Here is a sampling of links and notes about Carolina people and programs cited recently in the media:
International Coverage
An IMAX Film of the Jerusalem You Never Have Seen Before (Video)
The Jewish Press
Oct. 3
Five years in the making, the first IMAX film ever made about Jerusalem is as much a visual tour de force as a marvel of cultural diplomacy. “Jerusalem,” which had its world premiere last week at Boston’s Museum of Science, uses cutting-edge cinematography … . The voices of the women are supplemented by that of Jodi Magness, an archaeologist at the University of North Carolina, who guides viewers through an ancient tunnel and visits active excavation sites that continue to unearth the history of the land.
Can we stomach a raw meat mono diet?
The Guardian (U.K.)
Oct. 3
A profile in Vice [magazine] of a young man who has eaten "nothing but raw meat" for five years has been making the internet rounds this week. … we're pretty confident most healthy people aren't scrambling to adopt the all raw meat, all the time lifestyle. But the piece did make us wonder: does eating raw meat – let alone so much raw meat – have any established health benefits? … The Guardian spoke to two nutrition experts to find out: Dr. Beth Mayer-Davis, Chair of the Nutrition Department at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill …
National Coverage
Toxic Algae Blooms May Be Longer, More Intense Due To Climate Change
The Huffington Post
Oct. 2
Toxic algae blooms appear to be increasing in frequency and intensity around the country, but the full range of their causes — and their health effects — remains far from clear. Some experts, meanwhile, are suggesting that lakes, rivers and ponds that breed such blooms are becoming more hazardous thanks in part to a warming planet. …"Blooms are going to be longer and more intense," said Hans Paerl, professor of marine and environmental sciences at the University of North Carolina. "It's all part of the price we're paying for climate change."
State & Local Coverage
UNC Center for Civil Rights Study Highlights Racial Disparities in Public Education
WHQR-FM (NPR affiliate, Wilmington)
Oct. 3
A staggeringly high number of minority students in New Hanover and Pender Counties live near high-poverty elementary schools. That’s according to a recently-published report by the UNC Center for Civil Rights – part of the University of North Carolina’s School of Law. The Inclusion Project examines statewide racial disparities from several angles, including proximity to polluting facilities, access to affordable housing, and voting rights.
Former UNC tutor connected to football scandal charged with violating NC sports agent laws
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
Oct. 3
The former UNC-Chapel Hill tutor connected to the 2010 football program scandal has been charged with violating a state law governing sports agents. Jennifer Lauren Thompson, or Jennifer Wiley as she was known before her marriage, is charged with agent athlete inducement. …Thompson is the first of a handful of arrests expected in the coming days related to a protracted investigation by the N.C. Secretary of State.
Indictment: UNC tutor served as liaison between agent, UNC football player
WRAL-TV (Raleigh)
Oct. 3
A former University of North Carolina tutor became the first person to appear in court Thursday in violation of the state law that regulates how agents may interact with student athletes.Jennifer Wiley had her first court appearance in Orange County on charges of athlete-agent inducement.
She is one of those indicted earlier this week on charges related to the North Carolina Uniform Athlete Agents Act. She is one of 10 people found to have provided impermissible benefits – both academic and financial – to members of the UNC football team.
Issues & Trends
UNC System President Tom Ross Talks Higher Education
WUNC-FM
Oct. 3
The UNC System, made up of 17 educational institutions, has seen a reduction in funding over the last several years. Some universities are eliminating positions to try to make up the difference. And tuition hikes place a greater burden on students. Host Frank Stasio talks with UNC System president Tom Ross about the challenges of higher education in North Carolina.
UNC Board of Governors set to review new ECU mission statement
The East Carolinian (student newspaper)
Oct. 3
ECU is currently awaiting approval from the UNC Board of Governors for a proposed revision of the university’s mission statement. In the spring of 2013 the UNC Board of Governors and the UNC General Administration gave the university a strict deadline to revise its mission statement by September. The new mission statement revision was drafted to ensure consistency with “Our Time, Our Future,” the UNC Strategic Directions Initiative.
Task force addresses underage drinking
WSOC-TV (Charlotte)
Oct. 2
The chairman of North Carolina's ABC Commission says it is time to address the problem of underage drinking before it claims more victims. "We've got to change in culture in North Carolina over a period of time that it's not right to drink under 21 years of age. It will hurt your child," Jim Gardner told members of the Governor's Collegiate Wellness Task Force in Raleigh on Wednesday. … Gardner crystallized the problem by reading from a WSOC Web story about alleged hazing at UNC Charlotte. …
College Sexual Assault Investigations Grind To Halt Due To Shutdown
The Huffington Post
Oct. 2
The ongoing federal government shutdown has forced the U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights to suspend its investigations into colleges and universities that are alleged to have violated Title IX, the federal gender equity law, in the handling of sexual violence on their campuses. … Investigations have been underway at prominent public schools, like the University of Colorado-Boulder and the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, and at private institutions like Occidental College, Swarthmore College and the University of Southern California. Reviews are also ongoing at Dartmouth, Harvard Law and the University of Virginia.
Our View: Dancing with the date you bring: Open job search at ASU
The Watauga Democrat (editorial)
Oct. 3
There's a school of thought that promotes closed interviews for executive positions: Some candidates may feel more free to explore a new job if their candidacy is not made public. This, in theory, can provide a better and wider pool of applicants. But when it comes to a search for Appalachian State University's new chancellor, that theory is a harmful practice. … University of North Carolina system President Tom Ross promotes a fully closed search for ASU's next leader. …