Subscribe | UPI Odd Newsletter Subscribe SAME-RACE HEALTH CARE PROVIDER WANTED One in 5 blacks state a preference for a same-race health care provider, according to a University of Cincinnati study. Advertisement Sociologist Jennifer Malat says the preference is based on personal experience with unfair treatment. "This is startling," says Malat. "It is contrary to the prevalent thinking. I think that it has been a lot easier for people working on the front lines of health care to say that this tendency was based on past problems with racist behavior." Malat says her study suggests the past is not a valid argument -- "the only predictor for blacks preferring a same-race doctor or nurse is unfair treatment experienced personally or by a family member." BALLOT ORDER DOES MATTER The ordering of candidate names on ballots in the upcoming California recall election likely will affect the outcome if the state's presidential election is a guide. In the 2000 presidential race, George W. Bush received 9 percent more votes among Californians when he was listed first on the ballot than when he was listed later, according to a study by Ohio State University. "Even in high profile elections such as the presidential race and upcoming recall contest, name order on the ballot can make a big difference," says Jon Krosnick, professor of psychology and political science at Ohio State. Advertisement CHANGING COLLEGE EATING Award-winning restaurateur Alice Waters is changing the way college students and administrators approach college dining. "The essence of it is to integrate food into the curriculum at Yale (University)," Waters says. "When 1 out of every 3 kids is likely to be obese, I think the importance of what we eat is hitting home in a shocking way." This week, the kitchen staff at Yale finished its training in a pilot program called the sustainable food project, the New York Times reports. The goal is to convert one of the university's 12 dining halls into a showcase for cooking with as many locally grown products as possible and a platform to educate students about the importance of what they eat.
