Chapel Hill, NC – Whenever we visit a field site or external lab for research, we see it as an opportunity to explore the local culture, in true liberal arts fashion. Our recent visit to UNC Chapel Hill’s Isotope Lab was no exception. We dined on local cuisine at a Chapel Hill barbecue restaurant.
Ben Kumpf (’18) looks like he’s enjoying his first taste of North Carolina barbecue. Barbecue is pretty serious business here in North Carolina. (In my view, it’s not barbecue unless it’s vinegar-based).
The infamous Duke-UNC rivalry was on display in the last home game for the UNC baseball team. We arrived just as Duke was rallying to come from behind, but in the end, the Tarheels scored a 9-7 victory over Duke.
Friday night, we finished our work just in time to catch a bluegrass band at Carolina Inn’s Fridays on the Front Porch. Although a storm was threatening, it held off so that adults, kids, and dogs could enjoy the outdoor entertainment.
On most days, our walk took us past a UNC Chapel Hill icon: The Old Well. Legend has it that a drink from the Old Well on the first day of classes will bring good luck for the rest of the year.
The highlight of the week was meeting Rameses, the UNC Chapel Hill mascot. Rameses thinks that geologists are #1. He didn’t exactly say so (mascots don’t talk much), but, that’s my interpretation of this photo).
Overall, it was an excellent trip. We learned a new technique, analyzed lots of samples, and acquired data for Ben’s I.S.