May 14, 2003

Carolina in the News

Current National Coverage

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

Graduates Lower Sights in Stagnant Job Market
The New York Times
In years past, most seniors at the University of North Carolina ignored the recruit-
ers from Newell Rubbermaid, the maker of dishwashing gloves and Calphalon cook-
ware, dismissing the company as another unfashionable manufacturer. ... When North 
Carolina seniors receive their diplomas here on Sunday, only about 15 percent 
of them will have jobs awaiting them, half the percentage that did a few springs ago, 
according to a university estimate
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/05/14/education/14COLL.html
(Note:  The New York Times requires free registration to access articles.)

Researchers find two Chromatin Forms
United Press International 
University of North Carolina researchers have found differences in the physical 
properties of the genetic material chromatin that packages DNA and the chromatin 
that packages genes into cells. Lead researcher Jason D. Lieb said: "It is possible 
that a detailed genomic view of these variations, provided by the method we 
describe in our paper, could be used to diagnose and sub-type cancer and other 
diseases." 
http://www.upi.com/view.cfm?StoryID=20030514-062917-8542r
(Note: This coverage originated from a UNC news release,
http://www.unc.edu/news/archives/may03/lieb051203.html)

Regional Coverage

A little bit of difference matters a lot (Commentary)
The Mobile Register (Ala.)
We Southerners like to think of our region as distinctively different from the rest of 
the nation -- a region of balmy climate, neighborly, God-fearing people, men who 
know how to hunt, women who know how to cook biscuits, music that sets your
toes to tapping and a fiery willingness to defend what we believe in. ... "Public opin-
ion in the South isn't all that different," reported Scott Keeter, assistant director of the 
Pew Center, to the Southern Writers' Roundtable at the University of North 
Carolina. 
http://www.al.com/news/mobileregister/gowens.ssf?/xml/story.ssf/html_standard.xsl?/base/news/105290383891440.xml

State and Local Coverage

Morehead turns to molecular structure
The Chapel Hill News
Usually focused on illuminating the stars in the galaxies, the Morehead Planetarium 
and Science Center is changing gears this summer with a new film that delves into a
mysterious world on a much smaller scale — the minute world of DNA.
http://www.triangle.com/triangle.com/communities/chapelhill/story/2535277p-2354470c.html
(Note: For more information, visit 
http://www.unc.edu/news/archives/may03/dna050703.html)

A 'deviate sex' law ripe for revocation (Opinion-Editorial Column)
News and Observer
A few weeks ago, the U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments in Lawrence vs. 
Texas. There, litigants challenged the constitutionality of a state law criminalizing 
"deviate sexual intercourse" with a person "of the same sex." 
http://newsobserver.com/editorials/story/2536558p-2355713c.html
(Note: Gene R. Nichol is dean and the Burton Craige professor of law at the 
School of Law.)

Easley calls on Phipps to resign
Charlotte Observer
With a federal investigation creeping closer to her desk and a tough 2004 campaign
looming for his party, Gov. Mike Easley called Tuesday for fellow Democrat and 
N.C. Agriculture Commissioner Meg Scott Phipps to resign for the good of the 
state. ... "The way to see this is as a necessary exercise in party leadership by the 
governor," said Ferrell Guillory, a longtime political analyst and head of the 
Program on Southern Politics, Media and Public Life at UNC Chapel Hill. 
http://www.charlotte.com/mld/observer/news/5855486.htm

N.C. museums split $256,000
Triangle Business Journal 
Museums across North Carolina - including several in the Triangle - will share
$256,000 to preserve collections and create educational programs for the public, 
according to U.S. Sen. John Edwards' office. The North Carolina Botanical Garden, 
part of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, won $27,200 to document 
the plants that have lived on its 700 acres throughout history.
http://triangle.bizjournals.com/triangle/stories/2003/05/12/daily21.html

UNC student leader on panel 
The Herald-Sun
Matt Tepper, president of UNC’s student body, has been named to the Governor’s 
Crime Commission. Tepper, a rising senior from Cary, was one of five commission 
members appointed recently.
http://www.herald-sun.com/orange/10-352116.html

4 years later, world seems less secure 
News and Observer
Nearly 15,000 Triangle graduates will step across stages this weekend and next, 
clutching crisp diplomas and grinning for family snapshots. ... "This class has really
been through a lot," said Marcia B. Harris, director of university career 
services at UNC-Chapel Hill.
http://newsobserver.com/news/triangle/story/2530068p-2349809c.html

Robert J. Stewart, UNC-Chapel Hill 
News and Observer
Robert J. Stewart can't help being nervous. He is about to embark on the ultimate 
personal test, the extreme being-alone-and-surviving-it experience. ... Stewart is 
headed for the Peace Corps. ... Stewart graduates next Sunday from UNC-Chapel 
Hill with a degree in business administration, emphasizing international trade.
http://newsobserver.com/news/story/2529869p-2349689c.html

Issues and Trends Affecting Carolina

For Five Supreme Court Justices, Affirmative Action Isn't Academic
The Wall Street Journal
In one of the most controversial cases of the year, the nine U.S. Supreme Court 
justices are expected soon to decide the fate of racial preferences in college admissions. 
As it happens, a majority of the justices are already familiar with another type of 
admissions preference. ... Five justices or their children qualified for an admissions edge
known as "legacy preference," which most U.S. colleges give to the sons and daughters 
of their alumni. 
http://online.wsj.com/article/0,,SB105286166271484600,00.html?mod=todays%5Fus%5Fpageone%5Fhs
(Note: The Wall Street Journal requires a subscription to access articles.)

The New Hot Colleges: Those That Discount
The Wall Street Journal
Vikram Jagadish, a senior at North Senior Miami High School, has long dreamed of 
going to Georgetown University. ... As high-school seniors finalize their choices, it's 
already clear that more families than usual are choosing colleges with their wallets in 
mind. Instead of gravitating toward the most prestigious school on their list, many are 
opting for the one that charges the lowest tuition or offers the most-generous aid 
package.
http://online.wsj.com/article/0,,SB105285939653536300,00.html?mod=todays%5Fus%5Fpersonaljnl%5Fhs
(Note: The Wall Street Journal requires a subscription to access articles.)

ACC pursues expansion 
News and Observer
The leaders of the nine schools in the Atlantic Coast Conference voted Tuesday to 
pursue the most significant expansion of the 50-year-old league, a move that would 
shake up the world of college sports. ... UNC-Chapel Hill Chancellor James 
Moeser said he could neither confirm nor deny that presidents and chancellors 
approved expansion.
http://www.newsobserver.com/news/nc/story/2536690p-2355731c.html

ACC votes to expand to 12 teams
Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel (Fla.)
The Atlantic Coast Conference inched closer toward expansion Tuesday when its 
presidents voted to expand the conference from nine to 12 teams, clearing the way for 
Miami to join the league if it chooses. ... The expansion passed 7-2. North Carolina and 
Duke were the descenting votes.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/sfl-umacc14may14,0,3004248.story?coll=sfla%2Dsports%2Dfront

Expanding the ACC is a half-baked idea (Editorial)
The Herald-Sun
The drumbeat of speculation about the possible expansion of the Atlantic Coast 
Conference is beginning to provoke the inevitable counter-reaction, nowhere more 
so than at UNC. 
http://www.herald-sun.com/opinion/chhedits/57-351504.html

Duke punishes frat for hazing, alcohol violations 
The Herald-Sun
Duke University officials have issued sanctions against a campus fraternity found guilty
of hazing and making alcohol available to minors after six of its pledges got drunk and 
were dropped off at Duke Forest in April. ... Dropping off pledges in Duke Forest is 
a common hazing practice for some UNC Chapel Hill fraternities ... 
http://www.herald-sun.com/durham/4-352154.html

Triangle makes another top 10 
News and Observer
Worried about the local economy? Then you haven't seen Forbes latest survey of Best 
Places for Business and Careers. The business magazine ranks Raleigh-Durham-Chapel 
Hill third among 147 large metropolitan areas nationwide for business and career 
development, looking at -- among other things -- job growth.
http://newsobserver.com/business/story/2536671p-2355707c.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