Carolina United Opens year in Campus Y
Hugging, fist-pounding and making introductions, more than 50 students of all backgrounds greeted each other Wednesday evening in the Faculty Lounge of the Campus Y. Carolina United, a diversity and leadership program for UNC students, made its on-campus debut in the form of CU-Nite. For the past two years, Carolina United has served as a weeklong summer session, but Wednesday marked the program's expansion into a monthly workshop. The theme for the first campus meeting was first impressions. The phrase of the night was "snap judgments" as students discussed how quickly people judge others and how to avoid ignorant assumptions. "First impressions pertains to diversity as a general theme," said sophomore Eva Panjwani. "It means that applications of diversity can affect you positively or negatively." Organizers said they are excited to broaden Carolina United by bringing it to campus during the year. "The focus of CU-Nite is really to have a successful leadership program," said Virginia Carson, director of the Campus Y. "The students have really taken the lead, and it's important that they've taken their own initiative on this." Aisha Forte, a junior political science and public policy major, serves as the chairwoman of CU-Nite. "I think that one of the strengths of this campus is its diversity, but so often minority groups remain separate," Forte said. "I believe that with greater discussion comes understanding, so hopefully this can increase more interaction across various campus groups." Student organizers of CU-Nite plan to accomplish this interaction by holding monthly meetings that feature personal testimonies and hosting speakers who relate to a particular theme. Speakers at Wednesday's event talked about the importance of first impressions in job interviews, being honest with yourself and how first impressions can impact other interactions. Panjwani said she plans to use her experiences with CU-Nite to address diversity issues on campus. "I hope that CU-Nite does not just stimulate conversations with other students but also brings issues to the forefront of organizations I'm involved in," she said. Panjwani is also a member of the student advisory committee to the chancellor, a group that meets to discuss issues on campus and how the administration can help. The next CU-Nite meeting will focus on identity and will be held at 7 p.m. Oct. 10. Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.