Hey, Tar Heels!
As the current academic year comes to a close, we, the incoming elected leaders of Student Government, want to talk to you about the future of Carolina. More specifically, we want to talk about the vital role all of us play in defining that future.
Since Hinton James first set foot in Chapel Hill in 1795, this University has had a long and rich history of student self-governance. From our seat on the Board of Trustees to an autonomous honor system and one of the nation’s few independent student newspapers, we have incredible influence that is unparalleled in most of our peer institutions.
Whatever your passion, whatever cause you care about, whatever change you want to see, we encourage you to take on a leadership role in the coming year. That might involve joining Student Government (we’d love to have you!) or any of Carolina’s 800+ student organizations.
Our history has also been defined by student activism. Long before they courageously brought down a monument to white supremacy on our University’s doorstep, UNC students gathered close by to defend our constitutional freedom of speech. In 1963, the North Carolina General Assembly passed the infamous Speaker Ban Law, an act that prohibited known affiliates of the Communist party from speaking on campus. Led by then-Student Body President Paul Dickson, students, faculty and staff gathered on McCorkle Place to listen as Frank Wilkinson, an American civil liberties activist, defiantly shared his message from Franklin Street.
What students throughout our history have understood, and what we must remember today, is that we have the power to shape our own destiny. When we work together and fight for our common values, we have the ability to make Carolina a stronger and more inclusive community for everyone. And we are all the more powerful when we do so as ONE student body — undergraduate, graduate and professional students alike.
Mahatma Gandhi encouraged us to be the change we wished to see in the world. That sentiment very much applies to our University. However you choose to be the change, know that we are here to support and empower you, and we invite you to reach out to us.
Be the change, Carolina. We believe in you.
