Carolina Connection

Students react to a new North Carolina law that restricts gender affirming care. North Carolina’s House Speaker says UNC’s campus should no longer be a gun-free zone. US News ranks UNC the fourth best public university in the country. Screenwriting students mark the end of the Hollywood writers strike. UNC’s newest art installation helps add color to a parking deck.

Campus lockdowns can be especially hard for grad students, who face unique pressures. Vice President Kamala Harris visits North Carolina A&T as part of an effort to energize young voters. A UNC initiative is hoping to reduce suicide statewide. A Carrboro Farmers Market program teaches young people about where their food comes from. ACC officials continue to defend their decision to expand the sports conference to the west. For some local families, the start of fall means it's pumpkin-carving season.

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During the second stop of her college tour, Vice President Kamala Harris addressed issues affecting college students in an effort to increase young voter turnout.

The UNC community remembers Professor Zijie Yan, who was killed in a campus shooting. After Professor Yan was shot, the campus went on lockdown for several hours until the suspect was arrested. Then, this week - 16 days after the shooting - UNC was ordered into lockdown again, when a man allegedly pulled out a gun in the student union. The violence has left students, faculty, and staff anxious and angry - and some are demanding action from university officials and state legislators. Chancellor Kevin Guskiewicz says the university has learned from these lockdowns and will have a stronger response to future emergencies.

Esports, or competitive gaming, is an increasingly popular pastime across the world. Every year, new games enter the competitive scene and live events continue to grow in attendance. Recently, PNC arena was the host of one such event, the League of Legends Championship series.

The Sonja Hayes Stone Center for Black Culture and History is UNC's hub for Black issues and cultural expression on campus. The former director, Joseph Jordan, has now handed the role to Laronda Manigold Bryant. Carolina Connection's Denise Stroud talked with both Jordan and Bryant to discuss what the role means and what the future of the Stone Center looks like.

Since the early 1960s, the Inter-Faith Council has worked to provide food and supplies to struggling citizens in Chapel Hill and Orange County. Today that work continues, and it's more necessary than ever as citizens grapple with economic issues stemming from the pandemic. Carolina Connection's Will Christensen went to the IFC SECU Community House Shelter to speak to some of these people and hear their stories.

Employees at Durham's REI store are trying to unionize. Former Vice President Mike Pence visited UNC’s campus, attracting supporters and protesters. Professor Mimi Chapman wraps up her term as Chair of the Faculty. A UNC professor pushes for improved classroom safety. Should professors give students "trigger warnings" before discussing potentially upsetting topics? The recently unveiled senior mural in the Student Union reflects a tumultuous four years at Carolina.

Anthony James joins the UNC-Chapel Hill community as the first Director of DEI (or Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) for two schools - the School of Education and the School of Information and Library Science.

North Carolina farmers are changing the solar industry with a little help from sheep. Former Vice President Mike Pence plans to visit UNC, making him the first national prominent Republican to come to campus in years. Chapel Hill previously frowned upon restaurant drive-throughs, but that's changing. A UNC study reveals that wild blueberries can keep your brain sharp. A UNC student organization has been picking up campus litter for a year.

UNC System schools invest in improving student mental health resources. Carolina law students protest the ban of a classmate on campus. Transgender UNC students call for more inclusivity due to increasing anti-LGBTQ+ legislation. a professor helps actors nailing down accents. A UNC study concludes infrastructure improvements are needed to reduce injuries from e-scooters. Arts Everywhere Day brings student artists together.

We discuss two politically-charged education topics: a bill in the N.C. legislature that would regulate how sexual identity is discussed in the public schools, and the plan to create UNC's new School of Civic Life and Leadership.

There’s a new push from the North Carolina Senate to legalize medical marijuana. Fasting students who observe Ramadan say they don’t get enough support from the University during exam season. A UNC club adapts tech and toys for special needs children. Instead of police, some 911 calls now may be handled by mental health professionals.This April Fools’ Day, one UNC class shows that clowning around is hard work.

Barbecue is one of the best-known and well liked foods in North Carolina, and many agree that the best way to cook it is over wood. However, wood-cooking BBQ restaurants have been closing rapidly in the past decade.

Undergraduate enrollment rates are decreasing across the country. A UNC program helps first generation college students find community and support on campus. A new UNC study suggests ways to combat child neglect. Student app developers promote gender diversity in the tech world. The North Carolina tradition of wood-cooked barbeque is declining, but some small businesses are determined not to let the fire die.

Nearly a year since UNC canceled the showing of the controversial photography exhibition “Tarred Healing,” the photos are on display at the National Civil Rights Museum. On this edition of "Carolina Cast," photographer Cornell Watson joins Carolina Connection's Lorelai Skyes to discuss Tarred Healing and the controversy.

North Carolina legislators reach an agreement on Medicaid expansion, which could have profound effects on UNC hospitals, rural healthcare, and 600,000 uninsured North Carolinians. A shortage of Adderall is causing hardship for people with ADHD. A proposed new state law would require businesses to accept cash. Older students at UNC face unique challenges. The men's basketball team nears the end of a disappointing season.

Students at a 32-hour demonstration demand better campus accessibility. Online bus tracking slowly returns to Chapel Hill after more than a year. The term “Latinx” faces scrutiny by the communities it's used to describe. A hack-a-thon promotes gender diversity in STEM fields. The UNC-Duke game has some seniors feeling fury rather than Carolina fever because it’s now even harder to get tickets.

UNC housekeepers are demanding better pay after they received a raise last year that they’re calling “disrespectful.” Some students say they would avoid rooming with somebody who doesn't share their political views. UNC researchers are learning more about traumatic lung injuries associated with vaping. Bus driver shortages leave elementary through high school students without a reliable way to get to school. UNC grads go back to high school to help underrepresented students on their paths to college.