CC Podcast

Carolina Connection podcast: New UNC policies spark concerns about academic freedom and faculty safety

UNC faculty have raised concerns about academic freedom and their rights after three new policies were implemented that change the rules on classroom procedure.

One policy, which allowed University administrators to record classrooms without instructor knowledge, was recently scrapped by the Chancellor after faculty pushback. Other policies remain in effect, including a new systemwide academic freedom policy, and a decision by UNC System President Peter Hans that declared syllabi to be public records.

Carolina Connection’s Alice Scott joined Anthony Guerra-Flores to discuss the controversies.

No Picture
2026

Carolina Connection – Mar. 7, 2026

Fourth District Congresswoman Valerie Foushee’s slim victory highlights tensions in the Democratic party. The war in the Middle East has left people at UNC feeling the weight of the conflict. Experts say rising gas prices are closely related to the Middle East conflict. Students return from Milan, where they helped document the Winter Olympics. A controversial artist demonstrates the power of printmaking as political expression. 

No Picture
2026

Carolina Connection – Feb. 28, 2025

After pushback from faculty, UNC has abruptly reversed a controversial new policy that allowed administrators to record classes with the instructors’ knowledge. Tuition is increasing throughout the UNC System. Some North Carolina university students have to make long, treacherous walks to purchase fresh food. The Chapel Hill-Carrboro Board of Education is considering closing schools. An exhibition at the Ackland Art Museum dismantles notions of masculinity and gender through high school students. 

No Picture
2026

Carolina Connection – Feb. 21, 2026

A Triangle community is limiting its use of lights and sirens on EMS vehicles to reduce ambulance accidents. Doctors say vaccine hesitancy is one of the causes of this year’s active flu season. A local Black History Month event remembers the past by encouraging action today. As Name Image and Likeness reshapes college athletics, some players in less prominent sports are building their own brands. North Carolina is in a severe drought and this month’s rain – and snow – isn’t helping much. The Triangle rings in the year of the fire horse with Lunar New Year celebrations.

CC Podcast

Carolina Connection Podcast: A UNC alum has a viral hit with an anti-ICE protest song

Henry Nicholls and Reyna Drake profile Joseph Terrell and his new viral anti-ICE song, “Genuine American Hero.” The song has almost four million views on TikTok. Terrell is a UNC alum and gained fame through his former band, Mipso. 

Henry, who talked with Joseph Terrell, discusses the song’s meaning, the intersection of folk music and political protest, and the importance of social media to the growth of protesting.

No Picture
2026

Carolina Connection – Feb. 14, 2026

Faculty members worry a new UNC System policy could cause a chilling effect within the classroom. President Trump’s repeal of greenhouse gas regulations will likely bring legal challenges. Chapel Hill businesses continue to reopen after Tropical Storm Chantal, but some are worried about future flooding. “Bulking up” can become an obsession for young men with body dysmorphia disorder. An unlikely mother-daughter duo is reshaping the culture of the UNC gymnastics team. A UNC alumnus uses social media as a new way to connect through protest songs. A Durham museum shines a spotlight on tubas.

No Picture
2026

Carolina Connection – Feb. 7, 2026

College students and Democratic groups are suing state election officials for blocking early voting sites on three North Carolina college campuses. UNC mourns the death of James Spurling, who managed UNC’s iconic football stadium and became a local icon himself. Unless Congress acts, most hemp products will become illegal later this year. As UNC and Duke tip off this season’s men’s basketball rivalry, UNC leaders are deciding whether the Dean Dome will remain the Tar Heels’ home court. Raleigh is piloting a program to better respond to mental health emergencies. Local children receive free care at the UNC Dental School’s “Give Kids A Smile” day.

No Picture
2026

Carolina Connection – Jan. 31, 2026

After immigration crackdowns in Minnesota, opponents across the Triangle are coming together to speak out. UNC leaders propose deeper budget cuts that some employees fear will mean job cuts. UNC Health is increasing barriers to gender affirming care, reigniting debate over treatment for teens. Business rents are rising in Chapel Hill and Carrboro, but some merchants have found creative ways to limit the effect. UNC unveils a new studio for students to work with AI. Buddhist Monks pass through North Carolina on their 2,300 mile “Walk for Peace.”

No Picture
2025

Carolina Connection – Dec. 6, 2025

College can be stressful for any student, but it’s especially challenging for those facing food insecurity. An initiative from the school of social work provides a new student mental health resource. AI is changing the job market for both applicants and employers. UNC’s men basketball team is full of new faces – creating mixed feelings among fans. An English professor holds unconventional office hours to promote poetry- on the basketball court.

CC Podcast

Carolina Connection podcast: UNC beekeepers collect honey to fight hunger

Emmy Berger and Maddie Policastro break down the buzz around UNC’s Beekeeping Club and its “Honey for Hunger Initiative.” The club processed and bottled more than 200 pounds of honey, and every dollar from sales goes straight to the Carolina Cupboard campus food pantry.

While tabling in the Pit, the beekeepers have already raised nearly six thousand dollars, and sales will keep rolling out over the next few weeks. 39)

Emmy headed straight to the hives for a closer look at the art of beekeeping. even suiting up to get a firsthand experience with the UNC bee colony tucked inside Battle Grove.