Carolina Connection Programs -2024
I co-produced the program in 2024, hosting and giving editorial direction. I became the Executive Producer with Henry Taylor (now working for WCHL) in the fall of 2024. Stories I co-produced but did not anchor can be found at CarolinaConnection.org
Anchored Programs:
A UNC clinic is helping patients cope with the lasting symptoms of long COVID. The government is working to bring high speed internet access to more than a million North Carolina homes. Sports betting is already popular in North Carolina, but now it will become legal. Artists express what the future of Blackness holds in their creations and for their communities. Chapel Hill businesses are preparing for a busy night as the Tar Heel Mens Basketball team prepares to tip off against Duke.
Super Tuesday is over, and in North Carolina, students and other voters are evaluating President Biden. Sudanese students are calling attention to the civil war in their country. The newest member of the UNC Police force has a wagging tail and a golden coat. The Tar Heels and the Blue Devils men’s basketball teams meet one last time before the ACC Tournament. One of the hottest commodities on campus? Free frogs made of yarn.
Some UNC students are skeptical about the upcoming election, but campus leaders are hoping to boost voter turnout. Reports that Republican N.C. governor candidate Mark Robinson made lewd online comments shows that the internet can be a harsh world for politicians. Another political candidate fights for the right to take selfies with your ballot. A campus protest for Palestine leads to vandalism –- and more campus tension. UNC Campus Safety put on their pirate hats to host an emergency preparedness festival.
UNC experts say destructive storms like Helene are becoming more severe. The UNC system has abolished its DEI efforts, which has led to what some students call a less diverse campus. A proposed N.C. constitutional amendment would clarify that non-citizens can’t vote, but critics say it isn’t necessary. Some UNC fraternity members are disappointed about how organizers of “Flagstock” spent the half-million dollars they raised from GoFundMe. The Good Neighbor Initiative helps build bridges between UNC students who live off campus and their neighbors. The Ackland Art Museum is hiring its first full time art conservator.
At a Carrboro campaign event for Kamala Harris, Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff said Harris is the candidate who actually cares about young people. The UNC System is working with fire departments to dispose of toxic chemicals in firefighting foams. A UNC expert says the aftermath of Helene shows the difficulty of preparing for inland storms. The N.C. State Fair offers new and exciting attractions including Pickled Dr Pepper. A Carrboro staple offers an unorthodox place for students to get their Halloween costumes.
The UNC community reacts to President-Elect Donald Trump’s victory, and we hear from both students and experts as they try to make sense of election results. While the nation was gripped by politics, western North Carolina is still recovering from Helene; we’ll hear how a college radio station is keeping its community informed. UNC has eased restrictions on the campus Y that were put in place during the pro-Palestinian protests this spring, but students say the culture in the building has changed. A local group is working to make sure North Carolina is still a welcome stop for migratory birds.
After Donald Trump’s election, local clinicians are reporting a spike in demand for long-term contraceptives. In advance of the second Trump administration, students from immigrant families are also preparing for what lies ahead. Students are using Artificial Intelligence for almost everything in college – and professors are trying to keep up. UNC is raising student fees, but a lot of people are happy about how the money will be spent. Instead of Thanksgiving, Indigenous Americans counter popular narratives during Truthsgiving.
