2021

UNC renames two campus buildings to honor underrepresented alumni. It’s exam season and some students say they’re feeling more stressed than ever before. UNC will add a wellness day to the spring 2022 calendar and make them a permanent part of future semesters. A shortage of the medication Naloxone could make it harder to save people from drug overdoses. Students show off their skills at a new high-tech gaming arena on campus. A UNC student writes a musical about his OCD. 

UNC holds a daylong summit to address campus mental health, and speakers pressure the university to put more resources into keeping students healthy. Student volunteers keep UNC’s COVID-19 testing center running. Using tests they developed, Duke researchers found elevated levels of lead contamination in the soil in Durham. While more women are serving as judges in North Carolina, they still face barriers to entry. Esteemed UNC professor Bland Simpson’s latest work, North Carolina: Land of Water, Land of Sky, shares stories of places and people. It’s mid-November; is it too early to start decorating for the holiday season?

UNC plans to transform one of the busiest blocks in Chapel Hill and demolish the building that houses some longtime Franklin St. businesses. A new study is telling us more about how recovering college students manage their struggle with alcohol. For the first time in more than a year, the Smith Center is welcoming full-capacity crowds. A UNC alum is competing on The Bachelorette  It’s fall in Chapel Hill, and falling acorns are driving some UNC students nuts. A team of UNC alumni is hoping to win an Oscar.

The UNC community is mourning the loss of Senior Katherine Acierno, who was hit by a car last week while she was crossing the street in Greenville. After multiple student suicides, UNC officials say they’re trying to respond to a greatly increased need for mental health resources. With the help of the UNC law school, Army veteran John Spencer receives his Purple Heart 50 years after serving in Vietnam. After a two-year hiatus, the audio/visual dance party known as Office Hours is returning to the Cat’s Cradle. 

Crowds and COVID-19 are two of the scariest things that could hit Franklin Street this year, according to Chapel Hill officials. The Chapel Hill municipal election is Tuesday, and this year features a competitive mayor’s race. Political signs pop up everywhere during election season, yet some studies say they don’t actually make a difference. UNC researchers are studying the impact of climate change on sea turtles. UNC students have added a twist to the campus tradition of taking bricks from sidewalks; they’re now painting the bricks and returning them. 

As UNC grieves multiple student suicides, university leaders are weighing how to best support students through tragedy. Some UNC community members say the mental health services on campus are inadequate for students in need. After Chancellor Guskiewicz cancelled classes for a “wellness day,” parents rallied at UNC with a message of love for students. UNC students and faculty have begun getting COVID-19 booster shots. YikYak is back, but the app’s anonymous posting feature and its troubled past are raising concerns. The N.C. State Fair – back after a year off for the pandemic – is a place where homegrown apples get to shine.

A recent count found that homelessness in Orange County increased more than 40 percent during the pandemic. UNC is making deep cuts to the library budget, sparking concern from researchers and faculty. The Class of 2020 gets its long delayed graduation ceremony. Student beekeepers try to make the campus friendlier too pollinators. Brands are paying students to go viral on TikTok.

The American Association of University Professors plans to investigate political interference in the UNC System. The Chapel Hill Police Department starts a new program designed to find out which bars and restaurants are serving people who later drive drunk. A new class registration system tries to end registration-day panic for students signing up for popular classes. Two students have started a doughnut business as a unique way to carry out their religious faith. A UNC student is a gold medal winner in the 2021 Paralympic games.

The Faith Hedgepeth murder case has sparked a broader discussion of violence against Indigenous women. UNC housekeepers struggle to do their jobs amid COVID-19 and staffing problems. Amid controversy, UNC’s Hussman School of Journalism and Media seeks a new dean. Despite “high anxiety” on campus, Chancellor Guskiewicz says he’s confident about UNC’s COVID response. Mushroom foragers find delicacies in the most unlikely places. Paperhand Puppets are back, exploring themes of renewal in the pandemic.

Chapel Hill Police have announced an arrest in the 2012 killing of UNC student Faith Hedgepeth, but the investigation has just begun. UNC students continue to push for a COVID-19 vaccinate mandate, but UNC System President Peter Hans is deferring to state health officials. Smoke shops and hemp stores are selling Delta-8 – a legalized version of the psychoactive compound in marijuana. After two years, members of the UNC Campus Safety Commission decided to disband, saying their recommendations are being ignored. Two UNC juniors create a support group for people with OCD. Now that student athletes can profit off their name, image and likeness, some Chapel Hill small businesses are signing them to endorsement deals.