The Morehead–Patterson bell tower was commissioned by John Motley Morehead III, the benefactor of the Morehead Scholarship.[89] The hedge and surrounding landscape was designed by William C. Coker, botany professor and creator of the campus arboretum. Traditionally, seniors have the opportunity to climb the tower a few days prior to May commencement.[88]
Justin McKoy grew up like a lot of kids in the state of North Carolina. He wanted to be a Tar Heel. "I'd always mimic playing basketball in the house with my brother," McKoy said. "It would be like Justin from Carolina playing against his brother from Duke." Entering his junior season, McKoy is finally getting the chance to live out his childhood fantasy. (WRAL Sports Fan)
UNC-Chapel Hill's 729-acre (3.0 km2) campus is dominated by two central quads: Polk Place and McCorkle Place.[69] Polk Place is named after North Carolina native and university alumnus President James K. Polk,[70] and McCorkle Place is named in honor of Samuel Eusebius McCorkle, the original author of the bill requesting the university's charter.[71] Adjacent to Polk Place is a sunken brick courtyard known as the Pit where students will gather, often engaging in lively debate with speakers such as the Pit Preacher. The Morehead–Patterson Bell Tower, located in the heart of campus, tolls the quarter-hour. In 1999, UNC-Chapel Hill was one of sixteen recipients of the American Society of Landscape Architects Medallion Awards and was identified as one of 50 college or university "works of art" by T.A. Gaines in his book The Campus as a Work of Art.[69][72]
Society members would wear a blue or white ribbon at university functions, and blue or white ribbons were attached to their diplomas at graduation.[191] On public occasions, both groups were equally represented, and eventually both colors were used by processional leaders to signify the unity of both groups as part of the university.[192] When football became a popular collegiate sport in the 1880s, the Carolina football team adopted the light blue and white of the Di-Phi Societies as the school colors.[193]
After reopening its campus in August 2020, UNC-Chapel Hill reported 135 new COVID-19 cases and four infection clusters within a week of having started in-person classes for the Fall 2020 semester. On 10 August, faculty and staff from several of UNC's constituent institutions filed a complaint against its board of governors, asking the system to default to online-only instruction for the fall.[64] On 17 August, UNC's management announced that the university would be moving all undergraduate classes online from 19 August, becoming the first university to send students home after having reopened.[65]
Tyler Nickel is ready to end his recruitment. The 6-foot-7 senior forward from Elkton (Va.) East Rockingham said he will announce his decision Wednesday, Sept. 15 at 2:45 p.m. at his high school. He planned to officially visit all his finalists but only visited Blacksburg and Chapel Hill, signifying that the Hokies and Tar Heels are the two left standing. (Inside Carolina)
Colin Moran was batting .297 with four home runs and 19 RBI in his first 32 games, so Pirates manager Derek Shelton worried the fracture of the left pisiform bone, located on the outer half of the base of his hand, would affect not only his swing but the grip strength of one of the Pirates’ top power bats. The injury hasn’t hindered the lefty-hitting Moran. (Pittsburgh Tribune-Review)
The most enduring symbol of the university is the Old Well, a small neoclassical rotunda based on the Temple of Love in the Gardens of Versailles, in the same location as the original well that provided water for the school.[83] The well stands at the south end of McCorkle Place, the northern quad, between two of the campus's oldest buildings, Old East, and Old West.
Colin Moran was batting .297 with four home runs and 19 RBI in his first 32 games, so Pirates manager Derek Shelton worried the fracture of the left pisiform bone, located on the outer half of the base of his hand, would affect not only his swing but the grip strength of one of the Pirates’ top power bats. The injury hasn’t hindered the lefty-hitting Moran. (Pittsburgh Tribune-Review)
The campus covers 729 acres (3 km2) of Chapel Hill's downtown area, encompassing the Morehead Planetarium and the many stores and shops located on Franklin Street. Students can participate in over 550 officially recognized student organizations. The student-run newspaper The Daily Tar Heel has won national awards for collegiate media, while the student radio station WXYC provided the world's first internet radio broadcast. UNC Chapel Hill is one of the charter members of the Atlantic Coast Conference, which was founded on June 14, 1953. Competing athletically as the Tar Heels, UNC has achieved great success in sports, most notably in men's basketball, women's soccer, and women's field hockey.
Carolina is a university built for the people, and public service is at the core of its mission. Students, faculty, and staff dedicate thousands of hours each year to helping communities across NC by performing public service projects and participating in outreach programs. Members of the Carolina community also make life-changing discoveries through their world-class research in labs and in the field, creating a better future for all North Carolinians.
Tar Heels have made their mark on the basketball court with Southern Methodist University head coach Larry Brown,[260] title winning coach Roy Williams,[261] Charlotte Hornets general manager Mitch Kupchak,[262] college player of the year award winners George Glamack,[263] Lennie Rosenbluth,[264] Antawn Jamison,[265] and Tyler Hansbrough,[266] Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductees Michael Jordan,[267] Billy Cunningham,[268] and Robert McAdoo,[269] great defender Bobby Jones,[270] and NBA All-Star Vince Carter.[271] Other notable Tar Heels include football players Lawrence Taylor,[272] Julius Peppers, Harris Barton, Hakeem Nicks and Dré Bly,[273] soccer stars Mia Hamm,[274] Ashlyn Harris, Heather O'Reilly, Meghan Klingenberg, Whitney Engen, Allie Long, Lori Chalupny, Crystal Dunn and Tobin Heath,[275] baseball standouts Dustin Ackley[276] and B.J. Surhoff,[277] and Olympians April Heinrichs[278] and Vikas Gowda.[278] Vic Seixas is a member of the International Tennis Hall of Fame, and won 15 Majors.[279]
The athletic teams at the university are supported by The Marching Tar Heels, the university's marching band. The entire 275-member volunteer band is present at every home football game, and smaller pep bands play at all home basketball games. Each member of the band is also required to play in at least one of five pep bands that play at athletic events of the 26 other sports.[214]
Carolina holds an in-state rivalry with fellow Tobacco Road school, North Carolina State University. Since the mid-1970s, however, the Tar Heels have shifted their attention to Duke following a severe decline in NC State's basketball program (and the resurgence of Duke's basketball program) that reached rock bottom during Roy Williams' tenure as evidenced by their 4–36 record against the Tar Heels. The Wolfpack faithful still consider the rivalry the most bitter in the state despite the fact that it's been decades since Tar Heel supporters have acknowledged NC State as a rival. Combined, the two schools hold eight NCAA Championships and 27 ACC Championships in basketball. Students from each school often exchange pranks before basketball and football games.[183][184]