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.

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.

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

Dorm life is great for making connections with other students and for being close to classes, but it is not the best for cooking meals. This usually leads to a lot of takeout food and eating out at restaurants. But there are other options! Microwaves can be used to cook meals, not just heat up leftovers. The three ideas below are a few of my favorite dorm-friendly meals. They are easy to make, and low cost too—perfect for college students.

The year is coming to an end and The Seahawk's staff is here to recount their favorite bits of 2022. We all sat down and came up with our favorite pieces of media and moments from this year, recommended to you so maybe you can catch up with the best of 2022 before the spring semester starts.

As finals week approaches, one thing sits at the forefront of student’s minds – how to do well on exams. Finding a comfortable and motivating place to study outside the four walls of your room can be challenging. To take some of the stress out of the season, we’ve rounded up six study spots in the Wilmington area that are perfect for preparing to ace those finals.

With the end of the semester on the horizon and a plethora of textbook material waiting to be read, The Seahawk sought to see exactly what UNCW students are reading–that is, outside of class. A variety of picks rated by popular opinion and students themselves are waiting to be discovered. From romance to nonfiction, UNCW students are reading it all.

UNCW’s Centro Hispano is a rapidly growing organization that formed in 2005 to support the Hispanic and Latinx community on campus. Located on the first floor of Fisher University Union (FUU), Centro Hispano offers students a variety of resources, including cultural events, scholarship and FAFSA assistance and volunteer opportunities, among many others.

On Sept. 1, 2022, UNCW held their annual involvement carnival. This marked the first time the event had been held in person since the COVID-19 pandemic’s start in 2020. However, this article serves as a virtual overview of the event, as well as a guide for freshmen and other newcomers to UNCW who are still struggling to find involvement early on in their first semester.

As students settle back into life on campus, so does UNCW’s new Chancellor, Dr. Aswani Volety. On July 1, 2022, Dr. Volety returned to UNCW to serve as the university’s seventh Chancellor. Volety, who previously served in the role of Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and Executive Director of the Center for Marine Science, brings with him decades worth of education and research experience, particularly in the field of marine science.

UNCW’s chapter of the Plastic Ocean Project organization, a nonprofit local to Wilmington, is one of the largest clubs on campus. Its eco-friendly focus attracts like-minded students in the pursuit of personal and public involvement with key environmental issues. UNCW POP balances camaraderie and fun in meetings with activism through organized events, contributing to UNCW’s reputation as a sustainable campus. With this school year drawing to a close, the club’s leadership is under transition for the 2022-2023 year. Emily Willis will serve as the new president of UNCW POP.

On April 7, the Cultural Arts Building opened its Senior Art Exhibition, featuring the work of 23 graduating seniors majoring in Studio Art. The exhibit is a capstone requirement for seniors in the major. The exhibition is located in the Art Gallery and in the upstairs Mezzanine Gallery of the Cultural Arts Building. It is now open to the public Monday to Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. until May 14. 

UNCW has the ability to consistently improve, and the main place to start should be creating the best possible environment for students by getting to the root of their everyday lives. At it’s heart, this environment relies on finances, a good home environment and healthy living. This should be the area of focus for improving students' well-being.