Tar Heel Blog

La Vida Ecuatoriana

2012-01-28T22:27:00.001-05:00

First off- congrats to all accepted students! If you are like me, you pretended to "consider your options" for a few days, before eagerly committing to UNC, but I will concede that there are many of you who want to pay adequate respect to all of the universities calling your name.

By all means, consider away, but I'll just be here, attempting to persuade you with my first time blogging from Quito, Ecuador!

UNC offers over 300 study abroad programs in over 70 countries, and 40% of students choose to study abroad. This was a huge factor in my decision to come to Carolina. I always knew I wanted to go abroad. Where? It didn't matter- as long as I got to see somewhere new and completely immerse myself in it.

I had to think about what I wanted from my experience abroad. Did I want to travel? Yes, of course. But what I wanted most was to dive into a culture totally different from the one I was brought up with. During the summer before sophomore year, I chose Ecuador. Why? The program in Ecuador is an international exchange program- meaning that I pay exactly what I would for a semester at Carolina, but I get to be in a different country! This factor definitely appealed to my parents. My semester in Quito also began roughly the same time as my UNC semester would have, meaning there was no awkward overlap, and I'll be back in time for my brother's high school graduation. Also, in Quito I get to stay with a host family- which means I'm speaking Spanish and interacting with Ecuadorians every day. Other programs put you in a dormitory, where it's easy to stay in your comfort zone and not be pushed towards new experiences.

The spanish word for hummingbird is "colibrí"

When I was getting ready to leave for Ecuador, I was resigned to the fact that I probably wouldn't be traveling as much as I could have in Europe- but three weeks in and I've already been proved wrong. I go to school Monday-Thursday, but then the long weekends are mine to travel and do as I please. Something so amazing about this country, is that every region has a completely different culture and climate- and public transportation makes it so easy to get from Quito to surrounding cities and provinces.

Just last weekend, my friends and I paid $2.50 for a two hour bus ride to Mindo, Ecuador. Mindo is known as the "cloud forrest," being so high up that you're actually eye level with big puffy clouds that hang 'round the mountain tops.

Totally appropriate and safe

We spent the weekend zip-lining through the forrest, tubing down a river, and hiking for waterfalls. I saw the most beautiful hummingbirds I've ever seen, and ate delicious brownie ice cream from a restaurant that grows and processes it's own chocolate. We had such a great time, and the whole trip was so affordable, that we're even considering going back sometime later in the semester.

Only one week after Mindo, and we've already taken another trip- this time to Otavalo, Ecuador. Again, an incredibly cheap ride ($2 for an hour and a half) and this time we weren't in a cloud forrest, but in a small Andean town known for it's artisan craft market. We spent friday paddle-boating around Lago San Pablo, and then emptied our wallets buying gifts for family and friends at the Saturday market. We made it back with still half the weekend to spare.

So no, I'm not at the Louvre, and I'm not on a beach in Spain- nor am I having my picture taken holding up the leaning tower of Pisa. But what I am doing is learning to love a country that I knew nothing about prior to coming. Every day I feel more like I belong here. I've mastered my hour long (and three bus) commute to my University, and I've made friends with the woman who owns the ice cream store next to my house. I say "chevere" when something is cool, and I give a besito to my host mother when I get home. Each day I learn something new, and encounter something different. I knew that these next four months will be full of experiences I wont forget for the rest of my life.

As always, do not hesitate to send questions to jkreizma@unc.edu

And now- some more photos for your viewing pleasure

My beautiful university, USFQ

The river right next to our hostel in Mindo

Jumping over the Equatorial line

Be here now.

2012-01-25T22:21:00.009-05:00

For about a month now, I have been in what I call “floater” mode. It has been a much needed break after an insanely exhausting and busy semester, where I’ve just lived out of my car and suitcase it feels like, going on adventures and visiting friends near and far. The clock is ticking, the world is spinning and I leave for Morocco in three days. Crazy! I just returned from my final visit to the lovely home of our sweet Carolina blue. I feel like I went through Chapel Hill like a whirlwind visiting friends, running errands and just soaking in all I could before I journey across the ocean!

(With my housemates at my farewell party!)

I’ve loved hearing from my senior Young Life friends about college acceptance letters, so congrats to all you newly admitted students! This is a super fun time, senior year, so make the most of it and finish strong! One of my favorite parts of my senior year was taking the day to visit Carolina with one of my teachers, who is also a Tar Heel. Later in the spring, I went with my dad and sister to Explore Carolina and it was awesome. I met up with my future roommate on Franklin Street for Pepper’s pizza. After living together for two years in Avery (LOVE!) and apart for this past semester, she’s still one of my best friends.

(Roommates for a bit, friends forever.)

In other news, the opportunity to study abroad was a huge factor in my college decision, and UNC seemed to have it all. My dream day is dawning fast, and I encourage to check out our study abroad website (www.studyabroad.unc.edu) and just check out the plethora of options you have if going abroad is on your radar at all. It’s a great selling point. The process has been incredibly smooth, the advisors have been wonderful and the scholarships are wide open—I can’t wait to tell you what it’s like on the other side! Until then, cheers future Tar Heels!

(The J-School, the hub of my learning.)

(So long, Sweet Caroline.)

Ah, To Be Back! (Scotland, Take 2)

2012-01-25T12:20:00.006-05:00

Happy New Year, everyone! If you’re new to the blog in 2012, my name is Zoe, and I’m spending my junior year at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland. I miss Chapel Hill every day, but I’m having loads of adventures in Europe. So far, I’m loving every second of my study abroad experience.

I flew back to Edinburgh last Thursday, after spending winter break in Connecticut, with my family. My friend Emily (a fellow Tar Heel) arrived a day later. When she knocked on my door Friday afternoon, she was jetlagged and starving; but after a bagel and a couple cups of coffee, the two of us were ready to go. Our dormitory was virtually empty, so we packed overnight bags and boarded a train to Glasgow, to visit our Scottish friends, Jamie and Calum.

The next couple of days were perfect. Just what I needed to feel at home (again) in Scotland. We enjoyed family dinners, watched British television, and lay in bed with Calum’s dog, Diesel. On Saturday, we took a nature hike in the woods, and went to a pub in the city centre. Pictures below:

Calum and Diesel

The view at the end of the nature hike

Good thing we packed our rain boots!

The short version: I miss my family, but I’m so, so happy to be back in Edinburgh.

A sneak peek at adventures to come: tonight is Robert Burns’ night (famous Scottish poet), so my girlfriends and I are going to the Southsider pub to eat haggis and listen to music. And, this weekend, Em and I are travelling to Basel, Switzerland - just for fun. I’m taking three classes (Meta Ethics, Fiction Writing, and Scottish Art History), and, with any luck, I’ll meet loads of new people.

Shoot me a comment or email if you have any questions about UNC study abroad. Until next time!

College reading

2012-01-21T10:31:00.036-05:00

Congratulations to all newly admitted students!

During your four years in college, in addition to meeting wonderful new people, you're going to become very closely acquainted with a wide selection of new books. Sometimes even more closely acquainted than you'd like. With some, you'll develop a love-hate relationship--I'm thinking of my poor Econ 101 textbook, which endured my countless abuses but still mercifully carried me through to an A--while others will become treasured friends, to which you'll return time and time again throughout the rest of your life.

Struck by a spell of literary nostalgia, I compiled a little overview-collage of the books that have impacted me the most during my studies. Quite a few of these have become my favorites, cozily nestled at this moment at the top of my bookshelf. This is just a small sampling of the kinds of books you'll be reading at Carolina--not just in English classes, but in such departments as Political Science, Art, Comparative Lit and Slavic Languages.

So feel free to peruse the titles and click on the images--each one will take you to the Wikipedia page of that author or book. And if you'd like to share some favorite titles of your own, by all means, please do.

Till next time, and happy reading :o)
Olga

Decisions are here!

2012-01-19T16:06:00.005-05:00

Today's the day early action decisions were sent out!

If you got in, CONGRATULATIONS!! Enjoy this moment :)

And if you were deferred, don't despair! You have a good chance of getting your big envelope in the spring, and you can use this time to look at other awesome schools that you may not have considered earlier.

Just remember that your acceptance to a school doesn't really matter in the long run. No matter where you go, chances are, you're going to end up loving it. And if you give it a chance and still don't, there's always the option of transferring! Don't feel bad about yourself based on an admission decision -- in the long run, it doesn't mean anything.

For you future UNC Class of 2016-ers, feel free to email me about any questions you have! mewill@live.unc.edu.

The craziest month of the year

2012-01-19T14:13:00.004-05:00

For all you high school seniors, this month will probably be one of the most intense of your high school careers. You're hearing back from many schools, possibly even UNC.

Maybe you are scared, excited, overwhelmed. Or worried, restless, tense.

But even though you can't stop yourself from feeling the way you do, take a breather...

really.

Alright, ready? As you receive your decisions over the next few weeks, keep in mind: no matter where you end up, there will be opportunities for happiness, growth, and learning. Your post-grad life is not dependent upon where you go to school, but rather what you do while you're there. So no matter what happens, remember that your hard work, successes, and educational value are not defined by your admissions decisions. For many of you, I am excited that you'll be roaming the quads at UNC next fall, and I offer you my congratulations in advance. If your application is declined, always remember that you'll have more chances in the future... I know many fellow Tar Heels who can back me up on that one. ;)

Best of luck to all, and keep your chin up!

Round 2 and The Start

2012-01-07T14:22:00.001-05:00

Happy New Year Everyone!

I cannot believe that winter break has already ended and we are starting the new semester on Monday! This first semester went by without me realizing it. I'm sitting in my room at home packing and just thinking about where all the time went! My first semester was such a learning experience and I was exposed to so many things. I'm ready to start the new semester with all my friends and to take on all the wonderful things that it will have to offer!

But this blog post is less about me and more about you. As I'm sure many of you know and will think about every day in January, at the end of this month, some of you will be finding out your decision from Carolina. Some will get the message that they want, and others will get a decision less then desirable. I just wanted to say that admissions into a college does not define you and that regardless of what happens, you will end up in a place that makes you happy. I was in your spot what seems like yesterday, and I remember sitting in front of my computer at night, just waiting for Connect Carolina to load my decision page. Obviously, we all know how it ended for me, but for almost all of my friends that applied to UNC, I cannot say they had the same joyful decision that I received. I wish we could welcome everyone in the Carolina family, but with the college admissions process, that would simply be impossible. However, all my friends that did not get in are still very happy at the colleges they ended up at. Just keep your head up high and do not think about it too much. I was such a mess in January thinking about what decision I would get from UNC and I wish I had not because I wasted so much time just thinking about it. So take it from me and all my one semester of college wisdom: Don't stress and enjoy what time you have left in high school.

I cannot wait to get this semester underway and share all my experiences with you all!

As always, feel free to either leave a comment or e-mail me at cartermc@live.unc.edu if you have any questions, concerns, statements, or just need someone who was in your shoes recently to talk to!

Until next time,
Carter

December

2011-12-12T12:21:00.010-05:00

Having recently returned from a restive road trip to Washington, D.C., which was filled with cozy talks and colonial walks, I now feel geared up to face a week of finals. The other day, while reviewing for my exams, I had to pause at the glow of a sudden realization: everything that I've learned in college up to now is all beginning to fit together.

I had come here four years ago with a medley of disparate interests--international politics, print journalism, Russian literature--and practically no experience with the actual study of these areas. What's more, I had no idea how to combine these interests into one major, and even less of a clue as to how to transform that major into a future career.

Since then, I've changed my majors twice, added and replaced a minor, and in the process, crafted a college experience that has been entirely, delightfully, my own. The main lesson I've learned is that your time in college--even up through your last year--is a process of exhilarating academic soul-searching in which you gradually discover which subjects and activities really work for you. Trial and error, and the process of elimination, are key. They've led me to have a series of small epiphanies, as eye-opening as they are empowering:

don't stay committed to a major that doesn't quite do it for you. Choosing a major is the academic equivalent to entering a relationship. First comes the fuzzy feeling that all your classes are fascinating, your professors clever, your assignments fun. Then comes a general deflation from the former euphoria, followed by, for many, eventual disenchantment with the chosen field. Of course, some people really do pick it right on the first try. But for the vast majority of students, the first major is far from the one they'll end up with in the end--and the sooner you drop the unfulfilling major, the closer you'll be to finding your perfect match. That's why I had to break it off with Psychology (we just couldn't agree on the quantitative analysis requirements) and eventually leave the Journalism school (didn't give me room to explore my interests). Now, I'm going on two years with a Political Science-Contemporary European Studies double major, and can happily say that I chose the right one.

explore your interests from multiple angles. Think of your classes as pieces of a collage that you put together according to your taste. The more colorful and diverse the pieces, the more interesting the final product--aka your college (collage!) experience--will be. Sample classes in different departments, with various professors, while still maintaining a common theme. I'm interested in Poli Sci, for example, so I've had to take routine courses like American Government and International Relations. But the real highlights have been the classes I've found on my own in other departments, which have immensely expanded my knowledge of the topic but aren't even listed under my major. For example, I like to cook, and I'm interested in food policy, so I took a class in the public policy department on the Politics of Food. Meanwhile, my love for Slavic languages and the people of Slavic-speaking countries translated into my enrolling in SLAV 467: Language and Political Identity. Aside from your major requirements, decide what your own requirements are, and find the classes that look like they will fulfill both. Of the vast course selection at Carolina, I guarantee these will be a delight to find.

choose activities that are both purposeful and productive. Several carefully chosen activities (I'd recommend one student organization, one work-study/other position of responsibility, and one activity chosen for pure pleasure) are better than dabbling in a multitude of activities without really leaving a mark on any individual one. For me, this has meant volunteering at the Campus Community Garden (all produce goes to our housekeepers, many of them Burmese refugees), working with Russian-Polish-Czech-etc. books in the Slavic collection of our University library system, and going to free yoga classes at one of our two rec centers several times a week. I also studied abroad in Prague last spring, using that opportunity to traipse all over East-Central Europe, from Berlin to Krakow, and this summer I interned in Russia for the capital's leading English-language newspaper, The Moscow Times. Each of these endeavors (except for yoga--that's purely to sharpen the saw) has built on what I've learned inside the classroom and branched that knowledge out into real life.

I still have one last semester to put the finishing touches on my college collage. But having come this far, I can already see that it's gonna turn out to look pretty darn good.

'Till next time,
Olga

The Home Stretch

2011-11-28T00:18:00.004-05:00

Ahh, the Holidays. In my humble opinion, the best time of the year. Specialty flavored coffee, Christmas decorations, the end of the first semester of college...

...wait. What?

An entire nine weeks of college, practically gone already?! Madness, I tell you. It's funny, how quickly one grows accustom to college (I promise, it will happen). You get so busy with classes and friends and clubs and sports and calling your Grandma back that time flies. A lot of Tar Heel alum and upperclassmen have told me how quickly their time at Carolina came and went and how much they miss the university.

I'm beginning to understand.

I'll be honest, with my first set of finals approaching in seven days (excluding weekends) I'm getting a bit nervous and I'm kinda wishing it was second semester already so I can take Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu for my fitness class (yes, I am getting credit for learning to kick butt and that...well, kicks butt). But finals are a natural part of school (unfortunately) but if I can get prepared now, then I won't be pulling all-nighters in the library (remember, sleep = good).

I also realize many of you are going to be hearing back from colleges soon (some of you might have already). And I wish all of you the best of luck. Celebrate every acceptance, and take in stride any possible let-downs. I know from personal experience that rejection letters hurt, and pride gets wounded and you wonder what-if. I'm not going to tell you don't do that (I know you're going to) but know that it's not the end of the world. EVERYTHING HAPPENS FOR A REASON.

So as well all prepare for for the winter holidays and the end of the first semester, I have some more tips that I have found useful here during my time at Chapel Hill:

Finish all homework before you go on break. I'm serious. Do it. Because more than likely, you'll wind up discovering a Lord of the Rings marathon on Encore that includes deleted scenes you never knew existed and you will watch and you will not want to do Spanish. I promise. Breaks are for taking breaks, so plan accourdingly to have as much work done as possible before you leave so you don't have to crack a single text book.
Notecards are boss. Still.
If you have a hectic schedule that makes it hard to find time to study: 1) Make notecards, and 2) Study whenever you do have time, such as when you're waiting for the bus or waiting for class to start. All these brief moments of your life add up and you'll appreciate having gone over vocabulary instead of staring at the kid pick his nose.
Do get the pumpkin spice latte from Starbucks if you have never had one. YUM.
Finish strong. I know, it's the end of the semester and you feel burned out, bored with classes, and eager for break. Gathering the energy to do things such as go to class and study are harder, but this is why rest and relaxation is just as important as academics. A fine balance can help you cross the finish line victoriously instead of lagging behind and barely making it across at all.

I hope you had a fantastic Thanksgiving and I truly hope that you came out of Black Friday with all of you intact. I wish you the best with your applications and your college letters. I hope you all find what you were looking for.

Thanksgivingly-Stuffed,

Ashley Spruill

amspruil@live.unc.edu

Turkey and Time Machines

2011-11-25T18:14:00.004-05:00

I may not be on campus as I write this blog entry, but I am nonetheless linked back to Carolina. Currently, I'm hard at work on a project where I hope to detail what life might be like in the years 2021, 2061, 2111, and 3011. While it all may seem like fun and games, this is a complex research project I've undertaken for my Computer Science class (Advanced Cyberculture Studies). If you've read any of my other posts you'll already know that I am a fan of the future and of technology. I'm even trying to create my own second major: Digital Cultures, so I can get a degree for studying what I truly love.

At the top of this post you'll find a concept vehicle called the "Elf", an ultra-efficient electric vehicle that may transform our lives and our city streets in the years to come. Imagine getting the equivalent of 1800 miles per gallon instead of 20 or 30. I've recently started interning with a company that seeks to build these machines and spread them throughout the world. I think that's a pretty fantastic goal, especially given the current climate trends and the necessity of environmental responsibility. For those curious, check out Organic Transit at www.OrganicTransit.com.

Opportunities seem to attack me with more frequency these days, as that is not even my only current internship. This just goes to show that UNC is a breeding ground for interesting and career-worthy activities. Subscribe to listservs and your dreams might come true. And that is a sentence you will not often hear/see.

Switching gears: Thanksgiving is supposed to remind us to be thankful; thankful for the bounty of food we consume that we are lucky to have, thankful for the health of the people that we are lucky to know, thankful for our life's station. Even in the chaos of shopping, I hope people can remember that what we have in the United States is very lucky. OccupyWallStreet is beginning to open the eyes of the nation and the world... and things aren't all peachy. People are hungry. People are jobless and homeless. If you can read this blog post, you are more fortunate than the majority of human beings in this world. You can read and you have access to the internet. You have the free time to spend it looking at a blog, and you have the personal safety necessary to own (or at least to operate) a computer. As a college student, I am among the luckiest people in the world. As a UNC student, the percentage only grows smaller and more selective. This is easy to forget and even easier to ignore.

So that's my challenge to you, reader... remember who you are, remember the world around you, and never stop caring for others. We are the 100% of the world and its our job as human beings to protect one another. It's ruthlessly simple. I only wonder why it took me going to college to understand all of this.

The Sports

2011-11-21T23:24:00.003-05:00

When you come to Carolina, never say never.

At least, never say never to things you’re not sure if you like—majors, clubs, curiosities. Here is both an example and a dark confession: I don’t like sports. I don’t have a lot of team spirit. I played basketball and ran cross-country for one small, low-scoring year in high school but coming to Carolina was definitely not inspired by an ardent love for Carolina basketball. My family has been bleeding Tarheel blue for as long as I can remember, but —a biochemist professor-grandfather, two aunts, one uncle, four cousins, one sister and generations of Carolina basketball worshipers later—I have always lacked team spirit. I hang my head when I'm with my family during March Madness. I will watch a basketball game if it includes the title word "championship" and I will say, of a certain tall gentleman who passed the role list to me in one of my classes last semester “Wait, isn’t Harrison Barnes a basketball player?”—but I am definitely lacking an undying love for Tar Heel sports.

So, this, my first post on the Tarheel Blog, is dedicated to you, lacking-in-team-spirit-future-Carolina-students. I know you’re out there. You may be asking, "Can I really go to a university that has one of the biggest and best sports legacies in the country, if I don't care that much?"

Because something happened to me this semester. I started joining intramural teams. Well, two: intramural soccer and intramural ping-pong—and yes, I do play intramural ping-pong and yes, it is something fierce. Playing intramural sports is mostly inspired by my desire to hang out with other people and because my primary passion in life is ping-pong (okay, an exaggeration, but close), but also because I have a bucket list of things I want to do before graduating to broaden my Carolina experience: take a Russian Literature class, do slam poetry, go to a star show at the Morehead Planetarium, tutor, and become interested in The Sports. This is what I am calling my new desire for athleticism: The Sports!

The other week, I went to a friend’s house watch the UNC vs. Michigan State game on the U.S Aircraft carrier. For someone whose attention span for sports is much, much shorter than an aircraft carrier, this game was a good introduction to The Sports: the UNC team ran out onto the Aircraft Carrier against a sky so pink it could have been out of a movie, President Obama and Michelle Obama were on the sidelines, and (spoiler alert): we won! I yelled at the screen and cheered and actually had a great time—and left the game more determined than ever to develop a love for The Sports, whether they are ping-pong, basketball or (cringe!) football. I can even tell you the score: 67-55.

The other day, though, I was at a bar (and in case you were wondering: I am 21)and a football game came onto the screen next to me. I have no idea who was playing.

“Sssh!” I told my friends next to me. “I’m watching THE GAME.”

In summary, I only got to semi-finals in intramural ping-pong and semi-finals in soccer, but my team lost. And I didn’t contribute that much. I ran around a lot and cheered and kicked the ball about three times. But I played! And next time intramurals roll around, I’m signing up. Same goes for the next UNC basketball game (watching it, not signing up to play). Maybe, if I get really carried away, I’ll put up one of those posters on my door that has the names of all the basketball players (probably not). But my Junior year at UNC-Chapel Hill, I’m making an effort. For The Sports!

Never say never, future UNC applicants! That’s the first thing I have to say about my experience at UNC. So, go make a bucket list.

I can't even think of a subject line, so here's a joke: What's big and gray and doesn't matter?

2011-11-21T19:40:00.001-05:00

An irrelephant!

hahahahahahahahahahahaha...haha...ha...

right...on to the post...

------

Want to leave a mark on your university? How about being the very first impression that a visitor gets?

Don't sweat it. You'll be well prepared.

As mentioned in my first post, I've spent part of this semester training to be an Admissions Ambassador. Ambassadors represent Carolina by giving tours, helping out with admissions events, and participating in phone-a-thons.

I applied to be an ambassador mostly on a whim. I helped out in the summer, checking people in for tours, and decided to apply, really because I loved the idea of telling a group of strangers how great our school is. A new group of people to impress every week!

It's only after eight hours of training, shadowing five different tours, and a 24-hour retreat that I've realized how important we are as ambassadors. Does that sound egotistic? Maybe, but it's true.

Think about how important this time in your life is. You're in the process of applying for your future. Wherever you choose to go to college will determine who your friends will be, what experiences you'll have, and will be made up of moments that you look back on countless times throughout your life.

As ambassadors, we're that first impression of our school, and we might be the deciding factor for a potential student unable to make up their mind. We are the faces of our University, and that's a pretty significant responsibility.

Training is filled with learning fun facts about Carolina, practicing all of the important things to talk about on tours, but most of all, building a collection of personal stories to share with visitors.

The current ambassadors have told us so many stories about their tours: the people they meet, the places they come from, and the hilarious questions that they've received. But the best stories I've heard are the ones where an Ambassador has changed someone's life. On so many occasions have high-school students visited our University, dragged here by a well-meaning parent who just wants to make sure they "consider all of their options." They come quiet, sour-faced, and determined to hate us. They've already made their decision. But, after a walk through the Pit during lunch time, laughing at the superstition Carolina students have about the Old Well, staring wide-eyed at the architecture of Wilson library, and stepping through the piles of autumn leaves that litter the bricks, they slowly unwind. Their arms un-cross, they ask questions, and they start to think that this might be the place for them after all. All of the ambassadors seem to have had a moment like this...The moment at the end of their tour, when the student who arrived ambivalent and haughty, walks shyly up to them and says, "Thank you so much. I can really see myself here." Through their charisma, kindness, and welcoming spirit, they've left their mark on a future student.

I was going to make this post just about what training to be an Ambassador is like, but I'm okay with the direction it went instead....

To paraphrase what some of the ambassadors say at the end of their tours, I'll conclude with this: I don't know if Carolina is the right school for you. I would love to convince you that it is, but the heart of the matter is that maybe you feel like you belong somewhere else. Go where you feel most at home. Don't let anyone make the decision but you. You are intelligent, bright, and full of potential. Don't waste that somewhere where you feel like you should be- spend it somewhere you want to be. And when you get there, and you realize how happy you are, consider being an ambassador for your university. There's nothing quite like sharing stories with strangers, and you'll have plenty of wonderful stories to share.

As always, please do not hesitate to post a question, or send me an e-mail at jkreizma@unc.edu

And now for some pictures!

Campus in the Fall. So pretty, right?

The Ambassador retreat was at Quaker Lake! Also beautiful.

Admissions Ambassadors at retreat!

A Week in Highlights

2011-11-19T16:46:00.006-05:00

Hello everyone! Thought y'all might like to hear about what made my typical "average" week special.

Some Highlights from My Week:

-Learning how to fill a cavity and prep a tooth for a crown, then (very badly) practicing on a dummy at the Dental School Sim Lab! Through a program on campus, I'm matched with a Dental School student mentor. Definitely one of the coolest opportunities I've had on campus.

-77 degree weather in mid-November.

-Really, really, really enjoying ANTH 147 and INTS 210 classes this week. Global health, infectious diseases, climate change, Laos, access to health care. I love coming out of a class excited and inspired, which happens pretty often here.

-Finding out that I did not fail my latest Molecular Biology test. Always a plus. It's been hard coming to college and making grades that I never would have dreamed of making in high school, but on the other hand, when I do get an A, I know it's been earned and that makes it all the much sweeter.

-Scoping out books for a final research paper in Davis on a lazy Friday afternoon.

-Seeing the Rockettes in Durham. Chapel Hill may not be Broadway, but you'd be surprised at the variety of entertainment options available on campus and in the Triangle area.

-Making a new friend.

-Hearing the Nutcracker Soundtrack for the first time this year outside of the Memorial Hall Ticket Booth. Hearing Tchaikovsky on the way to class has become my new holiday tradition.

Sometimes it's the small things that end up making your week. As your acceptance letters start coming in, think about what kind of highlights you want your future weeks to consist of. Whether your idea of a highlight is going to yoga class in the Ackland Museum, watching nationally ranked teams make history, going on a kayaking expedition with your friends, hearing experts discuss the Arab Spring, or just running through campus on a nice day... you can be sure you can make them at Carolina.

So many things to be thankful for

2011-11-19T15:24:00.001-05:00

Hey perspective Tar Heels!

I hope everyone had a fantastic week. Professors are trying to get in there last tests before finals right now, so I had a Hebrew test Monday, and a physics and calc test on Tuesday. Needless to say it was a rough way to start the week, but once that was over with this week has been easy sailing! Now it's the weekend and it's time to relax (As soon as I finish my physics homework that is).

Next week is a two day week and then we start Thanksgiving break on Wednesday. Residence halls are closing on Wednesday, but I'm going to be flying home Tuesday night. I cannot express how excited I am to go home and see all my friends. I did not go home for fall break (I went to NYC instead to visit a friend) and so this will be the first time I have been home since I left for college. It's been chilly here in Chapel Hill recently, so I'm ready for the 81 degree weather that Gainesville is having right now!

Coming to college, it was really weird to leave home. Both of my brothers stayed in Florida for college so I am the first (and last, being the youngest) to venture out of the state for school. I'm not going to say that it hasn't been rough at first. I did not know anyone and had no close friends to turn to do stuff with. I was really homesick at first. However, as time goes on, it gets better and better each day and I now have plenty of friends that I can call up last minute and ask to hang out with. I would say that I'm still a little homesick though, even though my life here is fantastic. It's going to be weird going home because I now have this completely separate life in Chapel Hill from Gainesville. Living so far away from home has prevented me from going home, which is both good and bad. Good because it has allowed me to cultivate my life and friendships here, but bad because i have missed out on some events back home that I would have liked to be able to go to. So here are my feelings, opinions, and thoughts on all things about being homesick:

1) If you are homesick, Skype with your friends or call them! It's always nice to hear/see a familiar voice/face, and it will make you feel a lot better

2) If you live close enough, fight the urge to go home a lot. Going home a lot prevents you from building up your friendships here and if anything, perpetuates you feeling homesick. I've seen this happening to a few of my friends that are from Raleigh

3) Keep busy! If you're involved in some stuff on campus, you won't have time to miss home because you'll be doing a lot of stuff.

4) Enjoy UNC! There is no place in the world like this and you only have a few years here, so enjoy it while you can!

I hope you guys have a wonderful Turkey Day and enjoy your break. Once we come back, only a week and a half until the end of the semester and final exams (Yikes! Where did the semester go?!?!?!). I've attached a few pictures of campus right now to show how pretty fall is and the changing of the leaves (somethings that I don't see as much in Florida!)

My beautiful morning view from my floor of my dorm.

I picked these from the bushes in front of Morehead Planetarium. All of the flowers there are in bloom right now and they are incredibly beautiful!

Campus is so beautiful at this time of year.

As always, if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to comment on this post or e-mail me at cartermc@live.unc.edu. Can't wait to hear from you all!

Until next time,
Carter

Big vs. Small

2011-11-18T16:02:00.003-05:00

Hey y’all!

I’m Molly Voreacos, a sophomore studying History and Peace, War & Defense, currently hanging out in the Union, simultaneously blogging, Facebook stalking, and finishing off my last online Spanish homework assignment for the semester. I’m from Teaneck, New Jersey, a town five miles outside of New York City. Before coming to Carolina, I’d never drank sweet tea, been to Bojangles, or had a guy run up from behind me to open a classroom door. (Southern gentlemen aren’t just an urban legend!) I came to UNC from a medium-sized high school, where teachers not only knew everyone’s names, but were sincerely invested in the academic, social, and emotional growth of all their students. I was nervous to leave high school, after four years centered on small classes and personal attention, for a university where I might be just one of my professor’s three hundred introductory level students.

Luckily, at Carolina I’ve found the perfect balance between small discussion-based classes and large lecture-style courses. This semester, I’m taking six classes (including a lab), four of which are smaller than thirty students each. I start every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday with 9 a.m. Geology 101, one of UNC’s most popular intro-level science courses. There are over 150 students in my lecture section, most of whom (like me!) “aren’t science people.” My professor does a great job of making Geology accessible to us right-brainers by using quirky anecdotes to parallel major scientific concepts (did you know kaolinite is found in Wendy’s Frostys?). Her lectures are engaging and interactive and feel more like my fifteen person high school Chemistry class than one that fills an entire auditorium-sized classroom. At the beginning of the semester, my professor broke the class into “color groups,” made up of about twenty students each. Within our color groups, we complete research projects and creative assignments. My small group’s been my home base throughout the semester and has helped make a class that initially felt overwhelmingly large seem ten times smaller and easier to manage.

My Tuesdays and Thursdays begin with Creative Writing, a seventeen person class that meets outside at a circle of benches facing Polk Place. My teacher assigns in-class prompts and exercises and over the course of the semester I’ve come to know all my classmates through their unique writing styles. Our major project has been a 4,500-word short story that we presented to the class for compliments and criticisms. Before sharing our stories, we each had one-on-one conferences with our professor who shared individualized tips on how to make our prose stronger and more effective. My professor’s honesty and encouragement has helped me grow as a writer and shown me just how important the success of every student is to professors here at UNC.

Whether you’re more interested in taking large lecture classes or small seminar courses, you’ll never feel like “just a number” at Carolina.

Any questions about large classes vs. small classes? Leave a comment or email me – I’d love to hear from you!

Happy Friday!

Molly

voreacos@live.unc.edu

Fall in Chapel Hill...in pictures!

2011-11-17T00:45:00.008-05:00

Hi guys! So as you wait for your acceptance envelopes, I thought I'd give you a teaser of life in Carolina in the fall - it's pretty awesome.

I know I'm really late on this, but Halloween on Franklin Street -- awesome. Definitely something to look forward to, I know so many people from other schools who trek up to Chapel Hill just for the Halloween experience.

On Franklin St! prisoner, Nikki Minaj, cheetah, hunter, army cadette, and me: a homemade clown costume! So many people go all out on creativity for their costumes, I felt like I wanted to make mine original too.

And I'm sure you all heard about the epic UNC basketball game against Michigan State... on an aircraft carrier! With Barack and Michelle Obama in attendance! No big deal :P

I watched the game with some of my friends on this huge TV at Carmichael Arena (where women's basketball and volleyball teams play). It was a lot of fun watching this epic game with hundreds of UNC fans! Our student body president, Mary Cooper, was there too.

A less fun part of fall is all the papers and tests that come right before Thanksgiving break. It's the pre-final stress, and you can barely go into a library without seeing crowds of students hunkered down.

papers, papers...help!

And then with fall comes protests! The big thing on campus right now is the proposed tuition hikes - not a fun subject. But a lot of students are really committed to protesting and having their voice heard before the Board of Trustees (who decide things like tuition), which I think is pretty cool.

a protest in the Pit before the students marched to the Board of Trustees meeting

It's Great Here. Really.

2011-11-15T20:49:00.000-05:00

I know that most of you have probably heard numerous things about Carolina. You've heard that it's great. You've heard that you'll have the time of your life. You've probably also heard that this is the one of the best college experiences that you could have. Well, I'm here to tell you that IT'S ALL TRUE. UNC was the best choice that I could make for school, academically and financially.

But let's back up for a moment. Before I do this, I suppose I should introduce myself: My name is LaDarian Smith. I'm a Sophomore here at Carolina and a proud English and Communication Studies double major (with the possibility of a minor in Writing for the Screen and Stage). It sounds like a lot, I know, but talk to virtually anyone on this campus and you'll find that double majors aren't that uncommon! I've met a Music and Chemistry double major, a French and Philosophy double major, a Public Relations and Anthropology double major....see where this is going? Take your interests and find a program of study that works for you! I can honestly say that I came into college with the wrong major. I wasn't happy with anything that I was doing, and my grades reflected that. Do what makes you happy, and I'll leave it at that.

I'm an out of state student as well, proudly hailing from Augusta, Georgia! There were some issues at first with adjusting to not being able to go home whenever I pleased. But the best advice that I have for any college student who gets the hometown blues is to STAY BUSY. Explore your interests and find clubs that cater to them. For example, I LOVE to sing. Coincidentally, I grew up listening to the UNC Gospel Choir, a subgroup of the Black Student Movement. I made it my mission to join the choir as soon as I got here (and now I'm on track to becoming the Head Director of said choir). I also am the President of an a capella group on campus called Vision. Like I said, I love to sing! There's literally something for EVERYONE to do on campus. Like to dance? There are a plethora of dance organizations on campus. Like art? There's something for you too! When you get to Carolina, you have to seek out these groups and opportunities, otherwise you'll be in for a pretty dull ride. FallFest is the perfect time to sign up for organizations (but there'll be more on that later!).

As you can tell, there are so many facets to a Carolina education that it's easy to miss out on something accidentally. I love every single one of my classes and I love everything I'm involved in this semester, but that's because I know what I want to do now with my time and studies. Remember, it's GREAT here, but it'll only be GREAT if you want it to be;)

There's so much more that I want to babble about, but I have to save a few things for next time. On the plus side, it's almost Thanksgiving! I've been mentally and physically preparing myself for the overeating that will occur. Perhaps you'll have more self control than I will. Good luck with any upcoming exams in school that you may have!

-LaDarian
lvsmith@live.unc.edu

True Life: I'm at UNC

2011-11-14T16:45:00.003-05:00

Somehow, amidst listening to Florence + the Machine Shake It Off on repeat (my roommate isn’t here at the moment, you see) and debating whether to watch Deathly Hallows Part 2 or Gossip Girl while I do my homework tonight, I decided to type up this blog…as if I’m not mentally doing enough right now.
(Side note: my first lesson to you all is to always put homework first. Always. Tell your parents I said UNC puts education first…even though the relationship between Blair and Chuck might be taking another dramatic turn — watch out Louis, fight for your woman! — understanding astronomy is more important…)

My name is Ashley Spruill, and I am a very conflicted freshman studying English (GO WORDS!) with a Spanish minor here at Carolina. I’m torn (ha! in more ways than one) between double majoring in Communications or Journalism with a concentration in Public Relations. I hail from a small-ish town known as Fuquay-Varina just outside of Raleigh where camouflage is the new black and we build a John Deere dealership next to preschools (true story, but they better watch out for those crazy three-year-olds with the urge to cut some grass) — and I say these things with love.

But enough about me, I’m here to help you. It’s almost Thanksgiving and words cannot explain how excited that makes me to add the feast of all feasts to my list of THINGS I LOOK FORWARD TO WHEN IN COLLEGE. Time flies, it’s true, because there are only a few more days until the end of the semester. Strange, how just last year, I had no idea where I would be at this time and now here I am writing to all those now in my place. Two words of advice: deep breaths.

As my time at Chapel Hill progresses, I’ve been mentally keeping track of some things I wish I knew before coming here (despite living in NC, I grew up close to NC State’s campus, so Chapel Hill news never reached my ears until I said YES to my acceptance). So as you countdown the days to college (whichever it may be) I have for you a short list of things you should do to prepare (although most will pertain to UNC, feel free to take this advice anywhere):

•Sleep is good. Sleep is important because it allows your brain to take a break so that it can later perform at its optimum level. Do not lose out on sleep.

•Food is good. Do not skip entire meals because the physical effects it will have on you will not be worth it (and if that cutie next to you in class hears your stomach growl with hatred for your neglect, you will live to regret it). If you must study, multitask: study and eat. No, it doesn’t make you weird, it just means you’re in college.

•Watch. Out. For. The. Bricks.

•Pack lots of underwear. Sound like useless advice? You won’t think so when you’re spending money to do laundry for the third time in a month because you keep running out…

•Learn the bus schedule…or which bus actually stays on campus when you get on it.

Of course, I could list hundreds of things I’ve learned (and I will add more on my next post) but I don’t want to overwhelm all of you at one time. I just want to leave you with one more piece of advice: enjoy your last year of high school at the top of the food chain. Go to prom, stuff freshmen in lockers, play an appropriate and 100% legal school prank, whatever floats your boat. Don’t stress, and if I miss tonight’s Gossip Girl, don’t tell me what happened, I hate spoilers.

Indecisively Yours,

Ashley Spruill
amspruil@live.unc.edu

Bonfire Night, A Week Late

2011-11-12T12:38:00.011-05:00

Hey, all! Congrats on the big win yesterday (UNC 67 - 55 Michigan State)! I just wanted to check in and post some pictures of last weekend's festivities.

Saturday, November 5 was Bonfire Night in the UK. This super fun celebration commemorates the prevention of a seventeenth-century plot to blow up Parliament. Every year on November 5, the anniversary of 'the Gunpowder Plot,' British people light bonfires and set off fireworks.

After a failed excursion to the Meadows, my friend Calum, flatmates, and I hiked up Arthur's Seat to watch the spectacle. By 10pm we were huddled together and freezing, but, as much as I regretted leaving my leather gloves at home, I was completely transfixed by the exploding fireworks and the beautiful Edinburgh skyline at night.

All in all, one of the highlights of my study abroad experience. Pictures below. (Warning: my night photography skills don't do it justice.)

After many unsuccessful attempts, Cal gets a good shot of the skyline.

Our feet dangling over the edge of the cliff

Friends watching fireworks

Until next time! Happy Saturday, y'all!

Fresh Man

2011-11-11T13:08:00.005-05:00

Hello Everyone!

My name is Deen, and I hail from Greensboro, North Carolina. I am first year, and I plan on majoring in Health Policy and Chemistry, with a minor in Arabic. Like most of you, just a year ago I was finalizing my list of Universities I was applying to. In an attempt to be as honest with you all as possible, I'll describe my Carolina experience thus far.

My first day of classes was interesting to say the least. I had signed up for some challenging honors courses, and I was a little apprehensive about what my professors would be like. When I first walked into my Arabic class, I didn't recognize anybody. I hadn't felt like that since the sixth grade. As I sat there observing all the kids around me, who were mostly sophomores with a few of us scattered freshman, my professor walked in. I had heard great things about him, but none of it manifested until I saw a jolly Palestinian man walk in and greet us with a resounding "Marhaba!", meaning Welcome in Arabic. The guy next to me smiled at me and said, "this is going to be fun." I smiled back and nodded. Needless to say, it has since become my favorite class, and that guy one of my best friends.

Outside of the classroom, I am involved in a myriad of activities. I am involved in the Roosevelt Institute, where we are writing Health Policy briefs that we hope to be published and later implemented, and I am doing research with a professor in the UNC Neuroscience Center. I have also played intramural soccer, and basketball, and I have even had a chance to play in a pickup game against the best basketball team in the nation- that's right, the NATION. I have met a new person each day I've been on campus, and as a freshman, I am going to be teaching a class as a discussion leader next semester! I can't wait to be making and grading tests instead of taking them. In all, coming to Carolina was definitely one of the best decisions of my life. The work is challenging, but your professors and friends will be there to help you. I can't wait to see what the future holds.

Good luck to you seniors who are applying! and Good luck to the Tar Heels today against Michigan State!

If you have any questions, feel free to shoot me an email at deeng@live.unc.edu

Blogging is a great way to not get any homework done....

2011-11-07T22:15:00.001-05:00

Hello everyone!

I write this introductory post from a table in the student union, as I determinedly procrastinate doing the reading for my international studies class.

I hope you all are well, and not too stressed with college applications. My brother is a senior in high school, so believe it that I'm getting second-hand complaints.

Anyway, since an introductory post requires some introduction, I guess I should tell you about myself.

My name is Jenny, and I'm a sophomore this year at our lovely university. I'm a global studies major, and considering declaring a second major in Journalism (with a Public Relations focus).
I hail from Durham, NC which is soooooo incredibly far away (it's like....fifteen minutes for those of you not familiar with the triangle) and yet I have somehow maintained an acceptable amount of independence from my family. When I first came to college, my mom told me I wasn't allowed to come home for six weeks, so we could pretend like I was going to school hundreds of miles away. Thanks, Mom.

The always lovely, Memorial Hall.

When people ask me what I'm involved with on campus, I struggle, because the first thing that comes to mind is, "I have a job! I don't have time for clubs!"
I work as a sales associate at the Memorial Hall box office, selling tickets for performances throughout the year, and keeping patrons happy. Performers at the hall come from countries all over the world, so it's a truly enriching experience. (tickets are only $10 for students, so jump on that.) My job, as well as a first-year seminar centered around performances at the hall, has led me to seriously consider Arts Management as a future career.....but more on that another time.
Working at shows takes up a lot of my evenings, but when I think about it, I find that I'm involved in more ways that I initially thought.

SLLC members chalking the bball court outside our dorm

Last year, I was a member of the Sustainability Living Learning Community. LLC's are ways to make your living experience on campus more focused, and they are a wonderful way to help find a group of people who share your interests. The forty-or-so of us on my hall met for weekly meetings to discuss the many embodiments of sustainability (education, government, art, economics, environment....etc). It was such a wonderful experience, mostly because I had forty ready-made friends! Forty people to wave to on my walk back from class, forty people who would go to dinner with me, forty people to study with, forty people......you get the point. Carolina is a big school, so I would definitely recommend an LLC to anyone who wants to have a smaller community to be a part of.

This year, I'm on my community government! This means I help represent all of the students who live in the residence halls in Olde Campus Lower Quad

OCLQ. Isn't it purdy?

We meet bi-weekly to program events, and talk about what can make residents more comfortable. We just had a meeting to plan an open-mic night next month. I have zero performance talent, so maybe I'll just be the person who crosses off names.

Lastly, I'm in the midst of training to become an Admissions Ambassador! Ambassador is a fancy way to say tour guide, but since we do more than just give tours, we have an awesome alliterative name instead!

Being an Ambassador is something I'm really looking forward to. It's a group of people who love Carolina just as much as I do...and who love talking about Carolina just as much as I do.

So maybe I'll see you future tar-heels on one of my tours!

This is getting lengthy, as most instances where I get to talk about myself do, so I'll conclude. But I look forward to updating you all on my adventures for the remainder of the year.

Next semester I'll be studying abroad, so you can look forward to, "Jenny talks about awkward moments where she said something in Spanish that she didn't mean," and other fun things....

But I must say buenas noches, as it's getting late, and homework demands my attention.

If you have any questions, do not hesitate to post a comment or send me an e-mail: jkreizma@live.unc.edu

Falling into the swing of things

2011-11-07T20:20:00.001-05:00

Hello everyone!!

My name is Carter McCormick and I'm a first year student here at UNC. This is my first blog and I'm so excited to be able to share with you all my love of Carolina. This post is going to be a little bit random because it's all about my first few months at Carolina. I figured I would start by telling you all a little bit about myself. I'm proudly from Gainesville, Florida, home of the University of Florida. I'm majoring in Exercise and Sport Science, hopefully I will have an athletic training concentration once I apply for the program next fall, a double major in Political Science, with a minor in Hebrew, all while being on the pre-med track. I'm involved with several organizations on campus, but there will be more on those in a later post, and I also work as a research assistant in a neuroscience lab here on campus.

I have not been at Carolina for 3 months yet and I already have a ton of stories and great friends. There are so many things I love about being here. The great restaurants located on Franklin Street, watching any Carolina sport, sitting in the pit with friends, Fall Fest, catching an a cappella concert, or just laying in the quad in-between classes. There are SO many great things to do here. Coming from out of state, I was definitely concerned about not knowing anyone and everyone else already having a group of friends, but I have yet to meet a person from any grade that was kind and I connected with in some way. I have also been exposed to so many new things. UNC is an incredible melting pot of cultures, religions, thought, ideas, opinions, and so much more. I have experienced more in my first month in college then I did in your four years of high school. I have also learned the essentials about being a student at Carolina, such as necessary yogurt pump (affectionately called yo-po) trips, the wonders of late night at BSkis, how to properly pronounce Dey Hall, what bus to take to get to class, and general locations of buildings. I surprise myself at how much I know about campus and campus life compared to when I got here.

So yeah, that is a very abridged version of my semester thus far. I've attached a few pictures to show how much fun things have been as well.

My friends and I after the UNC vs. Notre Dame soccer game. Hurricane Irene got us a little wet during the game but we stayed the whole time to see our Lady Tar Heels onto victory!

My friends at I at my very first NC State Fair! They had every fried food I could ever imagine.

The Carolina Kickoff 2012 Counselors and Staff. My friend and I really rocked that sorority girl squat in the front. Don't know what Carolina Kickoff is? There's gonna be a whole post on it soon!

Halloween on Franklin Street. Angry Birds took over.

If you have any questions, please feel free leave a comment or e-mail me at cartermc@live.unc.edu! Can't wait to hear from you all!

Oh hey there! How you doin?

2011-11-07T16:54:00.013-05:00

First matter of business-How are you guys doing?
How are the applications coming along? Have you submitted all of yours early? If so, congratulations! (If not, I didn't submit any early so hey, you are rollin with the best) I hope all your fall sport seasons wrapped up well and your plays and performances or what have you were all smashing successes!

I know this is such a high pressure season of life, do make sure that you are taking some time to have some good, clean fun.

Well it has been too long since we last chatted future Tarheels! I hope you have had a great Halloween...I spent mine asleep in my bed because I got sick Monday afternoon but such is life and you just keep truckin on. Enjoy this brief recap of my life in the last few months. It is in reverse chronological order and you will be rewarded with cool pictures if you make it to the end.

Wow! I am now a Junior and life is flying along. I only have four classes (12 credit hours) this semester but it is the most reading I have ever had thus far in my college career. Thankfully it is all great stuff. I have started the Entrepreneurship Minor (unceminor.org) and am loving it so far. Next semester I will be taking the workshop portion of the minor to learn how to write business plans etc. It is the perfect program for me because I didn't necessarily want to go to business school but I am loving learning how to develop ideas into businesses.

My American Studies courses are interesting as well and I have great professors including Tim Marr and Bob Cantwell for "Mating and Marriage in America" and "Chicago" respectively...I recommend them both highly. I am feeling confirmed in my decision to Major in American Studies which is encouraging.

I am also an Art History Minor as well and need two more classes to round that out. I don't have any Art classes this semester so I am really looking forward to my Impressionism and Post-Impressionism course next semester.

Fall Break:
I went to Linville Gorge to backpack with some friends. I had never met two of the four guys before but we had a blast...and that is why Carolina students are awesome. Great folks, great fun. However, I do not recommend deciding to hike up the opposite side of the gorge...there is no trail for a reason, it is super steep!

Summer:
I worked at Lost Valley Ranch in Sedalia, Colorado as a wrangler and wrangled everything including horses, cows and guests. I had such a good time, I am going back out to work over Thanksgiving break!

If you need a concert Wash-Tub Bass player, I am your man!

Look Ma, No Hands! (No Sams were hurt in the making of this photo).

Just riding a thing with horns, no big deal.

Square Dance Professional

God's Country

Peace out Cub Scouts!

Halloween Across the Pond

2011-11-06T19:51:00.005-05:00

Hey, all! I know a couple bloggers have already posted about Halloween, but, naturally, I wanted the last word.

When I made the decision to spend my junior year in Edinburgh, Halloween was one of the first things I thought about. (Seriously. Halloween, and basketball games, and late-night burritos at Cosmic Cantina.) Halloween in Chapel Hill is like nothing else. Last year, my friends and I dressed up as characters from Super Mario Kart. We made the costumes from scratch. We took a thousand pictures in the dormitory, a thousand more with strangers on Franklin Street, and, eventually, wound up at an off-campus frat party, where we danced and laughed until the very early morning.

This year, I missed the energy and vibrancy of Chapel Hill on Halloween, but I still had a great time. Halloween is less important in Scotland than it is in the United States – but, it should go without saying, that everyone, Brits included, love a good costume party! On the weekend, loads of people in Edinburgh dressed up and went to pubs, bars and clubs.

Last Saturday (Halloweekend), my friend Jamie threw a flat party. As a joke, a couple of us decided to deck out in red, white and blue; paint stars and stripes on our faces; and go as the American flag. (We endured some friendly abuse from our international friends.) Later, on Halloween Monday, my flatmates and I dressed up as fairies, and went to Frankenstein, a spooky themed bar in the heart of the city. We danced until 1am, at which point, we relocated to the Banshee Labyrinth – the (self-proclaimed) ‘most haunted pub in Edinburgh.’

I’m attaching a couple pictures of our costumes - most likely, for your amusement. All in all, I loved my Scottish Halloween; I hope you had a great night too! @ProspectiveStudents: I'll see you next year on Franklin Street!

Mixing and Matching: Emily with Hipster Ash Ketchum

Leave it to the art major to make a gorgeous costume out of three-pound wings and a headband. You go, Kettle!

Major?

2011-11-06T13:53:00.004-05:00

One of the challenging aspects of college is narrowing down, and sticking with, a specific major. Some students are lucky - they go into college knowing exactly what they want to study and never second-guess themselves. Most of us, though, are less certain. Especially in the current economic climate, the college major is considered to be a foundation upon which your future career will stem. No pressure, right?

If you're going to begin your college career soon and are not sure what you're going to study, I have a message for you: don't worry about it just yet. I am currently a senior, and just this semester, I changed my major for the fifth (or is it sixth?) time throughout undergrad.

When I came to UNC, I was sure I wanted to obtain a degree in biology. As the semesters went on, though, I found myself questioning whether it was truly the best degree for me. I considered many different majors, like English and Exercise Science. Recently, I realized that the classes I truly enjoyed and wanted to continue taking were anthropology courses. So I swapped my biology major and anthropology minor and am still going to be graduating on time. But most importantly, I'm very happy with the decision and know that at another university I may not have discovered this subject with which I'm so interested.

Now, I'm not saying that this is a good route to take. Knowing your major for certain before junior year will open up a lot of doors for you and certainly reduce pressure to graduate on time. However, some of us take more time to discover what we really love, and going to a school like UNC with a relatively flexible curriculum enables us to not get behind. Alternatively, you may discover something you love and decide to pick it up as a double-major. There are many options available!

So if people have already been asking you what you want to study and what you plan to do in the future, don't sweat it. "I'm undecided" is a perfectly acceptable answer at this stage in your life. The truth is, you will not be the same person in three or four years that you are now, so keeping an open mind about your major when coming to school is a great way to approach college academics.

Registering aka Shopping

2011-11-03T19:54:00.011-04:00

I walk though the Student Stores too many times a day on the way to and from class. But seriously, one of Carolina students' favorite things to do late at night, in the library, or even in class (if you're bad) is to go shopping. Shopping for next semester’s classes that is!

Filling up your shopping cart before you’re allowed to officially check out (enroll in classes) can be very frustrating at times. You only have so many hours to give, because college kids’ time is anything but precious, so you have to pick wisely. And you have to hurry through the aisles, lest someone else snatch the last awesome dress/class spot before you.

You’ve got to purchase the basics like socks and undies (foreign language and LFIT classes) and stock up on the requirements (oh hey, high school uniform khakis) like art and English.

But sadly, like with any shopping trip, you’ve got a budget to stick to and just too many classes you want to take. For your first few trips to the mall/Student Center you’ll have to spend your most of your money on all-season pieces, but sometimes you’ll get to splurge on something’s really special. I'm excited to start accessorizing/taking courses in my major.

This time around I’ve found more than a few classes that are right on trend, just my size, and even on sale. This is what I love about Carolina, everyone can find something that fits them perfectly. Here’s just a few classes that caught my eye while last searching: History of the Holocaust, Multimedia in North Carolina, Renaissance Literature and its Intellectual Contexts...

At UNC, we register for spring classes in November then for next fall's classes in March. The process takes over a week, with each year getting a different day to enroll. Though I've never used any other system than Connect Carolina, I think it works pretty well and is very user friendly.

Right now my Shopping Cart looks like this:

I can't wait to click "Enroll" Monday morning (we are each randomly assigned times) to see my new schedule!

And don't worry if you're not like me and obsessively plan your schedule years in advance. If don't know what classes you need to be taking, there are numerous resources on campus such as Academic Advising where you fill out Major Worksheets and online resources such as Tar Heel Tracker which gives you a personalized list of requirements you have taken and still need to fulfill. Many Departments also have great lists to help out their students. Global Studies does an excellent and helpful list every semester.

Isn't campus pretty?

Happy Fall! Leave any comments or email me (kchiang@live.unc.edu) if you have any questions about registering for classes or anything else!

2011-10-27T00:24:00.005-04:00

Hi guys!

For this blog post, I thought I'd show you the life of a Daily Tar Heel writer! For those of you interested in practicing journalism (or even just reading a really good paper), Chapel Hill's a great place for that. The DTH is distributed across campus every morning and you can't walk across the quad, sit in the union, or even go to class without seeing every other person holding a copy. It's the nation's best college newspaper, according to Princeton Review. Certain stories from last year just won Pacemaker Prizes -- the college equivalent of a Pulitzer Prize! :)

I've been writing for the State & National Desk for two years now... we cover things like N.C. politics, policies and whatnot affecting the entire UNC-system (like budget cuts and tuition increases, fun fun!), and other things across the state. Usually, writers get their story emailed to them by their editor or an assistant editor the night before they write, but for my most recent story, I came up with the idea myself. I wanted to examine N.C. public high schools - a topic that's probably of interest with you all.

The night before I write, I send emails to the people I want to talk to the next day so they're expecting me. Then the next morning, I call lots and lots of sources -- we need to have at least three. For this story, I called state legislators - who are notoriously difficult to get a hold of!- and people in think tanks who did research on education. I also talked to people at the UNC Admissions Office -- they were so helpful!

Once I had all my sources nailed down, I went into the office:

It's on Rosemary Street, which is right behind Franklin. The office is so nice and is equipped with some pretty awesome Macs!

The amount of time it takes to write your story varies. You read with an assistant editor first to fix any style errors, and then read with your desk editor, and then the editor-in-chief! It can take a while when there are a lot of writers waiting to read, but there's a really comfy couch in the office and you can relax and do your homework, or chat with everyone in the office.

My story ended up looking like this and you can read here. (and don't worry, it's about struggling graduates from N.C. public high schools, but I'm sure you guys are all awesome! I think the map showing the schools where the most students come to UNC from is interesting...but don't let it stress you out -- what high school you're from definitely isn't considered in the application process!)

If you guys have any questions about working at the Daily Tar Heel, feel free to send me an email! mewill@live.unc.edu

This is not a Pumpkin

2011-10-26T23:56:00.003-04:00

I have no doubt that Halloween posts here will quickly eclipse this one, so I'll try and get a few words in edgewise before costumes and pumpkins take over.

What is October aside from its festive end? Mid-terms. That means the first opportunity to really study for First Years and the return of an old routine for others. The libraries are bright and full, dorm lamps stay on late into the night, and everywhere the sound of pencil against paper persists. For me, the routine is atypical at best. I have very few tests to study for. Instead I write papers and short stories and hope that my efforts are worth more than a pumpkin when it comes time to be graded. Thus far I have:

1. Explored the reality and simulation of Nathaniel Hawthorne's literature.
2. Discussed mental hospitals and soldiers' recovery in World War I.
3. Written stories about:
a. An exploding star that turned into a diamond (this one's actually non-fiction!)
b. A soldier reflecting on the end of World War II
c. A college student trying to deal with social media and a future utopia in the year 2045, where contact lenses with LED screens and internet connections are commonplace.
d. An eleven year old girl and her great uncle aboard a massive spaceship many light-years away remembering what life was like back on Earth.

In other news, I recently joined up with the UNC SEDS group (Students for the Exploration and Development of Space). How insanely amazing is that!? We are a new group this year and just last night we got the honor of going up to Morehead Planetarium's telescope to see distant stars, the Andromeda Galaxy, and a crystal clear view of Jupiter... all while a very smart and very funny astronomer answered questions about the nature of the universe, the speed of light, black holes, neutrinos, gamma ray bursts, and many other subjects. It was a night I shall not soon forget.

In case it was in any way unclear, I am passionate about the future and about space. My Creative Writing classes have given me the opportunity to write science fiction, my Computer Science classes have allowed me to explore the boundaries of future technology, and even my Geography course helped me to explore technology's role in global culture. It genuinely appears that UNC can cater to anyone's interests. And I once thought that impossible.

I'll close by saying that in the spirit of my own future I just applied for an internship with a company that produces ultra-light ultra-efficient vehicles (think ~1800MPG on pure, clean, solar electricity!). If all goes well, I might soon be starting to help design the future that I so passionately pursue in fictions and daydreams.

Questions? Shared interests? I'd love to hear about it. My email inbox is always open and you can leave comments below.

- - -

Now, our galaxy:

This is where we all live. Pretty incredible, isn't it...

For LGBTQ students...

2011-10-23T22:17:00.008-04:00

One aspect of life at Carolina that hasn’t gotten much attention to date on the blog is the experiences of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender students, which may be of particular importance to many of you who are applying. Like many colleges, UNC has an LGBTQ Center that offers a variety resources and services to the campus community.

I recently participated in their Safe Zone program, which is designed to inform participants of LGBTQ/gender issues and train them to effectively support individuals who need it. This training was an enriching experience for me, and it feels wonderful to know I have the resources to help other students if called upon.

The Center serves a valuable role in campus life because many Carolina students indentify as LGBTQ, and many more identify as straight allies. In my personal experience, UNC has provided a very accepting and open atmosphere for us, for which I am very thankful. When the occasional issue arises, I feel that it is handled as respectfully and transparently as possible by administrators. This inclusive atmosphere is not just important for LGBTQ students, though, but for all minority students who wish to have the same healthy, happy college experience as everyone else.

I encourage everyone to check out the Center when you get a chance, as well as UNC's wonderful non-discrimination policy. If you indentify as an LGBTQ student and choose to come to UNC, we will be happy to see you here – just as you are!

As always, feel free to contact me at jllusk@live.unc.edu for more info.

Back in Action!

2011-10-23T17:49:00.004-04:00

Congrats to all of you who have submitted your applications for Early Decision! My younger sister is among you, and hearing from her about the experience has brought back the memories of what an exciting (albeit exhausting) time it is in life. Many of you may be considering applying for the regular deadline, and I hope you'll come visit UNC to see if it is a good fit for you.

As a senior (like many of you!), I'm both excited and sad that a new chapter of life is just around the corner. I've kept a lot on my plate, which gives me plenty of information to share with you. I'm currently taking four classes: Folk Narrative, Human Anatomy and Physiology, Gay and Lesbian Literature, and Consciousness and Symbols (an anthropology course). They have all been very rewarding for me so far, and we're only halfway through!

After working for two years at the Ackland Art Museum, I've taken a new job with the Media Resources Center, a unit of the library that offers over 15,000 films, audiobooks, CDs, etc. for students to check out. No need for Netflix when you're here!

I have also taken up a voluntary research position with the Research Labs of Archaeology, where I am helping a graduate student with her project on Native American ceramics in coastal Georgia. UNC makes a huge effort to offer research experience for undergraduates, and in my experience, it's a great way to learn, boost your resume, and still have fun.

On top of all that, I am serving as president for Tar Heel Transfers, a student organization for transfer students. We've had a wonderful rate of participation so far in events like restaurant tours, academic seminars and a recent trip to Carowinds theme park in Charlotte, NC. Next week we will be helping new transfers register for Spring courses, which is always exciting and a bit hectic.

More updates will follow, but I wanted to revamp my posts by giving you a brief look at what opportunities lay ahead of you as your college years pass. If anyone has any questions about research, work, biology or anthropology courses, or transferring to UNC next fall, feel free to comment or email me at jllusk@live.unc.edu - I'll be sure to get back to you!

Favorite Classes

2011-10-22T19:07:00.005-04:00

What's up y'all? Hope the application process is going smoothly for all you seniors and others are just enjoying those high school days. Currently, I'm enjoying my few days away from classes on Fall Break, but I'm excited to get back to campus to see the new changes at the UL and finish up the last six weeks of the semester.

After nine weeks of classes, my favorite course of the semester would have to be INTS 210: Global Issues. Usually, my favorite class is whichever I have the best grades in, but there's just something about this class that I really like. The course is generally offered with two different sections each semester, with one section open to any major and around 200 students, and the other section for majors only and around 50 students. I chose the majors only class, mainly because it doesn't have a recitation, and I'm so glad I did.

We've covered topics such as the creation of nation-states and the IMF's structural adjustment programs, learned about the 2008 Financial Crisis and European Colonialism, and discussed both Karl Marx and Margaret Thatcher. Since it's a small class, our professor usually switches between lecture and discussion, which makes for a great combination. I've learned just as much from my fellow classmates as I have from the class readings and our professor, Dr. Osterweil.

I thought the midterm exam and take-home essay were very fair and a great measure of what we've covered so far. And while the twice weekly readings may be pretty extensive, the work load is very doable. I've only got a group project, two more reading journals, a final paper, and a final exam left.

But, probably my favorite part of the class is getting to meet other Global Studies majors who share similar interests with me! They are all so amazing, some are international students, others have studied abroad extensively, a few are double majors, and all of them have the most interesting ideas. I love hearing what they plan on doing with their Global Studies degrees after school.

What about everyone else? Any Carolina students/alumni with a favorite class? What about prospective students, any classes you've heard about or are looking forward to taking?

2011-10-21T13:28:00.002-04:00

(Carrboro Farmer's Market)

Hey friends!

Let me just say, I am one busy Carolina student and I think many others would say the same. Our world-class university is a hub of endless opportunity, so it’s only natural that we’re involved in a lot of really great things. It takes time to learn the delicate balance of class, work, extracurriculars and just plain fun—and I’m still learning. So far, my junior year has marked a time of realizing what is most important and paring down my priorities. Right now, I’m most excited about Young Life at the high school I lead at in Durham and studying abroad in Morocco next semester.

(prime example of crazy busy life)

Last weekend, our area took 240 high school students to fall camp at Rockbridge in Virginia. The weather was incredible, the leaves were beautiful, the food was delicious and it was great time to just hang out and have fun together. Post-camp is always an exciting time to continue building relationships with the kids you mentor.

(Natalie on the High Ropes Course;

crazy boys jumping in the lake after ziplining;

all at beautiful Rockbridge)

As for Morocco, things are really starting to come together, but it still sort of feels like a dream. I’m spending a bit of fall break trying to get papers squared away and I spent two hours getting a physical, vaccinations and tests at my doctor’s office yesterday. Woof. I feel like I’m a walking disease, but I’m almost squared away for international travel! All I have left is typhoid and rabies—yikes! On the bright side, I was just awarded a pretty significant scholarship for my program! I interviewed for it last week and came away feeling probably more nervous than I started. My roommate informed me that my last interviewer has written three constitutions for other countries and it was his question left me nearly stumped and scrambling for an answer! But I learned two very important things: apply for every scholarship you can and prepare for your interview. I wouldn’t have had such a hard time if I had read a few news blurbs or other country information to refresh my mind and prepare for program- or Morocco-specific questions. At this point, the most pressing goal is to find someone to fill the spot in my house! Wish me luck!

Routine, Routine, Routine

2011-10-17T05:13:00.005-04:00

This blog post goes out to my word of the week.

I’ve been abroad (in Edinburgh, Scotland) for just over a month, and I’m having an amazing time. But, as much as I love an impromptu night out, I’m grateful to be settling into a regular schedule. Gym in the morning, class and coffee in the afternoon, and, in the evening, sit-down dinners with my flatmates.

Don’t get me wrong – I make it a point to go exploring in the city as much as my schedule/thin black wallet will allow. Once a week, my friend Emily and I have burger night at a different pub – a decision we justify to ourselves (and our parents) as follows:

1) Pubs are quintessentially European.
2) We’re immersing ourselves in Scottish culture. AND –
3) Neither of us know how to cook red meat.

But, as much fun as we have trying new things, there’s something to be said for being a regular. At UNC, I tutor at Carrboro High School twice a week, in the afternoon. I finish circa 4pm, at which time I take the J bus (gotta love great public transportation!) to Caribou Coffee on Franklin Street. My friends are already there; we study for a couple hours at a table by the fireplace, and, every now and then, we treat ourselves to a “backwards dinner.” On our way out of Caribou, we pop into the Yogurt Pump (YoPo), where we order big cups of Oreo frozen yogurt with Oreo topping, and, promptly, devour them on the way back to campus.

Sometimes, I miss my UNC rituals, but I’ve gotta say, I’m loving making new ones here.

For example: every Friday, Emily, our friend, Eliza, and I go to a place called Chocolate Soup, where they make a mean cup of hot chocolate with marshmallows. I’m attaching a couple pictures of the rich, chocolatey deliciousness, for your collective envy. The three of us sit at the table nearest the counter, look out the big front windows, and make plans for the upcoming weekend.

Calling on fellow Tar Heels – alumni and current students alike – to share your UNC rituals. Where do you eat, shop, study, relax? If you have a Tar Heel tradition, share it with prospective students in a comment below!

Mitch and Eliza at Chocolate Soup

The whole gang goes for burgers on Emily's birthday

Dorms

2011-10-12T11:09:00.002-04:00

Since this is my first blog, I think I'm going to keep this one short and tell you a little about myself. In future blogs, I plan on letting you know what's going on in Chapel Hill and any fun facts or activities that everyone coming to Carolina should look forward to in their four years here.

I'm a junior journalism and political science double major with a minor in coaching education. I plan on going to graduate school (preferably here) and get a Masters' degree in Sports Administration. That, or I might go to Law School. Not quite sure yet.

I lived in Ehringhaus for my first two years before I moved off campus and now I share an apartment with two of my friends. For those two years, I didn't have air conditioning. Luckily, when you come to UNC you will have air conditioning because now they have a unit in every dorm room on campus. Every time I tell people that I didn't have air conditioning they wonder how I survived.

It was simple. All I needed to do was survive the first week of school and the last week of school. Those are easily the hottest days of the (school) year. After the first or second week of classes, the temperature drops and it becomes perfect Carolina weather.

In all reality, I spent approximately 6-8 hours in my dorm a day and that was to sleep. I was always at class, sporting events, or just hanging out with my friends.

One last fun fact before I get out of here that isn't related to dorm rooms. I love sports. Women's soccer, Football, Basketball, Volleyball. I love it all.

So if you have any questions for me, you can email me at rodrigma@live.unc.edu. Enjoy high school and don't get too stressed out about applications. I know it's a nerve-wracking process but once it's all done, it will be well worth the energy you put into it!

Tracking and Trailing

2011-10-07T16:59:00.010-04:00

Today I learned that a spider-silk cable one kilometer long but only as thick as a pencil can stop a Boeing 747 in flight. (*Also, more on the paper clip later)

And now you ask: How is this relevant?

Some of us enjoy random facts more than others, and when you find yourself going through the process of schooling, all the way from Kindergarten up through Graduate School, you may end up believing that facts and figures are of prime importance.

Don't get me wrong, I love facts. I love learning about anything and everything, how machines and biological bodies work, what makes them tick and what they will look like in the future. But you can't pick apart UNC piece by piece and look at it like a fine Swiss watch. You will end up missing the point and spending far too much time engaged in chasing the clouds. So let's be clear: UNC functions because of the people who staff it and attend it. Without them, all you have is a collection of very large and very well-lit buildings.

Make connections with people. Find a group whose ideas match yours and join it. Better yet, find those who disagree with you and try to understand why. Never think that you are stuck where you are and never underestimate the connective power of people you do not yet know.

Knock on a door. Send a letter. Send an email. Ask a question in your own voice.

Just yesterday I overheard something very intriguing on the bus. Someone sitting near me said, "I wish I didn't have to stay on the rails so much at this University".

I didn't interject, but I know what I would have said. "I bet you're the kind of person who stays on the trail when you go hiking."

The trail is there. There are thousands of classes waiting to be taken. What you (future student, perhaps?) will need to do is find your own trail. Find the people you need to connect with. Find professors who truly love teaching. Take small classes whenever you can. Let your name be heard. Never be afraid to walk off the trail and explore an area that you might not otherwise have considered. I have said this before and I say it again: I am an English major and my favorite classes have been: Geography, Math, Religious Studies, and Computer Science. I ventured off of my 'set' path early on. I encourage you to do the same, whoever you are, wherever you are. Explore beyond your boundaries. That's where the real treasures are hidden.

*So you've waited this long. What was the paper clip for? Reflections about the world do not strike us at moments of our choosing. They are as random and as wonderful as that blue paper clip. Never skip an opportunity to follow the trail of an errant thought as it snakes back into your mind toward something new and undiscovered...

Just a typical Monday

2011-10-03T16:57:00.009-04:00

Hey there! While every Carolina student is different and has a different experience, I'd like to show you what a typical low-key Monday is like for me...

7:00- Rise and Shine. Make breakfast and pack lunch (but the dining halls are delicious too!). Not too thrilled for Monday, but ready to start another week. No major midterms this week, so happy!

8:15- Catch the NS Bus from my apartment. Love the Chapel Hill Transit System. It's free for students and has stops all over campus and Chapel Hill.

9:00- FREN 203 (Intermediate French). Practiced passé composé and l'imparfait verbs. Today I can tell Studying Abroad this past summer in Paris has made a tremendous difference in my comprehension skills. As per usual, the back corner and I spent most of class alternating between doing our work and entertaining ourselves in more exciting ways. The French Department likes for us to learn our grammar and vocabulary before class and to practice our pronunciation and listening during class, so we do lots of group work in class. I've met so many friends through these classes and we always have a great time together studying outside of class and working on group projects.

10:00-10:30- Head on over to The Pit to Bike to Uganda! So much fun and for such a great cause. I saw the bikers last year and was so excited to participate this year. We rode stationary bikes (metaphorically riding almost 6 miles to Uganda), danced around to fun music, raised money for a primary school, and waved to friends passing by. Afterwards, I signed up for Building Tomorrow's listserv. At UNC there is a club for every interest and always an activity going on. All the organizations are very welcoming and send out emails all the time. It's hard not to be involved in something!

we're almost to Uganda!

11:00- BIOL 202 (Genetics and Molecular Biology). Today we watched a video on epigentics. I know this may sound very unimpressive and a waste of time, but the videos you watch in college are not like in high school. Professors use them to make their lectures come to life. The video followed researchers in London and Sweden as they traced diabetes and life expectancy from grandchildren back to the famine conditions of their grandparents. They found that life expectancy was directly tied to the gender grandparent and age that they experienced a famine. I was intrigued and made a mental note to see if any UNC faculty do research in epigentics.

12:00- The weather is amazing! Fall is finally here. Class is done for the day! Eat my lunch somewhere between Kenan Stadium and Campus Health. After that I took the long (it was too pretty for the shortcut!) way to the hospital.

12:30-3:00- Weekly volunteering at the Craniofacial Center. While I may be a Global Studies major, I'm also Pre-Dental and love the opportunity to volunteer at the Dental School. I mainly do clerical work, but other students do art projects with peds patients, give tours, and even work as doulas! There are volunteer opportunities for Pre-Med, Pre-Pharm, Pre-Physical Therapy, etc. Pretty much any pre-health student can find something at the UNC Hospital. I can't talk enough about how grateful I am to go to a school that has both excellent liberal arts programs and world-class health programs.

4:00- Return home and complete readings for tomorrow's Global Issues (INTS 210) and Comparative Healing Systems (ANTH 147). The readings are long, but I love making connections between the two classes (neo-liberal economic development and AIDS in Africa).

7:00- Contemplate working on a paper due Friday or heading back to campus to hit up Rams Head Rec, but put both off to have dinner and fun time with the roommate.

11:00- Settle on brainstorming for my paper before bed. Can't wait for dinner with friends on Franklin Street tomorrow!

Today may not have had any basketball games to watch, special lectures to attend, or any libraries to rave at, but it was just a normal Carolina day. It was perfect.

Good luck on your applications! Don't wait till the last minute! Put some work into that essay. You can't change your SAT scores or your grades, but you can make the admissions office fall in love with your writing and personality!

Fully Fall

2011-10-03T15:19:00.003-04:00

Wowza! It’s been a while, friends!

What a beautiful season we’re entering—autumn. This weekend marked the true beginning of my favorite time of year—the air is crisp and cool, football is in full swing (GO HEELS!), pumpkins adorn porches, the leaves are turning to their rich fall hues, and Halloween festivities are on the mind…October is upon us.

(With my old rooms at the UVA game)

So far, this semester has been quite a “doozy,” as my grandma would say. I’m enrolled in 16 intense hours, with my journalism major hitting me full force. I’m taking two core courses, A/V Information Gathering and Reporting, as well as Intermediate Photojournalism—all project based, all requiring a lot of time and effort. But the products are rewarding, nonetheless.

(Housemates pre-rave at the D's)

I’m also in two classes for my coaching minor—Emergency Care and Analysis of Sport Skills. We just finished up our track and field unit in sport skills and we’re now in our softball unit. The goal of the class is to learn the basics of the sports and to be able to demonstrate them as a coach. Even though I played softball in high school, I’m learning a lot about how to break down various skills to help athletes understand them and perform them well.

Along with juggling my class work, I’ve also been working as a lifeguard at the Chapel Hill-Carrboro YMCA, babysitting on the weekends, leading Young Life, playing intramurals here and there, and working towards studying abroad next semester. Woof! Yep, I’m quite busy.

(Junior girl Young Life leaders at mountain retreat)

Late this summer, I decided to look into study abroad—something I thought had fallen off my radar. Ultimately, I decided to apply for a journalism field studies program in Morocco. Five days after I turned in my application, I received my approval from UNC, so now I’m just waiting to hear from the organization I will be going through. There have been a lot of challenges associated with this decision, but I’m confident I’ve made a good choice and I’m excited to get the ball rolling on this adventure! And don’t worry—I’ll keep you posted!

Wandering Heels

2011-09-30T07:08:00.014-04:00

Hey, all! I’m writing this at 4:47 in the morning, but, already, the sun is streaming through my window, the birds are tittering outside, and the double-decker buses are hurtling by on the street. Of course, it isn’t 4:47 here. I’m exactly five hours ahead; blogging at you from not-so-sunny Edinburgh, where I am spending my junior year abroad.

This Saturday marks the three-week anniversary of my arrival in Scotland. My messy arrival. I had two suitcases to my name; I was jetlagged, and flustered, and all but jumping out of my skin. The first few days were a struggle. It was hard not to dwell on Chapel Hill, and the friends I left behind. I missed football games, tailgates, Carolina gear, and summer weather in the middle of September. I returned, in my head, to a question I overheard my freshman roommate ask an upperclassman acquaintance. “How long did it take you to feel ‘at home’ at school?” (I’ll have to get back to you on that one.) It took me a couple of days to feel comfortable in Scotland, and a couple more to stop comparing everything to Chapel Hill. UNC remains my home away from home; and yet, by the end of the second week, I had, at my disposal, a handful of Scottish expressions, and a new life across the pond.

If you’re interested in studying abroad, UNC has tons of programs at Universities across the world. I’m on an exchange program, which means I pay my tuition and fees directly to UNC. I get to experience Europe, for the (in-state) price of North Carolina. Not bad; at least, it wouldn’t be, if I weren’t determined to buy my body weight in plaid and sweaters. A fellow Tar Heel – my friend, Emily – is also studying English at the University of Edinburgh. She lives in the apartment directly below mine; together with our Scottish, English, French, and one American flatmate, we have taken the city by storm. By which I mean, we have taken a thousand photographs of castles and rock formations, and gotten hopelessly, ridiculously lost.

Three weeks in, the novelty of living in a foreign country has yet to wear off. Sometimes, when I’m skyping my friends, I can’t shake the feeling that I’m on vacation; and in a couple of weeks, I’ll be back in North Carolina, laying on the quad, or sipping Alpine coffee in the Union. (It’s worth noting that, in addition to the New Amphion Cafe, the Edinburgh Student Union features three state of the art sports bars.) But, as much as I miss UNC, I love my life abroad. When it’s warm outside (which is rarely), I read Beckett on the meadows. When it’s freezing, windy or both (more often the case), I take refuge at my new favorite coffee shop, Elephants and Bagels – where the lattes are strong, the light is faintly orange, and the walls are covered with customers’ drawings. In the evening, I make dinner with my flatmates. At night, we unwind in a nearby pub – order ciders, tap our feet to live music, snap pictures, swap stories, and never stop laughing.

Advising and Second Majors, oh my!

2011-09-28T19:43:00.004-04:00

Hey guys!

So I doubt anyone noticed my new profile box (I only wish I was that important :P) but there's something new -- aside from my sophomore status. I just declared my second major- political science. Now I'm journalism and political science, which is one of the more popular double majors at UNC. Political science is actually a good major to double with in general because it has a small number of required classes (I think 8).

Anyone, I know I was a little apprehensive before I came to Carolina about the academic advising. My parents went here and they said counselors literally would just sign them off on whatever and let them go on their way. But it's not like that anymore thankfully. The person I went to was really nice and helpful-- we discussed whether or not I was on track (I am!) and exactly what I needed to do to graduate. It was really reassuring. And just another detail that makes going to a big school a little more personal.

Let me know if you have any questions about anything as you begin to start the application process! :)

First Week at Carolina

2011-08-31T10:34:00.001-04:00

Hey Everyone! My name is Frank, I’m a first-year from El Dorado Hills, California, and I’m hoping to double major in Business Administration and Global Studies. It’s amazing how fast time has passed since move in just two weekends ago but it’s been a great start to the first week of classes. Since then, I’ve been able to experience the wonder known as FallFest, attain a work-study job, see a hilarious hypnotist show on campus, join the Swing Dance club, and witness our #3 UNC Women’s Soccer defeat #1 Notre Dame 2-1 in overtime.

On top of that, my classes have been absolutely fantastic. In my Introduction to Jazz class today, my professor played the most amazing rendition of Amazing Grace on the piano after we learned about the roots of American music.

Hopefully, I’ll be posting on this blog as often as I can! Feel free to contact me at wuf@live.unc.edu!

Back Home

2011-08-22T21:43:00.004-04:00

Hi guys! I hope you all had a great summer. I know mine was both busy (I interned at the Charlotte Observer) and fun.

I've been in Chapel Hill since last Wednesday, and it's just like coming back home. I missed Carolina so much over the summer. But now I'm getting back in the swing of things. Tonight was Sunset Serenade, an a cappella concert on the quad, featuring so many different campus a cappella groups-- including the Clef Hangers! After, they lit the bell tower and vice chancellor Winston Crisp gave a speech to the first-years gathered. Listening to him talk about all the Carolina traditions actually made me sad I was already a sophomore and only have 6 more semesters here!

It's just another sign of what a good choice I made coming to Carolina, so I can't complain. The first day of classes is tomorrow and I'm excited about starting my sophomore year! I'm taking Roman Archeology (a random elective class that has nothing to do with anything I want to do in life, but should be interesting!), Intro to News Writing (my first journalism class!), State and Local Government, Intuitive Calculus (it's math 116, so I'm hoping it can't be that hard...but I hate all math with a passion so this will be rough!), and History of Western Civilization to 1650. It should be an interesting semester.

I know this was a really random post, but just wanted to give you all an update. If you're just now a high school senior and are starting to look at applying to colleges, my biggest advice is to visit the schools you're interested in. There's no better way to get the feel of campus and see if you fit in. A school might look great on paper but could be completely wrong for you. And there's no better way to experience the feeling of sitting in the pit or walking across the quad than to actually do it. :)

Feel free to email me with any questions! mewill@live.unc.edu

Searcher

2011-06-20T11:36:00.004-04:00

Somehow we have arrived in the middle of summer, and that's going to leave quite a few people wondering what to do when fall comes around. Whether you are searching for a job or an internship or just something to entertain you while you pursue your own track, those times without the helpful pressure of a stable schedule can seem... well... daunting.

We as a culture have been breeding cliches for these moments for longer than anyone cares to remember. Whatever you actually believe, the appeal of the 'search' is undeniable. We think we can only arrive at destinations. We think that roads lead to their logical ends. What I'm trying to suggest, however weakly in my own words, is that those ideas are wrong. We don't need to arrive at destinations, we need to achieve them.

The only way to get anywhere is to realize that you are already somewhere, and that leaping forward to an unimaginable goal is just as unlikely as learning to teleport yourself to school in the morning.

I'll admit that I have felt every bit confused by the search and every bit anxious about my own possible destinations. What am I going to take next semester? Who am I going to meet? What am I going to say? What degree will I earn and what will any of it mean for the future?

As I have already noted, these questions are extremely daunting, but they are also extremely useful. What I mean to say through all of this is that you are unlikely to leap from point A to point B in an instant. You will not arrive at destinations with clear answers that you can easily articulate. Instead, you can and you will achieve them through the work you do every single day. Don't be lazy... but don't be hopeless either. What you love to do can become your career with enough inspired passion and diligent pursuit.

As for me... I'll be a Junior this fall. My English major and Creative Writing minor are set but my path is not.

I think it's prudent to reiterate my previous advice to anyone who might be spending their first year at UNC in the fall: take first year seminars in different/interesting subject areas. Do not be bound to your area of expertise. Some of the best classes I took at UNC were far outside my major. Chances are, you will have more than enough time to finish requirements. What you will crave is time spent with the unexpected. That is where real learning occurs, and I can guarantee you that it will not come from a textbook.

That, then, is my second piece of advice. Always be attentive to the people around you. We, as human beings, do not remember events or days or months or years. We remember moments. And the moments we spend with people can teach us exactly what we need to know.

So wherever you are, whoever you are, remember that even as you search for the right path into the future, everyone around you is searching too.

Study Abroad at Carolina

2011-05-04T15:00:00.011-04:00

It’s that time of year again, everyone is working through the last wave of exams and papers before winding down somewhat for the summer. Registration was a few weeks ago, though I can’t remember exactly when because I didn’t have to register—instead, I’m studying abroad in Cape Town, South Africa next semester!

It’s gratifying because I really feel like I’ve found a great program. This is a faculty-led, UNC study abroad program, not an SIT program, and not an exchange program. I’ll be with about eleven other Carolina students, living in a guest house in the neighborhood of Tamboerskloof. The first three days of each week, everyone will go to separate internship placements and then the other two days we’ll have class. What’s really great is that, with the internship, the classes, and the living experience, we’ll get to see Cape Town from a professional, historical, political, and socio-cultural perspective.

I’m particularly excited (and maybe a little anxious) about the prospect of living independently in a foreign country. Although we won’t be completely alone—we’ll all have each other in the program— there won’t be anyone guiding us through the logistics of our day to day activities. We’ll have to figure out how to get around the city, where to buy groceries, where to study and access research materials, how to keep safe, and where to get medical help, among other things. Just listing these different concerns is daunting, particularly because I’m certain there are more I just haven’t thought of yet. That’s life overseas though—if anything, I know from experience that things are both less predictable and not always as convenient as in the United States.

On the weekends we’re free to do what we want and even travel if we have the time and money. We’ll probably end up going to see the special black-footed penguins, which are only found on the southwestern coast of Africa. Kruger National Park is also a destination and is supposed to be one of the largest game reserves on the continent. On a more daring note, someone mentioned trying to go shark cage diving, which sounds fascinating but petrifying at the same time. I’ll have to be convinced the sharks are well-fed beforehand and that the bars are sturdy. It’s also pretty expensive, though, so we’ll see.

Besides South Africa, there are so many different places you can go once you’re a student at Carolina. SIT (originally known as The School for International Training) offers a different kind of study abroad option from what I’ll be doing. They have various programs in 40 different countries, and if you go to the UNC Study Abroad website you’ll find as many as fifteen to twenty programs in regions such as Asia, Africa, and Latin America. These programs often send you out with other college students from across the United States and are relatively structured with an academic theme, relevant language courses, a period of independent study, and even a home-stay in some cases. Two of my cousins actually went on SIT study abroad programs while in college and both had good experiences.

You also have the option to do an exchange program where you enroll at a university abroad. This may mean traveling, finding housing, and registering for classes independently, but the benefit is that you’ll be totally immersed in the culture-- particularly university student-life. It's also a good chance to improve you fluency if you’ve been studying a certain language such as French or Spanish, or even Chinese, depending on where you go.

I’m really psyched for Cape Town, but I also know there are many other rewarding and eye-opening experiences to be had through various study abroad programs. Ultimately it depends on how adventurous you are and what you specifically want to get out of the program. I think it’s important just to experience life outside the United States, though, and during such an independent, relatively unencumbered time of your life you can really explore and delve into the adventure that is study abroad.

Go Heels, Go America

2011-05-02T18:03:00.008-04:00

The way we heard the news of Osama Bin Laden's death will be something we remember for the rest of our lives. Just like September 11th itself, we will remember where we were, what we were doing, and who we spent those moments with. It's times like these that I'm grateful I am a Tar Heel and a Peace, War and Defense Major. To give you an idea of how the UNC campus reacted:

-I was in the Undergraduate Library studying for finals. I first saw Facebook statuses about his death (perhaps I wasn't studying that hard), and then I checked out different news sources. At 11 P.M. SafeWalk started (the program that will walk you back to your dorm safely, http://safewalk.unc.edu/) and SafeWalk walked me back to my dorm so I could hopefully get back in time to watch President Obama's speech (thank goodness it was delayed). When I got back to my dorm, my suitemate and I joined a friend in another suite and we watched it together. A while later when all of my suitemates and I were back in our suite, we sat in one of the rooms and talked about it for hours.

-Several of my friends were studying in the Student Union in one of the empty rooms. They huddled around laptops to get live streaming of the speech and then they stood with their arms around each other as they watched.

-Several of my suitemates were studying at Davis Library. The UNC chapter of College Republicans got out thousands of miniature U.S. flags (which they put out on the quad for September 11th every year) and passed them out in Davis, the Union, and the Pit. My suitemates each got a miniature flag and then participated in the celebrations in the library and the Pit.

-All over our dorm for hours (I live in one of the highrises on South Campus) there were people yelling and singing and cars were honking on the road outside our dorm.

-Today in the Peace, War and Defense office, people came in and out for hours and discussed the efforts of the intelligence community and the impact Bin Laden's death would have on the U.S. and the world.

The best part about being on campus was not the celebrations, but the discussions that followed. People all over campus have discussed the effect this will have on the U.S., the effect it will have on terrorism, the efforts of the intelligence community, the political effects, and the moral issue of whether we should celebrate a man's death. This has been a learning experience and a unifying experience, and it reaffirms my pride in being a Tar Heel and an American.

For a video of the celebrations in the Pit: http://reesenews.org/2011/05/02/bin-laden-killed-unc-students-react/15803/

If you have any questions about student life, either of my majors (Peace, War and Defense or my new double major, Russian Language and Culture) or anything else you can think of, I would love to hear from you! Please either comment below or email me at nething@email.unc.edu.

Julia

Fun Senior Stuff

2011-04-30T00:00:00.001-04:00

In the last 30 days before graduation, I have participated in some awesome senior events. Even though we are leaving, we are still reminded about the greatness of our school. Enjoy the pictures from the Senior Ball, Art Show, and Bell Tower Climb. The people in the pictures range from Freshman year suite mates to fellow seniors I have met over the last four years! This is just a sneak peek at how the bonds you form at Carolina (or whatever college you attend) will definitely last over time. (Sorry the pictures are all over the place, I don't know how to format them :( Not a technology person at all!)

Not goodbyes! It's see you later!

Unlocking the Secret to the Future

2011-04-13T18:25:00.002-04:00

As I got ready to write this blog, I couldn't think of a title for it. We all know that I can't have a title-less blog, so I titled it "Unlocking the Secret to the Future." This will be explained in a second. For those of you who have read my previous blogs, you will know that I am always being asked "hey, what's next for you?,"what are you doing after graduation?" and you will see my various answers to these questions in those previous posts.

Since 2007, I have had my eye on this job. My dream job for after graduation. I have wanted to become a College Advisor since my freshman year. Since I am a first generation college student, my passion has become getting students educated and excited about college. With that being said, I am proud to say that I will be an advisor for the Carolina College Advising Corps starting this fall. There is so much honor and excitement behind that last sentence. Why? I now know what I will be doing after graduation (for at least 2 years anyway). I will be helping students get prepared for college and helping them learn about the college application process. For me, this is the most important thing I can be doing this early in my life because there are a lot of students out there who do not have equal access to resources that help them attain knowledge about college access. I will be helping to "unlock the secret to the future" for many students in North Carolina. College is a major decision and one of the best decisions I have made in my life. Serving as a resource for college access is a passion that will surface and really be a benefit to the students that I serve. I know that helping them get to college and explore their interests will definitely unlock the secrets to their futures and give them a chance to find out what they have to offer this world just like I did.

With that being said, I am excited to become an alumna of this amazing University. Although I am graduating, my relationship with this place is FAR from over. This is one of the greatest feelings of becoming a graduate, knowing the Carolina will always be a part of my life. For those of you who are definitely going to be Tar Heels, know that you are going to have the time of your life during the next four years of your life. For those of you still in the decision making process, I wish you the best whatever you choose, but know Carolina will welcome you with open arms! Congrats and good luck.

That Carolina Feeling

2011-04-12T11:48:00.002-04:00

No matter where you are in the college search process, you are probably asking yourself, “Why Carolina?” I came to Carolina because it just felt right. In the past two years I have slowly been able to grasp what it is about this place that initially made me feel like it was the place to be.

To begin with, Carolina has all the advantages that come with being a state school, like incredible research opportunities, yet manages to maintain the feel and community of a small school. The campus is compact with centrally located academic quads that make it easy to navigate. The layout of the campus also fosters a strong sense of community and ensures that you will encounter many familiar friendly faces while walking between classes and in the dining hall. The campus is beautiful as well – nothing beats a spring day of volleyball or Frisbee on the quad with friends.

Carolina is a place where students are free to be themselves. No matter your interest, there is another student at Carolina who shares that interest and wants to pair with you to explore it further. Carolina is chock-full of people eager to share their experiences, explore new opportunities, and encourage each other to be their best. A huge part of this drive comes from having professors who are experts in their fields. Their passion for learning and teaching shows when they offer to take you to coffee or have you over for dinner to hear what you are interested in and to share their unique experiences. Professors at Carolina make themselves available to help you discover and pursue your passion.

Former student body President Eve Carson said it best when she termed Carolina as “Excellence with Heart.” I have found this to be true first hand. Yes, Carolina has all the trappings of a leading academic institution, but so do all the other top schools. We have research opportunities, study abroad opportunities, fantastic facilities, winning athletic teams, and interesting course offerings. Carolina rises above because of the passion of the people who are behind these things. The friendliness and genuine curiosity of the students as well as the prevalence of professors who care about your development as a student and as a human being make The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill the obvious choice for students who want an extraordinary college experience.

I hope my observations of my time here at Carolina will help you to make a decision that is best for you, but I really do believe that no matter your strengths and interests, there is a place for you at Carolina to excel.

A Belated Dance Marathon Update

2011-03-21T16:38:00.007-04:00

Dance Marathon was more than a month ago, but I’ve been so busy recently that I haven’t been able to get around to writing anything until now. Everyone who participated in the marathon raised a combined $ 436,709, which they revealed to all the dancers at the end of the marathon. We were all pretty exhausted by then, but when I look back on the numbers now it’s really gratifying to know that the NC Children’s Hospital will receive a donation of almost half a million dollars.

We did a lot of dancing during the marathon (big surprise, right?), though I still am having trouble estimating how many hours total we actually spent dancing. At first I was thinking maybe five hours total, but then I thought it had to have been more than that because we were there for 24 hours and there’s only so much else I can remember doing. I was with a few friends and we spent most of the time we weren’t on the dance floor playing volleyball and corn hole, watching performances, doing puzzles, and coloring (part of the “For the Kids” theme? Given the opportunity, I would have colored anyways). A popular campus Zumba instructor came and gave us a lesson at one point and then much later we did some swing dancing, which was a lot of fun. Even though we did a variety of other activities, these only took up so much time and I’m starting to think we probably danced for about 10 hours, though it’s all kind of a blur now.

They let us outside twice, once at seven in the morning and then again around lunch time. Throughout the whole event they had students blocking certain exits to discourage us from leaving the marathon. It was kind of funny because I feel like I had to keep reminding myself that the whole thing was voluntary! When we went out in the morning my friend was like, ‘I can see my dorm from here!’ so, naturally, I made an ill-timed joke about how she should just make a break for it, then had to beg her to forget what I’d just said and stay in the marathon.

By around hour fourteen, my feet were really starting to hurt but I found that moving around was actually more comfortable than just standing in one place. We also got visits from friends throughout the marathon, which was a nice distraction. Right after one visit, we all went outside to “tailgate” before watching the basketball game; it was rejuvenating and exciting to be out in the sun playing Frisbee, eating lunch and petting the puppies brought by Helping Paws.

The marathon was a lot of fun, though by the halfway point I really couldn’t figure out how we were going to get through it all: ‘Only twelve more hours to go!’ We got to test ourselves and all found that we were in fact capable of staying on our feet for 24 hours straight. I got to spend a lot of time dancing and being silly with friends, and even met some new people. Near the end of the marathon, a youth jump-roping team from the YMCA came to perform and they were incredible. Right after this, we heard from a number of families with young children who benefitted directly from the quality care provided at the Children’s Hospital. The stories were pretty emotional and, combined with lack of sleep, caused a lot of tears on the part of many dancers, myself included.

At the end we counted down the seconds before we could all finally sit down and together everyone collapsed onto the gym floor. Later, when I finally got to bed, I probably got the best sleep I’ve had in years—I felt like I was going to melt right into the mattress! I took almost a week to fully recover sleep-wise but I didn’t have any big papers or exams I had to worry about at the time, which was great. I’ve never done anything like it before, but I really enjoyed Dance Marathon and I’m certainly going to get involved, one way or another, next year too!

Random Musings on Carolina

2011-03-15T16:00:00.003-04:00

It's hard not to be impressed when you're wandering through the never-ending stacks of books at Davis Library. Maybe that's just the book worm in me, but I was a little awe-struck when I was looking to check out books for the first time, in order to write a research paper.

Anyway, this post isn't about libraries. It's about Carolina, and how awesome it is. I know it's that time of year when you guys are starting to really make your decisions about where you'll be next year, and ultimately, it'll come down to where you feel at home (which is why college visits are so important!).

But I can try and convince you anyway :) It's never really been anything but Carolina for me. Both my parents went here, so I grew up wearing Carolina blue and visiting UNC quite a bit. Last year, I applied to four other schools, not including here, and when I received my acceptances, I seriously considered another school aside from UNC. I know that UNC isn't the only amazing school out there, and I know I would have been happy wherever I ended up. But there's something about Carolina that made me pick it over any other school.

Maybe it's something to do with the gorgeous campus, or the great atmosphere of living in a true college town- where you're a 15 minute walk (at most) away from your local restaurants and shops. Maybe it has to do with the academics, which are inspiring and yes, intimidating, all at once. Maybe it's because of the student body and how you can be friends with people from completely different walks of life- and you can really find your niche among 18,000 undergrads. Or maybe it has to do with all the incredible opportunities UNC has to offer, and the feeling that you can really kick-start your life here.

I know Carolina is definitely the right place for me, and I haven't had a single regret upon choosing it. And now the only question is: is UNC the right place for you? Good luck deciding :) If you have any questions, feel free to email me- mewill@email.unc.edu.

Best of the Best - Find Yourself Here

2011-03-03T22:55:00.006-05:00

I can't tell you what to choose in the present. That is up to you and it always will be. I can't even tell you why I chose Carolina when I did. As cheesy as it sounds, the feeling I had just doesn't lend itself easily to be described. Luckily, now that I'm just a few months away from finishing my sophomore year I think I have a little more perspective.

In the photo above you can see some of that perspective: a view of my art class arranging our wax projects on the wall in Hanes Art Center. The appraising figure in the background is none other than professor Mario Marzan, one of my spring semester heroes.

If art isn't your idea of a good time, explore! There are so many classes to choose from. If you're an incoming First-year, you've got an extra pool of incredible opportunities. Take advantage of first year seminars. I can tell you first hand that they are worth it. And let me remind you (this applies to anyone reading) it's okay to enjoy something outside your primary area of interest. For me, that means philosophy, computer science, religion, geography, even anthropology and psychology. So while it might seem like you're launching yourself into a single track toward a degree, let me be the first and hopefully not the last to tell you otherwise. Your future self will thank you for leveling your focus over a wider area than you might have initially imagined.

This list a simple example from my previous and current schedules, in no particular order:

ENGL 133, GEOG 068, MATH 067, RELI 068, ART 104, ENGL 132, GEOL 105, ENGL 120, ENGL 319, COMP 380, COMM 140, RELI 135, ENGL 486, ANTH 499, ART 307.

Spread your net wide. As the caption on the blog's sidebar states, I am an English major, but that doesn't limit me to the English department. My favorite class of all time was my first year seminar RELI 068, a class called Charisma. The professor, Ruel Tyson, is still my all-time favorite. If you're at UNC, you should absolutely try to take a class with him. He is an outstanding teacher, mentor, and an unshakably kind, understanding person.

When I'm choosing classes, I always try to seek out amazing professors, no matter their department. When its your turn to choose, don't be afraid to ask for help. Talk to possible professors or faculty in the department, email them, show a spark of passion and they will do what they can to help you get the most of your time at UNC. They want to spend their time with people who value theirs. Show that you do and you'll be open to a huge array of possibilities.

Remember, whoever you are, whatever you think you want to do, UNC can connect you with a resource. For me, that can be as simple as finding great classes with enthusiastic professors. For others, that means organizations, job opportunities, events, and much more.

Over the past two months I branched out to help Mary Cooper with her successful bid to become next year's Student Body President. I was able to do so by connecting with friends and linking my own resources (graphic design) with people who needed them. In retrospect, I'm just beginning to appreciate the scope and scale of what happened this election cycle.

In fact, if you had told me a year and a half ago that I would be standing in the middle of the pit on a bustling Friday afternoon holding a giant sign and campaigning, I would have told you that you had me mistaken with someone else.

That was then.

This is now.

A lot can change. You can do something you never thought you would love or you can sink more deeply into something you're already passionate about. Either way, UNC is ready for you.

Questions? Comments? Art critique? Want a private tour? Feel free to leave a message here, on Facebook, or email: nkatz@email.unc.edu.

I wish I had a picture...

2011-03-02T15:29:00.000-05:00

Friends,
Have you seen the gorgeous weather outside? If you are still getting snow, BE JEALOUS!!! As I walk around campus talking tiny strides for maximum enjoyment, I wonder to myself, does anyone enjoy the warm feeling of the sun shining directly on me or how amazing is it to have beautiful green grass to lay on and enjoy the weather? If you have that kind of time. For me, I just take it as I am on the go, to somewhere, constantly. It is nice to take in the nice weather though.

If you are in the process of planning a trip to UNC for any reason, take a walk around the quad and the pit. Though there are a lot of people around, they won't bite I promise, but they will give you an idea of how to enjoy a lazy or extremely busy day. You will constantly see students laying in the grass on days like this to study or just relax. Another great thing is, our professors like to take class outside of the classroom when it gets warm. I am not sure how much learning takes place but I do know that students enjoy those little wins.

Glorious Carolina days winding down. 67 days left till the big exit from undergrad! That is all. I just wanted to share my excitement for the weather. Have a great week and weekend. I'll be on Spring Break next week so hopefully I'll have lots to share and plenty of pics.

Carolina Academics: Defying Big School Stereotypes

2011-02-25T16:28:00.010-05:00

Like many Carolina students I tend to get stressed at the beginning of each semester trying to organize my schedule. During the first week just about everyone is running back and forth to the bookstore, buying new books and returning those for dropped classes. It can be complicated arranging your schedule, but the process makes more sense each new semester and I think the registration system actually works surprisingly well for a school this size.

Part of what differentiates academics at Carolina from what you leave behind in high school is that generally a higher percentage of the courses you take are ones that legitimately interest you. Not only are the courses better aligned with your interests but they are taught more creatively than in high school. We watched a movie about Mohandas Gandhi in my World Since 1945 class, then this semester we watched Sense and Sensibility and A Doll’s House in my Women and Gender in 19th-20th Century Europe class. Additionally, in two of the three history courses I’m taking this semester we’ve read novels to supplement the more objective information we receive in lecture. I’ve found that, as experts in their field, professors generally try to present the subject matter through as many different means as possible-- they aim to engage the class in the hopes that students will become as fascinated by the material as they are.

So far all of my professors have been friendly and approachable, with some being more eccentric and intense than others. In the smaller classes they often like to get to know their students on a more informal level. One professor I had cooked dinner for everyone over the weekend and had a film screening at her house that same night. The majority of my professors grade fairly too; I haven’t noticed much grade inflation, so you really feel like you’ve earned your grades and getting high marks becomes more significant.

This past semester I was in a comparative literature course and a play analysis course despite being a political science and history major. The subject matter was generally far from what I’d otherwise learn had I stayed strictly within my majors. Although I had only decided to take these classes because they fulfilled some of my general education requirements, I did end up enjoying them too. General education requirements at Carolina tend to be relatively open-ended; they’re a way to keep students from getting tunnel vision within their majors but still allow for a lot of choice because there are so many different classes that fulfill each requirement. As a political science major I dreaded having to take another quantitative reasoning course until my academic advisor recommended a political science statistics course. I’m taking it this semester and it’s a great opportunity to study statistics for the first time while also getting to see political science through the lense of statistical analysis.

This statistics class (POLI 181) only has about 30 people in it despite being a one hundred-level course. I won’t deny that I’ve been in some introductory level classes with about 300 students but on the whole, not too many classes are this large and any class that is this size will have recitation sections, for a less intimidating learning environment. Of all the classes I’ve taken (around 20) no more than 5 have been lectures of 300 students or more. They all had weekly recitation sections of at most 20 students, which were an opportunity to talk through the lectures in order to better understand and remember the material. If you still need help beyond the recitation you can always go to office hours, which both the professor and TAs are required to hold at least once a week.

Generally as you take higher level courses, class size drops considerably. I think the sheer extent of this drop in class size is a large part of what differentiates Carolina from other public universities of the same size. Just going from 100 to 200 level courses I’ve experienced the average class size move from around 150 students to only 30 or 40. Fortunately you don’t have to take all 200 level classes if you want a small class size as a freshman. Carolina offers a wide range of first year seminars for freshmen which are generally no more than 15 to 20 students. I took a first year seminar on Israeli culture last year and I remember there only being about 15 students. These seminars give freshmen an opportunity to start their university-level education without simultaneously being thrown into a lecture hall environment.

Ultimately, you don’t need to worry about just being a number. I know that admissions representatives at small colleges emphasize the idea that going to a large university inevitably means being nothing more than a number and having an impersonal education. This scared me when I was looking at schools because I assumed it was true for every public university. What I’ve found being at Carolina is that, although “being a number” might be a problem at some large universities, that’s not the case here. There are plenty of opportunities to make sure you’re really getting everything out of class, you just have to be proactive. I think that if you cared enough about academics to get into Carolina, you’ll probably also care enough to be active in your education now. When I say you need to be active I don’t mean you have to bend over backwards to get any help— you should to be prepared to go part of the distance so that your professors and TAs, who are there to help you, can meet you in the middle.

A Day in the Life

2011-02-22T16:41:00.007-05:00

I know what you have all been thinking: “Where is Sam?”

Fear not, faithful readers, I am alive and well and resting comfortably with a cup of freshly brewed coffee, a copy of The Daily Tar Heel and a bowl of Quaker Oatmeal Squares (if you haven’t tried them, you should; I like cinnamon, but you should decide for yourself). This semester is off to a solid start on all accounts and I look forward to each of my classes. One of the best parts of my semester is my incredible professors. As my course load becomes more specialized and I whittle away at my Major and Minor requirements, I have encountered professors who really come alive when teaching their niche topics.

I can already hear you asking me, “Hey Sam, could you give me a play-by-play of your day so I can get a feel for what kind of activities are available on and off campus?”

I would love to!

Here is a Map of my day.
The campus here at Carolina is so compact and easy to navigate.

1. Old Campus Lower Quad Community to Hanes Art Center
Travel Time : 7minutes 28 seconds
I wake up and have some quality breakfast around 8am and do some reading. At 10am I head to Early Christian Art with Dr. Dorothy Verkerk who is on my top-ten-funniest-people list. She has traveled extensively and uses a lot of her own photographs as slides. So much antiquity and hilarity in one room- what a great way to start the day!

2. Hanes Art Center to Phillips Hall
Travel Time: 2minutes 5 seconds
Dr. Verkerk’s class is promptly followed at 11 by American Studies 101 “Emerging American Culture” taught by Dr. Joy Kasson . This class uses film, literature, and art to explore the development of American culture. While it is a large introductory course, Dr. Kasson keeps things interesting by using art, film clips, and classic literature excerpts during class.

3. Phillips Hall to Greenlaw Hall (by way of The Blue Ram).
Travel Time: 6 minutes flat
I run into the Blue Ram for a snack arriving in my Italian 203 class with plenty of time to spare. My professor is on exchange from the Lorenzo de Medici Institute . I cannot tell you how helpful it is to have a native speaker teach a class aimed at acquiring fluency. He says, “The text is for before and after class; in class, I teach.” Italian 203 will reform even the most dedicated clock-watchers.

4. Greenlaw Hall to Lenoir Dining Hall
Travel Time: 1 minute 17 seconds
After Italian, I grab lunch in Lenoir Dining Hall with friends…or a book that I have to finish for my 2pm class.

5. Lenoir Dining Hall to Murphey Hall
Travel Time: 56 seconds
I round out my schedule from 2:00-2:50 with American Studies 256, “Anti-Fifties: Voices of a Counter-Decade” with Dr. Bob Cantwell . I always feel more intelligent walking out of that class than when I entered. So far we have read A Streetcar Named Desire, The Death of a Salesman, The Catcher in the Rye, and Lolita. Dr. Cantwell encourages us to wrestle with the text, guiding us to our own conclusions without simply “unlocking the book.” Brain Yoga, 2pm, Murphey Hall Rm. 204…be there or be square.

6. Murphey Hall to Morehead Planetarium/Robertson Bus Stop
Travel Time: 5 minutes 26 seconds
When AMST 256 ends at 2:50 my day has seemingly only just begun. I head over to the Robertson Bus stop to meet my good friend Tom who comes over for two hours on Mondays to hang out and paint with me in my dorm room. I met Tom through a community center called the Reality Center where I volunteer weekly with a group of fun fellow Tar Heels. The Reality Center provides programs for teens and adults with disabilities that involve dinner, singing, dancing, games, and good old hanging out.

After taking Tom back to the bus stop, I grab my helmet and gloves and go to teach a horseback riding lesson at a local barn. I get back to campus around 7:30, just in time for a late dinner and movie night , a run through the historic neighborhoods of Chapel Hill, or free dance lessons hosted by the UNC Ballroom Dance Club in the basement of the student union. At dance lessons, you switch partners every three minutes like speed dating. This is great…if you are a modern Fred Astaire. If you are like me and have the rhythm of a coffee mug, it can be a bit daunting. I recommend bringing a friend who is at least as bad as you if not worse. Some nights, I might walk to The Yogurt Pump with friends for frozen yogurt and perhaps a little homework. Then I go back to my dorm to sleep , wake up, and set off on a whole new set of adventures.

Life is good!

For the Kids!

2011-02-21T11:03:00.004-05:00

Guess what I did this weekend?

If you said stand for 24 hours in an exhausting, thrilling, memorable dance marathon, you'd be correct! :) UNC has been holding Dance Marathon for 13 years now, and has raised soo much money for the kids at the NC children's hospital. I heard about it and thought it would be fun- an experience, at least. So I signed up back in November, not realizing then what I had gotten myself into.

And then the weekend arrived. To be perfectly honest, I was dreading it. I didn't want to stay up for 24 hours, I didn't want to stand for that long. "I already raised the money," I thought to myself. "I don't HAVE to do this.."

But I ended up going, unprepared for some of the best and worst 24 hours of my life. There were times when I was miserably counting down the hours, wondering how on earth I would physically be able to do this for another 11 hours. There were times when I was dancing like crazy with my friends, rejuvenated with the energy of the crowd. And there were times when I was overwhelmed with emotion- like when some of the kids and families benefiting from our fundraising showed up and shared their stories.

And looking back, I remember the pain and the exhaustion, but I also remember the good memories. I remember going on a sunrise walk around Kenan Stadium. I remember raving hard at 7:30 in the morning. I remember doing a choreographed line dance 9 times, led by the amazing morale team captains. I remember watching UNC's close victory against Boston College and rushing out onto the dance floor in celebration. And I remember jumping up and down, screaming, as the fundraising total was announced (over $436, 700) and collapsing the floor at the end of the 24 hours.

It was such an incredible experience and I am so glad I did it. I'm even considering being on a committee next year! It's definitely something I'd recommend trying at one of your four years here. :)

Hour 11- sunrise walk!

What Does History Tell You?

2011-02-21T09:32:00.001-05:00

At the start of my Senior year, I made a list of things I wanted to do before graduation. A bucket list of sorts. Well, a little over a week ago, I took the "Black and Blue" tour which is a featured, Carolina exclusive on black history on this campus. One of the most prized faculty members and a native of my hometown, Greenville NC, gave the tour and shared his knowledge of the campus with a select few students.

It was a gorgeous (winter) but springlike afternoon. Perfect day for outside weather. Perfect opportunity to learn about this beautiful campus of ours. I wanted to go on this tour for so long but I did not have the time to do it. Dr. Tim McMillian started the tour in McCorkle place at a monument that was given on behalf of the class of 2001. This monument is referred to as "The Unsung Founders" which pay tribute to Blacks who have made contributions to this campus over the years. We ended up at the city of Chapel Hill cemetery. In between, we found out that many great people were involved with this campus at one point. Zora Neale Huston, George Moses Horton, Wilson Caldwell, and the list goes on. I will not give away the whole tour but I would encourage anyone who visits the campus of decides to enroll to take a stroll down history lane. You will be surprised at who shapes what you learn.

It took me getting to college to understand why knowing my history as well as history that shaped my history is important. The rise and fall of families and communities show a lot about our American culture, our society, and life in general. For me, this tour helped me to connect to this campus even more. Knowing the significant contributions of people of color, men and women, who helped those popular names you will hear, made me realize that there is much work to be done and many more years of working toward common goals of this society. One nation, equality, and equal opportunities. With that, I shall go exercise my right to an education and study...Have a great day and enjoy the pictures below!

The Truth About Professors

2011-02-13T20:18:00.014-05:00

English 130: Introduction to Fiction Writing

Here's the situation.

Last Thursday, my first short story was due for English 206 (Intermediate Fiction Writing). I was majorly stressed. I had a couple of different ideas, but no real direction. At the very least, I wanted to talk to someone before putting fingers to keyboard.

Here's how it played out.

A week before my story was due, I stopped by an old Professor’s office. I hadn't called or emailed ahead. I just showed up, on the off-chance that she was a) available, and b) willing to entertain a spew of half-baked ideas. I managed to catch her just as she was stepping out.

After walking downstairs together, my Professor asked me to come back at such-and-such a time in two days. That way, she explained, we could sit down, and talk about my story in greater detail. On the eve of our meeting, I sent my Professor a rough draft. Because I sent it after midnight (how long after midnight, I am embarrassed to say) I was surprised when I arrived at her office bright and early the next morning, and she told me she had read it through. Three times.

We spent over two hours discussing my story; the conversation flowed naturally and helped give me the clarity I needed to embark on my first revision. I never felt uncomfortable, and my Professor never acted like I was imposing on her, much less wasting her time. Even though I was no longer her student, she devoted time and energy to improving my work. This struck me as a good occasion to blog, not because it was out of the ordinary, but for the opposite reason entirely. The kind of dedication and eagerness to help I just described characterize so many of the Professors here.

There are so many other anecdotes I could share.

First semester freshman year, I took an Honors Philosophy class to fulfill a graduation requirement. One day, my friend and I went to our Professor’s office; we had a question about the reading. We stayed there for over an hour - talking about Philosophy, graduate school, academic advising etc. We became regulars at office hours; largely out of respect and admiration for that Professor, I declared a double major in English and Philosophy at the end of my freshman year.

Coming to UNC, I worried that the size of the student body would prevent me from developing close relationships with my Professors. I imagined that I would be forced to rely on Teacher’s Assistants as intermediaries. I could not have been more wrong. Today, I consider several Professors to be my academic mentors. A few of them have recommended me for Study Abroad programs, and one is helping me find a summer publishing internship in New York City. I have always been treated like an individual, never just another face in a class.

Here’s the truth: Professors don’t bite. They make themselves available for your benefit; they want you to take advantage of their knowledge and experience. So, go to office hours. Schedule appointments. Ask for advice. You’ll be happy you did, and, chances are, you'll develop a meaningful academic relationship along the way.

Cowardly Lion Gets Some Courage

2011-02-08T16:52:00.001-05:00

Hello everyone,
I wanted to share a personal and exciting experience of mine that took a lot of courage and encouraging! One week ago, I was a part of a pageant here on campus. I have been wanting to participate in a pageant since I was in high school and did one, North Carolina Junior Miss, but that was it. Now, I know this might seem a little crazy to be blogging about but trust me, there is a reason. So, for the last 5 years, I have been wanting to participate in a pageant. A state-level pageant. But every year when it was time to apply, I freaked out at the last minute and decided not to do it. Well, 2 years ago, a friend who is a part of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Inc., came to me and asked if I would participate. It was their first year and they were looking to recruit some ladies of distinction. Well, I wanted to really bad but my confidence level was at an all time low. I kept telling myself that I was not competition material. Long story short, I decided not to participate that year. I felt really bad because again, it is something that I really wanted to do for a long time.

Last summer, I thought I had the courage to proceed with doing the Miss NC USA pageant. I freaked out again and felt ok about it. Fast forward to this year, I decided, what the heck, what do I have to lose? So I decided to use the Kappa Alpha Psi Inc., Miss Krimson and Kream pageant as a practice round. I wanted to gain the experience, lose the stage fright, and see how well I could manage the pressure. I did amazing. Although I did not win, I gained so much more from the experience. I learned to to tackle my nervousness, thrive under pressure, and how to love myself and have the confidence and courage on stage, that I have every single day. Shout out to all of the participants, we all did AMAZING. I am proud of all of us and I am glad to have had the experience. So from this, learn from my lessons. I now know how Cowardly Lion felt during his moment when he found COURAGE. It is an amazing feeling and I hope you all get to experience one day.

Realize, when you live out your dreams, no matter how big or small, life is a million times better. Successes and failures require you to ponder on how you got where you are, where you want to go, and what changes need to be made to achieve greatness. Don't be afraid of your feelings. Once you acknowledge a higher power that can conquer ALL, you can get there. Anywhere ♥

All of the participants

Never a Lazy Day at Carolina

2011-02-04T14:42:00.005-05:00

So I’m not as sore anymore today and I’m finally getting back to a more normal range of motion in my legs. This wasn’t the case a few days ago when, walking downstairs or getting out of bed in the morning, I could almost hear my muscles creaking they were so tight. I’m no stranger to muscle soreness or anything, but it’s been a full five days since I went to that Butts, Guts, and Thighs fitness class. I can’t believe how much of a workout it was! I thought I’d really been pushing myself when I go to the gym regularly, but now I’m starting to wonder because my workouts rarely reach that same intensity. There’s probably just more accountability in a class like that—it’s pretty obvious who’s working hard and who’s not, so there’s more pressure to push yourself.

A bit later in the week my roommate and I tried the Ballet Sculpt class for the first time. It was actually surprisingly like a real ballet class but with weights and simplified, repetitive moves to make it more accessible. Though I only got there for the second half of the class, I still worked up a bit of a sweat and my calves were burning. There were actually a number of people there too, so it's definitely not some obscure class that no one ever goes to.

There’s a lot of variety in the group fitness classes offered at the SRC (Student Rec Center) and the RHRC (Ram’s Head Rec Center). I’ve only been to four total—Turbo Kick and Zumba in addition to the ones I just mentioned—and there are still at least five or ten I haven’t tried yet. I’d say Zumba is still my favorite, hands down, especially Monica’s class which is so popular you’ll end up crammed in the back unless you get there at least ten minutes early. In Butts, Guts, and Thighs it’s nearly impossible to forget you’re working out, but at Zumba for all it feels like you might just be having an intense dance party with your friends. You get a work out but it never feels like a chore.

If you’re not into the regular gym scene workout and don’t want to run outside, Fetzer Gym generally has a lot going on and they let you rent out sports equipment with your one card, which is a plus. I haven’t been in there very much beyond when I had to for my LFit class, but I know it’s large just by how long you can wander around inside without being entirely sure where you are. Last week I was trying to find the squash courts and somehow I ended up walking into the SRC, which I didn’t even know was connected to Fetzer and is definitely in the opposite direction of where I thought I was going. Maybe that was just my poor directional skills at work, maybe it was Fetzer being huge, or maybe (probably) both.

Since I’ve been at UNC, I’ve definitely gotten the impression that we’re a particularly athletic school, which is why it’s great we have these extensive sports and exercise facilities—there’s obviously high demand. Maybe having such a popular basketball team inspires everyone else to be active too. It could be the weather, or the fact that the campus is gorgeous, and pretty sizeable, so people have to walk a lot anyways. Ultimately, it’s probably a combination of factors at UNC that make an active lifestyle both accessible and fun. If you’re not the type to work out, then who knows? You might be converted. Even then you don’t have to be super athletic to be a tar heel; as for loving basketball, I’m guessing that one’s non-negotiable.

On a different note, congratulations to everyone who got accepted to Carolina! You're clearly hardworking students with a lot of potential. If you have any questions about things like being an out-of-state student, living on campus, or the history and political science majors, feel free to send me an email at miriamtd514@gmail.com.

Tar Heel Politics

2011-02-02T12:00:00.002-05:00

If you come visit Carolina during the day this week, and happen to walk past the pit, you'll likely be bombarded with people waving signs in your face and screaming to "vote for [insert name here] for student body president!"

UNC gets very into campus politics, as you would be able to tell from a 30 second walk by the pit. It's the time of year where student body president candidates are gearing up for the upcoming election, and it's actually pretty cool.

Yesterday, I went to a Daily Tar Heel sponsored forum for the four candidates. The day before, I went to another forum, sponsored by UNC College Republicans (which I'm not even in). Getting to watch the four candidates hammer out their platform ideas and take questions from the audience was really interesting and allowed me to pick the candidate I plan on supporting this election.

I've never been into student government, but if that's your forte, Carolina would have some great opportunities for you. One of my best friends is running for a spot in student congress. Another friend is actively campaigning for one of the student body president candidates. All the options are open to you here at UNC. And if you're like me, and would rather observe politics than participate, well, there's plenty of options for that here too :)

First Year Seminars

2011-01-27T16:51:00.010-05:00

Happy New Year and Semester! I'm so excited to be a second-semester freshman... I know my way around campus, how to study the college way, how to balance school work and fun times, and so much more about UNC than I did last August.

All of my favorite classes last semester (Fren 101, Chem 101 Lab, and Engl 075) had one thing in common: they were small! You’ve probably heard about the huge classes in college, the ones with 300+ people. Carolina does have these big classes, but it also has many more small classes with around 20 students. Some of these small classes are even reserved just for freshmen!

These classes are called First Year Seminars, a unique program that offers classes for first year students only on interesting topics with outstanding professors. Yes, these are the classes every staff member will bug you to take once you get here, but you absolutely should because they're that good. I’m not exaggerating. My class, Engl 075- Interpreting the South through Manuscripts, was taught by one of UNC’s first female faculty members and a professional archivist.

The class is hard to describe, but mainly we read and discussed southern women’s manuscripts (diaries, correspondence, etc) in class and visited UNC’s Southern Historical Collection and wrote short papers about its collections.

Besides from fulfilling three (yep, three!!!) general education requirements, this class was extremely rewarding. It was so nice to not be just another one of 425 other Chemistry 101 students in a lecture hall, but to freely converse with your peers and professors. I’ve read letters about Yankee troops coming to town, combed through pages of a suffragist organization’s meeting minutes, and learned what it was like to be UNC's first female African American student through her own diary.

I made some of my best new friends in the class and really got to know my professors. The class was definitely not the average introductory course that most freshmen take, but I'm so glad I took it. I know it will be one of the highlights from my undergraduate years and I highly recommend any FYS to any future Carolina freshman.

Even if history isn’t your forte, there are countless options from Jesus in Film, Accounting, Facebook, Chinese Women Writers, Randomness, Multimedia, Archaeology, Rocket Science, and many, many more. Some of the classes take trips around the country, others meet at the Business School, but they are all incredible.

Be sure to check out the different options and learn more about the seminars here.

And if you're still confused about the picture above, it is from my final exam project. I researched Gladys Avery Tillett, a UNC alumnus, vice-chairman of the Democratic National Committee, and a delegate to the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women. The photograph was taken on one of her many trips to Asia in the 1960s.

And to all new accepted students, COME TO CAROLINA so you can be in a class as great as this:

Victory Lap

2011-01-26T10:33:00.001-05:00

Hello Everyone!
Congratulations to all of you who received good information last Friday. Welcome to the Carolina family. I am completing my last semester of college and boy is this weird! It is the best on some days and really bad on others. I love my school and enjoy every single second of being here. I hope that all of you can enjoy those same things starting next fall! For those of you that just submitted your applications, have fun with the waiting process! Trust me when I tell you, you will not have to ever go through that again after this year!
I will give you a run down of the happens of this semester. I just celebrated my 22nd birthday! Yes, I am getting old! I am catching up on those nail biting Carolina basketball games, savoring the moments I have with my friends, and enjoying every little thing, even the things that normally make me glad to be a senior. Why? Because after May 8, undergraduate life will be over and I will be thrown into the real world. Isn't that just dandy? But seriously, you will probably get a taste of what I am experiencing this semester as this is my last and I want to share my experience with you all just so you have an idea about how life might happpen for you over the next few years!
Again, congrats to all of you who are now apart of the Carolina family. I hope you are really going to come here and make a difference on this campus!

Ireland

2011-01-24T18:23:00.003-05:00

College is all about expanding your horizons, and what better way to do that than by traveling? A friend of mine is studying abroad in Ireland for the school year, so some of my friends and I decided to take the opportunity to visit for two weeks over the break. I'm posting some pictures from the trip, I hope you all enjoy them!

Kylemore Abbey, Connemara, County Galway

Sheep! They actually do share the roads with the Irish

My friend Megan and I at Dun Aonghasa, the oldest fort in Europe - 4,000 years old!

A mountain adjacent to Kylemore Abbey

Rural Connemara

My friends exploring cliffs in Kilkee.

Michael (the study-abroad-er) and I in Kilkee

Accepted!

2011-01-24T17:54:00.004-05:00

Let me be the first on the blog to officially congratulate all of you who were accepted into the UNC Class of 2015 last week! I know the news must be a relief for many of you after months of preparation. Some of you may have already enrolled and other may be on the road to deciding which college is the right fit for you. Others may be anxious about the next round of notifications, but don't get too stressed! Keep in mind that if you put a lot of thought and research into the school you choose to attend, you're bound to love it, even if it isn't UNC.

In light of the new acceptances, I'll give you a more updated version on my feelings about Carolina. Personally (and keep in mind I'm not required to say this), Carolina is absolutely the best school for me. I am still so in love with the campus and the remarkable people that I meet every day. My classes are awesome so far this year, and I learn something new about myself all the time. For example, I've decided to pick up a minor in Anthropology. I never saw that coming until recently.

If I had to choose one defining characteristic about UNC that has to appeal to you for it to be a good "fit," it would be this: it is the place to go if you want to grow. Through challenges, academics, and new experiences, UNC is a school that will help you become the person you want to be. We have... everything. But you probably already know that.

Some obscure topics I would suggest you research in your search for the right school, briefly, are: overall safety, flexibility of curriculums (your interests are always subject to change), research opportunities, career services programs, and extracurricular activities. In my book, Carolina scores high on all these, but you may find some place that works better for you. So don't make any arbitrary decisions, research everything now.

Congratulations again to everyone and best of luck!

Tar Heel Born, Tar Heel Uploaded

2011-01-19T19:53:00.011-05:00

Technology is all around us at UNC. It shades our experiences, socially, personally, and academically. It lives in our classrooms, our dorm rooms, and even in our pockets. Combined with just the right amount of human effort, it is responsible for delivering and preparing the food in our dining halls, connecting us to worlds of information on the internet, and keeping us safe. Beyond this, technology is everything we have created, even those aspects of life which we may take for granted today. Writing is a technology. Clothing is a technology. We are literally and figuratively surrounded by it. Right now I am in two classes where technology is one of the main focuses!

Why should I care? – you ask. The world we have created depends on the fact that you already do. Technology shapes us in ways that I cannot begin to describe. The more information it allows us to ingest, the shorter our attention spans will get. The more food it allows us to consume, the larger our waistlines will become. The more connectivity we receive, the less any of it will matter.

At UNC I have seen the beautiful and terrifying impacts of technology in the sense that you and I traditionally understand it. For the first time this semester I share classes with students who have abandoned paper books entirely, opting instead for Kindles and iPads. After all, who would want to lug around a backpack full of books when you can carry a library full of books in the palm of your hand? But it doesn’t stop there. I have seen professors forego paper, providing all class documents online. I have seen white-washed rooms shining with color from projectors. I have even seen the notebook become endangered. Laptops and tablet computers have forced it to the brink of extinction. In fact, our digital tools of empowerment are already doing so much that we may have failed to realize the lines they cross in our minds Whole classes are being taught online. Thousands of students know what it is like to learn from a screen that glows with human features but is no more than pixels. Isn’t that a wild and revolutionary concept? What then is the value of a physical classroom space? What is the value of a real person to teach us?

I still support the idea of classrooms and professors because I believe that what is taught is just a portion of what can be learned in any given class. Books are full of knowledge, but they pale in comparison to the human mind. People can be as instructive as the tomes in their hands. And in an age of absolute internet connectivity, especially in major universities like Carolina, everything must still inevitably depend on people. I attend Carolina because it is full of brilliant minds finding new ways to synergize with technology.

In the end, we are responsible for our technology and we can choose to use it to our advantage. Mobile devices can enhance our ability to learn and reference a vast array of primary sources with relative immediacy. Projectors can show us vast digital worlds that paper maps never could. Digitization can protect centuries of knowledge trapped in books that are too delicate to check out of any library. There is a risk however, when we move from place to place entranced by our laptops, cellphones, and iPods. We risk consuming too much information and living to reproduce themes and bits of insight that have already occurred. We risk repeating history without learning to act in new and unexpected ways.

If you’ve just applied to Carolina, then you might just have the opportunity to go to college without touching a textbook. You will be able to find your future roommate on Facebook, and probably learn a lot about your professors online before ever taking a class. You’ll be able to buy anything you could ever need online. The only time you’ll ever really need to shut down your technological connections is when a professor tells you to. What does that mean for how we interact? What does it mean for the experience of college itself?

These are the questions I leave to you. And I hope you’ll ask/comment/say hello in return! (nkatz@email.unc.edu)

Libraries.

2011-01-12T23:03:00.007-05:00

This is Wilson Library. Also known as "the big fancy one with the dome," chances are if you've taken a tour of the campus, your guide at least trotted you past the front steps. It's also where I work, mostly reshelving books and paging books and doing all sorts of rare-book-related sorting and filing. But my favorite assignment is monitor duty, which is when I sit in the marbled, chandelier-ed Grand Reading Room, and people watch. I guess I'm supposed to be making sure no one's tearing out the pages of rare manuscripts or licking the books or sloshing coffee all over the place, but I'm not even sure what I would do if any of those were to come up. So I people watch.

Now, for the most part, the people that choose to come to Wilson over going to Davis or the UL are Studying, with a capital S. You go to Wilson not for comfort and convenience (Davis) or to nap and see friends (...the UL), but because sometimes you just need to feel prestigious. And the Wilson, with its columns and its gilded capitals, does just that. It feels almost irreverent to pull out your rubber banded flash cards or work on anything as pedestrian as a health quiz; this room should be reserved for names like Plato. Descartes. Aristotle.

And so it both surprises and comforts me to see people tucked in at the rows of desks so early on in the semester. I've wondered what could possibly be so important that they braved the icy sidewalks instead of studying in the comfort of their own rooms, but mostly I'm glad to see them. You see, I never thought UNC was the right place for me. It was too big, I thought, and much too popular. I wanted (or thought I wanted) a tiny little school filled with quiet, studious, history geeks like myself, and I didn't get that impression from the little I knew about Carolina. The school was too cool for me, if you will.

However, I am pleased to report that I was quite wrong in my preconceptions. While many aspects of UNC are a part of the image I held in my head, like the rampant school spirit and big-name athletic programs, everything somehow balances out perfectly. While some eagerly await the next basketball game, the highlight of my week is meeting with my unofficial, not-for-credit Biblical Hebrew group, because, well, I want to read Hebrew. Art students, aspiring journalists, ballroom dancers, rugby players-we all fit into the fantastic mix that makes Carolina what it is; it means we can all find a place to belong. Even the ones that go to study in Wilson on the third day of classes. And I, for one, wouldn't have it any other way.

And now, assuming you've read this far, these are the classes I'm taking this semester, if you think you'd like to know more about my sort of thing:

Arabic 204: Advanced Intermediate Arabic

Hist 351: Global History of Warfare

Clar 241: Archeology of the Near East

Art 104: Composition and Drawing

And as always, feel free to ask any questions you may have in the comments or email me at cjudd@email.unc.edu. Have a fantastic day!

New Years Resolutions

2011-01-01T23:39:00.001-05:00

My New Years Resolution?

To be a better blogger. Seriously.

I've definitely neglected my responsibility over this past semester, and I apologize for that. I offer no excuses - but I will try to catch you up on my highlights of fall 2010.

Pledging a sorority - Yep, I never thought I would be a sorority girl, but if there's anything I've learned in the past few years, it's that things don't usually turn out the way you thought they would. (I mean, honestly, being from New Hampshire, I never even thought I'd be going to school in North Carolina - but of course, here I am.) I met some really great girls in sororites on my trip to East Asia last summer, and seeing what they were a part of made me want to jump in, too. It's been amazing so far - meeting a ton of people I wouldn't have had the chance to otherwise and forming genuine friendships and sisterhood. (And of course, the gorgeous house and delicious chef don't hurt, either.) Going Greek will be one of the defining aspects of my time in college, and I'm so glad I decided to do it. :)

Breaking my elbow - Gruesome but true. We had been back at school for less than a month, and my friends and I decided to bust out the Super Soaker and have a good old-fashioned water fight. Well, it seemed like a good idea at the time... until I was running to get away from my friend Matt, who was brandishing a water bottle, and I slipped on the wet linoleum floor, catching my fall with my left elbow (yes, I am the biggest clutz in the world). Twelve hours in the E.R. later, I found out it was broken and needed surgery. Pretty sucky, right?

Well, yes. It was the most excruciating pain I've ever been in in my life, and I can honestly say that it was probably the worst night I've ever experienced.

But the not sucky part? Having four best friends willing to stick it out with me all night. I'm talking attempting to sleep on the floor in the fluorescently lit waiting room, holding my hand as the doctors tried to set my arm, playing games with me to get my mind off the pain, and holding me as I cried. Seriously, I have the best friends possible. (And I am lucky to count fellow blogger Sam among them - just as a shout out, go read his blog. He's much funnier than me. And he didn't even ask me to do this.) I have never had the kind of friends who would pull an all-nigher in the E.R. with me, see me at my absolute worst, and do everything in their power to make me feel better. So the fact that I have four of them is pretty incredible. Oh, and it doesn't end there. After the break (and the subsequent surgery), I couldn't move my arm at all. And as anyone who's broken their arm knows, you use that particular appendage a LOT. My friends literally had to help me get dressed every day, wash my hair for me in the sink, carry my dishes in the dining hall, and a countless number of other things just to help me get through daily life. I don't mean to belabor this point; I just am extremely privileged to count these people as my best friends. (Last side note: The doctors at UNC Hospitals are BALLER. There is just no other way to describe them. I had amazing E.R. docs, a really awesome surgeon, and some great occupational therapists. If I had to break my elbow, I consider myself fortunate to have done it here, at one of the best facilities in the nation.)

Busting my butt for my biology major - Sophomore year has certainly been no joke so far. I've never studied so hard in my life! For future reference, BIOL 252, Anatomy and Physiology, is ROUGH. (But doable! I managed a B... phew!)

So, as always, if any of you have questions about the out-of-state Carolina experience, joining a fraternity or sorority, the caliber of people you meet at college, biology or science in general, or whatever else you can think of, email me at stephanj@email.unc.edu! Good luck in your college application process!

Don't look below here if you're squeamish...

Tar Heel Love Is International

2010-12-20T15:27:00.011-05:00

Halloween dressed as Mario Kart characters

I feel like every day I have a new reason to love Carolina. Today, that reason hails from Australia.

At the beginning of the semester, I was lucky enough to meet an Australian foreign exchange student at a social in my dormitory. Through her, I got to know an amazing group of international students and their Carolina network. They range from college freshmen to graduate students, English majors to future doctors, and artists to athletes. In fact, just about the only thing they have in common (aside from a marked preference for the N64 version of Mario Kart) is their love for each other.

This diverse group easily comprises some of my favorite people at UNC; and tonight – just a couple days after I bid my Australian friends a tearful goodbye – I thought I would reflect on how happy I am to have met them.

From study sessions to birthday celebrations, I have loved every second I have spent in the company of my international friends. I am so grateful for all that I have already learned from them – some of which knowledge is specific to Australia, and some of which transcends geopolitical boundaries – and I'm sure I will learn even more as we continue to keep in touch. I’ve picked up a few Aussie expressions, and an upward inflection I can’t seem to get rid of; but more importantly, I’ve formed meaningful friendships with many of the international students that I know will outlast their time in the states. I can’t help but think how lucky I am to have spent my first semester with these amazing people, especially when I consider that I would never have met them at all if it weren’t for their exchange programs.

I tell everyone at home that Carolina is the perfect size, and my experience this semester has definitely strengthened that belief. UNC is just small enough to facilitate strong connections between students, and just big enough that I always feel like I can meet new people, or do something different. I have learned so much about myself at Carolina simply by virtue of trying new things. To the person who opens himself up to them, there are all sorts of life-changing opportunities here. In the end, it’s a matter of choosing to go that concert, pick up that magazine, or attend that meeting. This semester, I made the choice to spend time with new people, and I am so glad I did. I will never forget all of the wonderful times I have shared with these friends – both the ones who go here, and the ones who have recently gone back. Sometime in the future, when I look back on this semester, these will be the things I remember first.

I will remember the times that we ran down Franklin Street, screaming and laughing, and the times that we walked arm-in-arm to keep each other warm. I will remember all of the weekend brunches we ate together, and all of the nights we stayed up late, watching movies and making our Halloween costumes. I will remember the jokes we shared, and the truths we confided. I will remember the girl who has become my Australian second-half, and I will miss her terribly; but all the while – when I look back on this semester – I will remember that it was Carolina which afforded me the invaluable opportunity to extend my horizons beyond the domestic. And as sad as it makes me to think that not all of my friends will be here next semester, I will remember how many other opportunities there are at UNC, just waiting to be taken advantage of.

Yay Finals

2010-12-17T01:11:00.003-05:00

Hey guys! So like everyone else, I’ve basically been in hibernation during finals week, only emerging from the library to eat and sleep and take finals. My friend and I even changed our Facebook passwords—that’s how you know it’s serious!

Anyway, because of this self-imposed hibernation, I don’t really have too much to share. One interesting that’s happened to me is that I’ve finalized my spring semester schedule. I dropped Public Policy and am now taking another English class that goes towards my potential English minor—it’s English 446, American Women Authors. And at first, the high course number scared me away, so I emailed the professor, asking if it was okay for a freshman to take such a high course. She emailed back right away, saying as long as I had fulfilled my freshman English requirements (English 101 and 102, classes I had placed out of with my SAT score) and liked to read a lot and write about what I’ve read (which I do happen to enjoy!), it would be okay if I took the class. I’m excited.

It just goes to show how accessible everything at Carolina is. The benefit of having a liberal arts education is that you don’t have to go into your major right away. For example, this semester I took sociology, which has nothing to do with my Journalism major or English and Social and Economic Justice minors and is not even a general ed requirement, but it was really interesting and I’m glad I took it. I think it’ll be the same for my Women’s Studies class next semester, another random elective that I’m just taking because it “looks cool” and I heard good things about it. I love having the freedom to pick classes based on that reasoning, without having to worry about the pressure of taking major-specific classes so early in my college career.

Well, back to studying. My last two finals are tomorrow, and then it’s home, sweet home for me! Happy holidays, everyone!

Davis Library - A Tarheel Study Hub

2010-12-15T15:14:00.003-05:00

I just spent about four hours last night researching in Davis Library. Normally I’ll go in to study, but yesterday it was all research and I really came to appreciate how enormous the collection is. There are eight floors in Davis; if you were go to the end of the stacks anywhere above the second floor, you’d have trouble recognizing a friend standing on the opposite end, they’d be so far away. I’ve only written a few research papers so far, but every time I’ve come in to research I’ve had an incredible amount sources to choose from. If anything, it can be kind of overwhelming, because you quickly realize how discerning you’ll have to be in order to narrow down your topic to something manageable. Davis is the main library on campus and it gets a lot of traffic. Fortunately being in such a central location doesn’t mean it’s noisy, partly because there’s just so much room that you’d need a lot more people to actually fill it up.

Even if you don’t find what you want in Davis or the UL (the Undergraduate Library) you can either go to one of the many other libraries on campus or use the Interlibrary Loan service that lets you borrow books from other universities. I’ve generally never been a fan of libraries because they’ve always seemed like such a maze and I’ve had trouble finding what I’m looking for, but Davis is no hometown public library. Despite whether you end up learning to associate it with dreary late-night study sessions, the collection is so huge and well-organized that you can at least rest assured if you go to Davis for research, it’ll be worthwhile.

There are so many places to study in Davis as well; each floor has at least a hundred study carrels, probably more. They also put in new, more comfortable furniture over the summer on the first and second floors. It’s a nice place to go study if you really want to buckle down and concentrate. There are also a lot of large tables where you can go study with your friends or other people from your class if that works best for you.

It’s exam time now and everyone’s heading in droves to Davis and the UL. We’re not a school of library recluses but students are still serious when it comes time to study for finals. You’ll see people go into the library outfitted for the long haul, carrying ridiculously large cups of coffee. I don’t have a final until Tuesday, but it’s just a matter of time before I join the masses and head for Davis.

Survey Says...

2010-12-08T14:16:00.004-05:00

This is "Carolina Carl" the mascot of UNC Career Services.
(Looks cool with those sunglasses but a little too young to be needing Rogaine though don't ya think?)

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, the moment you have all been waiting for, the grand reveal. You may recall that I was going to Career Services to see what their crystal ball had to say about my future. Well…I finally went and met with one of their really helpful counselors who walked me through my survey results. Thankfully my greatest fear was unfounded, and I am not an ideal candidate for gluing corrugation to cardboard! Going in, I thought they would just say “you should be a firefighter, go forth and fight fires,” but they really do take a holistic look at your personality as indicated by your answers. The test was spot-on in terms of characterizing my work style, leadership style, team orientation, risk-taking tendencies, and my preferred learning environment.

After characterizing my personality, she went on to name my top ten potential careers. These are determined by comparing my responses with the like responses of people who are happy in their respective professions. I was slightly shocked to see some of the responses, but when I began to discuss my options with my counselor, I understood how aspects of my personality fit to these professions.

However, I was somewhat surprised at the types of positions I am suited for according to their formula. I may or may not have chuckled aloud when certain careers were proposed for me. My number one occupation was “Buyer.” I could get used to that, traveling around and picking out the next “hot-seller” for an industry; it appeals to my cutting edge nature and entrepreneurial tendencies. However, number two on my list was “Florist.” My only experience with florists was when I bought corsages and boutonnieres for my junior and senior proms neither of which was overwhelmingly phenomenal (not for a lack of good dates). It is not a career that I would have pictured myself in at all. But it does highlight some creative tendency that lurks beneath the surface and would enable me to utilize my entrepreneurial instincts while satisfying my apparent need for human interaction.

There were also several potential careers mentioned that I had never heard of, one being “Advertising Account Manager” that combines creativity, business, and people. It was incredibly helpful to hear my interests characterized in ways that help me to be more aware of why I like art museums and looking at buildings, why I started a small scale lawn-mowing business when I was 12, and why I love waking up every day at Carolina knowing that I could meet a new person that might become one of my closest friends. My visit to career services provided me with ideas and tools for researching all the possibilities that exist for folks with my combination of skills and interests and gave me ideas for skills that I intrinsically have and should develop.

My counselor finished the meeting (without any cajoling or coaxing from yours truly) with an overall assessment that I was in fact normal, who woulda thunk it. What a relief! Now if next time I can just get her to confirm that though I am normal, I am also exceedingly charming, witty, and handsome.

Enough jokes for now…I am off to find a nook near a coffee-maker and hunker down for exams. Cheers and Happy Holidays!

Happy Break!

2010-11-23T14:32:00.003-05:00

Carolina's absolutely gorgeous in the fall with all the changing leaves. Now's one of the best times to visit campus, so over your Thanksgiving break, make plans to schedule a tour!

My plans for break? Sleep, eat yummy home-cooked food, prepare for the three weeks of finals looming before me, and return to UNC ready to finish out the semester!

Have a great Thanksgiving, everyone :)

Blank Canvas and Dance on the Hill

2010-11-19T15:42:00.009-05:00

When I was younger, my parents always insisted that my sister and I each play some kind of sport during the school year. I’ve played a lot of different sports but I never actually committed to a single sport for long. I remember I did gymnastics for maybe a year, then swimming, softball, basketball, cross country, soccer, tennis, volleyball, dance (ballet and jazz), and rowing. I stuck with ballet and rowing for the longest, but even that’s not saying much. When I started rowing I didn’t think I’d ever really get into dance again, but now that I’m at Chapel Hill there are a lot of dance opportunities and it’s hard not to.

There are a ton of opportunities to dance on campus, ranging from dance troops you have to audition for to clubs that you can just join with little to no dance experience. I joined Blank Canvas second semester freshman year, but there are other groups like Bhangra (traditional Punjabi dance), Born 2 Step, Inversions Modern Dance Company, Kamikazi (hip hop), and Star Heels. Some of these groups are small enough that they can all perform together, but Blank Canvas is relatively large and organized so that there are many different dances being rehearsed simultaneously throughout the week.

At the beginning of each semester, people who want to choreograph for the show submit their dances and about 25 to 30 are chosen. Then these dances are put on a Google document and sent out to everyone in the club to sign up for whichever dances they want to be in. There’s generally a limit to the number of people a choreographer will allow in their dance, and the dances are also ranked by skill level on a scale of 1 to 5 (5 being the most advanced). You can be in as many as 9 to 10 dances or just one, depending on your schedule and the number of dances you’re interested in. It’s a pretty flexible system because it accommodates the beginner who just wants to try one hip hop dance, and the really experienced dancer who wants to do everything. There are even some tap dances and ballet pieces with pointe work.

I’ve really enjoyed being part Blank Canvas and I hope to keep doing it until I graduate. These dances are a kind of release from the classwork-- instead of sitting down and working, you’re moving and learning fun choreography. There are also great leadership opportunities because you can apply for the position of treasurer or president, or you can choreograph a dance. A friend of mine actually choreographed an awesome dance in her second semester freshman year (here's the youtube link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3WQhYmXrWeQ ). As long as you’ve been in Blank Canvas for at least one semester, you can choreograph a dance.

All the dances are practiced once a week for about 10 weeks or so, and then there’s a performance in Memorial Hall at the end of the semester. It’s so fun to see all the dances people have been working on. Performing is exciting too—you develop this feeling of camaraderie with the other people in your dance as you practice in the theatre on show day and eventually wait in the wings before going on for your final performance. I’d forgotten what it felt like, not having danced at all in high school, but everything came flooding back to me minutes before my performance in the show last semester.

We’re actually having our fall show this semester on Sunday, so I’m pretty psyched! It’s fun to have friends and family come see the product of this semester-long effort.

Beyond the books

2010-11-15T15:47:00.006-05:00

The last few weeks have been full of exams, papers, group projects, group meetings, research, etc. But I won't even talk about that today. A few weeks ago we had Homecoming. Yes I know I am extremely late but better late than never. I had to pleasure of meeting the most amazing alumni and connecting with some very interesting people. Though I do not have a picture, I got a chance to meet Marion Jones who is a former women's basketball player for Carolina. During that same weekend, I also get a chance to have dinner with some alumni and chat with them. While we were at various events, I was asked about 100 times what my plans were after college. The more I was asked, the more I was forced to tell what I wanted to do, but then I started to get a little nervous because what I want to do is actually not so far in the future anymore. Graduation is only a few months away and undergraduate days will soon be over. There are plenty of things I want to do and classes I want to take, that I will probably not have the opportunity to complete because of time constraints and obligations. Some of the things I would like to do include going to see a production at the Playmaker's Theatre, having lunch in the quad just one more time, going on a historical tour of the campus, and visiting the Ackland Art Museum for pleasure (as opposed to for class).

It is important to remember that there is life beyond the books. It is good to be focused but there is so much going on outside of classes that can teach you just as much as the books. If I could go back, I would definitely take the time to enjoy the smaller things that make Carolina what it is. I guess I will play catch-up until graduation. Enjoy some of the pictures from the football games and hang outs with friends.

From the desk of The Daily Tar Heel

2010-11-11T19:44:00.009-05:00

I'm halfway through my shift at The Daily Tar Heel newsroom and figured I'd use a rare down-moment to blog about, well, the DTH. If you're an aspiring journalism major, you may know that our newspaper is consistently ranked by the Princeton Review as one of the top college papers in the country--this year, the Daily Tar Heel is ranked second only to the Yale Daily News. It has a staff of approximately 300 students who report on the latest events on campus, in the state and in the country each day.

I've been working as a Copy Editor on the DTH since the start of this semester. In high school, I was an editor on our school paper and had my own opinion column. This took up pretty much all of my life. So when I got to college, I waited two years to return to newspaper activities--and I admit, it feels good to be back. This time around, though, I chose not to write articles, but to edit them instead--hence my position as a Copy Editor. My job entails coming in every Thursday for a 3-hour shift and serving as the first pair of eyes that reads over each article as it gets wired to the office from our reporters. I check each story for factual correctness, grammar and style, then pass it on to the next person in the editor food chain. It's a pleasant, low-key but important position on the paper and I enjoy it a lot.

For those of who you are interested in joining the DTH, here is some useful information:

the DTH hires staff members at the beginning of the fall and spring semesters. It accepts all (or nearly all) applicants and you don't need to have previous journalism experience to apply.
when applying, you will have a wide array of desks to choose from: Arts, City, Copy, Design, Diversions, Editorial board, Graphics, Multimedia, Online, Photo, State & National, and University. The DTH also hires 8 bi-weekly columnists each semester, including at least one freshman.
staff writers receive their story assignment in the morning by email and have to do research, conduct interviews and write the story during the day. Stories must be completed by that evening, and the paper goes to press at 11 p.m.
the paper is completely student-run and most staffers, except for the highest editors, do not get paid.
and last but certainly not least, experience on the DTH looks terrific on a resume.

I have to get back to editing, but I encourage everyone to consider working for the DTH. If you have any questions, I would be happy to answer.

'Til next time,
Olga

Fall is in the Air....

2010-11-10T16:40:00.003-05:00

...And it’s the perfect Carolina weather to take a stroll across campus or convince your professor to hold class outside or to sit outside and read instead of staying in the library. It was actually really cold last week, but now it’s back to the late 60’s in the afternoon, and I hope it will stay that way for a while!

Also in the air? Registration! Oy vey! But after the initial frustration of not being able to load on Connect Carolina, UNC’s class registration site, and then seeing the class that you’ve been pinning your hopes on go from a welcoming green circle to a closed blue square, things started to look up. I now have my tentative schedule for spring: Public Policy, Political Science, Women’s Studies, a First Year Seminar about social movements, and hopefully an English class (I’m on the waitlist). Much better than my current schedule filled with Econ and Geology, I have to say.

Classes are starting to pick up and Thanksgiving break is calling, but outside of papers and exams, Carolina is as enjoyable as ever. To celebrate the Harry Potter release, today is “Potterpalooza,” sponsored by Carolina Union’s Activity Board (CUAB). There’s going to be a Quidditch match on the Quad and a Harry Potter feast with a costume contest later today. I might have to take a break from my studying to check those out!!

And this weekend promises to be exciting. I managed to score Phase 1 Riser tickets for the UNC vs. Lipscomb basketball game through Carolina Fever. I’m so excited to see my first Carolina basketball game as a student! And then Saturday is the football game against Virginia Tech. I never was a football fan, but I admit that I’m going to be sad when this season’s over! It’s so much fun tailgating with friends and donning all my Carolina gear to support our Heels. I really love the school spirit here…like from this guy!