Meet UNC's 2022 "Hi" Bridge Society

UNC’s homecoming royalty program is known as the “Hi” Bridge Society, bearing the name of a historic bridge on campus.

October 5, 2022

A quaint, stone bridge nestled between Gunter and Gray Hall, the “Hi” Bridge was a gift from UNC’s senior class of 1940. It originally led to the front door of the former student union, known as Bru Inn. With the bridge came the tradition that any time people crossed the bridge, friends or strangers, they would greet each other with a cordial “hi.” UNC’s homecoming royalty program is now known as the “Hi” Bridge Society, bearing the name of this historic bridge and according to the Division of Student Affairs, the students selected for the program represent UNC’s diverse student population and serve as strong leaders within the community.

To apply to become a “Hi” Bridge delegate, the student must: be a senior graduating in the upcoming spring or fall, have a minimum of a 3.0 GPA, be a full time student, demonstrate Bear Pride by being involved in a wide range of activities and be a positive role model in the campus community.

Interested students apply online every fall. On the application, they are asked to submit a short biography about themselves, describe their on-campus involvements and detail what they hope to achieve after graduation. Applicants are then contacted to schedule a short interview with Evan Welch, the executive director of the Office of Student Life. After the interviews are complete, between four and six delegates are chosen as the year’s inductees.

Inductees are then invited to participate in a number of activities throughout homecoming week. They had the option to guest judge at the Build for Bear Pantry competition and the BearSync competition. Delegates were introduced at the annual Pep Rally, Bonfire and Fireworks show. They also participated in a photoshoot on the “Hi” Bridge the morning of the homecoming game and were invited to a private brunch with UNC alumni. Delegates were then given tickets in the North Terrace section of Nottingham Field for the homecoming football game and were brought onto the field to be announced during halftime.

Learn more about this year’s inductees, their involvements and what being part of the “Hi’ Bridge Society means to them:

Alani Casiano

Major/Minor: English major, minor in Media Studies

Involvements: president of Write for Market, reporter for Bear News, student writer for UNC’s department of Marketing and Communications

Why are you proud to be a Bear?

“I’m proud to be a Bear because of all the friends I’ve made here and all the people who’ve supported me on my mission towards my dream career. I could have never gotten here without the support of everyone around me, so I’m very grateful.”

What does being part of the “Hi” Bridge Society mean to you?

“I’m honored to be part of the ‘Hi’ Bridge Society. I’m grateful to be recognized for my accomplishments in this way.”

Aliceson Jones

Major/Minor: Elementary Education major with an emphasis in Cultural and Linguistic Diversity (CLD), double minor in Special Education and History

Involvements: Stryker Institute for Leadership Development, Center for Human Enrichment (CHE), senator of the College of Education and Behavioral Sciences (CEBS), student employee at the University Center (UC) information desk

Why are you proud to be a Bear?

“I am proud to be a UNC Bear because of all the communities I’ve gotten to be a part of and all the opportunities UNC has given me.”

What does being part of the “Hi” Bridge Society mean to you?

“I think it’s a cool honor and achievement for myself. It’s something that I honestly didn’t know about until applying for it and I think it’s a really awesome way to congratulate and honor seniors who do show leadership positions. For me, it means being able to show off my achievements and leadership positions at UNC that I’ve had.”

Shukuru Rushanika

Major/Minor: Biological Sciences major with an emphasis in Pre-Health and Biomedical Science, minor in Chemistry

Involvements: Honors Program, McNair Scholars Program, president of Tribeta Honors Society, conducting ongoing cancer research

Why are you proud to be a Bear?

“The reason why I enjoy being a Bear is because it’s the only university where I can know my professors on a first-name basis. You can get to know them personally. Something that not a lot of people can relate to is being able to go fishing with your professors, you know? That means a lot to me. I’ve heard a lot of wonderful advice, besides just being a bio major, life advice.”

Elaina Rollins

Major/Minor: Business Marketing major, minor in Digital Marketing

Involvements: cultural activities coordinator for the Marcus Garvey Cultural Center (MGCC), National Society of Leadership and Success (NSLS), Delta Sigma Pi, student ambassador for the Monfort College of Business (MCB)

Why are you proud to be a Bear?

“I’m proud to be a Bear because of all the community I’ve built and the opportunities I was able to receive with being a UNC Bear.”

What does being part of the “Hi” Bridge Society mean to you?

“Being part of ‘Hi’ Bridge is a big honor, to be recognized for everything I have done and how I've helped out the community. Especially being an out-of-state student and not knowing or having a community here in the beginning, I feel like being recognized for leaving your mark on campus with being in ‘Hi’ Bridge and being recognized for everything you put into the school and the community to give back is an honor.”

Shaylee Turner

Major/Minor: Psychology major, minor in Human Services

Involvements: president of Black Student Union (BSU), president of Black Women of Today, Zeta Phi Beta, African Students United (ASU), cultural coordinator of the Marcus Garvey Cultural Center (MGCC)

Why are you proud to be a Bear?

“I am so proud to be a UNC Bear because of the community and all the people that I have gained in my pocket here. I couldn’t have been happier to go to a better place than here.”

What does being part of the “Hi” Bridge Society mean to you?

“I think it’s a great opportunity to show how inclusive UNC can be, not just a gender aspect, but also a diversity aspect as well. It’s showing a broad range of students and how UNC really is with our equity and our diversity here on campus and what it truly means to be a Bear.”

Hannah Wilson

Major/Minor: Biological Sciences major with an emphasis in Pre-Health and Biomedical Science, double minor in Chemistry and Psychology

Involvements: student rights advocate for Student Government Association, vice president of Tribeta Honors Society, New Student Orientation leader, Student Outreach coordinator, processing assistant for the Office of Admissions, peer health educator for the Office of Health Promotion, Pre-Health Professionals Club, Upper Division Honors Program, conducting undergraduate research with a biology professor

Why are you proud to be a Bear?

“One of the reasons that I’m super proud to be a UNC Bear is just the opportunities that I’ve had, the relationships that I’ve formed and being prepared for my future career.”

What does being part of the “Hi” Bridge Society mean to you?

“Being part of ‘Hi’ Bridge is really exciting for me because I think it’s awesome to be recognized for the hard work that I’ve been putting into the university for the last four years. I really like the inclusivity of ‘Hi’ Bridge rather than just having a typical homecoming king or queen, it’s more inclusive and it is a better representation of campus life and campus diversity. It’s a real honor to be chosen.”

BearSync

“Hi” Bridgers Alani Casiano and Aliceson Jones join Sarah Spencer and Abby Bruce among several other staff members from the Office of Student Life to guest judge the annual BearSync lip sync and dance competition on Sept. 22, at 7 p.m., at the Garden Theater.

Score Sheet

The judges scored the competing teams based on various criteria including originality, difficulty and how well they followed the theme 'the great outdoors.'

Pep Rally