Monica Chen

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Decor Differs at Local Coffee Shops

By Monica Chen | September 14

Anyone wanting to find both energy and nourishment doesn't have to look far for a coffee shop in the Chapel Hill-Carrboro area. On Franklin Street, one can pick from franchised coffee shops that dot college towns across the country and indie coffee shops that are indigenous to Chapel Hill itself. Starbucks Coffee and Caribou Coffee are two of the more conspicuous chain coffee shops. Both are located near the busiest intersection in Chapel Hill -- the Franklin and Columbia streets crossing. But each shop has atmospheres that differ enough to attract a variety of customers.

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Campuses Consider Private Bookstores

By Monica Chen | September 14

Barnes & Noble Booksellers is one of many contractors slated to propose running student bookstores on various campuses across the UNC system, although UNC-Chapel Hill officials say they are not considering the option. After a mandate in 1995 prohibiting UNC-system schools from allowing external contractors to privatize bookstores expired during the summer, many schools have begun pursuing contractors such as Barnes & Noble College Bookstores, Inc., a company affiliated with the mega-chain Barnes & Noble.

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Ruling Challenges UGa. Policy

By Monica Chen | September 4

A federal court ruled Monday that the University of Georgia's affirmative action policy was unconstitutional, raising questions about the use of affirmative action in college admissions nationwide. The 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld two previous courts' rulings on the case, which was filed by three white students who were denied admission to the university in the fall of 1999. Citing that the policy violates the Equal Protection Clause in the U.S.

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Police, N.C. State Set for Brent Road

By Monica Chen | August 24

N.C. State University students attending this year's Brent Road party might find the festivities diminished for the second year in a row because of a strong police presence and an alternative party the university is sponsoring. The Brent Road party is an annual back-to-school event that has drawn upward of 5,000 people in recent years. Last year the party was patrolled by almost 500 policemen after the Raleigh City Council passed a nuisance ordinance allowing police to enter a private party because it has been deemed a nuisance and make arrests.

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UNC Growth Tops National Average

By Monica Chen | August 22

A report has indicated that the college enrollment nationwide will grow at a slower pace than the one projected for UNC-Chapel Hill. Projections of Education Statistics to 2011 is an annual report released by the National Center for Education Statistics, an arm of the U.S. Department of Education. This year it projects a 16 percent increase in college enrollment during the next decade. But according to estimates from UNC-system officials, UNC-CH is predicted to grow by an overall increase -- on campus and off campus -- of 33.6 percent, more than double the national average.

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Survey: Parking Problems Top Students' Concerns

By Monica Chen | April 26

Student leaders nationwide are more concerned about parking than other issues like diversity, housing or student apathy, according to a recent survey.The National On-Campus Report, a bimonthly newsletter which covers programs and news relating to students, conducted the survey for its February issue.The survey asked leaders of student bodies and organizations on 260 randomly sampled campuses to rank issues based on their level of importance -- 3 for major importance and 0 for none.

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N.C. Appeals School Ruling Aimed at Underprivileged

By Monica Chen | April 25

N.C. officials are appealing a recent ruling requiring the state to conduct a yearlong study of possible ways to reallocate resources in the state public school system. The March 26 ruling by Superior Court Judge Howard Manning Jr. gives state and local leaders one year to develop a "coordinated, effective education strategy" to ensure that all at-risk children have the opportunity for a sound basic education. After a month of determining the next step to take in the case, Gov.

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N.C. Sen. Rand Could Thwart Student BOG Vote

By Monica Chen | April 19

After breezing through the House by an 83-26 vote Monday, a bill that calls for a student vote on the Board of Governors might be bottled up in the Senate Rules Committee.President of the UNC Association of Student Governments Andrew Payne wanted the bill to move into the Senate Education Committee.But that window of opportunity might have closed on Tuesday when the bill was referred to the Senate Committee on Rules and Operations.A similar bill, proposed in the Senate by Sen. Ellie Kinnaird, D-Orange, was referred to the Rules Committee on Feb.

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Plans Help Families Avoid Student Debt

By Monica Chen | April 18

The increasing use of college loans, coinciding with the decline of grants in financial aid, has led several states, including North Carolina, to set up programs to help families avoid debts.College Board, a national nonprofit association, recently released "Trend in Student Aid 2000," a report giving information on national trends in student financial aid.The report states that loans make up almost 57 percent of financial aid, with grants taking up 37.4 percent, a much different situation than two decades ago.Concerned states have set up programs that combat debts from loan

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Possible Estate Tax Repeal Could Affect Universities

By Monica Chen | April 2

President Bush's plan to repeal the estate tax is being met with feelings of ambivalence from university administrators and debate from economic experts about the measure's potential economic impact.The estate tax applies to the inheritance package that parents bequeath to their children upon death.The first $675,000 of an estate is exempt from taxation.