The Carolina Union is happy to announce Melissa Serrano Burns as the newly elected Carolina Union Employee Forum (CUEF) Chair for the 2015-2016 year. Current CUEF members and a panel of Carolina Union full-time staff interviewed Burns and selected her for the position, which was announced on April 28, 2015. In this role, Burns will serve as a representative for all student staff at the Carolina Union.
As Chair, Burns looks forward to getting to know all of her fellow employees: “Don't be afraid to introduce yourself!” Burns will ensure CUEF roles and responsibilities are fulfilled, facilitate meetings, and serve as the Carolina Union student staff representative on the Carolina Union Board of Directors.
Burns, a sophomore from Pataskala, OH, has already served on the CUEF board this past year, and has most recently served as the CUEF Secretary. When not working with CUEF, Melissa serves as a supervisor on the Operations Staff within the Union. She will serve as the Operations Scheduler next year.
Burns is also accomplished on the academic front. She is studying Biomedical Engineering, and hopes to work in the fields of prosthetics and surgery when she graduates from Carolina. When Melissa isn’t in the Union she is busy finding adventure with friends, the most recent excursion including a skydiving trip.
The Carolina Union recently honored all student employees at the year-end Hunger Games Banquet. The celebration, which took place in the Great Hall on Wednesday, April 29, recognized the hard work and dedication of student staff during the 2014-2015 year.
Both student and full-time employees arrived in extravagant attire to enjoy a feast fit for the Capitol. The evening was hosted by Union Director Crystal King, or “Effie,” who presented student staff with awards throughout the evening. As the students dined, each of their district’s victors participated in a dynamic fashion show. Students were also awarded for their efforts throughout the year, with District 5 winning the coveted Union Cup.
Other award recipients included:
Employees of the Year
Jessie Nash and Charles Realubit
Outstanding Commitment to the Union
Graham Berkelhammer, Courtney Jacobs, and Marissa Techmeier
The evening concluded with the announcement of the 2015-2016 Quest for the Union Cup theme: Superheroes!
To see photos from the Hunger Games Banquet, please visit our Facebook page.
The Carolina Union is proud to announce Jaelyn Coates as the 2015–2016 Chair of the Carolina Union Board of Directors. The Carolina Union Board of Directors and a panel of Carolina Union full-time staff interviewed Coates and selected her for the position on March 29, 2015. In this role, Coates will serve as the representative of the Board and the student face of the Union. The Chair of the Board provides leadership and oversight in all aspects of the Board, including finance, planning, student affairs, advancement, and other key areas.
As Chair, Coates looks forward to working with the other members of the Board: “I feel like it is a position where I can be a part of a group that really wants to make a difference.” Coates will be responsible for serving as the primary representative of the Board to its constituents and stakeholders, presiding over Board meetings, appointing Board committee chairs, and supporting and advising the Carolina Union full-time staff.
Coates, a junior from Williamsburg, VA, has already held many leadership positions on campus that will translate well to her new position as Chair. She served as a marketing intern for the varsity wrestling program for 2013–2014, in addition to serving as a clerk for Student Congress and Student Fee Audit Committee from 2012–2014. She has also been a member of the women’s club soccer team, Black Student Movement, and the Coalition for Human Rights. She is also accomplished on the academic front, double majoring in Political Science and African, African American, and Diaspora Studies.
Newly selected Carolina Union Activities Board (CUAB) President Merrick Osborne will serve as the Board’s Vice Chair. Coates and Osborne plan to continue the Union’s support of Carolina Conversations, a University initiative designed to amplify critical dialogue across campus. Specifically, Coates hopes to create spaces for different marginalized groups to engage in the Union. She fondly refers to the Union as the “living room on campus” and wants all students to feel welcome and comfortable in the building during her tenure and beyond.
This year, you get to choose the FallFest artwork for the t-shirt and other items! Voting is open April 13-16 on the Carolina Union Facebook page. Like the image of your favorite concept to vote for it.
Every year in April, UNC recognizes Sexual Assault Awareness Month with various events taking place on campus throughout the month. Sexual Assault Awareness Month, also referred to as SAAM, is meant to educate everyone on how to create a safer environment for the campus community. In our West Lounge grid, you will find information about all the large events that are occurring this month in relation to SAAM.
“Throughout SAAM, we hope to promote the support and resources on campus for survivors, as well as raise awareness to prevent sexual assault,” says Sexual Assault Awareness Month intern for the Carolina Women’s Center, Hannah Smoot. The Carolina Women’s Center collaborates with several different organizations to bring awareness for sexual assault to a wide audience.
There are several events that are being held over the course of the month of April in order to take the next step towards prevention and engagement. Large-scale events are listed below. Please find the full event listing at http://saam.web.unc.edu/.
Sexual Assault Awareness Month 2015
April 1: UNC Gender-Based Violence Research Group Mini-Conference
Rosenau Hall and Michael Hooker Research Center, 12:00–3:00pm
This event seeks to highlight gender-based violence research and on the UNC campus and to promote collaboration between various disciplines at UNC.
April 2: AAU Sexual Assault Campus Climate Survey
April 6–10: Alliance Against Violence
The Pit
This week-long event is aimed to spread awareness of interpersonal violence and ask members of the community to take a stand against it. The program will consist of daily events including performances, speakers, film screenings, and handing out of resources. In addition, we will hand out 3,000 shirts throughout the week that will be worn on the last day, Friday, April 10, as a visible representation of the Carolina community’s alliance against interpersonal violence.
April 7: Screening of My Masculinity Helps
Chapman 125, 5:00–6:30pm
My Masculinity Helps serves as a counter-narrative to often inaccurate and misleading portrayals of African American masculinity. The screening of this film is paired with a discussion with filmmaker Marc Grimmett.
April 9: Walk a Mile in Her Shoes
Old Well, 6:00pm
Sigma Phi and Kappa Kappa Gamma invite you to join them for a one-mile march benefiting the Center. The march against gender violence will promote a community dialogue on the crucial role men can play as allies in preventing sexual assault.
April 10: Campus Connections: Bringing Together the Sexual Assault Response and Support Community at Carolina
Campus Y Anne Queen Lounge, 2:00–4:00pm
Gender Violence Services Coordinator. Title IX Compliance Coordinator. Student Complaint Coordinator. Dean of Students. All of these people are integral in supporting students who have experienced forms of interpersonal violence, but who are they?
April 10: Project Dinah Benefit Concert for OCRCC
Local 506, 10:00pm
Join UNC’s Project Dinah for a benefit concert for the Orange County Rape Crisis Center. Local performers include Harmonyx a capella, UNC Chalkaa dance crew, Tala Goudarzi and Abby Hale acoustic duo, Moonlight Hip Hop dance crew, DJ Emma Rich, and DJ Kat Kucera. Tickets: $5. All proceeds benefit the Center!
April 13: Beyond Bullying: How Bystanders Can Prevent Identity-Based and Sexual Harassment
Union 3407, 5:00–7:00pm
One Act is hosting a two-hour follow up program to the One Act training called Beyond Bullying: How Bystanders Can Prevent Identity-Based and Sexual Harassment. This training draws on the bystander skills learned during One Act and expands the topics to harassment and discrimination, which is a sign and predictor of violence.
April 15: Coffee Conversation on Consent
Campus Y Anne Queen Lounge, 5:00–6:30pm
Campus Coffee Conversations is a monthly discussion series where students, faculty, and staff can talk about issues surround gender equity and violence prevention at UNC. This month will focus on consent.
April 16: Screening of The Hunting Ground
Carroll 111, 7:00pm
A searing portrait of sexual assault on today’s campuses, The Hunting Ground is a remarkable and important film, and we believe it can lead to real change at the institutional level if it builds momentum.
April 21: Shout Out! Against Sexual Violence
Chapel Hill Public Library (Room A), 6:00–8:00pm
Shout Out! Against Sexual Violence is a survivor-themed event that explores the survivor experience through stories and testimonials, poetry and spoken word, dance, music, and visual art. We welcome submissions from survivors of sexual violence, their loved ones, and allies.
April 22: Self-Care Workshop: Creation and Meditation
Union 3407, 1:00–3:00pm
April 27: How to Help a Loved One
Chapel Hill Public Library, 6:00–8:00pm
This seminar is for family, friends, and partners of those who have been sexually assaulted and abused, whether recently or years ago.
Applications for 2015–2016 CUAB Chair positions are now open! Chairs on the Board have access to influential individuals in the Union, interesting student leaders, and the challenges of being involved in a prominent organization. One of CUAB’s goals is to build campus relationships and engage the Carolina community in a variety of unique events. Staples of CUAB include Homecoming concerts, gingerbread house decorating, and LDOC events. YOU could potentially program and innovate on these events for the 2015–2016 school year!
Apply for these positions on Student Life by Wednesday, March 25 at 8pm.
Applications are now available for the position of Chair of the Carolina Union Board of Directors.
The Board of Directors is comprised of a representative group of leaders on campus, including the Director of the Carolina Union, faculty members appointed by the Chancellor, appointed graduate students, and select student leaders from various student organizations. The Board meets on a monthly basis to discuss the operation of the Union and how to better improve students’ experiences within the building. The Chair of the Board will serve as the representative of the Board and the student face of the Union. The Chair of the Board will provide leadership and oversight in all aspects of the Board, including finance, planning, student affairs, advancement, and other key areas. The Chair will work closely with the Director of the Carolina Union to ensure that the purpose and goals of the Board are met, as well as to set a strategic direction for the Board that aligns with the University and Union’s mission.
Please find more information and the application here. Completed applications are due to the Union Administration office (Room 3103) by 3pm on Thursday, March 19.
ESPN’s First Take will broadcast live from the Great Hall on Tuesday, February 17, a day ahead of the Carolina vs. Duke men’s basketball game at Duke University.
Hosts Skip Bayless, Stephen A. Smith, and Cari Champion will be here, along with Rameses, the Carolina cheerleaders, the pep band and special guests.
This is a student-only event. Check out the details:
- Line forms in the Union starting at 7:30am. Please only enter through Pit-facing doors (near Alpine).
- Doors open at 8:30am.
- Dress warmly for the line and wear Carolina clothing for the show.
- UNC students only. Bring your valid OneCard to swipe in.
- No signs, backpacks, or liquids will be allowed into the broadcast.
Students are not required to stay for the entire broadcast. You can leave before the show begins at 10am or during commercial breaks from 10am–12pm. As people leave the room, others waiting in line will be allowed to come in. Admission and seating are first-come, first-serve.
Follow along with the hashtag #UNCFirstTake.
The Pit is due for a renovation, and we need your help with the plans!
Take the #PitProject survey by to make your voice heard at bit.ly/PitProject. Survey responses are due by February 9.
You can also share your thoughts over social media or in-person. Tweet your feedback with the hashtag #PitProject, email ideas to [email protected], or join us at a drop-in meeting with ColeJenest & Stone, the landscape architecture firm heading up the project.
#PitProject Drop-In Meeting
Monday, February 9
1:00-3:00pm
Aquarium Lounge, FPG Student Union
This project, managed by UNC Facilities Services, includes an examination of the current brick pavement, the drainage system, the accessibility of the area, and the opportunity for additional enhancements to better the space. The project is entirely funded and planned for through the University Open Space Fund.
The Carolina Union is proud to announce Merrick Osborne as the 2015–2016 Carolina Union Activities Board (CUAB) President. Osborne was interviewed by the Carolina Union Board of Directors and a panel of Carolina Union full-time staff. The Board of Directors finalized the selection during their January 21, 2015 meeting. In addition to his role as CUAB President, Osborne will serve as Vice Chair of the Carolina Union Board of Directors.
Osborne has been actively involved in CUAB since the end of his first year at Carolina. He served as South Campus Committee chair for 2014–2015 and the Comedy Committee chair for 2013–2014. Through these experiences, Osborne developed a greater understanding and appreciation of leadership. He hopes to provide that same learning environment for others as CUAB President.
Osborne, a junior from Charlotte, NC, is already visible on campus through other leadership positions. He serves as co-chair of Diversity and Inclusiveness in Collegiate Environments (DICE) and vice president of the Mu Zeta Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. He also keeps busy academically as a psychology and business double major with a minor in Spanish for the professions, and he participates in research with the Moore Undergraduate Research Apprentice Program (MURAP) and McNair Scholars Program.
As CUAB President, Osborne looks forward to continued growth for the organization itself and its relationships: “I am excited to take this opportunity to improve CUAB’s own processes and programming and also build on our campus relationships to connect different organizations and populations of Carolina.”
In this role, Osborne will not plan individual programs, but will oversee the various CUAB committees that plan events for areas of campus. He’s excited to get more students involved in the committees, stating that he wants to “look at different ways of attracting and engaging all students through innovative programming throughout the year.”
