Here is a sampling of links and notes about Carolina people and programs cited recently in the media:
International Coverage
The death of cheerleading?
The Star (Toronto, Canada)
Where have all the pompoms gone? For decades, cheerleaders were as much a part of high school life as the sports teams they cheered for. But today, there's hardly a sis-boom-bah or cartwheel to be found at high school games. …Liability is also noted as a concern because twists, turns and flips in many routines pose a risk of injury. The University of North Carolina's National Center for Catastrophic Sports Injury Research listed 67 fatal or life-threatening injuries due to cheerleading at schools in the U.S. since 1982.
National Coverage
Health Concerns Over Popular Contraceptives
The New York Times
…Studies on the safety of birth control pills have reported different results on the risks of progestins. …The results of the new studies, conducted on European populations with specific genetic risk factors for blood clots, might not translate to a more ethnically diverse American patient population, said Dr. David A. Grimes, a clinical professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of North Carolina medical school. And even if the reported increased risk is realistic, he said, it is tiny.
Joint Chiefs chairman seeks brain-injury limit
USA Today
U.S. servicemembers who suffer up to three mild traumatic brain injuries or concussions during a deployment — typically from roadside bombs — could be pulled out of combat for the duration of their tour, according to a policy being pushed by Adm. Michael Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. …Former football players who suffered multiple concussions were five times more likely to develop symptoms of a condition considered to be a precursor to Alzheimer's and three times more likely to become clinically depressed, says Kevin Guskiewicz, professor and director of the Center for the Study of Retired Athletes at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill.
How hard should we try to clean Houston’s smog? The TCEQ is, like, Dude! Relax! (Editorial)
The Houston Chronicle
How clean is Houston's air? To most people, the answer is a no-brainer: Not clean enough. …A University of North Carolina study found that just one of those radical precursors — the formaldehyde released from flares — may contribute as much as 30 parts per billion to Houston's ozone problem. In other words, that single pollutant may account for as much as a quarter of the ozone in the air on our worst bad-air days. The TCEQ is wrong: Our air isn't clean enough. It's time for action — not time to breathe easy.
The NFL's Blackout Year
Forbes.com
…There's evidence it works. A study co-authored in 1997 by University of North Carolina business professor William Putsis showed that the threat of a local blackout spurs a lot of fans to run out and get tickets. On average, over 11,000 more game-day tickets were sold for blacked-out games than for games available on television, the study showed, while the average number of no-shows decrease by another 5,000.
Atheist reviewer takes on scholar's look at Jesus, Bible (Blog)
USA Today
…Rusty, who says he has more than a dozen English versions of the Bible, is trying to decide which one to read all the way through. Here's his review of Bart Ehrman's latest controversial book, Jesus, Interrupted: Revealing the Hidden Contradictions in the Bible (And Why We Don't Know About Them) from HarperOne. …Bart Ehrman, scholar and New Testament textual critic from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, presents an alternative to C. S. Lewis' famous trilemma regarding Jesus' divinity in his book.
Regional Coverage
North Carolina N.C. officials pitch wind farm plan
The Virginian-Pilot (Norfolk, Va.)
Gov. Beverly Perdue, state Sen. Marc Basnight and state Rep. Tim Spear on Friday gave local residents their first opportunity to learn more about a proposal that would put up to three wind turbines in Pamlico Sound. …The University of North Carolina is expected to sign a contract with Duke Energy Carolinas by Thursday to install one to three turbines seven to 10 miles from shore in the sound between Avon and Buxton. …Harvey Seim, a UNC-Chapel Hill marine sciences professor who worked on a wind energy feasibility study, said in the presentation that turbines would be able to be seen in the distance from the beach.
Truckers Insist on Keeping Computers in the Cab
The Ledger (Lakeland, Fla.)
Crisscrossing the country, hundreds of thousands of long-haul truckers use computers in their cabs to get directions and stay in close contact with dispatchers, saving precious minutes that might otherwise be spent at the side of the road. …But Robert D. Foss, a senior researcher at the Highway Safety Research Center at the University of North Carolina, said the dispatch computers and texting devices present the same potential for distraction. “It’s hard to accept the assertion: ‘We’re just different,’ ” he said. “You know full well this is motivated by economic considerations.”
Initiating physical activity after 70 increases survival
The Post-Dispatch (St. Louis, Mo.)
…A study from the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill reported that young people who actively commuted (walked or rode a bicycle to work) had a reduced risk of developing cardiovascular risk factors. The risk factors they looked at were obesity, fitness, blood pressure, triglycerides and blood insulin levels. The BOTTOM LINE : Taking up exercise at any age will increase your chances of living longer.
UNC Release:
http://uncnews.unc.edu/content/view/2695/71/
Panel discusses politics involved in judgeships
The Providence Journal (Rhode Island)
The naming of judges is inherently political, not just in Rhode Island but nationwide, was the message at a judicial forum this week. And the best antidote to political influence: shine as much light on the process as possible. “I think partisan politics permeates the entire process,” University of North Carolina School of Law Prof. Michael Gerhardt told a small crowd of mostly lawyers and judges Thursday night in U.S. District Court.
State and Local Coverage
Why UNC has (cling, clang, sss) steam heat (Opinion-Editorial Column)
The Chapel Hill Herald
The neighbors closest to our campus have been incredibly patient as Carolina has undertaken projects to improve our energy infrastructure, including repairs to the steam tunnel that connects our cogeneration facility on Cameron Avenue to the rest of the campus. At the university, we are well aware of how important steam and our cogeneration plant are to our operations, but I'm not sure if that knowledge extends beyond campus. So let me tell you the basics of how we generate energy at the UNC cogeneration facility and how we plan to do that even more sustainably in the future. (Holden Thorp is chancellor of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.)
Carolinians say: Go slowly on health care
The Charlotte Observer
Martin Wood, a self-employed Charlotte repairman, doesn't like paying more than $800 a month for health insurance. He just doesn't believe President Obama's remedy would help. …"What you're seeing in the polls is that the public is divided," says John Oberlander, an associate professor of medicine and health policy at UNC Chapel Hill. "The debate over health care is not just about health care. It's about government spending and taxes and deficits. And … those broader issues are seeping into the health reform debate."
Lawsuits and health costs
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
The issue had slipped into the background noise of health-care reform, but calls to curb medical malpractice lawsuits are once again rising. …Among their arguments is that runaway legal claims drive up the cost of malpractice insurance policies and compel doctors to order unnecessary tests and treatments as a hedge against being sued. "It causes defensive medicine," said Dr. George Sheldon, chairman emeritus of surgery at the UNC-Chapel Hill School of Medicine. "That's not a positive in the system, and it ought to get fixed."
N.C. puts test fingers in the wind
The Charlotte Observer
After lagging behind other East coast states in developing wind as an energy source, North Carolina is preparing to plunge in with a test involving one to three wind towers in Pamlico Sound. Charlotte-based Duke Energy and UNC Chapel Hill are finishing the details of a contract that would have the company build the towers as early as next year. UNC researchers would monitor the towers to answer questions about environmental impacts, maintenance and other issues.
Related Link:
http://www.dailyadvance.com/news/basnight-offshore-wind-farms-needed-859822.html
Student-aid increase forces UNC to shift funds
The Triangle Business Journal
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill had to find extra dollars this fall to pay for financial aid. The university ponied up another $465,000 from tuition receipts to be able to provide aid to all students in need. By the first day of classes this fall, UNC had distributed $75.8 million in financial aid. That compares to $68.2 million distributed in financial aid by the first day of classes in 2008.
Trim, tighten and tone (Editorial)
The Chapel Hill News
UNC can't catch a break. Each month brings a new revelation about inefficient management, fiscal waste, top-heavy administration and other troubling problems, not just at the Chapel Hill campus but throughout the entire 17-school system…
Female infertility study eyes hormone
The Chapel Hill Herald
Although the population of the United States continues to grow, about 14 percent of women experience fertility complications. A study being conducted at UNC hopes to pinpoint a hormone that might identify those who are most likely to have problems conceiving children. "Infertility actually affects one in seven people," said Ashley Calingo, study coordinator for Time to Conceive, a research study program being carried out at the UNC School of Medicine's Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. "We're just looking to find a way to eliminate that."
Medicine prof to speak at graduation
The Chapel Hill Herald
Lisa Carey, associate professor of medicine and UNC Breast Center medical director, will deliver the December commencement address at UNC, Chancellor Holden Thorp has announced. Thorp will preside at the Dec. 20 ceremony at 2 p.m. in the Dean E. Smith Center. Thorp chose Carey in consultation with the university's Commencement Speaker Selection Committee, which is made up of an equal number of students and faculty.
Related Link:
http://www.chapelhillnews.com/news/story/52478.html
UNC Release:
http://uncnews.unc.edu/content/view/2900/107/
BofA responds to accusations made by SEC
The Charlotte Observer
Bank of America Corp. filed a formal response on Friday afternoon to accusations made by the Securities and Exchange Commission, again denying that it misled investors about bonuses paid to employees of Merrill Lynch & Co. …Tom Hazen, a professor at UNC Chapel Hill's School of Law, said that even if the bonuses truly weren't material, Bank of America still could have disclosed them. "If it's not going to affect how people vote, then what's the harm in telling them?" Hazen said. "If it is going to affect how people vote, how do you explain not telling them?"
A mere shadow – A once-bustling airport tries to find its place in a new era
The Winston-Salem Journal
In 1963, Smith Reynolds Airport had 130,000 takeoffs and landings, making it the busiest airport in the state and ranking it No. 85 in the country. Those days are long gone. …That's the conclusion drawn by John Kasarda, an expert on aviation at UNC Chapel Hill and the author of reports in 2007 and 2008 outlining the aerotropolis concept. An aerotropolis, Kasarda says, includes distribution centers and business and technology parks. Kasarda said that Smith Reynolds, with its proximity to downtown and Wake Forest University, could become a growth center for businesses that need highly educated labor, air access and urban amenities.
Much ado about nothing (Opinion-Editorial Column)
The Chapel Hill Herald
Evidently thousands of people are now familiar with the infamous lines "I have a Colt-45 and I know how to use it; I used to be able to hit a quarter at 50 feet 7 times out of 10." …These lines were prompted by a midnight e-mail from Nikhil Patel, president of YWC (Youth for Western Civilization), a conservative group that sponsored a talk by Tom Tancredo in April. (Elliot M. Cramer is an emeritus professor of psychology in the L.L. Thurstone Psychometric Laboratory of the Psychology Department at UNC.)
UNC med school server hacked (Blog)
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
At the UNC Chapel Hill School of Medicine, a hacker got into a server that held research data including the social security numbers of 163,000 women who have allowed their mammograms to be included in a statewide registry.
Talk topic: Race, religion, politics
The Chapel Hill Herald
Religion has often taken center stage in America's political conversations. The elections of 2008 focused on issues of morality, separation of church and state and Barack Obama's personal beliefs. Amid that backdrop, and the historical relationship between the American preoccupation with race and its complex religious history, anthropologist Tim McMillan will host a spirited conversation, "Race, Religion, Politics: Mentioning the Unmentionable," at George Watts Hill Alumni Center on the UNC Campus from 2:30-4 p.m.
Author Holladay reads Tuesday
The Chapel Hill Herald
Author Cary Holladay, part of the UNC Living Writers course, will give a free public reading at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday in the University Room of Hyde Hall on the UNC Campus.
Jazz orchestra plays Tuesday
The Chapel Hill Herald
The North Carolina Jazz Repertory Orchestra will present Jazz by the Numbers at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at Memorial Hall on the UNC Campus.
Violinist, cellist perform tonight
The Chapel Hill Herald
Anna Cromwell, playing violin, and Mira Frisch, on the cello, will perform new works for violin and cello by Stephen Anderson, Abbie Betinis, Joe Dangerfield, David Maki and Ronald Parks at 7:30 tonight at Person Recital Hall on the UNC Campus.
Issues and Trends
Rescuing Our Public Universities (Opinion-Editorial Column)
The Washington Post
Almost 150 years ago, in an effort to better serve a growing nation, President Abraham Lincoln signed the Morrill Land Grant Act, which gave struggling states federal land with which they could generate revenue to build colleges. The result of that bold action is a national resource: a structure for higher education that is admired, and copied, around the globe in places such as Japan, Germany and Canada. We are the only country to have both private and public universities of world renown. Sadly, this amalgam of great public and private research and teaching universities is at risk as economically struggling states progressively disinvest in public higher education. (Robert J. Birgeneau and Frank D. Yeary are, respectively, the chancellor and vice chancellor of the University of California at Berkeley.)
Questions for Mark Yudof: Big Man on Campus
The New York Times Magazine
…U.C. is budget shortfall of at least $753 million, largely because of cuts in state financing. Do you blame Governor Schwarzenegger for your troubles?
I do not. This is a long-term secular trend across the entire country. Higher education is being squeezed out. It’s systemic. We have an aging population nationally. We have a lot of concern, as we should, with health care. (Mark Yudof is the president of the University of California system.)