Jessica Baugh

Sports Jaydon Young, photo by Ava Sharon. Assistant Sports Editor Feb 1, 2026, 6:21 PM Rising from the bench as the PA announcer read out his name as a starter, then-Virginia Tech guard Jaydon Young walked onto the court and prepared to take on North Carolina last season. He had been thinking about this game for a week. He knew some of his opponents, from AAU and NBA camps mostly, but more than anything, he knew UNC. Jaydon knew sitting in front of the TV with his family to watch the UNC-Duke game.

When Daniel Muñoz taught his first class at UNC, he said he quickly realized the wide variety of perspectives and eagerness to learn that his students brought to their discussions. “I had Trump supporters, and I had a self-identified Communist,” Muñoz said. “So it was really the full wide range of political views in that class.” The course was a gateway class for UNC’s philosophy, politics and economics minor, focused on questions of freedom, rights, equality and prosperity.

Investigations Photo assets courtesy of Adobe Stock. Senior Writer Jan 20, 2026, 11:00 PM When Deb Aikat first became a professor at UNC, he didn’t have to worry about what he taught in his classes. He said most of his colleagues came to the University because they thought it was the best place to work. Now, more than 30 years later, he said some things have changed.