June 13, 2006

Carolina in the News

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

National Coverage

Buddhism With a New Mind-Set
The New York Times
Western spiritual seekers who have focused on meditation have fueled a remarkable growth in Buddhist practice in the United States. So what to do if you are part of an ancient Buddhist tradition that is huge in Asia but has failed to catch on in the United States, in part because it has no real place for meditation? ... "There's a split between converts and so-called ethnic Buddhists," said Jeff Wilson, a contributing editor to Tricycle, a Buddhist magazine, who is working on a doctorate on Buddhism in America at the University of North Carolina.

Lawsuit Claims Welding Fumes Hit Nerves
The Associated Press (National)
In a closely watched case unfolding in federal court, a jury is being asked to take up an intriguing question that has confounded many medical researchers: Can welding fumes cause neurological diseases such as Parkinson's? ... Dr. Edward Baker, a University of North Carolina professor and director of the North Carolina Institute for Public Health, testified as the leadoff witness in Ernest G. Solis' case that extensive research has linked manganese fumes that emit from welding rods to neurological disorders.

Bankruptcy filings up despite reforms
Reuters
A new U.S. law to deter American consumers from seeking bankruptcy protection made filings plunge to a 20-year low in the first quarter of 2006, but a rapid rise in new cases since then raises questions about whether the law is working as expected. ... "Some people think that merely reducing the number for filings regardless of who they are and what kinds of problems they have is a success," said Melissa Jacoby, a bankruptcy law professor at the University of North Carolina.

State & Local Coverage

New blood test better
The Winston-Salem Journal
Researchers at the University of North Carolina said yesterday that a blood test developed by a local company can detect some blood-sugar levels in diabetics better than standard blood tests. ... Physicians at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill performed the study. It is reported in Diabetes Care, the journal of the American Diabetes Association.

Carolina Inn may get more rooms
The Chapel Hill Herald
The university wants to add space to the Carolina Inn by renovating the adjacent Whitehead Hall and turning it into new guest rooms and other amenities. The proposed project would net 15,000 square feet of new space for the inn, but planners haven't yet spelled out how many guest rooms that would entail, said Bruce Runberg, associate vice chancellor for facilities planning and construction at UNC, and planner Anna Wu.
UNC Community page link: http://www.unc.edu/community/dpmtotown.htm

'Marketplace' radio show to broadcast from Durham
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
Millions of listeners will be tuned into WUNC's Durham studio today and Wednesday as the radio station hosts the popular business show "Marketplace." ... The remote broadcast and viewing party give fans the chance to see how their favorite shows are made, said WUNC's Beverly Abel, one of the organizers of the event at the American Tobacco Historic District.
UNC News Release: http://www.unc.edu/news/archives/jun06/marketplace060806.htm

'Wish List' wins a student Oscar
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
Sean Overbeeke, who graduated from UNC-Chapel Hill in 2005, has something in common with Hollywood filmmakers Spike Lee and Robert Zemeckis: a student Oscar. Overbeeke won a first-place gold medal in the 33rd annual Student Academy Awards. ... His film, "Christmas Wish List," revolves around a fast-talking New York lawyer alone on Christmas Eve in a small college town.
UNC News Release: http://www.unc.edu/news/archives/jun06/studentoscar0606.htm

UNC senior wins $8,000 prize for fountain
The Herald-Sun (Durham)
Rising UNC senior Justin Way's design for a water fountain won the $8,000 grand prize in the 2006 Rhein Medall Prize for Community Art, sponsor Rhein Medall Communities announced Monday. ... To qualify for the grand prize, artists also had to win competitions at their respective schools.

Stone gets teased (Commentary)
The Herald-Sun (Durham)
Later Saturday night I ended the weekend at the Bill Cosby benefit show in Memorial Hall at UNC. The benefit was to honor his longtime friend Chuck Stone and to fund the Citizen of the World Award, a UNC award named in Stone's honor.
Note: No link available. For a copy, email Todd at tvinyard@dev.unc.edu.

UNC science professor looks to reduce pollution
WCHL-AM (Chapel Hill)
Chapel Hill could be a national leader in pollution reduction if a UNC environmental science professor gets his way. ... Douglas Crawford-Brown of the Carolina Environmental Program at UNC-Chapel Hill talks about how the university and town can work together to cut carbon admissions.

Wrightsville Beach will offer chance to adopt a stand
The Star-News (Wilmington)
Individuals and businesses can help fund the resort town's new lifeguard stands and get their names in front of beachgoers in the process, Wrightsville Beach officials have decided. ... David Lawrence, a professor at the University of North Carolina School of Government, said he knew of no law that would force a town or local government to accept every donation offered.

UNC journalism school is tops
The Chapel Hill Herald
On the strength of a first place finish in broadcast news, and a second place finish in photojournalism, UNC Chapel Hill's journalism school claimed the national title at the Hearst Championship ceremony in San Francisco during the weekend.

Issues & Trends

Cary Family Pushing For Background Checks At UNC System Schools
WRAL-TV (CBS, Raleigh)
A murder at an area college is still fresh in a local family's mind as the victim's family pushes a law to make sure university students don't get admitted without criminal background checks. ... The UNC System is not taking a position on this proposed legislation.

Iowa gives Edwards pleasant surprise
The Charlotte Observer
The buzz among callers to Monday's "Talk of Iowa -- Dr. Politics" radio program was Sunday's Des Moines Register Poll, and its surprise first-place showing for Democrat John Edwards. ... As director of the Center on Poverty, Work and Opportunity at UNC Chapel Hill, he's traveled the country from his N.C. home pushing higher minimum wage laws and other anti-poverty measures.
Related Link: http://www.newsobserver.com/102/story/449926.html

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.

Please share any questions, comments or suggestions at news@unc.edu.