Oct. 12, 2005

Carolina in the News

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

National Coverage

Many big visions for new big easy
The Christian Science Monitor
Even as the US Army Corps of Engineers claimed victory Tuesday in pumping out the last of more than 224 billion gallons of floodwater, some in New Orleans were looking forward to the chance to rebuild and, perhaps, reshape one of America's major cities. ...Successful rebuilding "is going to take tackling the socioeconomic problems that bedeviled the city long before Katrina," says Thomas Campanella, an urban planning professor at the University of North Carolina and co-editor of "The Resilient City." "There's going to be billions and billions of dollars thrown at this, and it should be spent to fix the preexisting conditions that led to this massive underclass being in such a bad condition."
UNC Tip Sheet: http://www.unc.edu/news/newstips/2005/hurricane090205.htm

Robot improves results in gynecologic surgery
The Chicago Tribune
A surgical robot approved in April for gynecologic surgery shows improved results over traditional surgery, said a physician who has used it since May. The high precision of the surgeon-controlled da Vinci robot allows for tiny incisions, even for complex operations such as radical hysterectomy, said Dr. John Boggess, a gynecologic oncologist at the University of North Carolina Hospitals, Chapel Hill. That means less pain and scarring and a faster recovery than after open surgery, said Boggess, who has performed about 25 surgeries with the equipment to treat uterine and cervical cancers.
UNC News Release: http://www.unc.edu/news/archives/jun05/davinci062705.htm

Study: Dinosaurs Never Had Feathers
The Discovery Channel
Dinosaurs never had feathers, according to a new study that could through a wrench into the popular theory that birds directly evolved from carnivorous, two-legged dinosaurs. ...Alan Feduccia, lead author of the paper, told Discovery News that the problem really began to surface in 1996, when an official from the National Geological Museum in Beijing presented a photo of what was said to be the first "feathered dinosaur," a small dino called Sinosauropteryx from the early Cretaceous, around 127 million years ago.
UNC News Release: http://www.unc.edu/news/archives/oct05/feducci100705.htm
Additional coverage: ABC News

Refco deals meant to boost financials-accountants
Reuters News Service
The scandal over the removal of the chief executive of Refco Inc. widened on Tuesday, as the commodities and futures broker disclosed that debts hidden through a company he controlled are mostly uncollectable and stretched as far back as 1998. ..."The real interesting story is, do people still trust them, because if they don't their whole balance sheet will collapse," said Robert Bushman, a forensic accounting professor at University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill.
Related Link: http://today.reuters.com/business/newsArticle.aspx?type=bankingFinancial&storyID=nL12374778

Regional Coverage

Study: Dementia risk higher for NFL players
The South Bend Tribune (Ind.)
Repeated concussions during their playing days boost the chances that retired professional football players will suffer dementia in later life, a new study says. The study, conducted by University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill researchers, found that retired National Football League players face a 37 percent higher risk of Alzheimer's than other males of the same age.
UNC News Release: http://www.unc.edu/news/archives/oct05/guskie101005.htm

State & Local Coverage

Contributions of slaves to UNC
The Chapel Hill Herald
The contributions of slaves to the early history of the university will be the topic of an exhibit opening and panel discussion today at UNC's Wilson Library. The exhibit, "Slavery and the Making of the University: Celebrating Our Unsung Heroes, Bond and Free," will open with a reception at 5 p.m. The documents, photographs, letters, bills of sale for slaves and student debates calling for the abolition of slavery will be displayed in Wilson through Feb. 28.
UNC News Release: http://www.unc.edu/news/archives/oct05/slavery100705.htm

UNC's painful past
The Chapel Hill News
The names of many of the people who built the nation's first state university are well-known to us; they live on not only in history books but in the very names of the buildings and landmarks on the UNC campus. ..."These are very painful things to examine," said Janis Holder, university archivist and the curator of the exhibit. "Many of the things we came across are sad and shocking, and much of what we found made us very uncomfortable."

The University’s day 212 years later
The Daily Tar Heel
...From UNC’s birth to this day, fulfillment of this mission has shifted from the initial goal of educating the state’s leaders to Chancellor James Moeser’s recently enunciated goal of anchoring North Carolina to UNC’s global aspirations. From its first days UNC has had an entwined relationship with the state, cultivating its future leaders. “It’s not an accident. It’s very conscious that the first university and the first true state capital, Raleigh, were founded months apart,” said Paul Kapp, campus historic preservation manager. “We needed to educate leaders. We needed to give them a background.”
Note: Related story this morning on WTVD-TV

Study: Hits may add to impairment
The Associated Press (N.C.)
Repeated concussions brought on by blows to the head during NFL players' careers boost the chances they will suffer dementia such as mild cognitive impairment in later life, a new study suggests. The study, conducted by the University of North Carolina and other schools, found that retired NFL players also face a 37 percent higher risk of Alzheimer's than other U.S. males of the same age.
UNC News Release: http://www.unc.edu/news/archives/oct05/guskie101005.htm

Fear of 'acting white' is 'not the issue'
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
Fears of being mocked for "acting white" don't cause many black students to avoid good grades or advanced classes, according to a new study. ..."This is a society that puts social pressure on high achievers to put their halo under a rock," said William Darity, a UNC-Chapel Hill professor who helped conduct the study. "That's not unique to black kids." With UNC-CH professor Karolyn Tyson and Duke University researcher Domini Castellino, Darity studied interviews with 120 students of different races from eight North Carolina schools.
UNC News Release: http://www.unc.edu/news/archives/oct05/tyson101105.htm

Nation-State
"The State of Things," WUNC-FM
Sarah Shields, associate professor of history at UNC-Chapel Hill, was featured on today's (Oct. 12) edition of "The State of Things." On Saturday, Iraqis will decide on a new constitution. It’s a test of whether Iraq’s ethnically and religiously divided people truly see themselves as part of a single nation. And as commerce and warfare go global, what does nationhood mean to any of us? "The State of Things" is the statewide public affairs program airing live at noon weekdays and rebroadcast at 9 p.m. Mondays-Thursdays and 6 a.m. on Saturdays.

Piquetero Movement
"The State of Things," WUNC-FM
UNC-Chapel Hill students Tim Stallman and Liz Mason-Deese were featured on today's (Oct. 12) edition of "The State of Things" to discuss what happens when displaced workers take taxation and resource allocation into their own hands? We'll look at the Piquetero Movement and it's implications for nationalism in Argentina. "The State of Things" is the statewide public affairs program airing live at noon weekdays and rebroadcast at 9 p.m. Mondays-Thursdays and 6 a.m. on Saturdays.

N.C. flu plan needs checkup
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
The potential for a catastrophic flu outbreak has public health leaders worldwide reviewing how ready they are. In North Carolina, the bottom line is the same as nearly everywhere else: A pandemic would overwhelm the state's health care system. ..."We're going to have a pandemic," said Dr. David Weber, medical director of hospital epidemiology at UNC Hospitals in Chapel Hill. "We don't know when, and we don't know how serious it is going to be."

Facing the issues
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
If spending an evening considering public health policy doesn't sound like a hopping way to spend an evening at the theater, Sarah Jones can change your mind. ...Jones will bring "A Right to Care" to the Stone Center for Black Culture and History at UNC-Chapel Hill on Thursday at 8 p.m. She discussed the show in a telephone interview from New York City last week.

Try light, healthy soups for filling fall meals (Commentary)
The Charlotte Observer
How would you like to have dinner on the table tonight in 15 minutes flat? How would you like to have dinner on the table tonight in 15 minutes flat? ...Suzanne Havala Hobbs is a registered dietitian and a clinical assistant professor in the Department of Health Policy at UNC.

Issues & Trends

Hopefuls talk town concerns
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
Improving the town's business climate and affordable housing stock topped the agenda at a Town Council candidates forum Tuesday night. ...Finally, candidates couldn't escape what many see as the big issue: Carolina North, the planned UNC-Chapel Hill research campus.

Murdock's dream began with nightmare of Pillowtex
The Triangle Business Journal
David Murdock's effort to turn Kannapolis into a biotech hub sets a new standard for a political power play in North Carolina. At the project's heart is a pledge by the University of North Carolina system to spend $16 million upfront and $25 million annually to build an international-caliber research center -- without diverting resources from 16 existing campuses.
Related Link: http://triangle.bizjournals.com/triangle/stories/2005/10/10/story3.html

Roses & raspberries (Opinion column)
The Chapel Hill News
Raspberries to the search committee whose job it was to recommend the next choice as UNC system president. ...The university system is a public entity; it belongs to the people of North Carolina.

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.

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