Pit Perspectives UNC

Pit Perspectives UNC
  • 5.0 (9)
  • DOCUMENTARY

Pit Perspectives is a podcast made by UNC students, for UNC students. We record your opinions in The Pit, add commentary and supplementary materials, and create episodes on relevant social issues facing college students at UNC and other colleges.

Episodes

  1. Taylor Swift (Pit Perspectives' Version): UNC students on fandom, fame, and feminism

    10/06/2023

    Taylor Swift (Pit Perspectives' Version): UNC students on fandom, fame, and feminism

    Welcome to Pit Perspectives Season 5! Thanks for joining us and returning to the show for our third year. ---- Taylor Swift has lived in news headlines for over a decade now. Recently, her Ticketmaster drama and criticism of her private jet usage have ruled her public image, though her new relationship with NFL player Travis Kelce is starting to rewrite the media cycle. Today we're staying out of the politics and diving into the personal; what do UNC students think about Taylor Swift as an artist, a businesswoman, a girlfriend, a celebrity, and an industry powerhouse? Students shared both their love of her music and their visceral hatred for the community she's created; some accused her fandom of being just privileged white women and others celebrated her for paving the way for other women in the industry. Some complained that they've heard enough of her breakups and others wished we'd stop treating her as if she's no more than the men she dates. Today's episode is a short and sweet introduction to Pit Perspectives Fall 2023. But although we aren't diving as deep into history, philosophy, or politics, you'll leave the episode with just as many new questions and curiosities about yourself and your peers. We end the episode with a question: what does your Taylor Swift opinion say about you?  We'd like to thank Jesse Ainslie for this episode's music. His work can be found here: jesseainslie.com Pit Perspectives is a student-run podcast. We record your candid and anonymous opinions in The Pit, add commentary and supplementary materials, and create episodes on relevant social issues facing college students at UNC and across the country. Find us on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/pitperspectivesunc/) and online (https://www.pitperspectivesunc.com/). Support the show

    28 min
  2. UNC Students and the Right to (or not to) Vote

    11/04/2022

    UNC Students and the Right to (or not to) Vote

    With election day around the corner, UNC students are struggling to balance their interests in their votes: hometown ties or the fight to turn NC blue? College students today have a unique opportunity to strategize when they take to the voting booth- vote in Chapel Hill or in your home state? Or, don't vote at all? While UNC students expressed an overwhelming excitement for political activism, young people are projected to be least likely to vote in the upcoming election. Why?   What does it mean to abstain from voting? Has politics in this country outgrown the use of our voting system? Is voting obsolete?   Today's episode begins with a forgotten moment in NC and US history and an attack on voting rights and democratic government itself: the Wilmington Massacre of 1898. Next, we examine why UNC students do and do not vote. Finally, we examine the philosophical concerns behind our right to vote: are we supposed to act out of self-interest, or with social empathy? We'd like to thank Jesse Ainslie for this episode's music. His work can be found here: jesseainslie.com Pit Perspectives is a student-run podcast. We record your candid and anonymous opinions in The Pit, add commentary and supplementary materials, and create episodes on relevant social issues facing college students at UNC and across the country. Find us on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/pitperspectivesunc/) and online (https://www.pitperspectivesunc.com/). Sources: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1FokdCdrJy-6GokbM8Y47imlbUxA5Nfl-Lk1imIoGuW4/edit?usp=sharing Support the show

    55 min
  3. Thrifting: Goodwill & Good Will

    10/07/2022

    Thrifting: Goodwill & Good Will

    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 (https://www.amazon.com/Goodwill-Grunge-Secondhand-Alternative-Economies/dp/1469631903). We end with a question: how should we make decisions about our consumption? We'd like to thank Jesse Ainslie for this episode's music. His work can be found here: jesseainslie.com Pit Perspectives is a student-run podcast. We record your candid and anonymous opinions in The Pit, add commentary and supplementary materials, and create episodes on relevant social issues facing college students at UNC and across the country. Find us on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/pitperspectivesunc/) and online (https://www.pitperspectivesunc.com/). Sources: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1MRpFOCpKin22a27R7agx81e6FXPCFcqiDoh1r4NpfIQ/edit?usp=sharing Support the show

    54 min
  4. The Abortion Debate at UNC: pro-life, pro-choice, productive?

    09/16/2022

    The Abortion Debate at UNC: pro-life, pro-choice, productive?

    The abortion debate has been framed over the last decade as a matter of pro-life vs. pro-choice. But, is this distinction productive?  Here at UNC, students engage with important social topics every day in and outside class. A college campus is supposed to be the marketplace of ideas, but what preconditions are required for civil discourse? In the abortion debate, it seems that we're lacking a common ground. Students have to wrestle with morality, religion, biology, and federalism when discussing abortion with their peers, although a majority of students we spoke to seemed to skip straight to "choice." We ask, however, if a pro-choice mindset presupposes that abortion is not murder? And, do students understand the assumptions they bring into their discussions? Today's episode begins with a short history of the abortion debate in America with a focus on social control. Then, we examine several possible solutions to the chaotic nature of abortion discourse, looking at a website worked on by UNC students (https://www.respectpeople.org/) and a research report produced by Dr. Timothy Ryan (https://fecdsurveyreport.web.unc.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/22160/2022/08/FECD_Report_8-21-22.pdf). We end with a question: how do we move forward? We'd like to thank Professor Timothy Ryan and Professor Jillian Hinderliter for their insights and support. Also, thanks to Jesse Ainslie for this episode's music. His work can be found here: jesseainslie.com  EDIT: Dobbs v. Jackson was decided on June 24th, not June 4th. Pit Perspectives is a student-run podcast. We record your candid and anonymous opinions in The Pit, add commentary and supplementary materials, and create episodes on relevant social issues facing college students at UNC and across the country. Find us on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/pitperspectivesunc/) and online (https://www.pitperspectivesunc.com/). Sources: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1WjrRfURWmor2oMcLjKick0Zhx-AXJRLQG8Ml9CUSOfk/edit?usp=sharing  Support the show

    1h 17m
  5. The Ethics of Pit Preaching: conversation and censorship at UNC

    04/08/2022

    The Ethics of Pit Preaching: conversation and censorship at UNC

    Pit Preaching on UNC's campus has been historically attributable to Gary Birdsong, a fundamentalist Christian preacher whose message is riddled with racism, homophobia, and sexism. This semester, student preachers have been growing in popularity, and we're forced to face the consequences of free speech and potential censorship on our campus. Today's episode includes student views on Pit Preachers, the First Amendment, Censorship, and methods used by religious student organizations to recruit new members.  This episode also includes recordings with Pit Preachers, taken in The Pit. Preachers were overwhelmingly excited to take the floor and spread God's word, but some students question whose word they're really spreading, and what their intentions are. What makes a conversation productive, and can productive discourse happen between preachers and students?  Pit Perspectives takes soundbites recorded candidly in The Pit at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and mixes them with commentary and statistics to create a comprehensive review of the student body's thoughts on an important social issue. Our method allows regular students to share anonymous opinions and gives a voice to those who have thoughts on the topic but do not have access to more formal outlets of expression. Check out our Instagram @PitPerspectivesUNC to stay up to date on the podcast. Click this link to view our sources for this episode. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1kS87qlg7CfVNQIpjsqn5-n9MuympobR5/view?usp=sharing Support the show

    56 min
  6. Study Drugs: Adderall use and abuse at UNC

    02/25/2022

    Study Drugs: Adderall use and abuse at UNC

    Study drug usage, specifically of Adderall and Vyvanse, has become ingrained into student culture at universities across the nation. Here at UNC, prescription stimulant misuse is no different, although it seems to occur in self-reinforcing social circles. This episode tells the story of an Adderall acquisition from the original prescription to a student with ADHD, through a diversion of the medication, and then use before an exam.  Pit Perspectives takes soundbites recorded candidly in The Pit at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and mixes them with commentary and statistics to create a comprehensive review of the student body's thoughts on an important social issue. Our method allows regular students to share anonymous opinions and gives a voice to those who have thoughts on the topic but do not have access to more formal outlets of expression. Pit Perspectives does not condone the use of illegal substances, and we do not have any identifying information of the students featured on today's episode. These students offered to share their experiences, although we cannot verify if any of their statements are true. This episode offers insight into drug usage on our campus from the voices of students with firsthand experience, and to our knowledge, we are providing the first anonymous voice recordings on this topic at UNC. Check out our Instagram @PitPerspectivesUNC to stay up to date on the podcast. For a list of our sources, click this link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Rb36-iPidfbdjZXdBoE_sjjlcSyzPlUd/view?usp=sharing Additional links to explore: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5140739/ https://www.newscientist.com/article/2141368-adderall-might-improve-your-test-scores-but-so-could-a-placebo/ Support the show

    26 min
  7. Student-Athletes at UNC Part 2: Glorification

    02/11/2022

    Student-Athletes at UNC Part 2: Glorification

    This episode is the second in a two-part series on student-athletes. UNC, although a top-ranked academic institution, is known for its athletics. Student-athletes make immense contributions to the culture and reputation of our school, but are they deified by our student body, and are women's teams given the same respect? This episode covers gender disparities, viewership, revenue, deification, respect, and unfair resources. To learn more about the way student-athletes are compensated (or not) by the NCAA and UNC, check out Part 1: the Exploitation of Student-Athletes. Pit Perspectives takes soundbites recorded candidly in The Pit at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and mixes them with commentary and statistics to create a comprehensive review of the student body's thoughts on an important social issue. Our method allows regular students to share anonymous opinions and gives a voice to those who have thoughts on the topic but do not have access to more formal outlets of expression. Check out our Instagram @PitPerspectivesUNC to stay up to date on the podcast. For a list of our sources, click this link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/15YcUsvwU2TkqIm0v6-B_gQCQCNI6rbOB/view?usp=sharing Links: https://static.goredfoxes.com/custompages/pdf/hour-limitations.pdf http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/w_basketball_RB/2022/Attend.pdf http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/m_basketball_RB/2022/Attend.pdf https://goheels.com/news/2017/8/25/2017-carolina-field-hockey-fast-facts.aspx Support the show

    34 min
  8. Student-Athletes at UNC Part 1: Exploitation

    02/11/2022

    Student-Athletes at UNC Part 1: Exploitation

    This episode is the first in a two-part series on student-athletes. UNC, although a top-ranked academic institution, is known for its athletics. Student-athletes make immense contributions to the culture and reputation of our school, but are they given enough in return? This episode covers academic scandals, plantation mentality, graduation rates, and compensation through NIL. To learn more about the way students perceive athletes, check out Part 2: the Glorification of Student-Athletes. Pit Perspectives takes soundbites recorded candidly in The Pit at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and mixes them with commentary and statistics to create a comprehensive review of the student body's thoughts on an important social issue. Our method allows regular students to share anonymous opinions and gives a voice to those who have thoughts on the topic but do not have access to more formal outlets of expression. Check out our Instagram @PitPerspectivesUNC to stay up to date on the podcast. For a list of our sources, click this link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/15YcUsvwU2TkqIm0v6-B_gQCQCNI6rbOB/view?usp=sharing Links: https://static.goredfoxes.com/custompages/pdf/hour-limitations.pdf http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/w_basketball_RB/2022/Attend.pdf http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/m_basketball_RB/2022/Attend.pdf https://goheels.com/news/2017/8/25/2017-carolina-field-hockey-fast-facts.aspx Support the show

    23 min
  9. Sex Education: the orgasm gap and hook-up culture on UNC's campus

    01/28/2022

    Sex Education: the orgasm gap and hook-up culture on UNC's campus

    This episode covers the history and current state of sex education in America, the narrative of pleasure within sex education, the misinterpretation of porn, the orgasm gap at UNC and within the LGBTQ+ community, and the nature of hook-up culture at UNC.  The episode was created with the input of 190 UNC students. This episode also features a Pit Poll; we asked students about their pattern of orgasming during sex and organized the results according to gender and sexual identity to explore who orgasms and who doesn't. Hint: the numbers were much lower for straight women than for straight men. To find out more about the poll, check out our Instagram @PitPerspectivesUNC.  Pit Perspectives takes soundbites recorded candidly in The Pit at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and mixes them with commentary and statistics to create a comprehensive review of the student body's thoughts on an important social issue. Our method allows regular students to share anonymous opinions and gives a voice to those who have thoughts on the topic but do not have access to more formal outlets of expression. There are mentions of topics relating to sex and intimacy in this episode. For UNC students interested in these topics, check out The Pleasure Activists: https://heellife.unc.edu/organization/thepleasureactivists For a list of our sources, click this link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/12gYlIX_c5OEJ0EdkH2m3pUve15IdWmCY/view?usp=sharing Support the show

    48 min
  10. The Return to In-Person Classes: UNC student struggles and successes

    12/10/2021

    The Return to In-Person Classes: UNC student struggles and successes

    For our third episode and final release for the fall 2021 semester, we are bringing you student commentary on the return to in-person classes here in Chapel Hill after a year of online school. Hear student opinions on UNC's resources during this transition, how our mental and emotional health has been impacted, and how we feel being back on campus. Pit Perspectives takes soundbites recorded candidly in The Pit at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and mixes them with commentary and statistics to create a comprehensive review of the student body's thoughts on an important social issue. Our method allows regular students to share anonymous opinions and gives a voice to those who have thoughts on the topic but do not have access to more formal outlets of expression. There are mentions of depression and mental health issues in this episode. UNC CAPS: https://caps.unc.edu/services/ National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 or in Spanish by calling 1-888-628-9454  Text Support Line - text STEVE to 741741 to connect with a trained crisis counselor Click this link: https://groupme.com/join_group/66654516/N3HMzuLb to access the UNC student mental health group chat mentioned in the episode.  For a list of our sources, click this link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1IgjQud99yMBoSV1xqprIxlX-o4uLIv10/view?usp=sharing Thanks, Tar Heels, for a great first semester. See you in January! Support the show

    23 min
  11. Performative Activism: student definitions and anecdotes of social movements at UNC

    11/19/2021

    Performative Activism: student definitions and anecdotes of social movements at UNC

    For our second episode, we are discussing performative activism, both at UNC and beyond. Today's subtopics include the definitions of performative and real activism, the Black Lives Matter movement and racial injustice on campus, and anecdotes about the Israel-Palestine conflict's presentation online. Pit Perspectives takes soundbites recorded candidly in The Pit at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and mixes them with commentary to create a comprehensive review of the student body's thoughts on an important social issue. Our method allows regular students to share anonymous opinions and gives a voice to those who have thoughts on the topic but do not have access to more formal outlets of expression. For a list of our sources, click this link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1exCxbWwwoNgDgYJWXAunp8AS78E74pCf/view?usp=sharing Support the show

    28 min
  12. Greek Life at UNC: problematic or Panhellenic?

    11/05/2021

    Greek Life at UNC: problematic or Panhellenic?

    For our first episode, we are excited to present the UNC student body's thoughts on Greek Life, covering subtopics including hazing, race, class, and sexual assault. There are mentions of rape, sexual assault, and sexual violence in this episode. Pit Perspectives takes soundbites recorded candidly in The Pit at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and mixes them with commentary and statistics to create a comprehensive review of the student body's thoughts on an important social issue. Our method allows regular students to share anonymous opinions and gives a voice to those who have thoughts on the topic but do not have access to more formal outlets of expression. For a list of our sources, click this link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1C8HGvSbNWJv2bCB5SDiJ44xc6h94RvFv/view?usp=sharing Support the show

    25 min
  • 12 Episodes

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
9 Ratings

About

Pit Perspectives is a podcast made by UNC students, for UNC students. We record your opinions in The Pit, add commentary and supplementary materials, and create episodes on relevant social issues facing college students at UNC and other colleges.

Information

  • Creator
    Pit Perspectives UNC
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2023
  • Episodes
    12
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2025 Pit Perspectives UNC
  • Show Website
    Pit Perspectives UNC