The men’s basketball team is not the only thing in crisis in the Smith Center. There’s also a major problem with the seating policy. The majority of students is relegated to seats in the upper-reaches of the cavernous arena, while the court-side seats are occupied by major donors. And many student tickets go unused.
UNC’s policy of not paying Commencement speakers ensures that the University draws people with a real desire to speak here. We send a message that UNC is looking for speakers who are committed to delivering an address tailored to the student body.
Surf over to NewKenan.com, the site detailing the planned renovation to Kenan Stadium that’s estimated to cost more than $70 million.There are fancy videos about “premium suites” and information about luxury boxes with flat-screen TVs and wet bars. Talk about cognitive dissonance. Every day I read articles about how we’re in the Great Recession — the worst economic downturn in 70 years. (Maybe the cost of renovation is supposed to be a nod to the time that has elapsed since the Great Depression — at a million dollars a year).
UNC researchers are joining forces to try to better understand the complexities of bipolar disorder in a new multidisciplinary center. The UNC Center of Excellence for Research and Treatment of Bipolar Disorder has brought experts from several research disciplines together on the campus in one entity. "Really what UNC has been able to do is take two groups of people who've been doing really good work nationally and bring them together," said Eric Youngstrom, associate director of the center.
One UNC scholarship that requires applicants to show proof that they are "worthy sons" and of "colonial ancestry," is undergoing some changes after giving scholarship officials headaches. The John Osgood and Elizabeth Amis Cameron Blanchard Scholarship Fund will change from a renewable scholarship to a one-time gift with smaller benefits. The fund was established in 1958 with a donation of $100,000 to aid Episcopalians at UNC, said Dan Thornton, associate director of scholarship and student aid.
For Keith Shawn Smith, being a leader was more about being a friend. The sophomore resident adviser, who died last year, was known for creating a tight-knit community and engaging his residents outside the dorm. "The biggest part was making sure you had friendships down the hall," junior Alan Kneidel said of Smith, who was his resident adviser last year. "That just created a trust that really brought us all together." About a year after Smith's death, University officials are planning to give out the Keith Shawn Smith Award for Community Development and Mentorship.
Between two all red covers lies the written finale of Student Body President James Allred's term in office, which ends April 3. On Tuesday the Allred administration released its March Report, detailing many projects and points of advocacy as accomplishments. The 117 pages of reports from executive officers represent a year of progress, as well as a tool and historical record for future leaders. "It's very exciting because it's sort of a chance for us to evaluate all that we've done," Chief of Staff Christie Cunningham said. How they say they fared
Gary Birdsong, known to UNC students as the Pit Preacher, might be in need of a new nickname. Birdsong received a letter Friday from Department of Public Safety officials stating that he is no longer allowed to preach in the Pit or on the ramps or steps leading into it. The punishment comes as a result of a trespass warning Birdsong received March 8 after he refused to move from the Pit area. At the time, the space was reserved by Carolina Adventures.
Thanks to the largest single donation in University history, the Carolina First fundraising campaign surged past its $2 billion fundraising goal 10 months ahead of schedule, officials announced Wednesday. The $50 million gift to the UNC School of Public Health from Dennis Gillings, a former public health professor and his wife, Joan, is aimed at making it the top-ranked school in the field and a global leader. "This is an extraordinary day for this University," Chancellor James Moeser said. "We didn't just break $2 billion. We broke it with a bang."
Former UNC school of public health professor Dennis Gillings donated $50 million to the school, officials announced Wednesday. The donation pushed UNC past its overall fundraising goal of $2 billion for the Carolina First campaign. Gillings left UNC to start Quintiles Transnational Corporation and has made many donations to the school. The school of public health will be renamed the Joan and Dennis Gillings School of Global Public Health.
