The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill isn’t letting a silly thing like germs get in the way of tradition.
On August 18, UNC’s first day of classes, the school proudly announced the return of a campus tradition that had been skipped last year due to the coronavirus:, a water fountain on campus. UNC lore has it that sipping from the Old Well on the first day of classes can set up a student for academic success for the rest of the year.
But the university didn’t quite explain how the tradition was in any way COVID-safe, as the pandemic continues to rage across the country. This week, North Carolina reached itssince January 2021 — before the vaccine became widely available. “We ask that students who decide to take a sip from the Old Well on the first day of classes for good luck consider wearing a mask and keeping their distance if there is a line on Wednesday,” Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Amy Johnson said in a statement,