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Nov. 30, 2005
Carolina in the News
Here is a sampling of links and notes about Carolina
people and programs cited recently in the media:International Coverage
Molecule identified in prostate cancer
United Press International
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill researchers say they have identified a molecule that stimulates the aggressive growth of prostate cancer. The molecule, Ack1 -- a member of the growth-promoting tyrosine kinase gene family -- stimulates tumor formation, in part by signaling prostate cells to rid themselves of a tumor-suppressor protein. Normally, this suppressor protein would inhibit rapid cell growth by signaling the cell to destroy itself.
UNC News Release: http://www.unc.edu/news/archives/nov05/proteinmolecule112805.htmNational Coverage
In Desire to Grow, Colleges in South Battle With Roots
The New York Times
The flags from Southern states disappeared from the chapel. The ceremonial baton dedicated to a Confederate general who helped found the Ku Klux Klan vanished. ...The University of North Carolina decided late last year to phase out an award for women after a graduate student discovered that Cornelia Phillips Spencer, for whom the award was named, had opposed efforts to admit black students during Reconstruction.
Mexico fights obesity as rates close in on U.S. figures
Bloomberg News
Mexico probably will surpass the United States in obesity rates for the first time next year as it adopts the fast-food and sedentary lifestyles of its neighbor to the north. ..."Obese and overweight adults went from nowhere in 1990 to 62 percent in 2000," said Barry Popkin, an economist and nutrition professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, citing a Mexican government study. "You are talking about an astronomical increase coming at a very fast rate."
Cornbread and Roses
The Nation
On a soft gray Monday in mid-October, the Interfaith Council shelter in downtown Chapel Hill has a brand-new volunteer, brimming with enthusiasm that's almost annoying at 10:15 in the morning. "How're you all doing back there?" John Edwards calls out to the kitchen crew as he beams into the dining room, trailed by a clutch of staffers, University of North Carolina antipoverty activists and TV cameras.
Regional Coverage
The golden age of Slang
The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (Pa.)
To think it all started with something as simple as the "bee's knees." ...Connie Eble, a professor of English at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, said slang was changing how people in different countries learn American English. They look to online dictionaries to see what they are missing, she said.
State & Local Coverage
New plugged-in classrooms
The Charlotte Observer
Next year, Gaston County high school students for the first time will have more classes to choose from and new ways to take them, as well as a chance to boost their college applications. School officials are expanding their distance learning program to all high schools, and every student will be able to take online courses through LEARN NC, which is run by UNC-Chapel Hill. The online courses are unlimited, while the distance learning program will focus on honor and AP classes, said Mark Hollar, Gaston's secondary education director.
Contemporary art in new exhibition
The Kinston Fress Press
Eleven prints purchased recently by the Ackland Art Museum, on display through Dec. 31, highlight the talents of both emerging and established contemporary artists.The University of North Carolina museum is showcasing the works throughout its galleries in the exhibition "Collecting Contemporary Prints." Visitors will see labels that explain why Ackland curators decided to acquire each work.
UNC News Release: http://www.unc.edu/news/archives/nov05/ackprints110705.htm
Carolina Ballet's holiday classic coming to UNC
The Kinston Fress Press
Carolina Ballet is set to bring the beloved holiday season staple "Nutcracker" to the University of North Carolina.The performances in Memorial Hall, part of the 2005-06 Carolina Performing Arts Series, are at 7 p.m. Dec. 2; 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Dec. 3; and 2 p.m. Dec. 4.
UNC News Release: http://www.unc.edu/news/archives/nov05/nutcracker112105.htmAssociate dean returns to UNC
The Herald-Sun (Durham)
James A. Gray III, a 26-year veteran of educational and corporate communications, is returning to his alma mater to become associate dean of external affairs at UNC's Kenan-Flagler Business School.
UNC News Brief: http://www.unc.edu/news/briefs/2005/112805.htmArea gets welcome soaking
The Herald-Sun (Durham)
Thunder, lightning, high winds and good ol' H2O splatted onto Durham-area soil and sidewalks Tuesday, keeping National Weather Service meteorologists hopping and area water utility honchos hoping as the outrageous 2005 hurricane season drizzled to a close. ..."I don't give forecasts, only probabilities," said UNC geography professor Peter Robinson, the former N.C. State climatologist and author of the book, "North Carolina Weather & Climate," released on Monday.
UNC News Release: http://www.unc.edu/news/archives/nov05/robinson111805.htmRecord company recalls CDs (Commentary)
The Charlotte Observer
To understand what record company Sony BMG did that was so despicable -- and why a pair of lawsuits were filed against it last week -- you have to understand what a rootkit is. ...But a clever 2004 study by two college professors, Koleman Strumpf of UNC Chapel Hill and Felix Oberholzer of Harvard, shows otherwise. Strumpf and Oberholzer analyzed a file-sharing database over time, and compared downloads to album sales. Their conclusion: "Downloads have an effect on sales which is statistically indistinguishable from zero."
PC labels lure shoppers
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
Beth LeGrande doesn’t seek out politically correct retailers, but she was pleased to learn that Home Depot, her paint supplier, is eliminating products that contain wood from endangered forests. ...“Price is becoming secondary for most retailers,” said Nicholas Didow, an associate professor of marketing at University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. “Their tradition in the market place is to serve a consumer segment that is very price sensitive, but that doesn’t mean they cannot also carry other lines of merchandise that is appealing for other reasons. And when the elephant walks, the jungle trembles.
What to serve in the season of optimism (Commentary)
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
Ah, it's that glorious time of year. No, I don't mean that you finally finished the Thanksgiving leftovers and you can see the bottom of the refrigerator again. I mean that special time for lovers of sport, when football and basketball seasons meet. ...So, on one fateful Friday, the first round of the annual ACC basketball tournament loomed. Those of us who were UNC-Chapel Hill fans realized that we could get to my place and see a good hour of the game on our lunch break. That added up to most of the small staff, and those who weren't fans became ones at the prospect of free snacks outside the office.
DTH has history of helping students make up own minds (Opinion-editorial column)
The Chapel Hill Herald
When it comes to news, it can be a difficult choice to decide who you should listen to say what, regardless of whether your preference is reading electronic news on your computer or schlepping down the driveway in your bathrobe to retrieve the day's newspapers. My choice of news source includes the Herald - a point I want to stress to the editor reviewing this piece - and I also favor The New York Times and the Durham Independent. And there's one more important news source if you live in Chapel Hill: The Daily Tar Heel. ....Bruce Egan manages UNC's technical help desk.
Note: Not available online. For a copy, email Michelle at mgreene@dev.unc.edu.UNC frat house cases continued
The Chapel Hill Herald
The cases against 18 people cited at UNC's St. Anthony Hall fraternity for alcohol or marijuana violations were continued Tuesday in Chapel Hill District Court just as defense attorneys were about to argue the search warrant used in the raid was illegal.
Issues & Trends
The Global Spread of Higher Ed
Business Week
The American economy has long relied on a well-educated workforce to fuel innovation, the lifeblood of any modern economy. That's why the headline "The Advanced Economies Losing Lead in Education" from the Conference Board's recent report was so disturbing. The business think tank recently noted that emerging nations might achieve 100% literacy in another three decades.
Classroom clickers give each student a voice in class
The Herald-Sun (Durham)
Sherryl Broverman called for a show of hands from a biology class at Duke. ... The system is made by InterWrite, a subsidiary of GTCOCalComp, which sells a variety of electronic aids for the classroom and boardroom. Other North Carolina universities that use it are UNC, N.C. State, East Carolina University, UNC Greensboro, UNC Charlotte, UNC Pembroke and N.C. A&T.
N.C. Makes Plan To Bring In More Teachers
WNCN-TV (NBC, Raleigh)
Members of the state board of education and state legislators have compromised on a plan to get more, qualified teachers from out of state into North Carolina classrooms. ...The University of North Carolina said it now has a plan to recruit and retain prospective teachers, promising to eventually deliver 6,000 each year to the state. But, the state needs a total of 10,000 new teachers each year. Getting the rest might come down to a bigger paycheck.
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.
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