March 17, 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

New Campaign for Tylenol
The New York Times
The unit of Johnson & Johnson that sells Tylenol refocused its advertising this week with a $100 million campaign to restore an authoritative voice to the venerable brand...."There have been several studies suggesting that the beneficial effects of aspirin may be blunted or lost in patients taking ibuprofen," said Dr. Sidney Smith, co-chairman of the guidelines committee at the heart association and a professor of medicine at the University of North Carolina.

Are you a 'flexitarian?'
National Associated Press
Even after five years, Christy Pugh has no trouble sticking to her vegetarian regimen....Suzanne Havala Hobbs, a nutrition professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, credits the growth of flexitarianism to the nation's better understanding of the diet-disease connection.

IBM in N.C. hums at center of outsourcing debate
National Associated Press
Some 13,300 people work here, at International Business Machines Corp.'s largest site in the world...."They've moved from processing materials to processing information," said John Kasarda, a professor of management and sociology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's Kenan-Flagler Business School.

State & Local Coverage

University request seems modest (Editorial)
The Chapel Hill Herald
UNC's new request for a modification to the campus development plan is sure to draw scrutiny from folks skeptical of the university and its expansion, but we see little in the proposal that should trigger another town-gown fight.

UNC submits additional development changes
The Chapel Hill News
UNC has submitted to town planners a second round of changes to its development plan -- affecting six projects in all -- despite a town request to hold off until the review process for university construction could be reviewed.

UNC plan drew on neighbors' input (Letter to the Editor)
The Chapel Hill News
In response to "Time for changes in town-gown plan" (CHN, March 10), while the site preparation along Mason Farm Road may create concern, the editorial fails to consider the years of thorough and collaborative planning, and the subsequent enhancement to our community, which will be evident when the project is completed....Dean L. Bresciani, Interim vice chancellor for UNC Student Affairs

Panel changes stand on downtown tax
The Herald Sun
The town's special tax on downtown property may not go away after all....When it met last month, a committee of town, UNC and local business representatives working on ideas for boosting downtown had agreed to support dropping the special tax, which downtown property owners pay each year in addition to other taxes.
Related links: http://www.newsobserver.com/news/story/3424774p-3044235c.html
http://www.chapelhillnews.com/front/story/1068366p-7132295c.html

Conservative view spreads more liberally at UNC
The Herald-Sun
When Michael McKnight arrived at UNC as a freshman four years ago, he looked far and wide for like-minded, conservative students with whom to hang out....A Fox News producer working on campus Tuesday relayed requests for comment to the network's New York offices.
Note: Dean Bresciani was among those interviewed by Fox News, referenced in this story. There is no indication of when the Fox News segment will air.

Young voters generate appeal
The News & Observer
With his longish hair and casual dress, 19-year-old English major Matt Cochran fits many people's stereotype of a UNC-Chapel Hill student....At UNC-Chapel Hill's Student Union, students packed a large multipurpose room in the basement for the Bush-Cheney rally.

N.C. needs to clearly define all its rules addressing lobbying (Editorial)
Asheville Citizen-Times
North Carolina Secretary of State Elaine Marshall is heading up an advisory panel examining rules governing lobbyists and legislators in Raleigh....Gene Nichol, co-chairman of the council and dean of the University of North Carolina law school, told The Associated Press "There's a pretty powerful sense in the room that the status quo is unacceptable (and) is inadequate in terms of the regulation of lobbying in North Carolina....."

BB&T plan runs counter to governance push
Triad Business Journal
BB&T Corp., which has already enacted policy changes and is proposing still others in attempts to regain shareholder confidence, has perplexed some analysts and corporate-governance experts with a plan that could shift considerable power back to the bank's board of directors....Tom Hazen, a law professor at UNC-Chapel Hill and a corporate-governance expert, said the proposed change "clearly shifts more power to the board, and it certainly gives management more control."

Planetarium reaches beyond the stars
The Herald Sun
For proof the Morehead Planetarium isn't just about stars and planets anymore, look no further than the guy running the place. He's not even an astronomer. Holden Thorp is a chemist, but that doesn't matter.

Newest UNC 'cop' has a nose for safety
The Chapel Hill News
The newest member of the UNC Public Safety Department hadn't quite learned how to deal with the media yet. Confronted with cameras and notebook-wielding reporters, he barked loud and long.

Lucky charms
The Chapel Hill News
When the North Carolina basketball team finds itself trailing toward the end of a game, legendary Tar Heel radio announcer Woody Durham often advises fans to "go where you go and do what you do."

Issues and Trends

Proposed 'academic bill of rights' makes inroads
USA Today
Republican-led bills are moving forward in Colorado, Georgia and Missouri to create an "academic bill of rights" for college campuses, which sponsors say would promote intellectual diversity among faculty and protect students whose political views differ from those of their professors.

Subsidies May Be Cut for Student Loans
The Washington Post
House Republicans are considering legislation aimed at reducing government subsidies for a federally supported student loan program, a step that critics say could lead to sharp increases in the long-term cost of going to college.

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.