Laura Marcinek

Chancellor Thorp and his wife, Patti, entertain guests in the chancellor’s box at the UNC football game Saturday.DTH/Duncan Hoge

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Politicians get view from the top

By Laura Marcinek | October 5

Elected officials received $15,831 worth of football tickets from 2003 to 2008 free of charge, according to data compiled by the University.The tickets were paid for by UNC Foundation Investment Fund Inc., an organization dedicated to supporting teaching, research and service at the University by receiving gifts and distributing funds.UNC officials said the benefit of hosting elected officials outweighs the small cost.

Hanne Parks, 8, a third grader at Glenwood Elementary, writes a letter to her future self Tuesday morning with her classmates.

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Schoolkids set president-inspired goals

By Laura Marcinek | September 9

Chapel Hill third graders smiled and some stood up and clapped as they watched a live stream of President Barack Obama approaching the podium to the song, “Hail to the Chief.”Students at Glenwood Elementary School watched on a projection screen Tuesday as Obama addressed them and students across the country, asking them to value their education.

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Governor announces 5.5 percent budget cut for University system

By Laura Marcinek | March 17

1:42 p.m. TUESDAY March 17 -- Gov. Bev Perdue announced her budget today which includes a cut of about 5.5 percent for the University system. It also requires about 193 positions to be eliminated from the University system during the next two years.

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UNC Hospitals weigh mortality rates

By Laura Marcinek | August 26

The death rates at UNC Hospitals are better than the national averages for two critical conditions but worse for one, according to a study by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. At UNC, the heart failure death rate is 8.8 percent and the pneumonia death rate is 9.6 percent, better than the national rate for Medicare patients. The heart attack death rate is 16.2 percent, slightly above the national rate. Those numbers reflect the percentages of patients who die within 30 days after their admission to UNC Hospitals, whether at UNC, at home or at another hospital.

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Alerting Carolina

By Laura Marcinek | August 22

Administrators are ramping up advertising of the University's emergency notification system this fall in an effort to combat low sign-up rates.

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Landfill gasses to fuel UNC

By Laura Marcinek | August 20

Gases from a landfill will become a new source of energy for buildings at Carolina North. University and Orange County officials are discussing plans to pipe methane gas emitted from the Orange County landfill to buildings at UNC's new satellite research campus as a form of power. Methane gas is the product of organisms that break down organic materials in the landfill, said Michael Aitken, chairman of the Department of Environmental Science and Engineering at UNC.

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'Covering' sparks discussion

By Laura Marcinek | August 19

First-year students used this year's summer reading program to discuss being at peace with themselves while joining new groups of people.Author Kenji Yoshino, who wrote the summer reading book, "Covering: The Hidden Assault on Our Civil Rights," was also on campus Monday to give a lecture and hold a book signing.Yoshino's book discusses the idea of "covering," or the theory that individuals downplay a certain personality trait in order to assimilate into the mainstream."The hope is that it will speak to people on issues that they're struggling with or wrestling with at that particular time," Yoshino said.

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Sit-in students found guilty

By Laura Marcinek | August 19

Five UNC students were found guilty of failure to disperse Monday for their action in a 16-day sit-in at South Building in May. Salma Mirza, Linda Gomaa, Thomas Mattera, Sarah Hirsch and Tim Stallmann, all members of Student Action with Workers, were arrested May 2 after they violated the ground rules of their protest against UNC apparel made by sweatshop workers. The students, who arrived in court wearing matching blue Student Action with Workers T-shirts, will not face sentences because the judge granted prayers for judgment.

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Student protestors found guilty

By Laura Marcinek | August 18

MONDAY, AUG. 18, 7:00 p.m. -- Five UNC students were found guilty of failure to disperse during a sit-in at the chancellor's office in the spring. Linda Gomaa, Thomas Mattera, Sarah Hirsch, Tim Stallmann and Salma Mirza were tried at the Franklin Street courthouse. They were arrested May 2 after violating the ground rules of their two-week-long, anti-sweatshop protest in South Building. Mirza also was charged with resisting a public officer. None of the students will face a sentence. Read more about the trial in tomorrow's Daily Tar Heel.

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UNC steps up promotion of text messaging alerts

By Laura Marcinek | April 25

Alert Carolina is the primary emergency alert system for UNC, delivering thousands of texts in a matter of minutes.