Mismanaged. That is the most accurate and the nicest word that summarizes what I think of when I think of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
I could not say it is unmanaged; it is, in fact, being managed. It is simply not managed very well, and often in disappointing ways.
UNC students are known for their school pride. Visitors like to comment on how many of us don Carolina Blue, whether on a game day or just another weekday. Even though the color is pretty, it’s hard not to notice how proud UNC students are to be students here.
And, make no mistake, it is something to be proud of. Getting accepted isn’t easy, and making it through all of your years here is an accomplishment to celebrate.
Seniors — we have survived campus crisis after campus crisis. As a student body, we have brought each other through to the finish line. We have supported each other during times of distress, held hands at vigils, gathered in front of South Building, marched down Franklin Street and have been a support system for one another, often in the face of our greatest adversary: our administration.
From empty campus messages to laws enacted by the North Carolina General Assembly, we have been subjected to a governing body that has grown increasingly partisan, disconnected and disinterested in the well-being of its students.
My time as a resident adviser with Carolina Housing made one thing very clear: the heart of UNC is its community, which thrives often despite, not because of, the institution. Time and time again, it’s the RAs, teaching assistants, student staff, professors, faculty and campus workers who are left to weather the storms our administration is unable to manage.
My work with The Daily Tar Heel has granted me insight to the political machine that makes up this University and how interwoven our campus leadership here on campus is with that of the state. I recognize our status as a state school, but more often than not, the Board of Governors is more interested in protecting its own power than it is in protecting its students or the sanctity of academia itself.
The everyday student, I imagine, is not exposed to the inner workings of our school. How could they be? There is no mandatory class teaching UNC students about how the University leeches off of the Chapel Hill community, specifically its Black and brown communities.
