CHAPEL HILL, NC – Returning from winter break with a lighter load of extracurricular commitments, junior P.J. Hairston said that he is excited to delve deeper into the Linguistics department during the rest of his time at Chapel Hill.

“I just took the intro course on a whim my first semester thinking it would be an easy A, but I actually ended up really enjoying the discipline,” said Hairston. “Unfortunately, I was unable to take many classes because I got so busy with other stuff. Now that my schedule is a little less crazy, I can’t wait to take Phonetics & Phonology, and Linguistic Structuralism: Sources and Influences.”

“Who knows, maybe I will now even have time to do some sociolinguistics research for [Professor] Roberge,” added Hairston wistfully.

Professor Roberge spoke highly of Hairston. “It’s refreshing to see students who are here to learn,” he said.

Hairston, who came to college undecided with regard to his major, said that he has enjoyed the freedom that the College of Arts and Sciences has allowed him to explore a variety of disciplines. He added that he hopes this semester’s courses in linguistics are the latest step in a long and beautiful academic journey.

“Maybe I’ll even go to grad school,” mused Hairston. “All I know is that, whatever comes next, I don’t want to be just another pawn in the corporate system.”