We sat down with Carolina United Co-Directors, Priya Patel and Laleh Emadi to get know a little bit more about them and their goals for uniting the Carolina community. Learn more about Carolina United here!
Can I get your name, year, major.
P: I’m Priya Patel, I’m a junior, and my major is econ & global studies.
E: My name is Laleh Emadi; I am a junior majoring in Hispanic linguistics with minors in neuroscience & medical anthropology.
Tell us about what you do as Co-Directors.
E: We do a lot of the behind the scenes, logistical planning of the event. We are going to be figuring out the curriculum of the program, what kind of lessons we want to teach, and what kind of discussions we want to have. As we get closer to the event, we may tailor it to current events so it’s a relevant, relatable experience.
P: Our main role as co-directors at camp would be helping facilitate those discussions, help the counselors, help the participants…
E: This year I think it’s also important that we’re taking more of a step back and supervising rather than directly facilitating discussions. We’ll have some of the bigger lessons with all the counselors and all the campers, but again, the counselors will be in the small groups and it’s going to be our job to guide them through how they want to run their sessions.
You talked about developing a curriculum, what are the main points or topics that you all like to address?
P: Some of the main points are intersectionality: figuring out who you are as a person which would later help with self actualization; helping to figure out who you are and then how that’s going to help you become a leader in the future both on campus and off campus.
E: Another integral part of the program is the whole concept of vulnerability. Each year we watch a TED talk by Brené Brown about vulnerability and its importance in spaces like Carolina United. where we can be comfortable sharing our true identities, all of them combined, and not have to hide any of them, not have to feel judged, because CU is a place where you can come as you are and have meaningful conversations with people who are both very similar to you and have a lot of your same experiences but also are very different from yourself.
Are either of you returning co-directors or previous participants from the program?
P: Both of us participated in the program. We applied our freshman year and became participants the summer before our sophomore year and then we both returned as counselors last year.
Can you talk to me about your experiences so far with Carolina United as a whole or some of the most memorable experiences you’ve had?
E: The program in general is definitely the most welcoming experience I’ve had at UNC. I feel the most at peace with CU more than any other community or organization at Carolina just because of the nature of the program and the people who are there. I think one of the things that I love the most about it is that everyone is very into getting to know each other. Someone that you just met five minutes ago you can go say “Hey, do you want to come join this game thing once everyone’s going to bed?” or something like that. One of my favorite things was staying up late one of the nights talking with a camper that wasn’t even in my small group and just getting to know her super well. It’s really cool.
P: Piggy-backing off that, the fact that you’re going to a random place in North Carolina that’s kind of excluded from everyone else with sixty-five to seventy random people that you’ve never met people and coming out as a family and coming back to campus and having them and just seeing them around is awesome.
E: One of the best things about it is that it’s right before school starts. It reminds me about how much I love coming to Carolina because every year before classes start again, I’m very hesitant, I’m kind of dreading starting class again, and I come to CU and am reminded of all the great people that attend this school, and I can just come into the new semester with a really great mindset.
What would you say to students interested in participating in the program?
E & P: Apply!
P: Definitely apply, it’s one of the best experiences at Carolina. It teaches you a lot about yourself and about others on our campus, also about all the diversity our campus has to offer even though it might not be seen when you’re just on campus. It’s not just diversity as in skin color or race; it gives a holistic view of diversity, it takes into account your documentation status, your economic status, and things you would never really think about, so it’s really helpful.
Any closing thoughts?
E: CU is a great place to learn. If you’re an ally to students this is a great place to come expand your knowledge about how you can be a very useful part of the campus in making social policy changes for the better. CU is also a great place for students of color and other marginalized communities to bond and feel validated, heard, and loved… it’s become a very diverse place where you can connect and relate to people. I think that being able to relate to people who have some of our same experiences is so so healthy, and that’s necessary because we don’t get that a lot here.
P: I’m really excited for the upcoming year and CU in general and to work with Laleh and Kate and everyone else.
Thank you Priya and Laleh!
For more information about applying to Carolina United, click here.
The Office of Student Life and Leadership sent eight UNC students to the 2017 Intersect: Diversity and Leadership Conference to represent the University this past weekend.
The eight student delegates were Andrea Barnes (’18), Jihanne Burgess (’18), Summer Cottrell (’21), Jacqueline Hada (’18), Vincent Lewis (’18), Kellan Robinson (’20), Jaquana Savage (’18), and Ariana Wiggins (’19). Andrea Barnes and Jihanne Burgess, who serve as the Co-Policy Chairs for the Multicultural Affairs and Diversity Outreach committee of the Executive Branch of the Undergraduate Student Government presented a workshop on how one’s social identity relates to their conflict management styles.
The 2017 Elon Intersect: Diversity and Leadership Conference brought together nearly 300 student leaders from 10 different colleges to engage in discussions surrounding this year’s four conference pillars: oppression, social change, power & privilege, and organizational development. Students had the opportunity to participate in educational sessions and roundtable conversations that inspired self-reflection and came away with materials and ideas that they will use to continue making their Heel Prints on campus.
A pop-up event in the Pit at the Carolina Union, to build the hype for the brand new Air Jordan 11 Win Like ‘82 sneakers and the 2017-18 season, Jumpman and UNC Men's Basketball hosted an event in the pit of the Carolina Union. Students were able to come meet the team, shoot some baskets and compete for the opportunity to be a member of the team for a day.
Video produced by the Communications and Creative Services Department of the Carolina Union.
Learn more about what they can do for your student organization or campus department: goo.gl/1bhn6g
The Healing Space in the Carolina Union is now open!
Filled with chocolates, natural lighting and comfortable places to relax, The Healing Space is designed to bring you comfort whenever you may need it. Stop by soon!
The Shuford Program in Entrepreneurship kicked off to a great start!
Thank you to our faculty, our students and to Jim Shuford for helping to put on such a successful event. With Chipotle, a Duck Tape Innovation Challenge, and exciting information about the program, there was a lot to see and do. Here’s to more seeing and more doing with the Shuford Program!
For more information on how to apply for the Shuford Program, follow the link below...http://www.unceminor.org/
The first Treat Yo Self of the school year was a success!
Thank you all for joining us for some sweets n’ self-care. This year, TYS is focused on you. So, whether it’s donuts and coffee, a glamorous photo shoot or time in the new Healing Space, make sure you take some time for you! Donut forget!
First Day of Reservations is September 7, 2017! Head to ReserveCarolina.unc.edu to submit your requests. Our office is not open till 1pm, but online requests start at 9am. We will be taking email questions starting at 9am with the header stating: RESERVE CAROLINA ISSUE. Please send all inquiries to [email protected] during this time.
The Student Member At-Large application has been extended to Friday, September 15th at 5:00 pm!!! Apply to become the Carolina Union Board of Directors Student Member-at-Large today! For more information, click HERE.
The building will be closing at 9 pm this evening. This will not affect any existing programs or reservations. Enjoy the game tonight and go Heels!
Andrea Bustillos is a sophomore History, and Peace War and Defense double major. This is her first semester as an Office Assistant for the Carolina Union’s Administrative Suite. Her job consists of creating and updating documents, emails, and spreadsheets for the department. A native of North Carolina, Andrea's hometown is Raleigh. One of her favorite things about the city is how much history it holds, but also how it’s growing into an urban center. Get to know a little more about her!
What made you interested in working for the Carolina Union?
The number one thing that made me interested in working for the Union was the fact that I knew so many students who worked here. My friends work at the Info Desk, in the Admin suite, and the Communication and Creative Services department. They would always talk about how great of an environment it is here and how nice the people are. It’s also really convenient because I live close by. I just love what they do here and how everything is focused on students. I can definitely see myself working here until graduation.
Where is your favorite place both in the Union and on Campus?
My favorite place in the Union is probably either near Alpine where it’s always so lively or the bridge on the third floor that takes you over The Gift plaza. I love this lounge area because I feel like it’s separated from the building, but not too much because of all the windows. It’s nice that it’s not closed off. My favorite place on campus is probably sitting on the steps that face the quad outside of South Building. It used to be sitting outside of Wilson Library because I would sit on the steps with friends, but I love how quiet and quaint it gets towards upper quad.
Tell us a fun fact about yourself:
My fun fact is also a weird fact about me. I love sour cream. I could eat it by the spoonful if I wanted. I definitely do not eat it by the spoonful, but just know that I could if I wanted to. I feel like it’s something people wouldn’t know about me though because I feel like people always rag on sour cream and mayonnaise. I would NEVER eat mayonnaise by the spoonful, but sour cream - maybe.
How do you feel like this job is preparing you for your future career?
After graduation, I would love to work as a high school history teacher or at a museum in Washington D.C. I had a bunch of great teachers in high school but my English teacher in particular was so kind and taught us a lot of life skills. I want to give back to my community and be that kind of teacher. I think that interacting with the various staff in the Admin Suite helps us maintain professionalism. It’s also teaching us important organization skills that can be used in the future.
