The Daily Tar Heel

Serving the students and the University community since 1893

Sunday March 26th

Data


UNC testing has found that samples in seven out of the eight buildings exceeded the threshold of 15 parts per billion (ppb), the amount set by the EPA requiring water systems to take action. 

‘No safe level of exposure’: What having lead in campus water means for UNC

In recent weeks, the University has found detectable levels of lead in the drinking fountains and sinks of eight UNC buildings — including Fordham, Hamilton, Manning, Phillips, Carrington and Isaac M. Taylor Halls, along with South Building and Wilson Library. UNC testing has found that samples in seven out of the eight buildings exceeded the threshold of 15 parts per billion (ppb), the amount set by the EPA requiring water systems to take action.  “If you don't test for lead, you're not going to find it,” Elizabeth Kamai, a postdoctoral research fellow at the University of Southern California who has previously studied children's lead exposure in North Carolina, said.  

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Head coach Mack Brown walks off the field after the game versus Florida A&M at Kenan Stadium n Aug. 27. The Heels won 56-24.

Analysis: What might conference realignment mean for UNC's Olympic sports?

The potential for conference realignment, driven by increased financial benefits from football and men's basketball TV contacts, would have significant impacts for Olympic sports and local rivalries. If North Carolina chooses to leave the ACC, the program would likely reap the rewards of larger TV deals, and some players could profit from bigger NIL agreements.  Despite this, it will be the athletes who will have to deal with the potential consequences of what comes with realignment — the positive, the negative and the unknown.

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Students leave East Chapel Hill High School on Monday, Sept. 12, 2022.

As North Carolina students return to school, some counties tighten safety precautions

As North Carolina students return to classes for the new school year, schools across the state are working to ensure their safety through a variety of security and preventative measures.  For some North Carolina counties, this means installing body scanners at school entry points or introducing portable detectors for large gatherings. Other programs, including the Say Something Anonymous Reporting System and Crisis Go apps, help students anonymously report threats and quickly connect them to their school’s administrative and security teams.

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DTH Photo Illustration/Rebecca Du

Who qualifies for federal student loan forgiveness at UNC?

In August, the Biden Administration announced plans to cancel up to $20,000 of student loan debt for some borrowers, including that of current college students.  Factors that determine whether or not a student qualifies for forgiveness include when they took out a loan, how much money their parents make and the type of aid they receive while in college. According to the Department of Education, even some students who paid off their federal loans previously are eligible for a refund.

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Find more information on Monkeypox in N.C. at www.ncdhhs.gov. Photographed on Aug. 23, 2022. 

NC health departments respond to increased monkeypox cases, rising disparities

Over 14,000 cases of monkeypox have been identified in the United States.  Compared to other states, North Carolina is ranked 15th in monkeypox infections, according to Aug. 18 data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "If there is a case that comes in through our local health departments, they are required to then report that to us so we can work with them to do follow-up: to provide treatment and materials and also do contact tracing," said Dr. Susan Kansagra, the NCDHHS assistant secretary for public health.

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Data from the 2019 to 2020 school year.

Decades after CHCCS desegregation, data shows racial disparities persist

This year marks 60 years since desegregation began in CHCCS. But even now, across the district’s 20 schools, white students access more opportunity and face less discipline than Black students, according to a Daily Tar Heel analysis of the most recently available federal, state and local data. Statewide, white children were 3.7 times more likely to be in a gifted program than their Black peers. At East Chapel Hill High School during the 2019-20 school year, white students were 4.3 times more likely to be enrolled in at least one Advanced Placement class than Black students. For nine of the 10 schools that reported short-term suspension rates for white and Black students, Black students were at least 11 times more likely to be suspended than white students. 

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New census data shows people of color driving growth in Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill's population grew by almost 5,000 over the past decade, the result of a boom in racial and ethnic diversity. Since 2010, North Carolina has gained more than 900,000 residents, a 9.5 percent increase that puts the state's total population at 10.4 million.  A majority of the state's new residents are people of color, according to census data released Thursday.  These numbers will be the basis for how political representation is allotted statewide for the next 10 years.

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