It’s been a few weeks since Hurricane Matthew struck North Carolina, and Chapel Hill residents have had little reason to consider the hurricane’s effects. The same cannot be said, however, for residents of other parts of North Carolina — especially in rural communities.
The destruction wrought by Hurricane Matthew ought to give UNC students and faculty pause to consider the University’s place as a public institution with an obligation to the state.
That is not to say that UNC hasn’t done anything as an institution to mitigate the effects of Hurricane Matthew by providing aid to the areas most affected. A quick search on UNC’s Carolina Center for Public Service proves that isn’t the case.
Rather, we should consider more frequently and with much more vigor how the rural areas of North Carolina are related to UNC, and not only in times of distress.
That starts with the University’s culture. Though it’s an abstract concept, there are many ways we can promote a more inclusive conception of the state.
It could begin with something as seemingly benign as refusing to categorically characterize N.C. State students as farmers because of its agricultural school, or something as big as a research project on rural health.
If we are to continue to tout ourselves as the flagship university for the state, we must take a more hands-on approach to all parts of North Carolina.
