Letting Fun Out of Quarantine

College Life Continues at UNC Asheville

By UNC Asheville

November 11^th, 2020

Socially-distanced doesn't mean no social life at all. The COVID-19 pandemic forced a lot of changes at UNC Asheville this semester, but creativity and a campus-wide commitment to caring for each other meant that students were still able to enjoy themselves at unique events and activities while still staying safe.

Welcome to Campus

The traditional beginning-of-year events at UNC Asheville like pre-rendezblue, Rockypalooza and Weeks of Welcome had to be reimagined, but UNC Asheville students, faculty and staff put on their smiles and their masks and made it happen.

Staying Engaged

UNC Asheville students have a reputation for being civically engaged, and COVID-19 didn't stop them this year, with the painting of the Black Lives Matter mural on University Heights, community service-learning projects, Zoom events like a debate watch party and a voting rights and local government info session, and National Voter Registration day on September 22.

Student orgs found new and creative ways to keep the ball rolling throughout the semester as well, including the newly-formed (and very popular) UNCA Plant Club.

STUDENT ORG HIGHLIGHTS

Athletics

Fall sports may have been cancelled, but the Bulldogs still found ways to practice and play safely this semester. The Blue & White Showdown, a series of intrasquad scrimmages, took place during the week of October 3-10 and featured each of the Bulldog fall programs. Each program split into a Blue and White team and competed against each other, with the winner earning a point for their respective team. (Spoiler alert: Team Blue crushed it.)

"With fall sports not being played in a traditional sense this year, we wanted to put on an event for our fall student-athletes to give them an opportunity to compete in a friendly format against each other," said UNC Asheville Director of Athletics Janet R. Cone.

Entertaining Ourselves

ACE (Asheville Campus Entertainment), UNC Asheville’s student-led, student-funded campus programming board, kept the fun going throughout the semester with a virtual concert, socially-distanced Halloween movies on the Quad, and the ever-popular Bulldogs & Bites (aka free snacks).

This year's socially-distanced Turning of the Maples celebration included a Live at Lunch outdoor performance by the student songwriting and bluegrass ensembles. This 360-degree video brings you there (be sure to click and drag within the video to look around!).

The Music Department brought a variety of Live and Lunch concerts to the Quad throughout the semester, creating a popular new outdoor music tradition.

Keep Moving

Staying active is a huge part of staying mentally and physically healthy, which of course was especially important this semester. The campus fitness center and pool operated with safety protocols in place, and special events throughout the semester like Zumba and Glowga (that's glow-in-the-dark yoga) let the campus community get moving.

Greenfest

UNC Asheville's bi-annual celebration of community and sustainability included a series of socially-distanced events, including a free virtual webinar with Sapna Mulki, host of the Breaking Green Ceilings podcast; Leave No Trace Yoga; a guided hike; and of course the volunteer workday on campus.