Carolina Spirit

I have a feeling she'd be celebrating right now. Dancing around her house or some bar on Franklin St, decked out in Carolina garb, toasting her beloved Tar Heels' 26th ACC Regular Season Championship. Better yet, you know she'd be thrilled that it was attained thanks to a victory on the road, at supposedly the toughest place to play in America, against the hated rival. I don't know if she'd have tuned in for the post-game show or not, but surely she'd have read Roy Williams' quotes today online. Of course, she'd have read Adam Lucas' piece too; who doesn't?

Last night, throughout this epic contest for the top spot in the ACC, she was probably cheering from elsewhere, looking down on the game and wondering why no one thought it mattered that much in the big picture. She might not fully understand why everyone in our family, the Carolina family, has been so shaken by her passing. "Just win the game" might have been the thought. I honestly don't know. But I do know is that throughout the game, she was never far from anyone's mind. Her beloved coach, Roy Williams, said as much following the game. She was honored before the game by our hated rival, who showed tremendous class and empathy; honestly, exactly as expected. As a result, she might admit, as would I quite readily, that they aren't that different from us. The Dookies hurt too, they grieve and can understand the human side of our rivalry. They know that a loss on Senior Night pales in comparison to a loss of a senior's life. And, we thank them for that. The support, the honor, even the love they've shown. She was on our jerseys, their jerseys, their hats, and in everyone's heart.

So today, the day after the big game, she'd wonder why the first articles her fellow Tar Heels are reading are not about the game. They are about her. Her life. Her death.

You see, a lot of us didn't know you Eve. We've graduated and begun our lives in the real world. Our lives that have half the promise that your's did. Yet, we see some of ourselves in you. Your zeal, your innocence, your Carolina spirit. And we love it and love you. We love you because you're part of our Carolina family. And now, our family is once again grieving. See, it has been nearly a year since another of our Carolina brethren was tragically lost. A little less than a year ago, the tears flowed and the grief stung. Our school grieved a life full of energy and promise lost. To me, the big picture of both your life and Jason's life are incredibly similar. Such a positive impact on people, a diverse skill set, the habit of getting so excited about something that you could hardly get a sentence out. We see a lot of the same things in your lives and feel a lot of the same things in your deaths. Both of you were loved and befriended by many; today, all of those people continue to grieve. We grieve for you and for ourselves.

But most of all, Eve, we thank you. We thank you for your Carolina spirit and passion for our school. We thank you for your service as Student Body President. We thank you for loving life and living it 100%. I know you were not perfect, but it has been an honor to get to know you these past few days. Through articles, quotes, facebook pages, and other people, we've become friends. I am sure our paths crossed at some point your freshman year, but I was not fortunate enough to meet you. Now, in your passing, I finally have. And I look forward to meeting you again in heaven one day, as you truly seem to be such a special person.

For now, Eve, we are praying for you, your family, your friends. And, we're praying for us, our Carolina family, our Carolina friends. We'll continue cheering on our Boys in Baby Blue as they chase a national title. We will be cheering with heavy hearts. But, it helps a bit to know that you're cheering from above as well. So go Tar Heels, Eve. I hope we embody that Carolina Spirit that you talked about in your honor. RIP.