The Upside - The Daily Tar Heel

Peabody Hall on UNC-Chapel Hill's campus, pictured here on Dec. 11, 2020 hosts the School of Education which is working with Durham Public Schools on the UNC DREAM project.

'Literally a dream': UNC launches program to recruit teachers for Durham Public Schools

By Emily Shih | Dec. 16

UNC School of Education faculty members received a $4.8 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education to develop a program for the recruitment of underrepresented teachers in Durham Public Schools.

Will Vizuete, 44, and Connor LaMontagne, 25, are the bassist and drummer for The Unsustainables, a band brought together by their mutual love for the environment and the traditional sounds of the Jaimaican ’Ska’ genre. Vizuete is an Associate professor in the Environmental Science and Engineering department at the Gillings School of Public Health, while LaMontagne works in the same department as a PhD student. The band is composed of environmental scientists, engineers and even one EPA employee. According to LaMontagne, Ska is the predecessor of reggae. “It’s a cool mix,” LaMontagne said. “We’ll be playing just a regular reggae tune and then Trent will call out dub style and we’ll [make] what he describes as a ‘subtractive art’. It’s not about making a bunch of noise, it’s more about what you sounds you remove and sort of tastefully messing with the arrangement.” Vizuete agrees that the band’s mutual love for this era of music makes the group so amazing. “What’s really hip about it is that we’re all writing new songs,” Vizuete said. “It’s something new and contemporary, because [we’re] writing about stuff in [our] own life, but it’s within this kind of era of sound that we love. And that’s the fun part, trying to recreate that sound.” The Unsustainables create this sound through the use of drums, bass, guitar, trumpet, trombone, saxophone and conga. They are in the process of trying out a new piano player, according to Vizuete, which would bring the total number of members from seven to eight people. “Just being able to play has really been keeping our sanity,” Vizuete said.

Carrboro band explores the intersection of science and music

By Caroline Nihill | Dec. 14

The band features two members of the UNC community.

Greear Webb meets with Gov. Roy Cooper on May 1, 2019 at the Red 4 Ed NC Education Rally in Raleigh. Photo courtesy of Greear Webb.

UNC sophomore Greear Webb appointed to governor's committee on youth justice

By Hayley Rosewall | Dec. 13

The committee, called the Juvenile Justice Planning Committee, was established on Sept. 25 to advise the Governor's Crime Commission and administer juvenile justice and delinquency prevention grants from the Department of Justice.

(From left) Lynne Privette, Jamie Sohn and Tiz Giordano hand out care packages to a first-year outside of the George Watts Hill Alumni Center on Wednesday, Sep. 16, 2020 through Chapel Hill/Carrboro Mothers Club. Over 35 students received personalized packages and community members made 75 homemade masks in support of the initiative. "The average care package weighed about seven pounds," Sohn said.

Local Mothers Club teams up with businesses to feed UNC students over extended break

By Jacob Meredith-Andrews | Dec. 7

Due to a longer Winter Break, some UNC students are more vulnerable to food insecurity. To combat this, the Chapel Hill/Carrboro Mothers Club worked with Vimala's Curryblossom Cafe and Brandwein's Bagels to provide meals for students.

Junior Anna Eskew paints a Christmas ornament on Nov. 30, 2020. Photo courtesy of Anna Eskew.

‘A place of solace’: Arts in 2020 helped UNC, Chapel Hill communities cope and connect

By Lily Chubb | Dec. 6

Although 2020 has presented many challenges, several UNC arts community members feel that the changes imposed by the pandemic have increased connectivity and meaning in the art world.

UNC senior wide receiver Dazz Newsome (5) celebrates a touchdown in front of the student section of Kenan Memorial Stadium during a game against Wake Forest on Saturday, Nov. 14, 2020. UNC beat Wake Forest 59-53.

In 2020, UNC football earned its highest ranking in over two decades

By Hunter Nelson | Dec. 6

For the first time since head coach Mack Brown left the program in 1997, UNC football entered the top five this year. In just Brown's second year back in Chapel Hill, the Tar Heels are showing signs that they could progress into a top five mainstay.

UNC alumnus Tracy Deonn, author of the book "Legendhorn" based on UNC. Photo courtesy of Lauren Carr.

'Literal Black girl magic': Alum writes fantasy novel based at UNC

By Maggie Dunn | Dec. 1

UNC alum Tracy Deonn’s most recent young adult fantasy novel “Legendborn” tells the story of 16-year-old Bree Matthews as she discovers a magical world of Arthurian legends and secret societies on UNC Chapel Hill's campus.