By Christian Clark
Hey everyone, my name is Christian Clark and I am a rising sophomore at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. I am currently majoring in Media and Journalism. I’m still open to a variety of things in the field including working in advertising, as a sports writer, broadcaster, video editor/producer, or graphic designer (still unsure haha).
My first year on campus was incredible and wacky. I’m still in awe that I managed to get through one year at THE University of North Carolina. No, not Wilmington, Pembroke, Asheville, or Charlotte. Yes, the one in good ole’ Chapel Hill. I came into college with an open mind. Personally, I had no idea what I wanted to do or how clubs and friend groups would materialize. Being an out of state student, I knew no one from my hometown so I’d knew it would be an adjustment period. Luckily, I had some sort of a plan that materialized in ways I couldn’t have dreamed of.
As a freshman, I had no idea how my year would turn out. Like I mentioned earlier, I had a small idea of what I wanted to accomplish but I’m glad I didn’t try to fully “script” out everything. Some things in life, you just have to sit back and let the experiences come to you.
Here are some of the key highlights that made my first two semesters at UNC a memorable one!
Summit College
One of my big emphases going into college for me was to find a community of Christian believers. I read or heard a stat somewhere that 70% of college students leave their faith after entering college. That is heartbreaking to think about and I refused to let that be me. I decided that I would put myself in the best position to not just keep my faith, but expand my knowledge and grow.
My first day on campus was one that I will never forget. It started off like usual...being late. That is one of my pet peeves so needless to say, I was pretty frustrated. However, after 15 minutes of me moving into my dorm, two guys come into my room wearing olive colored shirts. Their names were Taylor Day and Philippe Garay. Taylor was a sophomore and Philippe was a junior. They introduced themselves to me and invited me to get lunch at this place called the North Carolina Study Center.
Since then, I’ve never looked back. Summit College is structured very well. Within SC at UNC, we have several family groups, a group of around 20 girls and guys that hang out and do various things on campus together like sports, getting meals, and studying. Within that, we have weekly devotional groups (D-Group) where the guys and girls in our family groups separate and meet up once a week for an hour or two and discuss a passage in the bible, confess sin, and help our brothers in Christ stay accountable.
The main events in Summit were a dodgeball tournament, Black Mountain Weekend, a weekend retreat in Asheville, NC in September, a winter conference (WinCon), Late Night Skate Night at Wheels Fun Park in Durham, and the SC Classy Christmas Party, where people talk, take pictures, and have a safe, fun night with people from ministry. We will also do things like go on Cookout runs, drive each other to church, and just enjoy college life together.
In my eyes, it is super important to find community in college. I certainly found that with Summit. It’s not perfect but there is not a group out there that can claim that. For those looking for a campus ministry, Summit is something that is unique to the Research Triangle (Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill) but there are several groups that probably do the exact same thing. Groups that I know off the top of my head are Intervarsity, Cru (Campus Crusade for Christ), Athletes in Action, and Acts 2 Fellowship.
In the fall, I will become a Summit leader where I will train and help lead those around me to help them be disciple-making disciple. It will be a great experience because it will keep me accountable for staying on top of things as well as surrounding myself with like minded people to help me grow and excel for Christ.
Classes
I took a total of 30 hours in my first year at UNC. The majority of my classes were pretty solid. For the first semester, my Media and Journalism class (MEJO 101) was very simple and helped me gain insight on the various careers within the field. The professor, Deb Aikat, made the class very entertaining with his personality even though the lectures were mostly filled with guest speakers. I really enjoyed my Geography 110 class as well. I thought about minoring in geography after this but I couldn’t find a career that really made sense for me to pursue.
Second semester was pretty tough in comparison to the first and my grades reflected that. My political science and geology class kicked my butt. Nevertheless, my Geology lab was very fun I would say. It introduced me to 3D printing, via the BEAMS Makerspace locations on campus. This was something that I wouldn’t have probably cared about if it wasn’t for the class but I’m glad I used the resources. This class made me realize how many resources that universities such as mine provides for students if they are willing to seek it out.
I am also impressed with my foreign language classes at UNC. I took Spanish 105, an accelerated beginners class to refresh my memory and expand my vocabulary. In addition, I took Spanish 203 which ended up being easier than 105 surprisingly enough. That was due in part to 105 having double the content of 203. I had to be careful though since I didn’t invest as much time for the latter since the amount of work wasn’t much, I kinda had to cram at the end to get a good grade in the class.
The bottom line for my first year of classes was for the most part, I actually wanted to go to class. Some college students would beg to differ but I really felt like I was being taught what I needed to know and not just be given “busy work” to fit a curriculum. In addition, I felt like classes weren’t “as hard” as people said they would be. I still had to put in work but it wasn’t unbearable. Since I’m not a Math or Science major, that could play a part in it but time will tell on that front. Anything that is worth enough certainly won’t come easy.
Franklin St. Festivities
Franklin St. is where all the magic happens on campus. There are three big things that happen here: eating/socializing, halloween night celebration, and rushing the streets after defeating the Duke Blue Devils in basketball. Of course, winning a National Championship would warrant this as well.
There are so many great restaurants on Franklin St. It is very pricey so I wouldn’t recommend eating there on a consistent basis but it is nice to see all the options there are. However, it is definitely a nice change of scenery to try something new when the cafeteria food gets repetitive and old. In fact, eating at Lenoir or Rams (Chase) Dining Hall isn’t as bad as people make it out to be. At the end of the day, it’s still not as good as Mom’s home cooked meals though.
If you like Mexican food, burgers, or pizza, there is no shortage of those options. You have your traditional restaurants like McDonalds, Panera, Chipotle. You also have unique places that are unique to Chapel Hill like Al’s Burger Shack, Ms. Mongs, and Hibachi and Co. My somewhat attainable goal is to eat at every restaurant on Franklin St before I graduate. It will be tough but I think it is manageable.
Halloween is an experience that all students should try out at least once. I thought there would be more things to do but there’s not too much to participate in besides eat at food trucks and look at wacky costumes that crazy college students come up with. I went traditional as Superman but there are many creative costumes that people put a lot of effort into. Of course there are parties too but I’d never advocate for that.
Last but not least, we have the basketball tradition of “storming Franklin St.” Whether it is a home or away game, a UNC win over Duke warrants thousands of people sprinting from wherever they are on campus and hauling to Franklin St for a celebration. Since my Tar Heels OWNED the Dook this year (two wins), we had the opportunity to storm Franklin St twice. The first time was the whole “Zion’s shoe explosion game” and we knew it was over about midway through the second half. I was watching the game at a friends house close to the site of the celebration so I didn’t have to run too far. The second time was during Spring Break so I envision that was a bit more tame.
People will do stupid things like set and jump over fires but I encourage new freshman to stay out of illegal activity and enjoy the win with your friends. I can’t even imagine if I’m lucky enough to witness a National Championship win...
GoHeels Productions
GoHeels Productions was something that I didn’t know existed when I first came to campus. There was a good reason for that since this was the first year this program was open to students. GoHeels partners with the ACC Network (formerly Raycom Sports) and sometimes ESPN to bring events onto their platforms. Since the ACC Network is getting a standalone channel in August 2019, a fancy new telecommunications building has been constructed for the new year. I’m excited to see and work in the new facility.
I’ve worked as the replay operator, graphics man, and camera guy for various UNC sporting events. Those sports were football (spring game), lacrosse, baseball, and softball. Opportunities like this are great to get your name in circulation as well as getting experience in a real life job without the pressure. My friends and I even made a brief appearance on a commercial for the UNC-Duke rivalry game and I'd bet that me working for GoHeels had something to do with that.
The staff was pretty nice and willing to work with you when something was confusing. We would have weekly training meetings to help learn new things and refine our skills so the next time we would work an event, we would be ready for the show. I am returning to GoHeels this fall and I hope that more opportunities will arise to improve my craft and potentially discover a career path.
Hurricane Florence/Water Crisis/Winter Storm Diego
One of the great institutions that the University of North Carolina has for its students is an alert system called AlertCarolina. It is a system that notifies students via text message and/or email when the university is at risk for certain dangers such as inclement weather or campus threats such as shootings or dangerous protests (UNC has like one protest a week LOL). There were three major events that we needed to keep a close eye on. The first one ended up becoming very serious for the state of North Carolina.
As we know, Hurricane Florence devastated much of the eastern coastline of North Carolina, specifically Wilmington and New Bern. Originally, the inland part of the state was supposed to be hit hard but models regressed from a Category 5 projection to a Category 3 at landfall. Just ask my roommate Josh Dixon. He was in an interesting class during first semester about weather and climate (class code: GEOG 111) where they discussed a ton about the impending storm. Fortunately, Chapel Hill only got moderately strong winds and rain so I was able to stay on campus for the duration of the storm.
Next on the list, we had the second installment of the “Water Crisis” at UNC. Yes, this actually happened TWICE. Basically what went down was a water pipeline exploded at the OWASA Water Plant in Carrboro where the university gets its water from. In turn, every student got an alert on their cell phones saying that classes were canceled for the day. Luckily, the situation was resolved within 24-48 hours but it could've been much worse. Overall, this situation turned into a weekly meme that I’ll leave here for your viewing pleasure...
It wouldn’t be college without exam week. It wouldn’t be UNC without a controversy. Many of the students, including myself, was concerned about whether or not “Winter Storm Jonas” would impact exams. In high school, you can push exams to after Christmas Break. In college, it’s a new semester with new classes that start as soon as students return. I think you see my point. It’s extremely tough to reschedule exams under this scenario.
For some, they got their final exams canceled. For others, it was delayed by a day or two. The South doesn’t handle snow very well but UNC didn’t have much of a choice in regards to pushing exams. I was able to take all of my exams and excelled on all of them so I thank God that we didn’t have to get some of our holiday vacation taken away.
Famous People
One of the amazing things about going to an elite university like UNC-Chapel Hill is that they often attract some of the biggest names in the business. I really enjoyed being close to a big region like the Raleigh-Durham triangle for the opportunity that it provides. Through this, I was able to meet several prominent stars that I was hoping to see one day.
First off was my favorite NBA player, Kemba Walker. It was a borderline miracle in how I was able to meet him. To simplify this the best way, the neighbor’s of my roommate Josh, the Williamson’s, had a connection with Cody Zeller who started for the Charlotte Hornets. They were at the game in the Dean Dome and offered Josh two access passes to go on the court after the Hornets-Celtics game and be able to meet some of the players. He offered me a pass and the rest is history.
Second on the list was Tori Kelly. I really admire Kelly because not only do I love her music but also the bold move that she took as she shifted from pop music to gospel. Her voice in real life was stunning and if she ever makes her way to North Carolina or Virginia again, I will definitely do my best to attend.
Last on the list was Lecrae. Lecrae, a Christian hip-hop artist, was brought in through some of the Christian organizations on campus. I was surprised on how much he knew about the topic of racial reconciliation and his storyline he presented.
UNC Sporting Events
I’d say it’s pretty much impossible to enjoy campus life without going to a UNC sporting event. I’ve been to a Carolina field hockey, women’s soccer, baseball, volleyball, football, and of course a men’s basketball game. To earn more opportunities to go to a men’s basketball game, Carolina Fever is the way to go. Fever allows you to acquire points by going to other sporting events on campus. If you manage to get Top 150, you would automatically be granted ONE ticket to the iconic UNC-Duke game!
There were many great UNC basketball games I went to like the epic Miami game and “not a rivalry” game against NC State but c’mon....what else would top the list? Shout out to my guy Peter for graciously sacrificing his ticket and letting me attend. The best rivalry in College Basketball was back for its biannual installment. Of course this game was at the start of Spring Break. Yet another instance of perfect timing! Of course, it was the last time I’d see seniors Luke Maye, Cameron Johnson, and Kenny Williams play in a Carolina uniform.
In the morning, I woke up at 6:20am to get a good seat for ESPN College GameDay. By a stroke of luck, one of the ESPN employees selected me along with nine others to try out for the State Farm half-court tuition giveaway. Unfortunately, I didn’t get selected but at least I can now say I have shot a basketball inside the Dean E Smith Center. Despite getting partially trampled and not getting first row, my friend Tyler and I finessed our signs on television. At the show’s conclusion, I was able to take a picture with Kenny Williams as he recognized my “Midlothian Represent” sign since he went to L.C. Bird High School here in the 804 area.
As for the game, I went with my friend Reuben as we waited in the Phase 5 line for the game. Typically, there are only three phases. Every game I attended prior to this one, I had a Phase 1 ticket, meaning I get the best seats. However, I wasn’t going to complain. ANY ticket to the Duke game is a good one. There were so many people that they basically made a Phase 6 and we barely made the cut off. I loved this game because my all-time favorite Tar Heel, Kenny Williams, went off for 18 points and drained 4 three pointers along with some key defensive plays. The year before in Chapel Hill, KDubs hit six three pointers and scored a career high 20 points. I guess the Blue Devils bring out the best in my guy.
After the celebration, most of the Carolina contingency stayed in their seats to listen to Cam, Luke, and Kenny give their goodbyes senior speeches to the fans. It was amazing to hear and so much sweeter to witness it in person. I had always dreamed of going to a Duke-Carolina game and so far in my freshman year, we are 2-0 in the regular season against the school “seven miles down the road.”
Final Score: North Carolina 79, Duke 70
IM Sports
No matter what university you attend, I strongly suggest you play in an intramural sport.
Intramural Sports is a fantastic way to play the sport you love in high school in a low-stakes environment or possibly try one that you have never tried before. Spikeball, Intertube Water Basketball, 4v4 Flag Football, Quidditch. You name it, it’s probably out there. I played Flag Football on two teams and a basketball team. I had a lot of fun but in my sophomore year, I have a lot to prove. I went 0 for 13 in games that I played in. I think it’s me. I would say I’m joking but there is a reason I say that. The one game I couldn’t play in, the team won. It’s safe to say that I’m ready for redemption.
My favorite game was our playoff game during 4v4 Flag Football. We were playing the number one seed as a result of being the worst team record wise. Realistically, we thought we were gonna get smacked but we weren’t going to lie down and accept defeat. We had a lot of talent on our team but we never practiced and in intramural sports, it is really up to each team to decide how that will look. Some teams practiced multiple times a week and it showed, especially in basketball.
I was limited in the game due to my partially torn hamstring so I sat out for most of the game. That meant that my new roommate for this upcoming fall, Zach Engler, was going to play quarterback. Boy did he impress. He threw a DOT to one of my friends, Trace Pigg, who snagged an amazing one handed pass on the sideline while accelerating up field and reaching the end zone. I met Trace in my first flag football IM team and he seems to show up in the biggest games. In our lone playoff game as the “Hinton James Package Center,” he came up big with three interceptions. Obviously, we had to lose in sad fashion by the score of 2-0 (in football, yikes).
Back to the story, Zach decided to put on a show with a #SCTop10 move. His ridiculously NASTY juke move on a poor defender had the few spectators in awe for a big time touchdown. I wish I had a video of the play. It was THAT good. I was able to catch a two-point conversion in limited action to tie the game at twenty. Later our team, “Kenny Williams Fan Club,” was on the verge of giving up a touchdown until my big 6’4 friend Noah Barnett swooped in and intercepted a pass at the goal line and set us up with four minutes left (cue Super Bowl 49 vibes).
Could this be the game I finally win? Will the curse be lifted? With four minutes left, things were setting up perfectly for a game-winning drive and moving on to the next round. Unfortunately, as fate would have it, with the game tied on 4th and goal, we threw a pick-six on the ensuing play to lose the game. Most people aim to win the coveted “Intramural Champions” t-shirt but I just want to win one game. As they say in sports…”there’s always next year.”
Final Thoughts
Overall, college was MUCH better than high school in my opinion. You have more freedom, you get to pick the friends you want and the classes. Whether you like it or not, you learn how to be an adult and be out in the real world to an extent.
Attending an out-of-state college like I did will help you make new friends and improve your social skills. Even if you stay in-state, you still may only know five or ten people anyway.
There are almost no guarantees during your first year of college. The year won’t be perfect. There will be grades that are less than desirable. You might get homesick and miss your friends back home. You might want to punch a wall.
However, at the end of the day, you’ll realize that the sun will shine the next day and all the negative things that you will go through will be made up with the great experiences that college provides. Find some friends, find a club, stay healthy, study hard, and you’ll do just fine.
Without further ado, here is my college advice list (some UNC-Chapel Hill specific tips) to make it through your first year on campus.
Tips
#1. Even if you know people coming into college, be prepared to learn a lot of names.
One thing that I took for granted was the familiarity of my hometown. Back in Midlothian, VA, I knew the same core group of friends and classmates since middle school and some since elementary school. Of course, you’ll befriend new people every year but nowhere as great as heading to college. There are approximately 19,000 total undergraduates so running into one person you know during the day on campus is a relief.
#2. Don’t let the first month fool ya
For me, the first month at UNC was amazing. Free food, awesome events, early morning fire drills. Truly perfection. There was so much to do with new events getting freshman acclimated to the new campus. At some point though, the welcome events will end and it will be time to buckle down. If you stay in “everything is fun” mode for too long, your grades will suffer. It’s all about discipline so make sure you know when to bypass time with your friends for study time instead.
#3. Get involved early
Don’t be afraid to try new things. Sounds interesting? Try it! Fall Fest happens every year on campus where you can learn in bulk about all the clubs that North Carolina has to offer. The first-year students are all trying to find their new friends and niches so if you get involved right off the bat, your college experience may be totally different.
#4. Set two alarms
This is a big one, especially if you take early classes like I did first semester. I took 8am classes every day which is a death sentence to some but in reality, isn’t that bad. I never overslept even though my second alarm came to the rescue. Don’t be the kid that misses their final exam because they didn’t establish the right precautions.
#5. Go to class
Easy, right? Not so fast. No one is going to make you go except yourself. My goal was to make it to every class, no matter how boring. I ended up missing one class to attend the UNC basketball season opener vs Stanford...that’s ok haha. Seriously though, there are many reasons why you should go to class. First off, you have already paid for the class. Every time you skip or sleep in, it’s money down the drain. Secondly, teachers may throw test hints or reward those who attend frequently. Lastly, it is very easy to fall behind. That’s why I’d recommend grabbing a friend’s number in case you do miss for any reason. Teamwork makes the dream work, right?
#6. You’ll have to eat alone...and it’s ok
Although not impossible, it’s highly likely that at some point, your friends schedules won’t match up and you will have to eat in the dining hall alone. Listen to me...no one cares. It’s college. Everyone does it. Sure, you can eat at Chick-fil-A or Subway every day but ultimately, you will be getting the “Freshman 15” which is not a good thing. This isn’t high school. You’re an adult now. No one cares.
#7. B’s are the new A
Okay, okay. It is still very possible to get A’s. I was able to manage A’s in three classes first semester. However, for many people at UNC, all they were used to is getting A’s. It’s not an issue for me but others make it out like it is the end of the world. Some classes are going to be extremely challenging to the point where getting a B is a huge success. Even C’s get degrees. Don’t aim for that though.
#8. Raccoons and squirrels at UNC are wild
I’m not sure about North Campus but at least on South Campus, there are a lot of crazy squirrels running around without a care in the world. What is even worse is the racoons. I’m constantly paranoid that one of those things are going to come and eat me or something. I’m serious...
#9. Befriend upperclassmen friends
It should be self-explanatory that you learn more from people that are older and wiser than you. I was able to get advice about campus, classes to take, and rides to church and concerts.
#10. Enjoy the ride
College is only four years. Maybe six. After this, you’ll never have an opportunity like this again so make sure you truly take hold of the moment. It can’t be all studying but it can’t be all partying either. Personally, I’ve never been to a college party and I probably never will but that’s just in my DNA. I was still able to have fun through other venues such as concerts, performances, sports, and hanging out with my friends. However, when I needed to study and work hard, I eliminated all distractions and focused so that I could excel on my exams.
Bonus: Buy a mattress pad for your bed (easily the best thing I invested in for my dorm)
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