October 7, 2002

Carolina in the News

Current National Coverage

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

Slow the Race to College (Editorial)
The Washington Post
It's October and the heat is on for high school seniors hoping to win admission to selective colleges and 
universities across the country. Many of them are staring at a Nov. 1 deadline for an early-decision... 
The school announced last week that starting next fall it will join the University of North Carolina and 
Beloit College in Wisconsin in dropping early-decision admissions... Last spring, when UNC 
announced its decision to drop early-decision admissions, Vice Provost Jerome Lucido said the school 
had concluded that the program put minority and low-income students at a disadvantage...
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A45765-2002Oct4.html
(Note: This editorial represents The Post's second favorable mention about Carolina's stance on early 
decision. The Post also ran a lengthy favorable editorial last spring about UNC's decision.)

Hedge Funds May Give Colleges Painful Lesson
The Wall Street Journal
Are some of the nation's most prestigious universities about to get a painful education in hedge-fund risk?... 
The University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill has more than quadrupled the size of its hedge-fund 
portfolio, to 30% of its endowment's total, during the past four years, while the University of Chicago is 
allocating 15% of its money to hedge funds, up from about 1% two years ago...
http://online.wsj.com/article/0,,SB1033943251625222713,00.html?mod=mkts%5Fmain%5Ffeatured%5Fstories%5Fhs
(Note: The Wall Street Journal requires a subscription to access articles.)

New study underscores the value of vigorous exercise in gym classes
Newsday (Long Island, N.Y.)
Just because children's school schedules include physical education classes doesn't mean they derive any 
health benefits from them. They may not - unless the kids actually do some exercise rather than standing 
around for most of the hour, as many do... Faculty at the University of North Carolina who conducted 
the study say their results underscore the value of vigorous exercise early in life to combat hypertension, 
a chronic, debilitating disease that can surface in childhood and worsen in adults... Robert G. 
McMurray, the study's lead author, said that its significance lies in the promise of early intervention...
http://www.newsday.com/news/health/ny-p2fit2955006oct07.story
(Note: This story originally appeared in The Washington Post and was the result of a UNC news release
http://www.unc.edu/news/archives/jul02/mcmurray071802.htm)

Why Dec. 31 Is a Good Day to Stay Out of the Market
The New York Times
Recent research into mutual fund trading helps to explain why one quarter's top funds tend to continue 
winning for only a few weeks before reversing course... In their study, the researchers concluded, 
however, that the behavior they detected was not window dressing. (The research was by Mark M. 
Carhart, co-head of quantitative strategies at Goldman Sachs Asset Management, and three finance 
professors: Ron Kaniel of the University of Texas at Austin, David K. Musto of the Wharton School 
of the University of Pennsylvania and Adam V. Reed of the University of North Carolina at Chapel 
Hill. Their report, "Leaning for the Tape: Evidence of Gaming Behavior in Equity Mutual Funds," was 
in the April issue of the Journal of Finance.)
http://www.nytimes.com/2002/10/06/business/mutfund/06STRA.html
(Note: The New York Times requires free registration to access articles.)

A tougher toll to calculate
Baltimore Sun
When Hurricane Lili and Tropical Storm Isidore slammed into Louisiana's Gulf Coast this fall, news 
reports focused on flooded homes and shops, flattened fields and millions of dollars in property damage... 
"The problem is we don't know how much human activity has changed things, but we do know the land
is more exposed than ever before," says Hans Paerl, a water quality expert at the University of North 
Carolina's Institute of Marine Sciences... 
http://www.sunspot.net/news/printedition/bal-te.journal07oct07.story

Cuba at the Turn (Essay Excerpt)
The Chronicle of Higher Education
The Cuba photographs of E. Wright Ledbetter were produced in the course of five separate visits to 
the island ... spanning approximately four years between mid-1997 and mid-2001; that is, Cuba at 
the turn of the century
http://chronicle.com/weekly/v49/i07/07b01901.htm
(Note: Louis A. Pérez Jr. is a professor of history at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. 
The Chronicle of Higher Education requires a subscription to access articles.)

Civilian control has been fading, one scholar says 
St. Louis Post-Dispatch 
In the current issue of the Naval War College Review, Richard H. Kohn's 50-page essay makes the case 
that officers have become more politically involved and have even usurped civilian oversight... The 
military scholar is Richard H. Kohn of the University of North Carolina...
http://home.post-dispatch.com/channel/pdweb.nsf/6e56f5328304fd5685256a0f005ed358/86256a0e0068fe5086256c4a0024f0ad?OpenDocument

Pretending health is the issue (Commentary)
The (Albany, N.Y.) Times-Union
Tommy Thompson sat in a Senate hearing earlier this year and with a straight face and studied conviction 
said the following: "Prenatal services can be a lifelong determinant of health, and we should do everything 
we can to make this care available to all pregnant women."... "If the objective is for poor women to get 
prenatal care, then you don't need to reclassify the status of the fetus but rather reclassify the status of the 
woman as worthy of health coverage," says Dr. David Grimes, professor of obstetrics and gynecology at 
the University of North Carolina....
http://www.timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=58751&category=OPINION&newsdate=10/4/2002
(Note: This commentary originally appeared in The San Francisco Chronicle.)

Islam is the hot course on campus 
Buffalo News
In the days following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, Anne Chernick still vividly recalls, fellow students on 
the Rollins College campus in Winter Park, Fla., would approach her with questions - big questions... 
Professor Christian Smith, of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, has seen an increase in 
enrollment, although he is not sure why. 
http://www.buffalonews.com/editorial/20021005/1033753.asp

Regional Coverage

Forecasters say buoy not as accurate as light tower
The Sun News (Myrtle Beach, SC)
The Frying Pan Shoals light tower has marked the weather and guided ships off the coast of Brunswick 
County, N.C., for 35 years. But as of this week, its days are numbered... The Frying Pan Shoals buoy 
will become part of a growing network of buoys deployed in the coming years in hopes of better 
understanding the ocean off the Southeast coast, according to Harvey Seim, an oceanographer with 
the University of North Carolina... 
http://www.myrtlebeachonline.com/mld/sunnews/news/local/4217400.htm

State and Local Coverage

UNC-CH seeking large donations 
News and Observer
In 1792, according to legend, William R. Davie stood under a poplar tree and picked the future spot 
of the University of North Carolina. This week, UNC-Chapel Hill's leaders will gather beneath the 
leaning old Davie Poplar to announce something its founders could not have imagined: a campaign 
matching the fund-raising goals of Carolina's wealthy neighbor, Duke University, with the aim of raising 
$2 billion in private gifts for the nation's first public university...
http://www.newsobserver.com/front/story/1792028p-1797255c.html

(Note: The News and Observer plans a correction tomorrow regarding this report on the campaign 
goal. The Associated Press, Raleigh, also has corrected an earlier report it distributed to broadcast 
media.)

UNC-Chapel Hill to announce fundraising goal
News 14 (Time-Warner, Raleigh)
Leaders at UNC-Chapel Hill will gather Friday to announce a fundraising campaign designed to raise 
the school's stature among public research universities...
http://rdu.news14.com/content/top_stories/?ArID=15694

Popularity of environmental degrees growing
Triad Business News
As worries about environmental degradation become the keys to approving major business projects such 
as the Randleman Dam and the Federal Express hub, businesses are looking more for employees who 
understand the science of environmental stewardship and, more importantly, the morass of environmental 
regulation. The universities are responding by turning out more students who focus on the environment. 
The best-known and apparently the largest public program in the state is the Carolina Environmental 
Program at UNC-Chapel Hill...
http://www.triadbusiness.com//news/item.tcl?scope=public&news_item_id=107786

ROTC Building to fall out
News and Observer
The list of alums reads like a Who's Who of sports and politics: Gerald Ford, George H.W. Bush, 
baseball hall-of-famer Ted Williams, Paul "Bear" Bryant of Alabama Crimson Tide football glory and 
Robert Morgan, a former U.S. senator. Each passed through the Naval preflight training program 
housed at UNC-Chapel Hill in the 1940s, when the military had a strong presence on campus...
http://newsobserver.com/news/story/1787237p-1794639c.html

County poises for growth with larger water system
Charlotte Observer
Lincoln County officials are preparing for future water emergencies and growth as they firm up a wish list 
for water-system improvements... David Moreau, a professor of water resources and environmental 
services at UNC-Chapel Hill, said that's a smart move for Lincoln County...
http://www.charlotte.com/mld/observer/news/local/states/north_carolina/counties/gaston/4223631.htm

Cancer is the least of worries from cell phones (Commentary)
Charlotte Observer
When a new technology takes off, it seems to fly with the speed of light. So it is with cell phones, now 
owned by well over half the population and soon to be found in more than 90 percent of American 
households... A study supported by the Automobile Association of America Foundation and 
conducted by the UNC Chapel Hill Highway Safety Research Center revealed that distractions outside 
the vehicle, like gawking at accidents, other drivers, pedestrians, animals and even road construction 
were the primary distraction culprits in road accidents...
http://www.charlotte.com/mld/observer/living/health/4228793.htm

Poll: Hayes rising to top
Fayetteville Observer
A poll taken by Democrats shows Republican Rep. Robin Hayes leading the 8th U.S. House District 
race by 12 percentage points... Thad Beyle, a political science professor at the University of North 
Carolina in Chapel Hill, said two factors will influence the race: Republicans are scoring well with the 
public on national defense, while some polls show that voters trust Democrats more to improve the 
economy...
http://www.fayettevillenc.com/story.php?Template=election&Story=5186834

U.S. Jews voice more dissent 
News and Observer
In the American Jewish community there has long been an unspoken rule that criticizing Israel is 
dangerous, and those who do only lend more power to its enemies... From a historical perspective, 
American Jewish criticism of Israel is not new, said Yaacov Ariel, a professor of religion at UNC-CH...
http://newsobserver.com/news/story/1787247p-1794592c.html

Listening Post: Let the people lead (Commentary)
News and Observer
A commentary by Timothy Mc-Keown, an associate professor of political science at the University of 
North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Talk about war with Iraq centers on Saddam Hussein and the costs of 
ousting him...
http://newsobserver.com/news/story/1790519p-1796159c.html
(Note: To view this story, please go to the above url and scroll down the web page.)

Footnotes: Dean leaving Kenan-Flagler 
News and Observer
UNC-CH's Kenan-Flagler Business School Dean Robert Sullivan, who oversaw a rise in the school's 
rankings and international emphasis, is looking forward to his next challenge as dean of a new graduate 
business school at the University of California-San Diego...
http://newsobserver.com/news/triangle/story/1792041p-1797327c.html
(Note: For more information, please see 
http://www.unc.edu/news/archives/oct02/moeser_statement100302.htm)

Teach the children well 
News and Observer
Tameika Ramseur tapped her feet to the hip-hop music, looked up at the other little girls pumping their 
arms, jumping and dancing... So Alice Ammerman, an associate professor in the Department of 
Nutrition, and researchers at the UNC schools of public health and medicine designed Girls Rule!, a
pilot project to prevent obesity, targeting 6- to 9-year-old African-American girls and their caregivers... 
http://newsobserver.com/features/life/story/1782736p-1790290c.html

Author’s speech kicks off race week 
The Herald-Sun
Author Rebecca Walker, whose recent book chronicles her life growing up in a biracial household, will 
be the keynote speaker tonight as UNC kicks off its annual Race Relations Week.... "With her mixed 
background, racial and religious, it just seemed like a perfect fit," said James Giza, a UNC senior and 
co-chairman of the event...
http://www.herald-sun.com/orange/10-274205.html
(Note: Other coverage generated by News Services and student organizers includes The News and 
Observer, The Chapel Hill News and The Daily Tar Heel.)

Issues and Trends Affecting Carolina

Group's second 'report card' finds some improvement since 2000, but still awards many C's
The Chronicle of Higher Education
American students are better prepared for college now than ever before, but the opportunity to engage
in advanced study varies sharply across the nation, according to a key state-by-state "report card" on 
higher education released last week... "I understand their analytical techniques and I'm not taking any 
issue at all with them, but I'd have to say that if even one student or family used this report card as a 
basis for a decision to attend the University of North Carolina, they would not have correct information," 
said Molly Corbett Broad, president of the UNC system...
http://chronicle.com/weekly/v49/i07/07a02401.htm

Less under the tree (Editorial)
News and Observer
Compared with the "Christmas tree bill" of business incentives that legislators had been considering, the 
economic development plan passed by the General Assembly before it adjourned early Friday looks 
modest. In size alone, the plan to make $10 million in yearly grants to attract new jobs -- the money 
essentially would come from income taxes paid by new workers -- stacks up favorably against the 
bloated package under consideration only a few days ago...
http://newsobserver.com/editorials/story/1791869p-1797298c.html

Schools bend NCAA rules 
News and Observer
East Carolina University said its women's basketball coach offered her players $20 for every foul they 
could draw on a player from the other team. Athletic officials at N.C. State University took freebies 
from boosters -- from dry cleaning to a weekend at a resort -- without first getting permission....
http://newsobserver.com/news/story/1790486p-1796058c.html
(Note: The News and Observer published NCAA violations of local and regional universities along 
with this story. To view UNC's violations, please go to 
http://newsobserver.com/news/story/1790486p-1790651c.html)

Annexation challenge faces uphill fight
Chapel Hill News
On the heels of Carrboro's decision to annex nearly 500 acres in its Northern Transition Area, the 
Orange County Board of Commissioners has initiated a "refresher course" on the county's joint planning 
agreement as part of Wednesday's joint public hearing with Carrboro and Chapel Hill... David 
Lawrence, a professor with the UNC-Chapel Hill Institute of Government, said that counties and towns 
typically enter into agreements to plan jointly to avoid fights over areas that are likely to be eventually 
absorbed into municipalities...
http://www.triangle.com/triangle.com/communities/chapelhill/story/1785930p-1793353c.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