Three Carolina women were announced on October 17th as the Miss UNC 2011 finalists: Camile Jones, Tabitha Linville and Holly Roberts. Each woman feels that she has what it takes to be the next Homecoming Queen. The women have individually selected service projects to carry out, but only UNC students can decide which candidate deserves the funding for her endeavors.
Camile Jones
Jones, former Black Student Movement president, wants to establish a program called Carolina Echo that will facilitate UNC’s outreach to the surrounding community through 30-40 minute programs. This, coupled with a service project to increase the audience of student groups, will “echo” the Carolina Way to the community-at-large.
“Often times we’ll put on events and it’ll be as if we are preaching to the choir. This way, we can engage the community with some of the college dialogue that we have been so privileged to have.”
Jones’ campus activities range from being Resident Advisor Mentor to the Hinton James community to serving on the Student Leadership Advisory Committee to the Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs. She believes her leadership resume will aid her in becoming the next Miss UNC.
“I serve as a role model for students, and this honor would allow me to have an even greater impact on the community, both on campus and off campus. Through Carolina Echo I hope to both create both stronger bonds and connections with campus groups, as well as with the community we inhabit.”
Tabitha Linville
Spark will be an event hosted on UNC’s Hooker Fields consisting of field day activities and a healthy, picnic-style lunch. It will serve as a health awareness day to the children in the local community.
“My goal for this event is to generate awareness in the community concerning childhood obesity and the detrimental effects it has on the children in this area.”
Linville, Chaplain of Phi Beta Chi and member of the Association of Nursing Students, says the Carolina Way of life consists of involvement and responsibility. Her vision of the Carolina Way has shaped how she has approached Homecoming and her quest to become Miss UNC.
Holly Roberts
For Roberts, her service project came to her naturally.
Coming from a military family, Tar Heels for the Troops, was something she could feel personally and something she could throw her compassion behind.
The project will be focused on three groups: deployed soldiers, military families and Tar Heel veterans. It has three phases.
The first phase will be a store in the Pit where students can purchase/mail letters and packages to deployed soldiers during the holidays; the second phase consists of sending military families to a UNC basketball game free of charge; and the third phase will be a Military Appreciation Dinner.
“During my time at Carolina, I’ve realized that while many people support the troops, many do not fully grasp the implications of having a family member enlisted . . . I want to be able to share this understanding with the Carolina community and emphasize how much of an impact can be made through Tar Heels for the Troops.”
Roberts, an executive board member at Camp Kesem and Sister Development Chair of Phi Mu Fraternity, knows that she will be able to represent Carolina with the greatest pride and integrity a person can offer while honoring and helping UNC graduate soldiers and their families.
“Tar Heels for the Troops is an opportunity to give back to those who have already sacrificed so much and winning the title of Miss UNC will make this wish a reality.”
All photos provided by the candidates.