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July 18, 2006
Carolina in the News
Here is a sampling of links and notes about Carolina
people and programs cited recently in the media:International Coverage
'Sweet tooth' linked to binge eating and obesity
Food Navigator (France)
People with a 'sweet tooth', a strong preference for sweet tastes, associate the taste with mood improvements and have impaired control of eating more sweets, says research from the US. "The described association between hedonic response to sweet taste and mood altering effect and impaired control over eating sweets makes the sweet taste test (STT) a potential ma[r]ker of the risk of developing binge eating behavior and obesity," wrote lead author Alexey Kampov-Polevoy from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
National Coverage
Is this woman the living 'Code'?
USA Today
Is the world ready for a book and an author more controversial than Dan Brown and The Da Vinci Code? ... "A historian simply has to look at what evidence there is," says Bart Ehrman, chairman of the Department of Religious Studies at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill and author of Peter, Paul & Mary Magdalene: The Followers of Jesus in History and Legend (Oxford University, $25). "You can survey anyone who is a scholar of early Christianity and they will all tell you the same thing. It's completely bogus."
Alarms sound over athletes' Facebook time
USA Today
Facebook.com is a website most college students know and many of their elders don't. Athletics administrators are just getting to know it — and many don't like what they see. ... North Carolina doctoral student Fred Stutzman is studying social networks such as Facebook and MySpace. "Athletic departments are probably more concerned about old media — what athletes say to the press after games," Stutzman says. "But I think there is the potential here for athletic departments to get blindsided."
A New Focus on Literacy
The San Jose Mercury News (Calif.)
Sixteen-year-old Tristan Bence has been learning to read for 10 years. But because of autism, he's struggled with sequencing sounds and letters, even though he likes reading and knows the alphabet. ... Benetech developed the program with Karen Erickson, a University of North Carolina expert in literacy for people with disabilities. By uploading photos from Flickr, an online photo-sharing service, the non-profit skirted having to pay for expensive photos to accompany the stories.
Most Teen Construction Workers Toil in Risky Tasks, Study Says
Occupational Hazards magazine (Cleveland, Ohio)
A new study conducted by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has found that most teenage construction workers in the state are performing duties that are considered risky or are prohibited by federal and state labor laws. ... "These activities put teenaged workers at great risk because they don't yet have the training experience or judgment to handle a task like using a skill saw or operating a fork lift," said Dr. Carol Runyan, lead author of the study and director of the university's Injury Prevention Center.
UNC News Release: http://www.unc.edu/news/archives/jun06/teenworksafety063006.htmRegional Coverage
The story of Judas in tale of two books
The Des Moines Register
Walking into a bookstore nowadays, you might get the impression that you have taken a wrong turn and entered a religious booksellers convention. Suddenly, anything having to do with ancient religious events is a sizzling best-seller with the makings of a blockbuster movie. ... A commentary by Bart Ehrman, professor of religious studies and expert on early Christianity at the University of North Carolina who wrote the forward to Krosney's book, gives the best overall perspective on the place of the Judas gospel in early Christianity and biblical history.
Dormitory food for new generation
The Cincinnati Post
College cafeteria Mystery Meat has been replaced by carved roasted Asian pork and seared beef stroganoff and grilled salmon and Italian paninis and Mongolian stir-fry and fresh Cobb salad and made to order omelets and ... And, oh, how times have changed. ... For example, the University of North Carolina is spending $22 million on a dining facility that includes five separate food areas, a chop house, a sports café, a bakery and specialty desserts.
Eric Schopler, 79, Autism Researcher
The New York Sun
Eric Schopler, a University of North Carolina psychologist whose work on the humane and effective treatment of autism made him an international pioneer, died July 7 at 79.
UNC News Release: http://www.unc.edu/news/archives/jul06/schopler071106.htmState & Local Coverage
UNC has proud tradition of historic preservation (Letter to the editor)
The Chapel Hill Herald
After reading last Friday's editorial, "UNC should work to save old buildings," I would like to point out that Carolina's program in preserving and restoring its campus is perhaps the most ambitious of its kind in the country. I am very proud of our record and I believe we have continued to make the university special through our extensvie program of renovating its beautiful buildings and grounds. ... Paul Hardin Kapp, Chapel Hill. Hardin is campus historic preservation manager at UNC-Chapel Hill.
Note: No link available.Four honored for teaching excellence
The Chapel Hill News
Four scholars at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill have been awarded Bowman and Gordon Gray Distinguished Term Professorships. The new Bowman and Gordon Gray professors are Dr. Valerie Ashby, Dr. Patrick Conway, Bland Simpson and Dr. Rachel Willis. The professorships provide a salary supplement, a fund for research support and a highly coveted sabbatical.
Note: No link available.
UNC News Release: http://www.unc.edu/news/archives/jul06/b&gprofs071306.htmCivil War Letters
"The State of Things" WUNC-FM
Tim West, collection director and curator of UNC's Wilson Library's manuscripts department, was featured on today's (July 18) edition of "The State of Things." After Robert W. Parker joined the Second Virginia Cavalry in 1861, he wrote more than 300 letters to his loved ones from the battlefield. Those letters are now part of a collection at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's Wilson Library. West discusses the stories told in those letters and about life on the Civil War battlefield.
UNC News Release: http://www.unc.edu/news/archives/jul06/dooley071006.htmWork that's well paid and in demand
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
North Carolina is a rich place for pharmacists. ... With UNC-Chapel Hill's pharmacy school firmly rooted in the Triangle, this area may have a better pipeline of potential candidates, keeping the competition down just a bit. Things may change in Charlotte next spring when Wingate University's first class of pharmacists graduates. The school is 35 miles east of Charlotte.
Arrests signal potential trend
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
It is the highest number of people ever charged in a single shooting death in Raleigh -- 13. ... "Over the years, you can do less and less and still be considered an accomplice or conspirator," said Joe Kennedy, who teaches criminal law at UNC-Chapel Hill.
Shaw plans high-speed community upgrades
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
Bernice Hardy doesn't have a computer and isn't terribly familiar with the way wireless Internet technology works. ... A new sort of digital divide --the gap between those with first-generation, slower Internet access and those with the more modern high-speed and wireless options -- has also emerged, said Shannon Howle Schelin, director of the Center for Public Technology at UNC-Chapel Hill.
Predictions hardly new (Question-answer)
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
Bart Ehrman, professor of religion at UNC-Chapel Hill and an expert on early Christianity, argues that predictions of the world's end are a time-worn tradition. In his 1999 book, "Jesus, Apocalyptic Prophet of the New Millennium" (Oxford University Press), Ehrman wrote to disprove those who predicted that the year 2000 would usher in the end. In his book, he explains that such predictions go back to Jesus, if not earlier.
Temperatures sizzle in Triangle's hottest week
The Chapel Hill Herald
To Chapel Hill resident Kevonte Mitchell, Monday was "ridiculously hot." ... Drinking lots of non-caffeinated beverages and getting into an air-conditioned climate at least once a day are the best ways to avoid heat-related illnesses, said Abhi Mehrotra, assistant professor at UNC's department of emergency medicine.
Braces not just for kids anymore
WRAL-TV (CBS, Raleigh)
More adults are doing what they did not do as children – get braces. Nowadays, everyone does not have to know you are wearing them. Dr. Sylvia Frazier-Bowers, assistant professor of orthodontics at the UNC-Chapel Hill School of Dentistry, explains why more adults are considering braces.
Issues & Trends
Bill lets schools make build-and-rent deals
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
More North Carolina schools soon could have private landlords. ... The legislation got its start in North Carolina three years ago. Robbie Ferris, a Fayetteville architect and chief executive officer of SFL+A Architects, drew up the first draft after his firm worked on long-term leases for the University of North Carolina system.
Public affairs shows dropped
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
UNC-TV announced Friday that two of its original public affairs programs featuring news about the state, state government and politics are being canceled. ... Steve Volstad, director of marketing and communications at UNC-TV, said the station made the decision to drop the shows as a way of dealing with a shortfall in its budget.
Chapel Hill lays claim to smartest town in nation
The Chapel Hill Herald
It doesn't take a college degree to know Chapel Hill has plenty of smarts, says Councilman Cam Hill. ... Among them is David Blau, a UNC professor of economics. For him, the school system played a central role. "I primarily chose to live here for the good [public] schools and to some extent the other amenities," Blau said.
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.
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