first Republican chief justice of the state Supreme Court in more than 100 years. ... "What Chief Justice Lake believed and what he acted on is that preventing the conviction of the innocent is neither a position of conservatives or liberals," said Rich Rosen, a University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill law school professor who joined Lake's commission.
Losing faith in UNC (Letter to the editor)
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
Regarding the Jan. 13 article "If you can't believe the Bible...": What has become of the school that I dearly loved while doing my undergraduate work at UNC-Chapel Hill in the early 1940s? I was proud and willing to tell anyone that I was attending UNC.
Issues & Trends
College Aid Plan Widens U.S. Role in High Schools
The New York Times
When Republican senators quietly tucked a major new student aid program into the 774-page budget bill last month, they not only approved a five-year, $3.75 billion initiative. They also set up what could be an important shift in American education: for the first time the federal government will rate the academic rigor of the nation's 18,000 high schools.
56 colleges have endowments topping $1B
The Associated Press (National)
The number of North American colleges with endowments topping $1 billion has jumped to 56, a new study says, with nine schools joining the elite club in what was an average year for university investments overall.
Ball in Legislature's court on tuition aid plan
The Wisconsin State Journal (Madison, Wis.)
...At the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, which doesn't require a pre-college pledge but meets 100 percent of need in exchange for an eligible undergraduate holding a work-study job - the cutoff is families earning 200 percent of the federal poverty line. That's about $37,000 a year for a family of four, UNC financial aid director Shirley Ort said. ...At UNC, Ort said the campus will spend about $2.2 million annually on its program when it's fully phased in, including an array of undergraduate services such as tutoring and a faculty mentor. The program which includes non-residents, unlike Doyle's proposal - started in fall 2004 with 224 freshmen and added another 351 in fall 2005. "To the extent it shapes the aspirations of youth, we hope that will be an outcome," Ort said. "It's going to take some time for youth to know that this promise is available."
Shelton likes UA's pride in public service heritage
The Arizona Daily Star
For Robert N. Shelton, the biggest influence on his desire to lead the University of Arizona is the institution's pride in maintaining its public-service heritage as it grew into a top-tier research university. ... "Public research universities are the ones best positioned to make progress on the complex issues facing society today," he said. "Remaining connected to the public is essential because of the land-grant mission and because we turn to the public for support."
Related Links: http://www.tucsoncitizen.com/news/local/012106a4_shelton
http://wildcat.arizona.edu/papers/98/242/01_1.html
http://www.azstarnet.com/allheadlines/112456
http://www.kold.com/Global/story.asp?S=4391533Murdock creates foundation to work at biotechnology center
The Associated Press (N.C.)
Billionaire David Murdock has unveiled plans for a $120 million nonprofit foundation to operate a lab at the heart of a $1 billion biotech hub he's helping to build in Kannapolis. ...Demolition at the site is about four months ahead of schedule, Safrit said. Dole will have a significant presence at the campus, as will the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and North Carolina State University.
UNC presidency Bowles' dream job
The Greensboro News & Record
Erskine Bowles thought he missed his shot at his dream job. The last time the UNC system needed a president, he had just committed to serve as Bill Clinton's chief of staff. "It broke my heart that I couldn't think about it, but I had just taken this job ... so I couldn't leave the White House at that point in time," Bowles told the News & Record in a recent interview. "When I had to say 'no,' I kind of thought that opportunity had just passed me by."
Teachers deserve our support (Opinion-editorial column)
The Fayetteville Observer
Have you seen the Iams dog food commercial, where cute puppies frolic and a voice-over assures, “We’re for puppies”? ...Educators from grade school to the University of North Carolina system are just now reporting the effects, and the effects are not positive. Our teacher shortage — already at 10,000 and counting — is being worsened. Schools are finding that they lose retirees who do not want to go that stretch without earning a paycheck.
Inside Politics: Lobbying reform takes shape
The Fayetteville Observer
Starting next year, North Carolina lobbyists will have to meet stricter rules concerning gift spending on lawmakers and reporting. And people will have to wait six months after leaving the General Assembly or state government before registering as a lobbyist.Town wants UNC help
The Chapel Hill Herald
The town hasn't given up on convincing UNC to contribute funds to Chapel Hill's stormwater utility, created in 2004 to help pay for dealing with stormwater effects such as pollution, erosion and flooding. ...Nancy Suttenfield, vice chancellor for finance and administration at UNC, said that it was premature to say whether the university's thinking was any different from a couple of years ago. But she said the university was willing to take up the question again in discussions with the town.
Housing project aims to enliven downtown
The Chapel Hill Herald
With his Warehouse Apartments on West Rosemary Street, local developer Larry Short is a happy purveyor of rental housing aimed mainly at UNC undergrads. ...Short said his experience, and his sense from talking to others with similar properties, is that UNC undergraduate students wouldn't have much interest in one-bedroom or studio apartments.
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.
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