Fall is on its way to North Carolina, and with it is coming a plethora of new trends. Whether you’re procrastinating on Yik Yak at midnight or scrolling down the UNC hashtag on Twitter, the same jokes and topics are bound to show up on your news feeds over and over again.
Here’s our countdown for the top seven on-campus trends for September 2015.
7. “Netflix and chill?”
Consider yourself lucky if you haven’t heard this line yet. “Netflix and chill?” has swept UNC’s campus and is replacing classic romance in the creepiest way possible.
As the desire to leave the dorm to go on an actual date declines, the popularity of inviting someone for a “lazy” evening of “movies and relaxation” has gone way up.
Why are some phrases in quotations, you ask? Because essentially, this Saturday evening activity consists of about five minutes of a movie, followed up by not chilling, if you catch my drift.
The worst instance of this come-on I’ve heard so far? A friend showed up ready to watch a movie and the guy didn’t even have a Netflix subscription. Yikes.
6. The weather
Mother Nature is a cruel, cruel mistress. We’ve all been complaining for weeks now about how ready we are for cold weather, fall fashion and Pumpkin Spice Lattes (or Salted Caramel Mochas - #SCM2015).
Finally, Mother Nature gives it to us in the form of a 55 degree Monday morning — only to take it away again in the form of a 78 degree afternoon. Hence why I’m sitting in the office right now wearing a nice, cozy sweater, dying from the sheer heat and loving. My. Life.
5. Squirrels
Honestly, what do these things eat?
The odd behavior of Chapel Hill’s squirrels are nothing new — who can forget 2012’s Squirrel Girl incident, in which student Nancy Smith kept a tame squirrel in her dorm room for two days. They are still a constant topic of discussion on campus.
Nowhere else have I experienced a squirrel population like that of Chapel Hill, where the little critters will come close enough to study alongside you in Polk Place. As cute as these things are, I’m still not sure whether to be amused by them or completely afraid of them.
4. Birkenstocks and Chacos
If you don’t own either Birks or Chacos, are you even a UNC student? Apparently not. These shoes are all the rage right now amongst the student population.
Pair either of these with some Nike shorts and a big t-shirt and you can blend into any lecture class across campus. Personally, I’m a big fan of Birks and socks for that pre-fall, dad-on-vacation look. Socks and sandals are making a comeback, guys. I promise.
3. Rams Heads cookies
If you haven’t tried the cookies at Rams Head - don’t. They will find you, and when they do, you will be rendered helpless to eat at least four per dining hall excursion.
Whatever this South campus dining hall is doing, they’re doing it right, because these after-dinner treats are 100% on point.
I’m an M&M cookie girl myself, but the options range from peanut butter to chocolate chip to Snickerdoodle, satisfying sweet tooths of all varieties and making the fabulous Freshman 15 ever closer at hand.
2. The Campus Story
Snapchat has risen in 2015 to become one of the most popular social media platforms amongst teens, and UNC is staying hip with the kids.
The Campus Story feature on Snapchat allows students to post pictures and videos to UNC’s Snapchat feed, which features anything from happenings in the Pit to on-campus events to students goofing off in their dorm rooms.
Thus far, yours truly hasn’t managed to make onto the live feed, but make no mistake — my time to shine will surely come.
1. Sickness
The spread of sickness is more of an involuntary curse than a popular trend, but it’s so rampant on campus that it is undoubtedly worth a mention.
It’s everybody’s first month back on campus, so the fact that germs are spreading more easily as people come into close contact is no surprise.
What is truly astounding is the fact that there are so many different illnesses going around. Currently living in my hall are one person with the common cold, one person with bronchitis, and another person with strep. I woke up with a tickle in my throat and wanted to quarantine myself inside my bed.
The one advantage of being sick? Now you actually have a legitimate excuse not to go to your 8 a.m.
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