Carolina Union Employee Forum (CUEF) and Carolina Cupboard are collaborating for a community food drive from November 30 through December 11. Students are encouraged to participate by bringing items that are listed below to the bin located at the Pit-side entrance of the Union near Alpine.

CUEF is a committee of student representatives that provide opportunities and positive work experience to student employees at the Carolina Union. Carolina Cupboard is an on-campus food pantry for students of the Carolina community. It seeks to alleviate food insecurities as well as educate, empower and engage the surrounding community on issues related to food insecurity, poverty, health and nutrition.
If you are able, please consider joining CUEF and Carolina Cupboard in providing food and other household resources to students in need on our campus.
The list of pantry needs:
• Can openers
• Cleaning supplies
• Paper towels
• Toilet paper
• Kleenex boxes
• Dish soap
• Hand soap
• Toothpaste
• Tampons/Sanitary napkins/Pantiliners
• Deodorant
• Baby products
• Cleaning supplies
• Laundry detergent
• Razors
• Shaving cream
• Shampoo
• Body wash
• Toothbrushes
• Facial tissues
• Antibacterial wipes
• Hand sanitizer
• Plates/Cups/utensils
• Tupperware
• Baking supplies
• Condiments (ketchup, mustard, etc.)
• Seasonings (salt, pepper, etc.)
• Pasta Sauce
• Rice
• Instant macaroni and cheese
• Canned pineapples
• Canned mandarin oranges
• Packaged snacks
• Gluten-free items
• Vegan items
• Organic items

To celebrate the successful solar panel installation on the roof of the FPG Student Union, the UNC Renewable Energy Special Projects Committee (RESPC), the Carolina Union, Strata Solar, SMA America, and University faculty, staff, and students attended a ribbon cutting ceremony on October 20 in the West Lounge of the FPG Student Union.
“Welcome to a more energy-efficient Carolina Union,” said Crystal King, director of the Carolina Union.
This summer, UNC representatives, the Carolina Union, RESPC, Strata Solar, SMA America, Shoals Technologies, and City Electric Supply collaborated to install 64 solar panels onto the roof of the FPG Student Union.
RESPC co-chairs, Charlie Egan and Jessie Robinson, spoke on behalf of their organization about the project details and history of renewable energy on Carolina’s campus.
“It’s a great energy opportunity and it helps show the importance of renewable energy and how important it’ll be for the future,” Robinson said.
As part of the Carolina Union project, a display monitor was installed in the West Lounge to show the amount of energy currently being generated by the panels as a way to make the solar panel project more interactive for students.
Previous RESPC projects include: LED lights along Stadium Drive and South Road; solar thermal panels on top of Morrison Residence Hall; and solar umbrellas at the FPG Student Union, Carolina Dining Services, and Connor, Morrison and Parker Residence Halls.
RESPC stated that they wanted to continue their strong connection with Strata Solar and hope to collaborate to bring more renewable energy projects to campus in the future.
Egan commented that a number of projects are in the works, including a collaboration with the UNC art department to create a visually appealing display of renewable energy.
“This would be a great opportunity for us to reach the broader student population and really spread awareness,” Egan said.
Cindy Shea, director of the UNC Sustainability Office, is the faculty advisor behind the project.
“This project is the sign of a new day at Carolina,” Shea said. “Over time, I hope this monitor will also display many other renewable energy projects around campus.”
Shea expressed that this project is a way for students to apply classroom lessons directly to their backyard at Carolina.
“This project is also a part of transforming UNC into a living laboratory for sustainability – a place where the campus becomes an extension of the classroom,” Shea said.
Several leaders from the Carolina community also shared remarks at the ribbon cutting ceremony.
“It is events like these that really drive home the mission of a student union – to allow students the opportunity to let their passion shine and manifest their ideas into something truly wonderful,” said Jaelyn Coates, chair of the Carolina Union Board of Directors.
UNC-System President Tom Ross said that this project is important not only for the environment, but also to the future of the students and society at large.
“Paying attention to energy conservation and looking for new ways to use renewable energy is something this state must do and the University must do,” Ross said.
Ross stated that it is a goal to have all 17 campuses of the UNC system become carbon neutral by 2050.
In his closing remark, Winston Crisp, vice chancellor for Student Affairs, said that he is very proud of the project and student involvement toward a better UNC.
“If you keep desiring, if you keep wanting to see change, if you keep being willing to go to work for it, it does happen,” Crisp said.
View photos from the ribbon cutting celebration on our Facebook page.
Christine Bang, editorial assistant, Carolina Union Communications & Creative Services

Due to inclement weather, An Evening with Diane Guerrero, scheduled for Sunday, October 4, 2015, has been canceled. This event is a joint collaboration with Carolina Union Activities Board, Carolina Latina/o Collaborative, and Students United for Immigration Equality as a part of Hispanic Heritage Month Celebration. 
Organizers are currently working to reschedule the event for later this academic year. Refunds can be issued through the Carolina Union Box Office. Event attendees who purchased tickets using a credit card will see an automatic refund to the card. This refund should be reflected on the credit card statement within 5 business days. If event attendees purchased a ticket using cash, please contact Bonita Brown at [email protected] or (919)962-1449.
Diane Guerrero is known for her role as Maritza Ramos on the Netflix original series “Orange is the New Black,” and Lina on “Jane the Virgin.” Guerrero is also writing “In the Country We Love,” a book that will tell the story of the unexpected deportation of her family to Colombia in 2000 and its impact on her life.
National Hispanic Heritage Month commemorates the contributions made by Latina/o Americans to the United States while celebrating their heritage and culture. The month long celebration at UNC starts with an annual kick off on Sept. 15 at the Pit and features a variety of different student and community organizations with events that showcase Latina/o diversity.
For more information on Hispanic Heritage Month events and updates on re-schedules events, please visit http://diversity.unc.edu/2015hhm.
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Una Tarde con Diane Guerrero A Sido Cancelado para el Domingo 4 de Octubre
Debido al mal tiempo, Una Tarde con Diane Guerrero , originalmente programado para el domingo 4 de octubre, a sido cancelado. Este evento a sido una colaboración de Carolina Union Activities Board, Carolina Latina/o Collaborative y Students United for Immigration Equality como parte de la celebración del Mes de la Herencia Hispana.
Los organizadores están tratando de reprogramar el evento para otra fecha mas adelante en el año escolar. Los boletos que fueron comprados con antelación serán aceptados en el evento reprogramado. Reembolsos pueden ser adquiridos mediante el Carolina Union Box Office.  Si su boleto fue comprado usando una tarjeta de crédito su boleto será  reembolsado directamente a esa cuenta en 5 dias de trabajo. Si compro su ticket en efectivo, para recibir un reembolso por favor contacte a Bonita Brown a [email protected] o (919) 962-1449.
Diane Guerrero es mejor conocida por su papel de Maritza Ramos en la serie original de Netflix “Orange is the New Black,” y Lina en “Jane the Virgin.” Guerrero también esta escribiendo “In the Country We Love,” un libro que contara la historia de la deportación repentina de su familia a Colombia en el año 2000 y el impacto que a tenido en su vida.
El Mes Nacional de la Herencia Hispana conmemora las contribuciones echas por latino americanos a los Estados Unidos mientras celebra su herencia y cultura. La celebración en UNC se celebra por un mes entero, comenzando con el “kick-off” anual el 15 de septiembre en el Pit y representa diferentes organizaciones comunitarias y estudiantiles con eventos que celebran la diversidad latina.
Para mas información sobre el Mes de la Herencia Hispana incluyendo eventos y noticias por favor visite http://diversity.unc.edu/2015hhm.

Celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, Carolina United welcomed UNC students to Camp Oak Hill to participate in a five-day program designed to explore the meaning of diversity and leadership. By creating a safe and accepting space for discussion, the program intends to bring together participants from all backgrounds and experiences to unite them across their differences.
Carolina United was started by a small group of students in 2005 and has grown a lot over the years. This year, the program took place from August 10 to 14. There were 2 co-directors, 20 counselors and 74 participants – the most participants the program has ever had.
Kate Kryder, co-curricular leadership program coordinator of the CLD in the Carolina Union, has been a part of CU for the past 6 years and said it has inspired her.
“I’m so grateful and humbled to be a part of the program,” Kryder said. “I know that what I’ve learned from these students and what they’ve given to the program is so incredible. It’s why I do what I do, I’m so inspired by that.”
Throughout the week, students attended several sessions including construction of gender and sexuality, metal health, body image, healthy relationships and personal identity development. They were then put into smaller discussion groups to go deeper into these issues.
In this accepting environment, students are given the opportunity to share their own personal experiences and be vulnerable. Kryder said it’s important to create this kind of safe and inclusive space for students to open up to each other.
“Everyone has a story. You never really know what someone is walking around with, what their perspective is and why,” Kryder said.
This year’s co-directors were seniors, Christina Townsend and Dwight Payne. They both went through the program as participants and then as counselors and now co-directors.
They spent a lot of time and dedication preparing for their roles as co-directors, but in the end they said it was rewarding and fulfilling to see their visions for the program become reality.
All participants were selected to attend the program by an application process. Townsend said that the program is unique because everyone who comes into the space knows what he or she is signing up.
“The fact that everybody is there and wants to be there and wants to contribute – even if they’re scared to contribute, they still like in their inner hearts wants to contribute. That just makes it so unlike any other program that I think I’ve ever been a part of,” Townsend said.
Townsend recalled a moment in CU, back when she was a counselor, which stood out to her. “It was the second to last day and then something clicked in my small group, and it was just amazing. The fact that my small group was finally able to come together – that was just the most beautiful CU moment. Everyone was finally okay to be themselves, and that was just the most beautiful thing.”
Payne said he enjoyed his role as counselor the previous summer and decided that he wanted to continue his involvement with CU because of its impact on his life.
“CU is one of the few organizations I’ve ever actually been a part of where I can fully say that the mission is something I can give every single day and still get excited to contribute to,” Payne said.
Payne said he was challenged on a personal level and grew as a person from that experience in a key time of his life as he was finding his place at Carolina. “I started to view myself in this context of this bigger community in a much more comprehensive way,” Payne said.
Though CU follows a core curriculum, Payne said the experience is incredibly different every year because there are new, different people each time. “That’s one thing we actually discuss at CU is being present in the moment and recognizing that kind of unique set of circumstances and people we have,” Payne said.
Payne said the people who challenge him to grow the most are people who are different than him. He values surrounding himself with those people.
“I’ve found nothing more transformative than surrounding myself or even just by fortune been surrounded by people who challenge me. That’s when I track the most meaningful moments or periods of growth in my life.”
Carolina United provides sessions and time for discussions about these important topics of diversity and leadership, which might not otherwise be addressed outside of the program. The program hopes the lessons learned and the memories made are taken back with these students and staff into the world and applied.

Applications are now available for the appointed Student Member-At-Large position for the Carolina Union Board of Directors.
The appointed Student Member-at-Large is a student who shall be selected by the Carolina Union Board of Directors Membership Committee from an application process open to any registered, full-time student not scheduled to graduate prior to the conclusion of the term they are to serve. This student will serve as a representative of the student body as a whole. The Student Member-At-Large will be required to attend bi-monthly Union Board of Directors meetings, as well as meetings scheduled by any committees or subcommittees to which the student is appointed.
Interested applicants must review the below document and submit the completed application materials by Tuesday, September 8, at 3pm.

All summer, the Office of Event Services has been busy working to make improvements to their online reservation process. The new system, Reserve Carolina (formerly Virtual EMS), includes an easier-to-navigate online reservation system and the elimination of all individual student accounts, with the creation of one account per student organization. Additional features include:

Revamping the look to the web portal and policies
Creating an easy to remember url for reservations - reservecarolina.unc.edu
Streamlining user accounts and getting rid of the required quiz
Developing reservation resources and trainings listed under the help tab
Adding in the feature to select specific venues for classroom reservations
Ensuring all the information the user needs is accessible and available online
Event Services encourages the user to review the below resources prior to making reservations:

How to Make a Reservation
Reservations 101
Venue Capacities & Set Ups
Reservation Policies
Additionally, this office will be hosting information sessions during the new officer orientation trainings and highly encourage student organizations to attend.

For more information contact [email protected].

Customer service is a core value at the Union and it shows. 88 percent of the Union’s clients have indicated that the positive attitude exhibited by Union Staff exceeded expectations.
Treat Yo Self Thursday is a program that is organized by the Communications and Creative Services department of the Carolina Union. This year’s highlights the event being held the third Thursday of each month, with over 600 cupcakes given out each time.
84 students attended the Student Orgs 101 Workshop in 2014–2015. This is one of the featured programs in a series that is spearheaded by the Office of Student Organizations. The Functional Leadership Workshop Series addresses the need for practical leadership development for student organization officers and general members. Based on our assessment of this program; the participants gained valuable knowledge that they are able to utilize in their organizations. 
The Carolina Union is committed to utilizing assessment and evaluation to inform our practices, improve our services and programs, and create a more engaging and welcoming space for all students, staff, and faculty. Read more about our assessment efforts in our 2014–2015 Assessment Highlights publication, below.
For more information or questions about the Union’s assessment please contact Becki Santiago, [email protected].

Are you searching for something that is tailor-made for your interests? An organization that allows for student growth and an all-inclusive Carolina experience? Well, look no further; the Carolina Union Activities Board (CUAB) is the answer to what you may be missing!
CUAB enhances the Carolina experience through programming and events that enrich campus life for the entire University community. These may include music, entertainment, films, speakers, performances, festivals, and art. Input from the Carolina community regarding programming and events presented by CUAB is valuable to their work.
The Carolina Union Activities Board has an “eclectic culture that fosters student involvement and growth in all areas," says 2015-2016 CUAB President Merrick Osborne.
Osborne’s goal for the 2015-2016 academic year is MORE. MORE. MORE. More student involvement, more programming for all students, and more collaborations with other organizations. Osborne seeks to achieve this goal through an increase in campus involvement.
As CUAB President, Osborne plans to push for continued growth for both the organization and its relationships. “Now that I am really working with CUAB, I want to have an increase in programming, new initiatives, and innovative ideas. It ‘s really important to make sure that students are actively engaged in programming that is relatable to them,” stated Osborne.
To actively engage students, Osborne intends to solidify his relationship with first-year students. Since Osborne’s class, 2016, was not able to experience FallFest their first year due to a rainout, his goal is to ensure that new students get a better introduction to Carolina through programming. In order to secure continued student involvement, attaining the interest of the first-year class is essential for Osborne’s plan.
Going into the 2015-2016 academic year Osborne’s theme will focus on Extending What Is to create an inclusive and inviting environment within the Carolina Union. Through the use of collaborations, the extension of committee members, and vendors, Osborne intends to make the Carolina Union and CUAB a true representation of the student body.
“I want CUAB to be the home away from home that every Carolina student would want it to be, and I intend on making it just that,” said Osborne with a smile. 
This feature is the first in our Summer Spotlight Series dedicated to telling the Carolina Union story through our many programs, services, and facilities. This series is led by Katrice Mitchell, a marketing assistant in Communications and Creative Services.

Now in its nineteenth year, FallFest kicks off the school year with a celebration of student activities! Join us on South Road and Hooker Fields for a night of demonstrations, information tables, competitions, performances, free food, and giveaways.
New and returning students are encouraged to visit student organization and academic department tables to learn how to get involved at Carolina. With over 700 officially recognized student organizations on campus, you’re sure to find a way to leave your heelprint.
We kick off the night at 8:00 pm and the fun continues until 1:30 am. Play games with Campus Rec, get swag from University departments and FallFest sponsors, and enjoy the entertainment on multiple stages.
Questions? Get in touch with us on Facebook and Twitter.

It may be summertime, but the Carolina Union is full of activity each week thanks to UNC-CH Orientation. In partnership with the Office of New Student & Carolina Parent Programs, the Union will host all first-year and transfer students along with parents and families throughout June, July, and August.
First-year students spend two days preparing for success at Carolina – meeting with academic advisors, learning about campus resources, and becoming more familiar with their new home. Transfer students pack this all into one day, while still getting a comprehensive look at life at UNC. The students aren’t the only ones getting acclimated though; parents and families have their own full schedule of presentations and tours to enjoy.
The Carolina Union hopes to make all orientation visitors feel welcome and comfortable. If you need directions or special assistance, please visit the Orientation Help Desk or Carolina Union Info Desk on the second floor near the West Lounge. See our maps for other resources.