September 13, 2002

Carolina in the News

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

U.S. News & World Report's "America's Best Colleges 2003"

Carolina ranks fifth among public campuses in U.S. News & World Report rankings
U.S. News & World Report magazine has ranked the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill the 
fifth best public university in the nation as part of its annual "America’s Best Colleges" guidebook. The 
magazine posted the rankings at www.usnews.com today and will publish them in the Sept. 23 issue 
of the magazine as well as in an annual newsstand book. The magazine and the book are scheduled to 
be on newsstands Monday (Sept. 16).
http://www.unc.edu/news/archives/sep02/usnews091302.htm

For more information about the methodology and the rankings, please visit U.S. News & World 
Report's Web site at http://www.usnews.com/usnews/edu/college/rankings/rankindex_brief.php

Other coverage of the 2003 rankings includes: 

Princeton Again Tops 'U.S. News' Rankings
The Chronicle of Higher Education
For the third straight year, Princeton University has landed the top spot in the college rankings compiled 
by U.S. News & World Report. Harvard and Yale Universities tied for second in this year's tally, which
was reported Thursday on the magazine's Web site.
http://chronicle.com/free/2002/09/2002091302n.htm
(Note: The Chronicle of Higher Education requires a subscription to access articles.)

U.S. News puts Duke, UNC near top of class 
The Herald-Sun
Duke moves to fourth place among the nation’s universities, while UNC ranks fifth among public 
universities for the second year in a row, according to annual rankings being released today by U.S. 
News & World Report. 
http://www.herald-sun.com/durham/4-266864.html

N.C. colleges reap top rankings
Charlotte Observer
Periodicals just love North Carolina colleges. Two weeks after Newsweek magazine named Davidson 
College and UNC Chapel Hill among the nation's hottest schools, U.S. News & World Report listed 
three state schools in its Top 50 annual rankings released today... Wake Forest University came in 
tied at 25, and UNC tied at 28. In addition to overall rankings, U.S. News ranks the nation's colleges 
and universities in several categories. UNC also placed fifth in the nation's top public universities 
category. Clemson University and N.C. State University ranked 39th and 41st, respectively.
http://www.charlotte.com/mld/observer/news/local/4064022.htm

Three N.C. Colleges in Top 50 Rankings
WRAL-TV (CBS, Raleigh)
Magazines just love North Carolina colleges. U.S. News and World Report lists three Tar Heel schools 
in its Top 50 annual rankings released Friday. Duke University ranked the highest, tied for fourth. It 
rated eighth last year. Wake Forest came in tied at 25 and the University of North Carolina at Chapel 
Hill tied at 28. 
http://www.wral.com/news/1666066/detail.html
(Note: This Associated Press story was also featured on WSOC-TV (ABC, Charlotte) website.)

Duke rises to 4th in rankings 
News and Observer
Duke University climbed four spots to No. 4 in U.S. News & World Report's annual college rankings, 
while UNC-Chapel Hill remained at No. 28 and Wake Forest University inched up one place to 25th.
http://newsobserver.com/news/triangle/story/1726718p-1741329c.html

Current National Coverage

PSU researchers to study rural children
Centre Daily Times (State College, PA)
Penn State researchers will team with colleagues at the University of North Carolina to conduct a five-
year study that will examine the biological, individual, family and community processes that lead to good 
or poor outcomes for rural children.
http://www.centredaily.com/mld/centredaily/living/education/higher_learning/4058093.htm

Delaware Muslims tell of Islam's true nature
The News Journal (Delaware)
Non-Muslim friends and acquaintances of Pike Creek resident Vaqar Sharief regularly approach him to 
ask such questions as whether Islam promotes violence, or whether the Quran requires Muslims to hate 
Christians or Jews... S. Ismat Shah, a native of Pakistan and an assistant professor of materials science 
at the University of Delaware, said he was particularly dismayed by the recent flap over the teaching of 
the Quran at the University of North Carolina. 
http://www.delawareonline.com/newsjournal/local/2002/09/11delawaremuslims.html

Expand view (Letter to the Editor)
South Bend Tribune (South Bend, Ind.)
Students should be forced to read books about non-mainstream religions. Michael Sells, author of the 
controversial required reading, "Approaching the Quran: The Early Revelations," at the University of 
North Carolina, is a professor (and the provost) at my school, Haverford College. I have no doubt that 
he would agree with me in saying that college is a time to challenge one's beliefs and expand one's range 
of thinking.
http://www.southbendtribune.com/stories/2002/09/09/opinion.letters.sto

Budget baccalaureate: Framingham State ranked among nation's best public colleges 
Framingham Metro West Daily News (Mass)
Framingham State College President Helen Heineman said she already knew what a national financial 
magazine has declared - FSC is one of the best public colleges in the country. "Kiplinger's" magazine 
named Framingham State number 78 on its list of the top 100, based on academics and affordability. 
The article and the list appear in the October issue... The top schools in the country, according to 
Kiplinger's, are the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, the University of Virginia, the University 
of California-Berkeley and the College of William and Mary in Virginia.
http://www.metrowestdailynews.com/news/local_regional/fram_fsc09132002.htm

National News Note

CSPAN's "Book TV" will rebroadcast a summer reading program lecture by Michael Sells, author of 
"Approaching the Qur'an: The Early Revelations," that attracted 700 people to Hill Hall Auditorium 
on September 5. CSPAN's broadcast of the 90-minuteevent is scheduled to re-air on Saturday, 
September 14, at 9:10 p.m. For more information about the segment, please go to 
http://www.booktv.org/General/index.asp?segID=2819&schedID=150

Regional Coverage

LANE RANGER: New inspections make school buses even safer
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Your teenage driver has mounted a furious lobbying effort to be allowed to drive to school. Do you 
consent? If his or her safety is your top priority, you refuse. A recent study conducted by the University 
of North Carolina at Chapel Hill shows that about 800 students are killed in motor vehicle crashes each 
year while commuting to and from school. Teen drivers accounted for just 14 percent of all trips, but 
suffered a staggering 55 percent of the fatalities. 
http://www.accessatlanta.com/ajc/epaper/editions/friday/metro_d31808c975e632290074.html

Lesioned mullet could be related to discharges
Stuart News (Stuart, Fla.)
Dozens of lesioned mullet were turned over to state scientists Thursday after being caught off the Fort 
Pierce jetty earlier this week... Laboratory scientists with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
Administration and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill have been working to confirm the 
state scientists' theory, Sosa said. 
http://www.tcpalm.com/tcp/the_news_local_news/article/0,1651,TCP_1028_1414143,00.html

State and Local Coverage

A signature project (Editorial)
News and Observer
North Carolina frequently has to look into the future to justify an investment today. Expert forecasts can 
undergird those decisions, but it takes a little vision and a lot of courage to sign your name to a huge 
commitment of public dollars. The building of North Carolina's first state-supported medical school and 
teaching hospital happened that way.
http://www.newsobserver.com/editorials/story/1726447p-1741232c.html

Woman cries foul on `Grand Slam' mix-up (Commentary)
Charlotte Observer
Many of us have seen those TV ads, most recently featuring the Muppets and the actors who played 
Jerry Seinfeld's parents on "Seinfeld," for Denny's $2.99 Grand Slam breakfast... Experts say the 
Charlotte-area Denny's are doing something common in retail. "It's perfectly legitimate retail technique," 
said Bob Lauterborn, an advertising professor at UNC Chapel Hill. 
http://www.charlotte.com/mld/observer/news/local/4063965.htm

Flag craze part love, part fad 
News and Observer
Fads are alike. Hula-Hoops, pet rocks, Cabbage Patch Kids, black eye shadow --it doesn't matter; the
trajectory moves in the same way. The boom of interest flips the switch of the want-it-gotta-have-it gene 
and drives reasonable people to buy buy buy... Rollie Tillman, a business professor in the Kenan-
Flagler Business School at UNC-Chapel Hill, said of such phenomena: "Fads rise quickly, and they fall 
faster
http://www.newsobserver.com/news/triangle/story/1720533p-1735577c.html

Local Hospitals Say They Are Better Prepared For Disaster
WRAL-TV (CBS, Raleigh)
When terrorists attacked last year, Duke prepared for patients from Washington, D.C. The University 
of North Carolina's Jaycee Burn Center expected transfer patients from New York as survivors filled up 
units there. Triangle hospitals are changing everything, in preparation for future tragedy.
http://www.wral.com/health/1662683/detail.html

Stress and Pregnancy
WTVD-TV (ABC, Raleigh)
There's a major study underway at UNC looking at how stress and physical activity affect pregnancy.
This is the newest phase of the "pregnancy infection and nutrition study" that's been underway at UNC 
since the mid-90s... Dr. John Thorp is Ellen's OB-GYN and is involved in the UNC study... We 
actually hypothesize that the leisure activity women report might be beneficial and may not increase the 
risk of pre-term birth, but may actually decrease the risk, which would be a very positive thing," said
Kelly Evenson with the UNC School of Public Health.
http://abclocal.go.com/wtvd/health/091202_NH_pregnancystress.html

Issues and Trends Affecting Carolina

UNC governors discuss enrollment cap 
The Herald-Sun
In early March, the UNC system Board of Governors made the difficult decision of choosing one 
fundamental belief over another, opting to raise tuition in order to allow continued, unfettered access 
to the system’s 16 campuses. 
http://www.herald-sun.com/orange/10-266832.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