Katie Byerly, Hannah Friedman, and Carolina Phillips - On Sustaining OurSelves and being student renters in Northside

“Something I’ve been thinking about lately is that I think of myself as a student that’s here for four years. I think of my contributions, both negative and positive to this area and people who live here, as a temporary thing. I think that’s really problematic, because I’m a temporary student, but students are not temporary.”

- Katie Byerly, Caroline Phillips, and Hannah Friedman

Katie Byerly, Caroline Phillips, and Hannah Friedman are all seniors attending UNC-Chapel Hill living in the Northside District. They discuss their lack of knowledge and understanding of the history and community of Northside before moving into the neighborhood. As members of the Northside neighborhood, they have expectations and responsibilities to be good neighbors and members of the community. However, many people are unaware of the history of Northside and the importance of preserving its history despite increasing student populations moving into the neighborhoods. The cycle of students coming and going in the Northside neighborhood will persist, so it’s important to make students knowledgeable of their responsibility to be aware of Northside’s history and how to be a good neighbor and give back to the community. There is a negative reputation of students living in Northside, however little is being said or done to show students what they should do. Many students feel out of place and are unsure how to be a good neighbor and give back. Students find that long-term Northside residents view students negatively, making it more difficult for students to find their place in how they fit into and contribute to the Northside community. The narrators believe that long-term Northside residents and students living in Northside must come together to speak of their expectations and come to agreements on what each group can do to better the community they both live in.