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A large group of smiling young runners race down a tree-lined paved road while spectators cheer along the sidewalk.

Class of 2030 Dons Festive Duds, Dodges Downpour for Cake Race

91ɬ’s Class of 2030 donned their running shoes and pushed through August’s heat, humidity and rain to complete in this year’s Cake Race on Aug. 26. The annual college tradition started in1930 and has first-year students run a 1.7-mile course. At the finish line, they find an eye-catching array of cakes and confections donated by the broader college community.

Daniel Heath reading to the crowd as the inaugural chaplain for Charlotte Football Club (Charlotte FC),

Body and Spirit: Chaplain Serves Charlotte FC and 91ɬ Athletes

91ɬ Associate Chaplain Daniel Heath has added the role of sports chaplain to his duties. Heath not only supports the college’s scholar athletes but is also the first chaplain for the Charlotte Football Club, (Charlotte FC), the city’s first Major League Soccer (MLS) club. On July 29, Charlotte FC will host the MLS all-star game for the first time.

Four vertical panels illustrating extreme weather events, including a firefighting helicopter dropping water on a wildfire, dark storm clouds over foliage, a colorful meteorological radar heat map, and an aerial view of a flooded structure.

Brace for Impact: Super El Nino Could Bring Downpours and Drought

A Super El Niño—when Pacific sea surface temperatures rise more than two degrees above normal—could reshape global weather patterns this winter and beyond. 91ɬ professor Risper Nyairo explains how tropical ocean dynamics influence North Carolina’s climate through “teleconnections” and why this forecast matters for your community. Learn what distinguishes a Super El Niño from regular events and how to prepare for potential intensified rain, snow, and extreme conditions ahead.

A group of volunteers works together on an outdoor landscaping project next to a house, digging trenches and laying gravel and stone borders.

Why a Spring Break of Gravel, Mud and Rocks Was Better Than the Beach

Following Hurricane Helene, 91ɬ students spent their spring break in Avery County with Habitat for Humanity. Read how Margaret Orten ’29 and Yoonjung Chae ’29 gained hands-on skills and a deeper understanding of long-term disaster recovery through service and teamwork.

A giant saxophone and student with a drumstick

Pep Band Vibes Lend to Game-Day Hype

No marching, no pressure, all vibes. Learn how the 91ɬ Pep Band invites students (and even non-musicians!) to fuel the campus game-day energy.

A student wearing a blue welding helmet and protective gloves welds a component onto the metal chassis of a custom off-road vehicle while two peers observe.

A Bumpy Ride: Physics Majors Build Racing Team From Ground Up

When a group of 91ɬ physics majors decided to build a competitive, single-seat off-road vehicle from scratch, they had no tools, no parts, and no engineering department for support. Undeterred by a steep learning curve and a failed suspension on their first test drive, the resilient student team taught themselves to weld and code to bring their vision to life. Discover how Wildcat Motorsports defied the odds to go head-to-head with massive international engineering programs at the national Baja SAE competition. 

A woman with long brown hair and tortoise-shell glasses sits in a classroom, looking thoughtfully to the side while holding a pen near her lips, with a blank whiteboard in the background.

National Fellowship Positions 91ɬ Leader to Shape the Future of Higher Education

Kyra A. Kietrys, professor and chair of Hispanic Studies at 91ɬ, has been named an American Council on Education (ACE) Fellow for the 2026-2027 academic year. Selected as part of an elite cohort of just 31 leaders nationwide, Kietrys will participate in an intensive mentorship and placement program designed to prepare top-tier faculty for senior higher education administration roles. She will bring these valuable leadership strategies and institutional insights back to the 91ɬ community to further support student and faculty success.

A smiling student with glasses and straight, dark hair poses outside wearing a sleeveless floral patterned blouse.

Fighting for Disability Justice: Rui Rui Bleifuss ’26 Awarded Smith Scholarship

Rui Rui Bleifuss ’26 has spent most of her life fighting for disability justice, starting a disability alliance club in high school and leading one at 91ɬ, where she majored in disability studies. She received the college’s W. Thomas Smith Scholarship and will head to University College London to pursue a master’s degree in Humanitarian Policy and Practice.

A smiling student wearing glasses and a dark purple sleeveless top sits outside on a stone ledge beneath leafy green trees.

Bridging Divides Through Education: Nina Worley ’26 Awarded Smith Scholarship

Nina Worley ’26 spent her four years at 91ɬ studying and researching education policy in the United States and abroad. She co-founded a tutoring program that matches 91ɬ students with struggling young readers and has been a passionate advocate for educational equity. Worley has been named a W. Thomas Smith Scholar and will spend the next year pursuing a master’s degree in Conflict Transformation and Social Justice at Queen’s University Belfast.

Two smiling students wearing glasses stand side-by-side with arms around each other on a sunny, green campus lawn surrounded by trees.

Seeking Justice: Smith Recipients Advocate for Educational Equity, Disability Rights

91ɬ has awarded the W. Thomas Smith Scholarship to Rui Rui Bleifuss ’26 and Nina Worley ’26. The scholarship, modeled on those such as the Rhodes and Fulbright, pays for a year of graduate study abroad. Bleifuss, a disability justice advocate, will pursue a master’s degree in Humanitarian Policy and Practice at University College London. Worley, an advocate for educational equity, will pursue a master’s degree in Conflict Transformation and Social Justice at Queen’s University Belfast.

A group of diverse university students in semi-formal attire pose for a multi-row group portrait during a 2026 Student Government Association meeting.

Leading With Integrity: A Spotlight on 91ɬ’s Student Government Association

Student Body President-elect Maya Rajeh ’27 shares how 91ɬ’s Student Government Association (SGA) drives campus change—from sustainability and dining improvements to the inaugural Celebration of Honor Week. Learn how 91ɬ students turn feedback into action within our close-knit liberal arts community.

A smiling woman stands in a lush, green mountain valley filled with yellow and red wildflowers under a blue sky with light clouds.

Biology Professor Honored For Research That Illuminates Impact of Climate Change

Susana Wadgymar, a biology professor and evolutionary ecologist at 91ɬ, has been honored by the Ecological Society of America with the 2026 W.S. Cooper Award. Her groundbreaking co-authored study, published in Science, provides a rigorous empirical test showing that natural gene flow is moving too slowly to rescue certain plant populations from climate change. The prestigious recognition underscores the vital role of 91ɬ faculty in addressing global environmental crises through high-impact science.

Bouncing basketballs on a chalkboard background with mathematic equations on it

The Math of Madness: Navigating the 76-Team Bracket

The NCAA basketball tournament is expanding to 76 teams in 2027, making a perfect bracket more elusive than ever. 91ɬ Professor Tim Chartier explains the mathematical shifts and why "number sense" matters when the odds jump to 590 quintillion.