Pit preachers

The promise of a ready audience and a tolerance for free speech on campus has long made the Pit a popular location for preaching. The "pit preachers" are usually evangelical Christians seeking to educate, chastise, or convert passing students. Many are noted for their fiery rhetoric, not to ...

Rathskellar

The Ram's Head Rathskeller, opened in Amber Alley off of Franklin Street in 1948, was beloved by generations of Carolina students. It was run by the Danziger family, owner of several successful restaurants in Chapel Hill. It was a combination of a formal restaurant and beer hall but turned into ...

Carolina blue

The university's distinctive school color originated only a few years after the university opened. Not long after the first students arrived, they organized two debating groups: the Dialectic and Philanthropic Societies. The "Di" and "Phi" societies played a large role in campus ...

Influenza

The influenza pandemic that swept the world in 1918 and 1919 had a very visible effect in Chapel Hill, claiming two consecutive university presidents. Edward Kidder Graham, the popular young president who was leading the university's growth and transformation into a modern research university, d...