STEPHANIE NEWTON

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Author to lend leadership method

By STEPHANIE NEWTON | November 20

Dean Smith needs only one timeout to make magic happen in 10 underdog seconds. "Isn't this great?" he'd say to five pressure-cooked players, oozing calm and composure amid a huddle of sweaty anxiety. "How much fun is this to put yourself in a position to win?" Gerald Bell, co-author of "The Carolina Way" with legendary UNC men's basketball coach Dean Smith, said moments such as these are what make great leaders.

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Free music downloading ready to roll

By STEPHANIE NEWTON | November 14

Starting today UNC-Chapel Hill students will have more than 1.7 million digital songs at their download-ready fingertips - for free. After negotiating with Information Technology Services and student government leaders since January, Ruckus Network Inc., a multimedia provider for universities and colleges, is partnering with UNC to provide students with unlimited content. "It is our intention that this will be the music program that we have in place as long as it is working for students," said Robyn East, associate vice chancellor and deputy chief information officer for ITS.

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Seniors applaud gift choice

By STEPHANIE NEWTON | October 23

Everyone deserves a shot. That was the senior class's consensus Tuesday when special election results showed that seniors would like to see their gift money - and class legacy - go toward the Carolina Covenant. The need-based scholarship program for UNC, which has gained prominence through the endorsement of men's basketball coach Roy Williams, beat out the Carolina Center for Public Service and the Office of Diversity and Multicultural Affairs. Vote tallies for the gifts were 341, 204 and 129, respectively.

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Workers receive layoff letters

By STEPHANIE NEWTON | October 18

John Jordan thought he'd be working at the School of Dentistry for three or four more years. That was until administrative chatter on outsourcing jobs was confirmed in his layoff letter Monday. "I thought my last days would be enjoyable, with the mutual respect of my students and faculty and with the parties and accolades that come with time," he said. "All of that has come to an abrupt halt."

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UNC printing goes wireless

By STEPHANIE NEWTON | September 25

Starting today, students won’t have to wait in computer labs to print out their documents. Information Technology Services is rolling out a new service for students with Carolina Computing Initiative laptops – the ability to use the campus’ wireless network to send printing jobs to any ITS computer lab. “We really have no way to field test this (other) than out in the field,” said Charlie Green, assistant vice chancellor for teaching and learning. “Cross your fingers and hope.”

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Grant to fund drug research

By STEPHANIE NEWTON | September 18

Some say future generations will be defined by three things: the digital age, the war on terrorism and what will or will not be done in Africa. With the aid of a $21.3 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, a group of UNC researchers are taking a stab at point three. The grant is the third awarded to the group, whose members have been working together since 2000 to develop a drug to treat late-stage African sleeping sickness and visceral leishmaniasis, a parasitic disease transmitted by sand flies. The grant serves a five-year period.

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Group to assess student teachers

By STEPHANIE NEWTON | August 29

A UNC-Chapel Hill program that allows undergraduate students to design their own courses is set to receive its first report card. Carolina Students Taking Academic Responsibility through Teaching will be evaluated this fall by a task force of University leaders. The program began in 2000, and officials first scrutinized its effectiveness under the administration of former Student Body President Matt Calabria. "We found that (these courses) didn't really have a formal home," said Brian Phelps, student body vice president.

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Research funding sees spike

By STEPHANIE NEWTON | August 28

UNC-Chapel Hill brought in a record amount of research grants and contracts in fiscal year 2006 - $593 million -- but officials say more private donations are needed to become the nation's top research institution. This year's grants marked a 2.4 percent increase from 2005's $579 million, more than doubling the amount UNC-CH collected as recently as 1997. This record funding also coincides with a cut in appropriations from the National Institutes of Health - a medical research center that has historically accounted for slightly more than half of all research funding at UNC-CH.

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Ticket policy to debut

By STEPHANIE NEWTON | August 24

Leaders are cautiously optimistic about the new online student ticket distribution system set to be up and running Friday. The program, which wiped away the bracelet system, was unveiled this summer and quickly drew scrutiny from students who said the online process will take away from tradition. But those central to the switch said students should see how it works before being critical. "We want to go through it and see firsthand, instead of just talking about (students') potential fears," Carolina Athletic Association President Rachel High said.

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On UNC employees' agenda

By STEPHANIE NEWTON | August 23

While students went their various ways this summer, many University employees didn't get a break from their daily grind. As employees look ahead to the upcoming year, several issues are at the forefront of their agenda. Team cleaning ISSUE: Following a similar 120-day pilot program last fall, a 90-day pilot that would alter the way buildings are cleaned on campus took place in Carroll Hall this summer.