An Eventful Fall Underway!

Fall Programming Zooms Along

Great Carolina Union programming has continued this fall semester, providing lots of opportunities for student engagement and growth, while making the most of new virtual opportunities! Congratulations to Sydney Howell for leading a successful virtual SPARK retreat from September 19-20. Sarah Levine helped CUAB host virtual Jubilee on September 19. This year’s concert was the first time Jubilee had ever featured two women, Rico Nasty and DaniLeigh, as headliners! And finally, thank you to the SLL and CCS teams for publicizing and hosting another virtual edition of SmallFest in concert with Carolina Family Weekend 2020!

By the Numbers

As we salute the hard work of the Event Services and Operations teams, we’ll start by sharing an important number. Did you know that our operations team is constantly tracking data on when, where and how people are using our facilities? All of this hard work helps us operate smoothly and serve our visitors even better. One interesting data point for this semester: 77% of Union guests have been wearing face coverings. A guide for how to engage patrons who are not wearing masks is in the FAQ section of our employee resources site can be found at: go.unc.edu/unionstaff

A Union Love Story!

Zenik Hite and his fiancée Courtney Olah are getting married on October 23! Zenik and Courtney got engaged last summer on Independence Day, celebrating with fireworks and glasses of their favorite wine. The couple first met at the Union, where they both worked in Event Services during their undergraduate careers. Courtney was a manager in Guest Services, and Zenik was employed in AV, and they’ve been together for over six years now. Congratulations, Zenik and Courtney!!

Student Feature: Vanessa Coleman

We caught up with senior Vanessa Coleman and asked her to tell us about how her experience working at the Union is helping her. Check out Vanessa’s thoughtful answers:

What is your favorite part of their job?
My favorite part of working in the Carolina Union is getting to interact with students and guests that come into the student union. I get to learn from others, interact with individuals from different cultures and backgrounds, and more importantly, learn and gain skills that will last a lifetime. The student union is a great place that grants students like me the opportunity to get involved on campus and meet a variety of friendly people. The work environment is super energetic and there are lots of professional development opportunities that I can engage in.

What skills have you developed while here?
By working in the student union, I have learned effective teamwork skills and have significantly enhanced my oral and written skills, which I believe will be especially valuable and applicable in my future professional career. The guest relations team is not just a section of the Carolina Union—we are a family and a unit. I have learned that each member and employee is an integral part of the team. We work together and communicate with each other to accomplish a greater goal, which is providing a welcoming and inclusive environment to the guests of the Carolina Union. Additionally, my work as a guest relations assistant in the student union has taught me professionalism. As an employee of the Carolina Union, I serve as the first point of contact for guests of the Carolina Union, thus this position has truly taught me how to interact and work with professional staff and guests that come into the union.

What are some big projects that you have worked on?
I have been fortunate enough to assist with major events such as the Carolina Blood Drive, HACK NC, Undergraduate Admissions Information Sessions and the Carolina Indian Culture Show. I loved being a part of these major events because I was given the opportunity to engage in conversations, meet new people and learn about different cultures and backgrounds. These events which are attended by many individuals each year require a lot of assistance and dedication in ensuring that each program runs smoothly and efficiently. It was great to be able to work and assist with these events. Knowing that I was able to be of great help and support for major events that took place within the student union is a great feeling, and I cannot wait to engage in more events and projects that take place within the union.

25Live is Here!

Last spring the Carolina Union, in partnership with the Office of the University Registrar and ITS implemented a new campus-wide scheduling system called 25Live. The Carolina Union’s project team consisted of Victoria Boykin, Jené Ward, Joe Singer, and Rustin McNiff. The Carolina Union went live with 25Live in July and the team has been flourishing with the new system in place! Since July we have trained and welcomed over 300 requesters into the system to request Carolina Union spaces. Our Event Services student staff are creating and leading trainings for our internal and external users.

Housekeeping Heroes

We recognize Housekeepers Appreciation Week every year, but this September 13-19 of this year was especially important. Our housekeeping team has put in lots of extra cleaning and sanitizing work that has kept our community safe!
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Client Praise for Guest Services

Guest Services staff received a huge thank you from the American Red Cross Club of UNC-CH on August 26, 2020. There were issues with unloading their supplies, the Guest Services team stepped up and notified professional staff to have the loading dock cleared so that their supplies could be unloaded in a timely manner. Guest Services staff also assisted with giving directions to bathrooms and storage in the Union.

CU Student Cross Training

Led by Todd McLamb, Erick Twaite and student employee Sarah Mueller, our facilities team helped student employees from across departments learn a little bit about facilities maintenance. The team hosted trainings on how to safely and properly mix chemicals as well as patch drywall, painting techniques, and even how to flip a room safely under COVID-19 conditions. 26 students completed this process to become “Facility Branch Certified” and are now painting rooms and tackling other projects!

Student Shoutouts!

Given the special circumstances of this semester, Operations and Event Services wanted to call out their entire student team for showing up and putting in the work despite the adversity and uncertainty they have faced. This crew is the front-facing, back-of-stage-helping, first-and-fast-responding, you-break-it-we-fix-it team! Let’s name them all (read below)!

Birthdays!

A few staff members recently celebrated their big day or have one coming up! Send a virtual cupcake to:
• Shakeya Ducksworth (9/26)
• Hala Hannah (9/20)
• Joe Singer (9/20)

Work-a-versaries!

Say congratulations to the following for recently celebrating their work anniversaries:
• Juan Chavez
• Alexandra Marchesano