INDY Week October 18, 2023

Also inside, p. 21:

The INDY’s 2023 Endorsements:

Raleigh | Durham | Chapel Hill October 18, 2023

Chapel Hill Mayor & Town Council, Carrboro Mayor & Town Council, Chapel Hill-Carborro City Schools Board of Education

This election cycle, Chapel Hill, once again, is toggling between the competing factions of those who want to see the town grow and those who want it to stay mostly the same. A small business on Franklin Street is caught in the middle. By Chase Pellegrini de Paur, p. 8

Raleigh W Durham W Chapel Hill VOL. 40 NO. 31

CONTENTS NEWS 8

As Chapel Hill toggles between growth and change and staying the same for yet another election cycle, the Purple Bowl is caught in the middle.

BY CHASE PELLEGRINI DE PAUR

12 High achiever Ben Salas was one of seven NC State students who ended their lives last academic year. His devastated family has no idea why. BY JADE NEPTUNE 16 Four years after Durham voters approved a $95 million affordable housing bond, a look at the city's progress on key metrics. BY CY NEFF 21 Endorsements: Our endorsements for Chapel Hill Mayor and Town Council, Carrboro Mayor and Town Council, and Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools.

BY INDY STAFF

ARTS & CULTURE 24 How a shocking discovery about the origins of a band name changed Loamlands into Meltdown Rodeo. BY BRIAN HOWE 26 What happens when two neighboring theater companies both stage productions of Stephen King's Misery? BY BYRON WOODS 28 Thanks to a helping hand from the community, the Rialto Theatre in Raleigh is back open. BY JASMINE GALLUP 30 The Triangle Area Pagan Alliance turns ten. BY CHASE PELLEGRINI DE PAUR 31 Pop into Five Points' Night School Bar in downtown Durham, and you'll find a nice list of cocktails—and a thriving hub for the arts and humanities.

BY JUSTIN LAIDLAW

THE REGULARS 4

Backtalk

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Voices

33 Culture calendar

15 minutes

Night School Bar Founder and CEO Lindsey Andrews welcomes patrons attending the Chessa Rich & Skylar Gudasz performance and craft talk on Sunday, Oct. 8, 2023, in Durham. (See story, page 31.) PHOTO BY ANGELICA EDWARDS

COVER Chapel Hill mayoral candidates Adam Searing (L) and Jess Anderson (R)

CANDIDATE PHOTOS BY ANGELICA EDWARDS. ADDITIONAL PHOTOS VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS AND UNSPLASH. CONCEPT SKETCH IMAGE VIA LONGFELLOW REAL ESTATE PARTNERS.

WE M A DE THIS PUB LI S H E R John Hurld EDI T O RI A L Editor in Chief Jane Porter Culture Editor Sarah Edwards Staff Writers Jasmine Gallup Lena Geller

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Reporters Justin Laidlaw Chase Pellegrini de Paur Contributors Desmera Gatewood, Spencer Griffith, Carr Harkrader, Matt Hartman, Brian Howe, Kyesha Jennings, Jordan Lawrence, Glenn McDonald, Thomasi McDonald, Nick McGregor, Gabi Mendick, Shelbi Polk, Dan Ruccia, Harris Wheless, Byron Woods, Barry Yeoman

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Copy Editor Iza Wojciechowska Interns Mariana Fabian, Hannah Kaufman

CR EATIVE Creative Director Nicole Pajor Moore Graphic Designer Izzel Flores Staff Photographer Angelica Edwards

ADVER TISING Publisher John Hurld Director of Revenue Mathias Marchington Operations Assistant Chelsey Koch CIR CU L ATION Berry Media Group MEMBER SH IP/ SU BSCR IP TIONS John Hurld

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BACK TA L K

Two weeks ago for the web, we published an op-ed by Maya Handa, the campaign manager for Durham commissioner Nida Allam, who ran to succeed David Price in the state’s 4th Congressional District last year. Allam was defeated by now Congresswoman Valerie Foushee, and Handa had some choice words for local elected officials who recently criticized reported PAC spending in a Chapel Hill Town Council election but didn’t speak out about the vast sums of money Foushee, whom many endorsed, took from a crypto billionaire. Readers had thoughts.

From reader and former Carrboro cil protocol including making it impossible Town Council member SAMMY for a councilmember to introduce a resoluSLADE, via email: tion that doesn’t already have unanimous In response to the op-ed by Maya Handa support.

In the end I am grateful for the opportunicontrasting Orange County electeds vocal ty to have stayed true to mine and Carrboro opposition in Orange county this year to citizen values despite the challenge and conthe silence last year on the distortion of democracy by lots of money from a few, troversy. I am glad to see that a year later othshe says “not a single Orange County elect- ers have found it safe enough to join. ed official said a word.”

For the record one was very vocal.

The race for NC 4th congressional district seat in the end was a record breaker for NC primary elections at <$40 per vote of super PAC money from one California crypto-billionaire and AIPAC spent on behalf of Valerie Foushee’s campaign.

Contrast that with, the also condemnable, $12 per voter promised so far by a few local rich people on behalf of Adam Searings mayoral bid.

A year ago, it was shocking to me the degree to which so many of my colleagues in Orange County were silent despite my many attempts to elicit a reaction by them.

It got to a point where at one council meeting my whole council, excepting the mayor, walked out on me for making the connection with how this corruption of democracy translates into a political system that does nothing meaningful in response to so many issues that need serious attention (gun violence, climate emergency, affordable housing, war, etc.). That incident, along with a previous attempt by me to reaffirm Carrboro’s resolution against the supreme court’s Citizen United decision, caused one member of my council to float the idea of censoring me and ultimately to a process by our council to change coun-

From reader E. THOMAS HENKEL, via email: Maya Handa seems to suggest that any local Political Action Committee (PAC) involved in local municipal elections might be the same as Super PACs with their dark money. Nothing could be further from the truth! I am Treasurer of the Chapel Hill Leadership Political Action Committee (CHLPAC), and this PAC has been active in Chapel Hill municipal elections since 2015. It is duly registered with the NC State Board of Elections (SBE). The campaign finance reports, which I am required to submit on a regular basis, detail the names and some personal information about our donors, their donation amounts, and details about how the PAC spends these funds. The PAC may only give a maximum of $357 to a Candidate Committee, unlike the Super PAC which gave $4M to the Foushee campaign last year, but it has not ever done so. The CHL-PAC funds the printing of campaign materials, which are used in door-to-door canvassing by volunteers not organized by Candidate Committees, for mailings to voters, and for other media advertising in support of its chosen candidates. The CHL-PAC accepts donations from all who want to see our candidates elected to office. This year we are supporting Adam Searing for mayor of Chapel Hill, and David

Adams, Breckany Echardt, Elizabeth Sharp, and Renuka Soll for Chapel Hill Council.

And from reader STEVE FLECK, via email: Thank you, Ms. Handa, for your article on this very pertinent question.

I’m probably not the only one, however, to have pointed out that Karen Stegman’s substack blog piece about planning a Super PAC was already incorrect when published, because the people planning it had dropped the project weeks before. It never existed other than a project focused on repealing the town’s change to its LUMO. Plus, Ms. Stegman did not mention that she herself had taken money from the Chapel Hill Leadership PAC in a run for Town Council.

Apart from these quibbles, I found it a most timely expression about the effects of the Citizens United verdict’s unleashing of unlimited amounts of money into our politics.

Also for the web, we published a piece about a local classical radio station’s reversal of a decision not to air certain operas “with adult themes.”

From reader MAXKATH 21, via email: While I am glad that WCPE reversed its decision to not air certain operas that have “adult themes” and are in a “non-classical style,” I am more concerned that station manager Deborah Proctor seems to believe that art should serve as a refuge from real life. (To say nothing of the other belief that it should bear some sort of Christian content.)

There has been a broader discussion in online spaces about the incuriosity of the younger generation about any art that was made before the 1990’s, and a decision like this only encourages more of the same incuriousness. The fact that there was such

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intense pushback is encouraging that there are still people out there wanting to hear challenging art, but people like miss Proctor, who have final say about what art is shown to the public, have no right being in such places of power in the first place.

Especially when such decisions have a negative impact on artists of color.

And from reader KAREN MOORMAN, via email: My first reaction was “this cannot be true.” It is regrettable that a local station we have listened to for many years has resorted to censorship.

If we needed a classical music station for twelve-and under listeners, my music students and their parents would have asked for this years ago. And they did not. Alas, I believe there are other terms I might apply to my great disappointment, but they would not be appropriate for a general audience.

And from reader MAC MCCORD, via email: I was horrified to learn that WCPE would even consider censoring certain operas—operas are art and you do not censor art and call yourself a viable public art station. I am glad they reversed the decision—we are loyal fans and subscribers; I would hate to have to cancel my monthly subscription but will do so if WCPE starts censoring music.

Head over to our Facebook page for some more takes on the topic, including this gem from MICHAEL BYERS: We have to be careful. All the kids listen to that radio station.

Meanwhile, Kids: What’s a radio?

VOICES

Gemynii in 3-D For LGBTQ History Month, celebrating a Gem

BY DESMERA GATEWOOD backtalk@indyweek.com

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n September, to commemorate Pride Durham, NC, I wrote a piece for the INDY about the powerful presence of the LGBTQ Center of Durham and the impact it continues to make in the lives of Black and brown queer folks in the community. To help solidify that understanding, members of the LGBTQ Center of Durham submitted pieces relaying their narratives and origin stories.

This month, October, is recognized nationally as LGBTQ history month. So I’m taking this opportunity to magnify one of those stories from last month’s series of Pride narratives and further demonstrate the intentionality that members of Durham’s BIPOC queer community invoke when merging their talents, passions, and daily practices in the pursuit of healing and liberation.

There’s one artist, activist, and wielder of radical love whom I’ve witnessed three-dimensionally embody the totality of what it means to live, celebrate, and memorialize Black queerness. She’s not a triple threat;

brown queer community members. She is a culmination of LGBTQ history, the status of the LGBTQ present, and the trajectory and hope for the future of LGBTQ people. She is Durham’s very own three-dimensional phenomenon: Gemynii.

Gemynii made her mark on Durham’s queer art community through paintings, teach-ins, and community gatherings for almost half a decade prior to 2020’s pandemic. Since then, advancements in technology, declining economic conditions, and the intensifying political climate have all contributed to Gemynii’s evolution as an activist and artist.

In cities like Durham, the pandemic exacerbated existing grim conditions for under-resourced communities like those of Black and brown queer folks. Inevitably, when scores of Black and brown queer people were impacted by layoffs and closing businesses, housing and food insecurity escalated. Working-class people were put in impossible positions— negotiating with landlords for payment

Miss B Haven mesmerizes the crowd at RENT DUE party PHOTO COURTESY OF GEMYNII

“The only reliable constant in the everchanging landscape of consequential capitalism is the collective commitment to ensuring that ‘we keep us safe.’” she’s a trifecta of hope. She’s not just multifaceted; she’s committed to multiple aspects of the struggle and seizes a variety of entry points. She uses her DJing and curation, her visual storytelling, and her service to the community through her daily occupation to create a three-dimensional approach to bettering the condition of Durham’s Black and

extensions, promising on the basis of good faith to fulfill financial obligations, searching for alternative sources of income in a seemingly jobless America.

The only reliable constant in the ever-changing landscape of consequential capitalism is the collective commitment to ensure that “we keep us safe.” In keeping us

Gemynii PHOTO BY SAMANTHA EVERETTE INDYweek.com October 18, 2023

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L: Angel of Air, Angel of Water; below: Black Excellence PAINTINGS BY GEMYNII

safe, Gemynii, in her role as a DJ, along with her team of Black queer entertainers and curators who birthed the Conjure celebration series, initiated an effort to throw rent parties at Durham’s Pinhook.

Dating to July 2022, the monthly gatherings address the needs for both spiritual upliftment and economic resources.

Rent parties are a space where drag culture, dance, and freedom of expression converge to the soundtrack of DJ Gemynii’s intentionally curated set lists. The revenue generated from these events is allocated to providing relief for queer people who just want to live safely.

In 2020, during the intense uprisings and unrest that followed the painful murder of George Floyd at the hands of police officers in Minneapolis, business owners throughout downtown Durham boarded their windows and doors to guard their property. Artists like Gemynii regarded these shields as a wooden medium to create murals for displaying messages of rage and love. This artwork was an extension of her past movement-conscious work, like the Rekia Boyd portrait she presented me with after I addressed a crowd at a rally.

Queer artistry and expression infused 6

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with the muse of resistance is a critical dimension of Gemynii. She gives a speech, a poem, a song—a story to every portrait of bold Black beauty that she conceives.

They are music icons, community leaders, sex symbols, friends, martyrs, heroes. Their faces and bodies are expressed through

ter of Durham, she serves as the director of housing and therapeutic services, bringing together through Project FAM three programming areas: gender resources, advocacy, and support programs; housing and therapeutic services; and services for LGBTQ survivors of sexual and domestic

“Gemynii extends an empathetic approach to addressing the pain and deprivation experienced disproportionately by those represented by her own identities.” thoughtfully intricate and exaggerated proportions, intentionally blended shades and schemes, deep shadows, color theory, and strokes of radical queer love.

The third dimension is Gemynii’s commitment to the holistic well-being of her community. In her role at the LGBTQ Cen-

violence. These services are low-barrier, free, and accessible to anyone in Durham and the Triangle age 18 and older. They seek to support LGBTQ people and families in all stages of their lives.

The LGBTQ Center of Durham hosts an ingenious variety of members like Gemynii

and programs like Project FAM. As with rent parties, artistically repurposing boarded windows, amplifying queer Black faces and bodies, and through Project FAM, Gemynii compounds her love for her work with her love for her people. She extends an empathetic approach to addressing the pain and deprivation experienced disproportionately by those represented by her own identities. She listens, connects people to services, and applies her personal narrative as a Black queer human as a lens to humanize those she serves.

To celebrate this Gem during LGBTQ History Month is to celebrate the long-standing legacy of queer change makers and storytellers. Gemynii is another in a lineage of wielders of queer Black fiery love, interpreters of the queer Black soul, lifelines for queer Black existence. I have the honor of knowing this human in 3-D, and her impact is part of my own queer testimony. She made me believe that I can be me and just me and not give a damn.

This Gem is certainly a treasure. In these pages, you’ll see evidence of Gemyinii’s activism and her painted artwork. I hope you can appreciate, as I do, the experience of Gemynii in 3-D. W

L: Aaron Azcona; below: Aaron Azcona meeting Dominican Republic president Luis Rodolfo Abinader Corona.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE SUBJECT

What kind of ideas did you share?

I had shared with him that he should consider putting musical theater and dance classes for an after-school program, because right now, I think they only have ballet classes there. But I just told him how theater, it’s a place where kids can be a different person. It just opens a lot of doors for them, it helps them with social skills that help them get closer to their friends. It’s also better for the parents so they can kind of have more [time to] work and their kids can have more time to play and not just do school all day.

Apex

15 MINUTES

What was the application process like?

I applied for this award; I had to submit my résumé and all the activities and my grades and letters of recommendation.

Aaron Azcona, 14 Received the Outstanding Dominican Students Abroad award from the government of the Dominican Republic

BY HANNAH KAUFMAN backtalk@indyweek.com

Tell me about yourself and about your participation in Young Leaders in Action, or Jóvenes Líderes en Acción.

I am in eighth grade and I’m homeschooled right now. I’m in theater—I’m in two shows right now, 13 and Ragtime.

I’m with the Youth Health Council [Program] and I’m an ambassador for the Young Leaders in Action (YLA). I do a lot of stuff with the Youth Health Council and I help out with the events, I set up for a lot of the Latino fests around the area, and pretty much do a lot of that. I’ve been in the YLA for about a year now.

What inspired you to join YLA? For one reason, I like it how, there, we pretty much only speak Spanish, and I kind of wanted a place where I could talk in Spanish to get better at my Spanish so I can talk

to my dad whenever I want to and be better grammatically and pronunciation-wise. And also, I just like helping around young Latinos who have dreams and might not be able to get those dreams. I like helping them so they can pursue their dreams.

How was the experience going to the Dominican Republic to meet President Luis Rodolfo Abinader Corona?

It was a wonderful experience. First off, because I just personally love the Dominican Republic, I [tell everyone] I’m Dominican all the time. And I just love learning more about the country and learning more about the Palacio Nacional over there. It was an honor to meet him because I shared some ideas to make the country better, and I think he listened, but it was just an honor to meet an official from over there.

What kind of support did you get during this process?

I got a lot of support. My dad supported me a lot, he took off from work for the entire week so he could take me [to the Dominican Republic]. And he made sure I had everything ready, everything that I needed, he helped submit all my grades and everything. And also I had a lot of support from my mom, because she just helped me get to where I am with all my achievements I’ve had in the past year; she just pushed me and pushed me to go as far as I can. I had also gone to the @weareunidosus Changemakers Summit in Washington, DC, so a lot of people from the Youth Health Council supported me in this.

How will you continue to uphold this title of excellence going forward?

I’m trying to continue on keeping with academic excellence because I do want to go to SAB—the School of American Ballet in New York—for high school or even UNCSA for high school, and academics are very tough there. And the dance there is very intense so I do intend to keep on pushing. W This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

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Chapel Hill

Double Vision This election cycle, Chapel Hill, once again, is toggling between the competing factions of those who want to see the town grow and those who want it to stay mostly the same. A small business on Franklin Street is caught in the middle.

BY CHASE PELLEGRINI DE PAUR chase@indyweek.com

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t 306 West Franklin Street on a weekday afternoon, the Purple Bowl looks like a carefully curated Pinterest board that somehow oozed out of a computer screen and splattered itself into the third dimension in a Chapel Hill storefront.

Sunlight and 2010s-era alternative music flood the space while peppy young workers in purple aprons take down $8 smoothie orders in front of a wall of alternative milks and locally sourced coffee beans. An adorable child smears purple sludge on his face while happy folks slurp nutrients through “100 percent plant-based biodegradable” straws. A purple cornhole set, propped up against the counter, almost demands to be dragged onto the patio to be used by a couple on a first date or a family of four.

But a small yellow sign, planted a few feet from the Franklin Street curb, seems to prevent the music, the joy, the smiles, from spilling out beyond the patio. No one looks at it, but the large letter Z in the sign’s center, with its jagged edges, threatens to pierce the bubble of the violet utopia.

“ZONING NOTICE,” it reads. “Development Application Pending for this Property.”

Since 2022, the town council has been weighing a proposal to level the Purple Bowl and several other businesses and replace them with a nine-story life sciences center that would span the block from Franklin to Rosemary Street. The developers, Boston-based Longfellow Real Estate Partners, have been continually updating the proposal, but they maintain that the facility would be around 150 feet tall and include first-floor retail space below at least 400,000 square feet of commercial wet labs and offices. With a central courtyard, the developers also hope it would open up pedestrian traffic between Franklin and Rosemary Streets. A Longfellow statement to the council said the building would create “space for hundreds of new jobs for office, research, life sciences, technology, etc. and opportunity for supporting jobs and 8

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The Purple Bowl in downtown Chapel Hill PHOTO BY ANGELICA EDWARDS

existing businesses in the heart of downtown.”

Longfellow has argued that the building is at the “low point” of Franklin Street, so its nine stories would not appear as tall. But it would still mark a shift in the economic and aesthetic future of the town. That’s why it’s also become a major talking point for the candidates in next month’s mayoral and town council elections, not to mention for voters, residents, and other stakeholders who have been weighing in.

A town nearly as old as the nation itself, Chapel Hill has faced countless decisions about its identity since its founding in the 18th century. In the 21st century, each election year, the town council has been the rope in a tugof-war between those who eagerly want to grow the town’s housing, commercial development, transit, and connectivity and those who want to see it stay nearly the same. The former group includes younger residents, renters, students, and the many workers who commute into the town daily because they can’t afford to live there; the latter group is composed of mostly wealthier, largely white homeowners.

Now the Purple Bowl is caught in the middle of it all.

Owned and operated by a Chapel Hill family, the Purple Bowl has been popular with UNC students and athletes since it opened in 2017. In 2022, it expanded into the adjacent storefront, creating an airy space with plenty of room for Chapel Hill residents to coexist alongside students and their laptops. When the landlord put the whole building on the market, the owners of the Purple Bowl tried to buy it. They lost their bid to Longfellow.

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o Mayor Pam Hemminger, who has served as mayor since 2015 but decided not to run for reelection this year, the Longfellow proposal is an opportunity to expand

the town’s commercial tax base. She hopes it would not only attract new businesses but also just keep more Tar Heels in town after they graduate from UNC. “There’s a lot of entrepreneurship and innovation going on with the medical faculty, staff, and students,” Hemminger says. “We’re unusual in the fact that we have a world-class university and a health care system in a small, compact, downtown that [all] want the space.”

Because UNC is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, it doesn’t pay taxes on its massive land holdings. It’s also awarded even more privileges due to its public status. While private universities like Durham’s Duke pay taxes on their noneducational land (such as the Washington Duke Inn), UNC buildings like the Carolina Inn are exempt.

Additionally, UNC is one of the largest landlords on Franklin Street, with holdings including 138–144 East Franklin Street, the building that hosts the popular Carolina Coffee Shop (“Chapel Hill’s oldest original restaurant”).

Durham and other college towns face similar issues with large, nonprofit university property owners, but the issue is especially noticeable in Chapel Hill because of the relatively high student-to-resident ratio.

Hemminger points to this college-town characteristic as one of the reasons behind recent property tax hikes.

She adds that UNC has been “desperate” for lab space, envious of Durham’s Chesterfield building on Main Street and the new Durham ID on Morris Street, another Longfellow building. The developers approached Hemminger and the council, pitching lab space as a way to slow the bleed of STEM talent to Durham, the Research Triangle Park, and bigger cities nationally.

To some, though, that promise is not enough to justify the demolition of the Purple Bowl.

Chapel Hill mayoral candidate Adam Searing poses for a portrait in Chapel Hill. PHOTO BY ANGELICA EDWARDS

With a patio that looks across Franklin Street to Panera and Chipotle, the Purple Bowl and its neighboring stores stand out as rare small independent businesses in a town currently fixated on the ever-shifting opening date of the new Raising Cane’s. At a town council meeting in March, the Purple Bowl CEO Paula Gilland led a group of UNC students who spoke out against the Longfellow proposal.

“Purple Bowl has created a very special sense of community with Chapel Hill,” said Gilland. “It serves as a location where students, student athletes, young families, and retirees can all congregate. They come and enjoy healthy food together. It must be cherished, not demolished.”

Gilland has also said that the money spent in the voluntary expansion and renovation last year would be lost in any move. (The INDY’s efforts to schedule an interview with Gilland before press time were unsuccessful.)

“When I think of Purple Bowl, I don’t think of it as a restaurant,” Julia Herrington, a UNC field hockey player, told the council. “Yes, Purple Bowl has created the perfect acai bowl. But it is much more than that. Paula [Gilland] has created a safe space for UNC students and student athletes.”

The proposal has even drawn some attention from out of town.

“It is very easy to kill the goose that lays the golden egg,” wrote Mary Jane Calhoun Donelan and Michael Donelan of Plymouth, Massachusetts, in an email to council members. “Often smaller cities and towns are like that girl in high school who doesn’t know she is pretty. Chapel Hill is pretty. Chapel Hill has its own magic. Putting up a nine story building on Franklin street? Really? Must be hunting season, and the goose is about to be shot.”

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ne of the people inspired by the movement to save the Purple Bowl is Adam Searing, who announced his bid for mayor in July. He currently serves on the town council. One of his first campaign newsletters said the Purple Bowl story “pushed me over the edge and into the race for Mayor,” calling the business “a community gath-

ering place, an institution.”

Searing’s comments while campaigning frequently draw on a nostalgia for the Chapel Hill he grew up in.

He told the INDY that the friendly atmosphere of the Purple Bowl reminds him of the bike shop where he got his first job, fixing tires when he was a teen. His pitch to voters has centered around his love of the town’s nature, arguing that the town spends too much on consultants and not enough on parks.

Searing’s opponent, Jess Anderson, is also a current member of the council. She was endorsed by Hemminger and five of the six other council members (excluding herself and Searing). This split is reminiscent of the past two years on the council, with Searing on the lonely side of some 8-1 council votes.

That’s why Searing is running with a slate of four candidates: David Adams, Breckany Eckhardt, Elizabeth Sharp, and Renuka Soll. If Searing and his slate all win next month, they would hold a majority on the council.

Searing and his slate are backed by Chapel Hill Alliance for a Livable Town, or CHALT, an advocacy group with an associated political action committee, the Chapel Hill Leadership PAC (CHL-PAC), used to bankroll candidates and campaigns. CHALT’s allegiances and effectiveness have shifted over recent years, with the group first supporting Hemminger in 2017 and 2019, then unsuccessfully supporting her challenger in 2021. CHALT also supported Anderson in her 2019 reelection campaign, before endorsing Searing in his initial 2021 run.

None of the other town council candidates are officially running on a slate, although NEXT Chapel Hill, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that advocates for sustainable transit, housing, and growth initiatives, has endorsed Anderson and council candidates Melissa McCullough, Jon Mitchell, Theodore Nollert, and Erik Valera. (NEXT also has an affiliated 501(c) (4) political advocacy arm.)

All of the CHALT- and NEXT-endorsed council candidates would be newcomers. Amy Ryan is the only incum-

bent council member up for election this year who is running to defend her seat.

This alphabet soup of Chapel Hill politics isn’t exactly accessible to new residents or people who work long hours and can’t afford to take the time to dig through campaign finance reports. And with a void in local journalism, candidates and their supporters have been doing their best to portray one another in the most unflattering light possible. Most recently, Searing and Triangle Blog Blog, a 501(c)(4) nonprofit that shares some personnel with NEXT, have been trading blows online.

In August, Triangle Blog Blog published emails that showed several wealthy Chapel Hill residents planning to spend $120,000 to elect Searing and his slate. Those plans were scrapped after they became public. Searing sent out an October newsletter titled “Dark Money in Chapel Hill Elections,” calling Triangle Blog Blog and NEXT “secretive dark money groups behind attack politics” and disputing their fact checks.

Searing also linked to public incorporation and tax documents that listed the names and addresses of several of their founders and officers. Anderson called that out as “doxxing” on X (Twitter), and Triangle Blog Blog wrote a response fact-checking Searing’s fact check about Triangle Blog Blog’s fact checks.

Searing says he struggled to recruit like-minded candidates, because many didn’t want the scrutiny that comes with being an elected official. And there has been scrutiny, especially when it comes to fundraising. Following reporting on the formation of the new PAC, rumored donors instead gave money directly to candidates and to CHALT’s already-existing associated CHL-PAC. As it happens, this has been the most expensive mayoral race in Chapel Hill history. Searing has raised $34,857, according to the most recent campaign finance disclosures, while Anderson raised $26,588. Many donors who gave large sums of money to the CHL-PAC also donated to Searing’s campaign, including CHALT cofounder Julie INDYweek.com October 18, 2023

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Chapel Hill mayoral candidate Jess Anderson poses for a portrait at the Chapel Hill Community Center Park in Chapel Hill. PHOTO BY ANGELICA EDWARDS

McClintock and some of the residents reported to be connected with the PAC that was later abandoned.

Gilland and her son, Taylor Gilland, the owner of the Purple Bowl, each donated $357 to Searing’s campaign, the maximum amount allowed under town rules.

Elizabeth Sharp, whose family owns local restaurants Hawthorne & Wood and Bluebird, is a Searing slate candidate. She led the fundraising pack for council candidates, raising a reported $19,228, buttressed by a $6,500 donation to herself. Theodore Nollert, a UNC-CH graduate student endorsed by NEXT, was the second highest fundraiser, hauling in $18,193.

W

hile Gilland has pushed for the town to choose the Purple Bowl over the Longfellow building, Anderson says she doesn’t see it as a zero-sum game. She often says that the town can walk and chew gum at the same time.

“We have to be able to follow our strategic plans and also take care of people who are already here along the way,” Anderson says.

She has touted the town’s Complete Community framework, developed in 2022 and adopted into town plans through this year, as a cornerstone of her vision. It’s a guide that, through changes like amendments to the land use management ordinance (LUMO), aims to balance the town’s needs for housing, transit, retail space, and other categories that Anderson says provides structure to the council’s future decisions. And she thinks the Longfellow building could be a part of that long-term vision.

“We can’t say no to these opportunities when it’s not easy to get investment in our downtown at this point,” she says.

In an online candidate questionnaire, Searing pointed to “eight years of fiscal irresponsibility and mismanagement by the Town Council.” He told the INDY that the town should stop paying for outside consultants to create plans like Complete Community and spend that money on existing projects instead. Anderson sees the use of consultants as necessary for a small-town government without a huge 10

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staff of full-time workers.

“We want to do really cool things, and we need people with expertise that we wouldn’t make sense to hire for,” she says.

Hemminger, speaking on her endorsement of Anderson, told the INDY that Searing is “unresponsive” to other council members. “He doesn’t like to have conversations with any of us,” she says. “He won’t talk to his colleagues.”

Searing says he “tried very hard to reach out to other members, but because Pam [Hemminger] and the members of the council had a supermajority and could do what they want, they were not very interested in addressing these issues.”

“I just chose to build outside coalitions with people very unhappy with the current leadership on the council and beyond,” says Searing. He worries that plans like Longfellow’s would leave the town “a soulless municipality that is just built up but lacks any character of what everybody loves about Chapel Hill.”

But Hemminger doesn’t see this as part of an inevitable rush of big or corporate business to Franklin Street.

Between the Longfellow proposal and the Grubb building going up on Rosemary Street—an $80 million investment that will also include labs and office space—“I think that’s pretty much our commercial capacity,” says Hemminger.

She says she’s been friends with Gilland, and the town has been doing its best to help her look at relocation grants for the Purple Bowl. The proposal is listed for review, but not a final vote, on the town council’s October 25 agenda.

At the meeting in March, council members raised concerns about institutions that didn’t mobilize battalions of UNC students to speak for them.

Council member Tai Huynh pushed for Longfellow to prioritize all current tenants of 306 West Franklin Street, including the owner of Bella Nail Bar, who doesn’t speak English. Council member Paris Miller-Foushee mentioned the historically Black Northside community that borders Rosemary Street and encouraged the developers to con-

tinue to build an “understanding” of that community and its civil rights history.

B

ecause of the often heated campaign rhetoric, it’s easy to think of Searing and Anderson as diametrically opposed. But Searing says he was with the majority of the council on “probably 80-plus percent of the votes.”

Both mayoral candidates are Democrats running for office in one of North Carolina’s most liberal enclaves. Searing has an LGBTQ Pride flag in his X (Twitter) account’s name. Anderson has a pro-choice sticker on the side of her car. They’ve both voted in favor of the town’s new affordable housing plan and development strategy, and both expressed worries about displacement of residents in low-income housing. If they were members of the state legislature, they would probably vote in lockstep.

Half of the seats on the council, including Anderson’s current seat, are up for election this year. Searing’s is not.

That means that an Anderson victory would require the two to continue to work together. And the newcomers to the council will quickly have their campaign rhetoric put to the test when they’re faced with the reality of eager developers and agitated residents who aren’t afraid to voice their feelings at meetings and in inboxes.

If the Longfellow proposal is approved, it will take more than a year for construction to begin at 306 West Franklin Street. The Purple Bowl, and the debates about growth and change, aren’t going anywhere yet.

But even the youngest of the students who spoke at the town meeting in support of the Purple Bowl will have graduated in four short years. At the meeting in March, council member Amy Ryan directly addressed some of the student supporters of the Purple Bowl about the reality of student transience.

“Purple Bowl isn’t a building,” Ryan said. “It’s the people and it’s the place. I think everyone at this dais wants to make sure that continues in this town. We know you guys are great customers. But you leave us in the summer.” W

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Raleigh

The Heartbreak of College Suicides High achiever Ben Salas was one of seven NC State University students who ended their lives last academic year. His devastated family has no idea why.

BY JADE NEPTUNE backtalk@indyweek.com

Note: This article mentions suicide. If you or someone you know is having suicidal thoughts, call the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 9-8-8.

“B

ENJAMIN NO!!!!!!”

It was only two words, a phrase that was probably uttered dozens of times over Ben Salas’s 21 years of life. But on the afternoon of April 26, 2023, it was a text message no parent ever wants to send: the last one.

Tony Salas texted in response to his youngest son’s message that he was going to take his life. Ben, who was finishing his junior year, was a talented athlete on the varsity rifle team, a gifted student, an aspiring Olympian, and a beloved brother, son, boyfriend, and teammate.

He was close with his parents by all accounts, and they did everything they knew to do to raise emotionally healthy children.

And still, he was battling himself in secret.

In the 2022-23 academic year, the families of seven North Carolina State University students said goodbye to their children after they took their own lives. Ben Salas was one of them.

It seemed like a normal day, Tony Salas told me. That’s a terrifying truth for many parents who have lost their children to suicide, which is the third leading cause of death among individuals between the ages of 15 and 24.

Tony Salas lives in Gastonia. The program manager on T-Mobile’s product engineering 12

October 18, 2023

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and development team talked with his son nearly every day, including at about 3:30 on that April afternoon. A friend of Ben’s had died by suicide a few days earlier. “I wanted to make sure he was doing OK,” Salas says.

“He said he was fine.”

But less than three hours after assuring his dad he was OK, Ben decided to take his own life.

Five months later, Tony Salas still has no idea why.

“There are the typical signs that you are taught or learn to look for, you know, depression, withdrawal, appetite, mood swings,” he says. “All these sort of red-flag indicators that would normally be cause for concern. You don’t see that. And Ben was proof of that. There were no signs that Ben was struggling mentally. Absolutely zero.”

The seven suicides at NC State last academic year marked an alarming increase; the university averaged three student suicides a year in the previous five years. Of the seven suicides, three were students at the College of Engineering.

Seven other NC State students died last year of other causes, including two who died of a drug overdose.

Already this fall, one NC State student has died on campus; the student’s body was found on Labor Day outside a 12-story

Salas, who planned to transfer to West Virginia University before his death, had his sights set on becoming a competitive shooter at the Olympic level.

Here he competes for NC State University. PHOTO COURTESY OF THE SALAS FAMILY

dorm. NC State has not identified the student or provided the cause of death.

NC State has more than 35,000 students, and while the university has struggled to address the rising numbers of mental-health-related deaths with additional counselors and other initiatives, even experts are at a loss for answers.

“Our students—and students across the country—face many different stressors,” says Mick Kulikowski, a university spokesman. “Academics may certainly be one, but they also may be navigating relationships, peer pressure, identity, substance abuse, the impacts of the pandemic, and more.

As an institution, we try to cast a wide net for support, provide resources and generate awareness of available help on campus and in our broader community.”

But why isn’t this working? Why are young adults still taking their lives at terrifyingly high rates?

Jonathan Abramowitz, director of the clinical psychology training program at UNC-Chapel Hill, says there are many reasons for students to experience anxiety, which is a scientific reaction to perceived threats. But for high-achieving students like Salas, the transition may be more difficult to notice.

“What we see again and again is people

are so caught up in this narrative of ‘Well, they were so successful,’” Abramowitz says.

“They had such a clear path, they knew where they were going, they had goals, all these different things of these really high-accomplishing individuals who are young and struggling with mental health.”

Success can be a mask for mental health struggles across every age group, but the adolescent and young adult brain is less equipped to handle and process perceived failures.

“They kind of skate through middle school, high school, things might come easy to them. And then when they’re in college, things are a little bit different,” Abramowitz said. “You’re independent. You’re on your own. The bar gets raised a little bit higher.

There’s more stakes, it’s your future.”

Failure, unexpected challenges, and disappointment are unavoidable obstacles in life, and yet many young adults are unprepared to address them, especially those who have a record of succeeding. This makes a college campus, like NC State or UNC-CH (which had four student suicides in fall 2021), a breeding ground for undetected mental health challenges.

Ben Salas was successful and surrounded with love—from friends, family, and mentors— and yet he was silently struggling. I was, too.

Driven to succeed

When I was only 16 years old, I decided to graduate from high school early, and applied to two highly selective universities—UNC-CH and Duke University.

The summer before my junior year of high school (my last year), I sat down to write my 600-word personal statement for the Common Application. The prompt read, “The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?”

I didn’t know at 16, or even now at 20, if I’m being honest, that the biggest challenge, setback, or failure you’ve ever known isn’t supposed to be yourself.

“I don’t live a life where breathing comes easy.” I didn’t mean for it to be scary, like I knew my parents would think it was, or “off-putting” and “concerning,” like my teachers said college admissions officers would think it was. But it was true. I don’t live a life where breathing comes easy, and s death, I never have. I was admitted to college level. at 16, graduated from high school at the AS FAMILY top of my class at 17, and graduated from

UNC-CH at 19.

I ran my first political campaign before I could vote, celebrated my 20th birthday as a full-time member of the UNC School of Law staff, and have marked major life accomplishments before I could even legally drink. But I have done it all breathlessly, with three clinical diagnoses weighing on my chest: general anxiety disorder, panic disorder, and obsessive-compulsive disorder.

I have strived to be the “first,” “only,” and “best” for as long as I’ve dreamt of anything, but all of my dreams have come down to the same principal factor—if I was those things, I wouldn’t be me. It wasn’t that I didn’t believe I deserved the success I had—I worked hard and tirelessly, I had earned it.

But I thought I would feel better once I achieved those things. In reality, the pain and uneasiness that fueled my achievements were the core of who I was. Without it, I was untethered and afraid.

I didn’t have a name for it in fourth grade, when I was so afraid to go to school that I threw up every morning in the car line. Or in middle school, where I couldn’t stand the idea of anyone seeing me eat, so I ate in empty classrooms and told my teacher I had an “elephant sitting on my chest.” Or

in high school, when I hyperventilated in the bathroom, dubbed a “Chihuahua” by my teachers and friends.

And frankly, it didn’t matter. I was outrunning my own wellness and inevitable downfall, but I was also outpacing failure, imperfection, and disappointment. I couldn’t reconcile that the same characteristics that gave me the power to be everything I was “supposed” to be (focused, driven, and seemingly perfect) were the same that made me miserable. I couldn’t understand how my strengths were also symptoms of sickness. If they were treated, where would I go? Who would I be?

No one was more surprised than me when I learned that everything I thought I wanted turned out to be the loneliest thing I ever had. I built my entire life on a fragile belief that if I just got the degree, the job, the boyfriend, the title, I would feel better. If I only became one more thing to someone else (an inspiration, a partner, a bragging right, a competitor), I would win the final prize.

Until I had those things and felt empty, deflated, and most unexpectedly, afraid. I reached the finish line, but I reached it alone.

I had attempted to get help while I was an undergraduate at UNC-CH, reaching

of ‘Well, witz says. hey knew ad goals, ese realwho are l health.” tal health , but the in is less perceived

h middle ome easy n college, Abramowe on your bit higher. re.” and disstacles in re unprelly those ing. This State or t suicides for unde-

out to Counseling and Psychological Services for support, but was turned away due to my need for long-term care. The counselors there gave me a referral for an external therapist, but even with different payment options, I couldn’t afford it. It was another year and a half before I was able to get help.

A spokesperson said the university couldn’t comment on a specific case. She said UNC-CH offers students short-term therapy to meet immediate mental health needs; students who need specialized or open-ended care are referred to providers, and funding is available for students who don’t have the resources to cover costs of an outside provider.

I’ve been the youngest in almost every room I’ve been in, from family gatherings (like Ben Salas, I’m the youngest of five) to high school and college graduation, to classrooms and offices. But I’ve never felt younger than when I finally sat down with my therapy intake form last fall, wiping tears from my face, as I finally admitted my truth out loud: “I want to feel better.”

I don’t live a life where breathing comes easy, but one day I’ll get to. With the help of therapy and prescribed medication, I have slowly been able to clear the fog that my

“They had such a clear path, they knew where they were going, they had goals, all these different things of these really high-accomplishing individuals who are young and struggling with mental health.”

urrounded mentors—Tony and Katherine Salas at their home in Gastonia. Their son Ben was a North Carolina was, too.State University student who died by suicide in April. PHOTO BY TRAVIS DOVE FOR THE ASSEMBLY INDYweek.com October 18, 2023

13

Tony Salas wears his son’s fingerprint and some of his ashes.

Ben Salas accepts an award.

PHOTO BY TRAVIS DOVE FOR THE ASSEMBLY

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE SALAS FAMILY

OCD and anxiety cast over my life. I needed help and I am not afraid to admit that, or that it was the choice that saved my life.

Meticulous and focused Ben Salas grew up in Martinsburg, West Virginia, and Tampa, Florida, where he attended Paul R. Wharton High School and thrived as a competitive shooter. He was a member of the marching band and Navy Junior ROTC and liked to fish.

He didn’t start competitive shooting until he was in high school but quickly excelled. He followed his ambition to NC State, which had one of 22 Division I rifle programs in the NCAA. Salas, who received an athletic scholarship, was a decorated member of the rifle team, holding the top three aggregate scores in program history. He majored in criminology and minored in psychology.

In June 2022, Salas won the junior gold medal in the Air Rifle National Championship at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and qualified to train with Team USA. “Winning means a lot to me because there are other shooters that I look up to that are the same age as I am,” Salas told 14

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The Gaston Gazette in Gastonia, where his family moved in 2020.

He tried various approaches to relax while shooting. “You kind of have to let your body do what it does,” he said. He added, “It’s stressful, but it’s fun.”

His father told the Gazette: “Ben is the type of person that, when he sets his mind on something, he runs at it in full stride. He has put so much time into this sport practicing, frustrated, confused, and, oftentimes, not sure if he was good

Salas had already considered transferring to another university with a varsity rifle team with his remaining two years of athletic eligibility. He’d struggled with the lack of support the team had due to changes in staffing and resources, Kozeniesky said. Those changes affected all of the athletes on the NC State team, but especially Salas, who had his sights set on competing at the Olympic level.

He entered the transfer portal and was signed by West Virginia University, the top

“There were no signs that Ben was struggling mentally. Absolutely zero.” enough, but he never gave up. He always kept his foot on the gas.”

Shortly after the NC State varsity rifle team was dissolved last spring, Ben Salas developed a plan to continue his sport.

“He called me immediately,” says Lucas Kozeniesky, one of Salas’s coaches and an NC State alum who won a silver medal at the 2020 Olympics. “He goes, ‘What do I do?’”

college rifle program in the country. “We are really excited to add Ben to our team and welcome him to the Mountaineer family,” rifle coach Jon Hammond said in a statement released by WVU Athletics.

At West Virginia, Salas was to join one of his best friends from high school, Matt Sanchez, on the team and in an apartment they’d share. The two signed their lease soon after Salas decided to transfer. “He

had a really big opportunity to get on a lot better team and in a better environment, shooting-wise,” Sanchez says.

Salas was excited but also anxious. “He was very, very scared to transfer because he was saying that never in his life would he think that he was gonna be able to go to West Virginia to shoot,” Sanchez says.

The nature of the sport—to be meticulous and focused—is mentally exhausting.

“Most shooters that are good are most likely having some mental trouble,” says Sanchez, who has also struggled with serious emotional health issues.

“Shooting is a sport of perfection. You can’t sacrifice a millimeter of movement, which is always difficult to do. And when you’re trying to shoot for a perfect score, it’s very, very mentally taxing.”

Just days before Salas took his own life, a friend—another young member of the North Carolina shooting community—also died by suicide.

“You’re in your own lane. It’s only offense,” Kozeniesky says. “You can’t do anything to the opponents. And so you’re dealing with your own insecurities for weeks and days at a time. I feel like that can lead to a lot of frustration. And I know that as a culture, we do struggle.”

Seeking connections NC State administrators were alarmed by the rising number of student deaths.

They created a Student Mental Health Task Force last fall to research best practices, assess the university’s mental health resources and policies, and collect feedback and ideas. The task force released an 89-page report in February, two months before Ben Salas died.

“We are grappling with how to address the ongoing mental health crisis,” the report said, referring to the nation broadly and universities specifically.

The demand for mental health resources at NC State spiked even before the pandemic. That demand, the isolation caused by the pandemic, and rising day-to-day stressors “have exacerbated our students’ ongoing mental health challenges,” the report said.

In the last decade, NC State has nearly tripled the number of clinical jobs in its counseling center to about 50. But the task force said adding more clinicians was not enough and urged “a university-wide approach that involves every college, every division or department, and every single student, faculty, staff,

and administrator.”

An authoritative national survey of 54,000 undergraduates conducted in spring 2022 showed that 52 percent regularly experienced moderate psychological distress, and 28 percent presented a high suicide screening score.

From 2016 to 2020, there were 878 deaths by suicide in North Carolina of people ages 15–24, according to the task force report. Ten of them were NC State students.

The task force conducted several listening sessions with students and also received written comments expressing a variety of concerns. Many longed for closer bonds at NC State.

“We just need better and easier ways for people to make connections and build community,” one student wrote. Another urged “events so those with a similar major and/ or class can meet, connect, and learn from each other.”

Another suggested “communal hang-out areas that are designed for meeting people. Like if you go to this area, you want to talk to random people or clubs.” Another student said, “Half the battle is many of us are not connected.”

In a letter to students when the task

force report was released, top administrators from NC State wrote, “Please remember that you have many resources available to help you right now.” Students could schedule appointments at the counseling center or use a new teletherapy service.

Those and other resources are found at the Wolfpack Wellness website.

Peter Hans, the president of the UNC system, says they’ve put in place several new mental health initiatives since 2020, including an after-hours telehealth counseling service to provide around-the-clock care at all 17 institutions.

“I am deeply concerned by the trends we see in mental health across society, but especially for young people,” says Hans, who has spoken of his own battles with depression and anxiety. He added that student mental health was a top priority for him and that the universities have spent millions of dollars to expand services.

In the end, it might come down to students having the strength to reach out.

Experts and universities will continue to create new ways to address the ongoing college mental health crisis, but no matter what new programs and resources become available, it should be built on a universal truth: You are not alone.

Empty spaces Over the summer, Matt Sanchez moved into the Morgantown, West Virginia, apartment he was supposed to share with Ben Salas. He went to practice with his eight teammates, knowing that the ninth spot was reserved for his best friend.

He will live the rest of his life this way, always leaving a space for his friend who deserved to be there. This is the sad impact of the college mental health crisis—the empty spaces that will never be filled.

“It’s a battle that we will endure forever,” says Tony Salas.

I am one year younger than Ben was, and by the end of next year, I will be older than he ever got the chance to be. He was goofy, loud, focused, fun, and should still be those things today. He was only 21. It makes you ache that 21 is all he will ever get to be. W This story originally published online at The Assembly. Jade Neptune is a 2022 UNC-Chapel Hill graduate. Her writing has appeared in The Daily Tar Heel and on Chapelboro.com. She lives in Wilmington.

“And so you’re dealing with your own insecurities for weeks and days at a time. I feel like that can lead to a lot of frustration. And I know that as a culture, we do struggle.”

Ben Salas was a standout athlete and student at North Carolina State University. PHOTO COURTESY OF THE SALAS FAMILY INDYweek.com October 18, 2023

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Durham

Home Truths Four years after Durham voters passed a $95 million affordable housing bond, the city has made some progress in terms of new construction and preservation of multifamily rental units. But homelessness is on the rise as the cost of living soars.

BY CY NEFF backtalk@indyweek.com

PHOTOS BY NICOLE PAJOR MOORE

D

urham’s lack of affordable housing has dominated the public discourse for years.

In November 2019, Durham voters overwhelmingly passed a $95 million affordable housing bond with the goal of upgrading the city’s affordable housing options. The largest affordable housing bond ever passed in the state at the time, it was coupled with an existing $65 million in local and federal funding, ultimately creating the $160 million “Forever Home, Durham” program. The city aims to allocate all funds from the program for spending and in-contract by the end of the 2026 fiscal year, which runs from July 1, 2025, to June 30, 2026.

Forever Home, Durham plays a key role in Durham Housing Authority’s (DHA) Downtown Durham and Neighborhood Plan (DDNP), which aims to revitalize DHA’s existing downtown properties and ensure that Durham’s low-income residents benefit from its economic boom. Since Forever Home, Durham and DDNP launched, the Durham area has seen a massive increase in property values, the outbreak of a pandemic, an eviction crisis, and a staffing shortage in the city’s Community Development Department, that, according to its director, had seen a vacancy rate of 33 percent until recent weeks.

In light of the upcoming municipal elections, the INDY’s reporting on the state of housing in Durham, and the challenging circumstances facing these programs, the INDY checked on the progress of the Forever Home, Durham program and its goals.

All of the following metrics track progress since July 2019 on the bond’s stated goals. All budgetary figures 16

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were provided directly by the City of Durham and reflect spending as of February 28, 2023. All progress metrics come from an August presentation by the Forever Home, Durham team.

The newly completed 162 units are made up of 80 new units at the Joyce, an affordable housing complex downtown for ages 62 and up, and the Acadia, an 82-unit complex in South Durham.

According to LSA Management, which manages both the Acadia and the Joyce, the Acadia is expected to be open by December 2023. Eighteen units will be available for families making 30 percent of the area median income (AMI) or below, 46 units for families at 60 percent AMI or below, and 18 units for families at 80 percent AMI or below.

DHA and LSA Management provided different numbers MULTIFAMILY RENTALS: CONSTRUCT for affordability by unit for the Joyce. According to DHA, 20 MULTI-FAMILY RENTALS: CONSTRUCT units at the Joyce are reserved at 30 percent AMI or below, 1600 1870 32 units are reserved at 60 percent AMI or below, and 24 units are rented at market rate. According to LSA ManageGoal: Construct 1,600 affordable rental units Progress: 162 affordable rental units have been com- ment, 20 units are rented at 30 percent AMI or below, 32 four units at 70 percent pleted, 451 are under contract, and 1,257 are in-pipe- units at 60 percent AMI or below, 1,600 1,870 Constructhousing 1,600 affordable AMI orrental below,units and 24 units at 80 percent AMI or below. line, which makes for a total Goal: of 1,870 affordable Progress: have been completed, 451 Development are under According to the Community Department, units—an expected 270 above target. 162 affordable rental units contract, and 1,257 are in pipeline, which makes for a total of 1,870 the majority of the 451 in-contract units should be comaffordable housing units - anby expected above target. pleted the end270 of 2024.

The units are made up of five The majority of the expected units are in-pipeline.

According to Reginald Johnson, director of the City different apartment complexes, the largest being Cedar of Durham’s Community Development Department, Trace Apartments (180 units) and Hardee Street Apart“in-pipeline” means that discussions with contractors ments (132 units). and developers are under way and that money is being allocated for a project but no contract has been executed. Details and finances of projects are still under discussion, and projects that are in-pipeline have the potential to fall through.

Raleigh's Community Bookstore

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Michael Beadle Does Your Goblin Have a Problem?

SAT 10.21 10:30 AM

Under the Tree Storytime

10:30 AM

Every Saturday, Sunday, and Monday morning, join our children’s booksellers as they read their favorite picture books.

Get tickets to these events and others at www.quailridgebooks.com www.quailridgebooks.com 919.828.1588 • North Hills 4209-100 Lassiter Mill Road, Raleigh, NC 27609 FREE Media Mail shipping on U.S. orders over $50 INDYweek.com October 18, 2023

17

FY 2023 INCOME LIMIT AREA

DurhamChapel Hill NC HUD Metro FMR Area

MEDIAN FAMILY INCOME

$116,200

FY 2023 INCOME LIMIT CATEGORY

PERSONS IN FAMILY

1

2

3

4

5

6

Extremely Low (30%) Income Limits

$21,250

$24,300

$27,350

$30,350

$35,250

$40,280

Very Low (50%) Income Limits

$35,400

$40,450

$45,500

$50,550

$54,600

$58,360

Low (80%) Income Limits

$56,650

$67,750

$72,850

$80,900

$87,400

$93,850

Durham AMI by household size DATA FROM U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT

MULTIFAMILY RENTALS: PRESERVE HOMELESSNESS SUPPORT the symptom of the larger failures of a variety of systems MULTI-FAMILY RENTALS: CONSTRUCT MULTI-FAMILY RENTALS: CONSTRUCT that create people experiencing homelessness.”

438 1,481 800 1,700 As well as moving homeless individuals from emergency Goal: Preserve 800 affordable rental units Goal: Move 1,700 unhoused community members from shelters into permanent housing, Forever Home, Durham funding has been used to stabilize and expand Durham’s Progress: According to Forever Home, Durham, 355 rent- emergency shelter into permanent housing 1,600 1,870 1,600 1,870 homelessness services as a whole. This includes Entry Point Progress: 1,481 unhoused people in Durham have been al units have been preserved thus far, 56 are under conGoal: Construct 1,600 affordable rental units Goal: Construct 1,600 affordable rental units tract, with 17 units in-pipeline, and 362 units are await- moved from emergency shelters into permanent housing Durham, which connects unhoused residents with available Progress: 162 affordable rental units have beenProgress: completed,162 451affordable are under rental units have been completed, 451 are under services and works with local organizations such as Houssince July 2019. ing preservation plans. contract, and 1,257 are in pipeline, which makes for a totaland of 1,870 contract, 1,257 are in pipeline, which makes foring a total 1,870 for of New Hope, Durham Crisis Response Center, and affordable housing units - an expected 270 aboveaffordable target. housing units - an expected 270 above target.

The 355 completed renovations are made up of downtown Colin Davis, the Homeless System manager for the city’s Open Table Ministry.

Durham’s 177-unit J. J. Henderson Apartments and North Community Development Department, credits Durham’s Homeless services spending: Durham’s 178-unit JFK Towers. Both apartment complexes diversity of programs and funding designed to assist the $5,323,290 spent are targeted toward individuals age 62 and up and those city’s unhoused community members.

“We’ve been able to leverage housing choice vouchers, $5,132,545 remaining with disabilities.

It is worth noting that, despite renovations being listed as rapid rehousing projects, and permanent supportive houscompleted and $1.5 million spent, there are 38 open cases ing, different funding streams that have come through,” for code violations at JFK Towers as of October 2, which the Davis says. “We also got the bonus COVID funds that came INDY confirmed with the Durham Neighborhood Improve- through which assisted with additional rapid rehousing.”

This metric only includes those who are exiting emerment Services Department. JFK Towers is owned and operated by Millennia Housing Management and received coverage gency shelters to go to permanent housing and not those who are unhoused gaining permanent housing via street for its poor living conditions in July.

The 56 units under contract for renovation are the outreach or other rapid rehousing programs. This number NEIGHBORHOOD STABILIZATION: AFFORDABLE HOMEOWNERSHIP 42-unit Ross Road apartments and the 14-unit Fitts-Pow- comes from Durham’s network of year-round and winter MULTI-FAMILY RENTALS: CONSTRUCT weather white-flag emergency shelters, with the bulk of ell Apartments.

Regarding the remaining 362 units awaiting preservation, the numbers coming from Families Moving Forward and 96 400 the City of Durham’s Community Development Department Urban Ministries. Durham Rescue Mission, while one of the Goal:Create 400 opportunities for low-income homebuyers said it is planning to release requests for proposals for more area’s largest shelters, does not provide data to Durham’s 0 opportunities created, 6 under1,600 contract,1,870 90 contributeConstruct to Progress: preservation projects around the beginning of the upcoming homeless management system and did notGoal: 1,600 affordable rental units in-pipeline, 304 remaining these numbers. fiscal year, which starts in July 2024.

Progress: 162 affordable rental units have been completed, 451 are under Despite these encouraging numbers, homelessness in contract, and 1,257 are in pipeline, which makes for a total of 1,870 Durham is on the rise, particularly among households Multifamily rental spending Compared to other programs in the Forever Home, affordable housing units - an expected 270 above target. with children. Those working in homeless services point Durham program, efforts to create affordable homeowner$11,519,954 spent to Durham’s rising cost of living and affordable housing ship opportunities for first-time buyers have largely stalled. $95,354,846 remaining crisis as major contributing factors.

According to Johnson, the July relaunch of Durham’s “The challenges have gotten harder and the barriers to Down Payment Assistance Program is expected to prorehousing have gotten more difficult to overcome,” Davis vide a significant boost to these numbers. Under the prosays. “Homelessness is not the problem. Homelessness is gram, homebuyers making at or under 80 percent AMI may 18

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receive up to $80,000 in assistance for down payments and closing costs. Loans are forgivable, with 0 percent interest, and available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Money will be available until the DDNP fund’s $5.7 million runs out.

Smaller partnerships with nonprofits such as Habitat CREATE AT LEAST $130 MILLION IN CONTRACTING OPPORTUNITIES FOR MINORITY- AND for Humanity and the Durham Community Land Trust are MULTI-FAMILY RENTALS: CONSTRUCT expected to contribute to Forever Home, Durham’s afford- WOMAN-OWNED BUSINESSES able homeownership impact as well.

However, Johnson says, hitting the originally projected 26% 30% 400 opportunities created for low-income homebuyers is 1,600 1,870 unlikely without funding, largely due torental increased Goal: additional Construct 1,600 affordable units Goal: At least 30 percent of those dollars being spent on contracting opportunities for minority- and womhousing costs.

Progress: 162 affordable rental units have been completed, 451 are under an-owned businesses (MWBEs) “The market has changed dramatically,” Johnson says. contract, and 1,257 are in pipeline, which makes for a total of 1,870 Progress: Thus far, $14,206,267 out of $54,572,385, “Based on the amount of money that we have and how we affordable housing units - an expected 270 above target. revised the program, we’re probably not going to hit those or 26 percent of total contracting dollars, have gone toward MWBEs numbers without an infusion of money at some point.”

So far, $75,700 has been spent on down payment assisIn 2019, proponents asserted that passing the bond tance and affordable homeownership opportunities, with would create a total of “$443 million leveraged by city $6,274,300 remaining. investment,” with a goal of at least 30 percent of those dollars being spent on contracting opportunities for MWBEs. Thus far, $14,206,267 out of $54,572,385, or 26 percent of total contracting dollars spent, have gone toward MWBEs. This figure, although included in Forever Home, Durham’s metrics, references a larger pool of money, including total NEIGHBORHOOD STABILIZATION: project costs for which Forever Home, Durham has providAND HOME REPAIR ed gap financing. For instance, if Forever Home, Durham I-FAMILYHOUSING RENTALS:STABILITY CONSTRUCT pays for $2 million of a $6.5 million project, all $6.5 million is factored in for this metric.

1,810 3,000 Goal: 3,000 low-income renters stabilized in their homes SUMMARY OF TAKEAWAYS 1,870 Progress: 1,810 households1,600 stabilized, 1,190 remaining As of February 28, Forever Home, Durham has spent 600 affordable rental units $30,732,683, with $14,299,963 allotted for spending by le rental units have been completed, 451 are under Neighborhood stabilization programs funded by Forever the end of the 2023 fiscal year (June 30, 2023). d 1,257 are in pipeline, which makes for a total of 1,870 Provided that this spending was on track, Forever Home, Home, Durham include eviction diversion, run by Legal Aid ousing units - an expected 270 above target. of North Carolina; Housing Opportunities for Persons with Durham had $114,923,382 left to spend beginning July 1, AIDS–based financial assistance; and substantial rehabili- the start of the 2024 fiscal year. Forever Home, Durham is expected to spend $47,565,104 in fiscal year 2024, tation and minor repairs programs.

The bulk of the 1,810 number in this category comes $18,188,743 in fiscal year 2025, and $49,169,535 in fisfrom diversions conducted by NC Legal Aid’s Durham Evic- cal year 2026.

Johnson says he is proud of the progress that Forever tion Diversion Program. Durham’s eviction crisis has been well documented in local media and by organizations such as DataWorks NC. While NC Legal Aid’s Eviction Diversion Program has contributed the majority of the numbers for neighborhood stabilization, and has served as the main line of defense for tenants in Durham’s eviction crisis, the program had nearly run through its Forever Home, Durham budget by the end of the 2023 fiscal year. An additional $500,000 addendum will allow Forever Home, Durham to continue financing the program through June 2024, although continued support afterward is not guaranteed.

The city also provided Habitat for Humanity with a $985,383 two-year contract that expired in September 2023 and resulted in 53 minor home repairs and six applications for substantial repairs (over $35,000 each) that the City of Durham has received but not yet approved.

Neighborhood stabilization spending: $2,311,310 spent $16,167,116 remaining PHOTO COURTESY OF FOREVER HOME, DURHAM

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Home, Durham has made and of Durham’s broader commitment to affordable housing and to becoming an equitable city.

“Members of the community and the city council recognize that affordable housing is an issue, and they voted to put additional resources behind it,” Johnson says. “In many respects, Durham is a city that boxes above our weight. This affordable housing bond was the largest in the Carolinas. It’s not gonna solve affordable housing, but it moves us down the line.”

What exactly might address the complexities that contribute to Durham’s dearth of affordable housing remains unclear. Some of the challenges are cited in Forever Home, Durham presentations: rising rental prices, rising costs of for-sale housing, fewer landlords accepting housing choice vouchers, and the capacity of a short-staffed Community Development Department to handle an ever-increasing workload.

The realities of short-staffing and the pandemic have made many of Forever Home, Durham’s original promises tenuous and difficult to track. Budgetary figures took the City of Durham around two weeks to procure, and the metrics on the program’s official website date back to November of last year.

Some of the program’s triumphs, such as the construction of the Joyce and the Acadia, are easy to point to. On the other hand, renovations at JFK Towers being marked as completed, with $1.5 million spent and many residents still living in hazardous conditions, is a cause for concern.

It is also difficult to measure the overall impact of a program that in its own words states that “resources are not enough to address the need which is being exacerbated by the current economy and housing market.” And it’s overly optimistic to expect a city initiative, even the largest of its kind in state history, to act as a silver bullet for such a multifaceted issue.

A 2022 infusion of $40 million in federal funds to assist with DHA’s DDNP brought increased resources to the fight for affordable housing across the city.

Whether many of the other forces actively reshaping Durham—be they biotech, private equity, or medical companies—will contribute in a concrete or meaningful way remains to be seen. W

T h e INDY’s 2 0 23 Endorsements: C hapel Hill Mayor and Town Council, C arrboro Mayor and Town Council, C hapel Hill-Carborro City Schools Board of Education

By INDY staff

For the last several years, the towns of Chapel Hill and Carrboro have found themselves mired in something like an existential crisis.

Caught between the desires of many residents to see the towns grow, modernize, and expand their tax bases, the pushback from another contingent of residents who would rather see them stay mostly the same has been fierce. It’s a fight between those who would move forward and those who want to go back in time to an idealized version of the past, one that perhaps only ever existed in their minds. While the town has been making progress in the last few years and seems to be on the right track, that tension persists this election cycle, and the towns are at a crossroads once again.

On the one side, there are progressive candidates who favor innovations in the fields of housing, transit, community spaces, and commercial development. They understand that homes in Chapel Hill and Carrboro are or are rapidly becoming out of reach for many, including young people, workers, and longtime residents of color, and they see that expanding the built environment is one way to address such disparities. On the other side, there’s a preoccupation with parks and green spaces, of which the towns have plenty and are not in danger of losing, and a complacency about the reality that the area is becoming one that’s unlivable for anyone but the rich.

On both sides, there are dramatic levelings of PAC interference and dark money influence as relationships between residents and their preferred slates of candidates have frayed. It’s exhausting. And we haven’t even mentioned the school board yet.

We at the INDY know where we stand going into these municipal and school board elections, and that’s with the candidates who favor progress, inclusiveness, and equity. A town can’t be stuck in time.

Progressive beacons of the South can’t open their ranks to stealth Republicans. And absurd sums of money from the home-owning class shouldn’t be able to dictate the direction of the future for groups of people who include students, renters, and public workers.

Without further ado, here are our endorsements for Chapel Hill and Carrboro mayor and town council and two of four open seats on the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools Board of Education.

2023 elections at a glance Orange County Board of Elections I M P O R T A NT D E A D L I N ES

Ways to Register

October 31, 2023 5:00 p.m. Deadline to request absentee ballot by mail

Via the online portal if you are a NC DMV customer

November 4, 2023 3:00 p.m. Deadline to register and vote at an early voting site.

Proof of residency is required.

Submit a voter registration form to the Orange County Board of Elections

November 7, 2023 5:00 p.m. Deadline to return all absentee ballots in person to the Board of Elections office.

Mailed ballots must be postmarked by November 7 and received by November 13.

VOTE ON ELECTION DAY

Polls are open for voting 6:30 a.m. – 7:30 p.m.!

Anyone standing in line by 7:30 p.m. is eligible to vote!

To find YOUR voting information, including voting location, sample ballot, voter history, etc., please visit www.orangecountync.gov/ VoterLookup

During early voting at any early voting site—you will need proof of residency.

More information can be found at www.orangecountync.gov/ VoterRegistration

PHOTO ID REQUIRED TO VOTE Many forms of government-issued IDs are acceptable. For more information, please visit orangecountync.gov/PhotoID Don’t have a photo ID to vote?

Get a FREE photo ID for voting purposes from the Orange County Board of Elections office: Mon.-Fri., 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.

208 S. Cameron St Hillsborough, NC

INDYweek.com October 18, 2023

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Chapel Hill Mayor

Community framework, which emphasizes new housing choices, greater greenway and transit connectivity, and people-oriented placemaking. Other successes include negotiating a partnership with Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools to provide spaces for kids for affordable summer camps; advocating for ARPA funding for parks and playgrounds and “a penny for parks” in this year’s budget; and securing affordable housing in addition to preserving green space on the Legion Property in a booming part of town.

An energetic, collaborative leader, Anderson has already served as mayor pro tempore and chaired the town’s Council Committee for Economic Stability. A proponent

of data-based decision-making, Anderson’s background in public policy has guided the council to be more inclusive and transparent in terms of community engagement, and her voting record speaks to a vision that Chapel Hill really should be a town for all and not just the privileged.

Anderson’s opponent, Adam Searing, has done impressive work in his career as a lawyer and lobbyist advocating for expanded health care coverage for North Carolina residents, particularly for children and low-income families. But his first term on the council has been less productive. A no vote on some of the more substantive issues that come before the council, from new housing initiatives to

the budget, we’re not sure what Searing's vision is for Chapel Hill besides preserving neighborhoods and parks and expanding bike trails. And while those are all important, there are a lot of people who feel left out of the conversation. As an elected official, being responsive to your colleagues and your constituents—all your constituents—is an important attribute that we feel has been lacking during Searing's first term on council.

Chapel Hill needs a leader who will listen to diverse perspectives and work collaboratively to find consensus for the good of all. We think that leader would be Anderson.

Amy R y an

M e l i s sa McCullough

Theodore Nollert

Erik Valera

While we don’t agree with every decision she’s taken on the council—her vote against the expanded housing choices text amendment in June was disappointing, but she said the proposal needed more guardrails—we think Amy Ryan’s knowledge and experience will serve a council well that will see, at minimum, three new members elected. And it never hurts to have an independent voice at the table.

A longtime public servant, Ryan has served on Chapel Hill’s town council since 2019, as well as on its Planning Commission and its Community Design Commission. On council, she’s served on various committees and is adept at communicating the work of the council and its bodies to her constituents.

A champion for the environment, Ryan, a professional writer and editor, brings detailed knowledge of Chapel Hill’s land use and town ordinances to the council chamber, as well as conscientiousness, strong communication skills, and a collaborative approach to governing. We endorse Ryan for another term.

A trained ecologist and careerlong civil servant who spent more than two decades working for the EPA, Melissa McCullough has years of experience in service to Chapel Hill, too. McCullough has sat on Chapel Hill’s Planning Commission for seven years.

She’s served on the board of the Bike Alliance of Chapel Hill, as a Democratic Party precinct chair, and as a leader of the local Sierra Club. And McCullough helped shape Chapel Hill’s 2020 Comprehensive Plan.

Her comprehensive campaign platform prioritizes housing, transportation, green spaces and the environment, and, importantly, equity and affordability and the town’s students specifically. We think McCullough will make a thoughtful member of the council who’s willing to consider and listen to different perspectives and voices.

A graduate student leader at UNC-CH, Theodore Nollert has stood out this campaign cycle for his earnest desire to improve life in the town for residents, both current and future. Organizing busy graduate students and successfully winning them a pay raise is no small feat, requiring a lot of energy and persistence. We’ve seen that translate in Nollert’s far-reaching ground campaign this fall (knocking on doors on a rainy Saturday morning to talk with future constituents takes dedication).

Nollert currently serves on the town Planning Commission, which sets him up to hit the ground running if elected to council. We also appreciate Nollert’s platform’s inclusion of diversity, noting the work that needs to be done to help the town’s women and minority business owners as well as LGBTQ+ youth. With incumbent Tai Huynh leaving the council, Chapel Hill urgently needs a voice to speak for the young renters that the town should hope to attract and hold on to in coming years.

We hope to hear Nollert’s voice advocating for them on the council.

Erik Valera is an executive at El Centro Hispano, the largest Latino-led/Latino-serving organization in the state. An advocate for cultural diversity, Valera serves on Gov. Roy Cooper’s Advisory Council on Hispanic/Latino Affairs.

We appreciate Valera’s reminders that Hispanic/Latino residents and voters are not a monolith—something that can be forgotten in conversions about minority groups.

Valera’s current work on the town's Planning Commission gives him a good understanding of the processes that drive local government, and we appreciate his desire to serve the community by helping Chapel Hill live up to its potential as a leader on climate change.

We support Valera’s bid for council.

J e ss A n de r s o n Jess Anderson has done impressive work during her two terms on the Chapel Hill Town Council, and we think she’s the best choice to succeed Mayor Pam Hemminger and continue that work from the top seat.

As a council member, the UNC-Chapel Hill public policy professor was integral to the town’s adoption of the Complete

Town Council

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Honorable mention: Jon Mitchell The chair of the Chapel Hill Planning Commission since 2022, Jon Mitchell understands the role growth and development will play in this election and the town’s future. We’d urge readers to give the avid e-biker, regulatory lawyer, and part-time stay-at-home dad a hard look; he’d likely bring a thoughtful, actionable approach to governing to the town council.

Carrboro Mayor

Town Council

B a rb a r a F o us h e e

E l i a z ar Posada

Catherine Fray

Jason Merrill

She’s running unopposed, but we’re still happy to throw our support behind Barbara Foushee for Carrboro mayor.

In her nearly six years on the town council, Foushee has been a driving force behind race equity initiatives, a community action plan on climate change, zoning amendments related to housing and infrastructure, and improved connectivity for cyclists and pedestrians. This work is reflected most clearly in the town’s adoption of its Comprehensive Plan last year.

We’re confident that, as mayor, Foushee will continue to prioritize community engagement, expanded and inclusive economic development, and affordable housing initiatives.

One of the youngest members on the town council, we support reelection of Eliazar Posada.

The founder of a consulting firm that works with nonprofits and other grassroots organizations, Posada is the son of migrant farmworkers and the former president and CEO of the state’s oldest Latino organization, El Centro Hispano.

Posada’s work on the council has included overseeing the adoption of Carrboro’s Comprehensive Plan, advocating for zoning reform and greater connectivity, and championing the 203 Project. We want to see Posada’s good work in the areas of affordable housing, equitable public transit, and equality for all residents continue on the council.

Catherine Fray has served on Carrboro’s Planning Board since 2012 and was twice elected to serve as the board’s chair. Fray also cochaired Carrboro Connects, the task force created to implement Carrboro’s Comprehensive Plan, from 2020 to 2022.

We think Fray’s deep knowledge of land use in Carrboro, their professional experience facilitating discussion among disparate groups of people as a software implementation consultant, and their advocacy for LGBTQ+ residents and students will serve them well on the town council.

The former owner of bike repair shop Back Alley Bikes, Jason Merrill spent six years on the Chapel Hill Transportation Connectivity and Advisory Board, where he says he learned a lot about how municipal governments function.

He's a proponent of affordability and housing choice initiatives, increased transit connectivity and access to green spaces, and support for local businesses, and we like Merrill’s specific focus on the town’s opportunity to grow the Bolin Creek Greenway.

We think Merrill will make a great addition to Carrboro’s town council.

CHCCS Board of Education The Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools Board of Education did an admirable job this year prioritizing pay raises and benefits for the district's teachers and staff. But it could use some new leaders willing to test fresh, innovative ideas and expand the district’s equity lens as the achievement gap between white students and students of color persists. In short, it needs leaders with vision.

Prioritzing students' mental health, incentivizing staff to stay and support teachers, and creating community partnerships will be key to the district's success in the coming years, as will continuing to support the superintendent.

There are four open seats on the CHCCS Board of Education, but this year, with 13 candidates in the running, we feel informed enough to endorse only two candidates for these seats. Here are those recommendations.

Rani Dasi A member of the CHCCS board since 2015, Dasi, a former chair and vice chair, has championed higher pay for teachers and staff during her tenure and overseen implementation of the district’s five-year strategic plan.

She advocates for partnerships between the district and community stakeholders, reinstating teacher fellowships, investing in facility improvements, and investing in mental health resources.

Dasi has put her time in as a CHCCS volunteer, with PTAs and school improvement teams, and her professional experience as the director of corporate finance for nonprofit RTI International speaks well to her ability to pursue investment goals in the annual budgets.

We endorse Dasi for another term.

Barbara Fedders Barbara Fedders is a UNC-CH law professor who, as director of the law school’s Youth Justice Clinic, works with law students to advocate on behalf of court-involved young people who are in need of resources and support.

Fedders’s vision for education in the district transcends test scores, and she emphasizes the importance of fostering students’ social and emotional well-being, encouraging their willingness to take risks, and growing their appreciation of cultural diversity as key to a well-rounded education. A commitment to ensuring equity and promoting safety and well-being are the twin pillars of Fedders’s campaign platform and she has actionable ideas around how the district can achieve these goals. Fedders’s connection to the LGBTQ+ community, too, will ensure that there’s a powerful voice on the board for queer and trans students, whose identities and rights are under attack at the state level.

We strongly endorse Fedders.

Read more about CHCCS board candidates in their candidate questionnaires on our website at indyweek.com:

QR CODE TK

Editor-in-chief Jane Porter, reporter Chase Pellegrini de Paur, and INDY contributor Kirk Ross participated in the process of making these endorsements.

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M U SIC

KYM REGISTER + MELTDOWN RODEO ALBUM RELEASE SHOW

Saturday, Oct. 21, 8 p.m., $15 | Cat’s Cradle, Carrboro | catscradle.com

By the Roots How a shocking discovery about the origins of a band name changed Loamlands into Meltdown Rodeo.

BY BRIAN HOWE music@indyweek.com

Kym Register PHOTO COURTESY OF THE ARTIST

I

t’s morning in Hartford, Connecticut, and Kym Register is yawning in the lobby of a Holiday Inn. The leader of the country-punk band that was called Loamlands for a decade—until the recent release of its superb new record as Kym Register + Meltdown Rodeo—is out on tour playing some solo shows, continuing a personal challenge that began with the sparely accompanied Lez Dance in 2019. Despite Register’s prominence in Durham nightlife and activism, the spotlight is not their comfort zone.

“It’s hard to recognize myself as a musician with something to say,” they confide.

“I’m better in community than I am alone, but I also want to know what it’s like to feel secure in my own self.”

Register’s vision of community is antiracist, anti-capitalist, intuitive, accountable to marginalized people, and above all, they say, “relational,” their favorite word. That vision lives in the Pinhook, the bar and venue they cofounded downtown almost 15 years ago.

It also lives in their songs of love and hate and struggle, which ground queer perspectives and stories in the rich, bitter soil of Southern music.

Register’s new record, Meltdown Rodeo, opens with a marked focus on anti–Black racism. “Scottsboro,” featuring Rissi Palmer and Kamara Thomas, tells the story of nine 24

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Black teenagers who were falsely accused of rape by two white women in 1931, resulting in a court battle that shaped the civil rights movement. And “Blue” is roiled by strong mixed feelings about Joni Mitchell, after Register’s love of the classic album crashed into the discovery that Mitchell later portrayed a caricatured Black man on the cover of Don Juan’s Reckless Daughter.

This experience of turning over something beautiful only to find something horrible underneath is one that an attentive Southerner like Register—whose bar’s website has a land acknowledgment and whose bedside reading runs to the likes of Glenda Gilmore’s Defying Dixie—knows all too well.

You believe that the legacy of white colonialism can be found anywhere you dare look. And yet, somehow, you never see it coming when the tables turn on you.

I

n a ghostly photograph taken in 1903, a small, plain two-story plantation house sits on hundreds of acres of cotton in northeast Louisiana. Nobody is sure when it was built. It predates Tensas Parish, founded in 1843. The house still stood until a few years ago, when it finally collapsed through neglect John Black drives by its ruin all the time.

“When you think of plantations, you

think of Charleston and these big, fine, elaborate houses,” says Black, who works for Tensas Parish as a local historian. “But on this side of the Mississippi, they were made for working. They could be large, but they weren’t fancy.”

Black, who is white, was born and raised in the parish. He’s especially familiar with this particular house because he lives just a few miles from it and even played there, as a child, with the African American family who owned it then.

Tensas Parish is rural and dispersed, with under 5,000 residents and a 32 percent poverty rate. In the 19th century, it was one of Louisiana’s leading cotton producers and, thus, largest slaveholding parishes. According to Black, Tensas is unique in that “the African American descendants and the people who own the land today are the same as before the Civil War, and many families still work for the same people. Black and white, you either have or you have not—there’s no in-between. We all get along because we have to. We have to rely on each other because there’s nobody else.”

Black routinely checks the internet for new information on local history. In February 2022, he typed two search terms together. One was “John W. Register,” a Tensas sheriff who bought the nearby plan-

tation after the Civil War and ran it until the early 1900s. The other was its name: “Loamland.” Black was surprised when a North Carolina band came up. Curious, he found them on Instagram and started typing a message.

W

hen Register read the message, they were taking orders at the Pinhook

bar.

“I had to pause, like, ‘I’m going to get back to that,’” they remember. “Then I felt really fiery, like, ‘What the fuck?’ I was burning.”

It was the first they’d ever heard of a Loamland Plantation. They remembered founding bandmate Will Hackney coming up with the band name in a brainstorming session.

Register returned to Ancestry.com, where they’d already been researching their family history.

“I hadn’t found a lot of direct connection to enslavement, which of course there is,” they say. “The feeling was that we were poor whites, a feeling of not as much accountability, until I saw this.”

With a specific name to study, everything started lining up. “My dad’s family, which I don’t know well at all, started colonizing in the late 1600s in Duplin County, and then you can see this web of movement across

the continental U.S.,” Register explains.

“Right before the Civil War, a John Register moved to Louisiana.”

They could only conclude that, somehow, they had unknowingly named their band after a plantation hidden deep in the roots of their family tree.

After emancipation, as John Black notes, slavery carried on in other forms, including inmate labor, to which a sheriff might have had ready access.

“As sheriff, Register’s legacy was bringing back ‘white supremacy’ to Tensas Parish after Reconstruction,” Black says. “His obituary in The Tensas Gazette says as much.”

So the old name had to go. The new one came from a phrase Register blurted out in a moment of exuberant stress while doing sound tech for the Country Soul Songbook.

The question was how to make the name change responsibly.

album consists of new versions, recorded at Sylvan Esso’s forest studio, of songs Register released in their solo period, refreshed by a stable, dynamic new band. It features Sinclair Palmer on bass and synths, Matt Phillips on guitar and pedal steel, and Joe Westerlund on percussion. They carry Register’s grainy yet clarion voice on a supple, dancing churn, often with a dreamy or even happy feeling that belies the heavy themes.

Near the end comes the slinky, strutting song “Meltdown Radio,” the ballad of a vulnerable cowboy, with lyrics that seem subtly self-reflective through new eyes: “You walk through this town like you’ve got nothing to prove,” Register sings. “You walk through this town like you know just how to move.”

The album closes with “Loamlands,” a surging almanac of struggle and resilience in the South, defended as “a hotbed of resistance to the whiteness that keeps try-

“There’s shame that makes us not tell our true stories. But there’s not anything I want to hide.”

Register wrote two new songs for the album and an open letter about the former band name. “Mine is, among other things, a history bleak with genocide and displacement,” part of the letter reads. “These are things I am aware of and will forever be unpacking. And yet I wasn’t prepared to be directly connected to a southern plantation—much less have that connection be intertwined with the art that I make in my journey to understand some pretty complex stories of the south.”

This is a difficult story to tell from a stage. But it’s rewarding, and perhaps Register is finally certain of being a musician with something to say.

“I feel lucky to be able to do this,” they say, referring to both the white privilege of being able to trace genealogy and having a platform to talk about it. “I think about whiteness and the wealth that comes from historical extraction, and I am able to be an artist. It would be so self-indulgent if I didn’t try to grow and connect. There’s shame that makes us not tell our true stories. But there’s not anything I want to hide.”

T

his was happening just as Register was being signed by New Jersey’s Don Giovanni Records, which released Meltdown Rodeo last month. More than half of the

ing to bury you.” As the name is interred, history is held to light. But what to make of this incredible coincidence?

“I’m a Pisces,” says Register, who has never thought for a moment that it was anything other than an energetic connection, a cosmic debt come calling. “Shit like this happens all the time if we pay attention to it, but we’re so seated in individualism and capitalism and materiality. It’s the artist’s job to pay attention to that energy. I decided to make a big deal about it publicly, and it makes sense that it’s hard to believe. Who would want to share the racist-ass history of their whiteness with everybody, including some people who are proud of it?”

And anyway, perhaps it’s not such a huge coincidence—when it comes to white supremacy in the South, the die is so loaded. Seek, and you shall find. But history is memory, a slippery thing. When I asked Will Hackney if he’d named Loamlands, he dug up an email thread showing that in fact, he and Register had contributed one word each, “loam” and “lands.” Even more striking was reading a message in which Register mulls over the name.

“Loamlands has yet to grow on me,” they wrote. “It leaves a weird feeling in my mouth after saying it … whatever that means.” W INDYweek.com October 18, 2023

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STAGE

MISERY

PlayMakers Repertory Company, Chapel Hill Oct. 11-31 | playmakersrep.org

PRINCE HAL

MISERY

Raleigh Little Theatre Oct. 20–Nov. 5 | raleighlittletheatre.org

Scrap Paper Shakespeare | Oct. 20–Nov. 5, various locations | scrappapershakespeare.org

Very Miserable Stephen King’s Misery opens on two local stages; Scrap Paper Shakespeare carouses with Prince Hal.

BY BYRON WOODS arts@indyweek.com

F

ans of Stephen King’s Misery know well the moment of dread when best-selling author Paul Sheldon realizes that his psychologically unstable “number one fan,” Annie Wilkes, plans to do him harm.

But can they guess the horrors that regional theater executives Vivienne Benesch and Heather Strickland felt when they learned their companies were both staging Misery—and all but simultaneously, just over 20 miles apart?

At Raleigh Little Theatre (RLT), then executive director Strickland had a mandate to produce departing artistic director Patrick Torres’s vision of a version whose intimacy, in the company’s Gaddy-Goodwin black box theater, would reinforce the chills in William Goldman’s script.

But unbeknownst to Strickland, Benesch, PlayMakers Repertory’s artistic director, had already planned her Misery to be a Halloween blowout in the 500-seat Paul Green Theatre, a valedictory victory lap for retiring scenic designer McKay Coble, and one the biggest sellers of its current season.

Then everyone learned that the licensee, Dramatists Play Service, had given PlayMakers the professional rights to the show, while its amateur rights division was licensing an overlapping production at RLT. No one caught the snag until the companies discovered it on their own.

“The morning after our announcement,” Strickland says, “Viv called me and said, ‘We’ve got a thing.’”

“My first response was ‘Oh no, what are we going to do?’” Strickland recalls. “But the theaters in the Triangle area are so collaborative that I realized that Viv and I could just have a conversation about this, and it’ll be fine.”

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In a time when most theaters are still reeling from the slow return of audiences after a two-year hiatus due to COVID-19, the circumstance could have redefined the term “box office thriller” in the worst possible way by splitting the show’s potential audience in two and ticket sales in half for each company.

That, however, wouldn’t take into account the strange migratory patterns of Triangle theatergoers and the invisible line that still largely keeps Chapel Hill and Raleigh audiences on their respective sides of RTP. “It’s hard enough to get people off their couches, much less to drive 40 minutes one way or another,” says Michele Weathers, who once worked at PlayMakers and now is interim executive director at RLT. “They just don’t cross.”

“It feels like we can actually support each other in this sort of creative zeitgeist moment of doing it,” says Benesch. “We don’t believe either theater will take an economic hit on this.”

According to longtime theater practitioners, the fallout is greater when duplicate productions take place on the same sides of those county lines.

“2010 was our lesson learned,” says Justice Theater Project’s managing director Melissa Zeph. That year, the Raleigh company produced two conflicting shows including an Our Town after one at RLT. “We learned we needed to begin communicating, because we had no idea that other theaters were doing these shows.”

Such collisions and near misses were more common before Raleigh-based artistic directors began communicating with one another four years ago, discussing prospective seasons before announcing them to the public.

Julia Gibson in the Playmakers Repertory Company production of Misery PHOTO COURTESY OF PLAYMAKERS REPERTORY COMPANY

Still, it’s anything but a total loss when two companies present the same play. Multiple productions can add new perspectives.

Though that dialogical process usually takes place over years, parallel productions push that conversation into fast-forward.

How differently will two directors, creative teams, and acting companies, with two different budgets, interpret the same text? What might those differences say about their work, and our culture? True students of the theater—and diehard thriller fans—get the chance to find out this week.

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very production that takes on Shakespeare’s Henriad faces the same question. Why does young Prince Hal (who’ll be the future Henry V) keep carousing with beloved scalawag Sir John Falstaff and his crew in some of the scuzziest dives in London Town? The endless brawls, misdemeanors, and occasional excursions into grand theft in their Elizabethan take on thug life are ruining Hal’s reputation at court, as his father, Henry IV, despairs of him ever being able to take the throne.

“In a landscape where a lot of kings are divorced from the realities of a truly base human existence, [Hal] intentionally removes himself from an environment that was coddling and insulating him from the realities of life his subjects face,” says actor Shaun Schneider, who plays the prince in Scrap Paper Shakespeare’s upcoming production of Prince Hal. “Plus, like with any

kid, there’s classic teenage rebellion: wanting to go out, get drunk, and party while I can—because once that crown rests on my head, that’s permanent. No more playtime.”

In its first year, this quickly rising company has consistently raised the stakes in productions of As You Like It at Duke Gardens and a notable take on George Bernard Shaw’s Arms and the Man at the Fruit.

The challenges this time? Condense Shakespeare’s four-play Henriad cycle into a single evening. Then stage it as a threeweek bar crawl across the Triangle.

“We had the right people and the right resources, and this felt like a time to push ourselves to do a show that was a little bit bigger and a little more ambitious,” says company founder and director Emma Szuba.

“There’s so much about Hal’s journey to becoming Henry V that changes the way you look at the plays,” Szuba notes. “I wondered, is it possible to condense it into a speed-run cut?”

As the director worked on her adaptation over the summer, she started looking for bars—Falstaff’s true milieu, after all—to stage it in. “Why should Falstaff be confined to a stage?” she asks. “Why can’t he be there with us and we be a part of that?”

Stage veteran Michael Foley as Falstaff and a cast including Abbe Fralix, Rebecca Ashley Jones, Naima Said, Miranda Curtis, and Jaye Bullock deliver the answers, starting this weekend. W

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SC R E E N The Rialto Theatre PHOTO BY ANGELICA EDWARDS

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All Lit Up With a production of The Rocky Horror Show and a dose of nostalgia, Raleigh’s Rialto Theatre is back and running.

BY JASMINE GALLUP jgallup@indyweek.com

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he nostalgia was overwhelming as I stepped through the doors of the Rialto, one night earlier this month: the aroma of buttery popcorn, murmured conversation, and muted footsteps of couples as they stumbled to their seats were all vivid reminders of a time when people still went to the movies.

For Elizabeth Wingfield, a lifelong Raleigh resident, that time was the 1980s. As a teenager, she used to regularly visit the Rialto with her friends, even participating in the theater’s weekly screenings of The Rocky Horror Picture Show—the cult classic traditionally shown with a shadow cast and lively audience participation.

“I’m a veteran of Rocky Horror … [but] well, who’s not?” Wingfield says. “This is where teenagers go to cut up. Wes [Hughes] used to be the night manager. He was up in the projectionist booth, having to herd all the cats and keep all the teenagers from getting pregnant in the back row.”

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For me, the Rialto is a reminder of life in the early 2010s, when I regularly walked the half mile from my Glenwood Avenue high school to the theater to see movies like Moonrise Kingdom and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.

This was an era well before streaming took over and people defaulted to watching movies at home. There were no reclining seats—audience members just crammed into every available spot to watch newly released blockbusters on the big screen.

There was something special about that time that the Rialto, on Glenwood Avenue at Five Points, makes me miss deeply—the experience of being completely immersed in the story in the theater’s inky darkness, buoyed by an audience laughing and crying together.

The movies might have changed, but that feeling is the same across generations. Wingfield’s husband, Kurt Schlatzer, also frequented the Rialto in his younger years.

“It still smells the same,” he says.

The Rialto, originally the Colony Theatre, first began showing movies in 1936. The theater survived the pandemic, somehow, but closed in August 2022 when longtime manager Bill Peebles retired. The theater’s future was uncertain until it was bought by SportsChannel8 reporter Hayes Permar and a group of Raleigh investors earlier this year. October 5 was the first time the Rialto had opened for a movie screening in more than a year.

“I want this to be a community gathering space,” Permar says. “People love the Rialto for different reasons. There are logistical things that make it good, but to me, truly the draw is that it’s tucked in this little neighborhood. It is downtown, but it isn’t, you know what I mean?”

Since investing in the theater in May, Permar has unlocked the Rialto’s doors for live screenings of the Women’s World Cup, a few private events, and a comedy night.

The Rialto also hosted a “Fuckup Night” last week, where five Triangle locals shared stories of professional failures in an inspiring TED talk–style format. Karaoke accompanied by a live band and readings by local authors could also be on the horizon, according to Permar.

“Right now, it’s a lot of experimenting,” he says. “I want to try all these things. I don’t know that every one will be the one that we do forever. But I want different groups, different types of people.”

For cinephiles, the day the Rialto really reopened was October 5, when the theater started screening films again.

The projector fired up for Stop Making Sense, a concert movie that documents a 1983 Talking Heads concert. In a short speech before the lights dimmed, Permar said he couldn’t think of a better movie to kick things off.

“It fuses together the live music we want to bring back and the movies the Rialto has always been known for,” Permar said. “People tell me they saw this movie here in 1984.

So it’s the perfect merger of the Rialto’s past and its future.”

Movies and live music will be the “tentpoles” of the Rialto’s programming, Permar adds. The theater is already off to an explosive start with the return of Rocky Horror last week. Fans flocked to Five Points on Friday the 13th to celebrate in costume—the perfect spooky start to the Halloween season.

In November, a concert series will kick off, including a holiday pops show by the Durham Symphony. With each new show, Permar aims to draw a diverse audience.

He hopes people will come to the Rialto for events they might not usually be interested in, he says, because of the trust that’s been built between the historic theater and the community. For example, there are tentative plans to host the North Carolina Master Chorale next year for a night of movie music.

“There were plenty of people here last night who are 50 years old, and they came to see Stop Making Sense because that’s what they remember watching in their dorm room in

the ’80s or ’90s,” Permar says. “Those same people, they might never come to a North Carolina Master Chorale show, but because there’s one at the Rialto, they’re like, ‘Yeah, I’ll give that a try.’ And they’ll probably end up enjoying it.”

Today, as independent theaters shut down and even large multiplexes face financial losses, the warmth that filled the Rialto seems harder to find than ever. In 2019, the once $1 Mission Valley movie theater (owned locally by the Rialto’s parent company, Ambassador Cinemas) permanently closed. In Apex and other cities across the country, 39 chain movie theaters owned by Regal Cinemas shut down earlier this year.

That’s not to mention the hundreds of film screens that shut down across the United States during the pandemic.

As I wander through the Rialto’s lobby, people are chatting, catching up with friends and neighbors. In the aisle, two women hug tightly, apparently not having seen each other in a while.

Stepping back inside the lobby, Oakwood resident Allison Kinnarney tells me, “Was

like coming home.”

“I missed it terribly,” she adds. “I’ve been coming here since I moved here in 1995. I used to come, at least a couple Sundays a month, to the matinees by myself. It was like my little weekend tradition.”

Kinnarney, like many of the locals filling the theater’s seats, bought a ticket to see the Rialto “back in action.” So tonight, it’s a full house. But with movie theater attendance dipping post-pandemic, can the Rialto survive another 87 years?

The answer seems to lie in its connection to the community. Without the support of nearby residents, the theater wouldn’t have even gotten this far, Permar says.

“Right now, it’s the easiest customer service there is,” he adds. “Obviously, I know that won’t last forever, but everybody who walks in here right now is just super excited to be at the Rialto.”

As lifelong residents return to enjoy the iconic theater—and new generations buy tickets after hearing stories of past Rocky Horror Halloween parties—it seems likely the Rialto has life in it yet. W

Top: Rialto guests watch previews before the start of the concert film Stop Making Sense. Bottom: Guests wait in line at the bar. PHOTOS BY ANGELICA EDWARDS

INDYweek.com October 18, 2023

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Kindred Spirits The Triangle Area Pagan Alliance celebrates a decade of communing together.

BY CHASE PELLEGRINI DE PAUR arts@indyweek.com

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ne Saturday evening on Main Street, a witch, druid, and Celtic neo-pagan walk into a bar.

This isn’t the setup for a joke: the three friends had come to downtown Durham bar Arcana to celebrate a special occasion: the tenth anniversary of the Triangle Area Pagan Alliance, the largest public pagan organization in North Carolina.

With a DJ, costume contest, and cash bar, the anniversary party didn’t look too far off from any other group of friends hanging out, though there may have been more pentacle jewelry than in an average crowd.

“They are just the sweetest community,” says Erin Karcher, owner of Arcana. Though she’s not a pagan, her underground and tarot-themed bar has proven to be a welcoming space for those who are.

Amanda Morris, social worker by day and coven member by night, is one of the original founders of the group. She says it started simply as a group of friends enjoying meals and drinks together. The alliance, to her, is about community.

“We just want to talk to people about the cool thing that happened this weekend, or be in a safe space, where we can be openly pagan and know that we won’t be harassed,” Morris says.

Morris is part of a coven of Wiccans who, instead of celebrating American establishment holidays like Christmas or Hanukkah, follow the Wheel of the Year.

The Wheel is a calendar that, in its current form, dates back to the mid-20th century and is based on ancient celebrations of the cycle of the seasons. Each sect, practice, or tradition of paganism has its own holidays and celebrations.

There’s no easy definition of paganism— Google, in fact, warns that the term is outdated and possibly offensive—but Morris 30

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doesn’t find the word offensive. She explains that pagans tend to believe in polytheism, ancestral worship, or a deep connection to the natural world.

“We’re not a unified community, and we’re not a unified religion at all,” she says. The alliance helps solidify community support that others may find in a church congregation. It’s sometimes about “just knowing that you’re not alone,” Morris says. They may support friends in need by helping out when someone is sick or getting a gift card for someone who’s had a tough time at work.

It’s hard to know how many pagans are in the Triangle, because many people are private about their beliefs. But Morris says they’re everywhere if you know where to look.

“We definitely have several Wiccan covens, we have heathen groups running around,” she says. “We have some druids, we’ve got a mix of folks.”

North Carolina, a Bible Belt state in which 77 percent of adults identify as Christian, never had witch trials as extreme as those in Salem, Massachusetts, but pagans still feel like they are pushed to the margins of society. Some forms of tarot and fortune-telling were even criminalized in North Carolina until as recently as 2004.

“There’s a good chunk of people who are scared and they’re worried about losing jobs,” Morris says, pointing to the satanic panic of the 1980s when unsubstantiated fears of ritualistic abuse ran wild. No one in the alliance worships the devil, she says. (Actually, according to Morris, many pagans don’t even believe in the devil in the first place.)

Mary Hamner, a witch and scholar of religion at UNC-Chapel Hill, points to Christian norms as the cause of the stigma.

“Something like contemporary witchcraft or paganism looks crazy,” Hamner says, “but

Fortunalia Ritual, at Jordan Lake, one of the group’s first public rituals since COVID-19. PHOTO COURTESY OF TRIANGLE AREA PAGAN ALLIANCE

it’s because we’ve all grown up with this backdrop of Protestantism.”

The alliance seeks to combat some of this stigma—sometimes by something as seemingly inconsequential as just existing in public. The group’s social calendar looks almost impossibly normal, including a writing hangout at Barnes & Noble, a hike at a state park, and a meet and greet at Arcana.

For Hamner, the emphasis on inclusivity extends beyond religious norms.

“I think a lot of pagans and witches, magical folk of all types, see themselves as kind of being in between and beyond the status quo,” Hamner says. “I feel like that is also a queer experience.”

Inclusivity is part of the story of the queer-owned and operated Arcana, too: a sign posted at the top of the steps to the basement bar reminds customers to be respectful and welcoming to all people. Karcher says this is why the alliance seemed like a natural partner for Arcana.

“The thing that I pride myself the most on is getting the feedback that we are a safe space,” she says. “And that extends to women, the queer community, trans community, people of color.” And pagans.

Hamner, who is working on a book about witchcraft, has spent time studying how elements of magic from corners of the internet have crept into the mainstream, even slithering into corporate boardrooms under labels of “manifestation” and “actualization.”

“If you’ve heard people on TikTok, or even in corporate culture, talking about ‘If you just change your mind-set, good things will happen to you!’ It’s rooted in some of these earlier new religious movements, but we don’t think of that stuff as religion anymore,” Hamner says.

She credits pop culture and spaces like #WitchTok, the mystical corner of TikTok, with increasing people’s exposure to nontraditional and polytheistic ideas. When she was young, she was bewitched by mid-1990s depictions of witches and magic through films and shows such as Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Charmed, and Practical Magic. From there, she navigated her way through Wiccan chat rooms and DIY websites until she eventually found her own coven and became a formal member of a tradition.

“It wasn’t a phase,” she says with a laugh.

“Sorry, Mom.” The anniversary party at Aracana in September was also a fundraiser for the alliance’s upcoming winter solstice party. Like other December holidays celebrated by North Carolinians, the solstice party will be a time for celebrating friendship, family, and new beginnings on the longest night of the year.

“We invite all the groups in the area, old friends who we’ve not heard from in a long time,” Morris says.

They’ll celebrate another year—underground, in the shadows, together. W

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NIGHT SCHOOL BAR

719 North Mangum Street, Durham | nightschoolbar.com

Learning by Heart Pop into Durham’s Night School Bar, and you’ll find a new neighborhood spot for cocktails—and a thriving educational hub for the humanities.

BY JUSTIN LAIDLAW jlaidlaw@indyweek.com

Night School Bar. PHOTO BY ANGELICA EDWARDS

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n a recent Sunday evening in Durham, people grabbed drinks and cozied up to the ad hoc stage that local musicians Skylar Gudasz and Chessa Rich were performing on.

The concrete floors in the space weren’t yet done and the weathered wood lining the bottom of the bar in the back room still needed another coat of finish. But any final touches the room still required didn’t interrupt the flow of the evening’s programming, as the two performers guided Night School Bar’s room of Kickstarter supporters through an intimate exploration of music and the creative process.

The session keenly represented what the team behind Night School Bar hopes to provide at 719 North Mangum Street.

Night School Bar, per its website, is a collective of instructors “offering evening classes in the arts and humanities to curious adults” on a sliding scale. After hosting remote classes for the last three years, the school finally opened its permanent location, which also includes a neighborhood bar, to the public, early this October.

Night School Bar founder Lindsey Andrews is a veteran of downtown Durham, most recently as the co-owner of Arcana.

During the early days of downtown’s renaissance, she worked as a bartender at a handful of Durham bars, including the Federal and Motorco, while attending graduate school at Duke University. After receiving a PhD in English and a certificate in fem-

inist studies, Andrews left Durham for a brief teaching stint at Vanderbilt University, before returning a year later and cofounding Arcana alongside Erin Karcher.

When community arts space The Carrack closed in 2019, Andrews told the INDY last year, she saw a need to create more space to help fill the void where similar programming could live on.

The COVID-19 pandemic thwarted plans to open Night School Bar in 2020, so Andrews had to adapt. She offered her first class—Art and Illness, which Gudasz attended—as a free seminar. She hoped to try and form community during a time when many folks were confined to their homes.

“The pandemic was tough,” Andrews says.

“I wondered if other people would want to learn together.”

The class became an official Night School Bar course in November, as Andrews started recruiting other instructors to teach adult education classes remotely. This move proved fortuitous, as remote learning became more commonplace.

That first term, Andrews and her team offered five classes. Since then, the tally has grown to 180 total classes, with about 12 offered per two-month term.

The diversity of class topics and accessibility of the pay-what-you-can fee structure attracts students from all walks of life. It’s gained a broad reach, too, outside Durham: 3,000 students have enrolled from over 10 different countries. Only about 25 percent

of students have actually been based in the Triangle.

“It’s the most diverse group of students I’ve ever taught,” Andrews says. “It is age diverse. It is gender diverse. It is racially diverse.”

Nevertheless, the team sees a lot of potential in establishing a home base at Old Five Points.

Nicole Berland, an assistant teaching professor at UNC-Chapel Hill, is currently teaching her first course with Night School Bar, called Speculative Futures: Fiction, Theory, and Social Justice. She is also gearing up to lead Night School Bar’s first film class, on the films of Bong Joonho, who is famous for directing Parasite and Snowpiercer.

“It’s gonna be really fun to have that energy of people in a room,” Berland says. “The conversations that happen in the space before and after class are always so fun.”

Other instructors are excited to embrace the hybrid of virtual and in-person learning.

Durham psychotherapist Phillip Stillman met Andrews while in grad school at Duke and has taught a number of Night School Bar classes on subjects like queer theory and ecology. Stillman says they recognize that although some folks are ready to put remote learning in the rearview, different class options help keep things equitable.

“The loss, of course, of doing it in person is twofold,” Stillman says. “On the one hand,

you can’t have people from across the country or across the world like we have in our virtual classes. And additionally, of course, I think it’s true that we still are in COVID, and there are people who are immunocompromised and do not feel comfortable coming to an in-person class. But I believe that our continuing commitment will be to offer a combination of in-person and virtual classes so that we’re basically meeting everybody where they are.”

Night School Bar courses are rooted in the humanities, but instructors have the autonomy to blend topics and create curriculums that would seem too niche for a traditional university classroom. There’s a class on reimagining intimacy, for instance, and a poetry workshop on spells, incantations, and rituals.

“We’re able to really create classes that speak to people’s deep curiosities and interests and desires that don’t have to be regulated by a governing body or degree-granting body,” Andrews says.

Across the country, the humanities have been under fire for years, as universities strive to cut costs by eliminating liberal arts programs and right-wing groups throw themselves into book-banning campaigns.

“Night School Bar is doing something absolutely urgent, which is bringing a critical education to people affordably, accessibly,” Stillman says. “This is more urgent now than ever when a lot of these ideas INDYweek.com October 18, 2023

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“Night School Bar is doing something absolutely urgent, which is bringing a critical education to people affordably, accessibly.”

Join us for our two-day Festival to experience the power of LIVE storytelling Friday and Saturday, November 3rd and 4th Live at the Cary Theater, 122 East Chatham St, Cary

are becoming illegal. Even before they were criminalized, they were already being gatekept inside the ivory tower.”

D. M. Spratley, chief strategy officer at the school, says that students seek out their courses to explore the types of subjects and ideas that are being suppressed elsewhere in academia.

“I think the opportunity for folks to have a space to consider things that are critical of white supremacist, capitalist patriarchy, and not just compartmentalizing one or the other, seems to be something that students who are coming to Night School Bar are interested in,” Spratley says.

Sarah Rose Nordgren, cofounder of her own Durham adult education program, the School for Living Futures, attended the Sunday Kickstarter event.

“The show felt really cozy,” Nordgren says.

“You got the sense there is a very strong community vibe, and the people who came out were really invested in the success of this space and excited about the physical location coming to fruition.”

Nordgren’s School for Living Futures is an interdisciplinary, experimental school that focuses on educating students and building community to actively fight climate change. Nordgren says she is inspired by how Andrews and her team have created an equitable, sustainable business model.

“I think their organization is trying to hold both of those things simultaneously,” Nordgren says. “Offer classes that are justice forward, but also make them affordable, make them a sliding scale for the community members who want to take the classes and also make sure that the instructors are being paid fairly.”

Night School Bar joins budding neighborhood development at Old Five Points; Little Bull, a new Oscar Diaz restaurant, has quickly become a popular fixture on the block. After a couple of soft openings—and sleepless nights for staff—the Night School Bar space is now furnished and ready for the public, with hours running Wednesday through Sunday, five p.m. to midnight. The walls, a blend of exposed brick and intricate wallpaper, are lined with golden, bowlshaped lighting. Large doors separate the classroom from the bar and, when needed, folks can enter the space through a patio in the rear of the building.

Meanwhile, open enrollment for in-person and remote classes has already started for the next term.

“What’s really cool is you are intentionally in a space with other people who you haven’t met before but have the same interests as you,” Andrews says of the space. “It facilitates the introduction, in some ways, and gives you a reason to interact with people that’s not just pickup culture.” W

Acclaimed storytellers will present family-friendly stories and music to entertain, warm your heart, and inspire Four Showcase performances over Friday and Saturday in the intimate Cary Theater.

Presented by the North Carolina Storytelling Guild and the Town of Cary Theater.

FEATURING

Donna Washington

Larry Pearlman

Lona Bartlett

Kim Weitkamp

Lipbone Redding

Greg Whitt-Emcee

More information and tickets at oldnorthstatestorytellingfestival.com 32

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Zoë Palmer and Justin Sykes bartend at the newly opened brick-and-mortar Night School Bar before the Chessa Rich & Skylar Gudasz performance. PHOTO BY ANGELICA EDWARDS

ch o

CULTURE CALENDAR

FIND OUR COMPLETE COMMUNITY CALENDAR AT INDYWEEK.COM/CALENDAR

THURS 10/19

WED ng to hold 10/18

usly,” Norare justice ffordable, e commuMUSIC he classes uctors areSuper Nash Bros Oct.

18-19. 10 p.m. Tin Roof, ng neigh-Raleigh.

ve Points;Shania Twain: Queen of Me estaurant,Tour $58+. 7:30 p.m. PNC ure on theArena, Raleigh. ings—and ht SchoolSTAGE ready for Barbecue $30+. Oct. 18-29.

Wednesday Various times. De Ann S. night. TheJones Theatre, Raleigh. and intriden, bowl-Cabaret $30. Oct. 12-22. arate theVarious times. Wynn Theatre, n needed,Carrboro. h a patioMisery $20+. Oct. 11-31.

Various times. PlayMakers or in-per-Repertory Company, Chapel ady start-Hill.

MJ the Musical $49. Oct.

entionally17-22. Various times. DPAC, o you hav-Durham. e interests e. “It facilways, and th people

FRI 10/20

PAGE

MUSIC

MUSIC

A Night of Horror and Heavy Metal 7 p.m. Moon Dog Meadery, Durham

Jazz with Marc Puricelli and Friends Thursdays at 7 p.m.

Imbibe, Chapel Hill.

Eric Wayne Band 10 p.m.

Tin Roof, Raleigh.

ART

T. Davis 6:30 p.m. Tin Roof, Raleigh

Artful Story Time in ASL 10:30 a.m. North Carolina Museum of Art, Raleigh

STAGE Arcadia $20+. Oct. 12-29.

Various times. Burning Coal Theatre, Raleigh.

Hiromi’s Sonicwonder $40.

7:30 p.m. Stewart Theatre at NC State, Raleigh.

Jim Ketch Swingtet Plays Monk and Mingus $25.

8 p.m. Sharp Nine Gallery, Durham.

The Minority Report: Live Comedy Talk Show with Ebony Angelique $8. 8 p.m.

ComedyWorx, Raleigh.

Lessons of the Sky: Susan Francer, Ināra Zandame, and Branford Marsalis 8 p.m. Baldwin Auditorium at Duke University, Durham.

Peter and the Starcatcher $27+. Oct. 19-29. Various times. Frank Thompson Hall, Raleigh.

Oktoberfest: NC Polka Time Allstars 4 p.m. Central Park, Durham.

PAGE Rachmaninoff Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini $52+. Oct 20-21. 8 p.m.

Martin Marietta Center for the Performing Arts, Raleigh.

Kate Medley: Thank You Please Come Again 6 p.m.

Letters Bookshop, Durham.

The Floor with Mr. Monopoly 10 p.m. Rubies, Durham.

Opening: Bull City Riders and Inked 6 p.m. Durham Arts Council, Durham.

STAGE

Reception: Patrizia Ferreira, This Time Tomorrow 6 p.m. 21c Museum Hotel, Durham.

Misery $29. Oct. 20–Nov. 5.

Various times. Raleigh Little Theatre, Raleigh.

Twelve Angry Jurors $24.

Oct. 13-29. Various times.

The Justice Theater Project, Raleigh.

ART

Reception: Yuko Nogami Taylor 6 p.m. 5 Points Gallery, Durham.

Carolina Ballet’s Frankenstein $45+. Oct 12-29. Various times. Martin Marietta Center for the Performing Arts, Raleigh.

MJ the Musical performs at DPAC, Durham, October 17-22. PHOTO COURTESY OF DPAC

INDYweek.com October 18, 2023

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C U LT U R E CA L E NDA R SAT 10/21

SUN 10/22

LIKE TO PLAN AHEAD?

MON 10/23

TUES 10/24

MUSIC

STAGE

MUSIC

MUSIC

MUSIC

ART

Peridot Sun 4 p.m. Durty Bull Brewing Company, Durham

Beauty Is Pain Fashion Show 2 p.m. Holton Career and Resource Center, Durham.

Eric Pritchard and Read Gainsford 4 p.m. Nelson Music Room at Duke University, Durham.

Execution Day $15. 7 p.m.

Local 506, Chapel Hill.

Jeremy “Bean” Clemons Jazz Trio $8. 9 p.m.

Kingfisher, Durham.

Reception: Xuewu Zheng, One’s Religion 5 p.m. Hanes Art Center, Chapel Hill.

STAGE

The ComedyWorx Show Matinee $9. Saturdays at 4 p.m. ComedyWorx, Raleigh.

To Forget / Phantom Bay / Slug Salter 8 p.m. Rubies, Durham.

Tomás and the Library Lady 10 a.m. The Carolina Theatre, Durham

North Carolina Jazz Repertory Orchestra 8 p.m.

Sharp 9 Gallery, Durham.

SCREEN

Primetime at ComedyWorx $15. Saturdays at 8 p.m.

ComedyWorx, Raleigh.

Post Chile and Peru Tour Choral Concert 7 p.m.

Blacknall Presbyterian Church, Durham.

Rhonda Robichaux and Trio du Jour 7 p.m. Succotash, Durham.

Sayless 6:30 p.m. Tin Roof, Raleigh.

Scott Sawyer Quartet 8 p.m. Sharp 9 Gallery, Durham.

Sunlight I Cannot See: Elizabeth Linnartz, Timothy Holley, Mary Hamilton 7:30 p.m. Nelson Music Room at Duke University, Durham.

Stand Up Counterfeit: An Improvised Comedy Show $15. 8 p.m. Moon Dog Meadery, Durham.

Super Nash Bros 10 p.m.

Tin Roof, Raleigh.

Say She She $20. Motorco, Durham.

STAGE Amy Bruni: Life with the Afterlife 8 p.m. The Carolina Theatre, Durham.

Comedian La India Yurida 7 p.m. Martin Marietta Center for the Performing Arts, Raleigh.

Youth League / Sweet Home / DJ Werlock 8 p.m.

Rubies, Durham.

STAGE National Black Justice Coalition: Black LGBTQ History and Futures 5 p.m.

Rubenstein Library at Duke University, Durham.

Backchannel Cinema Curated by Heather Anne 7:30 p.m. Shadowbox Studio, Durham.

Documentary Film Screening: One Pint at a Time 7 p.m. D. H. Hill Jr. Library, Raleigh.

Blippi: The Wonderful World Tour $29.50. 6 p.m.

DPAC, Durham.

Sunday Comedy: Hoppy Hour Edition 6:30 p.m. The Hop Yard NC, Raleigh.

Carolina Ballet’s Frankenstein performs at Martin Marietta Center for the Performing Arts, Raleigh, October 12-29 PHOTO COURTESY OF MARTIN MARIETTA CENTER

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October 18, 2023

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CULTURE CALENDAR

FIND OUR COMPLETE COMMUNITY CALENDAR AT INDYWEEK.COM/CALENDAR

THURS 10/26

WED 10/25

FRI 10/27

MUSIC

COMMUNITY

MUSIC

PAGE

MUSIC

STAGE

The Cat Empire $35. 7 p.m.

Lincoln Theatre, Raleigh

Moonlight and Magick Market 6 p.m. The Durham Hotel, Durham.

Carlos Truly / Nathan Bajar / Disapoura 8 p.m.

Rubies, Durham.

Mohsen Mohamed with Sherine Elbanhawy,: No One Is on the Line 6:30 p.m.

Letters Bookshop, Durham.

DJ Chus $25. 9 p.m. The Fruit, Durham.

Ghettorauci and Friends: Comedy Showcase $10.

7 p.m. Durty Bull Brewing Company, Durham.

Party Karaoke with DJ KJB 8 p.m. Tin Roof, Raleigh.

STAGE Comedian Dave Chappelle $106+. 7:30 p.m. PNC Arena, Raleigh.

Duke Wind Symphony 7:30 p.m. Baldwin Auditorium at Duke University, Durham.

The Great Reset Oct. 26-27.

10 p.m. Tin Roof, Raleigh.

Jazz with Marc Puricelli and Friends Thursdays at 7 p.m. Imbibe, Chapel Hill.

STAGE Comedian Matt Rife Oct. 26-27. Various times. DPAC, Durham.

Lectures in Art History: Julia Lum 5:30 p.m. Virtual.

ART

Friday Favorites: Mozart and Bizet 12 p.m. Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts, Raleigh.

Gallery Talk: Act as if You Are a Curator 6 p.m. The Nasher Museum at Duke University, Durham.

Lovell Bradford Trio with Christie Dashiell $30.

7 p.m. Sharp Nine Gallery, Durham.

SCREEN

Screaming Females $23.

8 p.m. Motorco, Durham.

The Brain That Wouldn’t Die 6 p.m. Gregg Museum of Art and Design, Raleigh.

Sierra Hull $31. 8 p.m.

Memorial Hall, Chapel Hill.

Death Spa and Linnea Quigley’s Horror Workout 7 p.m. Shadowbox Studio, Durham.

Rocky Horror Picture Show Halloween Ball $15.

Oct. 26-27. 7:30 p.m. The Carolina Theatre, Durham.

Screaming Females performs at Motorco, Durham, on Friday, October 27. PHOTO COURTESY OF MOTORCO

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C U LT U R E CA L E NDA R SAT 10/28

SUN 10/29

LIKE TO PLAN AHEAD?

MON 10/30

TUES 10/31

MUSIC

SCREEN

MUSIC

MUSIC

MUSIC

Halloween Spooktacular with the North Carolina Symphony $32. 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. Martin Marietta Center for the Performing Arts, Raleigh.

Sensory-Friendly Film Series: Casper 11:30 a.m.

The Carolina Theatre, Durham.

Desert Sharks / BANGZZ / Gown $12. 7 p.m. Pinhook, Durham.

Cindy Lee / Freak Heat Waves $17. 8 p.m. Pinhook, Durham

Bell Witch $22. 8 p.m. Cat’s Cradle, Carrboro.

Lettuce $40. 8:30 p.m.

Lincoln Theatre, Raleigh.

Lake Street Dive $46.

7:30 p.m. DPAC, Durham.

Jeremy “Bean” Clemons Jazz Trio $8. 9 p.m.

Kingfisher, Durham.

Fall Fest 2 p.m. Brookside Bodega, Raleigh.

Oktoberfest with The Little German Band and Dancers $10. 2 p.m. Clouds Brewing Taproom, Raleigh.

Raleigh DIY Punk Rock Halloween Flea Market Oct. 28-29. Various times.

Rebus Works, Raleigh.

Vuyo Sotashe and Chris Pattishall $35. 7 p.m. Sharp 9 Gallery, Durham

Spellbound at Mordecai 10 a.m. Mordecai Historic Park, Raleigh.

COMMUNITY

Polyphia $93. 7 p.m. The Ritz, Raleigh.

Skydxddy $20. 7 p.m. Local 506, Chapel Hill.

STAGE

SCREEN

Dyke Night: Haunted House $15. 8 p.m. Cat’s Cradle, Carrboro Halloween Cover Band Show $10. 8 p.m. Pinhook, Durham.

The Golem with Live Score $30. 7:00 p.m. Carolina Theatre, Durham.

Comedian John Cleese $53.

7:30 p.m. DPAC, Durham.

STAGE The ComedyWorx Show Matinee $9. Saturdays at 4 p.m. ComedyWorx, Raleigh.

Primetime at ComedyWorx $15. Saturdays at 8 p.m.

ComedyWorx, Raleigh.

Cindy Lee performs at the Pinhook, Durham, on Monday, October 30. PHOTO COURTESY OF THE PINHOOK

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October 18, 2023

INDYweek.com

Quicksand / Glitterer $33. 8 p.m. Lincoln Theatre, Raleigh.

San Holo Presents Existential Dance Music $30. 7 p.m. The Ritz, Raleigh. .

P U Z Z L ES If you just can’t wait, check out the current week’s answer key at www.indyweek.com, and click “puzzle pages” at the bottom of our webpage.

www.regulatorbookshop.com

720 Ninth Street, Durham, NC 27705 10-6 Daily

su | do | ku

this week’s puzzle level:

© Puzzles by Pappocom

There is really only one rule to Sudoku: Fill in the game board so that the numbers 1 through 9 occur exactly once in each row, column, and 3x3 box. The numbers can appear in any order and diagonals are not considered. Your initial game board will consist of several numbers that are already placed. Those numbers cannot be changed. Your goal is to fill in the empty squares following the simple rule above.

If you just can’t wait, check out the current week’s answer key and previous puzzles at indyweek.com/puzzles-page.

Best of luck, and have fun!

10.18.23 INDY CLASSIFIEDS classy@indyweek.com

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C L AS S I F I E D S HEALTH & WELL BEING

SERVICES

Catering multiple cuisines for all occasions

919-416-0675

www.harmonygate.com The Body In The Individuation Process Kathleen Wiley, Jungian Psychoanalyst Lecture 10/27/23 7:30PM $10, Workshop 10/28/23 10am-4pm $60 Church of Reconciliation, Chapel Hill JungNC.org (919)604-0427

Award-winning Local Fare with a Global Flair Thank you for voting us

Winner of : Best Indian Restaurant in Orange/Chatham Counties

Best Chef in Orange/Chatham Counties - Vimala Rajendran

431 W Franklin St #415, Chapel Hill, NC 27516 919-929-3833 www.curryblossom.com

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October 18, 2023

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EMPLOYMENT Senior Business Systems Specialist KBI Biopharma, Inc. seeks a Senior Business Systems Specialist in Durham, NC to work with users and IT representatives to implement new processes and systems and improve existing ones, meeting developing business needs and driving efficiency while conforming to regulatory requirements for data integrity and security. Bachelors + 4 yrs rel exp. For full req’s and to apply send please vist: https://www.kbibiopharma.com/careers Job Reference Number: R00005399 Lead Data Systems Engineer Lead Data Systems Engineer, F/T at Truist (Raleigh, NC) Provide consultation & tech’l direction on translating business reqmts & functional specs into logical prgm dsgns. Facilitate the implmtn & maintenance of complex business & enterprise s/ware solutions to ensure successful deployment of released applications. Lead efforts to improve engg, test, & operational excellence best practices. Solve complex cross-functional architecture/dsgn & business problems; solutions are extensible; work to simplify, optimize, remove bottlenecks, etc. Mentor & advise others, sharing an in-depth understanding of company & industry methodologies, policies, standards, & controls. Must have a Bach’s deg in Comp Sci, Comp Engg, Electrical/Electronics Engg, or related tech’l field. Must have 5 yrs of progressive exp in s/ware dvlpmt or IT infrastructure positions performing the following: MuleSoft Platform support; API Dvlpmt & Support; working on project(s) involving the implmtn of solutions applying dvlpmt life cycles (SLDC); dsgning & automating regular maintenance activities using Python & other scripting languages; writing tech’l documentation in a s/ware dvlpmt environment; working w/ Continuous Integration/ Continuous Deployment tools; working w/ source code control systems; ensuring infrastructure changes adhered to IT Infrastructure library (ITIL), & Change Mgmt, security access procedures & policies; assessing & testing infrastructure changes (service requests, automated incidents, & change mgmt) to evaluate business risk from a server, storage, n/work, & API perspective using Service Now; & utilizing exp w/: SOAP & REST services; MuleSoft, MuleSoft Any Point API, & Mule ESB; & RAML & Rest-based APIs. Position may be eligible to work remotely but is based out of & reports to Truist offices in Raleigh, NC. Must be available to travel to Raleigh, NC regularly for meetings & reviews w/ manager & project teams w/in 24-hrs’ notice.

Apply online (https://careers.truist.com/) or email resume w/ cvr ltr to: Paige Whitesell, Paige.Whitesell@Truist.com (Ref. Job R0080187).

INDY CLASSIFIEDS classy@indyweek.com

S C L AS S I F I E D S

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Raleigh, Raleigh, on n ecs cs into into mainmainware ware ff released released est, est, & & comomusiness siness implify, implify, advise advise f comcomndards, ndards, & & i,i, Comp Comp tech’l tech’l /ware ware ming ing the the Dvlpmt Dvlpmt & & implmtn mplmtn C); C); dsgndsgnties ties using using tech’l tech’l ent; ent; ous ous ontrol ontrol hered hered to to mt, mt, secusecu& & testing testing omated omated ness ess risk risk ctive ctive & & REST REST & & Mule Mule may may be be elielireports reports ilable ilable to to & & reviews reviews otice. tice. email email

EMPLOYMENT

EMPLOYMENT

UX Designer I UX Designer I sought by LexisNexis USA in Raleigh, NC to play important role in defining, documenting, communicating interaction customer has w/ our proprietary products, utilizing UX (User Experience) techniques that are specific to LexisNexis. Minimum of Master’s degree or foreign equiv in User Experience Design, Industrial Design, Product Design or rltd + 1 yr exp in job offered or rltd occupations required. EE reports to LexisNexis USA office Raleigh, NC but may telecommute from any location within US. Interested candidates apply by mail to T. Hayward, RELX Inc; 1000 Alderman Dr, Alpharetta, GA 30005. Ref job code: 00944.

Software Architect SportsMEDIA Technology Corp (dba SMT) seeks Software Architect (Job code 29031) in Durham, NC to develop software products for multiple platforms, with a special concentration on Windows based solutions.

Telecommuting is permissible. Qualified applicants must visit jobpostingtoday.com and enter job ID: 29031 to apply.

Senior Data Architect Senior Data Architect, F/T at Truist (Raleigh, NC) Define & doc the tech’l architecture of the data warehouse, incl the physical components & their functionality. Derive infrastructure system specs from business reqmts, dsgn solutions that support core organizational functions, & ensure their high availability & other performance goals. Research new opportunities & create methods to acquire data. Dvlp measures that ensure data accuracy, integrity, & accessibility. Continually monitor, refine, & report data mgmt system performance. Must have Bach’s deg in Comp Sci, Comp CIS, or related tech’l deg. Must have 8 yrs of progressive exp in IT positions in a s/ware services or solutions delivery environment performing/ utilizing the following: Big Data w/ specific exp in presales & post-sales support, & customer success organizations; Data Architecture/data integration solution; Public Clouds, including Microsoft Azure, AWS, & Google Cloud incl data lake services; Agile, Scrum methodology; Hadoop distribution, including Cloudera, Hortonworks, & Mapr; & major Big Data Components, incl Hadoop, Spark, Hive, Hbase, Sqoop, Impala, Flume, Kafka, Storm, Ansible, Terraform, & Docker. Position may be eligible to work remotely but is based out of & reports to Truist offices in Raleigh, NC. Must be available to travel to Raleigh, NC regularly for meetings & reviews w/ manager & project teams w/in 24-hrs’ notice. Apply online (https://careers.truist.com/) or email resume w/ cvr ltr to: Paige Whitesell, Paige.Whitesell@Truist.com (Ref. Job R0080012).

Senior Data Architect Senior Data Architect F/T at Truist (Raleigh, NC) Define & doc the tech’l architecture of the data warehouse, incl the physical components & their functionality. Oversee dvlpmt & implementation of end-to-end integration of infrastructure solutions. Doc the Bank’s existing solution architecture & technology portfolio. Must have Bach’s deg in Comp Sci, CIS, or related tech’l deg. Must have 8 yrs of progressive exp in IT positions performing/ utilizing the following: reqmts analysis, architecture, dsgn, & dvlpmt of Big Data solutions; creating solutions architecture documentation; data mgmt & analytics in the Big data ecosystem; UI Dvlpmt using Angular; DevOps Automation; use Cases Dvlpmt in the Financial Services, ESG Data, Banking Datasets fields; & utilizing exp w/: XML, SQL, Web Services, Hibernate, Flex, Object Oriented Prgmg methodology; MVC Frameworks, Shell Scripting, Java, Bash, Unix, Windows, & My SQL Server; Arena Data Mgmt & Governance Platform; Hive, Spark, & Sqoop for data storage & processing in distributed systems (HDFS); Data streaming technologies, incl Kafka & Flume; & Cloud Computing technology & services.

Position may be eligible to work remotely but is based out of & reports to Truist offices in Raleigh, NC. Must be available to travel to Raleigh, NC regularly for meetings & reviews w/ manager & project teams w/in 24-hrs’ notice. Apply online (https://careers.truist.com/) or email resume w/ cvr ltr to: Paige Whitesell, Paige.Whitesell@Truist.com (Ref. Job R0080186)

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dyweek.com INDY CLASSIFIEDS classy@indyweek.com

Software Engineer III Software Engineer III, F/T at Truist (Raleigh, NC) Deliver highly complex solutions w/ significant system linkages, dependencies, associated risk. Lead & perform dvlpmt efforts such as analysis, dsgn, coding/ creating, & testing. Responsible for delivering high quality working s/ ware & automating manual/reusable tasks working directly, & consulting w/, the business from the beginning of the dsgn work. Must have Bach’s deg in Comp Sci, Comp Engg, or related tech’l field. Must have 6 yrs of progressive exp in s/ware engg or IT Consulting positions performing the following: applying in-depth knowl in info systems & understanding of key business processes & competitive strategies related to the IT function to identify, apply, & implmt IT best practices; applying broad functional knowledge in reqmt gathering, analysis, dsgn, dvlpmt, testing, implmtn, & deployment of applications; planning & managing projects & solving complex problems by applying best practice; providing direction & mentoring less expd teammates; & utilizing exp w/: Mainframe operating system z/OS; Cobol; CICS; JCL; IBM DB2; VSAM; Manual Testing w/ application system; IBM Debug & Xpeditor; Document Direct; CA Workstation Automation ESP; Changeman & Endevor; S/ware Dvlpmt Lifecycle; Microsoft Azure DevOps; ServiceNow Change Mgmt; & Bluezone. Position may be eligible to work remotely but is based out of & reports to Truist offices in Raleigh, NC. Must be available to travel to Raleigh, NC regularly for meetings & reviews w/ manager & project teams w/in 24-hrs’ notice. Apply online (https://careers.truist.com/) or email resume w/ cvr ltr to: Paige Whitesell, Paige.Whitesell@Truist.com (Ref. Job R0080280).

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LAST WEEK’S PUZZLE

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