SAMUEL LAU

News

BOG begins five-year study

By SAMUEL LAU | February 12

The UNC system wants to serve the needs of the state - not just now, but for the next 20 years. System Board of Governors Chairman Jim Phillips said a proposed study to predict what the 16 sister schools can provide the state is important in keeping the system's mission to serve the state intact. "(University President) Erskine Bowles stresses the idea of becoming demand-driven" Phillips said. "If it isn't good for the state, it isn't good for the university."

News

High temps put 2006 in record books

By SAMUEL LAU | January 16

Federal climate officials confirmed last week what everyone who wore shorts during the holiday break already knew -- baby, it's not cold outside. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Climatic Data Center announced that 2006 marked the highest average annual temperature ever recorded in the contiguous United States, while December ended as the fourth warmest December ever. The 2006 annual average temperature of about 55 degrees Fahrenheit was 2.2 degrees above the 20th century mean and .07 degrees warmer than in 1998, the second hottest year.

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Halloween offers host of safety concerns

By SAMUEL LAU | October 30

Increasing safety at Halloween events can include more than just increasing police presence. While the town of Chapel Hill prepares for the 50,000 to 70,000 people expected to flock to Franklin Street on Tuesday by enhancing safety measures, other cities across the country have decided to deter potential mischief by changing the celebrations to include family-friendly events. This year for the first time, the hosts of infamously raunchy celebrations from Wisconsin to Baltimore have planned activities meant specifically to target families.

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Students protest admission of men

By SAMUEL LAU | September 13

Student-led strikes have broken out at Randolph-Macon Woman's College after the Board of Trustees voted Saturday to allow men to enroll in fall 2007. The announcement comes after three years of research by the Lynchburg, Va., university into how it could best position itself for the future. The board voted 25-2 to make the change. Students skipped classes Monday, and Tuesday they boycotted the dining hall, said senior Erin Briggs, spokeswoman for the Coalition to Preserve Women's Education. The Coalition formed in mid-August to preserve same-sex education at the college.

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Bush approval plummets as war wages on

By SAMUEL LAU | April 28

In October 2005, the U.S.-led war in Iraq reached a dubious milestone - 2,000 U.S. soldiers had been killed since the conflict's start. Experts speculated at the time that the milestone would devastate the Bush administration unless he decided to pull the troops out. Since then, Bush has stated that he won't reduce the number of troops in Iraq but will leave that to his successor. According to the Department of Defense, 2,378 U.S. soldiers have been killed in Iraq as of April 22. Antiwar.com has a slightly higher death count, listing 2,389 U.S. casualties by April 23.

News

Budget plan drains schools

By SAMUEL LAU | April 20

The U.S. House's final 2007 budget resolution will have tangible effects on UNC-system schools, officials say. The current resolution includes $7 billion less in funding earmarked for education and health than the previous fiscal year. If the money remains out of the budget, early awareness programs such as Gear Up N.C. would lose their funding, and the UNC system would see about an 8 percent cut in federal research dollars, said Kimrey Rhinehardt, assistant vice president for federal relations.

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Mideastern journalists offer a fresh perspective

By SAMUEL LAU | April 13

While the tens of thousands of U.S. troops sent overseas during the war in Iraq are at the forefront of the public conscience, it is often overlooked that they are followed closely by American journalists. Since last Wednesday, UNC has been turning the tables, playing host to about 20 Arab-speaking journalists through the inaugural Edward R. Murrow Program for Journalists.

News

Legislators hone goals for summer session

By SAMUEL LAU | April 11

At noon May 9 both the N.C. Senate and House will commence their work in Raleigh with a number of important issues on the table. And with that date less than a month away, legislators and lobbyists alike are gearing up for a busy summer. While only legislation concerning finance, appropriations and noncontroversial local bills can be introduced during summer sessions, there are several bills from the previous session that are ready to be pushed by legislators.

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Committee dives into A&T chancellor search

By SAMUEL LAU | March 31

The N.C. Agricultural and Technical State University chancellor search committee received its charge from UNC-system president Erskine Bowles at its kick-off meeting Wednesday afternoon. The committee will be working to replace Chancellor James Renick, who announced Feb. 3 that he had accepted a position at the American Council on Education in Washington, D.C. His new position is effective June 1. Renick has served as chancellor since July 1999.

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Morgan decries GOP action

By SAMUEL LAU | March 23

A Cheshire wants the attention of the state Republican party, but the GOP is not smiling. Joseph Cheshire, a Raleigh lawyer representing Rep. Richard Morgan, R-Moore, sent a letter Monday to N.C. Republican Party Chairman Ferrell Blount as well as several members of the N.C. Board of Elections, in response to the GOP's public attempts to defeat one of their own in the May 2 primary election. The GOP Executive Committee passed a resolution Nov. 19 expressing its lack of faith in Morgan to fulfill the party's agenda.