Chapel Hill, Now and then.

We have been examining many ancient artifacts in class, but our studies haven’t yet focused on a modern subject. It’s funny how a place that Matthew Kilby, an undergraduate at UNC, has barely ever lived feels most like home. Although Matthew lived in Birmingham, Alabama for fifteen years, and in South Carolina for three, Chapel Hill unifies his life.

Matthew was born in a hospital on Chapel Hill’s campus, just a small walk from Craige dorm where he stays now. Chapel Hill’s influence on Matthew’s life has a width greater than his age. Matthew’s mother attended UNC medical school and Matthew’s father attended medical school at Duke. His parents met in Chapel Hill, and the city became a symbol of their relationship. Although Matthew only lived in Chapel Hill for 3 months after his birth and only 3 months so far for his undergraduate education, the city took on deeper meaning in his life when he watched his parents speak fondly of their first dates and memories during Matthew’s college tour. Chapel Hill’s history is one that is more rich than Charleston’s or Birmingham’s, and certainly more influential in Matthew Kilby’s life.
-Indy

Chapel Hill, or “The Southern Part of Heaven,” is a town that holds the oldest public university in the United States. It was the home of William Barbee, whose 1753,585 acre land grant from the Earl of Granville established half of what is now the Durham and Chapel Hill area. William acted as a steward and the superintendent of the grounds of the university (Vickers 15). Chapel Hill has always had a reputation for social integrity, and Matthew’s parent’s Liberal values were influenced greatly by this. In 1968, only one year after schools became fully integrated, Chapel Hill became one of the first mainly white cities in the south to elect an African American mayor.
       
Common history in Chapel Hill has led to many similar experiences for Matthew and his parents. The town of Chapel Hill has several traditions that have lasted 30 years or more. One of the most notable is the Halloween party, when Franklin Street, a street running across the northern side of UNC’s campus, can be packed to up to 70,000 people. “Fallfest,” a fair that promotes artists, crafts-makers, nonprofits, and food also gathers many students to Franklin Street. Many musical acts perform, and more than 10,000 people attend the fair regularly (Vickers 73). Although these huge festivals take place, Chapel Hill still holds a reputation for having a small town feel. Matthew’s parent’s love of music is reflected in Chapel Hill’s history. Chapel Hill shares a vibrant musical scene with Carrboro, a town that is best described as Chapel Hill’s hippie brother. Many of Matthew’s family’s favorite bands, namely Archers of Loaf, James Taylor, and Ben Folds 5, all started their careers near Chapel Hill.
       
While some aspects of the Chapel Hill life are the same for Matthew and his parents, some things have changed considerably. When Matthew’s mother was in school, the population of Chapel Hill was reportedly close to 32,000 (Vickers 158). Now the population of the city has sky-rocketed to even more than 57,000, or almost twice the amount of people than in Matthew’s parents time.
       
Matthew, having lived in several places throughout his life, has a hard time identifying one place as home. But even though Matthew hasn’t lived in Chapel Hill as long as the places that he grew up, Chapel Hill unites Matthew’s life and reflects its story most. Matthew’s influence from the city has showed that home, ironically enough, is sometimes a place that one has to find.

Vickers, James. Chapel Hill. Dover, NH: Arcadia, 1996. Print.