Editor’s Pick

New to Pit Perspectives? Start with our favorites.

Where to go from here? We released 9 episodes throughout the 2021-2022 school year; read below to guide your experience. Click the Spotify icon in the top right corner to listen.

This episode covers systems of affirmative action and merit scholarships; more broadly, it questions the ethics and implications of meritocracy.

  • what do UNC students think about affirmative action?

  • do UNC students think UNC promotes meritocracy?

This episode covers UNC student use of Adderall, Vyvanse, caffeine, and other study drugs.

  • how often to UNC students use study drugs? why?

  • how do UNC students access study drugs?

  • do study drugs create unfair academic environments?

This episode is the second in a two-part series on student-athletes. It covers the glorification of these students by other students and the administration.

  • do they deserve to be glorified?

  • are they given unfair resources and facilities?

This episode is the first in a two-part series on student-athletes. It covers systemic exploitation and the “new plantation” model.

  • should student-athletes be paid?

  • are basketball and football athletes given resources to succeed after college?

This fan-favorite episode covers student experiences with sex, intimacy, and education.

  • do females orgasm less during sex than males? why?

  • how standardized were our high school sex ed experiences?

  • what is hook-up culture like at UNC?

This covid-specific episode covers student thoughts on the return to in-person classes in the fall of 2022.

  • do UNC students prefer Zoom?

  • what was it like coming back to campus?

  • should asynchronous learning stick around?

This episode covers student thoughts on performative activism and activism culture at UNC.

  • is social media-based activism productive or performative?

  • does online activism spread misinformation?

  • does online activism create polarization?

Our first episode covers Greek Life culture at UNC with a focus on students experiencing it from the outside.

  • does Greek Life perpetuate racism, classism, and/or sexism on our campus?

  • what do they contribute to the campus community?

  • why join Greek Life?

After the Dobbs v. Jackson decision in June, our inbox flooded with requests for an abortion episode. We answered the call, but with a twist. Rather than provide a library of pro-choice student opinions, we opted to approach the issue from the outside; what is the nature of the abortion debate at UNC? We cover student experiences with discussing abortion and other politically charged topics and offer potential remedies to the closed-minded conviction that dictates abortion discourse. We speak with students and professors, hoping to get at our central questions: what do we do with the abortion debate? How can America move forward? To what extent do the values needed to create productive discourse align or misalign with American ideals?

Gary Birdsong, also known as the Pit Preacher on UNC’s campus, has made quite the reputation for himself. Despite being known for his hateful speech towards LGBTQ students and students of color, Gary is egged on by UNC students who entertain themselves with his radical preaching. However, some students feel that Gary’s presence is violent and offensive and wish for him to be removed from campus. We cover student opinions on the act of “pit preaching,” coercive actions by religious student organizations, and the general interest in preserving free speech on college campuses.

Fast fashion, online reselling, and class consciousness are on the rise; how do UNC students feel about today's practices of consumption? Here in Chapel Hill, students have access to Rumors- a secondhand boutique, Frat Court Flea- a UNC-alumni-run vintage vending event for students, and a Goodwill just a few minutes away. Students also have access to millions of secondhand items on their phones via apps like Depop, Poshmark, and eBay. As social media pressures us to fit in, the rise in the trendiness of thrifting has created pressures to stand out. But, as much as we want to dress like (or unalike) our peers, we're bombarded with a new class consciousness fueled by Gen Z's renewal of environmentalism, marxism, and social justice.

Where does thrifting fit into the puzzle? Some UNC students worry that affluent thrift shoppers are taking away from low-income shoppers who need thrift prices, but others place the moral wrongdoings only with resellers who take from thrift stores and sell online at 100%+ markups. Today's episode begins with a short history of thrift stores and thrifting practices in Chapel Hill, then, we examine the ethical pros and cons of thrifting, retail shopping, and reselling. Along the way, hear from Marshe Wyche, co-owner and co-founder of Rumors Boutique, and Jennifer Le Zotte, UNCW History Professor and author of Goodwill to Grunge.