Kelly Ochs

News

Officials dedicate Baity Hill

By Kelly Ochs | September 20

University administrators Monday dedicated Baity Hill, the new student family housing located off Mason Farm Road, as a part of UNC's growing campus. "We are proud of how this project came together," said Larry Hicks, associate director of Housing and Residential Education. "I think we've given (student families) a pretty decent accommodation for pursuing their studies." Once construction is completed, Baity Hill will have 398 one- or two-bedroom apartments in a nine-building complex.

News

Past racial con

By Kelly Ochs | September 13

A black man was killed in the Pit in 1970, and only one undergraduate in a room of more than 100 people Monday night had heard about the murder. "It's a shocking and sad murder right in the heart of campus," said David Brannigan, a groundskeeper and member of UE Local 150, the state's union for public service workers. A panel discussion in Murphey Hall uncovered some of UNC's forgotten past - including the murder of James Lewis Cates on Nov. 21, 1970, during a brawl between several black men and white members of a Durham motorcycle gang.

News

Muslim women spurn stereotype

By Kelly Ochs | October 19

Wearing a head scarf has not stopped Jamila Boutrid from doing what she wants to do - going swimming each morning dressed in her scarf and full-length robe. Boutrid, a senior journalism major, said Muslim women are supposed to cover themselves in front of men they are not related to by blood, with the exception of their husbands. People often misunderstand why many women choose to wear a veil, she said. "They don't see it as an act of faith. They see it as oppression."

News

Family Care Packages Are Parcels of Joy for Students

By Kelly Ochs | December 7

With exams around the corner and all-nighters anticipated, some students are finding respite from hours of studying in care packages sent from home. The Order of the Bell Tower, a student service organization, provides an easy and convenient way for parents to send care packages to their children. Tanea Pettis, the order's adviser, said that the care package service is one of the biggest fund-raisers of the year for the organization and that this year almost 600 packages were sold. The service has been in place since 1980.

News

Books, Photos, Mementos Personalize Professors' Offices

By Kelly Ochs | November 27

Journalism Professor Chuck Stone's office usually attracts the attention of passers-by walking though Carroll Hall. And Stone said his office really has to be seen to be believed. It is a far cry from the typical office found around UNC's campus. From the formal buildings that house top administrators to Stone's memorabilia-filled office, most faculty take pride in personalizing their space. "You live a long time, you collect a lot of stuff," Stone said.

News

Students Find Home for the Holidays

By Kelly Ochs | November 26

With Thanksgiving break starting Wednesday, most students are packing up their dirty clothes and getting ready to go home to eat some home-cooked meals. But for some students, Thanksgiving will not include going home to visit family, but rather finding ways to celebrate the holiday in Chapel Hill. "It's my time to veg out because I don't have a lot of responsibility and people can't get a hold of me," said senior Minni Nauhria, a health policy and administration major from Raleigh.

News

Disability Becomes Ability for Resident

By Kelly Ochs | November 22

Ellen Perry has had to learn how to walk at least five times in her life. At age 2, she was diagnosed with cerebral palsy after her parents brought her to the doctor with concerns that she still was not walking or talking. With the help of leg braces, Perry has mastered walking. And her disability has not held her back from community involvement, even though surgeries to help her walk with more ease have forced her to relearn to use her legs several times. She holds spots on several committees, but Perry also leads a busy lifestyle elsewhere in the community.

News

More Than ABCs: Understanding Kids

By Kelly Ochs | October 25

Mel Levine considers himself a bit of a rebel in the field of child development and learning. Levine is the director of UNC-Chapel Hill's Clinical Center for the Study of Development and Learning and a professor of pediatrics. His latest book, "A Mind at a Time," published by Simon & Schuster, has spent more than 27 weeks on The New York Times' hardcover nonfiction bestsellers list. The book holds the No. 13 spot on the list.

News

Solutions to Empty Wallets

By Kelly Ochs | October 16

Like most college students, senior Jonas Streich will do almost anything for a little extra spending money And that need for some quick cash sometimes becomes desperate, especially before school lets out for occasions such as Fall Break. Sera-tec, a plasma donation center on Franklin Street, is just one of the many places near the UNC campus where students such as Streich get that extra cash.

News

Honoring History

By Kelly Ochs | September 25

As the oldest public university in the United States, UNC is home to several historically significant buildings. Three buildings on campus are listed in the National Register of Historic Places -- Old East Residence Hall, The Carolina Inn and Playmakers Theatre. Being listed in the register is the highest honor that can be placed on a historic building. Paul Kapp, UNC campus historic preservation manager, said the architecture and conditions of buildings are visible reminders of the campus's history. "You're in a certain time when you walk through campus," Kapp said.