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Issue 3, March/April 2016
The Gillian Murphy Showcase Event (part 1) By Kristen Hedberg,
photos by Peter Mueller
UNCSA was graced with a once in a lifetime dance performance on
Wednesday, March 16, 2016. Seven of the worlds most accomplished
dancers from the American Ballet Theatre (ABT) performed in The
Gerald Freedman Theatre: two of these dancers were UNCSA alumi,
Gillian Murphy and Blaine Hoven. Joining them were Misty Copeland,
Isabella Boylston, James Whiteside, Stella Abrera, and Marcelo
Gomes. This exceptional event was made possible by Susan Jaffe,
Dean of Dance, as well as members of the Deans Council. She and the
entire School of Dance welcomed them to our campus with gratitude,
appreciation, and love. Pain, agony, and all those hours of
trainingsuccesses and failuresend up [in nights like this], Ms.
Jaffe stated proudly before the performance.
The ABT dancers came to dance for The Gillian Murphy Showcase
Event, a night of classical and contemporary ballet dances. The
event benefited the Gillian Murphy Endowed Scholarship. The Gillian
Murphy Endowed Scholarship, created in 2014, is a four-year
scholarship awarded to an elite dancer selected annually at the
Youth America Grand Prix. It was established with the goal of
building recruiting efforts, maintaining UNCSA as one of the
highest caliber conservatories for dance in the country. Jaffe
stated that, it was built on the legacy that Gillian Murphy
established at UNCSA.
Thanks to the generosity of these dancers, the performance
exceeded the scholarships goal. The program was followed by a
Q&A Session, where the dancers continued to reveal their
sincerity, offering guidance to aspiring young artists. (continued
on page 2)
The lineup of ABT dancers with Susan Jaffe; Gillian Murphy and
James Whiteside; ABT dancers, Susan Jaffe, Deans Council.
"Our goal for the UNCSA Voice is to inform and ignite
conversation regarding current events happening at UNCSA, in the
Winston-Salem community, and internationally. We aim to entertain
and provide opinions relevant to UNCSAs unique
environment. UNCSA Voice, most importantly, is an opportunity
for students to tell their story. Let your voice be heard. We want
to hear from you.
UNCSA Voice Mission Statement
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Issue 3, March/April 2016
2
(continued from page 1)
One of the questions in the Q&A sparked some laughter: Do
you ever pinch yourself when you wake up, thinking wow, I am a
principal dancer in ABT?
The day I was promoted, I celebrated...then [my director] looked
at me and said, NOW we can start working, Marcelo Gomes reflected.
I stopped having to prove myself in the way everyone wanted to see
me. To the same question Gillian Murphy chimed in, It is worth
mentioning that while it is a great honor to be a principal, it is
not everything. We look at Blaine as a star, who is technically in
the corps but dances as good as anyone. [We see everyone as a
star.] Much applause.
Another thought-provoking question: What is the best advice
youve received?
Isabella Boylston eagerly put in, I believe it was Wendy Whelan
who said: You should always try not to regard yourself as an
observer looking from the outside. Instead, try to look from the
inside out, like a scientist experimenting. This sets you up for a
life of growth and enjoyment. In addition, Misty Copeland replied,
This was Susan Jaffes advice to me: Be able to sift through all of
the feedback you are getting. Decide as an artist what works for
you, what you need to heardo not let other people's words define
you. Ms. Jaffe was to Mistys right as this advice was reflected,
and they exchanged a dazzling, beaming smile with each other. Love
glowed through the stage.
The School of Dance left Freedman that evening with inspired
hearts and minds brimming. Applicable to any artist, the dancers
surged with a reassurance that keeping a good heart and fierce
determination to succeed are key elements to reaching the stars.
The Gillian Murphy Showcase Event was an intimate event that will
be remembered forever.
Features
The Gillian Murphy Showcase Event (part 2) By Kristen Hedberg,
photos by Peter Mueller
Misty Copeland and Blaine Hoven
Misty Copeland; Blaine Hoven; James Whiteside
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Issue 3, March/April 2016
3
Features: In Memoriam
Freddie Anderson: In Memoriam (part 1) By Zachary Saffa (School
of Music Class of 2015) photo by UNCSA
Over the past few weeks, Ive talked to countless people about
Freddie Anderson. Ive talked to students about Freddie the
musician, to friends about Freddie the person, and to his parents
about Freddie the son. I knew him well enough to know the magnitude
of the impact he had on those in his circles, and that was
confirmed by his peers, who had the utmost respect for him, his
friends, who had true trust in him, and his family, who loved
him.
His friend Hayley told me just how special he was. A lot people
wear the same things, the same shoes. But if you saw the buffalo
hat, you knew it was Freddie. It wasnt just the buffalo hat, of
course, but the uniqueness and warmth of that particular clothing
item personified his character. He was so unique because of how
nice he was. You knew that any conversation you would have with him
would be a good one. Nowadays its rare to find someone with as
positive of an attitude as Freddie. Its very hard to lose a friend
because you lose a part of your life along with them.
Nevertheless, wouldnt that be the case had it been any of our
friends? Isnt it always horrible? Yes, except with Freddie,
something is different. The reaction has been much more grave and
far-reaching than I ever could have imagined. An extraordinary
number of people were deeply affected by his death. And for some
reason, it is Freddie alone who could have elicited this kind of
response amongst the UNCSA community. It has been so powerful.
There is an added layer of intense emotion that is not normally
felt. What exactly is it? These feelings appear difficult to break
down, but it is essential to do so in order to comprehend the
news.
Every single person Ive talked to says some version of how
Hayley summed up her feelings for Freddie: When you meet someone
like him, you never forget it. That is a profound statement, and
not one to be taken lightly. Yet, when I consider it, I realize I
agree quite strongly that I will never forget him. Why is that? The
stark reality is that we meet innumerable people whom we will not
remember. In some cases, our brains simply dont have enough
storage, or cant make memories fast enough to engrain every person
we meet. In other cases, we choose not to remember someone for
reasons that, at times like these, seem paltry and
indefensible.
(continued on page 4)
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Issue 3, March/April 2016
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Features: In Memoriam Freddie Anderson: In Memoriam (part 2) By
Zachary Saffa (School of Music Class of 2015) (continued from page
3)
But not Freddie. We will never forget Freddie. Ive thought a lot
about why, and I can only come to the conclusion that its for this
simple reason: he did so much for us, and never asked for anything
in return. He was there for everyone, always. He never turned down
an adventure or a minute to chat. He gave us his time, he gave us
his jokes, he gave us his passion and his compassion. He gave us
everything he had. This is why we will never forget him. There are
people who give expecting things for themselves, and then there are
people who just give. Freddie was indisputably one of a rare breed
of the latter.
So the question becomes this: how can we treat others the way
Freddie treated others? By living with that question and making it
a ubiquitous part of our collective being, we ensure that we are
doing everything can to make our community a better place for
everyone. It is not easy, but we must hold each other accountable
for this: for making our lives an opportunity to give without
forethought of what might be provided to us in return. Like Freddie
did. And we must do it not just so that our lives simply continue,
but so that they are truly lived, and lived in conjunction with one
another, not separately, and not in opposition. This is the most
quintessential thing that separates our school from other
conservatories. Yes, we are different because we are public,
because we are in the South, and because of myriad other reasons
that make UNCSA special. But the thing above all else that sets us
apart is that we are a team. We seem to agree upon the fact that we
need to treat each other with respect. We are not malicious to each
other. The more absorbed into the world of the arts I become, the
more I realize how uncommon this is.
It seems almost rhetorical at this point to insist that we
interact as much as possible with each other, especially across art
schools, but that idea has always been discussed from the angle of
valuing our art and discerning what tangible benefits our careers
can have by working with our interdisciplinary friends. Now, it
seems more poignant than ever to say that that we must be a team
not just in the spirit of art-making, but so that we keep Freddies
selfless attitude strong and at the forefront of our minds, and so
that we always ask what we are doing to help others. Still, this is
not enough. We must also remember take care of ourselves. We have
to ask ourselves if we are happy and healthy, and if not, lean on
others to help us help ourselves. At the end of the day, helping
others is only possible if we are indeed whole ourselves. And being
whole is not achieved in a vacuum. Thats another reason we have to
create this supportive environment for which Freddie strived; help
is much easier to find if everyone is able and looking to give
it.
Everyone has a million questions about life for one another, but
we never have that many solutions. And thats fine. There isnt
always a clear-cut answer, and in fact, sometimes the only response
to a difficult question is to pose yet another unanswerable
question. The greatest honor we could have ever bestowed upon
Freddie is still achievable now. It is still possible that he may
continue to inform little things we do, and by extension, larger
things that we choose to be. He can still inspire us to always ask
ourselves that question of what we can do for each other, what we
can do for ourselves, and then how to act on those thoughts. If we
can do that, then, like he did throughout his whole life, Freddie
Anderson will have unknowingly presented us with a wonderful,
selfless gift- perhaps the greatest he ever gave.
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Issue 3, March/April 2016
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Features: In Memoriam
To All Who Have Passed This Year: In Memoriam By UNCSA Voice
Sheila Cobb Ewing
o Who: wife of former chancellor Alex Ewing o Date of passing:
November 4, 2015 o Honoring Sheilas memory: In a letter supporting
Alex Ewings candidacy for the chancellor position, Yale
classmate Jonathan Bush, brother of President George H.W. Bush,
noted, With Alex Ewing the North Carolina School of the Arts will
also get Sheila Ewing. What extraordinary good fortune that will
be. Sheila Ewing captures the hearts of everyone she meets. She
makes an art of listening such that she imbues in others a feeling
of their own worth. Bush also said Sheila Ewing was the possessor
of the loveliest smile north of the Mason Dixon Line with a
twinkling eye, a melodic voice and a gentle laugh. UNCSA press
release
John Ellis
o Who: long time School of Music faculty member; an Oboist,
teaching at UNCSA for 26 years. o Date of passing: November 13,
2015 o Honoring Johns memory: The School of Music feels the loss of
one of its longest serving faculty members, said
Michael Rothkopf, associate professor of composition, who served
as interim dean of the School of Music during the final years of
Ellis teaching career. John Ellis was a gifted musician and
teacher, and I was proud to have him as a colleague and friend for
many years. UNCSA press release
Clyde M. Fowler Jr.
o Who: the beloved head of the Visual Arts Program in the School
of Design and Production for 30 years o Date of passing: February
1, 2016 o Honoring Clydes memory: Clyde joined the School of the
Arts as director of the Visual Arts Program in the fall of
1975 and retired at the end of the 2004-05 school year, when he
was named emeritus faculty. We are deeply saddened by the sudden
loss of a member of our family, said School of Design and
Production Dean Michael J. Kelley. Clyde Fowler affected so many
lives and generations during his tenure at the school. His
contributions will live on in every student that he taught. He was
an amazing teacher, mentor, artist and friend, and he will be
greatly missed. UNCSA press release
Alfred Freddie Anderson
o Who: School of Music student, third year college. Played the
clarinet. o Date of passing: March 3, 2016 o Honoring Freddies
memory: Freddie was a college junior studying clarinet in the
School of Music. Enrolled at
UNCSA since 2013, he was a member of the UNCSA Symphony
Orchestra, the UNCSA Wind Ensemble, and the nu ensemble. He was a
fine student with a bright career ahead of him. My heart goes out
to his family and friends. I know you join with me in keeping them
in our thoughts and prayers I encourage you to take the time to be
kind to yourselves, and remember:
Life is short, and we have precious little time to gladden the
hearts of those who travel the way with us. So be quick to love,
and make haste to be kind.And may the one who is beyond our ability
to know but who made us and loves us, bless us and keep us all in
peace. (adapt. Henri-Frdric Amiel) Chancellor Lindsay Bierman,
campus address
Robert Russel, staff of power plant
Madeline Harold, devoted member of the Listening Post for
approximately ten years
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Issue 3, March/April 2016
Lights, Camera, Pickles!
The Women By Kristen Hedberg, Greer Hutchinson, and Molly
McGlennen
Clare Boothe Luces play The Women calls attention to the
standards women are held to, including those in regards to class,
beauty, and family. The Women, guest directed by Giovanna Sardelli,
was performed in Freedman Theatre from February 25-28, 2016. The
Schools of Drama and Design and Production put much heart and work
into this production.
Sixteen ladies from the School of Dramas second, third, and
fourth year classes made up The Womens cast. Although UNCSAs cast
was for 16, Luces play has 40 female roles within the work. Male
characters are mentioned, but are never seen on stage.
Giovanna Sardelli spoke about the play in a press release from
the UNCSA website. It has seeds of truth planted throughout,
Sardelli said. Clare Boothe Luce has crafted a world -- quite a
remarkable world -- that revolves around very specific women. Yet
in her portrayal of more than 40 women, she reveals so many
different points of view and different circumstances.
Michelle Pflg, a senior in the School of Design and Production,
created over 70 costumes. In total, the actors wore over 600
different costume pieces, because The Women contains 40 roles. Pflg
described in the press release that, There are many different
characters, each with an important story to tell, and each one has
to be made readily identifiable for the audience. Some costumes
depicted a feeling of cleanliness, while others screamed of
boldness and luxury.
The Women received throngs of positive feedback from UNCSA
students. Audiences gushed over the plays thought provoking,
relevant content. One anonymous UNCSA Pickle stated: The issue of
marriage was certainly a recurring theme throughout the play. I
love living in 2016, where there is significantly more freedom to
define your class or image in ways other than who you settle down
with. Sometimes you need a few years to be independent and work on
your art, you know? And overall, I felt like I could identify with
every woman at some point during the show.
I saw The Women on February 28th, said Molly McGlennen, School
of Dance first year. The show very much reflected the gender ideals
of the 1930s time period, when it was set[in remembering] two of
the characters who were not married, they were very different. One
of them was focused on her career, which the other women in the
play could not understand. The other unmarried character had the
opposite take, and said that I would rather lose independence for a
man. She was not satisfied with being an independent woman. In
order to be successful, she felt that she needed to be married.
Molly also commented on how emphasized gender ideals came up
about men. One of the characters says that men must be let out on a
leash. This suggests that men are animalistic and need to be
controlled. The issues of cheating and disloyalty are evident in
the play too. It was interesting how much focus I could find about
men, even though all of the roles in this play were about
women.
Much congratulations to those involved on and off stage of Clare
Boothe Luces play The Women!
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Issue 3, March/April 2016
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Being Thankful for the Rain By Wren Culp, photo by Ryan
Morris
Lights, Camera, Pickles!
I came into UNCSA four years ago to learn about and practice
filmmaking. With my possessions scattered in my dorm and my passion
in my pocket, I walked through film village on my first day and saw
gargantuan posters of previous years films hanging with dignity on
the sound stages. I envisioned what mine would look like, if I got
the chance to make one. I also pondered what my shoot would be
like, relishing in the idea of working with actors and designing
the film from the ground up. I always thought about meticulously
preparing for each and every scene. I wanted my fourth year film to
be the product of everything I was going to learn in my few years
at UNCSA. Four years came and went and I learned a lot, and
when
the time came for me to direct my thesis, I was ready for
everything that came at me. I poured over the shot list, worked
closely with my team and was ready for anything that our set could
throw at us. I had a great shoot. My film was called Broken. I had
so much fun with an incredible team piecing together the film on
set and trying to capture all the different elements we needed to
tell our story. We had an excellent location, tremendous actors,
and a crew that fought everyday for the end goal. We had cannons
and civil war reenactors and a whole flurry of sights and sounds
that made this film a spectacle. However, our shoot unfortunately
fell: a monsoon struck. The days were filled with cold and piercing
rain, the temperature always seemed to be in flux (usually not in
our favor) and its the only time I think Ive legitimately come
close to dipping into hypothermia. I went four years without buying
work boots for set. I lasted three days in the mud before I caved
and purchased a pair. I remember standing there in the muddy
backfields of our location, the cold rain cutting into my bones
practically, and for a brief moment, wishing I had been on a dry
soundstage. I began to wish that I had done a different project, or
that at least the world would flip 180 degrees and the winds would
die down so we could get the final shots that we needed. But we
persevered through the bitter cold and delivered a product that Im
proud of, and I hope others are too. In my opinion, you can teach
certain things about directing out of a book. Directors can sit and
watch hundreds of obscure films and be a walking encyclopedia on
film history. They can train and pull incredible performances from
actors by going line by line through the script and really knowing
their story inside and out. But being a director, above all else,
is about being a leader. And I learned that lesson over and over
again while we soaked. It is easy to have confidence and the
ability to see the bigger picture when everything is going your way
on set. When the actors are hitting their marks and the shots are
in focus and the weather is completely ideal and in your control,
its easy to walk tall and be a leader. However, I believe the real
test of filmmaking and creating art is how you act and how you lead
when the chips are down. When the rain is pouring and you have to
tell your crew that youre going back for a third time to get a
certain shot, things can get tense. Its easy to crumble and to give
into anger and frustration. It takes courage to act. It takes
courage to stand up straight, look your team in the face and rally
them to get down the final stretch. In the face of adversity and in
the moments where the walls seem to push back and close in on you,
thats where growth is found. Thats where the work is. I know now
that films can change the world. And it takes leaders to make those
films a reality.
On set of Wren Culps Fourth Year Film, Broken
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Issue 3, March/April 2016
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Lights, Camera, Pickles!
Spring Jazz Ensemble Concert Student Submission
Three percussionists, one piano player, six saxophone players,
and many other instruments came together for one marvelous concert.
The UNCSA Jazz Ensemble performed effortlessly
for a nearly full audience in Freedman Theater on March 31,
2016.
While this was labeled a Jazz Concert, each piece had its own
individual personality and style within the genre. From quick tempo
pieces to soothing jazz ballads to the powerful jazz-rock, each
piece was presented with distinction and grace. The pieces
highlighted a
different section or particular soloist within the sections all
of which were strong and confident in sound.
The ensemble is comprised entirely of students, under the
direction of faculty member
Ronald Rudkin. The students performed marvelously on their own
individual instruments, and each solo was beautifully crafted and
well done. It was very clear that the students had to
work as a team if a clean sound and precise section cut offs
were to be executed. Led by Rudkin, they achieved this quality with
great professionalism. In particular, Oliver Glynn (Piano), Alex
Boney, Chris Corbo,
and Jack Hauser (percussion) interacted not only with
professionalism, but portrayed a genuine sense of enjoyment in
their time on stage. They not only played, they performed.
1. Project Loves goal is to bring awareness to social issues
through the arts 2. Project Love is a showcase of talents that may
be outside of students majors 3. The Woman In Pink was the
non-profit organization Project Love chose to highlight.
This organization provides women fighting cancer with wigs in a
salon environment free of charge:
http://www.thewomaninpink.com/
4. Art4Purpose, founded by two student scene painters at UNCSA
Laura Scheving and Emily Distante, held a silent auction during
intermission: http://www.art4purpose.com/
5. A wide array of talents were featured, including singing,
spoken word, dance, red nose, and comedy
6. The show had lots. Of. Props. Several innovative,
thought-provoking props used were pool toys, clown noses, flowers,
shopping carts, Doritos, and sequined dresses!
7. Many of the pieces had jaw-dropping partnering: some even in
slow motion! Other pieces were solos that were captivating in the
way each soloist ate up the space.
8. Performers generously brought their heart to their work. 9.
The audience was swept into the show before it began, with
performers playfully interacting with people in the house 10.
Project Love brought a strong sense of united community to
campus
Project Love 2016 was produced by ARTS Initiative, and took
place at 7:00pm on Sunday, March 20, 2016. The show was
directed
10 Reasons to LOVE Project Love Student Submission
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Issue 3, March/April 2016
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Lights, Camera, Pickles! Amor Brujo Postmoderno: a Full School
Collaboration By Lanson Wells
Amor Brujo Postmoderno, a concert including musical
performances, original sets, lighting, animation, choreography and
dance by UNCSA student-artists, was produced in the Agnes deMille
Theatre on January 29, 2016. The production soon was presented to a
sold out house at the New York Live Arts Theater in New York City
on March 13, 2016. This mixed-media performance, co-produced by
School of Music faculty member Oskar Espina-Ruiz and School of
Design and Production faculty member John Coyne, represents a
successful collaboration between all five of UNCSAs Schools.
Originally inspired by the fashion designs of Spanish designer
Agatha Ruiz de la Prada, the performance celebrated the 100th
Anniversary of Spanish composer Manuel de Fallas orchestral
masterpiece El Amor Brujo. Enamored with the project, Agatha Ruiz
de la Prada donated her costume designs for the participating
dancers, who were Bailey Reese and Anthony Santos.
Through the painstaking hard work and fund raising, Oskar
Espina-Ruiz doubled the funds originally awarded to him through a
Kenan Faculty Leadership Award, and enabled the entire production
to be performed both on campus and at the New York Live Arts
Theater in New York City. The production featured sets designed by
Alexa Ross, lighting design by Ryan OMara, and fractal animation by
Justin Sanchez. Musical compositions by Boccherini, Falla, Shaw and
Gaigne were performed by clarinetist Oskar Espina-Ruiz, guitarist
John Culwell, violinists Avital Mazor, Lucia Kobza and Nicole
Wendl, violists Anastasia Yarbrough and Lanson Wells, and cellist
Eli Kaynor.
Not only did Amor Brujo Postmoderno celebrate an amazing
collaboration between all five UNCSA schools, this production
served as a launch pad for the Andres Segovia Scholarship Fund,
which will help to fund and support talented students within the
School of Music.
Words of Wisdom: Misty Copeland If you could share any of your
best advice, what would it be?
It is so hard to predict what your futures will be. Stay so
focused right now. You are not here to compare yourself to anyone
else, and stay away from negativity. Just know that hearing the
word NO does not mean it is over.
Misty Copeland, quoted from The Gillian Murphy Showcase Event
Q&A.
Dancers Bailey Reese and Anthony Santos, in Agatha Ruiz de la
Prada costumes, with the Giannini String Quartet, John Culwell on
guitar and Oskar Espina-Ruiz on clarinet at the UNCSA performance
of Amor Brujo Postmoderno.
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Issue 3, March/April 2016
10
The UNCSA Voice Story
School newspapers are not new to UNCSA. The N.C. Essay was
founded in 1965 and dissolved in 1976. Some N.C. Essay clippings
are available in the UNCSA Archives online at
http://library.uncsa.edu/home/search/node/N.C.%20Essay.
In the late 2000s, another newspaper developed titled the Kudzu
Gazette, later to be renamed Zu. For at least two years, Felix
Ventouras was the editor of Kudzu Gazette. It ran roughly from 2005
to 2008. It became Zu under the editorship of Vera Herbert, which
had a one-year run from 2008 to 2009.This newspaper has since
dissolved as well.
The concept of UNCSA Voice was conceived in Fall 2015 by The Art
of Words Literature class. This class was headed by Dr. Rosemary
Millar. In an endeavor to unite our campus with community, this
class has created a newspaper that aims to tell each others stories
and keep UNCSA in the loop with our fellow Pickles.
Funding support for the UNCSA Voice Organization was generously
provided by Thomas S. Kenan Institute for the Arts. The Thomas S.
Kenan Institute for the Arts is a think-and-do tank affiliated with
the University of North Carolina School of the Arts committed to
promoting creative leadership and innovation in the arts through
partnerships, programs and initiatives.
http://www.uncsa.edu/kenan
Do you have a story to tell? We want to hear it! Submissions to
UNCSA Voice can be sent to [email protected], where they will
be reviewed by the Editors-In-Chief for publishing. There is no
guarantee that we can publish all submissions.
Do you want to join the UNCSA Voice team? Are you an alum who
would like to submit a piece of content? We would love to work with
you! Contact [email protected] for information.