How I Think Social Media Will Influence the Future of Public Relations – Guest Post

Will social media influence or change the future of public relations? I wrote a guest blog post for Wojdylo Social Media explaining the ways I’ve seen social media change throughout my four years in college, and how I think social media could influence how traditional public relations tactics and campaigns are run in the future.  Check it out to see my thoughts on how social media will continue to change the public relations profession!

http://wojdylosocialmedia.com/think-social-media-will-influence-future-public-relations/

#2: Play in the fountain at Bynum Circle

Every year after sunset serenade, I’ve jumped in the fountain at Bynum Circle. We started the tradition sophomore year while walking back towards Granville carrying the towels we’d sat on while listening to accappella groups and realized how convenient it was that we already had towels. It didn’t hurt that we were really hot from sitting outside for the past hour and were really feeling a dip in the cool water of the fountain. Junior year it was a little chilly, but we had to continue the tradition so we decided to jump in anyway. The people who jump in the fountain with me have changed from year to year, but it’s always been me and Melissa, my roommate, and our other roommate Rachel has always taken the pictures. This year, sunset serenade was rained out and we couldn’t fit in the rain location, so we skipped the serenade and decided it was too cold for fountain jumping – and it remained pretty chilly, so we hadn’t jumped in the fountain all year. Last night, I was heading back to my apartment with my friend Caitlin and we decided to take advantage of the hot weather and the fact that Caitlin had never jumped in the fountain and took a spontaneous dip!

Old Well Ranking: (6 out of 10) 

Recommendations:

• Some people like to put soap in the water before they jump in the fountain, but it turns into a big block of foam and ends up sticking to your legs, so I don’t recommend it.

 

#37 & #40: See a movie hosted by CUAB at the Union/at the Varsity Theater

When you can drag yourself away from Netflix in your bed, there’s an abundance of cheap or free movie options in Chapel Hill. The two most popular are on the bucket list: the free movie series that CUAB hosts, normally in the auditorium at the Union, and at the Varsity Theater on Franklin Street for about $3 a ticket. Check out these two options and as a bonus, my favorite summer place to watch movies!

CUAB at the Union:

The Carolina Union Activities Board shows two different movies each weekend during that awkward period between when they’re in theaters and when they’re available on DVD. My sophomore year, they showed them in Hamilton 100, but now they’re back in the Union auditorium. I’ve been to see a few movies there because who would turn down a free movie? Most notably, I saw Pitch Perfect for the third time surrounded by fellow Carolina students, and it was great! You have to bring your OneCard, if I’m remembering correctly, and they show each movie at different times on Friday and Saturday – one early and one late. My biggest recommendation is that you follow CUAB on Twitter. They tweet each weekend about what movies they’re showing and the times they’ll be showed. CUAB has posters of the movies they’ll be showing in dorms sometimes, but especially if you live off-campus or just want timely reminders, CUAB’s Twitter account is the easiest way to keep up with what movie they’re playing.

Old Well Ranking: (6 out of 10) 

At the Varsity Theater on Franklin:

The Varsity is a small movie theater on Franklin that shows movies that are, like the CUAB movies, in the period between theaters and DVD. They show more movies at more times, not just on the weekend, and it costs about $3 for a ticket. While I often don’t have the time or money to go see a movie right when it comes out in theaters at Southpoint, the Varsity is an easy walk away and is cheap enough that I went to see Frozen twice in one week when it was in the Varsity just because it was so cheap (and also because I loved Frozen that much.) You can see what movies they have playing online or in the old-fashioned marquee as you walk down Franklin Street. Going to see a movie at the Varsity is a really fun and cheap activity in Chapel Hill, and it’s definitely something UNC students should check out.

Old Well Ranking: (7 out of 10) 

Summer outdoor movies at the Lumina:

I spent the first half of the summer after my sophomore year in Chapel Hill, living in an apartment with my roomie for life Melissa, babysitting and working at the DTH before I studied abroad. One of my favorite memories from that summer was going to see an outdoor movie. At the Lumina Theater in Southern Village, which is just down the road from Chapel Hill, they have a giant screen outside and all summer, they show movies on the screen in the evening. I gathered a bunch of people who were in Chapel Hill for the summer and we got Chinese takeout and ate it while watching the movie. They don’t start showing movies until the end of May, when almost everyone is gone for the summer, but they continue to show them until the end of August. You can catch a movie at the beginning of school, or check out the full summer’s options if you’re staying for summer school.

Old Well Ranking: (6 out of 10) 

#66: Swim in the Eno Rock Quarry

There’s always a few weeks right after school starts in August when it’s unbearably hot, and walking to and from class feels like walking in a brick oven. During the first few weeks of senior year, it was so hot that my friends and I decided that we needed to go swimming. We’d heard great things about the Eno Rock Quarry in Durham from friends, and Google gave us some pretty great results (for some reason, the photo in that article makes my roommate Laura laugh uncontrollably for five minutes every time she sees it,) so we decided to check it out.

The rock quarry is about a 20-minute drive from Chapel Hill, and there’s a gravel parking lot where you can park your car. The trek to the rock quarry is long – about a mile or a mile and a half, and it’s not a casual walk along a paved walkway. It’s a hike uphill and through tree roots and over giant mud puddles and across fields of weeds. By the time you make it there, the combination of the long journey and the oppressive humidity will have you sweating and exhausted. But that’s perfect, because you’re about to jump in some cool, refreshing water!

The quarry is deep – there’s no bottom for you to put your feet on, and treading water can get exhausting.There was a giant branch in the water that floated to the top while we were there, but not all seven of us could hold on to it. Luckily, our friend John brought some swimming noodles that we took turns floating around on. The water was cold, but that was refreshing in the late summer heat.

When we finally climbed out of the water and wrapped our towels around us, we walked around the lake to the other side, where people jump off protruding rocks into the water. It’s a little terrifying because how do you know where to jump where there aren’t any rocks underwater? Luckily, there were other people jumping in before us so we followed their lead. I only jumped once, but my roommate Melissa dove in a few times.

 

Old Well Ranking: (6 out of 10) 

Recommendations:

• Wear old plastic flip-flops for hiking there – even though you’ll be climbing hills and walking over roots, your feet will be wet the whole way back and sneakers will get completely ruined.
• Bring pool noodles or something to float with in the water. It’s already a workout even with something to hold on to.
• Go to Cookout for dinner afterward. Why pass up a combo tray when you’re already in Durham?

#36: Have a drink and listen to some bluegrass at Fridays on the Front Porch at the Carolina Inn

It’s my second-to-last Friday before graduation, so time’s running out. I can’t believe that graduation is only a week from tomorrow. It’s in single-digit days, when 2014 used to sound so far in the future it was like a sci-fi movie. I’m living the senior lifestyle and only have one final and a portfolio due this week, so my roommates and I decided we wanted to check out Fridays on the Front Porch!

The front lawn of the Carolina Inn was absolutely packed with people. There were couples sitting on blankets on the grass and small children running around and dancing to the music of the bluegrass band. When you walk up the stairs, you can buy a ticket for a beer or glass of wine, along with a burger or other outdoor food. When you have your ticket you can head to the back, where you can redeem your ticket for your food or drink. There are people milling around, just talking and laughing and enjoying the nice weather. It was a little chilly today and would have been nicer with more sun, but there were plenty of people in sundresses or little girls in shorts.

I enjoyed hanging out, but the atmosphere was definitely more grown-up than your typical college hangout. It was at least 50% young families and while I ran into one friend there, it was someone who had graduated already. A lot of people brought their dogs and my friend Michelle, who’s going to vet school next year, was in heaven.

Old Well Ranking: (4 out of 10) 

Recommendations:

• Fridays on the Front Porch is really fun and relaxing – but it’s not necessarily for college students. Want to do something classy and mingle with people who have already graduated and work real jobs or are in graduate school? Want to see really cute puppies and little kids dancing around? Then Fridays on the Front Porch is for you. I enjoyed it, but I don’t think it’s something that every Carolina student needs to check off their bucket list.

#63: Explore the Ehringhaus tunnels

I’ve explored UNC from above by climbing on the roof of buildings on campus and climbing the bell tower, but something I added to the traditional UNC bucket list is exploring it from below. I’ve heard rumors of the tunnels behind Ehringhaus, but I haven’t explored them until my roommate needed to take photos for her film photography class and decided the tunnels would be a cool place to photograph.

We walked through the K lot beside Ehringhaus and started down the trail behind Ehringhaus. If you head to your left, down towards the creek winding its way through the woods, you’re heading in the right direction.

It takes a lot of jumping on rocks and wading through ankle-deep water, but eventually you’ll make it to the tunnels. They’re more of a giant cement cylinder – like a giant pipe sitting there in the woods. When you hear the word tunnel, you expect something that goes into the ground or a building, but most of what you can see is a big circle sitting outside.

There’s not much down the tunnel – it really is just a giant pipe, with a small stream of water down the middle. If you go down far enough that you leave the light behind you and need a flashlight, you’ll see some cool graffiti and a ladder heading up towards the sunlight. Despite the fact that there’s not much going on down there, it’s peaceful and cool to see an area of UNC that not many people explore.

Old Well Ranking: (6 out of 10) 

Recommendations:

• There’s a lot of water involved in exploring the tunnels, from wading through the creek to the stream of water on the bottom of the pipe. I suggest wearing rainboots, or cheap flip-flops if it’s hot outside.
• Definitely bring a flashlight if you want to go more than 10 feet inside the tunnel. Or if you have an iPhone, just use the flashlight app on your phone.

#42: Get a blue cup from He’s Not Here

Probably the most well-known bar in Chapel Hill is He’s Not Here, or He’s Not, as students like to call it. The bar is rumored to have gotten its odd name because it was popular with Michael Jordan, prompting bartenders to have to answer the phone as it rung off the hook with his admirers and immediately say, “he’s not here,” although their website suggests a couple other potential sources for the name. He’s Not is a half-indoor, half-outdoor bar that frequently hosts benefit nights or battle of the bands for student organizations. But what it’s really known for is its blue cups, which are oversized (supposed to hold 2.5 cans) Carolina blue cups branded with He’s Not Here’s logo. On a busy night, the picnic tables in the outdoor section of He’s Not will be littered with empty blue cups, and the cupboards of Chapel Hill apartments probably have more blue cups than actual glasses.

 My 21st birthday is later than most of my friends because I went to first grade a year early when I lived in England. I finally turned 21 on April 2nd and was excited to be able to get my first blue cup from He’s Not! I’m a huge fan of cider and so my first blue cup was of blueberry cider – though I hear they sometimes have raspberry or pear cider too.

Old Well Ranking: (7 out of 10) 

Recommendations:

• There’s always something going on at He’s Not, and often it’s a benefit night so part or all of your cover will go to a good cause. He’s Not is a quintessential college bar and is really fun for people-watching – it’s a great UNC experience to have. Blue cups are a good deal because there’s so much in them and you can take the cup home to use again! Definitely bucket list worthy.

 

#62: Rush Franklin after beating Dook — and run all the way there from the Dean Dome

Sometimes, these bucket list items overlap. There isn’t a happier overlap on my list than #29: Get tickets as a senior to the UNC-Duke game and #62: Rush Franklin after beating Dook — and run all the way there from the Dean Dome. 

I’m a senior and in my four years here, I’ve never rushed Franklin St. My freshman year we beat Duke at home, but it was over spring break, so I was not in Chapel Hill. I don’t even want to talk about sophomore year (if I never hear the name Austin Rivers again it’s too soon) and we lost to them again my junior year. Suffice it to say that I was pretty pumped for my senior Dook game, especially considering that I was basically guaranteed tickets through senior status.

On February 8th, I wrote a blog post about why I hate Duke. I created this beautiful Facebook cover photo featuring a crying Duke fan (I’d cry too if I were indoctrinated with devil-worship from such a young age), Danny Green’s famous dunk and my personal favorite, a despondent Austin Rivers crying on his knees.

I printed my ticket, put on my Carolina blue game shirt and was ready to head out the door when we got word: Duke wasn’t coming. After snow being forecasted for days and extensive planning ahead by UNC and the ACC officials, Duke decided that they weren’t going to plan ahead enough to leave earlier than their previously scheduled departure time of 6 p.m. for a game that was supposed to tip at 9 p.m.

I’ve seen a lot of Duke hate in my days at Carolina, but never as much as the hate that followed Duke’s postponement of our game (they say the ACC postponed it but we all know who was responsible for that.) It was the most Duke thing ever, and while no one was really surprised that Duke acted in a douchey way, we were incredibly disappointed to have the game canceled when it could have been the dream: the Dean Dome packed from floor to ceiling with students as we played our archrivals.

That being said, when the time came for the rescheduled game, every Carolina student’s energy was through the roof. I stood in an incredibly long line that was just phase 3 ticketholders and we ordered pizza to the line while we waited. By the time we got in, there were only upper-level seats left but I was in the Dean Dome so I didn’t care.

The first half was long and stressful, and I kept screaming and clutching at the people next to me as I suffered heart attack after heart attack at the hands of Carolina-Duke basketball. But in the end as we started to pull away, I couldn’t believe it. The atmosphere in the Dean Dome was completely insane – the floor was literally shaking (not an exaggeration, the concrete vibrated under my feet from all the noise and jumping up and down) and the sound was so breathtaking that for a few moments I wondered if I’d lost my hearing. We were ahead but it was so close. At any second, Duke could have made a couple three-pointers and knocked us off, and as someone who vowed to never take a lead for granted after the Austin Rivers debacle, I couldn’t believe that we were going to win until the time ran down and the clock stood at 00:00.

I don’t cry very often, but I actually teared up as I hugged my friends and screamed about how we’d just won, we’d beaten Duke. Ian Williams, the columnist who wrote the Daily Tar Heel’s “Why I Hate Duke” column was right when he said “to hate like this is to be happy forever.” I was so happy knowing that Jabari Parker, Rodney Hood, Coach K and that perennial Plumlee brother would be sitting in the locker room with their heads in their hands and that Roy and his boys were down on that court surrounded by jumping, screaming Tarheel fans.

I was too far up to join the mad rush onto the court that always follows a victory over Duke, but the sight of the court covered in Carolina blue was probably one of my favorite sights at UNC. After they played Jump Around and everyone jumped madly for endless rotations of the song, it was time for what I’d been looking forward to my whole UNC career: singing the alma mater after defeating Duke. And when we shouted “Go to hell, Duke!” everyone screamed it passionately because we had, in fact, just sent them to hell.

But then, finally, we ran down the stairs and out of the Dean Dome into the cold night air. Katie, Jamie, Marissa and I joined the masses streaming out of every exit and heading up Bowles Drive towards campus. You couldn’t actually run up the hill and across campus because there were so many people there, but once we passed SASB, we started sprinting uphill towards mid-campus. We met our friends at the Old Well and took a sip because where else would you grab a drink of water on campus during a sprint towards Franklin Street?

Franklin was absolutely packed with people, all cheering and all wearing Carolina blue. There were people standing on the telephone poles and street signs, leading chants and risking their lives simultaneously, and you could see the glow of at least one fire in the middle of the crowds.

 

I wish I had a better photo of the crowds on Franklin but I was way too excited to try to back up enough to get an all-encompassing shot. I fell asleep that night with a huge smile on my face, and if waking up the morning after losing to Duke feels like the morning after a breakup, waking up after beating Duke feels like remembering you just won the lottery.

Old Well Ranking: (10 out of 10) 

Recommendations:

• Being in the Dean Dome when we beat Duke and rushing Franklin afterward was possibly the best experience of my college career. I waited for four years to be able to sprint uphill to Franklin Street from the Dean Dome, and it was worth it.