2020

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced nursing students to try to complete their clinicals online. UNC mourns the loss of a longtime professor who was a leading scholar on Hip Hop culture. Public school employees across North Carolina are working to make sure that children still have nutritious breakfasts and lunches, even if their school buildings are closed. Meanwhile, remote learning has been a struggle for many school children who lack Internet access. Pet adoptions have become more common since the pandemic started, but shelter managers remind new pet owners that they’re making a longterm commitment. A UNC student comedian uses laughter to help relieve the stress of staying at home.

UNC’s class of 2020 will have to wait until at least this fall for its commencement ceremony. One UNC student, already stuck at home during the pandemic, had to evacuate because of a tornado. Student radio station WXYC has stayed on the air, even though its studio is off limits. Kids face special challenges because of the pandemic. Stay-at-home orders have closed the state’s craft breweries, and that’s hurt other businesses, too. ESPN has pushed up the debut of its long-awaited Michael Jordan documentary. Unable to go to barbers or salons, students are taking hair care into their own hands.

The COVID-19 pandemic has scrambled post-graduation plans for international students who want to find jobs in the U.S. The cost of the pandemic will lead the UNC System to seek millions of dollars in additional state funds. A judge has ordered the Sons of Confederate Veterans to return most of the money UNC paid as part of a shortlived legal settlement over Silent Sam. Many students who went home after UNC closed its campus have to keep paying rent for their empty off-campus apartments. Some North Carolina manufacturers have quickly pivoted to making emergency supplies. The stay-at-home order has prompted some students to pick up new hobbies.

A UNC student feels lucky after surviving a COVID-19 infection. The pandemic has closed businesses across North Carolina and cost many UNC students their jobs. International students struggle to keep up with their education thousands of miles away from Chapel Hill. UNC System schools are incurring unexpected expenses from the pandemic and the subsequent decision to close campuses, but an impasse over the system’s budget continues in Raleigh. While most of us have sought shelter from the virus in our homes, some local groups are trying to look out for the homeless. High school athletes deal with the unexpected early end of their seasons. Before the stay-at-home order, we visited a professional cornhole tournament.

As UNC’s spring break begins, students are dealing with the impact of the coronavirus on their travel plans. It’s been almost a year since a UNC task force detailed the problems students face when they seek help for mental health issues, but progress has been slow. Chapel Hill Transit is adding buses on Sundays, but cutting back service during the week. It’s not easy for Greek houses to embrace recycling and composting. UNC is one of the first schools in the country to switch to recyclable aluminum cups at sports events. A UNC class teaches students to play traditional Cuban music.

The spread of the coronavirus is affecting Chinese-Americans in the Triangle, as well as UNC students overseas. As Super Tuesday approaches, voters and campaign workers prepare for primary election day. President Trump has proposed eliminating a program that helps students erase their college debt. Charles Scott – UNC’s first African-American scholarship athlete – says he’s disappointed that the Carolina Basketball Museum omits much of his story. UNC researchers find that high intensity interval training is a good way to get in shape. On Leap Year Day, we hear how students are spending their extra 24 hours.

The chair of the UNC Board of Governors reaffirms that Silent Sam won’t return to campus, but also expresses frustration at the ongoing controversy. A UNC campus organization has organized a trip to Israel and Palestinian territories, but critics of the trip are calling for a boycott. UNC wants to give East Franklin Street a makeover, but it could come at the cost of losing restaurants and other businesses that have been there for decades. As Black History Month comes to a close, a former plantation in Durham presents a lingering memory of slavery. The North Carolina Basketball Museum is missing the story of UNC’s first black scholarship athlete, Charles Scott. A local musician creates a soundtrack for a classic silent film.

After a judge voided the controversial Silent Sam settlement, Chancellor Kevin Guskiewicz reaffirms that he doesn’t want the Confederate monument back on campus. Early voting is underway for the 2020 primary, but it’s not clear how many students will turn out. UNC has started a new Korean Studies major, and the popularity of K-Pop music is one of the reasons. As UNC commemorates Black History Month, some minority students are questioning the university’s commitment to equality. UNC’s football team has won an off-the-field honor. The new facilities at Kenan Stadium have been named among the nation’s best.

Faculty, staff, and students are calling for UNC to end its moratorium on renaming buildings, so that the names of white supremacists can be removed. Voting rights advocates march in Raleigh. Demolition will soon get underway to make way for a new journalism building at UNC. Can doulas play a role in reducing mortality among black infants? Speakers at a conference call on the global health community to become less colonial. Even though it’s been a rough year for the UNC basketball team, students still line up for hours for the Duke game. Cowboy churches, a growing trend in religion, mix Christianity with cattle.

The spread of the Coronavirus is disrupting studies for college students worldwide. As many as 45% of U.S. college students are food insecure, but some face a stigma that makes it hard for them to seek help. UNC trustees approve the creaction of an Asian-American Center. There’s a growing trend of college students running for public office. Students protest a planned campus appearance by “Food Babe” blogger Vani Hari. Acclaimed opera singer Lucia Lucas, a powerful voice for transgender rights, appears in Chapel Hill.