NC Triangle
North Carolina Triangle Regional Engagement
The Triangle, and the surrounding area, is home to over 1370 alums. Use the links below to connect with your local ‘Cats!
Regional Leaders
Have an idea for a program or event? Looking for a way to get involved? Want to get an update on what’s happening in the region? Contact your leaders below!
President
Katherine Gilbert Manuel '98
Davidson Connect Profile (login required)
Young Alumni & Communications Chair
Bethany Kirkpatrick Wood '19
Davidson Connect Profile (login required)
Vice President
Donya Boylston Rose '80
Davidson Connect Profile (login required)
Events & Service Co-Chairs
Emily Duval Magen '20
Davidson Connect Profile (login required)
Tony Oakley '74
Davidson Connect Profile (login required)
Alumni Events Calendar
Learn about upcoming events to reconnect and network with members of the Davidson community.
A Crowd-Sourced Guide to the Triangle
Get to know Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill thanks to suggestions from Davidson alumni and parents.
Fast Facts
- The University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill has the honor of being the oldest state university in the United States.
- At the end of the Civil War, after General Lee had surrendered, two generals from each side – William Sherman from the Union, and General Joseph. E. Johnston from the Confederacy, met in Durham to sign the official terms of surrender.
- The Civil Rights Movement had some of its beginnings in Durham. Martin Luther King, Jr. made his first famous call for peaceful protests outside of the White Rock Baptist Church in 1960.
- Research Triangle Park (RTP) is two miles wide and eight miles long, and is home to 136 companies involved in research and development. They employ 37,600 people in fields such as nanotechnology, pharmacology, biotechnology, information technology, and the environmental sciences.
What We Wished We'd Known: Advice for Alumni New to the Area
- Houses cost more in Raleigh than Charlotte, but cost less in Durham than Raleigh.
- When lots are posted with towing signs, they mean it.
- Carrboro is a lot farther to I-40 than you think.
- Durham has a worse reputation than it should. Go to Durham and live. Best vibe—by a long way—and full of smart, progressive people who are making waves in the New Economy. The parts of the Triangle are different: if you're establishment types, go to Raleigh. If you're more progressive and liberal, go to Durham. Chapel Hill is a great place, but Carrboro is so much better, and more livable.
- There is some ‘tribalism’ in the area...some people are pro-Triangle, while others are only pro-Durham or pro-Raleigh pro-Chapel Hill. The Duke-UNC rivalry exists primarily in the Triangle; other than that, people are pro UNC or NC State.
- It's easier to get around than you might think. Learn to take the back ways around the Triangle.
- Cary is a much more dynamic and diverse community than the stereotypes may lead you to believe.
- Be sure to try the local theater companies and not just the big touring shows. The Triangle has a very eclectic and evolving theater scene.
Must-Do Activities in the Triangle
- Get outside: Walk through the Duke Gardens. Run, walk, or bike any or all of the American Tobacco Trail. Visit the Hemlock Bluffs in Cary. Enjoy the sunset while eating homemade ice-cream at Maple View Farm in Hillsborough. Visit the NC Botanical Garden in Chapel Hill. Hike in Umstead Park in Raleigh. Canoe, hike and/or swim on the Eno River or Jordan Lake. Visit Lake Johnson in Raleigh. Visit the Lemur Center at Duke.
- Cheer on NC Triangle Sports: The Durham Bulls at Durham Bulls Athletic Park. The Carolina Hurricanes at PNC Arena. North Carolina FC and North Carolina Courage at WakeMed Soccer Park. Don’t forget about all of the college sports available at Duke, UNC Chapel Hill, NC State, and Wake Forest.
- Soak up the art and history: Check out the North Carolina Museum of Art, North Carolina Museum of Life and Sciences, and North Carolina Museum of Natural Science. Catch a performance of Messiah in Duke Chapel. Visit the State Capitol, a National Historic Landmark (one of its architects designed the original Chambers building!). See a show at the Durham Performing Arts Center. Check out a Paperhand Puppet Intervention show in Chapel Hill. Visit Oakwood Cemetery in Raleigh. See a concert at Cat's Cradle in Carrboro. Visit the Hunt Library at NC State's Centennial Campus. Attend a show at the Motorco in Durham. Take in a concert at Koka Booth Amphitheatre in Cary. Participate in the Boylan Heights ArtWalk in Raleigh. Go to the Carolina Theatre in Durham or the Chelsea Theater in Chapel Hill for artsy movies. See a show at Morehead Planetarium and Science Center in Chapel Hill. See a performance at Playmakers Repertory Company in Chapel Hill.
- Experience the culture of the area: Catch the NC State Fair at least once while you’re a resident. Attend one of the many music festivals, like the Carrboro Music Festival or Shakori Hills. Visit the American Tobacco Campus in Durham. Take a Segway Tour of Raleigh. Eat Sunday brunch at Weaver Street Market in Carrboro. Go to some of the regional farmers' markets. Enjoy a scoop of Howling Cow ice cream (made by NC State students).