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(02/01/08 5:00am)
An eavesdropping, wife-swapping, blackmailing comedy extravaganza will begin to unfold on campus tonight.Blackmail"" a play presented by the UNC Playwriting Studio, will debut at 8:15 p.m. tonight in the Elizabeth Price Kenan Theatre. The play is the first comedy written by junior Russell Johnson.Blackmail"" is set in 1940s New York and focuses on a mailman who routinely reads a wealthy couple's personal mail. Hilarity ensues when the mailman finds that the couple has engaged in wife swapping.Johnson" who is a member ofthe student improv group Chapel Hill Players" said writing his own play allowed him to invest more in his characters than he does in sketch comedy.""It's very different from some of the plays that have been done on campus"" he said.And because Johnson's play is an original production, actors have been able to put their own influences into the script.The cast has been spectacular"" said senior Ike Smith, who directed the production. It has been really fun seeing the scripts evolve"" and the cast has been a big part of that.""Many of the actors featured in the play are also members of Chapel Hill Players.Alex Whittington" who plays Danny the mailman" said there are a few asides and additions that he has made to the character.""The life of the actors has brought some more comedy to an already funny script"" he said.But Ryan Millager, a senior featured in Blackmail"" said he has found delivering lines humorously and creating his own character at the same time a challenge.The audition process for Blackmail"" was untraditional as well. During the two-round procedure"" actors were asked to try new and innovative approaches to the script.""The audition process was different ... because it was a really fun-loving atmosphere"" Whittington said.Once auditions were finished, actors and directors began rehearsing for the play just before winter break. After returning in January, the cast had to bring the play together quickly.Time is probably the biggest thing"" Smith said.Although the short rehearsal time has proved a challenge, those involved said the collaborative nature of the project has made Blackmail"" enjoyable to complete.""Only in the last week (of rehearsals) do we move into the theater itself"" Millager said. Now we have to be on our feet and be ready to go with the new thing.""Contact the Arts Editor at artsdesk@unc.edu.
(01/11/08 5:00am)
In eight days Harriet Farb, a 66-year-old breast cancer patient, will be standing at the top of Mount Kilimanjaro.
After departing Thursday for Tanzania, the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center patient will climb Africa's tallest mountain with her brother to raise money for a patient resource center.
"She was determined from day one," said Patricia Decator, a clinical nurse who helped with Farb's therapy.
Farb first was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1989. Nine years later she found the cancer had moved to her liver, and in 2001 she began treatment at UNC.
After announcing last semester that she was going to climb the 19,340-foot mountain, Farb soon discovered her liver cancer had relapsed.
But even with this setback, Farb will continue with her climb.
Along with her brother, Farb will make the high-altitude mountain climb during a period of seven days.
"It's the highest mountain in Africa, so it's very physically demanding," said Gordon Janow, director of programs for Alpine Ascents International.
Janow said that there is a chance of not adjusting well because of the high altitude but that he hopes Farb still will complete the climb.
Farb's training also has become more difficult, but Decator said she has continued with it.
"There's a tremendous amount of stress when you receive that cancer diagnosis," said Pam Baker, officer support assistant for Lineberger's Patient and Family Resource Center.
Farb is using her climb as a way to solicit donations for the resource center, which provides patients with wigs, feel-better programs and self-image programs. Socks, slippers, pillows and other comfort items also are available. All of the services at the center are free of charge.
Farb's original goal was to raise $10,000, but Baker said she already has exceeded that goal.
"We depend a lot on donations, such as Harriet raising money for us," Baker said. "Harriet understands the needs that we have here."
UNC's center, along with others, serve the many breast cancer patients and other cancer patients across the country.
According to the American Cancer Society, 178,480 women in the United States were estimated to have been diagnosed with breast cancer in 2007.
Of those diagnosed, about 23 percent - or 40,460 - were expected to die.
Farb, though, is making progress with her recovery.
As a nurse, she wanted to control her treatments, Decator said.
"She was always positive about what it was that was going to work out for her," she said.
Her motivation throughout the treatments has inspired patients at the cancer center, Decator said. "She's going to climb that mountain."
Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.
(11/30/07 5:00am)
A group of local leaders and bloggers, including U.S. Rep. Brad Miller, D-N.C., met Thursday night to discuss how blogging affects politics.
The casual meeting was held at Milltown Restaurant in Carrboro, where the leaders talked while enjoying food and drinks.
Bloggers at the dozen-person gathering said they were concerned that elected officials were afraid to enter the blogosphere - referring to the Internet network of blogs - because blogs force them to share their opinions.
"I think people are afraid of having positions," said former Chapel Hill town council member James Protzman, founder of the progressive blogging community BlueNC.
Miller said that not taking a position on an issue might work for politicians in the media, but that the nature of blogospheres force writers to share opinions.
"We're going through an interesting period where a lot of different media are defining their roles," Miller said, noting that one of the most important things to do in politics is to respond to change.
And Miller has found a way to do just that by participating in blogs on various Web sites, including the blog Daily Kos, an online liberal political community.
Miller also often comments on other blogs.
"If you don't come into the comment thread, you're not going to get any respect at all," Miller said.
Protzman said he has talked to a certain politician that will express opinions clearly through e-mails but not when he is making a public speech.
Blogs also allow candidates to express their ideas to many people - about 32 million Americans read blogs, according to the Pew Internet & American Life Project.
Ruby Sinreich, founder of the OrangePolitics blog, said Miller can't travel around door-to-door and talk to every person about his opinions, so blogging is a good way for him to reach people.
"Blogs are giving people more of an opportunity to learn directly about the people and the issues that affect them," she said.
Sinreich said Miller's DailyKos blog has given him a national reputation for being open.
"I think its an opportunity for politicians to find their voice," Protzman said.
The effectiveness of traditional media also was discussed.
"Journalism is an essential aspect of a healthy political life," Sinreich said.
She said blogging and popular media have a symbiotic system. Bloggers use newspapers and TV news to know what is going on and newspapers use blogs to understand community opinions.
No one knows what the future of blogging will be, but it is constantly evolving, Miller said.
"There have been a lot of refreshing voices in America's politics because of new media."
Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.
(11/26/07 5:00am)
Next month UNC will convert a P2P bus into an emergency police command center, allowing public safety officials to respond more quickly to emergency situations.
The acquisition of the command center is part of the University's extended approach to campus safety, which includes a cell phone alert system and recently installed sirens around campus.
Serving as an all-inclusive mobile location for police to conduct operations, the center will be operated by the Department of Public Safety.
"It gives a centralized area for the flow of information," department spokesman Randy Young said.
An old P2P bus will be outfitted with communication equipment, LCD monitors and a gas generator. Retrofitting the bus will cost an estimated $200,000. It's expected to be ready for use in mid-December, Young said.
"They're definitely a useful piece of equipment," said Col. Randy Powers, chief deputy of the Guilford County Sheriff's Office, referring to command centers. "If you have a homicide or some type of lengthy situation, it gives everyone a central place to come to."
Nearby Guilford County has had its mobile command center for more than three years. "You can get a whole lot more from face-to-face situations than you can over the telephone," Powers said.
The command center will give police the chance to meet away from the public eye when on the crime scene. In the center, police can bring up background about suspects.
While the command center will centralize DPS's emergency response tactics, UNC has implemented several other measures to help notify students of campus emergencies.
"We're trying to provide these multiple layers of notifying you," said Brian Payst, director of technology and systems support for the Division of Student Affairs.
Four emergency sirens have been installed around campus, and an emergency text message system has been implemented.
University personnel are being trained to use the sirens, which will be used only in life-threatening situations such as a tornado or campus attacks. Text messages with emergency information will be sent to students to complement the sirens.
"People always check their text messages," said Elliott Davis, a student employee at UNC Mobile.
Davis also said that with the text message system, students will receive information faster than e-mail.
But only 1,311 students have signed up to receive emergency text messages since last semester.
"Schools across the country are struggling with this," Payst said, noting that numbers are steadily increasing, with 57 students signing up in the past month.
But only one student in a class of 40 needs to be signed up to get out the emergency message, he said.
"You have to remember that text messaging is not the University's only notification system," Payst said. "We're not relying on text messaging as our only solution."
Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.
(11/26/07 5:00am)
A new powder-based inhalant technology invented at UNC now can move into full clinical trials thanks to a $26.5 million investment.
Invented by UNC School of Pharmacy professor Anthony Hickey and UNC alumnus Timothy Crowder, the technology helps those with airway disease - such as bronchitis, asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
"The problem is getting the powders to disperse such that patients are not aware of them," said Dr. Sam Weir, Family Medicine Center director at UNC Hospitals, noting that the powders can cause irritation or get stuck on the patient's tongue.
But unlike similar products already on the market, the new technology puts energy into the powder using small vibrations that allow the medicine to move more easily into the patient's lungs.
Hickey, who spent years studying powders' reactions to these vibrations, designed the device in a way that the patient will be able to inhale the medicine more easily.
"If this device helps improve the dispersion of the powder, then it would be a big advance," Weir said.
As a result of the easy dispersion, the new inhalant technology will reduce the production time needed for preparing the powders and will help drug companies quickly meet regulatory requirements.
The invention has spawned Oriel Therapeutics Inc., a company based in Research Triangle Park that will commercialize products of the technology.
New Leaf Venture Partners, a health care technology investor in New York, announced the multimillion-dollar investment to Oriel earlier this month.
Although Oriel started as a company based off the inhaler technology, it now also develops its own drug for the inhalers.
Paul Atkins, CEO of Oriel, said that there is a clear plan of action on how to spend the investment and that he hopes the company will finish development of its device and then move to human testing.
Eventually the company aims to commercialize its product.
But Hickey said the amount of testing and regulatory consideration the company will have to go through before bringing its products to the market is extensive.
"Things take time, but if in five to 10 years somebody is using this inhaler - that, from my perspective, is a huge step," Hickey said.
The technology is in high demand, as about 10 percent of the U.S. population has an airway disease.
Powder-based inhalers have been on the market since GlaxoSmithKline Inc.'s invention of Advair in response to the phasing out of chlorofluorocarbons - which are harmful to the environment - beginning in 1987. A Food and Drug Administration ban on the production, marketing and sale of chlorofluorocarbons is effective beginning 2009.
New Leaf Venture Partners' one-time investment in Oriel should last about two years, depending on how quickly the company spends the money, Atkins said.
"I think that we'll be setting a new standard as far as a powder system."
Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.
(11/15/07 5:00am)
When Devin Sniffen returned home from a month-long stay in the N.C. Children's Hospital, his parents presented him with a challenge - to raise money for the N.C. Children's Promise Radiothon/Telethon.
The 10-year-old and his classmates at Raleigh's Grace Christian School responded, managing to raise about $400 to donate.
At 5 a.m. today, others will have a chance to follow in Sniffen's footsteps when the telephones open for the sixth annual radiothon, the largest fundraiser of UNC Health Care.
(11/12/07 5:00am)
UNC Dance Marathon starts recruitment week today, as preparation intensifies for the 10th annual fundraising drive.
Now is one of the most important recruiting times for the Feb. 22 fundraiser, which has raised a total of more than $1.3 million for the N.C. Children's Hospital, said Beth Cordell, publicity committee chairwoman for UNC Dance Marathon.
"Without (the dancers), the marathon does not exist," she said.
The group receives 45 percent of its contributions from dance volunteers, said Lauren Finnis, business manager for the marathon.
To get involved, students must sign up and raise $100 before February. And this week, the group will host several events to spread the word about recruitment.
Committee members will be in the Pit today, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday advertising the event. They also will host a battle of the bands 10 p.m. Tuesday at The Library, at 120 E. Franklin St., and a dodgeball tournament at 4 p.m. Friday in the Rams Head Recreation Center.
As part of the anniversary celebration this year, the February marathon will feature special events that include an alumni hour to recognize past volunteer involvement.
"You're really benefitting the community," Cordell said, noting that people from all over the state visit N. C. Children's Hospital.
At the marathon, volunteers must stay on their feet for 24 hours in a gym with other dancers. Volunteers are not required to dance for the whole period, but they are not allowed to sit down.
During the event, live bands and dance groups will perform, as well as disc jockeys. There are also games, food and coffee for volunteers.
Senior Dorsey Landis, who participated in the marathon as a sophomore, said that after her positive experience, she was inspired to become more involved with the event. She now has served on the publicity committee for two years.
"After you dance, you realize how important it is," Landis said. "It's a really great 24 hours."
Michael Bucy started the fundraising program as an initiative to make a difference in the lives of the children at N. C. Children's Hospital.
UNC Dance Marathon has different events year-round, but students can sign up for the February event by registering to be a dancer or volunteer online at UNCMarathon.org or by picking up a form at Student Union suite 3508D.
Throughout its years, the group has grown in size from its original 100 dancers to more than 800 dancers and 600 volunteers last year.
Although the organization does not set a goal for how many volunteers it wants, officials hope to recruit more as it gets larger.
"It's hard to want to commit to 24 hours standing," Landis said. "But anyone would agree after doing it, you will know it was 100 percent worth it."
Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.
(10/26/07 4:00am)
Students have responded to Student Body President Eve Carson's call for student input in the chancellor search.
The student committee was created Oct. 15 to help get student input. Members were notified of their acceptance Monday.
Thirty people applied, and a group of about 10 was selected.
Carson issued the group three main focuses at its first meeting Tuesday.
The first priority is to get student input for Carson to consider while she gives counsel to the official chancellor search committee.
"They are essential for me in thinking about how I am going to prepare," Carson said.
Committee members have been in the Student Union interviewing students. They also are gathering information from comments on the student government blog.
"We've been rushing around trying to get as much student input as we can," said senior Sean McKeithan, who is a member of the student committee.
Matt Hendren, co-chairman of the committee, said the group is very diverse in terms of experience at UNC.
At the committee's first meeting, members spoke briefly about what they were going to do during the next week. They also made fliers, sent out e-mails and organized a Pit sit.
"That's one of the challenges about this committee - a real quick turn around," said Mike Tarrant, student body vice president, who is serving in an advisory capacity on the committee.
The group also will produce a document that describes what students think are important characteristics of the new chancellor.
"I see it as a good way to give back," McKeithan said.
The first draft of the document will be written Friday. Members of the committee then will read the document and make revisions this weekend.
Carson said the committee has been reading information about chancellors from the past.
"You want to look back over time and see who has been successful in that role and how they have been successful in that role," Hendren said.
Students can attend a feedback session at 6 p.m. Monday in Manning 209 for the revised document.
The final product will be presented at 3 p.m. Tuesday during the public forum held by the official chancellor search committee at the Carolina Inn.
As a long-term goal, the committee will issue a vision statement describing the things most essential to UNC that need to be preserved.
"I think the vision statement will emerge from what we want from our chancellor," Carson said.
The vision statement will be given to the newly elected chancellor in hopes to help him preserve the "Carolina Way," Carson said.
To help create this statement, the committee has been studying value statements from other schools.
Committee members said that UNC is going through a major transition period and that these changes could impact the campus culture.
"The University is constantly changing and evolving," McKeithan said.
"It's very important to me that the undergraduate experience is maintained."
Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.
(10/11/07 4:00am)
Criminal cases with compassion -that was the driving factor behind Senior Resident Superior Court Judge Carl Fox's career choices.
In the keynote speech of Race Relations Week on Wednesday night, Fox said he took the route of public defender because he did not like the injustice that can be found in private firms.
"One of the biggest problems I had with corporate law was a conscience," Fox said.
Fox served as a state prosecutor for 25 years. In 1986 he was elected a district attorney, and he held the position until 2006 when he was appointed to the Superior Court.
In criminal cases, more than 50 percent of the people tried are minorities, he said.
Fox spoke about the unevenness of the criminal justice system, noting that people can be prosecuted differently depending on the area.
"You can't have people respect the law if it's not applied fairly," Fox said, addressing the 35 attendees in Hanes Art Center.
Fox told the audience that breaking into someone's house should not have the same punishment as shooting that person with a gun. He said there often is uneven sentencing, which might punish felons more than murderers.
"You are more likely to be in jail longer - in my experience - if you are Hispanic or African American," Fox said.
He also briefly mentioned pardoning 40- to 60-year-olds who were in the prison system.
Fox recommended 12 people for pardoning, but none were pardoned.
"We don't do a lot of forgiving of people who commit crimes against us," Fox said.
Some students who attended said that the speech was informative but that Fox did not discuss race so much as the justice system.
"He touched on a lot of pertinent subjects," said senior Kerin Leche, who attended the speech.
She said the education system is often the root of minorities' tendency toward crime or drug use.
"It's almost like public schools are holding facilities for people," Leche said.
The event was co-sponsored by the Black Law Students Association and two committees of the Campus Y - Students for the Advancement of Race Relations and Criminal Justice for Action Awareness.
"Hopefully he will incite some type of discussion of how race plays a role in the criminal justice system," said Dana Clifton, co-chairwoman of SARR.
"I think the relationship between race and crime is important - how race plays a role in our judicial system," she said.
Although Fox gave the keynote address Wednesday, Race Relations Week still has more events planned.
Today there will be a dinner and several film screenings, as well as a walking tour of campus to explore the history of African-Americans' contributions to campus. Students can check the Campus Y Web site for more details.
Fox stressed the importance of student actions in helping to combat injustice in the legal system.
"If you don't think its fair, my challenge to you is to get involved in it," Fox said. "It is your system. . Do what you can to make the system better."
Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.
(09/28/07 4:00am)
A year after stepping onto UNC's campus, sophomores are being invited to reorient themselves through a new student government-sponsored initiative.
Sophomore Reorientation is aimed at sophomores who want help gaining a better understanding of what services and programs are available through the University.
"It's a chance for any student to take more of an in-depth look at what Carolina has to offer," said Katie Sue Zellner, executive branch chief of staff.
All students on campus are welcome to attend the event, though it is focused on helping sophomores.
The day will kick off at 11 a.m. today in the Student Union's multipurpose room. Several 25-minute sessions will be held throughout the day, and at 4 p.m. there will be a closing meeting, where students will have one last chance to see all of the organizations.
Sessions will feature presentations by groups from all areas of campus, such as the Study Abroad Office, student government and academic advising. Several schools, such as the Kenan-Flagler Business School, the School of Nursing and the School of Journalism and Mass Communication, will hold workshops for attending students.
"We expect a fairly large event," said Bob Miles, associate dean for study abroad and international exchanges. "We wanted to be involved in this."
Many of the groups that will be present today are featured at C-TOPS, but Sophomore Reorientation is intended to give sophomores a chance to pursue more specific interests after having a year to get acclimated.
"A lot of sophomores feel like they are unsure of what they should be doing and what they can be doing," said Justin Singer, co-chairman of the executive branch's student life committee.
Sophomore Reorientation was a major platform point for Student Body President Eve Carson during the spring election.
The Carson administration worked on the project throughout the summer, as the first of its kind.
Student government officials will be in the Student Union throughout the day directing students to the different programs and overseeing the day's events.
For sophomore Tiffany Buckley, the reorientation is an opportunity to get in touch with an organization that can help her travel. She plans to study abroad in the summer or fall of next year.
"There are a lot of programs out there that I didn't know about," Buckley said.
Reorientation is a program that is needed, Buckley said, adding that it will give her an opportunity to learn more about different services on campus.
"A lot of us thought we knew what was going on," she said. "But we really don't."
Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.
(09/21/07 4:00am)
For high school senior Kapherine Perez, the UNC Scholars' Latino Initiative helped create a lasting bond with the University.
The four-year-old SLI program pairs UNC sophomores with college-bound Hispanic students from Jordan Matthews High School in Siler City.
"To me, it's the only way I can go to college," Perez said.
Mentors work with the same high school student for three years in an effort to foster a meaningful relationship - helping mentees with SAT preparation, college applications and college essays and involving them in coordinated social events on UNC's campus.
Perez said a one-year relationship with her mentor would have been good but not as effective as the three years she has spent with SLI.
The program benefits mentors, too. Jane Cook, a sophomore mentor, said that by working with Siler City students, she's been able to understand the challenges facing immigrants.
"It's important to open college as an opportunity for Hispanic high school students," said Cook, who joined the group a year ago and is now Perez's mentor.
Thirty-one percent of the students at Jordan Matthews High are Hispanic - higher than the 10 percent average in N.C. schools.
"A lot of them don't see college as an option - it's important to have someone else there," said Andrea Sorce, a junior and mentor who is the public service committee chairwoman for SLI.
"It's not a huge commitment. It's intimidating, but definitely possible," Sorce said, noting that Spanish skills are not a requirement to work with the program.
The Campus Y's Big Buddy program is another mentoring group that allows UNC students to mentor children at Estes Hills and Frank Porter Graham elementary schools.
The program is the result of a partnership started in 2003 with Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Triangle. About 250 UNC mentors spend one to two hours a week with their students through Big Buddy.
"It's a minimal commitment, but it makes a huge difference," sophomore Katherine Wilkinson said.
Anyone interested in SLI should check out a fall fiesta at the FedEx Global Education Center from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. today.
SLI normally accepts eight to 10 students for the program, but Peter Kaufman, SLI faculty coordinator and founder, said that if the high school accepts more students, SLI will accept more mentors.
The number of applicants has grown each year, and Sorce said the group expects 25 applicants for this year. Applications are due Sept. 24 to uncsli@unc.edu.
"Mentoring is the perfect way to stay involved in the community, Sorce said. "
Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.