Blue & White Magazine: December/January 2014

blue&white since

1998

U N C - C h a p e l H i l l ’s p r e m i e r m o n t h l y m a g a z i n e

CAMERAS FOR A CAUSE

UNC Lens combines photography with the spirit of altruism

INSIDE: Undergrad & Engaged • Anson Dorrance • Student Produced Cinema DEC E MBER/JANUARY 2014 | Vo lum e 1 6 | Is s u e 3 | w w w. bl u eandw hitem ag. co m | F R EE

blue&white

UNC-CH Campus Box 5210 | Chapel Hill, NC 27599-5210 Editor-in-Chief COURTNEY LINDSTRAND Managing Editor JESSICA GAYLORD Associate Editor of Content Planning & Development KATIE JANSEN Art Director LISA DZERA Creative Director BRENDAN LEONARD Vice President of Public Relations RACHEL RONDEAU Webmaster DARA SCHWARTZ Treasurer CONNOR BELSON CONTENT STAFF University Editor ANA ROCHA Arts & Entertainment Editor WENDY LU Co-Special Sections Editor CAROLYN COONS Co-Special Sections Editor KATIE KING Photography Editor MARK PERRY Columns/Editorials Editor DALE KOONTZ Blog Editor ANISAH JABAR Writers SAMANTHA BERGESEN, ABIGAIL BREWER, DAVIN ELDRIDGE, BRYAN FRANTZ, SYDNEY HARRIS, CANDACE HOWZE, MEGHAN MCFARLAND, JORDAN NASH, NANA SIDIBE, MORGAN TRACHTMAN, HANNAH WEBSTER Copy Editors JESSICA CASTRO-RAPPL, SARAH CRONIN, MADDIE FLAGER, NANA SIDIBE

Columnists KATE ALBERS, ERIK AUGUSTINE, ESHANY EDWARDS, SARAH LAMBERT, STEVEN WRIGHT Designers CAROLYN BAHAR, DALE KOONTZ, SYDNEY NARAYAN, TARA O’CONNOR, SAMANTHA SABIN, KRISTI WALKER Photographers SHAE ALLISON, CLAIRE COLLINS, LISA DZERA, KATHERINE HARRELL, HANNAH MICKEY, MARK PERRY Bloggers KELLY ANDERSON (columnist), JUANITA CHAVARRO, LIZZIE GOODELL, DELANEY MCGUIRE, SHAWANNE WANG, EMILY WIGGINS (columnist), CLAIRE WILCOX INTERNAL RELATIONS Printing CHAMBLEE GRAPHICS | Adviser JOCK LAUTERER OUR MISSION To inform readers of the unique personalities, events and traditions that define the University’s heritage and help shape its future, and to offer staff members practical and enjoyable journalism, business and management experience.

Blue & White is produced by students at UNC-Chapel Hill and is funded at least in part by student fees, which were appropriated and dispersed by UNC-CH’s Student Government.

Email Rachel Rondeau at rrondeau@live.unc.edu for advertising information.

—————— Front Cover Photo by Claire Collins

table of contents 12

22

in this issue 9 THE MAKING OF A BREAKTHROUGH Dr. Myron Cohen and a team of doctors and researchers at UNC Hospitals work to prevent the spread of HIV and AIDS.

12 A TEXTBOOK ROMANCE Newlywed students enrolled at UNC-CH find marriage brings joy along with new and unique responsibilities.

16 THROUGH THE LENS New student group UNC Lens presents a blend of photography, creative writing and community service.

19 UNIVERSITY STUDIOS UNC-CH’s student directors balance classes with the often-lengthy but rewarding process of self-produced cinema.

22 TAKING THE PLUNGE UNC-CH’s Swimming and Diving team finds family in their teammates and takes pride in their sport as

in every issue RELATIONSHIP RUMINATIONS

8

Sarah Lambert

POP TOPICS 15 Erik Augustine

SIDE(LINE) NOTE

25

Eshany Edwards

CULTURAL CONNECTION

28

Steven Wright

ON CAROLINA TIME

30

Kate Albers

they celebrate 75 years of its men’s program.

www.blueandwhitemag.com

3

that’s hot Basketball Season In Full Swing Despite some controversy and slip-ups early on, we’re still (and always will be) pulling for our Heels.

A Brand New Semester

Are we the only ones who geek out about a new notebook around here?

Let’s Get Physical Every year, we promise ourselves to work out and eat well...here’s to that actually happening.

Holiday Movie Releases “Anchorman 2,” need we say more?

“You stay classy, Chapel Hill.”

NYE Shenanigans Whether you’re seeking someone to smooch at midnight or popping bottles of cheap champagne, it’s sure to be a good time.

quad This month we sent our photographer Claire Collins to find unique fashion statements around campus.

4

DECEMBER/JANUARY 2014

in our A Letter From the Editor There are a lot of ways to tell your story. We at Blue & White prefer to weave the tales of others in text, injecting color into stories through the smallest of details like an errant laugh or the unique ways people recall their favorite memories.

But, thanks to modern technology, the great thing about stories is that they can unfold and take shape in a multitude of mediums.

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, but I think UNC Lens, a new photography organization on campus, ups its word count even further by incorporating an aspect of service to their photography Courtney Lindstrand is a senior from Greenville. projects (page 16). What better gift for a family in need than a beautiful portrait that they can reflect on She can be reached at lindstc@live.unc.edu. and keep for years to come?

And then of course there’s the quintessential mode of storytelling through cinema. Student filmmakers at UNC-Chapel Hill balance making great quality films and breaking into the industry with dreams of seeing their work on the biggest screens (page 19).

Or maybe, if you approach the act of storytelling from a different angle, there’s the opportunity to tell your story through your life’s work. UNC-CH’s

opinion

that’s not Lack of Snow Days

own Dr. Myron Cohen has done just that with his groundbreaking research in HIV/AIDS eradication (page 9).

After figuring out the medium in which your story will be told, it’s important to also have a solid idea of what you want to say or what you want to achieve by spreading your story to the masses. Do you want to inspire others to achieve greatness, the way Anson Dorrance inspires his players to reach their full potential (page 26)? Or do you want to entertain others with your creative works, like Professor Daniel Wallace did with his novel “Big Fish: A Novel of Mythic Proportions” (page 6) or a capella group Harmonyx does with its performances (page 28)?

When storytellers come into a project with no clear idea of what they want to say, the tale doesn’t usually turn out very good. But I don’t think that’s usually a problem for students at UNC-CH. In the three and a half years I’ve spent with Blue & White, I’ve enjoyed the opportunity to learn about students, professors and Chapel Hillians who were in the process of creating and disseminating some really interesting, worthwhile stories. And if there’s one thing I know for sure, it’s that with each new class of students, there will continue to be tales worth telling. So even after I leave Carolina (after just one more semester—cue internal screaming) I know I’ll continue to listen in on the stories of this vibrant community of innovators, leaders and doers.

“Oh well, when I was a freshman, we had to walk from South Campus to Hanes Art Center—uphill, in the snow!”

Last-Minute Schedule Switches Creeping in the back of classrooms, hoping to get on the wait list.

“Hey, that’s my elliptical!”

Give it two weeks and the gym will return to its normal capacity. Survival of the fittest.

Fatheads in the Dean Dome “You did NOT stay classy, Chapel Hill.”

Is It March Yet? SPRANG BRAKE FO-EVA, Y’ALL.

“I have to have a scarf with every outfit. I try to go for things that are interesting. I don’t wear jewelry, so a scarf is a way to make things a little more interesting.”

Emile Pate, Junior “I like relaxed, rustic, urban style.”

Z ach Smathers, Junior “I usually go for printed pants and something with color.”

Orinayo Ayodele, Senior “I really like earth tones accented by localized non-earth tones.”

Jared Shank, Senior www.blueandwhitemag.com

5

from the bell Stress Less, Pet More When winter break is drawing near, students are eager to return home for the holidays. With the excitement, though, comes the stress of finals.

But while students are cramming in a semester’s worth of information or on the verge of pulling their hair out, there is something they can do to alleviate the tension: hang out with man’s best friend.

Academic Advising organizes a program called Exam Paws, which brings therapy dogs to UNC-Chapel Hill during finals. The dogs come from several organizations in the area, including the Durham Kennel Club, and from local owners.

“This is just a chance to let [students] know we care about them as individuals, not just scholars and students,” says Alice Dawson, associate director of Academic Advising. “For a lot of students, it’s a part of home.”

This will be the second year Academic Advising hosts the event.

“I don’t think in our wildest imagination we knew how successful it would be,” Dawson says.

Not only does Academic Advising bring dogs to campus for students, but so does Helping Paws, a student-run organization dedicated to improving the lives of dogs in Orange County.

Helping Paws brings dogs from local shelters to several events throughout the year, including their Puppies in the Pit program that features adoptable pets in the area. While Helping Paws does not focus their efforts solely during exam time, the group notes that these types of events are popular with students throughout the academic year.

Junior Chloe Paterson, a Helping Paws volunteer, enjoys working with the dogs and feels they make a real difference during stressful periods.

“Puppies take away stress because they give you so much love and attention without expecting anything in return,” Paterson says. “It’s a nice break from being around other people who are stressed out.”

The Exam Paws program will take place in the Great Hall Lobby Dec. 5 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Students can also follow UNC Helping Paws on social media to get updates on when they bring dogs to campus throughout the spring semester.

“It’s just a great way to take a break and remember what really matters and recharge,” Paterson says.

&

&

Research shows that interacting with dogs increases endorphins (the happiness hormone) and decreases levels of cortisol (the stress hormone).

6

BY SYDNEY HARRIS PHOTO COURTESY OF GARY MILLER

DECEMBER/JANUARY 2014

All The Buzz Buzz Rides, a new mode of transportation on UNC-Chapel Hill’s campus, is looking to create a new “Going Green” culture with its electric and environmentally friendly cars.

Buzz Rides was created by two sophomore business majors, Joey Skavroneck from Charlotte and Parker Draughon from Atlanta.

Skavroneck and Draughon were inspired by tuk-tuks, three-wheeled cabin motorcycles commonly used in Asia, when studying abroad in India this past summer.

“It was this exhilarating experience that we thought could really be used in Chapel Hill,” says Skavroneck. “That’s how we were really inspired, and some of the drivers pushed passengers to certain businesses, so we also saw that as an outlet to give businesses an outlet to reach the college age demographic.”

The two students worked with the town of Chapel Hill, professors from the Kenan-Flagler Business School and their close friends and family to create the service.

Buzz Rides currently has four cars but can only use two of them at a time. However, the company recently received a grant from the NC SOLAR Center, which will be used to purchase a charger that will charge vehicles in 30 minutes and allow them to use all four cars. Right now, Buzz Rides operates Tuesday through Saturday from 10 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. and can provide up to 120 rides per night.

Rides are completely free and are provided to students only. The student body has been highly responsive to the service provided by Buzz Rides, which is something Draughon and Skavroneck are thankful for.

The business has a new mobile application that is currently available in

professor profile: DANIEL WALLACE Suspend your disbelief for a while, and you may come to find just as much truth in a work of fiction as you may find in your reality. This is the central theme behind Professor Daniel Wallace’s 1998 novel “Big Fish: A Novel of Mythic Proportions,” which has been transformed this year into a Broadway musical.

“I think that there is a big difference between truth and facts, and art is the place you go for truth,” says Wallace, director of creative writing at UNC-Chapel Hill. “I don’t know where you go for facts these days, I actually don’t know if there are any.”

“Big Fish” focuses on a young man grasping for the reality in his father’s colorful history of exaggerated tall tales. After being adapted into a movie by Tim Burton in 2003, “Big Fish” made its Broadway debut in September.

“I love that my story has inspired people to make new versions of it,” he says. “It’s always so gratifying.”

“Big Fish” didn’t initially begin as a novel. After a dozen years of writing, Wallace drew inspiration from Greek myths and his own “semi-contentious” relationship with his father to write individual folktales.

“I’d written a number of novels, but none of them had really worked out. They were actually quite bad,” he says. “I finally decided I needed to write something that I liked and that I cared about.”

Over time, these folktales came together into one cohesive idea—“Big Fish.”

Though he enjoys seeing new versions of his work, Wallace keeps his distance—he has no interest in artistic approval.

to the well

BY NANA SIDIBE PHOTOS BY KATHERINE HARRELL

the iTunes App Store and will soon be available for Android phones. The Buzz Rides UNC app allows students to register their phone numbers and request rides whenever they want. The app, which was launched on Nov. 9, also makes it easier for drivers to locate students.

Since Buzz Rides doesn’t charge students for rides, the main source of revenue for the business is advertisements. Buzz Rides’ vehicles are wrapped with ads for companies like Roote, a student-run business that provides organic and sustainable products.

“There are definitely a few ways we can monetize the individual rides, but we are very cautious right now to see what the best outlet is to do so,” says Skavroneck. “We have a lot of different ideas: charging per ride, charging per month, having yearly passes.”

With their initial success, the founders of Buzz Rides have big plans for the future of their business in Chapel Hill and hope to expand to other schools such as Clemson University and the University of Georgia.

&

Joey Skavroneck (top middle) and Parker Draughon (top right) are the co-founders of Buzz Rides. Skavroneck, Draughon and a member of the Buzz Rides team ride in one of the company’s environmentally-friendly vehicles.

“It’s not my business,” he says. “When these other professionals come in, I feel like I have to have faith in them to make the right choices.”

According to Wallace, “You don’t go into the kitchen unless you can cook.”

Though he loves seeing his characters come to life, Wallace hopes that the adaptations will lead the audience back to the original novel.

The Broadway cast of “Big Fish,” a production that was “The book is always my adapted from one of professor Daniel Wallace’s novels. baby,” he says.

He believes that his simultaneous careers as professor and author are nearly inseparable, and one is no more important than the other.

“They feed off of each other, I would not want to be just one of those two things,” he says. “I think I would be worse at both if I didn’t have them.”

Since “Big Fish,” Wallace has written several other novels, including “The Kings and Queens of Roam,” which was released in May. Wallace has written a screenplay based on the book, and he hopes that if another story gets made into a movie, this will be it.

“I like “Big Fish” a lot because it’s done so much for me,” he says. “But my favorite book is always the one that I’m writing next.”

&

BY MEGHAN MCFARLAND PHOTO COURTESY OF DANIEL WALLACE

When we lose our myths, we lose our place in the universe.

— MADELEINE L’ENGLE

www.blueandwhitemag.com

7

is a junior from Winter Park, Fla. She can be reached at lambert7@live.unc.edu.

Sarah Lambert

Relationship Ruminations 8

A BFF BREAKUP Cheers, y’all! We’ve made it through our first semester. Let the peppermint schnapps flow for the over-21 set and allow copious amounts of holiday fudge to fill the rest of you.

I’m sure you aced all of your finals and proved to be a smashing success in every endeavor you faced. (Especially that loathed Physics class.)

On your much-deserved holly jolly ride home, though, I encourage you to reflect. Muse, if you will, before you’re swarmed with aunts and uncles and socially inept second cousins.

Think about your relationships this past year. Who did you really like hanging out with? Who took you out of your comfort zone (in a good way)? And alternatively, who gave you more headaches than a peppermint schnapps hangover?

A new year is a new start. As clichéd as that is, it’s important to think about the previous 365 days and get an idea of where you want the next 365 to take you.

For many people, toxic romantic relationships are easy to spot. They can be handled quickly and efficiently. Unfaithful boyfriend? Gone before the potatoes are mashed.

Toxic friendships? Not as easy.

Perhaps this is because we invest a lot of time in our friendships. Most friendships last for years, whereas the average college relationship lasts for 10 months (according to a completely scientific and official study conducted by moi).

And if your friend Blair is annoying you, you have multiple friends to sub in for lunch dates, movie nights, etc. You only have one boyfriend.

It’s easy to side-step friend issues. Yeah, Blair is being a total brat. She “forgets” to invite you to dinner parties at her apartment, and then brags about what fun all of her guests had. But in the grand scheme of things, what is two more years of being her friend? Blair’s casserole always sucked anyway. Soon enough, you’ll graduate and move on to more compassionate friends.

That’s where you’re wrong. There will always be a Blair.

Blair is the friend who pushes you down in order to lift herself up. She dramatizes her life and treats you like the sidekick.

She complains about ridiculously hyperbolized physical traits, seeking validation and a sincere, “Tut, tut, Blair. You’re a size 2! You don’t need to lose weight!”

Until you address the misery and negativity she’s bringing into your life, you’re bound to repeat your mistake post-grad.

As difficult as it sounds, you need to talk to your Blair.

You need to stick up for yourself and make sure that she sees what a crappy friend she’s been to you.

Most importantly, this kind of confrontation should always, always be handled face to face.

Two years ago I called out a close high school friend for the way she treated me. She was only by my side during the good times and never the bad. Her seemingly charmed life made me feel small and unaccomplished. The longer I hung out with her, the more confidence she sucked out of me.

My best friend called her a “birthday-only friend.” To make up for her absence in any friend’s life (her behavior wasn’t exclusive to our friendship), she would always show up to a birthday party with a fabulously personal gift—some inside joke or long-forgotten wish. The recipient was so touched by her thoughtfulness that any animosity was voided.

I confronted her via text after a particularly horrible day. I said what needed to be said, but I instantly regretted the manner in which I dealt with it.

She said she knew she was in the wrong and apologized profusely, but our dynamic changed and we stopped being friends.

And though I wish every day I could hit redo on that resentful text fight, I felt lighter, happier and less anxious soon after. My confidence slowly returned, and I started pursuing new relationships in college. I befriended all types of people, feeling out different interests and senses of humor.

I found myself thinking, why did I hold on so fiercely to a friendship that only made me doubt myself?

So this New Year, think about the friends in your life. Are there more Blairs than besties? If so, come up with a game plan to handle them. You don’t need to be around people making you feel insignificant. You are awesome. Now go have another piece of pumpkin pie.

&

OCTOBER 2012

The Making of a

BREAKTHROUGH by abigail brewer design by samantha sabin photos by mark perry

Dr. Myron Cohen, who has conducted extensive research on HIV, works continuously for a cure to the disease and to make a difference in the lives of those affected by it.

i

IT’S DR. MYRON COHEN’S NIGHT. In the ballroom of the Sheraton Hotel in Durham, he makes his way through countless tables and up onto the stage to receive the North Carolina Award. Women in sequined gowns and men sporting tuxedos are present to honor the six individuals selected for the state’s highest civilian honor.

Since the 1960s, 250 recipients have been chosen to receive the award, and Cohen’s name will go in the books along with past winners Dr. Maya Angelou and Dean Smith.

At UNC-Chapel Hill, Cohen currently serves as the director of the UNC Institute for Global Health and Infectious Diseases, the associate vice chancellor for global health and as a distinguished professor. While these titles are impressive, the award he receives tonight honors him for an internationally-reaching achievement—advancements towards the eradication of HIV. Dr. Myron Cohen addresses the audience during his acceptance speech at the North Carolina Awards Ceremony.

www.blueandwhitemag.com

9

Cohen’s journey to the stage began at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He was an intelligent student with a special knack for memorizing facts. Like many students, Cohen did not enter college with a clear career path in mind.

Early in his junior year, he found himself standing outside the office of the dean of Rush Medical College in Chicago. He walked down the hallway sporting bell-bottom pants, long hair and a mustache—standing out dramatically from his peers who were waiting around in three-piece suits.

“I was kind of invited to medical school,” Cohen says.

Although he had yet to complete any of the required classes for medical school, Cohen was exactly the student Rush wanted to enroll—the dean informed Cohen he was looking for “unusual” students to bring to medical school.

During that first meeting, the dean laid out the courses Cohen needed to complete and asked him to take the MCATs. He interviewed at the college that winter.

As fate would have it, Cohen went in for his interview and received a letter of acceptance right after, which he promptly taped to a wall at his fraternity house. Pandemonium ensued as his fraternity brothers asked how he was accepted to medical school. Cohen says he was lucky.

“If I hadn’t gone to that interview that day in those clothes, I never would have gone to that medical school,” Cohen says. “I may not have gone to medical school at all.”

A NEW PANDEMIC

Above: Governor Pat McCrory presents the North Carolina Award to Dr. Myron Cohen.

10

DECEMBER/JANUARY 2014

At 24, Cohen graduated from medical school and three years later he made his way to Connecticut, where he completed an infectious disease fellowship at Yale University.

During the fellowship, Cohen worked extensively with white blood cells—the ones that protect our bodies from infection. These cells allow us to fight off potential threats to our bodies, whether it be the common cold or a more serious infection.

In 1980, Cohen arrived in Chapel Hill—one year before the United States saw the first case of AIDS, the disease that develops from HIV. Cohen didn’t know it when he arrived, but Chapel Hill would soon be seeing quite a few people with the disease.

At the time, UNC Hospitals was known for treating patients with hemophilia, a disorder of the blood clotting system. To treat patients, doctors at the hospital gave them blood transfusions. Unknowingly, these blood transfusions were not simply treating patients’ blood clotting problems— they were also transmitting HIV. While these transfusions were meant to save lives, they proved to be very dangerous.

When patients started showing symptoms of HIV after hemophilia treatment, Cohen and a few other doctors working on infectious diseases in Chapel Hill knew the blood had to be contaminated.

Cohen says that by 1985, about 15 percent of all the patients admitted to UNC Hospitals were admitted for AIDS. Treating AIDS quickly became a part of life for all the doctors, and researchers began working laboriously for a cure.

Cohen, who had spent a great deal of time studying the transmission of gonorrhea, became devoted to studying HIV.

“That transition from working on [an] STD pathogen to working on HIV and its transmission wasn’t so shocking or jarring,” Cohen says. “The more jarring thing for me was the decision to work internationally.”

FROM DOCTOR TO CAPTAIN

In the early 2000s, Cohen found himself a leader in international AIDS research. He developed his own study and brought it forward to the National Institute of Health.

The study became known as HPTN 052.

The focus of the study involved testing earlier hypotheses that treating patients early can decrease the transmission of HIV. In order to test this, Cohen and his team of doctors from different areas in medicine took on a great challenge. After screening 13,000 couples, a group of about 2,000 couples were chosen.

“Once we had those couples, they were incredibly altruistic—they were committed to the study,” Cohen says.

In each of the 2,000 couples, one partner was HIVpositive, and the other was HIV-negative. The couples were divided into two groups. In one of the groups, the positive individual was given HIV treatment as soon as possible after the virus was detected; in the other group, the positive individual wasn’t treated until white blood cell levels dropped below a certain range.

Treatment involved antiretroviral therapy, a type of drug therapy that suppresses the HIV virus and stops progression of the disease. “[I] became the captain of a football team,” Cohen says.

But the area of Cohen’s study was much greater than the area any football captain has ever managed. Instead of 100 yards of field, Cohen was managing teams in 13 study sites in nine countries around the world.

The team obtained the results they had hoped for.

When treatment was started right away, there was no transmission of HIV to the healthy partners.

Dr. Victor Garcia-Martinez, a professor of medicine who works with Cohen at the UNC Center for Infectious Diseases says he always looks forward to seeing what Cohen will do next.

“He’s an inspiration for all of us, he’s accomplished so much,” he says. “We all aspire to do even half as much as

he has done.”

Even though Cohen’s study landed on the cover of Science magazine, he seems to find greater joy in the celebrations that ensued in each country after the results of the study were known. In Brazil, for example, there was a huge party. Couples involved brought the babies they had given birth to during the study—they were known as the 052 babies, after the name of the study.

While this study has come to an end, Cohen isn’t done making strides in the field of infectious diseases and HIV. He and others in the field hope there is one day a vaccine for HIV.

MORE THAN LUCKY

Cohen’s work wasn’t finished after he boarded a plane from a research site in sub-Saharan Africa to make his way back home to Chapel Hill. Global health doesn’t just describe the state of healthcare in countries outside of the United States. More and more, global health is being described as local health, meaning the medical problems that countries abroad are facing are present in our own communities as well.

For eight years, Peggy Bentley, associate director of the UNC Institute for Global Health and Infectious Diseases, has worked with Cohen to build global health awareness across UNC-CH’s campus. She describes him as an intelligent visionary, but there’s more to him than that.

Bentley had Cohen come into her global health class as a guest speaker to discuss infectious diseases. Rather than just read from a PowerPoint and describe diseases, Cohen took to demonstrating.

He threw a sandwich on the ground, stomped on it with the sole of his shoe, and then proceeded to eat it.

Cohen didn’t become ill with a diarrheal disease, but it wasn’t luck that allowed him to stay healthy. He proved to the students watching the demonstration that these diseases can’t be picked up from a little dirt.

Cohen’s pure motivation and love for medicine has led him to live a remarkable life.

“You spend a whole lifetime doing something, like seeing patients, teaching students or doing research,” he says.

“I’ve enjoyed all three of these things. I’m really lucky.”

&

He’s an inspiration for all of us, he’s “ accomplished so much. We all aspire “ to do even half as much as he has done.

— Dr. Victor Garcia-Martinez

www.blueandwhitemag.com

11

Shannon and Bryan Weynand, both graduate students at UNC-Chapel Hill, enjoy a send off from wedding guests after their wedding reception.

Photo courtesy of Sarah Der of Sarah Der Photography

Aromance TEXTBOOK by samantha bergeson design by sydney narayan & tara o’connor photos by shae allison

Couples still in school at UNC decide to wed due to faith, fiscal rationale and pure amour.

12

DECEMBER/JANUARY 2014

i

IT WAS THE FIRST TIME Bryan Weynand ever missed a home basketball game, but he says it was worth it to propose to the love of his life in McCorkle Place. She said yes.

Shannon Spain Weynand ’11 and Bryan ’09 tell their story with wide smiles, the rings on their left hands gently touching. Theirs was a textbook love story: he was the sports editor at The Siren, Hopewell High School’s student newspaper, and she, a freshman reporter. Two years later he sent her a Carolina t-shirt to sway her to choose UNCChapel Hill over Duke University. The pair began dating during her freshman year at UNC-CH and stayed together long-distance as he interned in Washington, D.C., postgraduation. In November 2012, he left a white dress at her house with directions leading to campus, where champagne and cupcakes were waiting, along with a proposal.

Shannon and Bryan Weynand met in high school and started dating during Shannon’s freshman year at UNC-Chapel Hill.

They wed this past summer, with a reception in the Kenan Stadium Blue Zone following the Christian ceremony.

Bryan is currently attending the UNC School of Law, and Shannon is working toward a graduate degree at the UNC School of Medicine for Speech and Hearing Sciences.

Although the couple admits that being married while still in school may seem relatively unorthodox, they knew early on that they wanted to express their dedication to one another.

“We believe that love is a choice…[it] is not a fleeting emotion,” says Shannon. “You have to choose that every day because one day the giddy ‘we’re so in love’ phase is going to wear off.”

Besides their love for one another, they say the financial logistics of entering a legal union were an added benefit to getting married.

“Our choice was between continuing to date monogamously with two separate student loans and food bills, or to make the commitment to be together forever,” Shannon says.

The Weynand couple acknowledges the grim statistics behind getting married at such a young age. A 2009 study by the U.S. Census showed that over the years, as the average age of first marriage in the U.S. has risen, the divorce rate has subsequently gone down.

“I think a lot of people would ask if we are concerned about divorce. But our answer is that we’re not. We’ve both decided to choose daily to love each other unconditionally,” Shannon says. “So we’re not afraid of hard times or being poor or of getting divorced. That’s just not something that we’ll be choosing.”

Their faith also played a large role in the decision to wed. “Our belief in God guides our approach to decisionmaking — whether that’s on where we will move, what job

we will accept or even how we spend our money,” Shannon explains.

Another student couple, senior Hannah Larson Goodnight and her husband Caleb Goodnight ’13, also decided to marry this past August due in part to their shared Christian religious values.

“We go to the Summit Church and it has been such a place of growth in our walk with Jesus,” says Hannah. “We knew we wanted to be with each other for the rest of our lives and have kids together.”

For now, though, the newest addition to the Goodnight family is just Eddie, a German Shepherd-Rottweiler puppy.

After meeting during their freshman year of college in Teague Residence Hall and becoming friends, they began dating during their sophomore year.

“I was actually very hesitant to go on a date with him,” Hannah says, explaining that their friendship was very important to her.

Goodnight, a communication studies major, graduated early to found a video production company. “It came to a point where he was graduating early, and we just felt like it was time to get married. He was getting on his feet [by starting his own business],” Hannah says.

The pair has made their home in Durham. Hannah is working to complete her dual degree in linguistics and early childhood education. Her parents still assist her with tuition costs, but the couple is on their own in terms of living expenses.

Although the Weynands and Goodnights live offcampus, the University does provide housing for married students. Baity Hill at Mason Farm on South Campus was originally dedicated to student couples, either married or with children. However, only 10 percent of the 370 units house undergraduate families. Approximately 50 percent

Hannah and Caleb Goodnight married in August. The pair met during their freshman year at UNC-Chapel Hill.

Photos courtesy of Hannah Goodnight

www.blueandwhitemag.com

13

of those families at the complex have children, according to Associate Director of Housing and Residential Education Rick Bradley.

“We don’t necessarily market the property to a lot of individuals; it’s more of a word of mouth type thing,” Bradley says.

Not all young married couples are able to live together, on or off campus. Senior Sarah Jagdmann bid adieu to her husband of one year, Iulian Pruteanu, when he moved to Boston for a post-doctoral position at Harvard University in computational biology and cancer genetics. Jadgmann chose to stay at UNC-CH to finish her double-major degree in biology and psychology. She plans on moving to Boston after graduation.

“We both temporarily sacrificed being together in order for the other to achieve their individual goals,” says Jadgmann.

Even though the pair is currently long-distance, the effects of marriage are still present.

“When I got married, I felt I aged a lot more in comparison to everyone else,” says Jadgmann. “A lot of people do their own thing, but when you’re married, you’re dedicated to someone else—your future aspirations change.”

Their love story began when Jadgmann attended a ballroom dancing team practice during her freshman year.

Pruteanu, then a Duke graduate student, spotted her among the other dancers.

“We decided to get married as soon as we decided we wanted to be together for the rest of our lives,” Jadgmann says.

Since Pruteanu is from Romania, it made more sense for the couple to wed before Sarah’s graduation so that Pruteanu could more easily stay in the country.

“It seems to me that most people who choose to get married as an undergrad do so for external reasons that make it more practical to get married right away instead of waiting until after graduation, which is the social norm,” says Jadgmann.

In terms of financial dependability, Jadgmann declared Pruteanu as her income sustainer, which allowed her to receive more financial aid. She is in a work-study program interning with integrative medicine research and lives in Chapel Hill with a roommate.

The exceptionality of marrying young is not lost on the married students still in school. Yet for these couples, the decision to marry was a natural progression of their respective relationships.

“People always ask me ‘How is marriage going? What’s it like to be married?’” Shannon Weynand says. “For Bryan and me, it feels like it should be.”

&

14

DECEMBER/JANUARY 2014

UNC students Shannon and Bryan Weynand emulate Tar Heel pride.

“We are the typical Carolina couple,” said Shannon. They even had their wedding reception in the Blue Zone of Kenan Stadium.

is a junior from Georgetown, Mass.

He can be reached at aug13@live.unc.edu.

Erik Augustine

Pop Topics

THE PROBLEM WITH MANHOOD When Miami Dolphins offensive tackle Jonathan Martin left the team at the end of October citing mental stress caused by bullying from teammates, specifically fellow lineman Richie Incognito, a weird ripple went through the NFL and general sports community.

Martin and his supporters accused the Dolphins organization of “player misconduct” and revealed incriminating texts and voicemails sent from Incognito featuring racial slurs and threatening language. I say a weird ripple because, on the one hand, there was the immediate moral outcry that can be expected after any perceived misdeeds by a professional athlete because of their status as role models. But on the other hand, it is incredibly hard to understand the inner workings of a locker room and there are many disagreements over the facts of the case.

Obviously, a lot of people are calling for Incognito to be reprimanded. But others, especially NFL players, are challenging the accusations against him, both on a factual basis and on the grounds that things are different in the locker room.

While the former group fell in line with much of the anti-bullying rhetoric that has been increasingly prevalent in the past few years, the latter tapped into a strong and deep-rooted culture of honor and toughness that permeates sports at many levels in our society. The same ideology that is causing many people to scorn Martin’s departure from the team and seek emotional help underscores a vast spectrum of male culture.

As kids and onward, boys are instilled with the toughness ethic. Don’t complain; stand up for yourself; don’t show weakness. There’s something of a positive ethos in this; I feel that in my own development, these expectations helped me face difficulties on my own. Being urged (by helpful, supportive adults) not to quit or seek unnecessary help, I was able to realize my own strength through healthy life lessons, including during my time as a football player in high school. However, the culture is also replete with far less healthy examples: other young athletes regularly lie about injuries, stay on the field when they shouldn’t and take serious risks out of fear of being chastised about their weakness. An internalized concern for toughness also goes a long way in explaining why men are less likely to seek various forms of help, including mental health support.

It’s no wonder that this idea gets such a strong grip in the minds of young men. The modern American action hero appearing throughout popular media is a dark, brooding, troubledbut-too-proud-to-talk-about-it badass who would never, ever seek help. The eponymous doctor in House, Walter White in Breaking Bad, Robert Downey Jr. in everything: all too manly to ever show a sign of weakness. The Sopranos keyed in on this, showing the difficulties the protagonist has in reconciling his manhood with allowing himself to open up to help from a psychiatrist.

These cases add to the casual and seemingly thoughtless cultural command of manliness.

Miller Lite ran a series of ads where one of a group of friends gets his “man card” taken for doing something that is perceived as feminine. In fact, watch a decent number of beer and truck commercials (conveniently on during football games!) and you’ll see a pattern of appeals to manhood: drive this truck and you’re manly, don’t eat this food and you’re soft.

Following the Incognito-Martin situation, some popular sports programs featured pundits calling out Martin for his “weakness” and criticizing him for breaking the code of the locker room. Many reporters as well as players suggested that the problem was something that he should have settled physically and that leaving the team was “soft.” Of course, numerous sports blogs around the Internet latched onto the situation, hurling emasculating insults at Martin.

Regardless of controversy over the factual events, what kind of message is sent by such negative responses to a player deciding he needs help and trying to find it?

Maybe this code of toughness is good for some people—in fact, I think it does work quite nicely for many of the men attracted to things like playing professional football—but shouldn’t we consider the damage widespread dissemination of this thinking can do? If you want to attack your problems, go ahead, but that’s not for everyone. Communication is good; emotional support is good; mental health aid is good. The vocal proponents for quiet toughness for everyone could benefit from some humility and compassion. We can’t understand what’s going on in someone else’s mind. Mental health is immensely complex, and illness can be devastating.

Sometimes toughing it out just doesn’t cut it, and we should stop acting like it does.

&

Through the photo courtesy of Jaehee Yoo

A UNC Lens photographer captures a photo of a student on the quad.

With the help of student donations, UNC Lens seeks to give back to the community through pro-bono photography for those in need.

16

DECEMBER/JANUARY 2014

LENS

o

by hannah webster photos by claire collins design by dale koontz

ON A COOL AUTUMN DAY in 2011, what started as a simple jog for juniors Jaehee Yoo and Matthew Lee ended with a plan to form UNC-Chapel Hill’s only photography organization linked to service. UNC Lens is a student-led campus organization that formed in the spring of 2013 with the goal of providing low-income families in Chapel Hill and Carrboro with high-quality photography and creative writing.

photo courtesy of Jahee Yoo Left: Taylor Roland, a sophomore exercise and sports science major and photographer for UNC Lens, takes photos of performers from “Journey into Asia” while backstage at Memorial Hall.

Right: Creative Writer and Editor-in-Chief of Lens, Danbi Yi, carries equipment for the photographers while on a UNC Lens photo shoot.

Yoo, now the executive director, says UNC Lens is an opportunity for students with camera equipment to use their photography interests for community projects that benefit others.

“I bought a camera, and because it was so expensive, it was a huge investment. I was looking to match the value of what it is worth,” says Yoo, who is majoring in dental hygiene. This thinking led her to the idea of serving the community with photo shoots.

“I called [Lee] up to go running, and when we were jogging I told him about it, and that’s when we really started it. As soon as I talked to him about it, I think I realized we could really make this into an organization.”

“

ah, seni lia H or Ju

her an opportunity to give back to the community.

“I love my camera. It was a graduation present, and I want to put it to good use and not just take pictures of me and my friends,” says Rolland, a sophomore exercise and sports science major.

While photography is the main focus for the organization, UNC Lens also incorporates creative writing into the mission. Six creative writers on the UNC Lens team write anecdotes based on the photographs. The organization’s chief editor works with the writers and manages the website, where short stories and photo captions are posted along with the photographs. Every student photo shoot has a story to go with the photographs, and it is optional for families.

When it started in the spring, the organization only FOCUS ON FAMILIES shot student photos. Community member photo shoots Fourteen student photographers are now involved began this fall when the organization had collected with UNC Lens. The photographers take individual enough money, Yoo says. and group photographs for UNC-CH students, The original idea was to photograph chiland students then donate to the organization.

My role is dren and families receiving care at UNC The minimum donation for a photo shoot bridging the gap Hospitals, but because of privacy issues, is $15 for individuals and $10 per person between the UNC Lee says they decided to work with for group shots. For large events, the domembers of the community instead. student comnation minimum varies. The money colMost families that the organization has munity and the lected from student donations is used to reached out to are employees of Carolina produce similar high-quality photo shoots families.

Dining Services or the UNC Department of for low-income families who may not be able Housing and Residential Education. to afford professional family portraits, says Lee, Senior Julia Hah, who is double majoring in who now serves as the assistant executive director. The Hispanic linguistics and English, is the community donations are used to print the photographs and purdeveloper and family liaison for UNC Lens. As the chase albums and frames. co-director for another organization, Carolina Language Yoo says she feels the photographers can benefit just Partnership, Hah works in Lenoir Dining Hall and has as much as the families. built relationships with many UNC-CH employees.

“We are trying to give (student photographers) an “My role is bridging the gap between the UNC stuoutlet to do some service, get some [service] hours and dent community and the families. UNC Lens’ main goal have fun, get to know their community and expand on is to provide this opportunity to the families,” Hah says. their photography and writing skills,” Yoo says.

“I’ve been working with them (UNC-CH employees) for For photographer Taylor Rolland, UNC Lens gives almost four years, so they really trust me.”

”

www.blueandwhitemag.com

17

- Matthew

L

Yoo and Lee say that Hah plays an especially important The organization is in the process of writing a constiturole in the organization, as she has connected them with all tion and becoming University-recognized, as well as becomthe families. So far they have only photographed families of ing more well-known in the UNC-CH community. Yoo and UNC-CH employees.

Lee say they want UNC Lens to grow and create a positive Hah says the organization encounters challenges with the impact on as many people as possible. families at times, such as language barriers or transportation.

Even after they graduate in 2015, Yoo and Lee hope the But in the end, allowing the families to capture their memo- Lens concept will continue to be a part of their lives. ries is always worth it.

“After we graduate we want to stay involved, but we want “We really try to provide professional quality photos,” others to take on the leadership for UNC Lens, and we Hah says. “I think these pictures really show their junior want to branch out to become an overarching organi, families in Burma or Thailand, ‘This is where I live. ee zation,” Yoo says. “We want to spread it around to This is my life here at UNC.’” friends at different universities.”

Photo shoots take place mainly on campus Yoo and Lee have been talking to students We have very at landmarks such as the Old Well or Coker from Duke University and The University high expectations of Georgia about creating a Duke Lens Arboretum, Lee says. During a photo shoot, for it. We want a and UGA Lens at their respective college photographers will take pictures in as many ‘Global Lens.’ locations around campus as the client wants. campuses. They also hope to see it expand to They will often collaborate together on location universities across the nation and the world. and posing ideas.

“We have very high expectations for it,” Lee Freshman Smrithi Valsaraj participated in a UNC Lens says. “We want a ‘Global Lens.’ Of course we want it to photo shoot with her dance team, Ek Taal, back in October. continue (at UNC), which is why we have a wide variety of “They were extremely patient with us and the photos people involved.” turned out great,” says Valsaraj, an art history major. Photo Yoo and Lee say they feel photography can be a powerlocations for the shoot included the front of South Building, ful tool for social change and personal empowerment that Coker Arboretum and the Forest Theater in Battle Park. is often overlooked. She says when people have the ability There is always a creative writer present at the photo to capture moments and see their own personal beauty in shoots, observing interactions between those in the photos high-quality photographs, it can create a positive self-image. and gathering information on their relationships and their “We just want to bring out the natural and genuine lives. For family photo shoots, Hah is usually present so the smiles in our photo shoots,” Lee says. “Photography can be a clients feel comfortable with someone they already know source of empowerment.” and trust.

Whether it is a UNC-CH student or Chapel Hill family, UNC Lens hopes to improve the personal perception through producing beautiful photographs.

PUTTING DOWN ROOTS “For me, photography has a lot to do with self-percepAs Hah reaches out to families and the organization contion,” Yoo says. “When they have (the photographs) to keep tinues to grow, Yoo says she is excited that more families are forever, I feel like it makes an impact on how they view approaching them for photo shoots. themselves.”

“

”

&

Abigail Green, a junior management and society major and photographer for UNC Lens, takes pictures in the dressing room backstage while performers prepare for “Journey Into Asia,” a dance showcase at Memorial Hall.

18

A UNC Lens photographer displays a bubble wand and bottle displaying the group’s logo.

Photo courtesy of Jaehee Yoo

DECEMBER/JANUARY 2014

FEATURE

s o i d u t S y t i s r e

U n iv SCENE

TAKE

DIRECTOR CAMERA

by davin eldridge design by kristi walker photos by shae allison

Students at UNC-Chapel Hill are pursuing life-long dreams of being behind the camera and hope their hard work pays off with entrance into the industry.

u

UNC-CHAPEL HILL IS HOME TO MANY ambitious and creative student filmmakers, whose dreams are to one day work as professionals in the field of cinema. Throughout their time here, they keep busy pursuing a mastery of filmmaking day in and day out, taping scenes for their latest projects and spending hours at a time editing small clips of footage.

From absurd comedies about alpacas that transform into humans to black and white short films about Frankenstein creating his own bride to find love, there is a wide variety of cinematic productions being made right here at the University.

www.blueandwhitemag.com

19

Student filmmakers must learn to use video editing programs to edit the scenes they film. This process usually takes double the time it took to shoot the footage.

INSPIRED EARLY ON

Senior Dane Keil has been working on a 20-minute black and white sci-fi romance since the beginning of the semester.

“What if Frankenstein had a good relationship with his creator and sought to carry on their legacy by creating a female counterpart?” says Keil, an English and communication studies double major. “Would he fall in love with her?

Would she love him back?”

It has not been an easy pursuit. The process of making independent films isn’t as simple as some people may think, though there is still fun to be had, according to senior communication studies major Jordan Imbrey—who, like Keil, hopes to one day work as a director.

“It isn’t easy, especially with a small budget,” says Imbrey, who is working on his sixth full feature film. “You learn to work with what you have. Nobody is ever a great filmmaker starting out. After about 10 films, then you start to get good, and you begin to develop a style and a voice,” he says.

The dream to work in cinema has been a life-long one, say the budding filmmakers, who are driven today to be as hardworking and versatile as possible.

“I do what I do because I have no other choice,” says Imbrey on his choice to study filmmaking, adding that he has already invested much of his life to cinema.

As a child, Imbrey says he loved storytelling, particularly in film. Since his earliest days, his curiosities involved cameras, scripts, characters and stories.

“Most kids play with cameras at some point in their lives. I never stopped. Eventually it became serious, but still fun,” he says.

With approximately 40 productions under his belt to date, Imbrey has been busy showing his latest feature, “Alpacas and Destiny,” which was shot in December 2012

20

DECEMBER/JANUARY 2014

right before Christmas. It has been screened at numerous film festivals throughout North Carolina after being completed in March. The concept for the film came to Imbrey during the break after spending time on an alpaca farm.

“Lonely Winslow Timms discovers an amulet that turns his pet alpacas into humans,” Imbrey’s film description reads. “Comedy, tragedy, and destiny ensue.” The production, says Imbrey, garnered a warm reception at Cannes Short Film Corner, Action on Film International Film Festival, Asheville Cinema Festival and the Carrboro Film Festival.

“It’s been interesting,” says Imbrey, who not only directed “Alpacas,” but also produced, wrote and edited the film. “We got the vibe that some people were bewildered by the concept, while other groups loved it.” In addition to being exciting, he says festivals also provide student filmmakers a chance to network with other production teams and compare their own works to others’. Festival endeavors help new filmmakers understand the process and gain notoriety, he says.

Imbrey added that the actors in “Alpacas,” like those in most of his productions, are trained actors whom he knows outside of class. However, most of the early film projects undertaken, Imbrey says, began as prompts assigned by professors and take a few months at most to shoot. The editing process, also known as post production, takes at least twice as long.

“I think seeing the final product, which depending on the project’s size and scope can take up a lot of a student’s time, makes all that time spent worth it,” says Imbrey. “But even watching other people watch your film—that’s really what it’s all about.”

This love of film production is shared by other students throughout UNC-CH’s Department of Communication Studies—all of whom wear many hats in the projects they are involved with.

“There are so many wonderful things I enjoy about the process of film making,” says senior dramatic arts major Bea Strobl, a regular on the UNC Student TV show “General College.” Strobl is set to perform in three independent films and work as the costume designer for the Department of Dramatic Arts’ production of “Tales From Ovid.”

“I have always been a movie buff ever since I was little and have forever enjoyed the ability of a film to take you on an adventure, open your mind to new possibilities and provoke new ideas or ways of thinking about the world around us,” she says.

Strobl says she hopes to obtain a job in any capacity within the entertainment industry. Over the past three summers, she has interned for casting agencies across the country, including Boston Casting in Boston, Perry Reece Casting in Los Angeles and Vanessa N. Casting in Wilmington.

“I really enjoyed working at a talent agency and see that

as a definite possibility of a future career along with my lifelong passion and love for acting,” Strobl says.

CHALLENGES AND TRIUMPHS

Keil, like the other filmmakers, says there are many perks to making a film.

“There is no greater thrill than seeing what you have envisioned and created get realized,” says Keil. “I love directing, editing and writing immensely, and I am getting increasingly better at producing. The process of filmmaking gives me such joy, particularly in the editing room. There, I am king and I can make the film precisely how I want.”

Strobl adds that she is excited for the future of the industry and how the technologies and techniques students are being taught in classes will help them create better films.

“It is a continuously growing medium that, with the continuing advancement in technology, will only continue to amaze audiences for years to come,” she says. “There is nothing more fulfilling for a filmmaker than to imagine an

image in ones head and be able to recreate that special moment and capture it for the world to see.”

But students of cinema all agree that filmmaking is not for everyone.

“It requires an uncommonly specific and intense passion, as well as a predisposition toward creativity and hard work,” Keil says. “It is a team-based endeavor, so anyone interested in film must balance individual ability and selfreliance with directness and tact for communicating with the team. The hours are long and many, and there is always a new piece of equipment or editing system to learn.”

Keil added that Murphy’s Law is inevitable in the path to becoming a filmmaker.

“It requires uncommonly specific and intense passion.”

– Dane Keil

“Everything can and will go wrong,” he says. “But if these conditions are met, the vision for the project is strong and everyone is on board with it, there is no greater pleasure than seeing the finished product playing on a screen in front of an audience. No other profession or inclination can know the sheer joy of those moments.”

&

Dane Keil edits one of his projects “Potatoes from Outer Space! Part 1” in Swain Hall. “Video editing isn’t for the faint of heart,” says Keil. “But if you love it, then this is what you do.”

www.blueandwhitemag.com

21

Taking the

story and photos by jordan nash design by carolyn bahar

22

DECEMBER/JANUARY 2014

t

As the men’s swimming and diving team celebrates its 75 anniversary members of both the men’s and women’s teams look forward to an exciting season.

THE DIVERS HAVE JUST FINISHED THEIR PRACTICE. Most of the eight-member team wears

swim suits with the UNC-Chapel Hill logo on them.

The women’s swim caps have the large logo stamped on the side. Diving head coach Abel Sanchez gives the team members pointers about improving their dives. The team makes plans to go out for dinner later; then they huddle and yell, “Team!”

The men’s swim team comes into the pool area to begin its practice as the divers leave. There are about 30 men, laughing and joking with each other as they take their places in separate lanes. One swimmer has the UNC-CH logo tattooed on the side of his torso. Head coach Rich DeSelm blows his whistle and those first in line dive into the pool to begin their warm-ups.

Swimming and diving records adorn the natatorium’s walls. The words ‘Heels’ House’ are written multiple times around the pool.

Besides having a winning record and being ranked in the top 20 nationally, the teams have something else to celebrate this season: the 75th anniversary of the men’s swimming and diving program at UNC-CH. The first men’s swimming and diving team began its season in 1938 after Bowman Gray pool opened in the fall of the same year. The first dual meets were held in the pool the following January.

The team, alumni and coaches celebrated the anniversary on Oct. 25 and 26. The event included the Champions Circle Recognition Ceremony and a barbecue. Members of the dive team say they are honored to be part of such a famous and long-lasting legacy in college sports.

The current swimmers and divers talked with alumni of the teams at the 75th anniversary ceremony and discussed how swimming and diving has evolved as a college sport.

The current members of the dive team say they chatted with alumni about the differences in diving in Koury Natatorium and diving in Bowman Gray Pool. After 48 years in Bowman Gray Pool, the teams now practice and compete in Koury Natatorium, which opened in 1986. The team needed more space to accommodate its growing numbers and the height of the diving platforms.

“They said they could touch the rafters when they dove,” diver Ozzie Moyer says of the previous diving experience in Bowman Gray Pool.

Seventy-five years after the first season, the UNC-CH swimming and diving teams have won 17 Atlantic Coast Conference Championships and have posted 41 NCAA top 30 finishes.

As of Nov. 6, the 2013-2014 women’s swimming and diving team is ranked 9th in the NCAA and the men’s team is ranked 11th, according to the College Swimming Coaches Association of America.

And the swimmers, divers and coaches hope to make the next 75 years as successful as the last.

“I believe we have the personnel to succeed nationally,” DeSelm says.

The swimming and diving teams compete in meets once a week at the most. Meets include dive competitions with a set line-up of dives to perform and swim events from 100-yard butterfly to 800-yard relays. The teams practice most days of the week, switching between workouts in the pool and in the gym. Swim practice includes warm ups and drills to work on specific strokes. The dive team warms up and then performs a variety of dives for Sanchez, who then gives the divers feedback on how to improve each dive.

Both head coaches say they have a strong passion for coaching swimming and diving, as well as helping the swimmers and divers achieve their goals both in and out of the pool.

“I’m excited about the team chemistry and team culture,” DeSelm says. “I believe that a strong and positive culture is vital for our success.”

The dive team says that having a smaller team means they are like a family, and that the swimming and diving teams do everything together, in and out of practice.

“There seems like a lot of them until you get to know them,” diver Erin Purdy says.

DeSelm says his passion for swimming began when he was a teenager. His first time swimming competitively was when the coach of the swim team at a summer pool in his hometown needed a fourth member for the relay team and asked DeSelm to swim.

He was an All-American and swam at UNC-CH,

www.blueandwhitemag.com

23

serving as team captain. He became the assistant coach after graduation. After 15 years as assistant coach, he left UNC-CH for 13 years to coach at Davidson College and the University of Florida. DeSelm was then asked to come back as head swimming coach in 2007.

Last season, the women’s team finished 12th at the NCAA championship, the highest finish in many years.

DeSelm hopes to continue this success this year. The men’s team finished 29th at last year’s NCAA meet. DeSelm says the team fell in rank after a few good years but that the men’s team last year was mostly made up of underclassmen.

“We’d like to move up this year,” he says.

On the other hand, DeSelm says that this years’ women’s team is filled with veterans. He says the women’s team has fared somewhat better than the men’s because of different levels of experience between the two teams.

“I hope to contend for ACC championship,” says DeSelm of the current swim team. “I hope everyone on the team has a personal best time.”

Sanchez is the new head coach of the UNC-CH diving team and has only been coaching the team for two months.

He was a member of the University of Michigan dive team in college and a three-time All-American. He also competed for Peru in the 2000 Summer Olympic Games.

He was coaching at the University of New Mexico when UNC-CH called him to say they were interested in him coaching the dive team, Sanchez says.

The dive team has had three different coaches in the past three years. While Sanchez has only been at UNC-CH for two months, the dive team says they think this coach might work out for them.

24

“We are definitely moving in the right direction,” diver Emily Schmidt says.

Sanchez says he is excited to see what the season brings.

The divers are also excited but nervous about trying something new: diving from the 10-meter platform. The platform has been in place at Koury Natatorium since the natatorium was built, but none of the divers have been trained in using it. Sanchez has encouraged the divers to start competing on the 10-meter platform. For the past several years, divers have competed on 1-meter and 3-meter springboards and 5-meter and 7.5-meter platforms.

“It was scary,” Schmidt says of her first experience on the platform.

The team says they are practicing on the platform twice a week to get used to the new height.

Part of being an athlete, especially a diver, is accepting the risk of getting injured.

Diver Natalie Ritter hit her head on the board at a practice in November and received 25 stitches. The team says they all have at some point hit the board and been injured.

“The more you get injured, the scarier it gets,” Schmidt says.

But they all say it’s worth the pain to be able to compete in meets. Despite the possibility of injury, the divers say they look forward to the season and being able to bond with their fellow teammates.

Both coaches say they are excited for what the season will bring.

“The best part is watching these kids grow,” Sanchez says. “I love watching all of them, whether in diving or in life.”

&

“I believe that a strong and positive culture is vital for our success.”

—Rich DeSelm DECEMBER/JANUARY 2014

Side(line) Note Eshany Edwards

is a freshman from Fayetteville.

She can be reached at eedward2@live.unc.edu.

SHOULD HARD WORK PAY OFF? The student athletes of Carolina are some of the finest in the nation. They work hard in maintaining the University’s image of having a top-tier Division I athletics program. On top of dealing with the rigors of a U.S. News & World Report top five ranked public university, many hours of their time are spent in meetings, practices and games. Shaquille Price, a sophomore cornerback for UNC Football, says that with between the demands of being an athlete, classes and mandatory tutoring, “Any free time that I do have is either spent studying, doing homework or sleeping.”

If these athletes spend all of this time representing and creating revenue for the University, wouldn’t it be plausible that they should be compensated for doing so?

There is a consensus among many students, including myself, who believe that yes, collegiate athletes should receive compensation for their hard work in playing for their school. They spend most of their day, every day, juggling their athletic responsibilities along with their academics, as if they work a full-time job. Although some sports are much more time consuming than others, most student athletes are excluded from taking on a part-time job.

“I would like to have a job to have a little money in my pockets, but from having two to three classes a day, mandatory tutoring sessions, then practice, it’s just not going to happen for me,” Price says.

However, there is the argument that athletes should not have jobs or get paid to play, as many of them already have full-ride scholarships to attend the school. Free housing, food, travel, special tutors and free gear from Nike are all a part of the student athlete lifestyle here at UNC-CH. However, an athletic scholarship doesn’t necessarily mean that money goes into the pockets of an athlete. Due to the cost of miscellaneous needs—clothing, food, etc.—college students are typically short on funds, and college athletes are not exempt from this. These scholarships could possibly be the only way that these athletes could even attend college. Take into account the double standard that is in place, as coaches earn hundreds of thousands of dollars in salaries while their players get nothing. NCAA executives earn millions, and television agreements with major networks are worth billions. Carolina sports generated over $82 million in revenue during the 2012-2013 academic year, according to USA Today. It’s absurd that everyone in the business of college sports gets rich except for the college athletes who virtually do all of the work.

Student athletes also risk their health on a daily basis, just to play for no compensation.

They often risk injuries that could potentially slow down or end their athletic careers, which could also lead to losing their athletic scholarships. Having the opportunity to earn money through the athletic program would be something that student athletes could fall back on should this occur.

Keegan Pace, a junior philosophy major and sports fan, believes that if non-athlete students have the opportunity to earn money for themselves, then athletes should be able to earn money as well, but through the athletic program. In terms of marketing, he also believes that if student athletes want to be paid without restriction from the NCAA, they should be able to get compensated as much as they market themselves. If their likeness, names or current numbers are being used for profit, then why not let them have a cut of it?

At a panel discussion last October, UNC Athletic Director Bubba Cunningham reminded everyone that student athletes at UNC in particular have the privilege not only to participate in sports, but to attend one of the greatest universities in the country. According to Cunningham, the reward for playing—such as a college degree or a professional athletic career—may not be given now, but will pay off much later. Opinions like Cunningham’s have created a bigger gray area in this concept of “paying to play.” To close, if college athletes cannot receive a stipend for the hard work they put into their school’s athletic programs, they should at least have the opportunity to earn money outside of that. Either way, we can be appreciative that our student athletes at Carolina are still willing to bring their athletic spirit to their loving fans, despite their lack of pay. Go Heels!

&

coach profile: ANSON DORRANCE THE AVERAGE COACH would be happy winning 67 percent of his or her games.

Anson Dorrance is not your average coach. Dorrance has won 67 percent of the NCAA Women’s Soccer Championships.

To put that into a bit more perspective: If you take all other universities that have won the NCAA championship title, combine their championships, and then double that number, it would still be fewer than the titles UNC-Chapel Hill has won under Dorrance.

Dorrance says much of his success is due to the quality of recruits he receives, and he takes pride in his ability to bring out competitiveness in a player. But he says the most important cause of his success is respect for the game.

“When you’re playing a game in soccer, you’re always playing two elements,” the Hall of Fame coach says. “You’re playing the other team, but you’re also playing the game itself. Sometimes the game is harder to beat than the opponent.”

Dorrance was appointed head coach of the varsity team for its inaugural season in 1979. From 1986 to 1994, UNC-CH won every national championship, a string of nine straight. Dorrance has won at least 200 games more than any other coach in women’s college soccer and has only lost about seven percent of the games he’s ever coached.

The legendary coach continued building his legacy when he was asked to coach the United States Women’s National Team in 1986, while simultaneously coaching UNC-CH women’s soccer team. Five years after he began coaching the national team, Dorrance pulled out a championship at the first-ever women’s World Cup. “What we got to do was take the world on at its own game,” Dorrance says. “When I was hired, the U.S. hadn’t won a game, and by the time I retired, we were world champions.”

Dorrance has achieved many successes throughout his lengthy coaching career, but he only started coaching on a whim as a law student at UNC-CH. Dorrance coached the men’s team while he attended law school, and in his fourth year of coaching, the University asked him to coach the women’s team as well.

“I was overwhelmed with law school and the two teams, so I decided to drop out of law school and have not looked back,” he says.

Senior midfielder Kelly McFarlane says the intimidation of being in Dorrance’s presence wears off quickly due to the environment he creates for the team.

“I think that what’s pretty special about him is that there are so many girls that have come through this program, but he still cares about each and every one of us,” McFarlane says.

Dorrance says he tries to create an atmosphere for his players that he would want to play in, and the level of power and control he gives his players is what makes his teams so unique.

His players can come to him at any point and speak their mind, and they do so regularly. Whether they disagree with the formation Dorrance is running or they feel one player should start over another, the coach always listens.

“If you believe in something, you’re gonna play harder for it,” he says. “So whether or not I think it’s the correct idea, the fact that they do gives it tremendous juice.”

BY BRYAN FRANTZ

&

26

DECEMBER/JANUARY 2014

sports photos courtesy of UNC Athletic Communications

Anson Dorrance is the winningest coach in women’s college soccer, with over 200 more wins than any other coach in the league.

“The vision of a champion is someone who is bent over, drenched in sweat, at the point of exhaustion when no one else is watching.”

—ANSON DORRANCE, AFTER WATCHING MIA HAMM PRACTICING ON HER OWN DURING HER SENIOR YEAR AT UNC-CH

FRESH FRUIT AND VEGETABLES overflow from containers in the Page and Katherine Graham Stadium Club, a specialized dining hall where student athletes fuel their bodies for their demanding practices and games in the upcoming day.

Along with the Aramark chefs, Mary Ellen Bingham, head sports nutritionist, creates the menu at the athletic dining hall at UNC-Chapel Hill around the athletic teams’ game and practice schedules. Bingham and Rachel Stratton, staff sports nutritionist, each work with the varsity teams to educate student athletes about appropriate foods, enabling them to perform at their best, says sports nutrition intern Paul Salter.

Nutritionists offer many services to student athletes, such as meeting with athletes one-on-one, conducting team nutrition talks and assisting with writing menus for team meals. They also offer educational dining hall and grocery store tours for athletic teams, Salter says.

The nutritionists advise athletes with specific strategies such as nutrient timing and an 80-20 rule. This includes making healthier choices 80 percent of the time and eating less healthy options in moderation the other 20 percent.

Salter says each approach is individualized based on the athlete, but all students are advised to choose a variety of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins and healthy carbohydrates at each meal, in addition to limiting heavily processed food and choosing low-fat dairy or dairy alternatives.

All-American tennis player and UNC-CH junior Caroline Price said she began meeting with Stratton once a week this year to improve her eating patterns. She said the 80-20 rule has helped her transition to a healthier lifestyle.

Price says she found with her busy schedule, it was easier to eat fast food options. She says it was hard to adjust

her eating habits, but the 80-20 helped her find a balance.

At the beginning of the school year, the nutritionists took the tennis team to the grocery store to learn about buying healthier food options. The athletes are told that there are no “good” or “bad” food options, but certain choices are better for their health and fitness, Stratton says.

Price says she was surprised by misconceptions she had about certain labels.

“We just went through all the aisles, and they told us what we’re supposed to look for,” Price says. She was surprised to learn that the foods she thought were healthy weren’t always the best choices. “I just thought because it said multigrain or wheat, ‘Oh, that’s healthy and has all the fiber I need.’”

Both the general student body and student athletes have access to the athletic dining hall located behind Kenan Stadium. Price says that she preferred going there while living on campus because of the athletic dining hall’s fewer and specialized options.

“I found when I would go to Rams or Lenoir, I’m so overwhelmed with all the choices,” Price says. “Even though they do have healthy choices, I found myself overeating.”

Price says she feels that because she has a nutritionist available to her who understands her unique needs, she should take full advantage. Non-student athletes also have access to registered dietitian Antonia Hartley at Campus Health Services.

“I am representing the school, and they do have that for us, so I need to take advantage of it,” Price says. “It’s kind of our job here, so I understand (athletes) have to be a lot more careful. You have to take care of yourself, and that takes care of the team.”

&

BY MORGAN TRACHTMAN PHOTOS BY HANNAH MICKEY

Students Craig Yon, Sachin Santotnam and Taylor Morgan eat their lunches in the athletic dining hall. Because it is a smaller venue, the athletic dining hall usually offers one to two main dishes along with a salad bar and fruit.

EAT TO DEFEAT

shorts

Speaking to lacrosse players Brian Balkam, Brett Bedard and Tate Jozokos, Head Sports Nutritionist Mary Ellen Bingham works to inform the members of the team about how to eat healthy in the Top of Lenoir.

www.blueandwhitemag.com

27

cultural AS I WALKED INTO SASB North at 8 o’clock on a

STEVEN WRIGHT

is a sophomore from Sanford.

He can be reached at stevenwa@live.unc.edu.

Thursday night, I followed the sound of angelic voices resonating in the stairwell. They were harmonizing, singing la-la’s and my-oh-my-oh’s, moving up the scale then back down, intensifying with every half step.

Harmonyx, an a cappella group and performance subdivision of the UNC Black Student Movement, was working on breathing and intonation, preparing for its annual fall concert at the end of November.

As I spent more time listening to the group, I felt an unwavering sense of the group’s unity. They became more than an a cappella group. Every voice had a place and purpose. They became a cohesive unit, cleansing their souls with every note emitted from perfect breaths deep within their cores.

“If I could describe this group in one word, I’d definitely say ‘family’,” says Christina Best, a senior psychology and management and society double major and president of Harmonyx. “There’s just something about performance groups—when you spend so much time singing together, it makes everything personal.”

Although their vocal gifts brought them together, the diverse coterie has a much greater mission on campus. They predominantly highlight the music of African Americans, from R&B and jazz to hip-hop and gospel.

“Every semester we have a different set of eight to ten songs,” says Best. “We’ve performed ‘Treasure’ by Bruno Mars, ‘Mirrors’ by Justin Timberlake, and—one of my favorites—‘Killing Me Softly’ by Lauryn Hill.”

The first thing I noticed about their past set lists was the diversity of the songs. Harmonyx does not discriminate against any style or genre, but instead channels its members’ musical passions to represent a variety of different cultures.

“Harmonyx brings together a lot of people from very different backgrounds,” says freshman member Jay Peterkins. “I think that’s what really sets us apart from other performance groups on campus.”

The group also likes to channel its cultural awareness by giving to many charity events such as the Red Tie Affair, a banquet hosted annually by GlobeMed at UNC-CH to recognize World AIDS Day. When the group members perform at charity events together, it not only keeps them singing, but also serving, says Best.

Finishing their warm-up exercises, the members stood in an arc. Two members came forward, one man and one woman. They stood still and quiet while the rest of the group hummed perfect harmonies, smiling and waiting for their entrance.

“My body is your party, baby/ Nobody’s invited but you, baby,” they began singing. Their version of Ciara’s “Body Party,” which they performed as a duet, highlighted the intimacy and playfulness of the group. The performance was so powerful because the two duetists did not focus on the differences between them. Through their voices, they portrayed two people very much in love. They made the lyrics meaningful and powerful.

Along with its attention to modern popular culture, Harmonyx also delves into past discrimination and injustice with songs such as “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” which is also referred to as “The Black National Anthem.”

The group prefaces the first verse with powerful words in perfect chords that left chills running down my arms.

“We will not bow down to injustice. We will not bow down to exploitation. I’m going to stand.” And they stand.

I love how the group refuses to forget the past. Often, we as Americans prefer to push our bad memories aside and start anew, but if we do not remember our mistakes, we cannot fully move on. That’s what Harmonyx is about: remembering past tragedies to build strength to move forward as one unified society. It’s so refreshing to see people our age with such dedication to preserving history through performance.

In addition to Harmonyx, there are three other performance subgroups of the UNC Black Student Movement: Opeyo! Dance Company, a dance group open

WHAT’S YOUR GO-TO STUDY SNACK? PHOTOS BY CLAIRE COLLINS

ROB POSTON, FRESHMAN

Triple Club and a large coffee from Alpine.

AUTUMN RACIERO, SENIOR An apple or an orange.

connection to both males and females; the UNC Gospel Choir, one of the largest subgroups of the Black Student Movement; and Ebony Readers/Onyx Theatre (EROT), a poetry slam group. Many members of Harmonyx are also members of these other performance subgroups, displaying their diversity through other forms of art and expression.

The most important thing I learned from spending time with Harmonyx is the meaning of great leadership and teamwork. Harmonyx is not dictated by one person or subgroup, but instead led by everyone. Without each member of the group, Harmonyx could not function at such optimal levels.

&

PRYCE ANCONA, JUNIOR

Coffee from Open Eye in Carborro.

OLIVIA HENLEY, FRESHMAN

Dark chocolate Hershey’s kisses.

PHOTOS BY KATHERINE HARRELL

Members of Harmonyx practice in a stairwell area located in bottom of SASB North. The group gravitates towards songs of the R&B, hip-hop and gospel varieties when selecting their set list.

On Carolina Time Kate Albers

is a sophomore from Mooresville.

She can be reached at kalbers@live.unc.edu.

30

CTOPS 2012

CLAUS AND COUPONS With dropping temperatures, I can only think of one thing: Christmas. Yet with Christmas comes the hordes of angry shoppers fighting for the best gifts.

As thrifty as I am, I try to find amazing presents for all of my loved ones at affordable prices. This includes sale shopping, coupon-cutting, and clawing my way through bargain bins in order to find that last pair of elephant-themed fuzzy socks.

With fuzzy socks in hand, I abandon my shopping claws to be Santa Claus. But I won’t spend my entire break as a shopaholic; I also intend to spend some of my Christmas relaxing before stressing over the new semester.

As the days shorten and the nights cool down, I ready myself for the holiday activities ahead. In order for you to do the same, reminisce on your past holiday memories and think about the importance of friends, family and giving back, so you can have the best Christmas celebration yet.

CHILDHOOD CHEER

Many of us used to believe in old Saint Nick. I look back on that naïve part of my life and try to will it back into existence. Who wouldn’t want a jolly, round man from the North Pole to bring you a sack of goodies?

While sitting around with some of my friends thinking about the past, we each shared how we discovered the truth about Santa Claus.

One of my friends told me that he used to set traps for Santa. Being the logical guy that he was, he wanted to know the truth. One year, he told me, he set up a video camera down by the Christmas tree. The next morning he found it taken down.

Another year, he set a fingerprint-taking trap. He planned to compare his parents’ prints to those he found under the tree. Regardless of his hopes, the infamous Santa Claus avoided the trap. In fact, his parents have never actually told him the truth about the jolly red man. For all we know, he could still be out there.

This holiday season, take time to think back on such raw innocence. Think about your young family members or friends who still believe in the magic man, however illogical it may seem to you now.

SELFLESS SANTA

I have a friend who is Santa Claus. She doesn’t wear red, and she doesn’t slide down chimneys.

Instead, she slides presents under the tree for her younger siblings.

In her Cuban family, she told me, their biggest celebration takes place on the night before Christmas. On Nochebuena, or Christmas Eve, they roast and eat a pig. With loved ones everywhere, she opens gifts from her extended family.

Once the rest of the family goes to sleep, she and her older brother stay up late and put presents under the tree. When her younger brothers force her out of bed early in the morning, unaware that she was up late, she keeps up the guise.

She is selfless; she is jolly; she is giving. That sounds a lot like Santa Claus to me.

This holiday season, take time to be Santa for someone else. Go on a winter break trip with APPLES to serve others. Give back by volunteering for Habitat for Humanity or donating clothes to the Salvation Army in the spirit of old Saint Nick.

A CAROLINA CHRISTMAS

Right now I’m not thinking about upcoming exams or review sessions, I’m thinking about Santa Claus and cutting coupons. While I find it Santa-like to hunt for hours for the best gift, many others do different things with their holiday spirit.

Some give friends and family hugs. You could make someone holiday cookies in the dorm kitchen.

Sing in a Christmas choir. Go see The Nutcracker at Memorial Hall. Eat candy canes and listen to holiday music until your ears bleed. If none of that works, watch ABC Family’s Christmas movie marathon with your roommates. You’re sure to feel like Saint Nick after that.

Surprise others like Claus does. That selflessness is more than a holiday trait. It’s the Carolina Way, and that is something we can all celebrate.

&

YOUR AD HERE.

For advertising info, contact Rachel Rondeau at rrondeau@live.unc.edu.

PHOTO BY MARK PERRY

For the latest updates FOLLOW us on Twitter

@bluewhitemag

www.

blueandwhitemag .com

VISIT BLUE & WHITE ONLINE FOR PAST ISSUES, ADDITIONAL PHOTOS AND EXCLUSIVE BLOG POSTS! www.blueandwhitemag.com

31

&