This time last year, I was one of the people who probably harassed you into holding a sign that shared why you like freedom of speech for Banned Books Week and First Amendment Day. Armed with several dozen doughnuts and free T-shirts, my friend and I asked passersby what the First Amendment meant to them.
The average student blundered through a quasi-elegant statement about independent expression and democratic ideals. The average J-School professor said it meant they could drop the F-bomb in public.
- BREAKING: North Carolina's constitution contains a section that's outdated and kind of discriminatory. (Requiring a belief in a monotheistic god in order to run for public office is like, not chill to the federal government.)
- Officials say asbestos in UNC buildings isn't anything to worry about, especially if you don't put tape, glue or tacks on your dorm walls. Good thing none of us ever do that.
- Trends of diminishing mental health resources have some experts worrying about young people and North Carolina's future.
- Columbia University created a pretty-much-Tinder for matching low-income students with peers who have extra swipes in the dining hall.
Here's a look into the protesting of Silent Sam, Saunders Hall and other contentious memorials. Experts say renaming the building to Carolina Hall was easier to tackle than other projects because Saunders was one person — and thus easier to discredit as a hatemonger than one could with a representative figure like Silent Sam.
Despite his recent drunken driving charge, Lee Storrow is holding strong in the polls for Town Council. As an incumbent in Chapel Hill, he's still staking his spot in fourth place with four open spots on the council in this election. Supporters credit Storrow's public admission to his heck-up as the reason for continued success.
A new pizza place and a bar identifying as versatile are coming to Franklin. Logan's Pub intends to bring themed nights to the hollow shell we once called Deep End, Pizza Mercato plans to use local ingredients from the farmers market for American-style pizza, and a professional dancer hopes to open Belly Blast studio — probably to mitigate the toll the former two will have on our bodies.
Implementing trigger warnings walks a narrow line. While some say trigger warnings are coddling today's young people, others say they have legitimate value in protecting those who have survived traumatizing experiences. It all comes down to a balance of compassion and intellectual responsibility.
Our satirical advice columnists offer some tips for that big presentation you have coming up. Mumble, use a lot of Prezi, repeat yourself frequently. We're here to aid you — just in case you don't get enough unhelpful academic advice from our friends in Steele Building.
Now that it's legally fall, there are actually fun things to do around here. In case you aren't tired of hearing about the season change yet, we compiled a bucket list of things to do at UNC in the fall — and do before we all buckle under the impending and unrelenting weight of midterms :-)
Now's the time to celebrate Banned Books Week and First Amendment Day. Chapel Hill Public Library just debuted trading cards featuring books that have been banned around the country. For example, "The Grapes of Wrath" was apparently burned for its profanity and sexual references. I was just gently scolded for mine.
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