June 17, 2002

Carolina in the News

Current National Coverage

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

Admissions of Uncertainty
The Chronicle of Higher Education
Rain drenched Harvard University's commencement this month, but it didn't douse a 
burning question: Was the nation's oldest university declaring war on early decision, or 
merely tweaking its admissions policy to conform to new national guidelines?...
...Those concerns seem to be swaying some college leaders. In December, Richard C. 
Levin, Yale University's president, urged other elite institutions to abandon early decision -- 
while conceding that Yale could not risk dropping the program unilaterally. This year, 
Beloit College and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill announced that they 
will drop their early-decision programs this fall.
http://chronicle.com/weekly/v48/i41/41a03501.htm
(Note: The Chronicle of Higher Education requires registration to access articles.)

Coated Stents Smooth Cardiology Care Recovery
Los Angeles Times
If you are rushed to an American hospital today with chest pain caused by clogged 
arteries to your heart, the chances are good that you will get an artery-opening procedure 
called angioplasty, and the insertion of a tiny, mesh-like device called a stent to keep 
your arteries open...
..."If the results of these early trials are confirmed in larger studies, coated stents should 
significantly reduce the need for coronary artery bypass surgery," says Dr. Sidney C. 
Smith, chief science officer for the American Heart Assn. and a professor of medicine 
at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
http://www.latimes.com/features/health/la-000042413jun17.column?coll=la%2Dheadlines%2Dhealth

Lane Ranger: Study finds cellphones are driving us to distraction
Atlanta Journal Constitution
It might be a car that suddenly intrudes into your lane. Or perhaps an SUV in the fast 
lane that brakes for no apparent reason. All too often, today's motorists are too 
distracted to be safe drivers. And frequently, the distraction is caused by their cellphones....
...Distracted driving was one of myriad highway safety topics covered at Lifesavers, a 
national conference held this past week in Orlando. A fascinating and still unpublished 
study was presented by Jane Stutts of the University of North Carolina Highway 
Safety Research Center. 
http://www.accessatlanta.com/ajc/epaper/editions/sunday/metro_d3c0629e84b1527b00c6.html

Researchers share new techniques in detecting diabetes
San Jose Mercury News (California)
In a promising new field of diabetes research, scientists are finding new ways to help 
identify diabetes-prone patients early, potentially averting complications such as limb 
amputation, blindness and heart disease...
...The researchers measured other markers but found little correlation between those 
levels and increased risk of diabetes when controlling for other factors such as diabetes,
said Dr. Bruce Duncan, affiliated with both the University of North Carolina and a 
Brazilian university, the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul.
http://www.bayarea.com/mld/bayarea/news/local/3481369.htm

State and Local Coverage

UNC is genomics ‘center of excellence’
UNC recently became one of three universities in the nation chosen as centers of excellence 
for genomics and public health. With the distinction came a three-year grant worth nearly 
$900,000, which will be used to run the center, to be housed in the N.C. Institute for Public 
Health, a unit of UNC’s School of Public Health
http://www.herald-sun.com/orange/10-238168.html
(Note: This story originated from a recent UNC release: 
http://www.unc.edu/news/archives/jun02/centerexcel061302.htm)

Astrophysicists do the numbers 
To calculate something really huge -- say, the life span of a star -- astrophysicists must 
measure the most minuscule events. Ask Art Champagne. The UNC-Chapel Hill nuclear 
astrophysicist is rewriting estimates of how long stars can live by measuring the pace of 
a sub-atomic reaction involving hydrogen. Hydrogen is the primary fuel of stars. When it
runs dry, stars start to die.  Champagne is finding that this key reaction occurs more slowly
than scientists thought. That means the universe's longest-lived stars possibly will burn as 
much as a billion years longer than has been assumed, UNC-CH physics chairman 
Bruce W. Carney said.
http://www.newsobserver.com/front/News/story/1468068p-1498486c.html

Footnotes on campus
Following are two items were published Monday as a group in The News and 
Observer's "On Campus" section:

UNC vice chancellor leaving
Susan T. Kitchen will step down as UNC-Chapel Hill's vice chancellor for student affairs 
next month. The resignation surprised many on campus. Chancellor James Moeser said 
Kitchen cited personal reasons for her decision...
Pharmacy school budgeted
The state Senate budget proposal includes a special provision directing the UNC system 
to establish a pharmacy school at Elizabeth City State University no later than 2004-05. 
It directs the UNC Board of Governors to create a fully staffed, stand-alone pharmacy 
school in Elizabeth City....
http://newsobserver.com/news/triangle/story/1468110p-1498487c.html

We have gone too far in name of tolerance (Letter to the Editor)
Greensboro News and Record
Your editorial about the required Quran study at UNC-Chapel Hill was consistent with 
your bias to bash any Christians who disagree with you as ignorant, bigoted and 
hypocritical....
http://www.news-record.com/news/opinions/letters/monlets17.htm
(Note: The Greensboro News and Record publishes all letters to the editor on the same 
web page. To view this letter, scroll down the web page.)

Required Reading (Letter to the Editor)
Winston-Salem Journal
I would like to add my name to the list of those who are disturbed over this reading 
requirement at the University of North Carolina ("UNC reading requirement draws anger," 
May 25)...
http://www.journalnow.com/wsj/opinion/letters/MGB1OXSGG2D.html
(Note: The Winston-Salem Journal publishes all letters to the editor on the same web 
page. To view this letter, scroll down the web page.)

GoHeels.com site logging off
The Business Journal (Raleigh/Durham)
Popular Web site GoHeels.-com, in its current feisty incarnation as a critical observer of 
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill athletics, will cease operations in early July. The 
site, along with another Web offering, ACCToday.com, were created and operated by Chapel 
Hill-based Vilcom. Vilcom will suspend operations of ACC-Today and sell the rights to the 
GoHeels-.com name to Jefferson City, Mo.-based Learfield Communications. Learfield currently 
is renegotiating its multimedia contract rights for Carolina football and basketball with UNC 
Athletics Director Richard Baddour's office. At least four GoHeels staffers will lose their jobs. 
http://triangle.bizjournals.com/triangle/stories/2002/06/17/story6.html

Issues and Trends Affecting Carolina

Eckerd, state close to a deal 
The state health plan's administrator says it appears Eckerd, but not CVS, is close to working out 
a deal that would keep it serving teachers, public employees and retirees who fill their prescriptions 
at the drug chain's stores. Both pharmacy chains had said they would drop out of the state health 
plan's prescription drug program unless AdvancePCS, the company that administers it, rescinds a 
40 percent fee cut it put through late last month.
http://newsobserver.com/front/Business/story/1461056p-1491930c.html

State health plan hits pharmacies hard (Letter to the Editor)
Regarding the June 13 article "Drug chains' threats fall flat":
I am a third-year student at the UNC-Chapel Hill School of Pharmacy and the daughter 
of a retired state employee. Therefore, my family has been a member of the state health 
plans for more than 20 years.
http://newsobserver.com/editorials/story/1466212p-1496804c.html

Merging buses (Editorial)
Quietly and efficiently, the Triangle Transit Authority has developed an intercity bus system that 
works. Despite daunting challenges, it has doggedly worked to develop a regional rail line. So one 
expects that if the authority were to assume leadership of a merged Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill 
bus service, the cities as well as the region would benefit...
...A kink, of course, involves Chapel Hill Transit, which recently became a free service. It may be 
possible to let UNC-Chapel Hill pay for free-fare passes for students and staff members, who make 
up the bulk of riders, while keeping the fare for others modest. Or some other equitable means of 
sharing a merged system's financing could be devised.
http://newsobserver.com/editorials/story/1467987p-1498477c.html

Chatham builds road to future 
The tan strip of dirt that runs along U.S. 15-501 between Pittsboro and Chapel Hill marks the path of 
two new lanes that many expect will bring a wave of new homes and businesses to northeast Chatham 
County. "Everything's going to bust loose," said Joyce Bryan, owner of Stone-Crow Pottery, which 
sits just off the highway near Bynum.
http://newsobserver.com/news/triangle/story/1468106p-1498505c.html

Another look on campus (Editorial)
It should come as no surprise that wary legislators want to take a long, hard look before N.C. State 
University commits to building a $65 million hotel, golf course and conference center on the Centennial 
Campus. A bill introduced by Rep. Martin Nesbitt Jr. of Asheville would require all state universities to 
obtain legislative approval before undertaking similar projects. Nesbitt's bill would not prohibit the 
projects outright, but it would ensure that legislators would be able to take an in-depth look before the 
people's money is invested.
http://newsobserver.com/editorials/story/1467988p-1498474c.html

Note: If you have any questions about Carolina in the News, 
please call Cathleen Keyser or Mike McFarland at News Services, 
(919) 962-2091 or news@unc.edu or mike_mcfarland@unc.edu