Eric Pesale

Recent articles

Smart Start, More at Four face major cuts

Two early childhood development programs that are used in Orange County could face cuts up to 20 percent if the N.C. House of Representatives budget is passed. The house budget proposal designed to counter a budget shortfall of at least $2.4 billion could result in major cuts for schools, including a 20 percent cut for both Smart Start and More at Four Pre-Kindergarten. APR 26

Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools’ new superintendent sets expectations

After leading a Connecticut public school system during its rise from 30th to 8th-best in the state, Thomas Forcella is ready for a change of scenery. APR 21

UNC Health Care sees growth

UNC Health Care will likely have to look off campus or renovate current spaces when considering growth of its facilities. In the last two to three months, patient beds have been occupied at 90 percent to 100 percent — the symptom of an aging and growing Triangle population — and UNC Health Care is among many area providers trying to figure out how to best serve patients. APR 18

Town debates shelter tonight

After two years of debate, Chapel Hill residents will be able to discuss whether a local homeless shelter should get a new home. MAR 22

Chapel Hill working to curb illegal parking

Chapel Hill police, parking enforcement and towing companies are pursuing similar strategies in an effort to curb illegal parking in the Chapel Hill area. MAR 15

UNC club ice hockey raises profile with tournament

As UNC’s club ice hockey team scored goals against opponents at Hillsborough’s Triangle SportsPlex this weekend, they also scored assists for the county’s local profile. For the first time, the UNC club hosted the Atlantic Coast Collegiate Hockey League Championship Tournament, placing fourth out of seven teams. The competition was held Friday through Sunday. FEB 20

Chapel Hill Library’s permanent location to be decided

The future of the Chapel Hill Public Library will be decided tonight. The Chapel Hill Town Council will vote on whether to accept a proposal from Madison Marquette to permanently move the library from its 100 Library Drive location to the current location of Dillard’s at University Mall. FEB 15

IFC shelter displayed to community

The the Inter-Faith Council for Social Service set up an open house Sunday to show members of the Chapel Hill community the state of its facility at 100 W. Rosemary St. FEB 8

Nutcracker draws on rich history

When Robert Weiss saw a production of George Balanchine’s influential New York City Ballet production of “The Nutcracker” as a child, he knew immediately that he wanted to become a dancer.

“When the lights went down and the curtain went up, you’re transported into a magical world where anything is possible,” Weiss said.

“And I said, ‘That’s the world I want to live in.’”

DEC 7

Exhibition showcases sculptures

From Franklin Street to the Southern Village Green, new sculptures are popping up around Chapel Hill.
DEC 1

Author to share ﬁction work

Andrea Barrett, a 2003 Pulitzer Prize-nominated author famed for her historical fiction, will give the last public reading as part of the Creative Writing Program’s new Living Writers course today.
NOV 5

Artist brings Cuban ﬂavor

Some people cherish their nicknames. Cuban printmaker Eduardo “Choco” Roca Salazar, a current visiting artist at UNC’s art department, didn’t cherish his at first.

“When I was thirteen, one of my peers at school gave me the name ‘chocolate,’ after a boxer named Chocolatico Pérez,” he said.

“I begged people not to call me that, but somehow it stuck.”
OCT 30

Lyrics for life

Due to an reporting error, this story misstated which day Chuck D spoke on campus. He appeared Monday. The Daily Tar Heel apologizes for the error.

OCT 16

New art exhibition arrives at UNC

After the passing of UNC alumnus Sidney Siegel, ’39, art enthusiast Shirley Siegel said she wanted to give something back to the University he loved.

“My husband was an amateur sculptor,” she said Sunday. “He loved Chapel Hill and was particularly fond of the Ackland and small museums.”
NOV 23

Short ﬁlms depict diaspora

Some study the intricacies of the African diaspora as an academic subject, but one film series will work the matter into a relaxing lunchtime discussion.

“It’s a ‘chill-out’ time,” said Ursula Littlejohn, program coordinator of the Sonja Haynes Stone Center, which hosts the 2009 Hekima Film Discussion Series.

“We hope it will be a small oasis in the middle of a hectic day,” she said.

The event’s first short film, “Kwame,” chronicles the struggles of an exiled former Ghanian Army captain living in Los Angeles.
SEP 25

TOMS Chief Shoe-Giver Blake Mycoskie speaks at UNC

For a man who ran his own student laundry service in college, started his own technology company and competed on the “Amazing Race,” fashion was foreign territory — especially shoes.

“I didn’t know anything about retail or fashion,” said Blake Mycoskie, founder and “chief shoe- giver” of TOMS Shoes, in a speech Wednesday.

He explained to an overflowing Gerrard Hall that he was inspired to start up his company to help impoverished children while in Argentina.

The idea for TOMS Shoes was sparked by a conversation with American volunteers in a Buenos Aires cafe.
SEP 18

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Artist Eduardo "Choco" Roca Salazar visits UNC

Visiting artist and printmaker Eduardo “Choco” Roca Salazar, has gained international fame for his work. And he even has some famous fans who have sponsored his art.

Choco said that he personally knows both Fidel Castro and his brother, Cuban President Raúl Castro.

Keeping up with the Castros
DEC 8

Student of the Week: Kaitlin Groundwater

While Groundwater still swims in the pools at UNC, it’s for an entirely different reason. She currently plays forward for UNC Underwater Hockey.

“It seemed like a change of pace from swimming laps, which in general is pretty boring,” Groundwater said.

“It seemed enticing. I showed up for the first practice and it was definitely different, nothing like any other sport I played before.”

Groundwater, who is planning to go to medical school after graduation, is now the team’s president. The club currently has 12 to 15 active members, and regularly recruits for their year-round season. APR 24

UNC Bucket List #88: Eat cheese fries at Linda’s on Franklin Street

When it comes to getting some good late-night greasy food, Linda’s Bar and Grill was never the first place that came to mind. Usually when I’m buzzed or hammered (and yes, ladies & gents, I’m over 21) I’ll usually head on over to Time-Out for a western omelet with cheese or grab Mexican food out at Qdoba or Cosmic Cantina. But Linda’s? Never been.

I always thought it was a restaurant for some reason. In fact, I had always wondered if it was still in business since I never saw people walk in or out. None of my friends had ever talked about it, and since I felt all too comfortable in my usual Franklin St. haunts, I never really thought about visiting it.

That was, however, until I heard about Linda’s cheese fries. APR 25

Student of the Week: Erin Edwards

Most students go to UNC Student Stores to buy textbooks, try on basketball jerseys, or even check out the magazines at Bull’s Head Bookshop .

Erin Edwards, however, goes there to ride the escalators with her golden retriever, Duncan. Edwards, a 3L at UNC School of Law and a chemistry major from UNC-Greensboro , trains service dogs for owners with diabetic issues and physical disabilities as a puppy parent for Carrboro-based Eyes Ears Nose and Paws .

“He was afraid of the escalator for a long time,” Edwards said of Duncan. “We go up and down the escalator almost every day, and I give him treats on the escalator to teach him not to be afraid of it. I reinforce what he learns when he’s at school, and they teach him the hardest stuff. I think the people at the bookstore get a big kick out of it.” APR 14

Student of the Week: Julian "JSWISS" Caldwell

During the day, chances are you’ll find sophomore Julian Caldwell at UNC’s School of Journalism , taking classes in the electronic communication track and learning about sports journalism.

Outside the classroom, however, don’t be surprised if you find him rapping in the Media Resources Center in the basement of the R. B. House Undergraduate Library . Chances are, you might just hear him recording his latest rap songs. APR 9

"Bulletstorm" Takes Reviewers by Storm

Lately there’s been a lot of controversy surrounding the University’s Snoop Dogg concert, which the University won the rights to after students garnered the most votes in an online promotional contest by Electronic Arts. On campus, students have weighed in lately on the appropriateness of his lyrics and whether they fit in with the University’s values.

Wait until they check out the EA game behind the concert competition.

Videos and reviews have recently surfaced about Bulletstorm , the video game at the center of EA’s Snoop Dogg contest. APR 7

"Waiting for Superman" screens In Student Union

Directed by An Inconvenient Truth director Davis Guggenheim, Waiting for Superman, aired in the Student Union Wednesday night, follows a set of children and their parents who are trying to get accepted into prestigious local charter schools.

In the process, Guggenheim brings to light interesting—and even shocking—factoids regarding the state of American public education, enlightening viewers on everything from the drawbacks of tenure (which makes it extremely difficult—if not impossible—to fire underperforming teachers) to the dance of the lemons .

The film received an 89% approval rating from Rotten Tomatoes , and won the Audience Award at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival . MAR 27

Student of the Week: Keith Grose

The last semester of college is a landmark time for any fourth-year student. For Keith Grose, it is—among other things—the culmination of his four semesters in the fiction track of UNC’s Creative Writing Program.

Grose will be one of four seniors reading tonight from his collection of short stories to kick off the Creative Writing Program’s annual Senior Honors Fiction Readings series tonight.

Eight other seniors in the department’s senior honors thesis course for fiction writing will present excerpts on Thursday and Friday. MAR 29

UNC Bucket List #40: Get tickets as a senior to the UNC-Duke game

It’s true that NCAA March Madness Tournament is already upon us, and the ACC Tournament has also provided us Tar Heel fans with some exciting, nail-biting and memorable finishes from our men’s basketball team. Yet when I graduate in May, I’ll never forget the night I was officially introduced to the rivalry. And no Wolfpack faithful, I’m not referring to our schools’ “rivalry.”

I’m talking about that Saturday night classic on March 5, 2011. It was my first taste of the UNC- Duke men’s basketball rivalry.

Before coming to UNC, I was never really into college basketball. Even though I transferred in the year we won the NCAA tournament and will never forget all the craziness that ensued when we all rushed Franklin St. afterwards, but for the most part I was just playing along with the crowd. I didn’t have any kind of burning passion against Dookies. Blame it on growing up in UConn country or loving football more than basketball. I may have seen UNC and Duke football game my junior year and competed against their rowing team when I was on UNC Men’s Crew as a sophomore, but to me Duke was just another reputable university that was just down the road. MAR 16

Bucket List Item #16: Eat Breakfast at Ye Olde Waffle Shoppe

UNC Bucket List is a weekly feature highlighting the 100 things students should attempt before they graduate. Check out the full bucket list and all previous Bucket List posts here.

Bucket List Item Number 16: Eat breakfast at Ye Olde Waffle Shoppe

Whenever I walk down Franklin Street in the afternoon, I usually shoot a quick glance through the windows of Ye Olde Waffle Shoppe to see whether or not the line cooks are busy flipping pancakes, the blue t-shirted cashiers rushing to serve plates and ring up checks at the register, or even catch the slightest scent of the blueberry waffles. MAR 24

Student of the Week: Alice Day Brown

Some students choose to study or work abroad to learn about different cultures, practice a language or explore a new part of the world. For Alice Day Brown, a month-long trip to Costa Rica after her freshman year in the summer of 2009 did much more.

Brown, who is also co-chair for UNC’s Habitat for Humanity chapter and a member of Chi Omega, said she taught English to elementary school children from rural high-poverty families who worked in the country’s coffee fields. MAR 15

UNC Bucket List #29: Drink an extra-large coffee at the Daily Grind

Although I’m already a senior, I’ve only visited the Daily Grind Espresso Cafe once—and never ordered an extra-large coffee there. I come from a family where stops at Starbucks are very much part of our daily routine but I never really caught on to coffee. If I do need to satisfy my caffeine fix, the closest thing I’ll go for is green tea with honey.

But on my way back from class yesterday I figured I’d try something different. Starbucks and Caribou Coffee on Franklin St. were a bit of a hike from my class at Greenlaw Hall, so I figured why not try the coffee at the Daily Grind across the Pit? As a senior, I figured it would be a good one to cross off my own bucket list. MAR 24

Student of the Week: Drew Breithaupt

Name: Drew Breithaupt
Class: 2012
Hometown: Shreveport, La.
Major: Health Policy and Management

Breithaupt, co-founder of Autism Outreach at UNC, got interested in learning about autism and working with autistic children and their families after growing up with an older sister who had it herself. During his freshman year he said he met Carrie Dobbins ‘12 after seeing her wear an autism t-shirt at Carolina Kickoff. FEB 24

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