Oct. 3, 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

University scholarship widens net to state pupils
The Scotsman (London)
One of the world's most prestigious academic awards, previously offered only to students at Scotland's leading private schools, is to be opened up to final-year students across the country. The Morehead Scholarship offers successful candidates four years of paid tuition, accommodation and expenses at the University of North Carolina (UNC) on America's south-east coast. The university's excellence in academic research has earned it a reputation as one of the top universities in the US.

Drivers facing growing number of distractions
The Canadian Press
Forget the cellphone. When it comes to inattention behind the wheel, traffic officers are encountering all sorts of new distractions, some of which pose more of a risk than your mobile phone. ...That same study, co-authored by Jane Stutts of the University of North Carolina's Highway Safety Research Center, showed up to 30% of crashes involved some form of driver inattention.

Accent no longer on Castilian Spanish
Inland Valley Daily Bulletin (Ontario, Canada)
It is the dialect Miguel de Cervantes used to lead Don Quixote toward the windmills, and which Benito Perez Galdos used to spark riots upon performances of "Electra." And until recently, it was the only version of Spanish spoken in foreign language classrooms. ... "The demand for Spanish teachers of any kind if they are good is fierce," said Erika Lindemann, interim romance languages department chairwoman at the University of North Carolina. "But we want native speakers. We do have a good exchange program with Spain, but the rest of the native speakers available are from Latin America."

Flood of students taking Spanish tests colleges' teaching resources
Inland Valley Daily Bulletin (Ontario, Canada)
More than half of all students who take a foreign language in college take Spanish. Not just in California. Not just in Florida. Not just in New York. ... "It has put an enormous stress on the department," said Erika Lindemann, interim romance languages department chairwoman at the University of North Carolina. "It has been difficult in terms of finding faculty and in finding classroom space."

National Coverage

Ill-fated strike runs on fumes
The Detroit News
Six weeks ago, dozens of Northwest Airlines Corp. mechanics walked the picket line daily at Detroit Metropolitan Airport. They were confident a strike would cripple the carrier and force it to make a contract offer they could accept. ...John D. Kasarda, a professor of management at the University of North Carolina and an expert on airline issues, said he can sympathize with the workers but AMFA totally miscalculated the strike's outcome.

Who will head the Fed?
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
On the final day of their annual convention Tuesday, members of the National Association for Business Economics got an up-close view of the past of the Federal Reserve Board and quite possibly its future as well. ...James Smith, a professor of economics at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, who attended the NABE meeting, believes they would be "a wonderful thing" because they would let markets and investors know what the Fed was likely to do with interest rates.

Active, controversial season awaits justices Supreme Court to hear suicide, abortion cases
The San Francisco Chronicle
Even without a change in membership, the upcoming U.S. Supreme Court term would be lively, with cases already on the docket about abortion, assisted suicide, military recruiters, campaign finance and claims of innocence on death row. ..."It's got new members and big cases, and the combination of those things will make it historic,'' said Michael Gerhardt, a constitutional law professor at the University of North Carolina.
UNC News Releases: http://www.unc.edu/news/newstips/2005/nomination092705.htm

30 years after landmark court case, technology reshapes abortion debat
The Toledo Blade (Ohio)
Sandra Day O'Connor saw it coming. ...Dr. Mia Doron, a neonatologist at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, argues that what technology has done is force people to begin asking more questions, though not necessarily providing any better answers.

The NFL's Smartest Team
The Wall Street Journal
On the football field this season, the St. Louis Rams are having a decent but unremarkable run. They've won two of three games, scored eight touchdowns and rank 13th in the National Football League in total defense. But according to one index, the Rams may have already laid claim to an unusual title.
Related Links: http://www.newsobserver.com/print/saturday/sports/
story/2808075p-9251913c.html
http://www.newsobserver.com/print/saturday/sports/story/2808075p-9251914c.html

Regional Coverage

Gov. Bob Taft's already-feeble approval rating among Ohioans has fallen to 15 percent, a new poll indicates.
The Associated Press (Ohio)
The poll, conducted by The Columbus Dispatch, finds support for Taft lower than the three most unpopular U.S. presidents in the history of polling and possibly the lowest of any Ohio governor. ...A database maintained by the University of Rochester, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and George Washington University lists 3,261 gubernatorial polls since 1958.

State & Local Coverage

UNC Chapel Hill: $2 billion, anyone?
The Charlotte Observer
North Carolina's flagship public university has boosted its Carolina First Campaign fundraising goal to $2 billion by June 2007. The campaign has already generated more than $1.5 billion. By comparison, N.C. State is in the midst of a $1 billion campaign, and Duke finished a $2.36 billion in 2003.
UNC News Release: http://www.unc.edu/news/archives/oct05/carolinafirst100105.htm

UNC-Chapel Hill adjusts fund-raising goal
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
UNC-Chapel Hill decided Saturday to up its fund-raising goal to $2 billion. The group leading the Carolina First Campaign raised the target after learning that the school has raised more than $1.5 billion since the campaign began in July 1999. The school's previous goal had been $1.8 billion by July 2007.

UNC raises fund goal to $2 billion
The Chapel Hill Herald
UNC has formally increased the goal for its ongoing Carolina First capital campaign to $2 billion. The original goal was $1.8 billion, though it has become apparent over the last year or so that the university is ahead of its pace to eclipse that standard.

Campus whitewash is historically correct
The Chapel Hill Herald
UNC is slowly working to recapture a small but important slice of its history. The university's origins can be traced back to a handful of buildings on historic Cameron Avenue, a short stretch of roadway that cuts through the most picturesque section of campus. ..."We're interested in restoring their color schemes back to their last period of significance," said Paul Kapp, UNC's historic preservation manager. "The historic core of the campus will, in the not so distant future, have a pretty coherent color scheme based on what it was in the 19th century."

$500K to reopen Memorial? Yep. And officials say it will be well worth it
The Herald-Sun (Durham)/The Chapel Hill Herald
If it is true, as the old adage goes, that you have to spend money to make money, UNC's new emphasis on the arts has the university in line for a big payday. ..."When all is said and done, we will have lost money on it. That's OK," said Steve Allred, who, as UNC's executive associate provost, monitored much of the Memorial Hall event planning. "It was really important to do this right and for people to be treated to a real significant event."

Miller splices history as remix in 'Rebirth of a Nation'
The Herald-Sun (Durham)
D.W. Griffith's 1915 film, "The Birth of a Nation," is considered an innovative leap in film technique - but also an infamously racist silent movie that would influence the on-screen representation of blacks for generations. ...By coming to Chapel Hill, Miller will be performing "Rebirth of a Nation" just several hours' drive from the home of the N.C. man whose writings inspired D.W. Griffith.
Note: No link available.
UNC News Release: http://www.unc.edu/news/archives/sep05/spooky091605.htm

Guests musical artists join Los Lobos for 'The Ride'
The Herald-Sun (Durham)
"The Ride" is the first CD in the long career of Los Lobos to feature the band collaborating extensively with a cast of guest stars. With such respected artists as Tom Waits, Elvis Costello, Richard Thompson, Bobby Womack and Mavis Staples all providing guest vocals, and in some cases cowriting songs, it would be easy to consider this most recent studio CD as Los Lobos' answer to Carlos Santana's massively popular collaborative CD "Supernatural."
Note: No link available.
UNC News Release: http://www.unc.edu/news/archives/sep05/loslobos092105.htm

Aid for UNC's library school
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
UNC-Chapel Hill's School of Information and Library Science has been awarded two federal grants totaling more than $1 million from the national Institute of Museum and Library Services. The institute awarded more than $21 million in grants to 37 universities, libraries and other organizations nationwide to support education and research aimed at recruiting new librarians and helping to offset a national shortage of professionals in the field.
Note: No link available.
UNC News Release: http://www.unc.edu/news/archives/sep05/IMLS092805.htm

Student enrollment outpaces projections
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
Enrollment in the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools grew by about 240 students this year, about 2 times the expected increase. ...Elementary student enrollment will be the chief factor in system leaders' possible decision to open a school with UNC-Chapel Hill's Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute. On the heels of some major research, the institute wants to open an innovative "First School" that starts with 3-year-olds and ends with second-graders.

An early look at higher education
The Herald-Sun (Durham)
For the Navin family, eighth grade isn't too early to get a jump on the search for an ideal college. ... Booths featuring local schools -- such as Duke University, UNC-Chapel Hill and N.C. Central University -- proved to be popular, with families waiting in long lines to speak with representatives.

Home for patients' families on track
The Chapel Hill Herald
Plans for a new place to stay for family members of patients at UNC Hospitals are moving steadily toward a Town Council decision this fall. Family House at UNC Hospitals would be on Old Mason Farm Road, on about 6 acres adjoining the existing Ronald McDonald House.

Lowe's to bring big change to Viewmont
The Charlotte Observer
Lowe's is coming to Viewmont, and at last, those on all sides of the debate appear to agree on one thing: For better or worse, the Hickory neighborhood will never be the same. ...Proposed mobile home parks, landfills and large-scale retail -- so-called "big box" stores -- tend to galvanize a segment of the community, said David Owens, a professor at the UNC Institute of Government.

Continental Tire CEO warns of job cuts
The Charlotte Observer
Continental Tire North America Inc. may cut more jobs at its Charlotte plant, and could close the plant altogether, the company's chief executive told the Observer. ..."This is a story we hear almost daily," said John Kasarda, a management professor at UNC Chapel Hill's Kenan-Flagler business school. "The concessions with the unions is simply a way to buy time."

A chat with... Robert S. Adler, Ethics Professor
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
Bosses may not own up. There's a lot of blame buzzing around these days. ...Staff writer Jonathan B. Cox talked with Robert S. Adler, who teaches ethics and negotiations at UNC-Chapel Hill's Kenan-Flagler Business School, about the workplace blame game and how to make it stop. An edited transcript follows.

Edwards to challenge students to end poverty
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
Former Sen. John Edwards is scheduling trips to ten schools across the country to launch a program that encourages students to make the elimination of poverty the goal of their generation. Edwards begins his tour at U-N-C-Chapel Hill on October 17th. Other stops next month include the University of Missouri, Yale, Harvard, the University of Wisconsin and Florida A-and-M. The tour concludes at the University of Michigan on October 28th.

Parents raising funds for a dog to assist their autistic daughter
The Henderson Dispatch
It's the name Dale and Susan Williamson want to give to a yet-to-be trained service dog that will eventually help their 3 1/2-year-old daughter cope with the world and her moderate level of autism. ...She was officially diagnosed with "early onset autism" about six months ago at the Teacch Center at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill. Molly had exhibited some possible symptoms of the condition for a long time, according to her mother.

Poet: UNC to honor poet Chappell
The Herald-Sun (Durham)
It has become rare to find contemporary poetry both finely crafted and readily accessible. ... On Thursday, the author of 30 books of poetry, fiction and commentary will receive UNC's sixth annual Thomas Wolfe Prize and will deliver a free public lecture. Chappell promises to make the evening special.

Amply supported (Letter to the editor)
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
The writer of the Sept. 29 People's Forum letter captioned "Demonstrating design" suggested that there is no "fossil evidence linking one species to the next higher up on the 'evolutionary ladder'" and offered the complexity of the eye as evidence for a supernatural designer. ...Keith W. Sockman, Assistant Professor of Biology, UNC-Chapel Hill

Genocide in Sudan is focus of events
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
Students United for Darfur Awareness Now will hold events Wednesday evening and all day Thursday, coinciding with the national Darfur Fast, to raise awareness about the current genocide in the Darfur region of Sudan. Events on the UNC-Chapel Hill campus Wednesday will include a 30-minute vigil preceding a viewing of the movie "Hotel Rwanda" at 8:30 p.m. in Hanes Hall 221.

Issues & Trends

A great choice... (Editorial)
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
When Erskine Bowles, former White House chief of staff, former head of the federal Small Business Administration and a native of North Carolina, let it be known that he was interested in becoming the next president of the University of North Carolina system, he became the front-runner for the post. Thursday, in one of the least surprising but most promising announcements by any search committee ever, Bowles was announced as the choice to become the fourth president in the system's history.
Related Link: http://www.newsobserver.com/print/saturday/opinion/
story/2807705p-9251967c.html

...and a bad one (Editorial)
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
Unfortunately, Erskine Bowles' selection as the next president of the University of North Carolina system was carried out in part in an improper and -- to the people of North Carolina -- insulting way. After promising an open search, and holding public hearings, the UNC Board of Governors' search committee appears to have violated the state's Open Meetings Law.

This time, Bowles heeds call
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
'Dad used to say that politics was like bad whiskey," Erskine Bowles once told me sitting in a Down East barbecue joint. "It's really tough to drink. Once it's in your system, it's impossible to get out." ...After a career as a high-rolling investment banker in Charlotte and on Wall Street and a political career that included running Bill Clinton's White House and running twice for the U.S. Senate, Bowles is returning to Chapel Hill to become president of the University of North Carolina system.
Related Link: http://www.wral.com/news/5047817/detail.html

Lawyers question whether UNC broke public meetings law
The Associated Press (N.C.)
The University of North Carolina may have violated state public records laws when its search committee met secretly to recommend Erskine Bowles for system president, a media lawyer said. Brad Wilson, chairman of the search committee and the UNC Board of Governors, insisted that the panel followed the law, even though meetings held earlier this week to interview candidates for the job were never publicly announced.

Liberals teaming up in Chapel Hill (Letter to the editor)
The Charlotte Observer
Combine Erskine Bowles' appointment with the establishment of a UNC center on poverty to provide John Edwards a political platform and what do you have? Liberal cronyism, using the public's money and, as usual, being wholeheartedly endorsed by the Observer. I have a daughter at UNC -- don't you know it just thrills me to see my dollars being spent to support Democrats and their causes?

UNC's President (Editorial)
The Winston-Salem Journal
Sometimes the obvious choice is indeed the right choice. That's the case with the man almost sure to be the next president of the University of North Carolina system.
Related Links: http://www.news-record.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051001/
NEWSREC010201/510010302/1013/NEWSREC0202

Bowles met UNC's 'burden of proof'
The Herald-Sun (Durham)
Between his role as President Clinton's chief of staff, the lessons learned from running his own political campaigns and successful private sector investment work, Erskine Bowles boasts some seriously weighty work experience.
Related Link: http://www.heraldsun.com/opinion/chhedits/57-652719.html

A great choice for UNC president (Editorial)
The Herald-Sun (Durham)
If there's anyone in the state who doesn't think Erskine Bowles is the right choice to be the next president of the 16-campus UNC system, we haven't heard from them.

Bowles to be named UNC system president
The Chapel Hill News
Erskine Bowles, the Charlotte investment banker, former White House chief of staff and two-time U.S. Senate candidate, is expected to be named the next president of the UNC system.
Related Link: http://www.newsobserver.com/opinion/letters/story/2807679p-9252099c.html

UNC campuses deserve to be heard (Editorial)
The Chapel Hill Herald
It is the job and responsibility of UNC Chapel Hill officials to do what they think is best for their campus. That would include pushing for tuition hikes when they think it's appropriate. Carefully crafted, seriously thought-out tuition plans from the campuses of the UNC system demand to be listened to carefully. But it is not the job and responsibility of the UNC system's Board of Governors to necessarily endorse such proposals from its constituent campuses and pass them on to the General Assembly.

Tuition increase may be on table
The Herald-Sun (Durham)
One after another, the chancellors stepped forward with thorough presentations and compelling cases. They begged for higher tuition, all the while knowing their pleas -- at least for rate hikes for in-state undergraduates -- would not be granted. ..."There haven't been guidelines for future expectations," Nelson Schwab (chair of the UNC Chapel Hill Board of Trustees) said prior to the task force's decision to allow the tuition hike proposals. "The more we can clarify it, the better. We'd rather move forward than not."

UNC panel: Table tuition hike
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
The UNC system's Board of Governors should be receptive to UNC campus tuition increases for the fall of 2006, a task force recommended Friday. ..."We need to keep the faith, not with just our institutions but with the people of the state," said former N.C. Gov. Jim Holshouser, a member of the UNC board. "I think we have a sacred trust, and I hope we remember that as we go along."

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.

Carolina in the News is also posted daily to the News Services Web page, http://www.unc.edu/news/clips/index.shtml.

Please share any questions, comments or suggestions at news@unc.edu.