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Tailgating rules divide NCSU fans
tailgating changesAuthorities release 911 tapes from deadly shooting
tailgating murdersNC State Students Call for Changes to New Tailgating Rules
tailgating changes911 Tapes Shed More Light Into NCSU Tailgate Shootings
tailgating murdersHitachi Plans Nanotechnology Seminar at Clemson
Phil Russell, materials science and engineering
Foreign
scholars scrutinized
Richard
Best, sponsored programs and regulatory compliance.
Career
moves
Industrial Extension Service
Judge:
Reservist must go if called
Todd Parrish signed an ROTC contrac a student at
NC State.
Ex-soldier
denied injunction
Todd Parrish signed an ROTC contrac a student at
NC State.
Some
Velvet Cloak suites to be condos
Smoot said he plans to sell about half of the inn's 170 rooms as condominiums,
the Velvet Cloak Villas. He is targeting lobbyists, legislators, lawyers,
N.C. State University alumni and local businesses that bring in clients and
visiting executives.
Letter
to the editor: Article insensitive
tailgating murders
Letter
to the editor: Not enough time
written by student
OSU
a hot ticket
Attending big game will cost big bucks
Feeling
good can bring eternal youth!
Thomas Hess, psychology
Stay
Young With a Positive Attitude
Thomas Hess, psychology
Old
Thinking Hastens Age-related Decline
Thomas Hess, psychology
Upbeat
Outlook Offsets Effects of Aging
Thomas Hess, psychology
People
Age Better if Happy and Free of Negative Images of Aging
Thomas Hess, psychology
Optimism,
Hardwork Pays - Don
Dr. James Kiwanuka-Tondo, communication
Cotton
leader dealing with industry issues
Johnny Wynne, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
Judge:
Reservist must go if called
Todd Parrish signed an ROTC contrac a student at NC State.
Tailgating rules divide NCSU fans
Sept. 14, 2004
News & Observer
By TIM SIMMONS AND MATT EHLERS
© Copyright 2004
The football game Saturday between N.C. State and Ohio State will capture the attention of thousands of Wolfpack fans across the nation.
But before the kickoff, fans at the game will find their play being scrutinized as part of a crackdown on rowdy tailgate parties in the State Fairgrounds parking lot.
NCSU imposed new rules after two people were shot and killed in the fairgrounds lot on the day of the Wolfpack's Sept. 4 season opener.
The restrictions on who can park at the fairgrounds lot and for how long are similar to policies already in place for spaces closer to Carter-Finley Stadium.
But changed policy has divided many Wolfpack supporters.
Some think alcohol should be banned if the school wants to avoid more problems. Others say the university has overreacted.
"Are you kidding me?" said Patrick Hansbury, a 2003 NCSU graduate. "This was an isolated incident. It has nothing to do with partying tailgaters at the fairgrounds. These measures are doing nothing to stop someone from shooting another person."
NCSU interim Chancellor Robert Barnhardt said he also thinks the shootings were an isolated incident. He said he thinks that alcohol has come to play such a central role in pregame tailgate routines that something needs to be done to "change the culture of the parties."
But banning alcohol, he said, was never considered a practical way to reach that goal.
Many schools, including NCSU, allow fans to drink beer and wine in the parking lots.
At schools that don't allow drinking, such as UNC-Chapel Hill, tailgaters have learned to adapt by discreetly pouring their drinks into plastic cups.
"I've had a drink myself at tailgate parties with friends," Barnhardt said of Wolfpack games. "But the point we need to make here is that you don't have to be drunk to have fun. Being abusive is not fun."
Those who have used the fairgrounds lot over the years say abuse of alcohol was part of the problem. Even fans who oppose the new restrictions say some parts of the lot can become rough.
But they say they do not understand why that means they must be denied a place to park.
"My family, friends and I are not rowdies, hooligans, unkempt nor unlawful," said Britt Davis, who graduated from NCSU in 1995. "We, however, have made it an annual tradition to tailgate long before each game."
Tailgaters arrive early
With 1,500 spaces and easy access, the fairgrounds lot was the largest available area that was free to anyone who could find a spot. That meant people could come early and spend the day socializing.
It also meant others would show up as early as Friday night with no plans to attend the game. Some would rope off an area and bring out cases of beer and liquor.
"You cannot mix that many young people and alcohol and not have something happen," said Marilyn Forrest, who has traveled with her husband from Virginia to attend many NCSU football games.
The practice at the fairgrounds was allowed to persist largely because university officials exercised no authority over the area. The land is owned by the state Department of Agriculture, which patrolled the lot with five police officers.
By comparison, about 80 to 100 officers patrol the NCSU parking areas on the north side of Trinity Road, just across the street from the fairgrounds lot.
Many fans who oppose the changes say simply increasing the presence of police in the fairgrounds lot would tone down the biggest problems. In e-mail messages to university officials, several people said they had never seen a patrolling officer.
Before the new rules were announced last week, NCSU and the fairgrounds police made little effort to work together. That meant that people were able to drink alcohol essentially ungoverned in the fairgrounds lot.
Under state law and NCSU policy, beer and wine can be consumed in the lots patrolled by the university.
On the fairgrounds lot, officials from the Department of Agriculture interpret the N.C. Administrative Code in such a way that drinking beer and wine in that lot is also legal -- but only for those headed to football games.
"People are going to eat and drink at a tailgate party, and we aren't going to stop that," said Matt Cleary, chief of the fairgrounds police. "And, of course, people in the fairgrounds lot know they are also drinking across the street."
Policing 'pass outs'
NCSU allows fans to leave the stadium at halftime, visit their vehicles then return to the game.
The practice -- sometimes referred to as "pass outs" -- is also allowed at Wake Forest University and Duke University, though it is prohibited at some stadiums.
While NCSU officials say providing pass outs is a popular practice, some fans question why it is allowed when it's well known that many fans are heading for a quick drink.
"You'd think the building was on fire the way they hit the exits," said Phil Powell, 33, who said he has been to four football games in the past four years. "They're not going out there to fuel up on Subway sandwiches."
Barnhardt, the interim chancellor, said banning alcohol or encouraging police to issue more citations is the type of heavy-handed approach he would like to avoid.
"Collectively, I think you can change the culture of a place if enough people are involved," Barnhardt said.
"Our alumni and our students are rightfully proud of this university. They want others to be proud of us, too."
NEW LOT RULES
The free parking lot at the State Fairgrounds off Trinity Road will open at 10:30 a.m. Saturday to accommodate traffic for the 3:30 p.m. football game between N.C. State and Ohio State.
The decision by university officials and the state Department of Agriculture, which owns the property, means the lot will open two hours earlier than announced last week.
Other parts of the plan to restrict access will remain in place and affect only the State Fairgrounds lot. Those changes include:
* Access will be monitored. Parking staff will oversee two entrances to the lot, on Youth Center Drive and near the big oak tree on Trinity Road. These will be the only two entrances to the fairground lot.
* Only drivers with a parking permit will be allowed to enter the Trinity Road fairgrounds lot. Permits for students are being issued through normal ticket distribution procedures. Permits have been mailed to eligible season ticket holders.
* Police will patrol the lot in a manner similar to patrols in NCSU's Carter-Finley lots.
This schedule change affects the fairgrounds lot only. The Carter-Finley gates will open three hours before game time as usual.
The rules will remain in effect for all games for which the fairgrounds lot is available.
For more information, go to www.ncsu.edu.
Sept. 14, 2004
News & Observer
By CATHERINE CLABBY
© Copyright 2004
Duke University assistant professor Steven Cummer saw a promising training opportunity for graduate students in a Department of Defense contract to test lightning detection equipment.
But after he landed it, a problem flared. The defense agency wanted to screen any foreign scholar who touched the gear.
Most graduate students in Cummer's electrical engineering lab hail from places such as China, India or Romania. Duke resists attempts by outsiders to manage its labs. Work stalled for six months until Duke persuaded the agency to back off. "It was what I had to do," Cummer said.
Since the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, the defense department and other federal agencies have become more likely to impose limits on nonclassified research projects. Campuses such as Duke are pushing back, saying they must defend academic freedom and a long history of training scientists from around the globe.
"We're at a time of war. This is not business as usual," said James Siedow, Duke's research vice provost, who stressed that universities respect security concerns. "The problem is the umbrella is spreading wider than it needs to."
The Department of Defense is taking greater pains to ensure that research results will not end up for ill use or in the wrong hands, said James M. Short, the department's director of defense laboratory programs. "We're doing a much more thorough job of considering alternative uses for the results," he said.
Other factors come into play in this conflict, Short said. Universities are chasing after more unclassified defense contracts to expand their research funding portfolios. And defense agencies don't always advertise which of those contracts come with strings attached.
The fact that universities persuade the government to remove some security restrictions confirms the campus view that they weren't completely necessary.
In a six-month period ending earlier this year, 20 campuses such as Duke were expected in 138 instances to restrict the involvement of foreign students or accept limitations on publication. All of these cases were for nonclassified work, and nearly half were renegotiated, according to the Council on Government Relations, which represents 150 research universities and institutes.
Recent U.S. inspector general studies, especially one by the U.S. Department of Commerce, call for tightening trade restrictions, which could further limit foreign student involvement in contract research. That also raises alarms on campuses.
Foreign scholars undergo stricter scrutiny than ever to get visas to study in the United States. Universities expected that: Some al-Qaeda hijackers had student visas. But scholars from other countries, who often are the most competitive candidates for graduate slots, may be beginning to feel alienated. The number applying to study here nationally has declined.
"We believe the strength of the university system has been its openness and ability to embrace people from all parts of the world. Look how many U.S. Nobel Prize winners have been foreign-born," said Robert Hardy, director of contracts and intellectual property for the Council on Government Relations.
Universities that have engineering schools are more likely to compete for defense research contracts. Because UNC-Chapel Hill has no engineering school, the campus rarely sees restrictive contract language. But N.C. State University has noticed an increase and always attempts to negotiate the limits, said Richard Best, associate director of sponsored programs and regulatory compliance.
"We may get a case where a funder wants prior approval of foreign students on the project. We change it to prior notification and provide the government with a listing of personnel. That's a moderation," Best said.
Sometimes the campus can't win the changes it seeks, Best said. On about 10 occasions since 2001, it has accepted limitations.
Lawrence Carin, a Duke engineering professor who studies ways to detect buried land mines, among other things, has found a way to avoid such tussles. He helped found a small company in Research Triangle Park, called The Signals Innovation Group. It accepts research contracts with the frequently contested restrictions.
Carin understands why universities such as Duke oppose restrictions. But he also understands why the government, ultra alert during war, is more likely to expect them.
"I think the university is the big loser. Funding that would have gone to the university is not," he said. "I had a choice between ceasing to do that kind of work or doing something else."
Judge: Reservist must go if called
Sept. 14, 2004
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By EMERY P. DALESIO
© Copyright 2004
RALEIGH - A Cary man who served the eight years required under his ROTC contract remains an Army reservist obliged to report for active duty because he didn't sign a letter resigning as a commissioned officer, a federal judge ruled.
Judge Louise Flanagan denied a petition by Todd Parrish, 31, to block the Army from calling him to active duty until his lawsuit on the issue is decided.
The ruling issued Friday means that if the Army denies Parrish's administrative appeal, he could be forced to go on active duty while his case is being litigated, said U.S. Attorney Frank Whitney, himself an Army reservist.
Parrish had argued his military obligation ended Dec. 19 following four years of active duty and four years in the reserves.
His attorney, Mark Waple, argued at a hearing before Flanagan earlier this month that an ROTC contract Parrish signed as a student at N.C. State Universityobligated him to only eight years.
Sept. 14, 2004
News & Observer
By DEMORRIS LEE
© Copyright 2004
RALEIGH -- Todd Parrish's attempt to avoid being called back to active duty suffered a setback Monday when a federal judge denied his request for a preliminary injunction against the Army.
In her written order, U.S. District Court Judge Louise W. Flanagan said that if she granted the injunction, it could "raise significant questions" among other reservists who have completed their military obligations but have not yet resigned their commissions as officers.
"Uncertainty would arise as to whether these officers must take affirmative steps to continue serving and to retain their commissioned officer status, despite their right vested in statute by Congress to an indefinite commission as officer," Flanagan wrote.
Though the judge denied Parrish's request for an injunction, he is continuing to pursue an appeal with the Army to overturn his order to return to active duty. If he loses his Army appeal, his case could be reviewed again by the courts.
Parrish, 31 and a captain, was ordered by the Department of Defense to report to Fort Sill, Okla., by June 13 for processing and deployment to Iraq, but his appeals through the Army and the courts have delayed his reporting date five times. He is now scheduled to report by Sept. 26.
Mark Waple, Parrish's attorney, said the Army has agreed to allowed Parrish to remain a civilian until it reaches a decision on his appeal. If the Army rules against Parrish, he will have 30 days to report to active duty.
An injunction would have let Parrish stay in Cary with his new wife and pursue a new career as a communications engineer.
Reached Monday at the Pentagon, Army spokesman Dov Schwartz declined to comment on Flanagan's ruling.
Flanagan denied Parrish's request pending the outcome of his appeal to the Army.
"She will not reach a denial until there is a denial by the Army," Waple said. "Depending on the Army, if they deny his request and the explanation for the denial, the matter will be ready for reconsideration."
If the Army doesn't rule in Parrish's favor, he has several options.
"One option is to appeal any or all decisions by the court," Waple said. "The ball right now for the time being is out of the courts' court and is in the Army's court to take some action on Todd Parrish's appeal to be exempted from active service."
Parrish attended N.C. State University on a Reserve Officer Training Corps scholarship and graduated in 1995 with a degree in civil engineering. Part of the scholarship requirement was that he spend eight years in the military. Parrish served four years on active duty as an artillery officer and four years in the inactive reserve, ending Dec. 19, 2003.
An enlisted member's service automatically ends after eight years, some of which is usually served in the Individual Ready Reserve. The Army contends that because Parrish was an officer, he was obligated to notify them at the end of the eight-year period that he no longer wanted be part of the Individual Ready Reserve.
"The court finds that plaintiff's interpretation of this regulatory language is in conflict with other statutes and regulations, whereas the Army's interpretation of this regulation is both reasonable and consistent with these laws," Flanagan wrote in Monday's order.
While in the inactive reserves, Parrish filled out the yearly information updates sent to him by the Army. Those forms include a box that officers can sign if they want to resign their commission. Parrish never signed the box. In November 2003, Parrish received a letter updating his security clearance, officials said.
About 5,600 members of the Individual Ready Reserve have been mobilized by the Defense Department to prepare them for service in Iraq. Unlike regular reservists, soldiers in this status don't report for periodic training but are available to fill vacancies in Army units.
Sept. 14, 2004
News & Observer
By staff writer
© Copyright 2004
Michelle Cooper, based in Raleigh, and David Ball, based in Charlotte, have joined the manufacturing team at the Industrial Extension Service of N.C. State University.
Some Velvet Cloak suites to be condos
Sept. 14, 2004
News & Observer
By JACK HAGEL
© Copyright 2004
RALEIGH -- The Velvet Cloak Inn has a new owner who plans to refurbish the 40-year-old Hillsborough Street landmark and operate it as condominiums and hotel.
Raleigh developer David M. Smoot paid Honolulu-based Pauahi Management, a subsidiary of Kamehameha Schools, about $3.2 million for the property, which includes two parking lots, one adjacent to and one across from the hotel.
The property had been listed in May with an asking price of $4.8 million. The hotel and its 2.5 acres have a $7.1 million tax value.
Smoot said he plans to sell about half of the inn's 170 rooms as condominiums, the Velvet Cloak Villas. He is targeting lobbyists, legislators, lawyers, N.C. State University alumni and local businesses that bring in clients and visiting executives.
"We've got the critical infrastructure en masse here that attracts people to Raleigh: the sports venues, the arts complexes and the Glenwood South excitement downtown, shopping," Smoot said.
The condominium suites, which will be interspersed among the hotel units, will range in price from $70,000 to $250,000. Buyers will receive the same amenities as hotel guests. And when the rooms aren't being used, the owners can lease them back to the hotel, Smoot said.
Smoot said he is performing a room-by-room assessment to determine possible improvements, and he expects to spend several hundred thousand dollars sprucing the old hotel up.
The hotel, which had been open while it was for sale, will close until the upgrades are made. Smoot expects to reopen around Oct. 1.
The 50 employees who worked at the hotel will be considered for employment, Smoot said, but he added that he will build his management team from scratch. The new management team will start with a "nucleus of 25, and it will increase as business increases to provide the level of service we want to provide," Smoot said.
The hotel, which was built in 1963 by Raleigh developer J.W. York, has been a popular venue for political events, weddings and lodging for people visiting N.C. State University two blocks away.
Ownership of the inn changed several times over the years. The most recent owner, Pauahi Management, was a subsidiary of Kamehameha Schools, a $5.5 billion tax-exempt foundation based in Honolulu. Pauahi Management also was an investor in Durham's Treyburn development.
Pauahi Management put the inn up for sale in August 2003. Earlier this year, Raleigh developer Michael Sandman and three partners dropped plans to buy the hotel, leading its owner to put it back on the market.
Sandman considered using the hotel as student housing or tearing it down and redeveloping it with offices and residential units, but chose not to because of high renovation or redevelopment costs.
Smoot said he wants to restore the hotel "to the high state of quality presentation they had in times past and perhaps enhance further."
Upgrades could include fresh paint and polished brass in the rooms and the hotel's event components, and improved parking security with gates in the hotel's covered lots, Smoot said.
Authorities release 911 tapes from deadly shooting
Sept. 13, 2004
News 14 Carolina
By Brett Tackett
© Copyright 2004
September fourth was going to be a good day. Tens of thousands of fans came to tailgate and watch N.C. State's season opener at Carter Finely Stadium.
But celebration quickly turned to horror.
The first calls came pouring in at 6:15 p.m.
Caller: "Hey come to the North Carolina State football game someone's been shot."
Operator: "Is there any serious bleeding?"
Caller: "One was shot in the head and one in the neck!"
Operator: "Are they completely awake?"
Caller: "Huh?"
Operator: "Are they completely awake?"
Caller: "One has movement.
Two of them have kind of movement."
What callers are describing are the last seconds of 23 year old Kevin McCann
and 23 year old Brett Harman’s lives.
Caller: "Brett stay with me buddy."
Despite police getting there within minutes, both men died.
Also on the tape...hints of exactly what happened leading up to the shooting.
Caller: "There was an incident. A fight."
And according to witnesses after the fight two suspects left and came back with a gun.
Operator: "Is he a white male?"
Caller: "Yes ma'am. Both of them white Caucasian."
Witnesses say after the shooting, the two then ran off.
Hours later police arrested 22 year old Timothy Johnson and his younger brother 20 year old Tony Johnson. Both are now behind bars without bond. They face two counts of first degree murder each. The Johnson brothers’ next court appearance will be September 27th.
NC State Students Call for Changes to New Tailgating Rules
Sept. 13, 2004
WTVD
By Tim Nelson
© Copyright 2004
Some Wolfpack football fans just can't seem to absorb the new rules limiting tailgating before home games. Many of them say the changes are too severe and want them changed again.
Tony Caravano's e-mail inbox is full and his cell phone has been ringing off the hook. "I woke up and my phone had forty missed phone calls."
Most from angry Wolfpack fans wanting to talk to the student body president about the new restrictions on tailgating put in place after a double murder September 4th.
Most of the complaints have to do with the hours of and access to the NC State parking lot next to the stadium. Some students are upset they're only gonna be able to start tailgating three hours before kickoff, and they worry there won't be enough space for all the students.
The complaints Tony's gotten have been the same since the changes were announced Thursday. But the tone of the messages he's getting is different. "Now we've gone from the anger to seeing those new rules to students saying, well, let's chat about it, let's talk about it."
In fact, they've gone from protest-mode - to proactive. Students making suggestions in the hope the administration will continue to revise its tailgating policy.
One e-mail suggests two emergency tents be stationed on the lot's grounds, another even asks for tighter alcohol rules. But most do say the 3-hour tailgate time is too strict. "Everybody wants the same thing which is safety, so there's no need to be fighting and protesting now."
Instead, there will be discussions. Student leaders were scheduled to meet with the chancellor Monday afternoon to talk tailgating.
911 Tapes Shed More Light Into NCSU Tailgate Shootings
Sept. 13, 2004
WRAL-TV
By Amanda Lamb
© Copyright 2004
RALEIGH, N.C. -- Authorities have released the 911 tapes of a deadly shooting at a N.C. State football tailgating party.
The tape reveals that tailgaters tried to help shooting victims Kevin McCann and Brett Harman, who both died, and describe the suspects to authorities.
Two brothers, Timothy and Tony Johnson, are charged with murder.
Two women are charged with being accessories after the fact to murder.
The district attorney said more charges and arrests are forthcoming in the case.
Hitachi Plans Nanotechnology Seminar at Clemson
Sept. 14, 2004
Local Tech Wire
By staff writer
© Copyright 2004
PLEASANTON, CA – Professors from Clemson and North Carolina State will be part of a nanotechnology seminar at Clemson on Sept. 20.
The seminar is sponsored by Hitachi. Speakers will discuss the latest trends in nanotechnology research for automotive, electronics and materials sciences.
The Clemson conference will focus on automotive applications. The session will take place at the Marden Center.
Speakers include:
Dr. Edward Boyes, DuPont Corporation
Steve Crosby, President and Publisher, Small Times Media
Dr. David Joy, University of Tennessee at Knoxville
Prof. Christian E.G. Przirembel, VP of Research, Clemson
Dr. Phil Russell, North Carolina State University
Dr. Egbert Wessel, Juelich Institute for Materials and Processing in Energy
Systems
For more information and to register, send email to: elisa.merendino@hitachi-hta.com.
Letter to the editor: Article insensitive
Sept. 14, 2004
Greensboro News & Record
© Copyright 2004
Regarding the article, "Two tailgaters killed outside N.C. State game" (Sept. 5):
It struck me as insensitive that the football game score was included in the report of this tragic incident.
Larry A. Roddy
Asheboro
Letter to the editor: Not enough time
Sept. 14, 2004
News & Observer
© Copyright 2004
Regarding the Sept. 10 article "NCSU restricts tailgate parties":
I am an N.C. State University student and an acquaintance of the student accused of murdering two Illinois men outside the Richmond game on Sept. 4. I, like many others, am feeling hurt, confused and am experiencing a loss of innocence because of the tragic events. However, the actions taken to "improve" tailgating conditions are only worsening feelings of anxiety and anger among students and others.
Instead of allowing us to grieve over the killings, they are placing suspicion on each student, making us feel like criminals and killers. Instead of allowing one completely tragic and isolated event to pass, they will force us to carry the load of pain and distrust to each game.
Officials should rethink the new restrictions on parking and security for the games, especially new rules for arrival times [fans will not be allowed to enter the fairgrounds lot more than three hours before the game begins]. Three hours prior to the game is not enough time for students to safely arrive and prepare for the game. I fear that on game day, instead of shooting deaths in the parking lot, there will be drunken driving deaths on the road before we even get there.
Stephanie Clinton
Raleigh
Sept. 14, 2004
News & Observer
By LORENZO PEREZ
© Copyright 2004
Spotting Wolfpack Club executive director Bobby Purcell in the grocery store and schmoozing him in the frozen foods section won't land you a pair of tickets.
Nor will telling the president of the Ohio State University Alumni Club of the Triangle that you are a fifth-generation Buckeye graduate who has never failed to get a ticket.
If you're still searching for a seat inside Carter-Finley Stadium for Saturday's N.C. State-Ohio State football game, cash will be more important than connections. With anxious fans from both schools offering to pay "big bucks" in newspaper classified ads and ticket holders asking for $200 or more on eBay's popular online auction site, ticket demand has spiked to historic proportions, Wolfpack Club associate executive director Jimmy Bass said.
"I think it has been the toughest ticket by far in the history of N.C. State," Bass said Monday. "The demand has been off the chart."
A panicky Ohio-based travel agent recently called Bass asking for tickets for 45 fans after the travel agency's ticket source fell through. By June, however, the Wolfpack Club had already declared the 55,600-seat stadium sold out for the entire home schedule.
"If we can't take care of Wolfpack Club members, we certainly couldn't take care of a visiting traveling agency," Bass said.
Selling a ticket for more than $3 over its face value is a misdemeanor in North Carolina. Then again, N.C. State accidentally failed to print the price on individual tickets in season-ticket packages this year.
But there is no shortage of fans this week eager to pay two or three times the $47 face value -- and call it a steal -- for a ticket to the rematch of the Buckeyes' triple-overtime win last year in Columbus, Ohio.
Cary accountant Dan Knapke, who grew up an Ohio State fan in the Dayton area, ended up spending $900 on six tickets recently.
"In the late spring, I remember one lady wanted to sell me four for $85 [apiece]," said Knapke, 35, who turned down the offer. "I kicked myself for three months after that."
N.C. State fans such as Raleigh's Bruce Gardner have spent months checking online ticket exchanges such as the one posted on PackPride.com, an unofficial N.C. State sports Web site. Since May 13, more than 150 ticket-exchange messages have been posted on PackPride.com's message board by would-be sellers and buyers, while more than 5,400 people have at least viewed the board.
"I was checking eBay for a good deal, but that's not happening. The best deal I saw there was $300 a pair," said Gardner, 28. "I was hoping to trade four tickets to the [Nov. 6] Georgia Tech game for two Ohio State tickets. I'm just hoping I hear from somebody by Friday."
Ohio State was allotted 4,500 tickets to Saturday's game. All of those could have been claimed just by Ohio State graduates living in North Carolina.
According to the university's alumni association, 5,577 graduates live in North Carolina.
Kathi Bently, the president of the Triangle chapter of Ohio State's alumni club, said she and other club board members received 1,200 requests for the 300 tickets that Ohio State had earmarked for them.
The only road game that generates more ticket demand from Buckeyes fans is the biennial trip to Big Ten rival Michigan. But Michigan Stadium, which seats 107,501 fans, is almost twice as large as Carter-Finley Stadium, so tickets are always available, Bently said.
"Here, it's not a money issue," said Bently, who runs a Raleigh information-technology business. "It's an availability issue."
Bently expects about 3,000 Ohio State fans to attend a "Buckeye Bash" pep rally hosted by the alumni association in the Jim Graham Building on the State Fairgrounds before the game. Game tickets will not be required to attend the rally.
Local N.C. State fan Don Carter still hopes to run across a "good Samaritan" willing to sell him some tickets in the $50 range.
"Seeing how things come up in people's lives, what you're hoping for is someone who just wants to get rid of them, not make a fortune off them."
Purcell and other Wolfpack Club officials don't mind fielding the occasional friendly pitch for tickets when they're recognized running errands, as Purcell was recently while grocery shopping. But the answer this week is always the same, he said.
"It's pretty easy saying no when you don't have any tickets to give," Purcell said.
DuPont research on protective suits and garments promising
Sept. 13, 2004
fibre2fashion, India
By staff report
© Copyright 2004
Announcing promising research, DuPont today reported that the fight against terrorism with the development of protective materials that are resistant to chemical and biological agents would get further boost.
DuPont has developed suits to be worn by U.S. soldiers, firefighters, and other first responders and their early feedback from wearers, has been positive.
The U.S. government has awarded nearly $2.5 million to DuPont and its partners to assist in the development of this new technology. Prototype military garments were recently tested by the U.S. Army Soldier Systems Center (Natick).
Prototypes of firefighter turnout gear were shown at the recent International Association of Fire Chiefs show in New Orleans. In addition to traditional DuPont fire resistant materials, DuPont Nomex and Kevlar, these new, lightweight suits contain a selectively permeable membrane developed by DuPont that will help protect front line defenders from toxic industrial chemicals and military warfare agents.
A permeable membrane through a process of selective transfer allows water absorption allowing sweat evaporation and body heat to escape keeping wearers of the suit cool. However, the suit blocks harmful agents from entering within.
The new suits for the military are expected to be up to 50 percent lighter than existing protective gear, are impermeable to aerosols and biological agents and will fit compactly in a small duffel bag.
"In this post-9/11 environment, first responders and firefighters throughout the country are saying they need improved protection from weapons of mass destruction without compromising the weight and existing protection of their turnout gear," said Dale Outhous, DuPont Personal Protection business director.
"We believe this emerging technology could revolutionize gear for both first responders and military personnel. The new suits should be lighter, more compact, more breathable and resistant to chemical and biological warfare agents. It's just one example of the R&D pipeline from the DuPont Safety & Protection platform where we are developing new products to help keep people safe and protected."
On Aug. 30, the U.S. Army Soldier Systems Center at Natick, Mass., awarded a $1.5 million cooperative agreement to DuPont scientists for the military application of the technology. Earlier this year, the U.S. Office of Homeland Security awarded North Carolina State University, in partnership with DuPont and Globe Firefighter Suits, a $830,000 grant to develop the next generation of firefighter turnout gear.
Dr. Roger Barker, head of the Textile Protection and Comfort Center (TPACC) at N.C. State's College of Textiles said, "The best firefighter suits today offer protection against several chemicals, such as battery acid, but that protection is limited. This suit is going to take that protection to an entirely new level with a wider range of chemical resistance at higher levels."
The DuPont Safety & Protection platform is focused on finding solutions to protect people, property, operations and the environment. The platform seeks to leverage and expand over 200 years of DuPont experience as one of the safest companies in the world with recognized excellence in science and technology and in-depth knowledge of key markets.
Feeling good can bring eternal youth!
Sept. 14, 2004
New Kerala, India; Hindustan Times, India; Asian News International
By staff report
© Copyright 2004
Washington, Sept 13 : Positive emotions and maintaining a social circle which treats older people like they are the competent and productive members of society, could actually slow the aging process for adults, it was revealed after a new study has found that social and environmental factors play an important role in how people age.
According to the study, which has been published in the September issue of the journal 'Psychology and Aging,' researchers studied the relationship between positive emotions and the onset of frailty. They observed more than 15,00 people for seven years.
They found that although the overall incidence of frailty increased almost eight percent during a seven-year period, those who scored high on positive affect i.e. those who often felt like they were very happy and that they saw hope and happiness in the future, were significantly less likely to become frail.
Although researchers are yet to find the exact reason behind the phenomenon, they think that positive emotions may directly affect health via chemical and neural responses involved in maintaining homeostatic balance. Or a more indirect process may be at work, with positive emotions affecting health by increasing a person's intellectual, physical, psychological and social resources.
A separate study, by researchers at the North Carolina State University also found that when adults are subjected to negative old age stereotypes like being called cranky and senile, their memory and competency is affected, making them less confident about performing day to day tasks. (ANI)
Stay Young With a Positive Attitude
Sept. 14, 2004
Ivanhoe Newswire
By staff report
© Copyright 2004
It’s not just your genes and physical health that can help you stay young. Two new studies find an overall positive attitude can help you age more successfully.
The first study was done at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston. Researchers looked at the link between positive emotions and frailty. They followed 1,558 older Mexican Americans for seven years. The participants were assessed with physical tests to measure their frailty and answered questions about their attitude toward life.
Study authors say the overall incidence of frailty increased almost 8 percent during the study. However, researchers say those who showed a high degree of a positive attitude were less likely to become frail. Specifically, for each level of increase in the positive affect score, there was a 3-percent decrease in the risk of frailty. Researchers speculate that positive emotions may directly affect health via chemical and neural responses. Another idea is that positive emotions may affect health by increasing a person’s intellectual, physical, psychological and social resources.
In the second study, researchers from North Carolina State University in Raleigh looked at how negative stereotypes about aging influences older adults’ memories. For their research, 193 people were put through two tests. Half were 17 to 35 years old, and the other half were 57 to 82 years old. The participants were asked to unscramble words or do other puzzles that used both positive and negative words about aging.
The study found the memory performance in older adults was lower when they were given negative words than when given positive ones. They also report the two different age groups performed at identical levels when given only positive words about aging.
Study authors feel this research shows the importance of the social environment and how it affects a person’s memory. They say if older people are treated like they are competent, productive members of society, they will perform that way too.
This article was reported by Ivanhoe.com, who offers Medical Alerts by e-mail every day of the week. To subscribe, go to: http://www.ivanhoe.com/newsalert/.
Old Thinking Hastens Age-related Decline
Sept. 13, 2004
Betterhumans
By Liz Brown
© Copyright 2004
Aging may not be all in the mind, but negative self-image and stereotypes have a significant impact on age-related symptoms of frailty and memory loss.
Two new studies have demonstrated just how closely physical and mental health in older people are related to psychological factors.
In the first study, researchers at the University of Texas at Gavelston found a link between positive emotions and the onset of frailty.
The researchers studied a group of healthy but older Mexican-Americans from the southwestern US. They followed the participants for seven years and measured frailty according to weight loss, exhaustion, walking speed and grip strength.
To determine emotional well-being, the researchers asked the participants a series of questions relating to their self-image, feelings of happiness and life fulfillment. These questions determined the participants' positive affect (positive emotions) score.
While overall frailty increased almost 8% during the seven-year period, those who scored high in positive emotions were less likely to be as frail. Each unit increase in the emotional score was associated with a 3% decreased risk of frailty. The researchers adjusted the results for relevant risk factors.
The scientists are not sure why positive emotions play such a large role in physical well-being. They speculate that emotions may directly affect health via chemical and neural responses involved in maintaining a homeostatic balance. The researchers also believe that positive emotions can affect health by increasing a person's intellectual, physical, psychological and social resources.
Perception is reality
The second study investigated how negative stereotypes about aging affect the elderly. Researchers from North Carolina State University conducted two experiments with older and younger groups of adults.
In the first test participants were exposed to stereotypical words such as "brittle," "complaining," "confused," "cranky," "feeble" and "senile." They were asked to use the words in exercises such as word jumbles, sentences and word judgment.
In the second test the participants were assigned the same tasks, but using words that reflected positive views of aging such as "accomplished," "active," "alert" and "dignified."
The results of the tests for the older adults were lower when they used the negative words as opposed to the positive words. The effect was so profound that the results for the younger and older adults were virtually the same in some situations when they used the positive words.
The researchers believe these results show that social environment is extremely important in affecting the memories of the elderly—if older people are treated as competent and productive, then they perform that way.
Both studies are reported in the journal Psychology and Aging.
Upbeat Outlook Offsets Effects of Aging
Sept. 13, 2004
ScoutNews; HealthCentral.com; drkoop.com; Atlanta Journal Constitution; Forbes; HealthDay via Yahoo! News; RedNova.com, TX
By Robert Preidt
© Copyright 2004
MONDAY, Sept. 13 (HealthDayNews) -- Positive thoughts can help older people maintain their physical and functional health, while negative emotions can cause a rapid decline, say two studies in the September issue of Psychology and Aging.
In the first study, University of Texas researchers tracked 1,558 older Mexican-Americans in five southwestern states for seven years. They found those with positive emotions were much less likely to become frail over that time.
Positive emotions may have a direct impact on health by influencing chemical and neural responses involved in maintaining homeostatic balance, the researchers suggest. Or positive emotions may indirectly affect health by increasing a person's physical, intellectual, psychological and social resources.
In the second study, North Carolina State University researchers found negative stereotypes about aging resulted in a decline of older adults' memory performance.The study concluded that if older adults were treated like competent, productive people, then it's more likely that's how they would perform.
Return to Headline ListPeople Age Better if Happy and Free of Negative Images of Aging
Sept. 13, 2004
SeniorJournal.com, TX
By staff report
© Copyright 2004
Sept. 13, 2004 – Two new studies show we age better when we are happy and free of negative images of aging. The authors say social and environmental factors are important in how people age.
While your genes and overall physical health play a role, this new research shows how psychosocial factors can also play an important role. The two studies report on this in the September issue of Psychology and Aging, a journal published by the American Psychological Association (APA).
Why do some older people experience a rapid decline in their physical and functional health while some of their peers remain healthy and active?
In the first study, researchers at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston found a link between positive emotions and the onset of frailty in 1,558 initially non-frail older Mexican Americans living in five southwestern states – Texas, California, Arizona, Colorado and New Mexico. This was the first study to examine frailty and the protective role of positive emotions in the largest minority population in the United States.
Study authors Glenn Ostir, Ph.D., Kenneth Ottenbacher, Ph.D., and Kyriakos Markides, Ph.D., followed the participants for seven years and assessed frailty by measuring the participants' weight loss, exhaustion, walking speed and grip strength. Positive affect (positive emotions) was measured during the study period by asking the participants how often in the last week "I felt that I was just as good as other people," "I felt hopeful about the future," "I was happy," and "I enjoyed life."
The overall incidence of frailty increased almost eight percent during the seven-year follow-up period, but those who scored high on positive affect were significantly less likely to become frail. Each unit increase in baseline positive affect score was associated with a three percent decreased risk of frailty after adjusting for relevant risk factors.
The researchers speculate that positive emotions may directly affect health via chemical and neural responses involved in maintaining homeostatic balance, although say The precise reason for this happening was beyond the scope of the current study. Or a more indirect process may be at work, according to the authors, with positive emotions affecting health by increasing a person's intellectual, physical, psychological and social resources.
In the second study, researchers Thomas Hess, Ph.D., Joey Hinson, M.A., and Jill Statham, B.A., from North Carolina State University investigated how negative stereotypes about aging influences older adults' memory. Their study involved 193 participants and two experiments, each with a younger (17 – 35 years old) and older (57 – 82 years old) group of adults. Participants were exposed to stereotype-related words in the context of another task (scrambled sentence, word judgment) in order to prime positive and negative stereotypes of aging. This involved either words reflecting negative stereotypes about aging (brittle, complaining, confused, cranky, feeble, forgot, senile, etc.) or words reflecting positive views of aging (accomplished, active, alert, dignified, distinguished, knowledgeable, successful, etc.)
Results show memory performance in older adults was lower when they were primed with negative stereotypes than when they were primed with positive stereotypes. In addition, age differences in memory between young and older adults were significantly reduced following a positive stereotype prime, with young and older adults performing at almost identical levels in some situations.
The study also provides evidence that older adults can control the effect of negative stereotype activation but only when the primes are relatively subtle. In contrast, when the stereotype primes are relatively blatant, memory performance tends to be negatively affected.
The results of this study add to a growing list of findings that implicate the importance of the social environment in how it affects older peoples' memory performance, according to the authors. If older people are treated like they are competent, productive members of society, then they perform that way too.
Full text of both articles is available at http://www.apa.org/journals/pag/press_releases/september_2004/pag193.html
First Article: "Onset of Frailty in Older Adults and the Protective Role of Positive Affect," Glenn V. Ostir, Kenneth J. Ottenbacher and Kyriakos S. Markides, University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston; Psychology and Aging, Vol. 19, No. 3.
Second Article: "Explicit and Implicit Stereotype Activation Effects on Memory: Do Age and Awareness Moderate the Impact of Priming?" Thomas M. Hess, Joey T. Hinson and Jill A. Statham, North Carolina State University; Psychology and Aging, Vol. 19, No. 3.
The American Psychological Association (APA), in Washington, DC, is the largest scientific and professional organization representing psychology in the United States and is the world's largest association of psychologists. APA's membership includes more than 150,000 researchers, educators, clinicians, consultants and students. Through its divisions in 53 subfields of psychology and affiliations with 60 state, territorial and Canadian provincial associations, APA works to advance psychology as a science, as a profession and as a means of promoting health, education and human welfare.
Sept. 13, 2004
AllAfrica.com, Africa
By Sidney Miria
© Copyright 2004
To many people in Uganda, the title professor is often associated with grey hair, thick-rimmed spectacles and a somber-wrinkled forehead.
But Dr. James Kiwanuka-Tondo, a civil servant-cum-journalist, turned academician, does not fit into that description.
In fact, because of his body size, age and suave appearance, one could easily take him for a fresh university graduate and yet he is an assistant professor at the North Carolina State University in the US.
When Kiwanuka-Tondo graduated with a BA in literature from Makerere University in 1978, he touched base with the Ministry of Information public relations department.
He was there until 1986, when he was appointed a senior lecturer at Uganda Management Institute (UMI).
In 1987, he won a scholarship to study advanced Mass Communication at the University of Leicester in the UK. That gave him a professional edge to his work and armed him with a Masters degree. That was his turning point - so to say.
After his return, he looked around for higher academic pursuits. In 1992, it paid off; he was awarded a Fulbright scholarship for a doctoral degree at the University of Connecticut.
"There are so many institutions world-wide, where journalist can go to advance their education but they need to go out there and look for these opportunities.
Our journalists should have ambition, drive, determination and self-discipline for them to compete in the marketplace," he says.
His Fulbright journey to the US was boosted when his PhD thesis on organizational factors that lead to the running of good quality health communication campaigns, caught the eye of the University of North Connecticut. In 1997, Kiwanuka-Tondo was invited to teach at the university as a visiting professor.
It was not accidental that he chose that topic for his thesis. He had come from Uganda, which had been ravaged by HIV/AIDS and a protracted civil war.
But the country was among the first to come up with an open public policy about the HIV/AIDS virus and a few years down the road, it was recording a decline in the rates of new infections.
Health communication campaigns, Kiwanuka- Tondo adds, are his area of specialty. This has to do with how health campaigns are conducted. It involves how to set up such a campaign, evaluate and monitor it.
Last year, he won a grant to carry out a study on the effectiveness of Uganda's AIDS preventive campaigns - a research, which can be used globally as an example to other countries on how to run successful, anti AIDS campaigns.
"We have just finished analyzing the data. It is the first study ever.
Nobody has ever done a quantitative study that puts together organisational factors and campaign design elements together," he says.
The guiding principle behind his success has been optimism and sheer hard work.
"I am optimistic and I work hard. I guess I have a sense of direction where I want to go," Kiwanuka-Tondo says.
The American drool seems not to have affected his speech.
Cotton leader dealing with industry issues
Sept. 13, 2004
Southeast Farm Press
By Cecil Yancy
© Copyright 2004
Taylor Slade has been on the road as much as he’s been in the cotton field this year. As president of the North Carolina Cotton Producer’s Association, he carries with him the knowledge of what will benefit cotton growers, what bears watching and what needs improvement.
One for the comment that sums up things in a few words, Slade figures he’s “10 days from a drought,” even after a rain, and works with that thought in mind.
The Martin County, N.C., producer took the two-year post in February and hit the ground running. He’s been dealing with state issues as well as national and international issues. Trips to Georgia, New Mexico, Washington, D.C., and Raleigh, N.C. have been the norm in his leadership post.
From the cab of his pickup, Slade talks about a number of issues concerning cotton growers, while the threat of two hurricanes wear on his mind.
“Cotton growers have a myriad of issues we’re facing,” Slade says.
First and foremost is the ever-important issue of quality. “Quality is our future,” he says. “It’s always been important, but with the added emphasis of having to sell overseas, it’s even more important.”
Slade believes it’s not a one-state issue in the Southeast. “If we get a reputation for poor-quality cotton in the Southeast, it can roll right up the line to North Carolina and other states. It’s our problem, not somebody else’s problem.”
In his position representing North Carolina producers, Slade sits on a number of cotton-related boards, including Southern-Southeastern. That group, as well as others, have funded research aimed at quality issues.
For his part, Slade picks varieties that have optimal strength and low mike. He plants four early-to-mid-season Roundup Ready varieties on his 700 acres of cotton and works to “keep the cotton clean.” He hasn’t made the switch to Bollgard technology because he believes he can keep his costs down with Round Ready.
He had just finished up spraying a second time for boll worms in mid-August. “The scouts say that’ll probably be the last time we spray this year.”
Like much of his outlook, Slade views issues in the light of the long-term.
The World Trade Organization ruling about cotton concerns him, of course, but in talks and at meetings, he believes that whatever will happen will be a long-time in coming, possibly after the current farm bill expires.
At the meeting of the American Cotton Producers in New Mexico recently, Slade and other delegates listened to a two-hour conference call with the United State’s trade representative.
The gist of the call was, it’s going to be a long process. If push comes to shove, said the trade representative, the cotton program may have to be realigned to make it legal.
“We’re supporting the National Cotton Council in its efforts to represent us,” Slade says. “I feel like we have the right people representing us. They recognize how important the cotton program is.”
Slade finds it ironic that cotton was singled out, but the issue, as posed, could apply to all commodity groups.
He owns the Roanoke Tar Cotton Gin in partnership with other cotton growers. “Quality cotton involves keeping the crop clean, planting good varieties, making sure the pickers are adjusted right at harvest and being timely at harvest. Those are some of the things that growers can do to help themselves.”
Slade started growing cotton in 1991. At that time, he built the gin because there were few in the area. “There are people who are ginners and there are people who are farmers. I am a farmer. I’m in the ginning business because I needed to be; I’m in the farming business because I wanted to be.”
When the gin was built in 1991, there were only about 4,000 acres of cotton in Martin County, N.C., which is in the eastern part of the state. Since then, Martin County has been up to about 48,000 acres. The gin has produced as many as 60,000 bales of cotton. Last year, the gin did 43,000 bales.
When Slade returned from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill to farm with his father in 1971, cotton had already left the farm. “My father never threw anything away, and I found a cotton plate one day and asked him what it was,” Slade laughs.
“He told me, ‘give that thing to me. I don’t want to ever plant another seed of cotton.’”
Slade wonders what his father would think of him today since he’s so involved in growing and promoting cotton.
“There were two reasons for the cotton revival in North Carolina, I think,” Slade says. “One was the consumption increase in the U.S. Second, the boll weevil eradication program.
“The Boll Weevil Eradication Program had its start in North Carolina and I think that’s one of the biggest reasons we’ve gotten back in cotton the way we have,” Slade says.
Billy Carter, the executive vice president of the North Carolina Cotton Producers Association, has kept him busy, Slade chuckles. “North Carolina cotton growers don’t realize the asset we have in Billy. He’s so well-received and respected in all areas of the Cotton Belt.”
Slade says he feels honored to serve North Carolina cotton producers. “It’s an honor to represent cotton growers. We have a lot of issues that need to be addressed. Right now, we’re working with the dean of North Carolina State University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences to get a technician hired for our state cotton specialist.”
In between trips to national organization meetings, Slade is preparing for the Sept. 15 field day that the North Carolina Cotton Producers Association will host at the Upper Coastal Plain Research Station near Rocky Mount.
“It’s great that we’re having the field day at an experiment station that the North Carolina Department of Agriculture owns and the North Carolina State University Extension experts do research at,” Slade says. “It’s a great partnership that I think benefits all North Carolina farmers.”