North Carolina has more than just 'The Hunger Games'
In its first weekend in theaters, The Hunger Gamesearned a record $155 million in North America alone. Subsequently, over the past week, tourists have flocked to Triple Falls, N.C., where the majority of the film’s scenes were filmed.
The swift creation of the $79 Hunger Games Fan Tour should not come as a surprise given the film’s success. And the Hunger Games is not the first major film to be shot in North Carolina -- George Clooney’s Leatherheads was filmed in the state in 2008, as well as the classic Dirty Dancing, among others. Cult TV shows like Dawson’s Creek and One Tree Hill were filmed primarily in North Carolina, too.
But North Carolina has produced a lot more than great filming locations. Tourists preparing visits to North Carolina should plan to include a stop at Kitty Hawk, where Wilbur and Orville Wright created the first controlled power airplane in 1903.
In light of The Hunger Games, here are the top three other noteworthy North Carolina accomplishments that have changed America and its college scene:
1. The public college system
Most University of North Carolina students are familiar with the book The First State University, which details the history of UNC and its title as America’s oldest public university. Our friends at the University of Georgia say they were the first public university because they received their charter in 1785, but UNC opened in 1795 and UGA in 1801.
Harvard University was founded in 1636, and a number of other private universities were founded before UNC, but it is hard to imagine having only private colleges as an option for education. UNC students frequently protest tuition increases, especially for out-of-state students, but UNC was ranked the number one “best value” public school by Kiplinger’s Personal Finance. UNC, and in turn the public colleges and universities that were created after its founding, have given many in-state students the opportunity to go to college for a much lower price than they would see at a private school.
2. Cheerwine
Cheerwine was created in 1917 in Salisbury, N.C.. This sweet and bubbly drink, also known as the "Nectar of North Carolina," is a staple for many Southern college students and adults alike, both inside and outside of, North Carolina.
Starting in 2011, Cheerwine has hosted an annual “Miss Cheerwine” contest, where one Southern woman is chosen as the face of Cheerwine in that year’s advertisements. Cheerwine also hosts a contest at UNC where one student is chosen as the “Cheerwine Czar” and promotes the company at university events, often providing free Cheerwine to students.
3. Carolina-Duke rivalry
In 2003, Sports Illustrated named this friendly competition the number one “hottest rivalry” in college basketball and the second highest rivalry overall. Fans of both teams are heated when the two face off in men’s basketball as well as other sports, inspiring T-shirts and other paraphernalia insulting the other team.
Of course, it is all in good fun -- the Robertson Scholars program offers a select group of undergraduate students the opportunity to earn degrees from both UNC-Chapel Hill and Duke University at the same time, and the Robertson bus system transports students between the two schools free of charge. Students from either university who aren’t Robertson Scholars can still take courses at the other university if they choose.
So if you’re planning on visiting The Hunger Games filming locations in Transylvania County, N.C., pick up a Cheerwine while you are here and don’t forget everything else North Carolina has to offer. May the odds be ever in your favor.
Meghan DeMaria is a Spring 2012 USA TODAY Collegiate Correspondent. Learn more about her here.
This story originally appeared on the USA TODAY College blog, a news source produced for college students by student journalists. The blog closed in September of 2017.