Patti Thorp loves art, theater, the chancellor
Patti Worden was not expecting to find both her future career and future husband when she was 12 years old.
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Patti Worden was not expecting to find both her future career and future husband when she was 12 years old.
For the past two months, Chapel Hill sculptor Dan Murphy has been on a “creative binge.”
Folk artist Ben Sollee brings an unusual approach to his profession. With his bow and fingers, he uses the cello — a traditional classical instrument — as a way to explore modern folk and soul music.
For men, finding women’s clothes that fit might be a hassle.
Daniel Sircar didn’t plan to start his summer by calling a nun and telling her he wanted to film her.
McKay Coble was elected chairwoman of the faculty Thursday putting an end to an election to fill the three-year position.Her job responsibilities will include working with faculty members students and administrators to deal with campuswide issues. Coble will also be responsible for leading the Faculty Council.As chairwoman Coble will be faced with many new responsibilities and challenges" including budget cuts for next year.""She'll be spending lots of time in committee meetings" and while that is not always enjoyable she will have the opportunity to work with other faculty who care about making the University better" said Joe Templeton, the current faculty chairman. His term ends June 30.Coble currently serves as the chairwoman of the department of dramatic art, where co-workers said she has worked extensively with faculty and students.Because the dramatic art department has many different revenue streams and constituencies" it will help her do well in interacting with all the different parts of the faculty" Templeton said.He said Coble is popular with students too. As a scene and costume designer for PlayMakers Repertory Company, her energy and communication skills will come in handy as chairwoman, he said.Bobbi Owen, senior associate dean for undergraduate education, also said Coble's experience would help her do a good job.It's a sad day for the dramatic art department" but her ability to be able to work with the entire University is too good a bet to miss" she said.Coble was running for the position against Arne Kalleberg, Kenan Distinguished Professor of Sociology, who said that he thinks Coble will do a terrific job.I'm behind her all the way"" he said.Coble will represent more than 3,000 faculty members, which might make it hard for her to represent all faculty viewpoints simultaneously, Templeton said.Faculty input is important" and she will act not as a decision maker as much as someone who can provide perspective on the matter" he said.Coble, who was unavailable for comment, has said she wants to get more faculty involved in the Faculty Council and promote stability between departments.She will have to face some obvious problems like the budget crisis" but her strong commitment to the University means she'll work to ensure that all faculty have a great place in Chapel Hill Templeton said.Contact the University Editor at
A gathering of student leaders Thursday calling for calm reasoned dialogue in the face of opposing viewpoints was a stark contrast from the protests that spawned it.And when Student Body President Jasmin Jones introduced Youth for Western Civilization President Riley Matheson" she told the crowd it was time to start practicing what they preached.""This is our moment"" she said.And the crowd stopped talking and listened.Leaders joined together on stage to respond to protests that took place Tuesday, when students prevented former U.S. Rep. Tom Tancredo, R-Colo., from giving a lecture on immigration. Tancredo was invited by Youth for Western Civilization.The gathering was held to reaffirm the long, historic fight for free speech and expression at UNC and to encourage more productive dialogue on campus.UNC has a reputation for being a friendly and loving place"" Jones said. What we witnessed this week was miscommunication.""Tancredo was supposed to speak in Bingham Hall on Tuesday about immigration policies but had to be escorted out of the room by police because the situation was too volatile. The crowd of more than 150 protestors chanted and waved banners" breaking a window in the process.Police set off a Taser gun and used pepper spray to disperse the large crowd gathered outside the room.But those who gathered Thursday expressed displeasure with the way protesters kept Tancredo from speaking" saying it was unproductive activity.""When we have countering viewpoints on an issue" there are a few options" said Justin Rosenthal, co-president of the UNC Young Democrats. We should address the issue — but instead we silenced the speaker.""The student leaders' statements echoed those made by University administrators" who have expressed disappointment with students' actions.The First Amendment and the right to free speech have caused issues at the University before.In the 1960s N.C. legislators passed the Speaker Ban Law which prohibited individuals from speaking on campus who were members of the Communist Party or who had used the Fifth Amendment to avoid Congressional investigations of subversive activity.The ban was intended to prevent controversial speakers from visiting liberal college campuses during a time of social unrest.Student activists and organizations such as student government and The Daily Tar Heel lobbied against the law calling it an infringement on the right of free speech.In 1966 Student Body President Paul Dickson along with many supporters sued the University to challenge the ban. Two years later the ban was revoked.But Tancredo's visit has prompted students and community members to revisit the issue of free speech.Alicia Soto president of the Carolina Hispanic Association" said members of her organization had wanted to attend Tancredo's speech to hear his opinions but were unable to as a result of the protest.""We wanted to respond in an academic way" but it did not happen because people were all working for the same goal using different techniques she said.Rosenthal said everyone should be allowed to exercise his or her right to free speech.Even if we feel certain speech is wrong we need to allow it to be open to the public he said.Some students expressed regret that UNC might be viewed in a negative light by the rest of the country as a result of the protests.We sincerely hope the mixed messages sent by protestors will not affect free speech at UNC" said Amanda Gutierrez, president of Coalition for College Access.The student leaders at Thursday's gathering agreed that members of the University community must continue to respect free speech and tolerance.We need to emphasize the power of respect on ourselves the outside community"" Jones said.Click here to see a blog post about the Speaker Ban Law.Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.
While pandemonium was breaking out at former U.S. Rep. Tom Tancredo's speech at Bingham Hall on Tuesday" a group of students danced to music by M.I.A. and Michael Jackson as their form of protest.A mix of about 40 students — some members of campus groups such as Young Democrats and Coalition for College Access — celebrated UNC's multiculturalism by dancing under tents next to the Pit for about 30 minutes.""We decided to have a dance party because we knew a lot of people would be going to vocally express their anger at Tancredo's talk" and we wanted to have something else for the rest of us" said sophomore Patrick Toomey, a member of No Space for Hate, another organization involved in the dance protest.We wanted to create an opportunity for people who are ‘confrontation averse' to celebrate multiculturalism at UNC.""Tancredo" a notorious opponent of illegal immigration was invited to speak by Youth for Western Civilization" a group that ""promotes the survival of Western civilization and pride in Western culture"" as stated on its Web site.Throughout this week, harsh accusations and strong language have been aimed at the group and at times singled out Riley Matheson, its president, calling him racist and a white supremacist.Should any reasonable person think of a particular racial group when they think of Western civilization? No"" he said.Tancredo planned to focus his speech on illegal immigrants and the possibility of their obtaining in-state tuition, but never got the chance to speak because violent protests drowned him out and eventually brought the event to an end.Matheson said events like what happened in Bingham Hall have hurt UNC's ability to have a respectful discourse.I've lost faith in this campus"" he said.While the relaxed atmosphere near the Pit was a huge contrast to the tumultuous atmosphere of the speech, the dancers were no less resolute in their beliefs.We have a problem with what Tancredo believes concerning his anti-immigration policy" which has other implications beyond just that" said graduate student Tyler Oakley, spokesman for Students for Democratic Society, a group involved in the dance protest.His views are chauvinistic"" nationalist and downright racist.""Staff writer Chelsea Bailey contributed reporting.Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.
Photographer Ken Wong brought more than 90 portraits of victims of HIV and AIDS to campus Tuesday.The black-and-white photographs form a mosaic and attempt to capture and evoke the many emotions associated with the disease.Wong displayed his mosaic at the Gillings School of Global Public Health as part of the Face-to-Face AIDS Project.Face-to-Face is a national organization that supports education and help for children in Cambodia and Malawi.Using photographs and videos" the project aims to bring individual stories of HIV and AIDS victims to the United States to teach about the crisis and raise money for those who suffer from the disease.""I wanted to show the enormity of AIDS in Africa and try to capture the individual" the person underneath the disease" said Wong, executive director of Face-to-Face.Wong, who first travelled to Africa in 2003, began photographing HIV and AIDS victims as a way to commemorate their personalities on film.The mosaic was presented by the student global health committee's Narratives of HIV project.Wong used his photos to tell the stories of some of the victims, like Gladys Mahala, a 19-year-old woman from Malawi who suffered from HIV, acute malaria, meningitis and tuberculosis. Orphaned and homeless, Mahala would not talk or smile, and doctors advised Wong to let her die in peace.But Wong and his coordinators in the project did not give up, instead bringing Mahala to hospitals for treatment, where she eventually began to lose her shyness and was able to attend school.Seeing her smile and hearing her sing to our video cameras brought tears to our eyes"" said Wong, who added that these successful moments are the most meaningful part of his work.The Face-to-Face AIDS Project shows students the reality of the health problems around the world, said Matt Avery, chairman of the Narratives of HIV project.In public health" we study so much of the academic and research-oriented aspects of HIV and AIDS and I think we begin to lose sight of things non-research-oriented he said.Raising awareness for HIV is the most important thing to us" said Lizzie Harvey, a member of the committee.For Wong, making connections between AIDS-stricken countries and the United States is the best sign of his project's progress.These people are so near to death but seem so much closer to life than the rest of us"" and hope will lie in building the community from the bottom.""Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.
A human bingo contest an ‘80s dance party and a competition with N.C. State to see who can shave the most heads in a minute are part of the agenda for this year's Relay for Life which starts today at Fetzer Field.The UNC chapter of Relay for Life the American Cancer Society's annual fundraiser has already raised about $155000 this year. That is almost $30"000 more than the organization raised last year.""Though we do not set goals for ourselves because we only want to build upon the past year's results" we couldn't be happier with the huge amount of participation we've seen this year" chairwoman Krista Pool said.During the event, teams station themselves on Fetzer Field for 20 hours while at least one team member walks around the Irwin Belk Track.The fundraising increase came from almost 2,000 participants who signed up for a team this year, the most in the event's history, said Justin Singer, event co-chairman.We've tried to be really proactive in getting the Relay name out there" and we have encouraged teams to do independent fundraising in the community which has really paid off" he said.The Relay chairmen said promoting and fundraising early in the year could have caused this year's monumental involvement.Last year, 1,300 students participated in the event.Once a few get excited and tell their friends" it catches on and more people have wanted to participate" said Cassie Smith, team recruitment chairwoman.So far, 189 teams have signed up for the event, which starts at 6 p.m. and runs through Saturday afternoon.This project is so much more than a one-day thing"" Pool said. We started planning last May and have been holding fundraisers and charity nights for months to get the word out.""Pool said Relay's only goal this year was to make sure every person on campus knew what Relay for Life was.""People wonder if this is a 5K or ask if they have to run" and we have been trying to break misconceptions" Singer said. The relay does not require running.To keep participants awake, the organizers have entertainment planned throughout the night, including a Luminaria Ceremony of Hope to honor those who have had cancer.It's a really interactive and fun way to raise money for a great cause" which is why so many students become involved in things like Relay" said Ajsela Pestalic, a social committee member.Despite the fun atmosphere of the overnight event — there is not a quiet spot in the night's lineup — the important thing is to remember the true reason for the event.Cancer is something that affects everyone" and we just want to do our small part in fighting this continuous battle" Pool said. ATTEND THE EVENTTime: 6 p.m. todayLocation: Fetzer FieldInfo: www.uncrelay.orgContact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.
Solar panels atop Morrison Residence Hall were recently replaced after several weeks of being broken.Maintenance workers were doing their regular examination of the facility about two months ago when they noticed a leak on the roof. This led them to notice that the solar panels were broken said Steve Lofgren assistant director of facilities.The cause of the leak and broken panels is not known Lofgren said but a report is expected soon from the manufacturing company.The broken panels were not a problem to the residence hall because the system only supplements regular heating and plumbing.The solar panels atop Morrison use energy from the sun to produce about 40 percent of the hot water in the residence hall according to the UNC Sustainability Web site. The estimated savings for using solar panels in Morrison is $11"275.""Though the solar panels help produce hot water" they were never intended to carry the whole building load so it never affected students" Lofgren said.Students in the Sustainability Learning Community of Morrison were informed of the incident, but other residents said they did not know that the panels had experienced problems.Sophomore Jordan Lavorato, a Morrison resident, said he hadn't even been told that the panels broke.I don't even think they make much of a difference" because nothing has been different since they have been broken" he said.Other students agreed, saying that the fact that the solar panels were broken did not alter their everyday lives.I feel like the solar panels are a great way to try and save energy" but as far as them breaking it doesn't seem to be a big loss" said sophomore resident Michael Odom.Morrison residents do not pay extra in housing fees to live in the green"" environment.The solar panels were covered under the manufacturer's warranty and were replaced free of charge. No details are known as to whether the malfunction will cause an increase in the hall's utility bills.Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.
Faced with University budget cuts and an increasing number of admitted students officials said in the undergraduate admissions advisory committee meeting Tuesday that their main focus is providing students with a quality education and the ability to make it in the careers of their choice.The advisory committee made up of deans and officials from different academic departments discussed first-year admission numbers for the upcoming school year" which have increased in both the in-state and out-of-state levels.""We are doing everything to increase enrollment and nothing to limit it"" said Bill McDiarmid, dean of the School of Education. Committee members said this is a good thing in light of the budget cuts.The committee also focused on new programs designed to help students make the right career choice while at UNC.We want to try and broaden students' horizons when they're here and be able to integrate their career and academic education"" said Steve Farmer, director of admissions.Groups such as the Enrollment Excellence Task Force have been introduced recently to help students get the most out of UNC courses.Chancellor Thorp said in his installation address that he wants to maintain enrollment excellence" which led to the creation of our task force" said Steve Reznick, associate dean for first year seminars and academic experiences. Reznick is one the chairmen of the task force, whose members include faculty and students.The program aims to better connect admitted students with opportunities such as scholarships and grants, as well as to go beyond the curriculum of the College of Arts and Sciences to make students' paths to professional schools more obvious, Reznick said.Officials agreed that instead of letting students simply stumble into a career, UNC should work to let them learn their interests and disinterests early on.Students should be able to connect early with specific opportunities so they can take control early or cross something off their list"" Farmer said.Another development assisting students in their path at UNC is the assured JOMC enrollment program, which, if approved, will guarantee enrollment to the School of Journalism and Mass Communication to about 20 first-year students, starting this fall.Under the current system, students are not admitted into the school until the second semester of their sophomore year, and only if they have a grade point average of at least 2.9.The program will immediately engage students interested in journalism in the school, offering a special honors section of JOMC 153 — news writing — and a first year seminar in media literacy to the selected students.Farmer said students would be chosen from the pool of Honors Program students and merit-based scholars, two groups that focus on academic and personal strengths.Programs like these allow students to take more risks in selecting classes"" which will help expand on the opportunities offered at UNC."" Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.
UNC is creating a research outpost off the coast of Ecuador to better understand ecological problems in the Galapagos Islands.The outpost which eventually will include a dormitory is part of a collaboration between UNC and the University of San Francisco Quito in Ecuador.The center will permit faculty and students to go to the islands and study how tourism is affecting the environment said Tony Waldrop" vice chancellor for research and economic development.""The three main problems facing the Galapagos are population" health and environment" said Steve Walsh, a geography professor who has been travelling to the Galapagos for several years.Researchers say most of the problems facing the Galapagos are due to an influx of tourism in the past 30 years.The islands were made famous by Charles Darwin's study of its native species in 1835. Ecuador's government has considered restricting tourism to the archipelago because of environmental risks.As they build hotels and roads to support tourists" the environment changes" said Amy McCleary, a graduate student who has been to the Galapagos multiple times to conduct research for her dissertation.McCleary said that although many of the locals have negative views on the increased tourism, many have benefitted financially from the growth.Increasing population brings more crime to the area" but it also allows natives to earn a living she said.Walsh and McCleary's projects have involved studying invasive plants and animals that are taking over areas previously inhabited by native species.Animals like goats who travel in very large packs are starting to compete with tortoises for the same habitat" Walsh said, adding that further research will help scientists to figure out why that happens.Blackberries and guava have also been taking over space once inhabited by native plants, McCleary said.A group of faculty and students interested in researching the Galapagos meets occasionally to discuss the progress they have made on the island outpost and their plans for the future partnership with the Ecuadorian university.The group also helped initiate a class on the Galapagos that Walsh will teach at UNC this fall, McCleary said.We also want to collaborate with the Study Abroad Office so that not only graduate students" but all UNC students can have the opportunity to go there McCleary said.McCleary said the great thing about the Galapagos project is that the University is involved.What's nice is the whole community has a role in building this outpost she said. Departments like geography marine sciences public health and sociology are just a few of the members involved in this diverse" schoolwide project.""Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.
Students at UNC have ample opportunities to register to vote but at some universities student voters are struggling to make sure their votes count on Nov. 4.The U.S. House of Representatives leaders met Thursday to discuss students' voting rights prompted by recent issues with disenfranchisement at college campuses in Colorado" Virginia and Michigan.""As the 2008 election fast approaches" all of us must be vigilant in ensuring that this fundamental right is exercised without any difficulty in every community and for every demographic in the United States" said House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., in a statement Wednesday. In Colorado, Democrats accused a Republican county clerk of falsely informing out-of-state students that they couldn't register to vote if they were still claimed as tax dependents on their parents' tax returns. Similarly, at Virginia Tech a registrar of elections was found telling students there would be consequences for those still listed as dependents on their parents' tax forms.It is obviously a problem when your own board of electors is giving you wrong information"" said Bobby Campbell, director of policy and programs at the Student Association of Voter Empowerment. Campbell said Congress's attention to the issue shows the importance of youth in the upcoming election.Bob Hall, executive director of Democracy North Carolina, said the rumors and false informations will only increase as the election nears.The misinformation will intensify because there is a lot at stake in this election"" said Hall, whose organization deals with voter rights.Dirty tricks are something we can expect—lots of ignorance and lots of dirty tricks"" he said.But Hall said that in North Carolina, state legislation makes it harder for these mistakes to happen.North Carolina law states that students can declare their university as their home when registering" because that is where they return day after day. They can also choose to declare their permanent address" he said.While states like Colorado and Virginia are taking legal action against this form of disenfranchisement, Hall said North Carolina residents have little reason to worry.U.S. Rep. David Price, D-N.C., said in a statement that he has full confidence in the Orange County Board of Elections that it will not allow any form of disenfranchisement to occur here.""Campbell said the eminence of the presidential election is leaving some student voters wondering what will happen if the registration issue isn't resolved quickly.""Young people are anticipated to have one of the largest turnouts in this election"" Campbell said. But now the question is whether or not they all will be able to.""Contact the State & National Editor at stntdesk@unc.edu