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March 9, 1998
Chancellor Greenwood was quoted in two different stories in mid-February on the function in obese people of Lepti--a hormone that signals people on when to stop eating. The first story appeared in the Chicago Tribune and was picked up by the Seattle Times. In the story, Greenwood observes that genes that were invaluable to people in times of food scarcity work against us now in our culture of little activity and excessive high-calorie foods. The Associated Press ran a story on the same subject that also quoted Greenwood. That story was picked up by the Orange County Register, the Garden State Press, and the San Mateo Times.
Sociologist Craig Reinarman wrote a lengthy article for the San Jose Mercury News Perspective section on the war on drugs and its escalating cost to society. The article is based on Reinarman's book, Crack in America: Demon Drugs and Social Justice (University of California Press), written with Harry Levine and published last fall.
The Los Angeles Times tapped elephant seal expert Burney Le Boeuf for a story that addressed the viewing of marine mammals.
An exhibit of work by painter Patrick Aherne earned a rave review from San Francisco Chronicle art critic Kenneth Baker. "If recognition kept pace with accomplishment, Patrick Aherne would be one of Northern California's most celebrated painters," he said. . . . And Chicago's New Art Examiner quoted artist E. G. Crichton for a story on teaching new media.
Joining the local debate on Proposition 227, the controversial initiative to limit bilingual education in California, was psychology's Barry McLaughlin, who penned an opinion piece for the Santa Cruz County Sentinel. McLaughlin argues that instead of doing away with bilingual education we should be promoting two-way immersion programs and encouraging bilingualism in all students. McLaughlin's op ed appeared in the January 19 issue of Currents online.
UCSC's New Teacher Project, in which successful veteran teachers coach first- and second-year teachers, was glowingly portrayed in an article in the Santa Cruz County Sentinel. With class-size reductions, new teachers are being hired in California in record numbers, many with only emergency teaching credentials, and state school officials are looking closely at the New Teacher Project as a model for getting these rookies the help they need. Project director Ellen Moir and outreach coordinator Barbara Davis are quoted in the story.
UCSC students Audrey Johnson and Brynn Kusic were pictured on the front page of the business section of the San Jose Mercury News taking part in a protest in San Jose. Environmental and labor groups oppose a proposed free-trade accord, which, they say, would lead to sweatshops and environmental degradation.