Home arrow Carolina in the News arrow Carolina in the News: Monday, July 12, 2010
Carolina in the News: Monday, July 12, 2010 E-mail
Monday, July 12, 2010

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

International Coverage

Losing team’s national stock markets at risk (Blog)
Reuters (Wire Service)
Two national market indexes that may not shine on Monday are those of Spain and the Netherlands, whose soccer teams are scheduled to meet in the World Cup’s championship game on Sunday. Whichever country’s team loses can expect a drag on its market index of 49 basis points, said Wharton business school professor Alex Edmans. That is the amount that national stock indexes tend to be held back on average on the day after their country is eliminated from the World Cup, according to a paper he published in 2007 with two co-authors, Diego Garcia of the University of North Carolina and Oyvind Norli of the Norwegian School of Management.

Rift Valley Fever Hits South Africa
Voice of America
...In a new study, scientists in the United States tested vaccines made with two kinds of inactivated virus. They said tests in mice showed that their new vaccines are safer than live-virus vaccines and appear to work just as well. Using live virus in vaccines can increase the risks. The researchers are at the University of Pittsburgh and the University of North Carolina. Their study appeared in the journal PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, published by the Public Library of Science.

National Coverage

A Chosen Few Are Teaching for America
The New York Times
...Mr. Goldberg, Mr. Rosen, Ms. Carlson, Mr. Cullen and Ms. Biggers count themselves lucky to be among the 4,500 selected by the nonprofit to work at high-poverty public schools from a record 46,359 applicants (up 32 percent over 2009). There’s little doubt the numbers are fueled by a bad economy, which has limited job options even for graduates from top campuses. In 2007, during the economic boom, 18,172 people applied. This year, on its 20th anniversary, Teach for America hired more seniors than any other employer at numerous colleges, including Yale, Dartmouth, Duke, Georgetown and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

The Smartest Kid in the Class (Blog)
The Huffington Post
One of my first conversations at the beginning of a recent trip to China focused on the government's encouragement of a rebirth of Confucianism. When I asked for an explanation, my colleague asked me if I had ever been to the Confucian temple in Beijing and I admitted I had not. He explained that carved into the walls of this important temple were three dynasties worth of names and actual test scores of Jinsi, or advanced scholars (51,000), who had achieved their status as a result of grueling three day tests. (Buck Goldstein, University Entrepreneur in Residence, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.)

Men who take Viagra, ED drugs more likely to have STDs
USA Today
Middle-aged and older men who take erectile dysfunction drugs such as Viagra are more likely to have sexually transmitted diseases, a new study of more than 1.4 million men finds. ..."This study confirms what we've suspected for a while, which is that the men who are using these drugs aren't just those who have erectile dysfunction, but they're also men in high risk groups who take it to enhance sexual activity," said Dr. Peter Leone, a professor of medicine at the University of North Carolina and board chair of the National Coalition of STD Directors. "So it's not that the drug is leading to the behavior. It's really the other way around."

Revving up a factory
The Houston Chronicle
Toshiba Corp. plans to produce hybrid vehicle motors at its Houston plant, capitalizing on the fast-growing U.S. market for electric vehicles. ...Sales of hybrid and electric cars are expected to reach 940,000 this year — 210,000 more than last year - and top 3 million by 2015, said Michael Omotoso, senior manager of powertrain forecasting at J.D. Power and Associates. "Nobody wants to be left without a presence in this," said Victor Flatt, professor of environmental law at the University of North Carolina. Advances in battery technology and a federal push for greater fuel efficiency have increased the demand for electric cars, Flatt said.

Removing an Honor
Inside Higher Ed
...Colleges and universities periodically debate whether to rename buildings or programs that honor those who are subsequently indicted  or linked to scandals or who have failed to make their pledged gifts. ...Other universities have had periodic protests and kept names linked to the Klan. Saunders Hall at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is named for William L. Saunders, who was a Klan organizer in North Carolina (and also served as secretary of state in North Carolina and as a university trustee). In protests in 2001, black students called for the university to change the name of the building.

Regional Coverage

Atlanta schools cheating probe faces scrutiny
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Georgia)
...Atlanta is the last of the 35 districts suspected of cheating to report its findings to the Governor’s Office of Student Achievement, the state agency that flagged the 191 schools. Allowing districts to oversee the investigations has drawn criticism from a national expert in testing and test tampering, Gregory Cizek of the University of North Carolina, who suggested school officials had no incentive to conduct rigorous probes. But state education officials said they didn’t have the resources to fully investigate all 191 schools.

Lawsuit over Arizona's immigration law might stall reform
The Arizona Republic (Phoenix, Ariz.)
Although national public support for Arizona's Senate Bill 1070 is significant, most Americans are ambivalent about immigration and really just want the problem fixed in a realistic way, public-research experts say. ...Kareem Crayton, a political scientist and associate professor of law at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, said he wouldn't be surprised if it took another presidential election before Congress could accomplish comprehensive immigration reform.

State and Local Coverage

His mission: Heal the oceans before it's too late (Tar Heel of the Week)
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
There was a time when traveling to far-flung tropical outposts to study stunning undersea landscapes was the best part of John Bruno's work. Increasingly, however, he's documenting death, forcing the marine ecologist to become a sort of forensic analyst of what has gone wrong. Bruno, an associate professor at UNC-Chapel Hill, is now at the center of international debate about the health of the oceans, co-writing a sweeping account of the problems in last month's issue of the journal Science.

Project uses art as a guide to Islam
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
Todd Drake has found a way to go abroad while staying put. An artist who lives north of Greensboro, Drake always wanted to travel the world, but family obligations kept him in North Carolina. He found a way around that by befriending the state's most recent immigrants. ...His most recent project explores the lives of North Carolina's Muslims. In a series of photos now on view at the FedEx Global Education Center at UNC Chapel Hill, Drake portrays the Muslim friends he's made across the state.

UNC dermatology professor answers your burning sun questions
The Herald-Sun (Durham)
Applying sunscreen is a summer ritual for Americans hoping to protect their skin from burns, wrinkles and cancers. But researchers have raised questions about the safety of some sunscreens. Read below for answers to your skin questions from Craig Burkhart, an assistant professor of dermatology at UNC's School of Medicine who works in the multispecialty melanoma program.

Rocky Mount, counties join competitiveness study
The Rocky Mount Telegram
With the approval of Edgecombe commissioners last Tuesday, a proposal from University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill professor Dr. James Johnson to “evaluate and enhance the Twin Counties Region’s competitiveness” has been set into motion. ...Johnson, who has family in the Twin Counties region, said: “Local government officials and economic development practitioners must continuously reposition their communities to compete for business and talent in the knowledge-intensive and increasingly speed-driven economy of the 21st century.”

A father's story: After losing daughter, Asheville area man speaks to teenagers in new video targeting texting and driving
The Citizen-Times (Asheville)
...Researchers at the Highway Safety Research Center at UNC Chapel Hill found in a recent study based on the observations of 20,000 teen drivers that 10 percent were on the phone while behind the wheel. Nearly 6,000 people died in 2008 in crashes involving a distracted driver, and more than half a million were injured, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Shark attached
The Chapel Hill News
Frank Schwartz knows sharks. "They are fun. Because they are there and not there," said Schwartz, a marine zoologist who has been a professor at the UNC Institute of Marine Sciences at Morehead City since 1967. He wrote the illustrated guide, "Sharks, Skates, and Rays of the Carolinas," published in 2003 by the University of North Carolina Press.

Melissa Exum, the longtime dean of students at UNC-Chapel Hill, is headed west. (Blog)
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
Melissa Exum, the longtime dean of students at UNC-Chapel Hill, is headed west. Exum has been named vice president for student affairs at Purdue University in Indiana. She has been the dean of students at Carolina since 1998, and in 2005 added "associate vice chancellor for student affairs" to her credentials.

Over 3.2K historic N.C. maps now online
The Herald-Sun (Durham)
More than 3,200 historic maps of North Carolina are now available online as part of the digital North Carolina Maps project that got a boost from UNC. ...The North Carolina Collection of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Library collaborated to produce the new site with the N.C. State Archives and the Outer Banks History Center in Manteo. The UNC Library and the State Archives scanned the maps, and the library hosts and administers the site.
UNC Release:
http://uncnews.unc.edu/content/view/3708/73/

Science showcase set Sept. 25 at UNC
The Herald-Sun (Durham)
A Nobel laureate, robots, catapults and coastlines will be featured from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sept. 25 at Morehead Planetarium & Science Center during a showcase of some of the exciting science happening across UNC. In conjunction with the North Carolina Science Festival, which runs Sept. 11-26, McCorkle Place and other points across UNC's campus will be full of science activities, demonstrations, performances and more.

UNC wins student journalism competition
The Chapel Hill News
The UNC School of Journalism and Mass Communication finished first overall in the Intercollegiate Competition of the 50th anniversary of the Hearst Journalism Awards, often called the Pulitzers of college journalism. The finish resulted from students placing in monthly writing, photojournalism, broadcast and multimedia competitions during 2009-10.

Fire Reported at UNC Football Players Apartment
WCHL 1360-AM (Chapel Hill)
Firefighters were called Saturday afternoon to an apartment complex in which two UNC football players reside. Multiple media outlets have reported that firefighters were on the scene of an apartment fire at the 6205 of Farrington Road. Director of UNC football communications Kevin Best says linebacker Kevin Reddick and defensive end Michael McAdoo are unharmed after their apartment caught fire.
Related Links:
http://www.wral.com/news/news_briefs/story/7938258/
http://abclocal.go.com/wtvd/story?section=news/local&id=7547751

UNC linebacker faces marijuana charge
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
Quan Sturdivant, an All-ACC linebacker for the UNC-Chapel Hill football team, has been charged with possession of marijuana. Sturdivant, 21, of Oakboro was arrested Saturday morning by Albemarle police and charged with possession of less than half an ounce of marijuana, a misdemeanor. Sturdivant is scheduled to appear Aug. 2 in Stanly County District Court.

Issues and Trends

America's Growing Innovation Gap (Opinion-Editorial Column)
The Wall Street Journal
America is the inventing nation. A stream of inventions helped make the 20th century the American century. We've always welcomed a diverse group of dreamers from across the globe and offered them opportunities to advance by virtue of their hard work. We believe in the free flow of ideas and built a public education system that was once the envy of the world. (Mr. John C. Lechleiter is the chairman, president and chief executive officer of Eli Lilly and Company.)

Education largely spared worst cuts
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
How did the classroom fare? Education is the largest expenditure in the state budget. Public school leaders feared enormous cuts and teacher layoffs, but in the end, the budget picture wasn't as bad as it could have been. Lawmakers also made some changes in education policies.
Related Link:
http://www.newsobserver.com/2010/07/11/575149/legislature-wraps-it-up-polls.html

Chapel Hill's downtown unlike any other (Opinion-Editorial Column)
The Chapel Hill News
I believe that Chapel Hill is one of our country's greatest towns. It is unfortunate that Morganton Mayor Mel Cohen left with a negative impression of our community after his recent visit. I hope that with reflection, he will reconsider. ...In closing, as mayor and an alumnus of UNC, I share Mayor Cohen's affection for Chapel Hill. Chapel Hill has a special charm and a characteristic impossible to replicate, one that must be preserved. (Mark Kleinschmidt is the mayor of Chapel Hill.)
Related Links:
http://www.chapelhillnews.com/2010/07/11/58170/mayors-debate-towns-charm.html
http://www.chapelhillnews.com/2010/07/11/58192/your-letters.html

UNC officials were napping (Opinion-Editorial Column)
The Charlotte Observer
...We don't know what would happen today, because some key figures in North Carolina higher education did nothing to stop it when the Senate Judiciary II Committee subpoenaed information last week from UNC-TV, the statewide public television system that operates under the UNC system and its Board of Governors. UNC President Erskine Bowles did not intervene in that controversy, nor did UNC-TV general manager Tom Howe. Instead, UNC-TV thought it over, got some legal advice that it had to comply, and turned over the materials.