Jonathan Owens

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Report: Seniors' Needs Not Met

By Jonathan Owens | November 27

The National Commission on the High School Senior Year has struck an opening blow in the fight to end a disease afflicting high school students across the country -- senioritis. The commission's final report, titled "Raising Our Sights" was released last month and calls for ways to make senior years more productive. According to the report, many students are going to college unprepared, with more than 50 percent of students' educational needs not being met.

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Report: Universities More Environmentally Aware

By Jonathan Owens | November 12

Universities nationwide are becoming more environmentally conscious, according to a report released last month by the National Wildlife Federation. According to the report, titled "State of the Campus Environment," there has been an increase in the number of programs on campuses geared toward conservation of the environment. The report also stated that environmental studies programs need improvements. It was composed of voluntary responses from about 22 percent of all institutions nationwide.

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Explanations Abound for High Crime Rates in the South

By Jonathan Owens | October 30

Southern states account for 41 percent of more than 11 million total criminal offenses committed in the United States, according to a report released by the FBI this week. The western United States has the second highest rating, at 23 percent of total offenses. Many Southern cities also topped lists for numbers of reported crime in all categories. The highest ranked city in terms of property crimes in metropolitan areas was Tuscaloosa, Ala. Greenville was the fourth-highest ranked city in terms of per capita property crime rates.

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Government Toughens Research Standards

By Jonathan Owens | October 23

University researchers across the country now have more than students peering over their shoulders. The White House Office of Management and Budget released new guidelines this month concerning the quality of information that can be represented as fact at the federal level. According to a press release, the guidelines issued by the OMB Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs apply to facts, statistics and technological information used by government officials.

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Fear of Anthrax Leads Many to Seek Antibiotics Over Internet

By Jonathan Owens | October 16

Recent anthrax scares nationwide are prompting more people to use the Internet as their online pharmacy to order antibiotics to treat the bacteria. Internet medical sites such as virtualmedicalgroup.com, based in Morrisville, N.C., have seen a rise in the sales of Ciprofloxacin, commonly known as Cipro, an antibiotic used to combat inhaled anthrax. But health officials are warning against these sites because of the relatively easy methods they use to fill prescriptions.

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System's Share Of Budget Falls

By Jonathan Owens | September 27

Although the percentage of the N.C. budget devoted to the UNC system has declined steadily in recent years, officials insist that higher education has not become less important to state legislators. During the 2001 fiscal year, North Carolina will devote 12.4 percent of its total budget to the UNC system -- down from 12.9 percent in 2000 and about 15 percent just a decade ago. The 16-campus UNC system receives about 40 percent of its annual funding from state appropriations.

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Young Democrats Host Rep. Price

By Jonathan Owens | September 18

Tensions ran high Monday night as Rep. David Price, D-N.C., attended an open forum to hear the Carolina community's concerns about the recent terrorist attacks in New York, Washington D.C., and Pennsylvania. The forum -- which was sponsored by Young Democrats and student government -- comes less than one week after the worst terrorist attacks in American history. Emotions were high, and at times students and community members became unruly as they voiced opinions on a variety of topics concerning the nation's status. But Price appeared to welcome the strenuous debate.