June 24, 2002

Carolina in the News

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

International News Notes

Dr. Kathleen McTigue, a Robert Wood Johnson clinical scholar at the UNC School of 
Medicine, was featured recently on Radio Australia about her study of adult weight gain 
among different ethnic groups, races and sexes. This coverage originated from a UNC 
News Services release: http://www.unc.edu/news/archives/jun02/mctigue053102.htm.

Current National Coverage

Schools Grapple With Change In Early Admission Policies 
The Washington Post
For years, Harvard and Georgetown universities have accepted prospective 
undergraduates through "early action" programs, which gave applicants advance 
notice but did not require them to agree to attend if they got in. There was one 
condition: that the students not apply to another school under an "early decision" plan, 
because early decision requires a pledge, usually in writing, to attend the institution 
if accepted. It also demands that accepted students withdraw any outstanding 
applications...
..In December, Yale University President Richard C. Levin called for universities to 
consider abolishing early decision. The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill 
and Beloit College in Wisconsin have dropped their early-decision programs, and 
Mary Washington College is considering doing so, Wilder said.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A25973-2002Jun21.html

Harvard Reconsiders Admissions Policy 
Columbia Daily Spectator (New York)
Harvard University's Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid, William Fitzsimmons, 
announced two weeks ago that Harvard is considering a change in its admissions 
policy that would allow the university to enroll students who have already been 
admitted to competing institutions through binding early decision programs...
...Late in the year Yale University president Richard C. Levin told The New York 
Times that he favored abolishing early decision programs. Last month the University 
of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, terminated its early decision program. 
http://www.columbiaspectator.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2002/06/20/3d10ce8eae8a3?in_archive=1

North Carolina Is Cooking, and It's Not Always Barbecue
The New York Times
For more than a hundred years, the slender triangle formed by Raleigh, Durham and 
Chapel Hill, N.C., has been the country's capital of tobacco. Today, as the cigarette industry 
wanes, the region is enjoying a bumper crop of a different sort, this one a hybrid of high 
technology, higher education and quality dining. The Triangle, as it is called, is home to 
8,000 companies, numerous colleges and universities — including two of the country's 
most handsome campuses, Duke and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill — 
and ample sightseeing and regional festivals.
http://www.nytimes.com/2002/06/23/travel/23TAB.html
(Note: The New York Times requires free registration to access articles.)

Researchers Face More Federal Scrutiny on Animal Experimentation
The Chronicle of Higher Education
College researchers are accustomed to having animal-rights groups watch their every 
move. Now they are getting more intense scrutiny from another formidable source: 
the federal government...
...The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill made headlines when People for 
the Ethical Treatment of Animals released a videotape in April documenting what it 
regarded as inhumane treatment. NIH officials have asked the university to spell out 
how it will ensure the proper care of laboratory animals, says Tony G. Waldrop, vice 
chancellor for research and graduate studies. The university's animal-care panel is 
making recommendations on corrective action later this month, Mr. Waldrop says. 
http://chronicle.com/weekly/v48/i42/42a02301.htm
(Note: The Chronicle of Higher Education requires subscription to access articles.)

'I don't have any limits'
The State (South Carolina)
Carla Sanchez picked a good time to woo the American public. "We Latins are in 
style now," she said. "We've seen many more crossovers of singers and actors. People 
are paying attention to us."
...Right now, Sanchez is working on "La Comunidad (The Community)," an instructional 
video that aims to teach health-care workers workplace Spanish. Wraymedia, the 
production company making the movie, finished filming in Columbia last week. "Their 
target is to help North American people to learn how to approach Latin American people 
who don't speak English," Sanchez said. "It's going to help both communities." The film, 
funded by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, weaves dramatic episodes 
with language lessons. The entire two-hour movie is in Spanish.
http://www.thestate.com/mld/thestate/3510952.htm
(Note: This story was originated from a UNC News Services release.)

National News Notes

Jane Brown, professor in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication, was 
featured on National Public Radio's "Weekend Edition" on a segment about how teens 
interpret the media's depiction of sex. To listen to the program, visit 
http://search.npr.org/cf/cmn/cmnpd01fm.cfm?PrgDate=06/22/2002&PrgID=7 and 
scroll down the page. 

State and Local Coverage

Senate budget draws cautious optimism
So far, so good. That's the response from university leaders to a proposed Senate 
budget that cuts less than expected. But apprehension remains over how the House will 
respond to the proposal. "We're very pleased with the Senate budget," Chancellor James 
Moeser said in an interview last week. "I think the Senate really recognized the importance 
of education to the long-term vitality of the state." The Senate's 2.9 percent cut is less 
than even the rosiest scenarios contemplated by university number crunchers. UNC-
Chapel Hill would see a reduction of $5.09 million to Academic Affairs, $3.8 million for 
Health Affairs, $1.1 million for the Area Health Education Centers. UNC Hospitals 
would lose $970,076 and UNC General Administration would lose $2 million.
http://www.chapelhillnews.com/Issues/2002/06/23/news01.html

Off the Beat: Dean Dome may tap money in sponsored playback
Taxpayer support for the Dean E. Smith Student Activities Center came under scrutiny 
during last week's Senate debate over that body's budget proposal. Republican Sen. 
Phil Berger, who represents a district that includes all or part of Allegheny, Ashe, Guilford, 
Rockingham, Stokes, Surry and Watauga counties, sought to eliminate state support for 
the Dean Dome. This year support for the building will reach nearly $1.2 million. Berger 
wanted to shift the money into a program that provides in-home care for disabled adults. 
http://www.chapelhillnews.com/Issues/2002/06/23/news10.html

UNC report advises tougher punishment for cheaters
Where they once received an automatic "F" and a one-semester suspension, UNC 
students caught cheating on class work soon may have a new grade added to their transcripts. 
A university report is recommending creating a new grade -— "XF" -— to replace the regular 
"F" on the transcript of students found guilty of academic cheating. 
http://www.herald-sun.com/orange/10-240251.html

UNC-CH task force proposes "XF" grade for cheaters 
Greensboro News and Record
A task force has recommended a new grade to indicate that a student at the University of 
North Carolina at Chapel Hill flunked a class because of cheating. A report recommends 
that instead of an automatic "F" and a one-semester suspension, UNC-CH students caught 
cheating should receive a new grade of "XF."
http://www.news-record.com/news/now/xf24.htm
(Note: Other pick up of this statewide Associated Press story includes the Winston-Salem 
Journal http://www.journalnow.com/wsj/news/MGBX6FNPT2D.html)

'Social aggression' subtle and so real (Commentary)
Dr. Hongling Xie, a research scientist at the Center for Developmental Science at the 
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, studies aggression among girls.
THE N&O: Two books, "Oprah," "20/20," Newsweek. Why are we hearing all about 
girls and how they behave now?
Dr. HONGLING XIE: Traditionally, we have been focusing on physical aggression. The 
increase in interest in girls is around another form of aggression, a more subtle form, a 
social aggression. Basically those behaviors are gossiping, excluding others, isolating others. 
Right now, that phenomenon has become more prominent because of the increased peer 
issues among adolescents. With popularity being so prominent, those kinds of aggressive 
behaviors become more salient.
http://www.newsobserver.com/news/q/story/1484196p-1514939c.html

Dissecting gender differences with Anson Dorrance (Commentary)
Anson Dorrance knows the difference between men and women. Athletes, that is. 
Dorrance, the legendary Tar Heels women's soccer coach, has coached both sexes during 
his 25 years on the Carolina sidelines. And during that time he's come to firm conclusions 
about differences between male and female athletes. Obviously, by his choice of coaching 
career, he prefers coaching the latter, and he has figured out which buttons to push to 
motivate women to perform, compete and succeed at the highest level. He has strong 
views on gender differences and is unapologetic in describing what he calls "the male 
arrogance and female lack of confidence issue." 
http://www.chapelhillnews.com/Issues/2002/06/23/opinion01.html

What Nortel faces now is a fight for its life 
After slashing thousands of jobs for more than a year, canceling product lines and 
selling off businesses, Nortel Networks' effort to become profitable through austerity 
has become more a matter of survival....
...Some analysts say a merger or sale of Nortel's assets would be likely if things get
worse. The Canadian government would likely come to the rescue in a worst-case 
scenario, said James F. Smith, an economics professor at UNC-Chapel Hill's Kenan 
Flagler Business School. 
http://www.newsobserver.com/business/technology/story/1473247p-1504806c.html

African Diary 
The Independent Weekly
Since July 2000, Dr. Charles van der Horst, professor of medicine and director of 
UNC-Chapel Hill's HIV/AIDS clinic, has made periodic visits to Africa to study and 
implement HIV/AIDS treatment practices there, continuing an almost two decades-
long UNC presence on the continent. In return, the university has hosted African
researchers, including Sam Phiri, a clinical officer from Malawi trained at UNC in the 
use of anti-retrovirals, and Henry Faluzi, lab director of Lilongwe Central Hospital, 
Malawi.
http://indyweek.com/durham/current/cover.html

Health Officials Decide Americans Should Not Receive Smallpox Vaccine Before 
Threat 
WTVD - ABC (Raleigh-Durham)
No smallpox vaccinations for the general public: that's the decision by the Advisory 
Committee on Immunization Practices. After two days of hearings in Atlanta the 
group decided vaccinating every American against the virus without a credible threat 
of its widespread release is too risky...
...We're very concerned about causing harm to people who are very low risk for 
smallpox," said Dr. Myron Cohen, director of the center for infectious diseases at 
UNC Chapel Hill. "It's an imperfect world. Either we vaccinate everybody and have 
deaths from the vaccine for an unknown risk or we wait and we have deaths from 
smallpox."
http://abclocal.go.com/wtvd/health/062002_NH_smallpoxvaccines.html

Issues and Trends Affecting Carolina

New SAT Writing Test Is Planned
The New York Times
For college admissions officers, the College Board's plan to add a new writing section 
to the SAT brings a host of new questions — and, possibly, an answer to the growing 
problem of college application essays so polished as to indicate that a student probably 
had extensive adult help. On Thursday, the College Board's trustees are expected to vote 
to revamp the SAT, starting in the spring of 2005. The new SAT, officials at the College 
Board have indicated, will include a 20-to-30-minute handwritten essay question that 
will be scored by the board, and scanned onto a computer Web site, available to 
admissions officers at colleges where the students have submitted their scores. 
http://www.nytimes.com/2002/06/23/education/23EXAM.html
(Note: The New York Times requires free registration to access articles.)

House to shake up state budget 
On this much, a majority in the state House of Representatives can probably agree: The 
Senate budget headed their way this week would cut too deeply into government programs 
and spend money the state doesn't have. That is where the agreement ends.
http://newsobserver.com/news/story/1484240p-1515037c.html

A sour precedent (Editorial)
Johnson & Wales University may be a fine school, particularly in the study of culinary arts, 
but it doesn't deserve the special financial considerations that state Sen. Fountain Odom, a 
Charlotte Democrat, wants to provide. A provision in the Senate's budget bill would make 
the school the first out-of-state university to be eligible for a long-standing tuition subsidy 
program designed to benefit those private colleges and universities headquartered in North 
Carolina, and their in-state students
http://newsobserver.com/editorials/story/1485482p-1516287c.html

FOOTNOTES: Board dilutes chancellor power
When it comes to setting salaries, the UNC Board of Governors doesn't want to delegate too
much power to campus chancellors. In hammering out a policy to guide campuses on new 
management flexibility granted last year by the General Assembly, a Board of Governors 
committee last week added some amendments that give campus boards of trustees the 
authority for some salary decisions.
http://newsobserver.com/news/triangle/story/1485629p-1516248c.html

NCSU shifts Saturday library hours 
N.C. State University officials said Friday they would find enough money in their budget to 
keep D.H. Hill Library open on Saturdays this fall, despite state budget cuts. Chancellor 
Marye Anne Fox and Provost Stuart Cooper made the announcement after news of sharp 
cutbacks at the library sparked complaints from students and professors. To cancel the 
planned Saturday closings, NCSU may rehire up to six of the 27 library workers who 
received layoff notices last month.
http://newsobserver.com/news/triangle/story/1481857p-1512547c.html

Retirees' `double dipping' targeted by N.C. Senate
Charlotte Observer
The state Senate has moved to limit how much money teachers and administrators can 
earn when they return to work soon after they retire...
...Data from the University of North Carolina system estimate that the state's schools 
will need 12,000 new teachers a year over the next decade. Yet colleges and universities 
are graduating only about 3,200 teachers a year.
http://www.charlotte.com/mld/observer/news/local/3531541.htm

Residents may get shorter shift 
At least once a week, Dr. Andrea Scholer pulls a shift that lasts more than 30 hours, 
and for most of that time it's go, go, go, treating children with asthma attacks, high fevers, 
broken bones and assorted other ailments that merit hospitalization at WakeMed...
..The council accredits the nation's 7,800 medical residency programs, including those 
run by medical schools at Duke University in Durham, the University of North Carolina at 
Chapel Hill, and East Carolina University in Greenville. All three have made the changes, 
or are adopting them..
http://newsobserver.com/news/triangle/story/1481852p-1512506c.html

Elkin Hills residents band together
Residents of the Elkin Hills neighborhood are learning a lesson in civics as UNC plans to 
build a new grounds-keeping facility off Estes Drive. "It is just a preliminary plan, and we 
still have time to act and impinge upon it," said Fred Stang, one of the community organizers. 
"We're on the frontline of Horace Williams development." 
http://www.chapelhillnews.com/Issues/2002/06/23/news00.html

Widening Columbia serves town needs (Letter to the Editor)
The immediate needs of the people, UNC and the town are the traffic problem above 
Merritt's, convenient parking for everyone, affordable housing and an adequate park in 
the south of town. 
http://www.chapelhillnews.com/Issues/2002/06/23/opinion04.html
(Note: To view this letter, please scroll down the page.)

County to Carrboro: Keep in touch on Winmore
Orange County commissioners have asked Carrboro to clarify the town's position on the 
possible annexation of the proposed Winmore development. At a meeting Tuesday night 
in Chapel Hill, the commissioners expressed concern that they would be left out of the 
review process of the development should the town decide to annex the land. 
http://www.chapelhillnews.com/Issues/2002/06/23/news06.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