June 28, 2004

Carolina in the News

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

National Coverage

'Make or break' time for U.S. efforts
The Kansas City Star
The hand pumps installed by U.S. soldiers worked. Well water splashed out. The Afghan farmers receiving the American aid smiled...."In Iraq, we did it on the cheap too," said Richard H. Kohn, history professor and chairman of the curriculum in peace, war and defense at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

'Oklahoma!' proves to be A-OK in the outdoors
Dallas Morning News
There's just something magical about hearing "Oklahoma!" with a chorus of tree frogs and cicadas chiming in....Discoveryland's production of Oklahoma! is one of more than 40 outdoor dramas that attract nearly 2.5 million visitors each summer, according to the Institute of Outdoor Drama at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Explorers of Noah's Lost Ark
Christianity Today Magazine
Daniel McGivern, a 64-year-old Roman Catholic entrepreneur from Honolulu, says he is "90 percent sure" he knows the location of Noah's ark....Christian Smith, a sociologist at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, says interest in the ark is "rooted in battles going back to the early 20th century modernist/ fundamentalist struggles over the nature of biblical truth."

Antioxidants May Fight Alcohol-Linked Birth Defects
Health Day News
Antioxidants taken during pregnancy might help prevent birth defects in babies born to women who abuse alcohol, suggests a study conducted in mice....[Kathleen] Sulik is a professor of cell and developmental biology at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine, in Chapel Hill.

State & Local Note

As part of his "Carolina Connects" initiative, Chancellor Moeser on Friday spoke at the Carteret County Economic Development Council's annual luncheon, toured Bogue Sound by water and visited UNC's Institute of Marine Sciences. His speech was covered by the Carteret County News-Times (story not online). The chancellor also participated in a live call in radio show, "Viewpoints," on WTKF-FM.

State & Local Coverage

Class-size reduction: political football or worthwhile reform?
N.C. Associated Press
Gov. Mike Easley has made class-size reduction in public schools a priority since taking office in 2001....Gerald Unks, a professor of education at the University of North Carolina, said while there's no "linear link" between smaller classes and better student performance, reducing class sizes is effective in kindergarten through third grade because those are the most formative years for learning.

Want substance? You need to look
The Charlotte Observer
When it comes to deciding which candidate to favor, voters often look at whether a candidate projects an image that agrees with their own values and morals....Image is one of the three biggest factors influencing voters, coming in after party identification and ranking higher than issues, says Pamela Conover, a UNC Chapel Hill professor who specializes in political psychology and behavior.

Carolina alums labor inside 9-11 commission
The Charlotte Observer
Carolina alums labor inside 9-11 commission Staffers deal with tears, tips and secrets of inquiry into history....Emily Walker says it's been an honor to do her job over the last year, even though there were many days when it made her cry.

State may use old code on prison
Fayetteville Observer
A state prison planned for Columbus County may be built to older standards, saving time and money....Earthquakes are rare in the Southeast, but they do happen, said Johnathan Lees, an associate professor of seismology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

911 calls boost payroll in Raleigh
The News & Observer
Jesse E. Creech has a $52,000-a-year job answering calls and overseeing dispatchers at the city's 911 center....Experts in local government at UNC-Chapel Hill's School of Government and the National League of Cities in Washington say there is no standard for how much overtime is acceptable in a city department.

UNC to test 3-D video
The Herald-Sun
A medical professional responding to an accident scene or dealing with a trauma at a remote clinic often must make split-second decisions within a rapidly changing situation to save lives....Now UNC researchers are investigating whether providing that long-distance consultation via a portable, 3-D telepresence technology could improve the quality of the consultation and, as a result, increase the quality of medical diagnosis and treatment.

Honoring the conscience of North Carolina (Commentary)
The Charlotte Observer
The General Assembly resorted to a bit of deceit the other day. For once, everybody was pretty happy about it....They wrote the resolution to honor William Davie, who almost single-handedly created the University of North Carolina and laid its cornerstone a couple of hundred years ago -- and to recognize Bill and Ida Friday's role in transforming a handful of growing college campuses into a university system that became a national model.

Musical offers upbeat message of coastal stewardship
New Bern Sun Journal
When the lights go down, the Coastal Cohorts will gather at the Corncake Inlet Inn to sing and raise money so hotelkeeper Miss Mattie Jewell can rebuild after a hurricane....[Bland] Simpson, a professor of creative writing at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, is a member of the musical group Red Clay Ramblers.

Issues & Trends

Tuition burden falls by a third
USA Today
What students pay on average for tuition at public universities has fallen by nearly one-third since 1998, thanks to new federal tax breaks and a massive increase in state and federal grants to most students and their families.

Merit awards make college affordable
USA Today
Jared Jones' father wanted him to attend New York University.

Grants more than offset soaring university tuition
USA Today
King Alexander, president of Murray State University in Kentucky, wants the world to know how many universities set tuition prices. It works like this.

WNC lawmakers must work together to further health initiative (Editorial)
The Asheville Citizen-Times
It's easy to make a case for establishing a Western North Carolina consortium of health and wellness programs, connected through the state's university system, to address issues of obesity, wellness and aging.

Colleges see Hispanic surge
N.C. Associated Press
Irene Rivera grew up in Fayetteville, the daughter of native Puerto Ricans, surrounded by just a handful of other Spanish speakers...."It's going to keep us busy for many years to come," said Robert Kanoy, associate vice president for access and outreach for the 16-campus University of North Carolina system.

School keeps license but gets more oversight
The News & Observer
A private vocational-tech school in North Raleigh will likely be able to hold on to its licenses -- but it must submit to increased oversight from inspectors to show that it is changing its ways....A University of North Carolina system team of examiners sent a report to the school last week that questioned the qualifications of instructors and administrators, as well as the quality of the learning environment.

Keohane's last goal unsettled
The News & Observer
Nan Keohane leaves the Duke presidency this week after an 11-year tenure deemed a golden era for a campus now in the top ranks of U.S. research universities.

Focus on Franklin Street paying off; New tenants ready to fill vacancies
The Herald-Sun
The new tenant taking over the old Michael Jordan's 23 restaurant space is just one of several new ventures set to change the downtown business landscape....The nonprofit corporation's board includes residents, UNC officials and owners of downtown businesses and property.
Related link: http://www.chapelhillnews.com/front/story/1371924p-7494935c.html

Better economy means better downtown prospects (Editorial)
The Chapel Hill Herald
Well, don't look now, but downtown Chapel Hill appears to be on the way back.

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

Past issues of Carolina in the News are located at http://www.unc.edu/news/clips/index.shtml.

Note: Web links on this page are time-sensitive, so stories might not be available after the day they first appeared.