The first thing Rachel Hilburn told me when I approached her about this article is that she’s “not a very interesting person,” which to me sounded absurd. I listen to her show “Coastline” almost every week—in the car on the way to work, walking to class or making my morning coffee. The show covers an expansive array of topics. From being queer in Wilmington to escaping from Nazi Germany, Hilburn never ceases to find interesting people and stories to highlight. Though the show is always centered around her ever-fascinating guests, the relaxed precision in her voice invites listeners in. She has a particular talent for allowing people to become great storytellers. As someone who regularly conducts interviews, I wondered, how does she do it?

Founded in 1971, Atlantis: A Creative Magazine is UNCW’s premier undergraduate literary magazine. Focused on celebrating undergraduate writers from public or private community colleges and four-year universities in North Carolina, Atlantis is run by dedicated students and sponsored by UNCW’s Student Media Board. As sophomore Nitya Budamagunta takes the reins as Editor-in-Chief for the 2023-2024 school year, many exciting possibilities lie ahead for the innovative literary magazine.

The North Carolina film industry is now experiencing a period of growth following the COVID-19 pandemic, with film productions returning to Wilmington and bringing the industry back to life. This increase follows a change to the NC budget lowering the requirements to receive help from the North Carolina Film and Entertainment Grant. This increase in filming led to a higher demand for background actors, with many people—including UNCW’s own students—in the Wilmington area eager and willing to be part of Wilmington’s film legacy.

Following months of unusual Russian troop movements, threats and shellfire along the border, Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022. For over a year now, the whole world has watched as countless lives have been lost, families torn apart and cities destroyed. But behind each photograph and headline, number and statistic, video and dispatch, are real people with real stories to tell, often lost to the desensitization and chaos of war. A few such people are students in Wilmington and UNCW, specifically.

Drag is an art form that goes back centuries. Many historians claim it originated with Shakespeare, whose plays were performed entirely by men—and men dressed as women. By the 1970s, following the Stonewall Uprising, the art of drag had cemented itself in American culture. Drag foremothers like Divine and Crystal LaBeija would pave the way for what it is today. Though it has evolved much over time, drag in its many forms is an expression of our creativity and humanity that has persisted throughout history.

Tucked away in a quiet apartment complex not far from campus is a locally owned and operated coffee shop, Lucky Joe Craft Coffee. At first glance, the building looks like another townhouse amongst a sea of student housing, but plenty of delicious coffee, smoothies and pastries as well as work and study spaces hide behind a set of magenta doors.

Universities all throughout the US offer a literary magazine to exclusively their student body as an opportunity for students to get their work published. Up until now, UNCW was not one of those universities. Second Story Journal is a UNCW literary magazine created, operated by and originally, exclusively open to Honors students. Current Editor-in-Chief Abigail Celoria and other staff have worked to change that and have opened the magazine to include all undergraduate student submissions.

Each February marks the beginning of Black History Month in the United States, and communities across the country take this time to reflect on and celebrate the contributions of Black Americans throughout history. This year’s national Black History Month theme was “Black Resistance,” which addresses how African Americans are dealing with oppression and the lack of institutional support in the past and present.

Students, staff, faculty and alumni came together in Kenan Auditorium on Feb. 9 for the Upperman African American Cultural Center’s annual fashion show. The production, organized every year as a part of UNCW’s homecoming and Black History Month festivities, featured live rappers, a local DJ and a rich collection of book-inspired student designs.

Lights, camera – award time! The North Carolina Theatre Conference (NCTC) recently awarded the UNCW Theatre Department with the esteemed NCTC College/University Award, recognizing the program for excellence in theatre and education.

As students return to class for the spring semester, many may overlook various artworks on display across campus. One such piece is the AIDS Memorial Quilt, which recently left the Cultural Arts Building and Randall Library as part of an annual display from Dec. 1, 2022 to Jan. 31, 2023. Each year the quilts spark local conversation surrounding HIV/AIDS and its impact on history. While only a temporary display, it serves as a reminder of the very real battle so many face against the virus even today.

The Asian Heritage Cultural Center (AHCC), located in the Fisher University Union room 1002, officially opened in September of 2022. The center serves as a space for students to interact with and learn about the various cultures in the Asian and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community. The ribbon cutting ceremony took place on Feb. 9 and marked the grand opening of the space. Since its opening, the AHCC has served as a welcoming meet-up spot for UNCW students, both within the AAPI community and the general population

UNCW’s Studio Art Faculty Biennial opened Thursday, Jan. 12, giving visitors a view into the creative process and creations of some of the university’s studio art faculty. The sixteen exhibiting artists display artworks pondering personal themes as well as global ones in a multitude of different artistic mediums including quilting, metalsmithing, painting, photography and ceramics.

Just two months ago, UNCW’s Upperman African American Cultural Center was awarded “Center of the Year” by the Association for Black Culture Centers (ABCC) at their annual conference from Nov. 3-5. The center also received the “Kuumba Innovative Program of the Year” award for its “Juneteenth Teach-in” event, and program coordinator Ashlee Fleming was named the “New Professional of the Year,” as well.

This October, WILMA Magazine announced the 35 finalists selected for the WILMA’s 2022 Women to Watch Awards, which included four current UNCW faculty. Dana Stachowiak, Director of the Gender Studies & Research Center and Associate Professor of Curriculum Studies, was one of those four finalists and was nominated in the education category.