Here is a sampling of links and notes about Carolina people and programs cited recently in the media:
National Coverage
After a Long Career at U.N.C., a Championship at Last (Blog)
The New York Times
Every athlete wants to go out on top, to leave his mark on whatever sport or institution he represents. But for the senior Kirk Urso of the North Carolina men’s soccer team, the 2011 College Cup championship is even sweeter because of how close he has been in each of his seasons at UNC.
State and Local Coverage
Thorp meets with Obama
The Chapel Hill News
UNC-Chapel Hill Chancellor Holden Thorp visited the White House on Dec. 5 for a roundtable discussion with President Barack Obama. Thorp was one of 12 college presidents and higher education leaders who talked with Obama about ways colleges can become more affordable while producing more graduates. U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan and White House senior officials also participated.
WakeMed's bid to buy Rex spurs public relations battle
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
…Though WakeMed suspected UNC Health Care wouldn't take seriously the proposal to buy Rex, its leaders knew it would force a discussion: Should UNC, a public institution, be competing with hospitals such as WakeMed, a private nonprofit? WakeMed hired seasoned lobbyists and communications experts to make its case. So did UNC and Rex.
How WakeMed's claims hold up
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
WakeMed has made several public complaints about UNC Health Care and its use of public money. An assessment of three: Claim: UNC Health Care is using public money to compete with private hospitals. This depends on the definition of public. UNC argues that it uses none of the payments it receives from the state or Medicaid subsidies to compete with private hospitals. Critics argue that because it's a state university, every dime it brings in through investments and operations should be considered public.
Are sports too big at UNC?
The Herald-Sun (Durham)
In response to the hiring of a new football coach at UNC last week, a group of faculty members is calling on the university to consider the role of Division I athletics at the state’s flagship school. The informal group made up of five professors who meet regularly to talk about such issues is concerned that athletics, football in particular, may get in the way of the university’s core missions of teaching, research and public service.
Roses and Raspberries (Editorial)
The Chapel Hill News
Roses to both the UNC and UNC Charlotte men's soccer teams. The two Tar Heel state squads took different paths through the NCAA tournament – Carolina as a top seed, Charlotte unseeded – but wound up on the same field, facing each other in the national championship game Sunday. …UNC won its second men's soccer championship, and its 38th overall national team title.
Stressful connections to learning (Opinion-Editorial Column)
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
Amid the debates about our public schools and the need for education reform, the impact of poverty on student learning outcomes seems to be missing. Research has established a clear link between poverty and student performance. Yet many critics of public schools deride the poverty-achievement link as an excuse for poor teaching. (Bill McDiarmid, a Hoke County native, is dean of the School of Education at UNC-Chapel Hill.)
Raise tax to save lives (Opinion-Editorial Column)
The Chapel Hill News
My father died of lung cancer after smoking cigarettes since he was a teenager. As a family nurse practitioner, I care for and grieve with families who have lost loved ones to preventable diseases such as cancer, heart disease, stroke, lung diseases and sudden infant death that are associated with tobacco use. (Jean Davison is a clinical assistant professor at the UNC School of Nursing.)
Time for UNC to divest from a dirty business (Opinion-Editorial Column)
The Chapel Hill News
A year and a half ago, Chancellor Holden Thorp stood atop the green roof of Rams Head Plaza and announced that UNC would end its use of coal by 2020. It was an inspiring moment. "Universities must lead the transition away from fossil fuels to clean energy," Thorp said.
Cereal for supper can be a wise choice (Column)
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
Do you ever eat cereal for supper? If so, you're not alone. Food companies say that more of us are pouring a bowl of cereal for meals other than breakfast. We're snacking on it, too. (Suzanne Havala Hobbs is a registered dietitian and a clinical associate professor in the department of health policy and administration in the Gillings School of Global Public Health at UNC-Chapel Hill.)
Issues and Trends
Students will need to dig deeper to cover costs
The Smoky Mountain News (Waynesville)
Western Carolina University students likely will shell out an additional $399 in tuition and fees to attend school next year, an increase in dollars that some on campus said will be hard for them to come by.
Witness recounts suspect's tale in Carson case
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
Eve Carson turned to her attackers shortly before her death and asked them to pray with her, according to testimony Tuesday in Orange County Superior Court.