20 items found for your search. If no results were found please broaden your search.
(04/23/08 4:00am)
Ten years ago, starting a research paper included trips to the local library to search through stacks of books.
Today, many students complete such assignments and never leave their dorm rooms.
As technology makes it possible to have contact with almost a full library through computers, some wonder if the end of actual libraries is approaching.
To fight becoming obsolete, libraries on campus are changing to fulfill the needs of students in this time of increasing technology.
The Carolina Digital Library and Archives, which was started last February, works to digitize books, audio files and images, making them available online.
"It is definitely one of the signs of how libraries are changing these days," said Kirill Fesenko, director of CDLA.
"I think libraries see that students and scholars are using the Internet as a communication style, and this moves libraries to be more investigative and to develop more resources and bring the best of their resources online."
The CDLA uses its Scribe machine, a fast-paced scanner, to digitize books. The Scribe can transform about 500 pages of regular text to the screen in one hour.
Thanks to the CDLA's Scribe project, more than 500 books have been digitized since January. Officials plan to use the Scribe they have now to digitize another 1,000 books by the end of the year, Fesenko said.
Although more and more books are being transferred online, libraries still must keep the hard copies of these books in good condition.
"Putting books online improves access, but books in their physical form are important," he said. "They contain qualities in them that cannot be completely transformed onto the Internet."
In the future, the CDLA plans to expand its services either with the addition of more Scribes or other similar technology, Fesenko said.
In addition to new online features, the campus libraries themselves also are evolving.
"We are offering new types of services both online and in physical environments," said Lisa Norberg, director of public services for UNC libraries. "Our physical libraries are more heavily used now than they have been for decades."
As the types of assignments professors give to students change, librarians must learn how to help students complete their work.
"We are providing a lot of the spaces and services that these new assignments demand," said Norberg, who has recently seen projects ranging from creating Web pages to filming mini-documentaries.
Junior Rachel Jennings had to come up with a puppet show in her education class. Every student had different tasks in the creation of the show, such as writing the script or creating the puppets.
Jennings used software to create music for the show.
"It was a lot of fun getting to use new materials," she said.
Librarians also have noticed an increased interest in instructional classes they offer, which teach students about research and how to use resources such as online databases, said Judith Panitch, director of library communications.
In the last academic year, about 1,500 different sessions were offered, reaching almost 30,000 people. Four years ago, the libraries offered about 1,000 sessions to about 19,000 people.
"We feel very comfortable that we have a major role to play, as the University and the community, in the future of learning," Panitch said.
Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.
(04/17/08 4:00am)
Women who wear tight jeans could be responsible for being raped - at least according to the Italian Supreme Court.
In a 1999 case, an Italian judge ruled that the victim of a suspected rape wore such tight pants that she would have had to help her attacker take them off, declaring her consent.
To protest this, Italian legislators wore jeans to work the next day.
And Wednesday night, about 50 people - most dressed in jeans - gathered in the Stone Center to join in the international denim protests that started after the court case.
Wearing denim during April, Sexual Assault Awareness Month, represents the fight against negative attitudes and myths surrounding sexual assault and rape.
"This really illustrates widely held rape myths," said Ashley Fogle, assistant director of the Carolina Women's Center, which hosted the fashion show in recognition of Sexual Assault Awareness Month. "There is lots of victim blaming and a lot of scrutiny on the victim."
She said women often are put on trial about their behavior rather than the perpetrator's, causing blame to rest on women for their attack.
Others consider that women who said they were sexually assaulted actually consented but later regretted their actions.
And it is this kind of thinking that the show aimed to change.
In eliminating these myths, organizers hope to encourage more victims to speak up and ask for help and support after incidents occur, Fogle said.
While sporting denim provided by local retailers, the organizations presented performances about how sexual assault affects their group's focus.
Sangam, the Panhellenic Council, the Gay, Bisexual, Lesbian, Transgender-Straight Alliance, Project Dinah, the Movement from N.C. State University and singer Mary Johnson all performed, relating back to the event's theme of sexual assault awareness.
Members of Project Dinah, a women's safety and empowerment group on campus, all wore red shirts with phrases on the back representing many women's experiences with sexual assault, such as "Survivor."
"As a women's empowerment group, we are motivated by the fact that a woman was faulted for being raped," said junior Samantha Stiles, a member whose shirt read "No means no."
"All of us enjoy going out and dressing up. None of us think about being blamed for being assaulted because of what we wear."
GBLT-SA painted phrases, such as "Silence = Death" and "A man can rape a man," on their arms to show how sexual assault also affects gay and lesbian populations.
Sangam, a Southeast Asian Awareness organization on campus, presented a spoken-word performance about sexual assault in Southeast Asia.
"This is an issue a lot of people are ignorant about," senior Sangam member Sarah Simon said. "Through events like this, we are raising awareness."
Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.
(04/15/08 4:00am)
Thanks to tiny refrigerators and a lack of pots and pans, most college students' kitchen expertise consists of heating up Kraft Easy Mac or calling for delivery.
"I do cook, but it is mostly a concerted effort," said freshman Lizzy Hazeltine who lives in Connor Residence Hall.
One student organization is trying to change these habits.
Healthy Heels, a club that junior Amanda Velazquez started last semester, is teaching students how to cook interesting, affordable and healthy meals in the cramped quarters of a dorm kitchen.
"We are trying to help students see that there are ways of using the limited resources they have in the dorms to make pretty easy dishes," Velazquez said.
Cooking in the dorm normally is limited to making+ pasta, quiche or brownies for a special occasion such as someone's birthday, Hazeltine said.
Through cooking demonstrations, Healthy Heels is spreading recipe ideas and cooking techniques to undergraduate students.
Last week the student-run club took over the World Fare station at the Top of Lenoir to showcase three Asian infusion dishes for diners.
"It was a big deal that students made those dishes," Velazquez said. "It showed people how easy it was because we prepared them in seconds."
In the demonstration, students used brown rice, soy beans and snow peas - three ingredients Lenoir typically does not offer.
And thanks to Velazquez's group, Rams Head Market is now carrying more ingredients, such as canned beans, to help students who want to cook for themselves, said Jo Pelligra, brand manager for campus dining.
"We are trying to get some new products into the market because of Healthy Heels," Pelligra said. "As far as the dining halls, we have -- and will try to get in - some of the ingredients if students request them."
Velazquez was inspired to start Healthy Heels after living on and off campus and noticing her fellow students' eating habits.
"I thought that living off campus would enable people to cook, but I think it got worse," she said. "Still today everyone is relying on what they can get on Franklin Street."
Next fall, the club plans to help students change their ways even more by offering themed cooking classes to teach students how to create different dishes and flavors.
These classes will be sponsored by local grocery stores, making them free to students, Velazquez said.
Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.
(04/10/08 4:00am)
As the Carolina blue ribbon was cut Wednesday, Ehringhaus South Residence Hall officially became Maurice J. Koury Hall.
About 70 people attended a ceremony where the South Campus dorm was renamed in honor of Koury, a UNC alumnus and donor.
The attendees ranged from those in athletics to student affairs to the general University community, representing the large impact Koury has had on UNC.
(03/27/08 4:00am)
One minute before noon Wednesday, the Alert Carolina safety campaign launched with an emergency siren that could be heard – for the most part – all around campus.
(03/25/08 4:00am)
Revolutions of the last century continue to encourage young women to grow up and become anything they dream to be.
But whether they want to put out fires, head a committee, enforce laws or deliver mail, women will be titled "fireman," "chairman," "policeman" or "mailman" although they are not men.
"Women are made invisible by that usage," said Donna Bickford, director of the Carolina Women's Center.
As more and more women begin to work in once male-dominated professions, the language describing those jobs is beginning to transform into more gender-inclusive terms.
(03/20/08 4:00am)
When the Bill of Rights was added to the Constitution in 1791, the right to petition and protest was made official.
And more than 200 years later, students today are still gathering for petitions, adding to an already rich campus history of demonstrations and protests.
But sometimes, the impact of these protests is questionable.
"The effectiveness of a march depends on the issue," said Ferrel Guillory, the director of the UNC Program on Public Life. "Sometimes it has to do with not just one, but the accumulation of events and protests."
And many campus groups, such as UNC's Students for a Democratic Society, have overarching themes that run through all of their marches and protests.
Recently, several of SDS's events focused on the war in Iraq, which hit the five-year mark this month. Members localized the issue by protesting in front of the Army recruitment center on Franklin Street.
Both the march Wednesday and the one on March 20, 2007, were sponsored by SDS and the UNC Coalition Against the War and served not as a direct call for congressional action but more to raise awareness of the fourth and fifth anniversaries of the Iraq War, respectively.
The aim of the protests was to let their voices be heard that the war should end, though not necessarily immediately.
"Don't organize for a march, but for a campaign you are trying to win," said Salma Mirza, senior organizer of Student Action for Workers, a group that advocates for fair labor laws.
Both years, students were charged to walk out of their noon classes to march from the Pit to Franklin Street showcasing their signs, T-shirts and opinions against the war.
"We want to see change in a different way," said Ben Carroll, a sophomore member of SDS. "It's motivated by anger and hope for something different."
In a different march, SDS members tried to shut down the Army recruitment office on Franklin Street by leading a march to the location. On Nov. 15 protesters marched armed with a black coffin full of pictures of fallen soldiers from the war.
Although creative and unique, today's protests, Guillory said, do not compare to those of past decades.
"No intensity on this campus matches what I went through in the late '60s around the Vietnam War," Guillory said.
But not all marches on campus deal with foreign issues. Some seek to make change on this campus.
On Nov. 15, 2006, more than 40 people marched against the outsourcing of jobs in the School of Dentistry. The 15 workers were still let go, but the march helped delay their final date.
Student Action for Workers participated in that march and also has supported other workers on campus. In November 2005, members led a controversial protest in support of the rights of dining hall workers at UNC.
After refusing to move from the dining hall areas, SAW members were threatened with arrest, but even took turns sleeping by their display to convey their message.
Although their actions caused little response from the administration, members said there was another effective outcome.
"I think that creating student power on campus is very important," Mirza said. "We really show that we are united and that we have a conscious and that we want to live the Carolina Way."
Whether effective or not in policy- or action-change, marches can serve to express participants' opinions that otherwise might go unheard.
"It can feel helpless to write a letter to a legislature or call and talk to a secretary," said senior Linda Gomaa, a member of SDS. "It feels more like actually doing something if you get up."
Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.
(02/21/08 5:00am)
Most adolescents spend six to seven hours a day interacting with some form of media, a trend that has been increasing the past several years.
Jane Brown, a professor in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication, presented her findings Wednesday on what teenagers are really learning from their laptops in a talk about "Sex, Drugs and Rock 'n' Roll."
Increased access to media and less interaction with parents cause both negative and positive effects on the health of adolescents, Brown said.
"Kids are doing what they want with little parental interpretation," she said.
Positive effects of the media on youth include many forms of self-expression and access to a wealth of knowledge, Brown said.
Because of television shows such as CSI, many children aspire to hold jobs that previous generations haven't heard of, while sites such as Facebook and Myspace give adolescents ways to express their personalities.
Ashley Brooks, a first-year doctoral student of health behavior and health education, said she believes the media has some positive effects.
"For example, with the presidential campaign, the youth are becoming involved," said Brooks, one of about 45 who attended the event. "The media plays a role in that."
Yet the more popular view of the media focuses on its negative effects. Eating disorders, obesity, violence and early sexual behavior were among the negative effects Brown touched on in her presentation.
"We are supposed to be as thin as Calista Flockhart while we are all eating burgers and fries," Brown said.
The rise of eating disorders and obesity stems mostly from the media, Brown said. Only 5 percent of women actually look like the supermodels chosen for most advertising campaigns.
While adolescents' body image is influenced by the media, their behavior and perceptions of violence are also affected.
Half of the shows broadcast on television include violence. Brown said this amount of violence causes adolescents to imitate what they see on television and become indifferent toward violence.
She compared some video games and TV violence to military desensitization training.
She blames the "Missing C's" - commitment to a partner, contraceptives and consequences for actions - as reasons why American adolescents are engaging in sexual activity earlier.
The lack of these "three C's" gives adolescents false ideas about what sex and love are really about, Brown said.
"Sex is part of human nature - of course it is going to be in the media," Brown said. "These are the most creative people in the world, they should be able to add it in a more reasonable and responsible way."
Allison George, a first-year graduate student in health behavior and health education, shares similar opinions with Brown on the media.
"Social norms are defined by TV," George said. "Regardless of age, that's how we learn what is expected of us."
Brown ended her presentation by calling on parents and individuals to become their own critics.
"I don't hold a lot of hope for restrictions," Brown said. "The media is too in love with the First Amendment."
Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.
(02/19/08 5:00am)
Although the University has been pushing an emergency text messaging program since last semester, many UNC students are not taking advantage of the feature.
Of the about 28,000 students and 11,000 faculty and staff on campus, only about 5,200 cell phone numbers -3,500 of those students- are registered to receive a text message in the event of a campuswide emergency - totaling about 13 percent of the campus.
"It doesn't take long to do, and it doesn't cost anything except a possible 10 cents when receiving a text message about an emergency," said Bryan Payst, the director of informational technology for student affairs. "I would even offer to put a bucket of dimes in the Pit in order to have people sign up."
And in the wake of last week's shootings at Northern Illinois University, UNC's Department of Public Safety is stressing campus safety policies even more.
This weekend Chancellor James Moeser sent out a formal notice to all UNC students and faculty, suggesting they sign up for the text message alert program.
The N.C. General Assembly is considering safety recommendations that came out in January. They include the addition of communication systems that link to local police and the ability to respond quickly and effectively to emergencies, said Brad Wilson, a member and former chairman of the UNC-system Board of Governors.
Junior Dana Rodgers said she plans to register her phone number but hasn't yet, because she's afraid of her number being distributed.
"I think it is a good thing especially since everyone always carries their cell phone," she said.
But registering a phone number does not mean anyone can see it.
"People can block their number from the public and still have it be picked up for text messaging purposes," said Jeff McCracken, the chief of police and director of public safety.
Students who use UNC Mobile as their cell phone service provider, about 1,386 total, are automatically registered for the alerts, Payst said.
McCracken also stressed that UNC will use the text program only in the event of emergencies.
The text messaging service is one of several programs to improve campus safety. Four sirens were installed last semester on campus to alert students of emergencies.
"We work in a layered communication system," McCracken said. "The sirens will alert people outside the buildings, and the texts will alert people inside the buildings."
A new Web site, alert.unc.edu, is another place students can find directions and informational updates during emergencies.
"We want lots of different ways to let people know what is going on," said Mike McFarland, director of University communications. "In case of an emergency, we will use a combination of all the channels of communication available."
Assistant State & National Editor Ariel Zirulnick
contributed reporting.
Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.
(01/30/08 5:00am)
Chancellor James Moeser has named the top four priorities of next year's budget, citing faculty, research, engagement and capital as areas to focus on.
"I believe these priorities are absolutely the best for the University," said Tony Waldrop, vice chancellor for research and economic development. "They support the overall mission of the University and support our overall needs."
These topics were presented to the Board of Trustees last week. They will be sent on for further consideration to the Board of Governors, where they will be put on a list of the rest of the UNC-system schools' priorities.
UNC's budget priority list represents the University's most important upcoming projects and groups on campus. Usually the first two are the only to receive state funding.
As the final step of the request process, the N.C. legislature will determine how much to grant UNC for each proposed project.
For the faculty priority, officials are requesting about $16.6 million.
The faculty portion of the budget focuses on goals such as obtaining distinguished professorship matching funds, a retention fund and support for graduate students.
"Faculty would, in general, wholeheartedly support these priorities," said Joe Templeton, chairman of faculty. "Anything we can do to make a more attractive university to build a career at is a boost for our University."
The research budget emphasizes faculty salaries, as well as funding for graduate research and closing the commercialization gap fund, which helps faculty find the money to start companies and leads to increased research growth, Waldrop said.
In the last seven years, 41 companies have grown out of UNC.
Waldrop said it is too early to know any exact numbers of the budget for research.
For its third priority, UNC is asking for funding so that it can give back to the community.
"Engagement is really about how Carolina, through its expertise, reaches out and helps people in North Carolina," said Mike Smith, vice chancellor for public service and engagement.
Next year's projects for engagement, which would cost about $17.6 million, include providing health care, education and other services for underserved communities.
"We are a public university, and the state appropriates a lot of money for our activities," Smith said. "It is important for us to give back to the state of North Carolina."
The capital projects are those valued at more than $300,000, and each year anywhere from 10 to 20 projects are listed in hopes of receiving state support. This year the top 10 projects on the budget proposal add up to about $419 million.
"We send in lists, but everyone knows they are only going to fund the first few on the list," said Steven Boone, the capital program controller at UNC.
The top four projects on this year's list include facilities for the School of Dentistry and School of Medicine, work on the Morehead Planetarium and Science Center and the planned satellite campus Carolina North.
Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.
(01/24/08 5:00am)
Freshman Sarah Mazza walked into the Campus Y building Wednesday night with a bit of hesitation.
Mazza was about to go on almost 20 dates in one evening.
"It is going to be awkward," she said, as she waited for the "It's Getting Hot In Here" speed-dating event, hosted by Focus the Nation UNC, to start.
But Mazza braved the possible awkwardness in hopes of meeting people who have similar interests in global warming and the environment.
(01/22/08 5:00am)
CORRECTION: Due to a reporting error, a date was incorrect in Tuesday's pg. 7 story "Di-Phi debates King's impact." Di-Phi members took up the issues of slavery and equal rights for women in the late 1790s. The Daily Tar Heel apologizes for the error.
The Dialectic and Philanthropic Societies, UNC's oldest debate organization, joined campuswide celebrations Monday to remember the reason classes are canceled every third Monday of January.
About 25 people gathered to debate whether UNC has failed to uphold the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr.
(01/17/08 5:00am)
For six of the past eight years, UNC has topped a national survey measuring the highest black freshmen enrollment rates, but this year the University fell to third place.
UNC's freshman class is 11.1 percent black, while last year's freshman class was 12.3 percent black. The black student population remains the largest minority group on campus.
The University admitted 36 fewer black students in 2007 than the year before. That's a 7 percent decline in the black freshman population, while the entire freshman class increased in size by 1 percent.
Despite the results of the survey conducted by the Journal of Blacks in Higher Education, recruitment and minority officials at UNC said they aren't concerned.
"We are among the national leaders (in black enrollment), and I do not see that changing," said Archie Ervin, associate provost for diversity and multicultural affairs.
Ervin said looking at the drop in standings during a one-year period does not suggest future declines.
"We are certainly ahead of the others," he said. "This drop in standings is certainly not a trend."
In the journal's survey, which tallies the nation's highest-ranking universities and liberal arts colleges, Columbia University and the University of Virginia tied for first.
Both Columbia's and Virginia's freshman classes are 11.4 percent black this year. Fourth place went to Vanderbilt University, which has a freshman class that is 10.3 percent black.
The journal bases its ranking on percentages of entire freshman student bodies, not actual numbers of enrolled students.
Out of the top 29 universities listed in the survey, UNC has the largest number of black freshmen, with 434 enrolled.
Officials also said they aren't worried because diversity is a major part of UNC's image.
During his State of the University address in the fall, Chancellor James Moeser lauded the entering Fall 2007 class as the most diverse ever enrolled, and UNC has several programs in place to encourage minority enrollment.
Project Uplift and Decision Days are both programs that bring minority students to campus to solidify their decision to attend UNC, said Terri Houston, the director of recruitment and multicultural programs.
These programs target students from historically underrepresented populations, as well as first-generation college students, Ervin said.
"Diversity is one of the outcomes that we seek," he said. "We are a public university. If we do not represent our public, we are not fulfilling the requirements of a public university."
According to the N.C. State Data Center, blacks account for a greater portion - 22 percent - of the state's population.
Stephen Farmer, assistant provost and director of undergraduate admissions, said UNC's diverse community is important because it attracts many students.
"Increasing diversity has helped us recruit talented students - period - regardless of the race, ethnicity and background."
Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.
(01/14/08 5:00am)
UNC's Department of Psychiatry has expanded, opening a new forensic psychiatry program and clinic at UNC Hospitals.
The program deals with the interactions between the law and people's mental health and provides analysis for legal purposes.
"Forensic psychiatry differs from other types by the fact we are not applying treatments - we are evaluating individuals," said Dr. Alyson Kuroski-Mazzei, a director of the new program, along with Dr. Sally Johnson and Dr. Eric Elbogen.
UNC is the only university in North Carolina that has a forensic psychiatry program and clinic, Kuroski-Mazzei said.
Other schools in the nation with similar programs include Yale, Harvard and Tulane universities.
Most forensic psychiatry cases occur when a doctor is brought in to make an evaluation. Patients can range from those on trial to those seeking to prove their competence for legal purposes, such as writing a will.
The information that these psychiatrists collect sometimes plays a major factor in court cases.
For instance, Johnson assessed Theodore Kaczynski, the Unabomber, in January 1998 for the trial of his bombing campaign.
Her assessment - that he was suffering from paranoid schizophrenia and was fit for trial - played a major factor in the court proceeding, negating his insanity plea.
Because the patient usually does not hire the doctor, there is a different type of affiliation than the average doctor-patient relationship, Johnson said.
One major difference is the amount of patient confidentiality because what is said in these sessions might not always be confidential. Another difference is the time frame doctors have to work with the patients.
For civil cases, psychiatrists have tasks such as determining if a person is capable of making his own will, while criminal cases involve the evaluation of one's mental state or capacity to stand trial.
Johnson said UNC's new program and clinic also will serve to teach and educate psychiatry residents.
"Goals of the program include education, research and evaluation for both civil and criminal court systems," Kuroski-Mazzei said.
Funding comes from the Department of Psychiatry, Johnson said, and additional funding will come from future research projects.
The program is located on campus, but its services will reach well beyond Chapel Hill's boundaries.
"We will accept and provide services for attorneys, judges and institutions in North Carolina and other states," Johnson said.
Some of the places that UNC forensic psychiatrists will visit include jails, law firms and other companies.
"There are lots of areas where we can be helpful when areas of psychiatry and legal systems overlap," Kuroski-Mazzei said.
Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.
(11/30/07 5:00am)
Football, coffeehouses, cigars and auctions were all topics discussed Thursday night at a folklore colloquium.
This event, New Directions in Folklore: Pushing the Boundaries of Inquiry, showcased the papers of four graduate students in UNC's folklore program.
The papers expressed different interests and personal experiences of each of the writers, who delved into their topics to explore the greater impact.
Jocelyn Arem, a graduate student in the program, focused her paper on the life and legacy of the nation's longest continuously running folk coffee shop, Caffe Lena, in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. She explored the effects Caffe Lena has had on the nation's cultural heritage from 1960, the year it opened, until today.
Arem has been observing the cafe's effect on the greater community for six years, since she started her musical career at Caffe Lena.
Katherine Doss' presentation literally hit close to home for her.
Doss, a native of New Orleans and a UNC folklore student, based her paper on the city post-Hurricane Katrina and the impact of New Orleans Saints football as a unifying symbol for all the displaced people.
"I wanted to make people look at football as a symbol of community reorientation and put a different tone to the conversation about New Orleans," Doss said.
Brendan Greaves, another presenter, spoke about the Cuban-American collage artist and cigar roller, Felipe Jesus Consalvos, and his effect on art and folk.
Janet Hoshour examined the world of auctions. She focused on the transformation of an object full of family memories to an item ready to be sold to the highest bidder.
"I was blown away by the variety in subject matter brought together by the field of folklore," said Emma Raynes, a fellow at Duke University, one of about 15 people who attended the event.
Thursday night was not the first time this group of students presented their papers together. Last month they all attended the American Folklore Society conference in Quebec.
Attending the international conference was important for UNC's program, Arem said.
UNC's folklore program is the oldest academic folklore program in the country.
"All of us were so proud to represent the University," Arem said. "We were such a strong force at the program. We all presented dynamic and strong papers."
All of the papers required long hours and sometimes years of research. Some of the personal relationships formed and unique locations studied were shown through pictures and videos, which accompanied the presentations.
"We hope that people would learn to see what the newest crop of folklore students are about and to see the dynamic work we are putting in and to see where folklore is today," Arem said.
Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.
(11/28/07 5:00am)
Students will have to travel farther than Mainstreet Lenoir to satisfy their Mexican food cravings for the rest of the semester.
Tortilla Fresca, the Mexican vendor located at Mainstreet, closed Nov. 20 and will be replaced by Zoca, another Mexican food brand.
Zoca, which is scheduled to open in January, has a menu mainly of burritos and quesadillas. Other menu items include nachos with many toppings, tacos with soft and hard shells and desserts, such as cinnamon twists.
"Everything will still be there," said Scott Myers, the director of food and vending for Carolina Dining Services. "We are adding more and fresher toppings."
Myers said more choices will be available. Chicken, beef, pork and portabello mushrooms will fill Zoca's burritos and quesadillas.
No drastic pricing changes will occur with this switch in vendors.
"Most meals, such as two tacos or a burrito, will average around $5, give or take a few," Myers said.
Fresh homemade sauces, queso and cilantro rice are a few items on the upcoming menu.
Zoca, which has other campus locations such as Arizona State University, will increase the variety and freshness in made-to-order options for students, said Jo Pelligra, the brand manager of Zoca. Pelligra is working to train the future staff of the new Zoca branch.
When students returned from Thanksgiving break, a black tarp and "closed" sign covered Tortilla Fresca's location.
"I was genuinely upset," junior Megan Bailey said, adding that she was a big fan of Tortilla Fresca's quesadillas. "I would go back and buy one right now."
Other students said they were not upset about the closing.
"I am excited to see a new Mexican place," freshman Matthew Enderlein said.
This switch in vendors is one of the many changes that has occurred on Mainstreet Lenoir this year.
Burger King, Bene Pizza and Outta Here were closed this semester, and Carolina Kitchen and the Pita Pit moved in.
Myers said dining officials are working with the student dining board to determine other changes for the summer and next school year.
Earlier this year, officials said they planned to convert the space where the Pita Pit and Subway are located into an additional seating area and to move the Subway next to Chick-fil-A.
"Options are still being explored, strengthened and developed in efforts to make Lenoir the best dining on campus," said Chase Beck, chairman of the student dining board.
These changes will most likely occur during the summer to decrease the disruption among students.
Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.
(11/26/07 5:00am)
The saying "You are what you eat" could soon change to "You are what you drink."
Researchers from UNC's School of Public Health found that people are drinking almost twice the number of calories now than they were 37 years ago.
The study, which ran from 1965 to 2002, concluded that the increased caloric intake from beverages could be linked to diabetes and obesity.
"It is important that people recognize that beverages do contain calories," said Kiyah Duffey, a doctoral candidate in the Department of Nutrition.
The department's study found that most adults' daily consumption of beverages - other than water - has increased by 94 percent from 1965 to 2002, resulting in an additional 222 calories each day. If people continued drinking at this rate for a year, they could gain 22 pounds, Duffey said.
And dieters shouldn't forget about potential calories drinks contain.
This study focused on the effects of beverages such as sodas, fruit juices, energy drinks and alcohol on adults around the country.
Today whether at a sporting event or driving in the car, large-size drinks with no nutritional value are constantly available.
"People should limit any kind of beverage that provides calories and no nutritional value to help reduce the amount of calories consumed," Duffey said.
Becoming more aware of the number of calories in drinks could be helpful for N.C. residents, who rank high nationally when it comes to obesity, said Alice Ammerman, nutrition professor in the School of Public Health.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 25 percent of North Carolinians are obese.
Ammerman suggests drinking seltzer water mixed with fruit juice as a healthier alternative to regular sodas. This drink is a better choice, but water, which contains zero calories, is the best option.
"One way people are working on changing is to get the beverage industry to change the size of the beverages they offer," she said.
On college campuses calorie-laden drinks are popular.
"People buy lots of coffee and lots of juices," said sophomore Matt Hinson, who works at Student Stores. He also sells a lot of Red Bull and sodas.
"People need to be mindful of what they drink," Duffey said.
Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.
(11/16/07 5:00am)
Seventeen local radio hosts, six performing artists and more than 450 volunteers joined doctors, nurses and patients Thursday to raise $780,794 for the N.C. Children's Hospital.
From 5 a.m. until 11:30 p.m., they all gathered for the sixth annual N.C. Children's Promise Radio and Telethon fundraiser, which was held at the hospital.
"This is a great opportunity for us to work with our media partners to raise awareness and funds for the children's hospital," said Crystal Miller, the director of external affairs and communications at the hospital.
This event is the hospital's largest fundraising event of the year. Last year the event raised more than $631,500, which went toward funding programs. The goal for this year, Miller said, was to raise more than last year.
An ongoing eBay auction also increased funds raised with various sports and music memorabilia sold.
Two high-ticket items were a Hannah Montana prize packet, which includes tickets to an upcoming Hannah Montana concert and dinner for four, and a guitar autographed by Garth Brooks. The guitar sold for more than $2,750, while the prize package went for more than $1,275.
During the event, the hospital's lobby was split to incorporate a stage for performers, an area to show off the auction items and multiple tables to house ringing phones.
One group of volunteers answering phones were members of an outreach team from Talecris Biotherapeutics, the big supporter of the event. Employees from Talecris volunteered for two-hour shifts.
"I would definitely do it again," said LaTonya Atkinson, a senior quality associate of product quality management at Talecris. "It has been a very exciting and rewarding experience."
About 2,000 callers phoned in Thursday, some calling in to donate money, and others calling in to voice their support. Donations range from $10 to $3,000, Miller said.
Many local businesses contributed to the cause, as well. Performance Subaru of Chapel Hill donated $10,000, marking the sixth year Performance Subaru has participated in the fundraiser.
"Staff at UNC put forth the effort and the passion that make this the best event of the year and the best hospital," said Jill McCullough, a marketing and customer care representative of Performance Auto Mall of Chapel Hill.
The Curtis Media Group, a media partner of the hospital, organized live performances throughout the day to keep all participants entertained. Patients, doctors, nurses and volunteers all gathered to watch artists, such as Lee Brice, Parmalee and Keith Anderson, sing and perform.
"It's exciting to see the increasing participation and involvement," said Carolyn Viall Donohue, director for women and children services.
Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.
(11/14/07 5:00am)
When the scheduled cable outage occurred Tuesday morning, some students turned on their televisions later in the day to static and warnings of lost signals.
The planned cable outage allowed the UNC network to switch from the old Time Warner Cable server to the new Campus TeleVideo server.
"This is a pretty big change for campus and a big improvement," said Rick Harden, director of telecommunications.
Student Telecommunications sent out an e-mail to all students in residence halls earlier this week warning them of the outage. Because of upcoming holidays and games, Harden said Tuesday was the best day to schedule the switch.
"I was upset," said Brittany Chambers, a freshman African-American Studies major. "I didn't get to watch 'In Living Color' and 'Martin.'"
UNC student Selitta Legrand, a friend and fellow classmate of Chambers joked, "Yeah, we actually had to talk to each other."
Some of the new equipment installed Tuesday morning was causing problems as early as that afternoon, though Harden said these equipment malfunctions now have been addressed.
"It is going to take some time to go through and fine-tune everything," Harden said. "We try to cover the unexpected, but the unexpected occurs."
The campus's old cable contract was up for renewal, and state requirements mandated that UNC explore all possible providers before signing a new contract. UNC had to make the switch to a new provider by the end of the month, Harden said.
But this switch can mean some future improvements.
The new cable provider will result in new channels offered to students on campus, and the Department of Housing and Residential Education and the telecommunications division are working together to determine which new channels and services will be offered.
"Campus TeleVideo is moving us in the direction of high-definition TV," said Larry Hicks, director of housing.
No channels offered now will be cut from the new lineup.
"I know a lot of my friends and I want Bravo," said sophomore Anne Price, who lives in Old East Residence Hall.
But Hicks said premium channels are not going to be added to the lineup.
With the addition of several other new channels, which includes foreign-language channels and the Disney Channel as possibilities, students will have to get used to a new channel lineup.
"The lineup will have some changes, but we tried to keep it as close to the original as possible," Harden said.
Some definite lineup changes include MTV moving from Channel 53 to Channel 2 and ESPN being relocated from Channel 31 to Channel 51.
To see the full channel listings, visit its.unc.edu/services/phone-tv--video/cable-television.html.
Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.
(10/31/07 4:00am)
Almost exactly one year after his last appearance on campus, Juan Melendez returned to UNC to speak to about 25 students about his experiences on death row.
Melendez, who served almost 18 years on death row before he was found innocent and freed from a Florida prison, stressed in Tuesday's "Wrongfully Convicted" program that innocent people often receive the death sentence.
"My story is not unique," he said. "It happens all the time."
He enthusiastically described the positive effects of his imprisonment, such as learning to read, write and speak English better from friends who became closer to him than family.
He explained how those people, unlike the guards who watched him, made him feel like a human being.
But he compared these ups to the downs of witnessing unfair racial treatment among the prisoners, of the suicides of death row inmates and of never knowing how much time he had left to live.
Melendez was the 99th death row inmate to be freed in the U.S. To date, more than 120 innocent people have escaped death row before their executions.
The UNC Law Death Penalty Project sponsored the event both last year and Tuesday night.
Jennifer Karpowicz, president of the club and a third-year law student, said she was happy to have Melendez return.
"(It's) important for people to hear that our system is imperfect," she said.
While in prison, Melendez went through stages of feeling enraged, betrayed and afraid. But he kept a positive attitude, which he said was a key factor in maintaining his sanity and his will to live.
He said he attributes his positive spirit to "lots and lots of beautiful dreams," as well as the continued support of his mother and aunts from Puerto Rico and letters from his pen pal supporters located around the United States.
Some of the audience members Tuesday night were undergraduate students from professor Donna LeFebvre's criminal law class.
Mona Mohajerani, a senior political science major, said Melendez's speech brought a personal angle to the death penalty, which is often discussed as a political issue.
"You hear a lot about it, but I have never put a face to it," she said.
Elie Hessel, a junior psychology and political science double major, also said Melendez's experiences hit home to her when she realized people on death row are "real people with personalities and families."
The Death Penalty Project has many events throughout the year to increase awareness about death penalty issues. Events vary from visiting speakers, such as Melendez, to fundraisers to volunteering.
To end the evening, Melendez called for the audience to get involved to end the cycle of injustice in the political system. He said he wants to help others who find themselves in the same situation he was.
"Law is made by human beings, carried out by human beings," he said. "We are human beings, and we make mistakes."
Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.