Mucha gente viene cada año de varios países en América Central. Bien listos y muy trabajadores, la mayoría viene a buscar trabajo. Con tantas personas buscando el trabajo y una vida mejor, ¿qué puede hacer Usted para conseguir las mejore oportunidades para Usted y su familia? Para mejorar su posición y la de su familia, lo mejor que puede hacer es buscar oportunidades para ganar nuevas habilidades e involucrarse más en la comunidad. Aunque puede resultar difícil encontrar tiempo para hacer algo que no sea trabajo, ¡vale la pena! Lo que sigue es una lista breve de algunos recursos y organizaciones que puede utilizar para mejorar su posición o su participación en la comunidad.

(1) Aprender el inglés – todos saben que saber hablar es muy útil para ser parte de la comunidad y conseguir un buen trabajo. Hay muchas organizaciones que ofrecen cursos de inglés GRATIS, las que siguen son bien reconocidas:

a. MANO (Mujeres Avanzando hacia Nuevas Oportunidades). Instrucción por las mujeres para las mujeres. Se reúnen en Carrboro Elementary School, los lunes y los miércoles 7:00pm-8:30pm. Más información: Derek Taylor, dpaylor@email.unc.edu.

b. BOLD (Building Oportunities through Language Development). Instrucción por los hombres para los hombres. Se reúnen en Carrboro Elementary School, los lunes y los miércoles 7:00pm-8:30pm. Más información: Sarah Long, sarahnl@email.unc.edu.

(2) Encontrar oportunidades para sus hijos – aparte de asistir a la escuela, es importante que los niños tengan otras oportunidades para explorar las actividades que les puedan interesar. Como cada niño tiene intereses distintos, es importante encontrar varias oportunidades para sus hijos y dejar que ellos escojan lo que quieran hacer. Algunas sugerencias:

a. Starworz Community Children’s Theatre. Una organización de los estudiantes de UNC que produce obras en las que actúan los niños. Las obras se producen en inglés, entonces se prefiere que los niños hablan inglés. Más información: http://studentorgs.unc.edu/starworkz.

b. Deportes. La ciudad de Carrboro ofrece un montón de deportes disponibles para los que viven cerca de Carrboro. Hay cursos de fútbol, básquetbol, voleibol, tenis, y mucho más. También hay cursos para los adultos. La mayoría requiere una cuota mínima. Más información: http://www.ci.carrboro.nc.us/rp/athleticprogramsF06.htm#1.

c. CHISPa Chicos. Conecta un niño hispano con un ‘mentor’ de la universidad que pasa tiempo cada semana con él o ella, para ayudarle can la tarea o salir a una actividad social. Si quiere que su niño participe en este programa, debe hablar con su maestra porque todos los niños que participan vienen recomendados por las maestras. Más información: Judy Rodríguez, juventus@email.unc.edu.

(3) Aprender más sobre la tecnología – usar la computadora es una habilidad importante. Las bibliotecas en Carrboro, Chapel Hill, y Durham ofrecen varios cursos sobre el Internet, correo electrónico y las computadoras. Más información (la página se pone al corriente cada mes): http://www.lib.unc.edu/instruct/community_workshops/calendar.html.

No olvide que vale la pena involucrarse en la comunidad. Cada comunidad tiene oportunidades disponibles para todos, sólo que hay que buscarlas. La lista arriba sólo representa algunas oportunidades, pero hay muchas más. Si lo que busca no lo encuentra aquí, búsquelo en “Google” o mande un e-mail al correo que sigue para recibir ayuda.

Hasta luego,

Emily Vernon

mlevern@email.unc.edu

By Ramsey Bowman and Michaele Stafford

It’s 8:50 on Monday morning, slightly before the Inter-faith Councils’ Crisis Intervention Program on West Main Street in Carrboro begins interviewing clients, and already a line of men and womean extends out the door. They come seeking assistance, with needs ranging from food, clothing and rent to utility assistance and transportation.

A volunteer comes to the office of Pamela Futrell, the program coordinator for the Council’s Crisis Intervention Program, bringing news of the wave of people waiting to be seen.

“It’s a cold day outside, and the cold will bring more people in,” Futrell responds without surprise.

Upstairs, Executive Director Chris Moran is busy as well. He extends greetings, receives updates from staff members, and outlines an array of stories that highlight both the generosity and the diversity of the Carrboro community.

From the 7-year-old who asked her mother to have her party guests bring a turkey to donate to the council to 12-year-old Kiernan Presler-Marshall, who donated $250 in food purchases from gift card donations he solicited through his website http://gc4good.googlepages.com, Moran is grateful for the support of volunteers who give of their time and resources.

The Inter-faith Council, formed in 1963, offers social services such as crisis intervention, financial support and a food pantry. The agency also runs Community House which offers emergency shelter for men, as well as HomeStart which houses homeless women and children. Community Kitchen serves three hot meals each day, 365 days a year, free of charge to Community House residents and other community members.

More than 1,000 volunteers help staff the office, work in the kitchen and stock shelves in the food pantry throughout the year.

With the holiday season looming, the council is gearing up for its annual food sharing program. For a donation of $20, one can purchase a meal for a family to share during their holiday celebrations.

Donations of turkeys and hams also are appreciated to help decrease the cost of the food baskets, Moran said.

He added that the program is a wonderful opportunity for co-workers in businesses that give turkeys and hams as gifts to employees to donate toward a needy family’s meal.

“Last year, 755 households were provided with holiday meals of turkey, gravy, stuffing, yams, and green beans, and we are expecting the same amount again this year,” Futrell said.

The number of families equates to 3,122 of “our neighbors” who benefited from the meals, Moran said.

“A few days before the food is to be distributed, ten to fifteen volunteers will come to pack the meals,” Futrell said. “We can always use SUVs and pickup trucks to load up the turkeys. Donations of time and money are always welcome, ever after the Holiday Meal Program is over, because more than likely we are still trying to cover the cost of the food.”

Those in need may sign up for the Christmas season meal between Dec. 4 and Dec. 6 at the Council office, 110 W. Main St.

According to Futrell, the Council consistently sees a rise in requests for services during the winter months.

“As the cold sets in, heating bills rise and people have less money to spend on food,” she said.

According to the Inter-faith Council website, volunteers “helped 4,166 households with housing, utility assistance, support and advocacy last year.”

One place where the volunteers’ efforts are especially noticible is the food pantry which consists of five 20-foot-long aisles with canned vegetables, meats, soups, pasta, cereal, bread and personal care items.

Ruth Monk and Carol Smith, who both volunteer at the Council on a daily basis, are modest about their own work, but eager to brag about one another’s devotion to the Council.

“Ruth has volunteered here everyday for the past six years,” said Smith.

Ruth Monk, who has volunteered at the Inter-faith Council every day for the past six and a half years, pauses to smile for the camera as she stocks the shelves of the Food Pantry. Photo by Ramsey Bowman

And Susie Hafer, who volunteers at the food pantry every Monday morning, warmly tells of Smith’s devotion to the Council, “Carol is here twice a day, everyday,” she said.

But, as Futrell emphasized, regardless of the branch of the Inter-faith Council or time of year, it can always use volunteers and monetary donations. To help out with the Holiday Meal Program, donation forms can be accessed at www.thecouncilweb.org. Information on volunteer work, contact information and a volunteer application can be found on the website as well.

By Jack Carley

The Farmers’ Market,open at 7 a.m. every Saturday through Dec. 23, iis a great place to find organic fruits and vegetables and other local products. Photos by Jack Carley

1. Jelly and jam
Nothing beats a PB&J or toast with homemade jelly. Delicious. Visit
the Jam Mam, also known on alternate weeks as the Marmalady. Pick up some bread to spread it on while you’re there. You can thank me later.

2. The local food In this era of industrial food production and globalization, food can travel more than 2,000 miles from production to your table. At the Carrboro market, you can’t even get food that is produced farther than 50 miles from Carrboro, and most of it is closer.
This is a good thing, as food does not have to be frozen, flown, shipped, thawed, preserved, and all of that other industrial junk that vegetables don’t deserve.

3. Getting up early, it’s not so bad
If you’re like me and you’re a college student, then the prospect of
getting up early on a Saturday is a daunting one. If you go late, you’ll miss the best stuff, but the food is still worth it. And even better, you can get the good stuff later because for the rest of the season, the market, which usually opens at 7 a.m., will open at 8, according to John Soehner, a Famers’ Market board member. The vendors will pack up and leave at noon, so give yourself some time to browse.
The market opens each Saturday through Christmas, which means the last day is December 23. Make plans to have an early Friday night somewhere along the line. The market doesn’t reopen again until March, so time is running out.

4. Local organic
If you buy food with a label that says Organic, what that means is that
the farming practices used conform to standards set by the Department of Agriculture.
The cost associated with this label, in time and money ($900 per year), can
be restrictive to small farmers. But small farmers without this
certification may use more organic techniques than larger, industrial
producers. So even if they can’t say it’s organic, it may be, and even
moreso than the supermarket.
But remember to ask the vendor about the farming method. And be as specific as possible. Ask if the vendor uses organic pesticides, sprays, and organic practices in general. Cindy Soehner of Eco Farm, an uncertified farmer who has been selling at the market for about nine years and boasts the label “Morganic,” said, “We feel we’re more organic than the big corporations.”

5. National example
Carrboro’s Farmer’s Market is a national example. They get calls all
the time from other places wanting to start their own market. It’s one of the best, if not the best, of its kind in the nation.
Representatives from the market recently traveled as far as Turin,
Italy with all kinds of agricultural experts to visit the international “Terra Madre” (”Mother Earth”) conference on sustainable food production.
It is definitely not the Mall of America. It’s one of a kind, it’s
extremely local, and it’s yours! Use it!

6. No fake stuff
My mom told me that she doesn’t trust farmers’ markets because she
thinks that some of the food is not really grown by the vendors. Not
here. According to Ken Dawson, owner of Maple Spring Gardens and board member of the market for 19 years, they take it seriously and any imposters get the big boot.
The market’s board of directors conducts random inspections as well as special inspections if they have a reason. John Soehner explained, “If something seems fishy we go and inspect.”

7. North Carolina morning
Carolina blue skies, a chill to the air, and a blush in your cheeks. If
you live in Carrboro, why not take a walk to the market? And once
you’re there, it’s a familiarity like no other. I kept overhearing
things like, “Say hi to Joe for me,” and, “The first time I saw you was
1969.” Talk to the vendors, see your friends, and get some great food.
And even if it’s raining, they have a cover - for most of it, anyway.
But bring a coat, it can get chilly. And if you can, bring your own
shopping bag. No sense in wasting paper!

8. Eat healthy
Shopper Marty Fitzpatrick told me, “I like meats, fat, and salts,” as he was
keeping his wife Karin company at the market in their third year of
attending. She was shopping for vegetables. He conceded, “She makes good food.” For her part, she said of the market, “I love it. I’m out here every weekend.”
So mix up the meat with a salad from time to time. Fresh veggies! And
if you don’t do veggies, you can also buy some healthy meats, such as
whey-fed pork, at the market.

9. Just a tip
Foods in season right now include squash, onions, pumpkins, root
plants, and sweet potatoes. Also popular at the Farmer’s Market are a
variety of Asian greens. And if you are looking for spinach without E.
Coli, it’s here.

10. Support local agriculture
Local agriculture has a lot of advantages. It’s fresh, it’s grown by
people you can actually speak to, and it strengthens your community. I know that
Carrboro already knows this, because I see bumper stickers - and even better, stickers on bikes - that advocate local food. Carrboro, keep up the good work and eat local food!
In the Spring, there is a farm tour, and for about $20, you can tour
the farms that produce for the market. If you have an interest in
agricultural production and techniques for sustainability, check it out!
More info @ http://www.carrborofarmersmarket.com

By Stephanie Novak

One of my faults as a writer is that I often feel my ability to describe isn’t what I’d like it to be. The vocabulary I need to put my thoughts into words seems to elude me, making it that much more difficult. But when it comes to Carrboro, I can happily describe it in one word.
Original.
The town of Carrboro is full to the edges with creative talent and venues.
When I first transferred to Chapel Hill from the small town of Goldsboro, I dove right into the local music scene. My first concert experience was at Cat’s Cradle.

It was 2004 and Halloween was just around the corner. I had discovered a band called the Dresden Dolls after trying to search for a local band called Sorry About Dresden. I never really found that band, but after seeing the video for the Doll’s “Coin Operated Boy”…it didn’t really matter. I tried to convince the few people I knew at the time to go, but they didn’t…they didn’t know enough about the band, had things to do, and generally just weren’t interested. So I was on my own. I left early, that night and headed for Time After Time to grab a last minute costume. Then I went to Cat’s Cradle for a night I will never forget. And it wasn’t just the Dresden Dolls that got to me (although they were a big part of it). It was the fact that after researching local music and chancing upon Bellafea, I discovered that by some piece of luck they were opening. In addition the crowd at Cat’s Cradle was something else. So many different types of people were represented that night…It was amazing. And in the end all we wanted was to have fun, and no one was disappointed by that night.

Since then I’ve been to Cat’s Cradle several times, mostly for smaller events featuring local artists. It was at there that a local high school hosted a benefit concert for Hurricane Katrina and I randomly met the bartender Brian Risk, who I just recently discovered is one of the two guys responsible for the “It’s Carrboro” rap song. (funny how things work out like that.)
In other words: my “destiny” since coming to Chapel Hill has been to discover new music and scout out other entertainment that the vibrant town of Carrboro hosts. Because let’s face it: Chapel Hill is not nearly the entertainment center that Carrboro is.

Chapel Hill doesn’t have a fall music festival every year.

Chapel Hill doesn’t have Cat’s Cradle.

Chapel Hill doesn’t have the Arts Center, Open Eye Café or Weaver Street Market.

Singer/Songwriter Julie Loyd performed for a small but dedicated audience at Open Eye Café. UNC Junior, Jesse Wooten (sitting front, center) was responsible for bringing a majority of the group surrounding Loyd. photo by Stephanie Novak

You don’t go to Chapel Hill to watch the films that Flicker Film Festival presents.
All of that lies in Carrboro.
In music, it’s the place to be. Cat’s Cradle may be the stomping grounds for big national and international acts—sure, Franz Ferdinand has played there—but the venue still places a lot of emphasis on local talent. Two important dates to keep in mind: November 22 there will be a “Pre-Turkey Day Jam” featuring artists from local bands such as Mark Simonson of The Old Ceremony and Tom Maxwell of Maxwell/Mosher and Squirrel Nut Zippers.

And speaking of local holiday cheer, December 18 will be the day you want to celebrate Christmas. Chapel Hill based record label Trekky Records will be holding a Yuletide Celebration at Cat’s Cradle featuring a great number of local artists including The Never, Bellafea, Physics of Meaning and Billy Sugarfix (Sugarfix is guy-number-two behind “It’s Carrboro.”

Another important music venue that should not be overlooked is the Arts Center. The venue is practically next door to Cat’s Cradle but it’s often ignored. The Arts Center is truly a vital part to the local artistic scene, hosting artists of all kinds.

The music hosted by the center provides something quite different from the multitude of Indie-Rock/Pop acts that pervade the Carrboro and Chapel Hill music scene. As the host of the 8th Annual North Carolina Songwriters Competition, the Arts Center places an emphasis on quality–both lyrical and in sound. In the past, the Arts Center has hosted musical acts as diverse as grassroots/folk rock music to Celtic driven music.

And Carrboro fixture Open Eye Cafe isn’t just for coffee and tea. The spacious cafe/art gallery also provides live music that emphasizes singing and songwriting. In addition, every first Tuesday of the month Open Eye Cafe provides an open forum for those in the area with poetic tendencies to share their poetry with the wider public.
Like films? So does Carrboro. November 19 was a special day for film lovers in Carrboro. 22 films of varying length submitted by local filmmakers and chosen from 87 for the first ever Carrboro Film Festival. In a solid showing of proof that local music isn’t the only thing that stands out about Carrboro, 435 people showed up at Century Hall.

In addition to Flicker Film Festival’s frequent visits to Cat’s Cradle.

So,the ending message of this column, my dear Carrboro, is twofold:

FIRST:
If you haven’t taken advantage of the wonderful artistic oportunities in Carrboro, it’s time for you to do so. Whether you’re interested in visual art, dramatic art, musical art…Carrboro has it. And it’s there for you! One of my duties to you, Carrboro, is making sure that you have a calendar of events, and I will strive to let you know what’s going on and when in the wonderfully dynamic area.
SECOND:
For those of you who have known for a long time how great the Carrboro arts and entertainment scene is: don’t forget how amazing it is to be a part of it. That very scene is what gives Carrboro a dynamic energy so different from other places. If it’s become another facet of everyday life…pause for a second. Close your eyes. Imagine being in a place without Cat’s Cradle, without the Arts Center, without the yearly music festival, without the crazy people who decide to start up a local filmmaking festival. Getting panicked yet? You should be. It’s pretty scary.

Acoustic rocker Julie Loyd is known for her expressiveness as well as her musical talent. In addition to seeing the raw emotions in her features, she moves around a great deal, unable to stay in one place for long. Loyd played at Open Eye Café in support of her new live album “All That You Ask For.”

By Jordan-Ashley Baker

Seventh-grader Imani Miller practices Christmas music to prepare for the band’s upcoming holiday concert

Music education at McDougle Middle School, where enthusiastic students and a dedicated band director work together to create more than music, is no longer just an elective class.McDougle Middle’s band program of 200 sixth-, seventh- and eighth-graders has undergone many changes in the past year, including receiving a new band director. Chris Branam, who graduated from Campbell University with a degree in Music Education, began working as McDougle’s Director of Bands at the beginning of the 2006-2007 school year with more than 18 years of experience working in music education.

“I see band as an opportunity to shape young lives and to positively influence young people,” Branam stated in the handbook given to all of his students. Branam said he believes band class is more than an extra-curricular activity.

“Band engages every student all the time,” Branam said. Unlike sports, where only several people on the team can play at a time, a member of the band is constantly contributing through active participation, he said. Branam, who was chosen as the 2001-2002 Band Director of the Year by the Central District Bandmasters Association, said he wants his students to see band as an art that they help to create.

Students in Branam’s band classes come from a variety of different backgrounds and financial situations. With help from instrument rental programs at McDougle Middle, students who cannot afford to buy an instrument can still participate in band class. According to Branam, the skills that students learn in band help them to grow into hardworking, committed and respectful adults.

This opportunity should not be denied to any child because of financial problems.

Branam’s seventh-grade saxline is hard at work during their band class. Photos by Jordan-Ashley Baker

Imani Miller, a flute player in Branam’s seventh-grade band, said that band is having a positive effect on her life. “It makes me feel happy,” she said. “And the other kids like it, too.” She admits that having a new band director was difficult at first, but she said she believes that the change is for the better. “We’ve gone through a lot, but we get a lot of fun out of playing music.”

“A successful band program not only benefits the students, but the community as well,” Branam said. He said he believes band gives his students a chance to give something back to their town through their parades, performances and concerts, such as the one members of the McDougle Middle School band will perform on December 19 at 7:00 p.m.

Branam himself is an example of how music education can inspire a love for helping others. Aside from being the band director at McDougle, Branam is the founder and director of TrueNote Bands, a program created to teach music to children who are not part of the public school system. TrueNote Bands allow students, such as those enrolled in home school, to benefit from music education. Branam said he believes that, above all, it is his students that make his work worthwhile.
“I like to connect with kids and make an impact by using music as a vehicle,” he said.

By Junga Cho

Yoon Young (Right) is pointing at her brother Joon Chul jumping to catch the frisbee. Photo by Junga Cho

“My acne cleared up after I came here. I guess it’s because I feel less stressed than I was in Korea as well as the air is clean and fresh in Carrboro.”

Yoon Young Hwang, a 15-year-old girl from South Korea, enjoys her new life in Carrboro.

Yoon Young’s family came to America and settled down at Auton Woods apartments in Carrboro in March when her father, Joo Sung Hwang, became a visiting scholar at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Yoon Young graduated from McDougle Middle School this summer and became a 9th-grader at Chapel Hill High School. She is satisfied that the high school provides various opportunities for students.

“There is not only a large selection of activity programs, a variety of class materials, but also a diversity of national background,” she said smiling.

Yoon Young got to know American friends during her physical education class and began to hang out with them.

“While playing football or volleyball, we usually cheer each other. I’ve been able to make many friends during these activities,” Yoon Young said.

A few weeks ago, Yoon Young played girls’ soccer for the first time in the class.

“It’s really uncommon for girls to play soccer in Korea. But once I learned how to play soccer, that’s so exciting. I can’t wait until next season!”

Schools in Korea tend to focus on studying and exams rather than other activities, she said. There is huge pressure on young children and big competition between classmates due to the Korean education system.

“I will definitely change this system when I become an adult in the future,” Yoon Young noted.

Her brother Joon Chul Hwang, a 7th grader at McDougle Middle School, runs cross country races. Cross country is not a popular sport in Korea or one in which students can easily get involved. It was a special experience for him to be on the team.

“I lost 11 pounds during the last cross country season, which is good for me,” he said.

He was also impressed that most participants applauded him even when he was the last in the race. His mother, Tae Hee Suh, added, “They’ve learned how to enjoy sports rather than how to compete and win.”

Joon Chul recalled the very beginning of his adjustment to Carrboro. “I came here only with A, B, C. I couldn’t make any English sentences at first.” He started to read English comic books and kept watching cartoons on TV. At the same time he was taking English as a Second Language courses. Classmates also tried to help him.

“Teachers and friends are really kind and they often compliment me.”

And he likes the natural surroundings around his house in Carrboro.

“I often come across squirrels, rabbits and even deer in the backyard or on the road, which I’ve never imagined in the city.”

For these siblings, a new life in Carrboro has been a worthwhile experience.

“There is a lot of freedom and liberty in the class. I have nothing to worry about,” Yoon Young said. “No pressure!”

Still, they feel like something has been missing.

“I keep in touch with my friends in Korea,” Yoon Young said. “I sometimes call them and say that I miss them so much.”

“But it’s worth living abroad, especially for my career in the future.” She wants to be a Secretary General of the United Nations like Ki Moon Ban, who will succeed current Secretary General Kofi Annan in January. “That’s why I’m learning English now.”

Her big dream is slowly growing in the small nest of Carrboro.

By Jock Lauterer
Adviser, Carrboro Commons

“Who am I and what am I doing here?”

If you’re old enough, you’ll remember the words of Ross Perot’s 1992 politically unknown running mate, U.S. Navy (ret.) Admiral James Stockdale, as he attempted to introduce himself to the American public during the televised debates of ‘92. (Some of you will also recall that Stockdale and his goofy line was immortalized by the late Phil Hartman and Dana Carvey on “Saturday Night Live.”)

So who are WE? And what are we doing here?

As we launch the Carrboro Commons today, we too feel the need for an introduction — sort of a 5W’s on us: the who, what, why, where, when and how.

In short, we are a new newspaper blog for this special place. Whether you call it “the Paris of the Piedmont,” “The People’s Republic of Carrboro,” “Karmaboro,” or just plain old Carrboro, if you’re a resident, you know that Carrboro is unique. And with apologies to Stephen Colbert, compared to Chapel Hill, we think Carrboro is “uniquer.”

That’s why we believe that Carrboro is an under-served media population. From everything Carrboro folk are telling us, this is a town that needs, wants and deserves a quality news, feature and A&E source. Jazz bassist Christian McBride talks about being “rooted in the groove,” and that could describe our two-fold mission, to serve the community and to catch that Carrboro groove.
And who is the “us?” We are a class of 14 community journalism students at the UNC School of Journalism and Mass Communication, led by your faithful columnist, Jock Lauterer, a former small-town weekly and daily editor-publisher and now lecturer at the University. I also direct the Carolina Community Media Project, dedicated to energizing and empowering the state’s 192 community papers. My book titles include the textbook and field guide, “Community Journalism,” which is sub-titled RELENTLESSLY LOCAL.

Thanks to Charles Kuralt for that wonderful expression, for that’s exactly what the Carrboro Commons aims to be: not just all-local, but relentlessly local. It means we will celebrate Carrboro by covering not just the big stories, but the small miracles of everyday life as well.

As to the “what,” the Carrboro Commons will be a bi-weekly, interactive “e-zine” or Web newspaper, a “lab newspaper,” if you will, (meaning that this news and information site is an experiential learning project and an integral part of the required classwork for JOMC 459 Community Journalism.) What you are looking at today is our prototype edition — the result of a flash of inspiration in class earlier this fall, days of brainstorming, many sleepless nights, more of what the Buddhists call “auspicious coincidences,” and a nearly vertical learning curve for all of us — plus a lot just plain old-fashioned journalism shoe-leather.

Our strengths include our youth and experience (the students’ youth, my experience), as well as our enthusiasm for this project and the conviction of the rightness of the place and timing. Our main weakness is that none of the students writing for the Commons are from Carrboro. (I myself, a Chapel Hill native now living three miles west of the town limits in “Greater Carrboro,” am the closest thing we’ve got to a real local yokel.) So it would be presumptuous of us to think that we can write about this complex and wonderful town with any authority, depth and native understanding.

But what better way to teach “community” than by creating a media project that demands that we immerse ourselves in the history, culture, geography, zeitgeist and the veritable tossed salad of diversity that makes Carrboro so, well, COOL!

Another dynamic common to any collegiate project: We are tethered to a semester schedule. So while this premier edition will be the capstone experience for this fall’s class, the Carrboro Commons won’t be refreshed until the spring 2007 semester begins and another class, and thus a new staff, can crank out the second edition in mid-January.

But once the spring semester commences, the Commons will be up and out there every other week, twice-monthly or bi-weekly. In the meantime, we invite you to read, look, think and enjoy. Then brainstorm along with us and tell us not only what you think, but how you’d like to plug in and help. Contact me at jock@email.unc.edu or 962-6421, or our co-managing editors, Carrie Crespo at ccrespo@email.unc.edu, and Ashley Christian at apc1@email.unc.edu.
— Relentlessly Carrboro

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Jock Lauterer