September 20, 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:

Politics threaten academic freedom (Opinion-Editorial Column)
Baltimore Sun
The University of Maryland's decision to assign freshmen to read a play on the killing of gay college 
student Matthew Shepard comes on the heels of a successful resolution of a similar controversy at the 
University of North Carolina. The decision by higher education leaders in Chapel Hill to press on with 
a class-wide reading assignment of a book about the Quran, despite opposition from certain Christian 
activists and legislators, was a victory for academic freedom. 
http://www.sunspot.net/news/opinion/oped/bal-op.universities19sep19.story

Judge Sides With U. of North Carolina in Suit Against Pornographic Web Site
The Chronicle of Higher Education
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has won a $325,522 judgment against the operator 
of a pornographic Web site called UNCGirls.com, the university announced this week.... "This action 
illustrates our commitment to protecting the university's image," said Rutledge Tufts, the university's 
director of trademarks and licensing.
http://chronicle.com/free/2002/09/2002092002t.htm
(Note: News Services supplied The Chronicle with information about the recent outcome of this 
lawsuit. The Chronicle of Higher Education requires subscription to access articles.)

Howard Odum, a Pioneering Voice on Ecology, Dies at 78
The New York Times
Howard Thomas Odum, a founder of the modern science of ecology and an influential voice in the 
restoration of the Everglades, died on Wednesday at a hospice here. He was 78... Dr. Odum earned 
his doctorate in zoology from Yale in 1951. He taught at Florida, Duke, the University of Texas, the 
University of Puerto Rico and the University of North Carolina before returning to Florida in 1970.
http://www.nytimes.com/2002/09/17/obituaries/17ODUM.html
(Note: The New York Times requires free registration to access article.)

Sports on the Edge
San Angelo Standard Times 
Forget about freezing Ted Williams for future revival. An associate professor at the University of North 
Carolina already has “The Splendid Splinter” belting more home runs. Williams’ lifetime total climbed 
by 30 this season. Such is the magic worked by UNC professor Michael J. Schell. But his field is not 
cryogenics. It’s biostatistics. Williams’ renewed success is happening only on paper.
http://www.gosanangelo.com/archive/02/september/20/2002092028.shtml
(Note: This article originally appeared in the News and Observer and was picked-up by the 
Associated Press. The story was featured in today's edition of The National Post (Canada) and 
The Corpus Christi Caller Times.)

National News Notes

Dr. William G. Cance, professor of surgery and chief of surgical oncology in the School of Medicine, 
was mentioned in a "Health News" brief in the September issue of Family Circle magazine about his 
research in breast cancer. For more information about Cance's research, please go to 
http://www.unc.edu/news/archives/apr02/neoadj042602.htm

State and Local Coverage

Cybersquatting (Editorial)
Winston-Salem Journal
The University of North Carolina has finally gained control of a Web site that had been used to display 
pornographic pictures against a background of light blue and university scenes. That it took more than 
a year of litigation suggests that laws and policies against "cybersquatting" need to be re-examined.
http://www.journalnow.com/wsj/opinion/MGBJAVPBB6D.html
(Note: For more information about this recent ruling, please go to 
http://www.unc.edu/news/archives/sep02/uncgirls091602.htm)

Judge finds bias at UNC Hospitals 
News and Observer
A judge has ordered UNC Hospitals to reinstate and promote a black histology lab technician who 
claims she was passed up for advancement because of her color, gender and age.
http://newsobserver.com/news/triangle/story/1747478p-1759282c.html

Issues and Trends Affecting Carolina

Free Speech 101: Wartime censorship is alive and well and living on campus.
Slate Magazine
Following Sept. 11, many of us feared that the war on terror would result in massive government
restrictions on free speech. And almost immediately after the attacks, a fistful of public critics of the 
war (Bill Maher and two small-town journalists) were indeed fired, boycotted, or suspended. Most 
of that hysteria died down soon enough—but not at our universities.
http://slate.msn.com/?id=2071214

Budget gets tentative OK 
News and Observer 
The General Assembly has tentatively approved a compromise $14.3 billion budget that spares deep cuts 
to education but that critics say is out of balance on arrival.
http://www.newsobserver.com/front/story/1747432p-1759214c.html

Differences resolved 
News and Observer
The new budget, which won tentative approval of the legislature Thursday, resolved key differences on 
state spending.... The House barred spending public money on a UNC-CH freshman reading program 
focusing on a book about the Islamic scriptures "unless all other known religions are offered in an equal 
or incremental way." The Senate budget had no restriction. THE Compromise: No restriction... 
http://www.newsobserver.com/front/story/1747432p-1759155c.html

Portfolio requirement wounded, but not dead 
News and Observer
An unpopular tool that North Carolina uses to evaluate beginning teachers had been killed twice this 
legislative session -- first by the Senate, then by the House.
http://www.newsobserver.com/front/story/1747432p-1759172c.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