NCDOT begins second phase of biannual litter sweep, encourages volunteer participation

The second installment of the 2022 North Carolina Department of Transportation’s biannual Litter Sweep is underway, as of Sept. 10. Chapel Hill and Carrboro are participating in the sweep, and are encouraging their residents to participate in clearing roadside trash through Sept. 24. 

UNC Alliance hosts first event on Tuesday

This Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. at the Stone Center Theater, the Alliance — a collaborative entity among the four academic and community engagement centers on campus— will hold its first event, the Alliance Directors’ Conversation.

As North Carolina students return to school, some counties tighten safety precautions

As North Carolina students return to classes for the new school year, schools across the state are working to ensure their safety through a variety of security and preventative measures.  For some North Carolina counties, this means installing body scanners at school entry points or introducing portable detectors for large gatherings. Other programs, including the Say Something Anonymous Reporting System and Crisis Go apps, help students anonymously report threats and quickly connect them to their school’s administrative and security teams.

Column: Let's gossip

"Water cooler conversations and class GroupMes aren’t chintzy spaces of the public. They’re powerful networks. Their influence is feared by those who are too 'good' to be a part of them. When people in power converse, they are just speaking. When marginalized groups converse, we are dangerous."

'We need a raise:' Housekeepers express salary concerns during Appreciation Week

The recent UNC Housekeeping Employee Statement of Demands asks the University for increased pay, and share concerns that employees don't have enough compensation to pay for necessities like rent, food, child care, transportation and health care bills. Last Thursday, the University held an event to celebrate International Housekeepers Awareness Week. "We are just making a little bit more than minimum wage," Emily Barbee, a housekeeper said. "That’s nothing! Just go to the grocery store and you spend that money, and you pay bills. That’s it.” 

UNC men's soccer gets back into the win column with 1-0 home victory over ETSU

Column: Listserv Survival Guide

"For those of you who don’t know about the listserv emails I’m referring to: consider yourselves lucky. The chain emails began my freshman year. I remember the day vividly: I was sitting in my Morrison dorm room, absentmindedly reorganizing my hand sanitizer and disposable mask collection, when all of a sudden I heard a familiar noise. 'Ping.' And then again. 'Ping.' 'Ping.' 'Ping.' 'Ping.'"

Tracks Music Series comes to downtown through September, featuring local artists

A variety of musical artists performed at this year's first installment of the Tracks Music Series on Thursday, at the Rosemary and Columbia St. Parking Lot in downtown Chapel Hill.  “The main aim with Tracks Music Series is to give music lovers an opportunity to discover new music and new artists,” Melissa Bartoletta, marketing & communications coordinator for Chapel Hill Community Arts & Culture, said.

Orange County hosts presentation on dementia care to reduce stigma and provide education

The Orange County Department on Aging and the Project EngAGE Mental Wellness Senior Resource Team hosted a dementia care planning event at the Seymour Center on Sept. 9. The presentation, called “Dementia: Where to Start” covered dementia evaluation, care for those with dementia and available support for friends and family members.

'Could have very serious health repercussions': Coal ash poses problems for NC

Coal ash, a byproduct of coal-burning power plants, contains contaminants like inorganic arsenic — a known carcinogen — and mercury, which can be harmful to organs and bodily functions if ingested.  Without proper management, these contaminants can pollute air, groundwater, drinking water and waterways. 

SUIE fosters immigrant advocacy on campus

SUIE was started in 2008 to raise campus awareness about different issues that prevent immigrants from enjoying basic human rights.                                                                     “When I came into UNC, I saw a predominantly white community — I didn't see a lot of diversity,” Rosa Elias, the president of SUIE, said. 

UNC colloquium aims to expand mental health conversations

The Heels Care Network plans to host a mental health colloquium virtually on Sept. 14 from 12:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. to continue the conversation about mental health on campus. The theme of the colloquium, ‘Identity, Cultural Awareness and How to Support One Another,’ was inspired by requests from the community to discuss how mental health and identity intersect, according to Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Amy Johnson. “One of the things that we heard very clearly from folks is that mental health, dealing with it and addressing it, doesn't happen in a vacuum,” Johnson said.

Preview: Three keys to victory for UNC women's soccer against No. 5 Virginia

On Saturday evening, the North Carolina women’s soccer team will look to open its conference slate with a win against No. 5 Virginia at Dorrance Field.

Queerolina exhibit aims to preserve LGBTQ+ history at UNC

Queerolina, an online oral history exhibit in the Wilson Library Special Collections, works to tell the history of the LGBTQ+ community at UNC through stories and archives.  The name “Queerolina” was generated as a reparative label, reclaiming what was once a slur used to refer to the University’s progressive nature compared to other public schools in the Southeast.

The Carolina Latinx Center kicks off Latinx Heritage Month this Thursday

Sept. 15 marks the beginning of Latinx Heritage Month and the Carolina Latinx Center is ringing it in with a kick off in The Pit, where there will be student organizations, University departments, music and food.  Throughout the month, the CLC will also host a number of events, including a dinner at the Top of Lenoir, which broke out into a conga line last year, a keynote address by Laurie Hernandez, a two-time Olympic gold medalist in gymnastics, and a Carnaval on Oct. 15. 

UNC professor Randall Kenan remembered in launch of "Black Folk Could Fly" story collection

On Sunday, Sept. 11, UNC professor Randall Kenan’s friends and former colleagues held a book launch for a compilation of Kenan’s work from before he passed, titled “Black Folk Could Fly.” The book contains 21 works of non-fiction pieces, some of his most personal writings and was made available for sale last month. 

Campus community can now get flu and COVID boosters with no appointment necessary

UNC students and community members can now receive the flu and Pfizer COVID-19 bivalent booster shots at several locations on campus. Those with health insurance are encouraged to bring their insurance cards, according to UNC flu vaccination website.

Column: Too few protections exist for young women, non-binary renters

"Little can be done, however, to enforce the everyday interactions that result in the stigmatizing, belittling and disempowerment of female and female-presenting renters, as they are informal breaches in a longstanding culture of inequity."

UNC Faculty Council passes free speech resolution at monthly meeting

In the first meeting of the UNC Faculty Council this school year, faculty members voted on a resolution regarding the faculty's free speech under the First Amendment, and to what lengths they could expect to be supported by the University. 

Column: Emmys spotlight — my predictions for television's biggest night

"Regardless of how the night turns out, it’ll be hard for the Television Academy to hand out awards to anyone that doesn’t deserve it. I’m sure they’ll try anyway, though, in true awards show fashion, at 8 p.m. on NBC and Peacock."