March 8, 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

1478 Assassination Solved. The Humanist Did It.
The New York Times
On April 26, 1478, Lorenzo de' Medici (who escaped) and his brother Giuliano (who died) were repeatedly attacked with knives by a gang of men who invaded the Duomo cathedral in Florence during a high Mass....Mr. Simonetta's discovery is highly significant to Renaissance scholars, said Melissa M. Bullard, a professor of history at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Hugs can do a heart good
USA Today
Good times with a mate improve health for both sexes, but a "nesting" hormone might give women's hearts even more benefit during brief episodes of warm contact with loved ones, a psychologist reported over the weekend....In the new study of 76 adults, all married or in long-term live-in relationships, partners who were happy together had significantly higher levels of oxytocin than unhappy couples, says psychologist Karen Grewen of the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill.

Bush Budget Fuels Debate Over Sex Ed
Fox News
Safe-sex educators are rankled by President Bush's proposal to increase abstinence instruction funding next year, but proponents of the just-say-no approach argue teens will get a fighting chance against unwed pregnancy, sexually-transmitted diseases and for healthy future relationships....A study released Feb. 24 by the School of Journalism and Mass Communication at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill found that 15- to 19-year-old sexually-active teens accounted for nearly half of the 18 million new cases of STDs in 2000, and that nearly one out of every two sexually-active teens can expect to get some form of STD by the age of 25.

Kerry hasn't given up on South
Dallas Morning News
From peeling crawfish in New Orleans to attending church in Mississippi, John Kerry is busy doing the Southern thing - no easy task for a Massachusetts Democrat who also writes poetry and hangs out with Sen. Edward Kennedy...."It takes some connection to, some understanding of, some affinity for the cultural conservatism of the South," said Ferrel Guillory, director of the program on Southern Politics, Media and Public Life at the University of North Carolina.


State & Local Coverage

McComas not likely to test McIntyre for House seat (Commentary)
Wilmington Star News
University of North Carolina leaders shared a study with state lawmakers last week that argues - in broad strokes - that university research is good for the economy.

3 area students win Morehead scholarships
The Charlotte Observer
Three Charlotte-area high school students are among 40 from across the country and Great Britain to be awarded prestigious Morehead scholarships to attend UNC Chapel Hill beginning this fall.

Chapman receives Morehead scholarship
Fayetteville Observer
Pia Chapman is facing one of the most difficult decisions of her 18 years. It just got tougher Friday....On Friday, UNC announced that Chapman was one of 40 students to receive the Morehead scholarship.

North student a Morehead scholar
Salisbury Post
Alana Wilson said she worried there had been a mistake when she received an e-mail earlier this week informing her she'd been named a Morehead Scholar.

3 in Triangle win full rides to NCSU, UNC-CH
The News & Observer
Six high school students across North Carolina have a tough decision to make in the coming weeks: Should they accept a full scholarship to UNC-Chapel Hill, with benefits, or should they accept a full scholarship to N.C. State University, with benefits?
News Services release: http://www.unc.edu/news/archives/mar04/morehead030504.html

Doctor aims to demystify Alzheimer's
The Charlotte Observer
When Alzheimer's disease strikes, it strikes the whole family...."As a physician, when you think about approaching somebody with dementia, you really need to pay as much attention to the caregiver," said [Daniel] Kaufer, director of the Memory and Cognitive Disorders Program at UNC Chapel Hill's neurology department.

Tax pro or go it alone? Listen to gut
The Charlotte Observer
With just five weeks before April 15, less than half of you have sent in your income taxes...."You have to determine your own personal comfort level," said Douglas Shackelford, a UNC Chapel Hill accounting professor.

Is end near for Carolina oyster?
The Charlotte Observer
North Carolina's native oysters, once so plentiful that boats foundered on their massive reefs, are clinging to life....A researcher at UNC's Institute of Marine Sciences in Morehead City, meanwhile, is studying a fast-growing Asian oyster that Dermo can't kill. The species tastes much like the natives.

`Under God' pledge controversy doesn't enter into WNC classrooms
Asheville Citizen Times
Once as much a part of the school day as recess, reciting the Pledge of Allegiance doesn't command the attention it once did...."The government shouldn't be in the business of endorsing or disapproving of religion," said Arnold Loewy, a law professor at UNC Chapel Hill School of Law who submitted a brief to the Supreme Court supporting Newdow.

UNC's book list a menu from the mainstream (Commentary)
The News & Observer
A few confessions: I used to be a socialist. I've also been an anarchist, a syndicalist and a surrealist....Memories of those sweet fevers make the latest kerfuffle at UNC-Chapel Hill so dispiriting.
(J. Peder Zane is the book page editor.)

On campus: controversial tuition and speech (Letters to the Editor)
The News & Observer

Carolina North stance worth watching (Editorial)
The Chapel Hill Herald
UNC's student election ended Tuesday with a twist that has implications for the entire community: The winner is an enthusiastic supporter of Carolina North.

Town wants planning tweaks
The Chapel Hill News
Town leaders and residents want to wield more power at the negotiating table with UNC amid long-standing but mounting concerns about university construction.

UNC construction raises residents' fears
The Chapel Hill News
Making lemonade out of lemons is one thing....Bruce Runberg, UNC's associate vice chancellor of planning and construction, said the work is a necessary, and temporary, evil.

Old farmhouse will fall if UNC club's plan is carried out
The Herald-Sun
An old mantel and other salvageable materials would be all that remain of a 19th-century farmhouse along Barbee Chapel Road if the UNC faculty-staff club moves forward with a plan to tear down the house.

UNC may be flexible on animal shelter lease that runs out in 2006
The Herald-Sun
UNC might allow the Orange County Animal Shelter to stay in its current spot beyond 2006, when the lease for the Airport Road site runs out. Orange Commissioners Chairman Barry Jacobs said he talked last fall with Tony Waldrop, a vice chancellor at UNC who is leading planning for Carolina North, and asked him about the shelter site.

30 years ago, UNC made naked run at history
The Charlotte Observer
During last month's Super Bowl, Bob Williams took note of the halftime streaker with particular bemusement....Early March 7, 1974, nearly 1,000 UNC students, all but 100 of them men, jogged through campus with nothing on but sneakers - and maybe a hat, cape, clown mask and multiple goose bumps.

DJ conjures up an outlaw genie
The News & Observer
'The Grey Album" might be the most accurately titled album in history...."In a lot of ways, the 'White Album' is the Beatles turning toward other sources," says John Covach, who teaches classes on the Beatles and rock history at UNC-Chapel Hill.

Issues and Trends

Recruits on ACC agenda
The News & Observer
In response to the recruiting scandal at the University of Colorado, the ACC will form a task force to "take a look at home," league commissioner John Swofford said Friday....At North Carolina, AD Dick Baddour said the school is putting together a group that will look into all of the school's recruiting practices.

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

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