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CC Podcast

CarolinaCast: After UNC canceled a controversial photo exhibit, it’s now on display off campus

The public can now see the controversial images that led UNC to cancel an exhibition by a local photographer. In February, UNC leaders abruptly canceled an exhibition by Durham photographer Cornell Watson that documented Black life and Black activism in Chapel Hill. They said some of the images detracted from the message of “reverence” for the Black community that they hoped the exhibition would convey. Watson called the decision censorship. His photos are now on display at the Chapel Hill Public Library. Carolina Connection reporter Jade Wilson talks with Jayda Williams about the controversy.

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2022

Carolina Connection – Apr. 30, 2022

UNC administrators have been reading faculty members’ emails, but it’s still not clear which faculty members were targeted. A new report finds politics have a heavy influence on UNC System governance. A program seeks to help people who were incarcerated re-enter society. Graduating seniors look for jobs – and homes. As students take their final exams after a turbulent semester, parents gather to show their love.

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CarolinaCast: The bizarre rise and fall of Coursicle – a course planning app founded by a UNC grad

In February, though, Coursicle app users began receiving push notifications that said things like “Twitter dies today” or asked for nude photos. At one point, it displayed a large photo of Mark Zuckerberg with a vulgar insult. At first, many users thought Coursicle had been hacked, but Coursicle founder Joe Puccio – a 2016 UNC grad – soon admitted he was the one responsible. Carolina Connection’s Sierra Pfeifer talked with Puccio, and she discusses the story with Jayda Williams.

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Carolina Connection – Apr. 23, 2022

Students and community members are hoping to get answers and closure after the U.S. Department of Justice reopened an investigation into the 1970 campus killing of James Cates, a Black Chapel Hill resident. UNC is scheduled to launch a new School of Data Science and Society. Kickstarter offers an alternative to traditional funding for minority-owned businesses. UNC students can study Cherokee and participate in the preservation of a dying language. Seniors climb UNC’s famous bell tower to celebrate the end of their time at Carolina.

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CarolinaCast: Students call for UNC to quit coal, accelerate climate action plan

UNC students and community activists held a climate strike March 25. Students demanded that the UNC system transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources. The Chapel Hill demonstration coincided with Fridays For Future, a global youth-led movement in support of climate action that sponsored sister strikes in Raleigh and Durham. Zachary Turner talks about it with Jayda Williams on this edition of the Carolina Connection podcast.

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Carolina Connection – Apr. 9, 2022

Fans welcomed home UNC’s men’s basketball team following their loss in the NCAA national championship game. UNC has blocked access to Coursicle after the company’s owner – a UNC grad – posted vulgar messages and sent unusual notifications to users of the app. School systems in the Triangle have had to adjust to rising gas prices. UNC is working to improve its response to mental health crises, but students say much more needs to be done. Meditation, journaling, and deep breathing are typical go-to methods for stress relief… but what about screaming?

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Carolina Connection – April 2, 2022

As UNC prepares to face Duke in the Final Four, Carolina Connection’s Daniel Myrick talks with fans at the team hotel in New Orleans. Franklin Street businesses prepare for record-breaking crowds for the big game. More people died in traffic accidents last year than any other year in two decades, due in large part to distracted driving. An accident that killed an electric cyclist on Franklin Street has sparked a debate around bike safety. Homeschooling is on the rise since the pandemic. Who do you root for if you take classes at UNC and Duke? That’s the dilemma facing duel-enrolled Robertson Scholars.

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CarolinaCast: Why have more young adults started to smoke?

After a decades-long, largely successful public health campaign against smoking, 2020 hit, and cigarette sales went up for the first time in 20 years. Now, anecdotal evidence is pointing researchers in the direction of a trend: A new generation of young adults may be among those smoking more. Sophia Ramirez talks with Jayda Williams about this trend.

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Carolina Connection – Mar. 26, 2022

Students protest against the UNC System for its use of fossil fuels to power its campuses. Student organizations address food insecurity on campus. UNC faculty and staff document their pandemic experiences by decorating postcards. A student-run art gallery takes a dive into the metaverse. Pickleball becomes one of the fastest-growing sports in the country.

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Carolina Connection – Mar. 12, 2022

UNC students and faculty react to their first week on campus without an indoor mask mandate. The Town of Chapel Hill hopes a new safety initiative will keep bikers and pedestrians safer. Experts say North Carolina is “the epicenter” of gerrymandering disputes, and a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision isn’t likely to change that. Women’s collegiate sports are starting to get more airtime on national television. A popular Franklin Street bar tries to revitalize Chapel Hill’s comedy scene.