Vick Phillips · The Morehead-Cain Scholars Program

2012
May 17.

2012
May 15.

2012
May 11.

The Morehead-Cain Alumni Forum 2012

2012
May 10.

Happy Birthday to the stately Morehead Building

Remarks from U.S. Senator Frank Porter Graham during dedication ceremonies for the Morehead Building on May 10, 1949

We assemble in the little village of Chapel Hill on the old campus of the University of North Carolina to dedicate to youth and truth, beauty and goodness, the Morehead Building. This building is now forever to be the home of the Genevieve Morehead Memorial Art Gallery, the Morehead Planetarium, and the Morehead Foundation for scholarships and fellowships. The conjunction of stars in their courses, revealed in the Planetarium, suggests to us the conjunction of persons, ideas, engines, enterprises and nations, revealed in the heritage, life, services and aspirations of John Motley Morehead III, devoted son and benefactor of the University of North Carolina….

As philanthropist, his vision and benefactions will enrich his alma mater and, through a nobler alma mater, will serve the world through unending generations of worthy youth whom his endowment will bring for training in this place for the service of mankind….

The Morehead Gallery and Planetarium are not only for the youth of the University, but as an organic part of the University, which would ever share its life, are also for the people beyond the college walls….In the Planetarium will be the meeting of earth, skies, and people who need new acquaintance with the goodness of the earth and the majesty of the heavens.

To the human being, as an infinitesimal bit of life on a tiny speck called the earth in the vastness of the universe, will come a deeper humility, a higher reverence, and a nobler aspiration of the human spirit in the presence of the God, whose physical laws are as wide as the universe and whose moral sovereignty is deep in the consciousness of men. Humble, reverent, and aspiring, we look upward into the heavens and inward into the soul for God, the Father, Who gives us our majestic heavens, our good earth and our common brotherhood in daily sustenance of the body, mind and spirit of man for the human pilgrimage toward the Kingdom of God.

In the dedication of the Morehead Building, its Foundation, Gallery, and Planetarium, we rededicate the University of North Carolina.

Courtesy of UNC Libraries.

Visit UNC Libraries' blog.

2012
May 09.

Tonya Turner Carroll

2012
May 08.

Laurence Deschamps-Laporte ’11 on the cult of the humanitarian hero

The Cult of the Humanitarian Hero
Those who allegedly support the humanitarian cause may not be all that they claim to be

By Laurence Deschamps-Laporte ’11
Published in the Oxonian Globalist

Disconnected from the suffering that takes place in distant developing countries, we rely on the words of public figures and first hand observers to better understand epidemics, wars or poverty. We see the world through their eyes, and our vision is shaped by their accounts.

These accounts are usually crafted by the same gaze most of the world is filtered through and documented by – the upper middle-class, white, male, often New York-based establishment. While it is not their class, race, gender or location that is inherently problematic, this group of people is influential and has somehow developed a homogenous discourse and set of practices. Their outlook shapes the views of a new generation who is eager to go out and emulate them.

One of the most representative members of the group of humanitarian heroes is Nicholas Kristof; a witness many rely on, follow and hold in esteem. With his Times column and two Pulitzer prizes, our Oxford alumnus is widely read. Of course the cult of these self-appointed spokesmen for the disenfranchised exists elsewhere, in other fields and media, and the now debunked Greg Mortenson, Bono, or other high-profile academics and philanthropists such as Sachs, Soros or Gates have a similar message and crowds of admirers.

The issue of voice

Kristof writes about trauma wherever he finds it. As Jina Moore puts it in the Columbia Review of Journalism: “Trauma stories require the writer to consider the reader, listener, or viewer as a partner in the creation of ethical journalism. Our choices as craftsmen – about identity and attribution, about detail, about writer’s voice, about structure and style, and even about medium – do more than simply tell the story. They tell readers about our values”. Kristof crafts stories around himself, for his audience, and the “subject” is rarely a partner in the process.

When Kristof reports on the Cambodian sex slaves he buys off to then try to return to their families, or when he tweets live from the brothel raids, his voice is the loudest, and overshadows the social “background noise”. The ethical issue of consent arises. A woman who has worked with former “sex slaves”, including the ones Kristof interviewed, claimed that these women did not want to be the face of trafficking, and that they were pressured into “sharing their story”. They felt parts of their stories were exaggerated and altered, transforming their lives into myths. They complained about not getting compensated for their stories being retold and re-written numerous times while Kristof is being praised and paid for his heroic acts of journalism.

I critique Kristof not only for his reporting, but more specifically for his self-proclaimed heroic mission to “save lives”. If Kristof was merely a columnist, I could partly blame the media and its commercial nature and restrictions for his misleading reporting, but he sees himself on a great humanitarian mission. Further, he often does more than passive and misdirected journalism, he perpetuates the problem. When he bought “sex slaves”, he made their pimp richer. Perhaps one can understand Kristof’s impetuous actions, trying to momentarily alleviate the suffering these teenagers may be experiencing. However, by writing about this, Kristof does not only engage once more in self-glorification but he also deceives his audience into thinking that buying sex slaves may be a solution. Without properly insuring the reintegration of the young women in society – because they were sold by their families in the first place – the girls probably returned or will be returned to where Kristof found them.

After Kristof leaves, no one knows what happens to these lives altered by Kristof’s money and power, but Kristof, on his plane back home, receives congratulatory tweets from Laura Bush and his other aficionados. Kristof’s journalism is clearly voyeurist and objectifying when we hear that these girls felt exposed and used in his stories. He also fails to look at the teenagers’ attempts to negotiate and improve their situation, which undermines the complexity of the social situations they find themselves in – circumstances in which the good and evil is not as obvious as Kristof describes it to be.

Why this cult is problematic

Kristof’s work influences young people who idolize and want to emulate him. Last year, at a talk in North Carolina, I saw a group of about fifteen year-old girls gathering at the end of the lecture around Kristof’s book signing booth, hysterical, holding their copy of Half the Sky, eager to win his assistantship trip, meet war lords and travel on mud roads with him. There was something troubling about the scene; I rarely saw such teenage fanaticism for a journalist. Kristof’s young audience might be seduced by the impression that they can change the world; perhaps he infuses some hope to an otherwise cynical portrayal of life in the media. In his talk, he encouraged them to go abroad and change problems they see.

More amateurs abroad is not always the solution (in fact it rarely is) but Kristof also fails to see the stories that are not triggered by a good American Samaritan; the grass-roots successes. With his words Kristof creates a generation of American youth who wants to witness the victims of famine and conflicts – not necessarily to find sustainable solutions, or to think critically about how to work to change the system – but to be able to say that they were there, and write about giving their own blood to the dying mother in Congo, as Kristof did.

Kristof engages with problems superficially, and consequently his readers do the same. As Prasse-Freeman wrote in the New Enquiry, Kristof knows how to play orientalist and racist fantasies of his audience. “[His] distancing double move provides us with precisely what is worse than a bourgeois not knowing about the world’s horrors: knowing about them only enough to simultaneously acknowledge and dismiss them, to denude them of political and moral demand, to turn them into consumable and easily digestible spectacles. We are encouraged to look only so we can then close our eyes.” His journalism makes us passive, and discourages true involvement.

Kristof sees the world as a series of easy-to-solve problems. For example, in his book Half the Sky, he argues that women stay out of schools during their periods because of lack of sanitary products. Thus, the solution is easy: one should simply provide sanitary towels and tampons. He dismisses culture, beliefs and institutions, and in his imaginary world of easy-fixes he insults locals and NGOs who have been working on these challenges for decades.

We find ourselves in a cafeteria of media outlets and journalism options, and it is not easy to choose a critical, ethical and culturally-sensitive meal. While Kristof’s stories might not taste problematic at first, their ingredients have bitter post-colonial, exoticising, white man’s burden after-taste. There are different ways to impact lives and make a difference, but it rarely only involves a five-day stay in a country and throwing money at problems. There are no easy-fixes, and solving problems require time and collaboration, but of course this is hard to convey in a 140-character tweet.

Laurence Deschamps-Laporte ’11 is studying international development at Magdalen College, Oxford, as a Rhodes Scholar.

Visit the Oxonian Globalist website for more.

2012
May 04.

Russell Martin ’12 takes Carolina’s top economics prize

Russell Martin ’12, having competed in the national final round of the Federal Reserve Challenge and spent part of his senior year developing an algorithm to predict the future price of meat, took UNC’s top prize for undergraduate excellence in economics.

The Chancellor’s Award for Economics “is given annually to the undergraduate majoring in economics who is judged to be the most outstanding based on performance in major and related courses.”

In addition to serving as a teaching assistant in the economics department and an associate at the Kenan-Flagler Private Equity Fund, Martin wrote a senior thesis — “An Investigation of Volatility Spillovers across Commodity Futures Markets” — exploring the relationship between index fund investment and volatility and commodities markets. The highly technical paper won strong praise from the economics department.

After graduation, Russell will start work as a commodities analyst with Goldman Sachs in New York.

Read Russell's thesis on commodity market volatility (pdf).

2012
May 04.

John Callan ’69 says the Postal Service deserves a real debate on reform

In an op-ed for The Hill, longtime logistics specialist John Callan ’69 calls for a more robust discussion about the future of the Postal Service.

“Since the very first e-mail was transmitted, the United States Postal Service has been headed for trouble,” Callan writes. “The United States Postal Service, which as recently as six years ago was a thriving and profitable government entity, is on the verge of collapse under staggering operational over-capacity and a rigid congressional structure that won’t allow for the radical change it so desperately needs.”

Castigating Congress for failing to pass anything more than stopgap efforts at reform, Callan says the future of the Postal Service hinges on basic questions about what services citizens are willing to pay for from the federal government.

“Our government exists to serve the people’s needs, which have changed dramatically since the inception of postal law,” he writes. “We all own our U. S. Postal Service. And we need to help Congress understand what they need to do to ensure that we continue to have what we really need from it and how much we are willing to pay for it.”

Read the full op-ed from The Hill.

2012
May 03.

Laurence Deschamps-Laporte

2012
May 02.

William deBuys

2012
April 27.

Proudly introducing the Morehead-Cain Class of 2016

The Morehead-Cain—the oldest, most prestigious merit scholarship program in the United States—is proud to introduce the class of 2016.

This fall, the program will welcome 50 scholars from around the world. The class of 2016 will include:

Twenty-five scholars from North Carolina;
Sixteen scholars from states other than North Carolina;
One scholar from Morocco;
Two Turkish scholars;
Three British scholars; and
Three Canadian scholars.

Since its founding in 1945, the Morehead-Cain has been a model for countless merit awards throughout the United States, including the University of Virginia’s Jefferson Scholars Program; Duke University’s Benjamin N. Duke Scholars Program; and Emory University’s Woodruff Scholars Program.

In addition to covering all expenses for four years of undergraduate study at UNC, the Morehead-Cain features a distinctive program of summer enrichment experiences. Over four summers, scholars have the opportunity to complete an outdoor leadership course, carry out public service in the United States or abroad, conduct research at sites across the world and gain experience in private enterprise.

The summer enrichment program, designed to broaden each scholar’s experience and worldview, is complemented during the academic year by a Discovery Fund that encourages deeper exploration of a particular interest. From attending development conferences in Geneva to shadowing emergency room doctors in Boston, Morehead-Cain scholars are given the resources to pursue educational opportunities wherever they find them.

As set out in the program’s founding documents, selection criteria for the Morehead-Cain are leadership, academic achievement, moral force of character and physical vigor. Morehead-Cain recipients are chosen solely on the basis of merit and accomplishment, not financial need.

Currently, more than 220 Morehead-Cain scholars study on campus, making outstanding contributions across the full range of University life. From student government to community service to the performing arts, Morehead-Cain Scholars play a prominent role in Carolina’s vibrant student community.

In the past ten years, twelve Morehead-Cain scholars have won Rhodes Scholarships to England’s Oxford University, one of the world’s most competitive and prestigious awards for graduate study. Since the first Morehead Scholars graduated from Carolina in 1957, 29 of UNC’s 32 Rhodes Scholars have been Morehead-Cain graduates.

Morehead-Cain Scholars have accounted for 22 of the University’s 32 Luce Scholars and 19 of Carolina’s 32 Truman Scholars, among the nation’s most generous and distinguished awards for graduate study. Twenty-six Morehead-Cain Scholars have won Fulbright Fellowships.

Like our scholars, the nearly 3,000 Morehead-Cain alumni across the world are a diverse and distinguished group. They include:

Pulitzer Prize-winning author Taylor Branch;
U.S. Congressmen Jim Cooper, Mike McIntyre and David Price;
Jonathan Reckford, chief executive officer of Habitat for Humanity International;
Karen Stevenson, a Los Angeles attorney and the first black American woman to win a Rhodes Scholarship;
Tim Sullivan, chief executive officer of Ancestry.com;
Adam Falk, president of Williams College;
Peter Blair Henry, dean of New York University’s Stern School of Business; and
Francis Collins, director of the National Institutes of Health.

For more information, please feel free to call the Foundation at 919-962-1201.

NORTH CAROLINA

Alamance

*Krunal Amin will graduate this spring from the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics in Durham, North Carolina, where he is student body president and the starting goalkeeper on the school’s championship soccer team. Krunal has a deep interest in computational science, conducting research into neuroeconomics and quantum sensing. He is also a dedicated Bhangra dancer, choreographing and performing in shows throughout the school year. Krunal is the son of Dhaval and Hema Amin of Elon, North Carolina.

Burke

Taylor Sharp will graduate this spring from Robert Patton High School in Morganton, North Carolina, where he is student body president and the founder of the student athletic boosters (colloquially known as Keller’s Yellers). Taylor is also the creative force behind Taylor Gang, a student-led television show that airs on Friday afternoons. He is a highly active member of his church, serving as youth preacher, and he volunteers his time at a local food pantry, soup kitchen, and center for the disabled. Taylor lives in Morganton and is the son of Willis Sharp and the late Amy Sharp.

Durham

*Krunal Amin will graduate this spring from the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics in Durham, North Carolina, where he is student body president and the starting goalkeeper on the school’s championship soccer team. Krunal has a deep interest in computational science, conducting research into neuroeconomics and quorum sensing. He is also a dedicated Bhangra dancer, choreographing and performing in shows throughout the school year. Krunal is the son of Dhaval and Hema Amin of Elon, North Carolina.

Nicole Behnke will graduate this spring from Trinity School in Durham, North Carolina, where she is a chemistry tutor, captain of three sports teams, and student body president. Nikki has put her French language skills to work on a service trip to Haiti and raised money for an international water charity. She is the daughter of Paul and Debra Behnke of Durham.

*Alice Huang will graduate this spring from the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics in Durham, North Carolina, where she is captain of the varsity tennis team and third chair of the school orchestra. Alice serves as a resident life assistant, organizing events and mediating disputes among her hallmates. Last summer, she interned at Chapel Hill-based EmPOWERment, Inc. Alice is the daughter of Weishi Huang and Qinghong Yang of Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

*Sarah Molina will graduate this spring from Durham Academy in Durham, North Carolina, where she is president of the honor council and co-editor of the student newspaper. She also co-edits Exurbia, the school’s literary magazine, an interest that grew out of her summer at the Duke Young Writers’ Camp. When she isn’t wielding a pencil and a stylebook, Sarah can be found hiking with her family in the North Carolina mountains. She also serves on the board of Junior Leadership Durham. Sarah is the daughter of Paul and Grace Molina of Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

**Cecilia Stefany Polanco graduated in the spring of 2011 from Northern High School in Durham, North Carolina, where she was president of the student body and founder of the international club. She has volunteered for several years with Teen Voices, helping to plan community health forums. Cecilia is the daughter of Jose Sandoval and Nora Polanco of Durham.

Edgecombe

*Emma Park will graduate this spring from Rocky Mount Academy in Rocky Mount, North Carolina, where she is the founder of a peer tutoring program, a coach for the middle school math team, and co-captain of the varsity tennis team. Emma is a competitive horseback rider, a volunteer home-builder, and an avid surfer. For several summers, she has worked as a counselor at Rocky Mount Academy’s summer camp, where she learned that “children will always hold you accountable and that four-year-olds will always win water fights.” Emma is the daughter of Frederick Park and Melanie Marshall-Park of Rocky Mount.

Forsyth

Eric Barefoot will graduate this spring from R. J. Reynolds Senior High School in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, where he is captain of the swim team and a dedicated member of the championship-winning academic team. Between hiking trips to Grayson Highlands and sailing expeditions in the Nutshell Pram he built with his father, Eric found time for a constitutional overhaul of student government and a leadership position with his YMCA Youth and Government delegation. He is the son of James Barefoot and Wendy Miller of Winston-Salem.

William Whitehurst will graduate this spring from Forsyth Country Day School in Lewisville, North Carolina, where he is president of Youth and Government and a leader on the basketball team. Will has earned the rank of Eagle Scout and serves as a mentor to younger members of his Boy Scout troop. He is also an avid pianist, equally comfortable playing blues or Broadway musicals. Will is the son of William and Jane Whitehurst of Lexington, North Carolina.

Guilford

James Thomas Gooding will graduate this spring from High Point Central High School in High Point, North Carolina, where he is a leader on the student council and a founding member of the school’s first a cappella group. Thomas is an Eagle Scout, president of the youth council at his church, and co-founder of the Interfaith Service Club. He plays both piano and guitar, and has appeared in a number of stage productions. Thomas is the son of James and Karen Gooding of High Point.

Timothy Woodard will graduate this spring from James Dudley Senior High School in Greensboro, North Carolina, where he is a Dudley Fellow and section leader in the marching band. Timothy also holds the title of Mr. James Benson Dudley High School, which places him in charge of homecoming and a variety of school service projects. He is captain of the robotics team and took second place at the North Carolina Science and Engineering Fair. Timothy lives in High Point and is the son of Donna and Timothy Woodard.

Henderson

Catherine Swift will graduate this spring from West Henderson High School in Hendersonville, North Carolina, where she is student body president and editor of the school newspaper. Catherine has also been involved in every West Henderson theater production, including a 2008 turn as Elizabeth Bennet in Pride and Prejudice. She also studied social science at the North Carolina Governor’s School. Catherine lives in Hendersonville and is the daughter of Rebecca Ellsworth and Thomas Swift.

Andrew Wells will graduate this spring from Hendersonville High School in Hendersonville, North Carolina, where he is a starter on the football team and a top-notch attorney on the mock trial team. Andrew studied mathematics at the North Carolina Governor’s School, and he founded Hendersonville High’s ultimate frisbee club. Andrew is the son of Andrew and Kathryn Wells of Flat Rock, North Carolina.

Mecklenburg

Will Almquist will graduate this spring from Charlotte Latin School in Charlotte, North Carolina, where he is editor of the school newspaper and captain of the varsity football team. Will serves on Charlotte Latin’s honor council and is a member of the Cum Laude Society. He also found time to earn his scuba diving certification. Will is the son of Perry and Robert Almquist of Charlotte.

Samantha Forlenza will graduate this spring from South Mecklenburg High School in Charlotte, North Carolina, where she is senior class president and captain of the varsity tennis team. Samantha is a leader in her church youth group and a prolific tutor to fellow students. She also somehow finds time for a cardio funk class at the YMCA. She is the daughter of Julie and David Forlenza of Charlotte.

*Emily Grohs will graduate this spring from St. Andrew’s School in Middletown, Delaware, where she is school co-president and head of the Gay-Straight Alliance. Emily volunteers after school at the local Boys & Girls Club and and is head of the St. Andrew’s vestry service group. She wishes her life were a musical, and has served as the stage manager for school musicals at St. Andrew’s. Emily is from Charlotte and is the daughter of Lara Troy and Detlef Grohs.

Neha Kukreja will graduate this spring from Providence Day School in Charlotte, North Carolina, where she is a class officer in student government and the captain of the varsity dance team. Neha also founded the school’s ping pong club and served as emcee for Charlotte’s Festival of India. She is the daughter of Atul and Neeta Kukreja of Waxhaw, North Carolina.

Ariana Lutterman will graduate this spring from Myers Park High School in Charlotte, North Carolina, where she participates in an eclectic array of organized dance (ballet, hip-hop, jazz, Flamenco, modern, African). Ariana has led fundraising campaigns for a school in Sierra Leone and for pancreatic cancer research. She is also an accomplished writer, having won the National Council of Teachers of English essay contest. She is the daughter of Leona Miller and Joel Lutterman of Charlotte.

Brent McKnight will graduate this spring from Covenant Day School in Matthews, North Carolina, where he is senior class president and a member of the National Honor Society. As a self-taught computer whiz, Brent has helped establish two computer labs in Haiti as part of the school’s mission trips. An Eagle Scout, Brent also received the Boy Scouts National Heroism Award for saving a man’s life. Brent lives in Charlotte, North Carolina, and is the son of Beth McKnight and the late Brent McKnight, Sr.

Nash

New Hanover

Stephen Cone will graduate this spring from E. A. Laney High School in Wilmington, North Carolina, where he is president of student government and captain of the soccer team. Stephen has researched aquaculture at UNC-Wilmington, volunteered at the Boys & Girls Club, and participated in North Carolina Boys State. When he isn’t on the golf course, Stephen finds time for both saltwater and freshwater fishing. He is the son of Caroline and Steve Cone of Wilmington.

Fields Pierce will graduate this spring from Cape Fear Academy in Wilmington, North Carolina, where he serves as editor of the school newspaper and plays on the varsity basketball and soccer teams. Fields has already been elected Speaker of the House and Governor of North Carolina as part of the YMCA Youth and Government program, which puts his student body presidency in perspective. Fields lives in Wilmington and is the son of Virginia and James Pierce.

Orange

Rowan

*Hunter Latimer will graduate this spring from Gray Stone Day School in Misenheimer, North Carolina, where she is senior president of the student council and captain of the track and cross country teams. Hunter is an active member of her church youth group and a volunteer for the Rowan Youth Services Bureau, where she worked with at-risk teenagers. She is the daughter of Harrison and Carol Latimer of Salisbury, North Carolina.

Stanly

Union

*Neha Kukreja will graduate this spring from Providence Day School in Charlotte, North Carolina, where she is a class officer in student government and the captain of the varsity dance team. Neha also founded the school’s ping pong club and served as emcee for Charlotte’s Festival of India. She is the daughter of Atul and Neeta Kukreja of Waxhaw, North Carolina.

Kacey Williams will graduate this spring from Piedmont High School in Monroe, North Carolina, where she serves as president of student government and captains the varsity soccer team. Kacey founded a community garden that supplies food to a local homeless shelter, and she serves on the Ronald McDonald Teen Advisory Board. Kacey is the daughter of Karen and John Williams of Monroe.

Wake

Claire Bennett will graduate this spring from Sanderson High School in Raleigh, North Carolina, where she is editor of the school newspaper and founder of the school’s speech and debate club. Claire is captain of the varsity tennis team and a volunteer tennis coach for Raleigh Parks & Recreation. She also found time to organize an SAT prep book exchange, collecting lightly used books to share with the next generation of test-takers. She is the daughter of Mary and Brian Bennett of Raleigh.

Lindsay Gorman will graduate this spring from Millbrook High School in Raleigh, North Carolina, where she is president of the senior class and a section editor for the yearbook. Lindsay is a varsity cheerleader, and has served as a coach for the special-needs cheerleading team. She also attended North Carolina Governor’s School East. Lindsay is the daughter of Lori and Kevin Gorman of Raleigh.

Larry Han will graduate this spring from Leesville Road High School in Raleigh, North Carolina, where he is a peer tutor in several subjects and the event coordinator for Future Business Leaders of America. Larry is a dedicated golfer, having once finished a round in the middle of a snowstorm. He attended the Raleigh Academy of Chinese Language for eleven years, graduating with highest honors. Larry is the son of Bajin Han and Xiaomin Li of Raleigh.

OTHER STATES

Alabama

Kristyn Wilson will graduate this spring from the Randolph School in Huntsville, Alabama, where she is president of the honor council and captain of the cross country team. Kristyn is also a captain on the swim team, and she spends her summers as a swim coach and lifeguard at a local pool. She also serves as a student ambassador for Randolph, acting as a liaison between the school and the community. Kristyn is the daughter of Peter and Martha Wilson of Huntsville.

Connecticut

Ina Kosova will graduate this spring from the Taft School in Watertown, Connecticut, where she is editor of the school’s Global Journal and head of the Model UN club. Ina is a Davis Scholar and a devoted reader of classic literature. She is the daughter of Lucjan and Monika Kosova of Middlebury, Connecticut.

Delaware

Georgia

Peter Diaz will graduate this spring from the Lovett School in Atlanta, Georgia, where he is president of the student body and a four-year member of the cross country team. Peter is an Eagle Scout with 21 merit badges to his credit, and he has played lacrosse since the fifth grade. He also plays a mean upright bass in the nationally recognized Ellington Jazz Band. Peter is the son of Peter and Melissa Diaz of Atlanta.

Blake Hauser will graduate this spring from the Westminster Schools in Atlanta, Georgia, where she is captain of the crew team and leader of the school’s competitive robotics team. Blake has been a math tutor, a summer camp counselor, and an intern at the Centers for Disease Control. In a nod to wide-ranging interests, she lists both “CIA agent” and “college professor” on her list of career possibilities. Blake is the daughter of Elizabeth and Michael Hauser of Marietta, Georgia.

Illinois

Elizabeth Schroeder will graduate this spring from Oak Park and River Forest High School in Oak Park, Illinois, where she is president of Best Buddies and was named Outstanding Student in History. Elizabeth is also a talented wheel thrower (pottery maker), having once sculpted 26 pottery bowls in 12 hours as part of the school’s All-Night-Bowl-A-Thon. She is the daughter of Ann and James Schroeder of River Forest, Illinois.

Indiana

Channing John Mitzell will graduate this spring from the Culver Academies in Culver, Indiana, where he is regimental commander of Culver’s Corps of Cadets and president of the campus activities board. Jack rows crew and plays basketball, and he made it his mission at Culver to create a sense of “Maroon Madness” around the basketball team. He is the son of Sarah and Channing Mitzell of Westfield, Indiana.

Maryland

Rhea Wyse will graduate this spring from James Hubert Blake High School in Silver Spring, Maryland, where she is president of student government, president of the National Honor Society, and a multi-instrumentalist in the Roaring Bengals Marching Band. Rhea has conducted genomic research with the National Institutes of Health and volunteered regularly at her local hospital. She is the daughter of Janet and Melville Wyse of Silver Spring.

Massachusetts

James Williams will graduate this spring from Brooks School in North Andover, Massachusetts, where he is student body president and founder of the school robotics team. James has been a varsity basketball player since freshman year, and last summer he summited a 14,000-foot peak in the Colorado Rockies. He is fluent in Mandarin, having spent a summer studying in Beijing. James is the son of Scott and Elisabeth Williams of North Andover.

Missouri

Jacob Bernstein will graduate this spring from Clayton High School in Clayton, Missouri, where is captain of the cross country team and sports editor for the school newsmagazine. Jacob is an Eagle Scout and a member of the Mayor’s Youth Advisory Council, and he oversaw the 2011 Saint Louis Youth and Family Volunteer Fair. He is the son of Moira and Brad Bernstein of Saint Louis.

Elizabeth Soffer will graduate this spring from the John Burroughs School in Saint Louis, Missouri, where she is a leader in student congress and president of the security council in Model UN. Elizabeth won the LMI Aerospace/D3 Technologies Award for her research into the neurodevelopment of premature infants, and she hopes to continue studying global health issues at Carolina. She also heads up her school’s diversity club and volunteers at the Casa de Salud medical clinic in Saint Louis. Elizabeth is the daughter of Mary Beth and Allen Soffer.

New Hampshire

Ian Gallager will graduate this spring from St. Paul’s School in Concord, New Hampshire, where he is co-captain of the cross country team, a member of the varsity ski team, and a prefect. Ian is an accomplished pianist, having won statewide competitions and performed in Italy, and a slightly less accomplished fisherman (“I’ve caught exactly one trout.”). He is the son of Kenneth and Sharon Gallager of Concord.

Pennsylvania

John Sincavage will graduate this spring from West Chester East High School in West Chester, Pennsylvania, where he is student council president and founder of the Teens 4 Kids annual charity concert. As part of the competitive Allied Health Program, John spends part of each school day shadowing hospital rotations and attending physiology courses alongside medical professionals. He also finds time to man the Snack Shack at every home football game, which is possibly a more stressful environment than the hospital. John is the son of John and Patricia Sincavage of Malvern, Pennsylvania.

South Carolina

Caroline Lowery will graduate this spring from Ashley Hall School in Charleston, South Carolina, where she is class president and a devoted classics scholar. Caroline interned at the USDA’s honeybee laboratory in Beltsville, Maryland, and is writing a senior thesis on the history of beekeeping. She also serves as president of the school’s baking society, which has evolved under her watch from a recreational group into a service organization, donating baked goods to hospitals and local charities. Caroline is the daughter of Robert and Cynthia Lowery of Charleston.

Tennessee

Caroline Orr will graduate this spring from Hutchison School in Memphis, Tennessee, where she is the arts editor of the school literary magazine and a state champion tennis player. Caroline is a talented visual artist, having been featured in four exhibitions, and she has used her artwork to raise money for a Tanzanian school. She also found time during the summer of 2010 to reach the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro. Caroline is the daughter of R. Wilson and Caroline Orr of Memphis.

Texas

Tavia Gonzalez Peña will graduate this spring from the Hockaday School in Dallas, Texas, where she is president of the Human Rights Committee and and president of the Spanish Honor Society. Tita is a competitive golfer, helping to defend Hockaday’s conference title, and an avid runner. She also volunteers at the Scottish Rite Hospital for Children. Tita is the daughter of Holly and Carlos Gonzalez Peña of Dallas.

INTERNATIONAL

Canada

Laura Limarzi will graduate this spring from Assumption College School in Windsor, Ontario, where she is prime minister of the student council. Laura was selected to represent Canada at the Hugh O’ Brian Youth Leadership World Congress in Los Angeles, and she served on the planning committee for the Ontario Catholic Student Leadership Conference. She is also a regular volunteer at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish. Laura is the daughter of Bruno and Rosemary Limarzi of Windsor.

Patrick Lung will graduate this spring from Marc Garneau Collegiate Institute in East York, Ontario, where he is co-chair of the Top Tutors program and external affairs officer for the student council. Patrick interned last summer at the Canadian Institute for Theoretical Astrophysics, where he studied star formation. He is also a first-aid volunteer and recruiter for St. John Ambulance Youth Organization. Patrick is the son of Martin Lung and Suk Ying Leung of North York, Ontario.

Karine Martel will graduate this spring from École Communautaire Réal-Bérard in Saint-Pierre-Jolys, Manitoba, where she coaches eighth-grade volleyball, tutors younger students, and served as school president during her junior year. Karine has been part of an arctic research expedition and spent a summer volunteering in a reconciliation program in Rwanda. She is also a regular volunteer at the local senior center. Karine is the daughter of Brian and Michèle Martel of Saint-Pierre-Jolys.

England

James Ellsmoor will graduate this spring from Newcastle-under-Lyme School in Newcastle-under-Lyme, England, where he founded the school’s first environmental committee and squared off against his own principal as part of the public speaking and debating society. James is an elected member of the European Youth Parliament and a volunteer for the Shropshire Wildlife Trust. He is the son of Stephen and Jane Ellsmoor of Crewe, England.

Sam Fletcher will graduate this spring from Winchester College in Winchester, England, where he has directed two plays and starred in several others while also overseeing the school newsmagazine. Sam has served as a prefect, won a poetry competition, and represented Winchester in national tennis competitions. He is the son of Piers and Paula Fletcher of Salisbury, England.

Imogen Schofield will graduate this spring from Sedbergh School in Cumbria, England, where she is the head of school and the recipient of a Rank Foundation Scholarship. Imogen is an accomplished flautist and a member of several academic societies. She also found time to complete a 464-mile sailing race aboard a 42-foot Royal Artillery yacht. Imogen lives in Kirklington, England and is the daughter of Alison Hollins and John Woodman Schofield.

South Africa

Zakaria Merdi will graduate this spring from the African Leadership Academy in Northcliff, South Africa, where he is chairman of student government and founder of the nonprofit organization Child2Child. Zakaria served as chairman of the Moroccan Parliament of the Child and was voted best delegate at a Model UN conference in Doha, Quatar. He is the son of Nejwa and Abdelaziz Merdi of Agadir, Morocco.

Turkey

Türker Bulut will graduate this spring from Robert College in Istanbul, Turkey, where he is president of the student council, a peer tutor, and a prefect. Türker is also comfortable on stage, having progressed from minor parts to lead roles as part of the Turkish Theatre Company. He also served as a junior counselor at the Robert College Summer Camp. Türker is the son of Esin Saltan of Balikesir.

Dicle Kara will graduate this spring from the Koc School in Istanbul, Turkey, where she is the founder and editor of the school’s first English-language newspaper and organized an interschool law workshop. Dicle is a member of the European Youth Parliament, and she has given presentations abroad as part of the European Comenius Project. She is the daughter of Omer and Hatice Kara of Antalya.

**took a gap year in 2011-2012

2012
April 27.

John Motley Morehead III

2012
April 26.

On Inside Carolina, Benton Moss ’15 talks about the balance between athletics and academics

In an interview with Inside Carolina, Benton Moss ’15 talks about the joys and pressures of his first season with the Tar Heel baseball team.

As a starting pitcher during his freshman year, Benton has worked to balance the rigors of Carolina with the intensity of a Division I practice and game schedule. Matt Clements of Inside Carolina asked directly about the unique challenge of being a Morehead-Cain Scholar and an All-American athlete.

“How is it as a Morehead Scholar to balance your athletics and academics?” Clements asked. “Does being a starting pitcher make it easier to plan your week ahead?”

Moss replied: “To the last question – yes, it does. Because you know exactly what you are going to do every day of the week from the beginning of practice to the end. You know what kind of sleep you can afford to get or lose during the week or whatever especially with academics. It is especially tough during the week because it is the University of North Carolina – it is not a joke. Academics here are challenging. For sure it is easier as a starter but at the same time any of these guys in here will tell you that balancing the student with the athlete part takes a lot of discipline.”

Read the full interview from Inside Carolina.

2012
April 24.

Jarrard Cole

2012
April 24.

As President Obama visits campus, Mark Laichena ’12 says college costs are unsustainable

Obama, and the cost of college

By Mark Laichena ’12
The Daily Tar Heel

If only President Barack Obama were here today to talk about a real solution to the cost of a college education.

I don’t mean to suggest that the interest rate on student loans isn’t a big deal — it’s huge.

If the interest rate on federal loans doubles (to 6.8 percent), it will cost 7.4 million students $1,000 per year.

But as a problem for young people and rest of the country, it’s just a tiny part of much bigger issues: the soaring cost of college and the challenges faced by graduates entering the labor market.

One can certainly understand the focus on the loan rate subsidy, since it’s clear and achievable.

It would cost $6 billion — the equivalent of two new attack submarines (the U.S. is building 30 of them), or just less than one quarter of the projected $25 billion profit from the 2008 bank bailout. If Congress can agree, then the problem is solved, for another year at least.

But while better than nothing, it’s no more than a Band-Aid to the seemingly inexorable rise in the cost of college.

In the past decade, tuition and fees grew at a rate of 5.6 percent more than that of inflation at public universities and 2.6 percent more than inflation at private universities.

To put that into perspective, college costs are growing even faster than health care costs, and it’s been that way since the 1980s.

So student debt is at an all-time high: Seniors who graduated in 2010 had just over $25,000 in debt on average; at more than $1 trillion, total student loan debt is greater than total credit card debt.

But the cost increases aren’t translating into an education of greater value to graduates.

Lifetime statistics may suggest that a college education offers an earnings premium of hundreds of thousands of dollars, but try telling that to the more than half of all graduates under the age of 25 who either are unemployed or work in jobs that don’t require a degree.

UNC students are fortunate that many of these challenges hardly apply to them: As a top research university with an average graduate debt of just $15,472, a UNC education would remain a worthwhile investment even at increased cost.

But if the cost of college continues to rise, and college attendance remains the primary hope for success, more and more Americans will end up with a huge debt burden to attain a degree with no guarantees of its value.

So that’s the real challenge for the president: how to arrest educational inflation, not merely ease the burden through loan subsidies.

The college cost strategy Obama announced in January had some good ideas, like tying federal aid to affordability.

But it also relied on some unlikely premises, like a $1 billion Race to the Top competition effectively incentivizing states to reform higher education, when they can collectively get far more by raising tuition. (Last year’s increase by the University of California system alone raised $200 million.)

For the president in an election year, it may seem like a good bet to focus on the short-term issue of loan subsidies.

But what America needs is a broader and more sustained focus on the real issues behind college affordability — for today’s students, and those of the future.

Visit the Daily Tar Heel website for more.

2012
April 22.

Trevor Dougherty

2012
April 22.

Sallie Krawcheck ’87 says banks should back consumer regulator

Sallie Krawcheck ’87, former head of Bank of America’s wealth management division and the former chief financial officer for Citigroup, is calling on banks to embrace a new federal regulator that the finance industry has largely opposed.

In an opinion piece published this week in Politico, Krawcheck says that banks shouldn’t be satisfied with profiting from customer inertia. “Transparency and portability could unleash a significant wave of innovation benefiting the customer,” she writes. “Across the industry, consumer satisfaction rates probably would rise, putting the industry on more stable footing with customers.”

Krawcheck also takes issue with the copious disclosure statements banks currently use for everything from checking accounts to investment products. “Research shows that almost no one reads these disclosures,” Krawcheck notes. “In fact, even the people who say they read it apparently do not — since they are unable to answer questions about the contents.”

Moving to a simpler, more customer-friendly system would help to restore customer confidence in the battered finance industry, she contends.

Read the full piece in Politico,

Read Krawcheck's recent interview with Marie Claire.