2016: A year in review at UNC

Well this is it, y’all. It’s the end of another year at Carolina, so it’s time to look back at the news that made 2016 so… special. It was a year of worshipping a dead gorilla and the end of the Purple Rain era. Let’s take a look at the best moments of 2016 at UNC.

No more Fitz’s

In January, we said goodbye to the beloved Fitzgerald’s, everyone’s favorite Irish pub. ‘Might as Well Bar and Grill’ has taken its place. So if you’re feelin’ Fitzy, we’ve got a new place to go on Franklin Street.

New student body president

We elected Bradley Opere as UNC’s SBP and he has served us well– even though some people chose to write-in a menacing hawk instead. Let’s be honest– writing in the UNC hawk was much better than writing in Harambe during the 2016 General Election.

Chase Rice

You love him or hate him, but there is no in between. Alumni and past football player Rice headlined the UNC spring concert, and many felt CUAB did us dirty with such a minor artist. To try to make things better, UNC junior JP Hussey polled thousands of students to get an artist to perform in 2017 that we all love. But as hard as he tried to book The Chainsmokers, it just doesn’t seem to be working.

State still wasn’t our rival.

For some reason they still don’t get it so we told them again. Its the same thing every year. Come on, State.

N.C. appointed a UNC system president

And we protested. Margaret Spellings was appointed as president of the UNC system in March. Students held rallies across the state to voice their disagreement.

HB2

A lot of good things happened in 2016, but this year we also took a step back in the ongoing LGBTQ+ civil rights movement. Pat McCrory, now N.C.’s former governor, signed the now infamous HB2 bill into law. And as UNC students, we used our voices to protest. But so did Bruce Springsteen and the NBA.

Brice and Marcus

We don’t even need to write their last names and you already know the set of lovable roommates we’re talking about. Brice Johnson and Marcus Paige, two of the most iconic UNC basketball players in recent history, finished their senior year in 2016. More to follow.

D00k lost

March 5, 2016: One of the best days of the 2016 men’s basketball season. That cold Saturday night, we all knew exactly what it meant to be a Tar Heel. We beat that school eight miles away in a glorious hard-fought battle. As we lit fires on Franklin, cheered until we lost our voices and sang the alma mater–each of us bled Carolina blue that night. We thanked our players for sticking with us through a whirlwind season.

Didn’t we have a tornado warning?

I mean I guess we did. We took pics so it def happened.

We got an exam moved

The NCAA championship game called for students to petition their STOR 155 professor. They asked to have their exam date changed–and it worked. That is, until someone asked to keep the same 8am time the day after the championship. So close.

We made it to Houston

The men’s basketball team closed out the season in spectacular fashion. We traveled to Houston to support our Final Four champions. Marcus Paige made a legendary basket that will go down as one of the greatest shots in UNC history, but it just wasn’t enough. Even though the game didn’t end how we wanted it to, the memories live on.

The Student Stores were privatized

Goodbye Daily Grind, hello UNC Cafe (aka Starbucks).

President Elect Donald Trump

With 2016 came the rise of our now elected president Donald Trump. His success has shocked many people, and his supporters have shocked even more people. We shared our concerns about his presidency and continue to fight for what we believe in.

 

A UNC student took her sexual assault to the media

The sophomore criticized the handling of her case against a UNC football player. She was upset that the university has taken too long to respond to her claim, and that they downplayed the incident with her alleged rapist. Artis responded by saying that he did not rape her. The case is ongoing.

We found out who the Pit Preacher voted for

Hint: It wasn’t for Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump.

The Charlotte riots

Charlotteans expressed their frustration over the police killing yet another black man. We spoke to a photographer whose pictures of the movement went viral over social media. We showed our solidarity with them. And when the Carolina Fever PR chair tried to bring awareness for the uprising and the issues it addressed, he was punished for it.

There is a Carol Folt website

If you can’t get enough of Carol, good news: In 2016, we found the UNC student who bought carolfolt.com. It has been judged the best page on the internet. It even has haikus.

We are allowed to sleep in the meditation room

Wow really? This is the single greatest day of my life, I never would have done something like that before. I’m so glad the Carolina Union has approved my napping.

OBAMA

Need I say more? The POTUS graced Hooker fields with his presence, along with James Taylor, Gov. Roy Cooper and several other members of the N.C. legislative body. It was hot, several people were dehydrated and the wait was ridiculously long. But we heard the president speak and that made it all worth it.

UNC cancelled an athletes’ rights class

And the professor still doesn’t know why.

Mr. and Miss UNC

UNC seniors Logan Gin and Dani Nicholson were elected as Mr. and Miss UNC at homecoming and will receive funding for their platforms.

And the best thing about 2016?

UNC alumna raised money for Flint, MI

An insensitive sign from a Duke fan sparked outrage on Twitter, so Katherine Fitzgerald pledged to donate money to the very cause that fan’s offensive sign referred to. She showed the world what it truly means to be a Tar Heel. Her actions are a shining example of the Carolina Way.

Thanks for an incredible year, Tar Heels. Happy Holidays.

@ijesscametosay