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University Relations Tip Sheet - November 2, 2004

Bad call: Exit polls could taint news reports on Election Day
On election night, eager voters look to the news media for up-to-the-minute results. But after several missed calls in key states during the 2000 presidential election, many news organizations will have to prove they can be trusted on Nov. 2, says a Georgia State University professor. “Since the election process is so decentralized and there’s no central tabulation of votes, we have to rely on the news media to add them up,” says Jennifer McCoy, an associate professor of political science. But the media’s heavy reliance on exit polls to predict winners, along with uncertainty about the accuracy of new voting machines, could pose a big problem on Election Day, McCoy says. “Exit polls are asking the voters as they come out of the voting booth how they voted – voters don’t always tell the truth, or they may not want to reveal their vote to the pollster, depending on how they perceive the pollster or because they want to keep their vote secret,” she says. “Relying on exit polls can be risky and they create expectations of who is actually winning if they reveal the results during the day.” McCoy, who has monitored elections across the world, is fluent in Spanish. Contact her at 404/651-4847 or jmccoy@gsu.edu.

Election outcome likely to reshape Supreme Court
The war in Iraq has overshadowed the future makeup of the U.S. Supreme Court as a presidential election issue this year. But the recent hospitalization of Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist has revived speculation about what a revised court could mean for the future of the country. If Rehnquist retires, whoever wins the presidential election would pick the next leader of the court and possibly make several other appointments as well. Rehnquist has been a major proponent of state’s rights as opposed to federal power, and his departure could weaken that movement, says Neil Kinkopf, a Georgia State University constitutional-law expert who is available to comment on various court scenarios. Weighted with conservatives, many of the court’s closest cases are decided on 5-4 votes. “New appointees could forge consensus, wherein the last decade it’s been chaotic, with no consistent majorities for any particular position on issues ranging from campaign-finance reform to lobbying regulation to redistricting,” Kinkopf says. Contact him at 404/651-0892 or nkinkopf@gsu.edu.

Urban rainfall research precipitates debate
Scientific data support what many city dwellers have long suspected -- summertime really is hotter in the city. That’s because cities laden with man-made surfaces, such as roads and buildings, readily absorb and retain heat, elevating ambient temperatures. These urban “heat-islands” spawn cloud formation, destabilize the atmosphere and can even enhance area rainfall totals. Not surprisingly, with its explosive growth and development, Atlanta is affected by the phenomenon. But which areas of Atlanta are affected is a matter of debate. NASA scientists have found that rainfall tends to concentrate to the city’s south and southeast. But Georgia State University geography professor Jeremy Diem disagrees, saying that what NASA scientists are calling urban-impacted precipitation may simply be rainfall associated with tropical weather systems, not with urban heat-island effects. In fact, Diem's research indicates that urban-impacted precipitation may be occurring just where he expects it to – north and northeast of Atlanta. For more information, contact Diem at 404/651-3232 or gegjed@langate.gsu.edu.

Georgia hospitals find innovative ways to care for uninsured
Hospitals throughout Georgia are finding innovative ways to address the needs of the uninsured, according to the latest issues brief published by the Georgia Health Policy Center at Georgia State University. The state’s hospitals are required by law to spend 15 percent of certain federal funding on community-based primary care services. Senior research associate Glenn Landers says the requirement – the only one of its kind at present -- “is a prime example of a state policy that aligns federal and local resources to improve health status at the community level, and it empowers local hospitals to spend their primary care dollars in ways that meet the unique needs of their own communities.” For example, in recent years Athens Regional Medical Center fulfilled the 15-percent requirement by supporting a nurse midwifery program for women who were ineligible for Medicaid and lacking private insurance. Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital in Albany reduced hospitalizations through operation of a chronic disease management program. In fiscal year 2004, Georgia’s primary care requirement resulted in more than $63 million in local primary care projects, Landers says. Contact him at 404/463-9562 or glanders@gsu.edu.

Study: Teaching imprisoned youth challenging, but worth it
Across the nation, the number of kids in juvenile correctional facilities is on the rise. In Georgia alone, the Department of Juvenile Justice interacts with nearly 60,000 youths each year. Most of those entering correctional facilities have a broad range of educational, mental health, medical and social needs, says David Houchins, assistant professor of educational psychology and special education at Georgia State University. Despite the challenges, attracting and retaining teachers to work with incarcerated youth hasn’t been difficult, says Houchins, who recently completed a study of Georgia’s juvenile justice teachers. Though they experienced greater stress than public school teachers and spent more time handling behavior-management issues -- many respondents expressed concerns about sexual harassment, lewd behavior and unsafe working environments – the teachers nevertheless expressed greater overall job satisfaction than their peers, according to the study. Contact Houchins at 404/651-0122 or dhouchins@gsu.edu.

Happening at Georgia State University:

Education expert speaks on teaching, juvenile justice
David Houchins, assistant professor of educational psychology and special education, will discuss “Teaching in Georgia’s Juvenile Justice System” at 10 a.m. Nov. 4 in Suite 300, College of Education building. The lecture is presented by the Center for School Safety, School Climate and Classroom Management as part of its brown-bag lecture series. Free and open to the public; refreshments will be served. For more information, call 404/651-3438 or e-mail schoolsafety@gsu.edu.

Performance highlights post-election landscape
Two days after the 2004 presidential elections, a group of artists will celebrate, mourn and wonder about the state of American politics during “I Wish to Say – A One-Night, Post-Election Performance Art Event” at 6 p.m. Nov. 4 at the Rialto Center for the Performing Arts. Inspired by artist Sheryl Oring’s recent Atlanta appearance, the event features performances by Seaberg Acrobatic Poetry, Angus Galloway, the Eboni Poets, Cecelia Kane, Deidra Lynn Currie, Conne Thalken and Elizabeth Turk. For more information, call 404/651-0489 or visit www.gsu.edu/artgallery.

Scholar to speak on Supreme Court issues
Duke University law professor Walter Dellinger will discuss the state of “The Supreme Court Today” at 6 p.m. Nov. 4 in the Georgia State University Student Center Speaker’s Auditorium as part of the College of Law’s Henry J. Miller Distinguished Lecture Series. Dellinger served as acting solicitor general for the 1996-97 term of the U.S. Supreme Court, arguing nine cases -- the most of any solicitor general in 20 years. After serving as an advisor to Bill Clinton on constitutional issues in early 1993, he was nominated by the president to serve as assistant attorney general and confirmed by the U.S. Senate for that position in October 1993. Free and open to the public. For more information, call Vickie Dye at 1-4360 or vdye@gsu.edu, or visit http://law.gsu.edu/alumni/millerlectures.php?version=html.

Rialto Series presents traditional Indian dance, music
A 12-member cast of dancers and musicians -- cultural ambassadors of South India’s rich classical history -- will present episodes of the divine manifestations of Lord Ganesha in a full-length ballet based on texts dating back 2,000 years at 8 p.m. Nov. 5 at the Rialto Center for the Performing Arts. Exquisitely costumed and visually stunning, “Gajamukha” is presented with live accompaniment by five renowned Indian musicians and features original lyrics in Sanskrit and Tamil. Accompanying English narration makes the performance accessible to all audiences. Tickets range from $32-$56 and are available at the Rialto Box Office, by phone at 404/651-4727, or on the Web at www.rialtocenter.org.

Mirror Project presents three new films about children and violence
The Mirror Project, a 12-year-old social-documentary organization, presents a screening and discussion of three films about and by children at 7 p.m. Nov. 11 in the Speaker’s Auditorium of the Georgia State University Student Center. Colombia-born Roberto Arévalo founded the project in Boston in 1992 with the goal of using documentary filmmaking as a tool for self-analysis and social reflection. He relocated it a year ago to the Digital Arts and Entertainment Laboratory at Georgia State. Admission is free. For more, contact Arévalo at 404/651-0574 or visit www.mirrorproject.org.

University Symphony Orchestra to perform Beethoven, others
The Georgia State University School of Music presents the University Symphony Orchestra in concert at 3 p.m. Nov. 14 at the Rialto Center for the Performing Arts. Under the direction of conductor Michael Palmer and graduate assistant conductor Andrea Botelho, the program features Beethoven's Coriolanus Overture and Symphony No. 5 in C Minor, and Mozart's Motet for Soprano and Orchestra "Exsultate Jubilate." Admission is free. For more, call 404/651-INFO.

Quarterly economic forecasting conference planned for Nov. 17
Georgia State University’s Economic Forecasting Center will hold its next conference from 8-11:45 a.m. Nov. 17 in the Student Center Speaker’s Auditorium. Center director Rajeev Dhawan will deliver his “Forecast of the Nation, State and Region” at 10:30 a.m. His presentation will be preceded by discussions of “Oil Price Shock: Past, Present and Future” at 8:35 a.m., presented by Larry Kimbell, former director of the University of California at Los Angeles’ Forecasting Project; “Information Technology - When’s the Next Boom?” at 8:55 a.m. by Richard Baskerville, Georgia State professor of computer information systems; “What is Right with Health Care” at 9:15 a.m. by Timothy Stack, president and CEO of Piedmont Medical Center; and “Georgia’s High Performance Ports: Taking It to the Next Level” at 9:35 a.m. by Robert Morris, director of external affairs for the Georgia Port Authority. Registration is required for all attendees except media personnel. For more information, contact the center at 404/651-3298 or efc@gsu.edu, or visit http://www.cba.gsu.edu/efc/index.html.

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