December's ice storm caused the normal concerns for North Carolina residents when power outages and slippery road conditions struck the area. But for UNC senior Karine Dub
When sophomore Justin Carter decided to come to UNC, his concerns about college were greater than the usual homesickness. With a passion for singing, Carter worried he never would get a chance to pursue his dream of a music career. And then the televised singing competition "American Idol" came along. Carter now is one of 200 semifinalists for the show's second season and will be traveling to Hollywood, Calif., this month for the final round of auditions. In the show, 60 contestants compete for the status of being the "American Idol." Contestants are judged by famous figures in
UNC graduate school alumnus Josh Tower does not like to be told he cannot do something. "It gets me fired up and makes me even more determined to do it," he said. Tower's resolve to perform has him acting the lead role of Simba in the traveling tour of the hit musical "The Lion King." In it, Tower plays a lion who loses his father at an early age. Tower said he was interested in performing for as long as he could remember. "We're all kind of acting in one way or another as a child," Tower said. "I've always loved it."
When journalism Professor Jan Yopp leaves her office Tuesday afternoons, she doesn't go straight home. Instead, Yopp changes clothes and heads out to the docks at University Lake. Yopp is a novice member of the Carolina Master's Crew Club at UNC. "It gets me out of the office and gives me something to look forward to," Yopp said. Patti Hucks, the Carolina Masters representative to the sports club office, said the team began in 1993 with only eight members.
Hundreds of people pass through Lenoir Dining Hall every day to grab a quick lunch or to stop and chat with friends. But few people know the dining hall's original purpose -- to serve flight school trainees during World War II. Besides Lenoir, which was originally built in 1943, some of the military's contributions to campus include Jackson Hall, the Navy Field, the Naval Armory and Kessing Pool. In 1926, the Navy was the first of the three ROTC divisions established at UNC.
At 7 years old, Danielle Laughlin's mother asked her to think of something she really enjoyed doing. When Laughlin said she loved playing with My Little Pony dolls, her mother promptly took them away for 40 days. This was Laughlin's first introduction to Lent. "I was so mad; I just wanted to have them back," said Laughlin, now a nondenominational UNC sophomore. Since then, she has recognized the significance of the season. "It is a way to remember Jesus' sacrifices for me and makes me remember them during a time when I normally wouldn't," Laughlin said.
When sophomore Chris Shields steps out onto a busy street corner, he yells and dances around, shaking an empty water bottle at passing cars.And he does it all in the name of the Dance Marathon. Shields does what is known in the Dance Marathon world as "canning" -- he stands on a street soliciting donations from passers-by.
Peter White has something of a green thumb. White, the director of the UNC Botanical Gardens and a professor of biology, first discovered his penchant for plants as a young child on family trips to a lake in Maine. And while White hosts a Bob Dylan theme party every year with guitar in hand and experiments with his newly acquired digital camera, everything takes a back seat to his passion for plants. He said he has always loved spending time in nature and appreciates the beauty and complexity of all things flora.
The room is dark and crowded as Mary J.
