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By Lucas Thomae
Nikole Hannah-Jones, the Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist best known for The 1619 Project, was set to be given a tenured position at UNC this summer. Instead, the school has opted to give her a five-year fixed contract, as reported by NC Policy Watch.
The decision has drawn heavy criticism from many prominent members of the UNC Student Body who say that the school caved to political pressure from conservatives. On May 20, a group of “UNC student leaders and advocates” published a letter under the website of the UNC Undergraduate Executive Branch, directly addressing Hannah-Jones. “We are frustrated and disappointed that our University, the flagship institution of the UNC System, has failed not only you, an outstanding alumna, but its students, its faculty, its community as a whole—and yes, the spirit upon which Carolina was founded: Lux Libertas—light and liberty,” the letter reads. The letter goes on to state, “Walking into this University, unfortunately, you are walking into a place where respect is minimal, criticism is high, and quantity is all too few for academics of color—especially Black women. Knowing this and recognizing the critical importance of upholding the integrity and impact of your work, we cannot ask you to come here. We respect your work and your contribution to this country’s history too much for you or your scholarship to be the constant target of disrespect here at Carolina, be it from our leaders in South Building, the Board of Trustees, or Board of Governors.” The letter had 31 signatures, among them Neel Swamy, the President of the Graduate and Professional Student Government, and Collyn Smith, the Vice President of the Undergraduate Student Government. The same day, Hannah-Jones tweeted, “I have been overwhelmed by all the support you all have shown me. It has truly fortified my spirit and my resolve.” The UNC Hussman School of Journalism and Media had sought out Hannah-Jones for its Knight Chair in Race and Investigative Journalism. Susan King, dean of the school, supported tenureship for Hannah-Jones, and faculty also published a letter expressing their support of Hannah-Jones and displeasure with the university’s decision. ● The Recommended Content Widget will appear here on the published site.
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Featuring Thomas Gessner and Owen Sizemore
NC College Beat has revamped the weekly roundup from the fall, providing regular updates on happenings within the universities and colleges of North Carolina through our new podcast hosted by Staff Writer Thomas Gessner. Listen to our episode using the audio player above or check out the episode notes below.
1. Roy Williams announces his retirement from UNC Basketball. The three-time national championship coach for Chapel Hill announced on April 1 that he is leaving the team, stunning the North Carolina and College Basketball communities. (Further reading from CNN) 2. Spring Break plans for North Carolina Schools. The many colleges and universities of North Carolina have diverged in their plans for offering a Spring Break to students. UNC Chapel Hill and NC State have opted for regularly-scheduled "Wellness Days" sprinkled throughout the semester, while other schools like Appalachian State and UNC Wilmington opted to use the extra week to end the year early instead. UNC Charlotte was the only institution to maintain a full week-long break for students, albeit in the middle of February. 3. White Boy Summer? D-list celebrity and son of Tom Hanks, Chet Hanks is pushing a mantra and merchandise line through social media that is making waves through college communities of the United States. 4. UNC Charlotte Student Government Association Elections. Senators Dick Beekman and Gabi Hitchcock took home the Student Body President and Vice President race, garnering more than 65% of the vote last week. The Student Government Association Senate also elected its group of officers last Thursday, with Junior Jonathan Mitchell holding on to the number one spot as Speaker of the Senate. (Further reading from NC College Beat) 5. UNC Charlotte opens Marriott Hotel and Conference Center. This multi-year development project had its first guests on March 31, with UNC Charlotte leaders of the past and present expressing their excitement for the hotel to serve as a hub to connect the university's resources to the economic opportunities of the city. (Further reading from Charlotte Business Journal) ● The Recommended Content Widget will appear here on the published site.
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Featuring Lucas Thomae
On March 25, the results of UNC Charlotte’s Student Government Association (SGA) elections were announced, with Dick Beekman and Gabi Hitchcock winning the Student Body President and Vice President race, earning a 65 percent share of the vote out of nearly 1,500 votes cast.
Beekman, a member of UNCC’s class of 2022, has been active in SGA since he arrived on campus and currently serves as Pro Tempore of the Senate. Lucas Thomae, Co-founder and Copy Chief of NC College Beat, got a chance to catch up with Beekman after the results of the election were announced, discussing everything from Beekman’s prior experience in the United States Marine Corps to his 27-point presidential campaign platform. Listen to the full interview above or on our podcast feed. ● The Recommended Content Widget will appear here on the published site.
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Featuring Thomas Gessner, Lucas Thomae, and Owen Sizemore
NC College Beat has revamped the weekly roundup from the fall, providing regular updates on happenings within the universities and colleges of North Carolina through our new podcast hosted by Staff Writer Thomas Gessner. Listen to our episode using the audio player above or check out the episode notes below.
1. Duke University Students enter COVID-19 lockdown. Students have been instructed to shelter in place in their residence halls until at least March 21. This decision by university leadership comes after cumulative case numbers at Duke increased by more than 200 over the past week. (Further reading from Forbes) 2. North Carolina basketball programs kick off March postseason tournaments this week. UNC Chapel Hill will be appearing in the NCAA Men's Tournament as a No. 8 seed and NC State is a top contender for the women's tournament as a No. 1 seed. (Further reading from NC College Beat) 3. UNC Charlotte's Student Government Association Elections are in full swing. Voting will begin next Tuesday for Student Body President and Vice President, Sophomore, Junior, and Senior Class Presidents, and all college-based Senators. Student Body President candidates Dick Beekman and Jeremiah Williams took part in a livestreamed debate in McKnight Hall yesterday afternoon. (Further reading from NC College Beat) 4. The state of North Carolina enters a new phase for COVID-19 restrictions and guidelines. While masking and social distancing mandates still remain in place, capacity limits have been increased for concerts, sporting events, movie theaters, salons and more. Additionally, the 10:00pm-5:00am curfew has now been lifted, and restaurants may now stay open as well as serve alcohol later into the night. (Further reading from WRAL) 5. The Snyder cut and the impact of streaming services on college students. Streaming Services such as Disney+ and HBO Max are continuing to make new ground with a greater influence on college students and the filmmaking market, most notably seen in the rise in new platforms and the introduction of major studios releasing their films through these services. 6. COVID-19 Dashboard updates. As discussed earlier, Duke is leading North Carolina in terms of week-by-week cumulative COVID-19 case growth, a trend that has also been spotted at other private institutions such as Wake Forest and Elon. Alternatively, the rate at which new cases are identified at public universities like UNC Chapel Hill and NC State has been steadying in recent weeks. (Further reading from NC College Beat) ● The Recommended Content Widget will appear here on the published site.
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UNC Charlotte's Student Government Association Elections in Full Swing, Voting Beginning Next Week3/16/2021 By Owen Sizemore
The Student Government Association of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte has entered its Spring election cycle for new officers, with online voting starting on March 23 at 8 a.m.
The seats up for reelection include:
All UNC Charlotte students will have the ability to vote for Student Body President and Vice President, as well as their respective Class President and college-based Senate seats. Voting will take place from March 23 at 8 a.m. to March 24 at 5 p.m. at vote.uncc.edu. Many races for this election cycle are uncontested; both the Sophomore and Junior Class President races have only one candidate, and the races for the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, William States Lee College of Engineering, College of Health and Human Services, Belk College of Business, University College, College of Arts + Architecture, and Cato College of Education Senators have fewer or exactly the number of candidates for the available number of seats. Regardless, the race Student Body President and Student Body Vice President still remains competitive, with current Senate President Pro Tempore Dick Beekman and Senator Gabi Hitchcock running against current Senator Jeremiah Williams and Junior Class President Idalis Perez.
When asked about their campaign vision and goals, here is what Senator Jeremiah Williams had to say:
The Williams/Perez campaign joined the Student Body President race hoping to take our passion for community organizing and communication and put it to use for YOU.
More information on the Williams-Perez campaign can be found on their Instagram page or website.
When asked about their campaign vision and goals, here is what Senate President Pro Tempore Dick Beekman had to say:
Gabi and I are thrilled for the opportunity to serve UNC Charlotte as President and Vice President. Throughout our time in Student Government, we have seen first hand the extensive issues that our students face, and feel confident we have the expertise and experience to confront these issues head on.
More information on the Beekman-Hitchcock campaign can be found on their Instagram page or website.
Information on all Spring election candidates is available at sga.uncc.edu/elections. Additionally, a live debate is scheduled to take place between the two Student Body President and Vice President tickets on March 17 in UNC Charlotte's McKnight hall from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. ● The Recommended Content Widget will appear here on the published site.
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5/21/2021
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