Serving the students and the University community since 1893
VOLUME 116, ISSUE 10
“
The Daily Tar Heel
friday, march 7, 2008
www.dailytarheel.com
I love UNC. I love the quad in the spring and the arboretum in the fall. I love the Pit on a sunny day and Graham Memorial Lounge on a rainy one. I love Roy all the time. But what makes UNC truly special is not our beautiful campus, our distinguished reputation or even our basketball team. It’s us — the student body — who make UNC what it is.
Eve marie carson nov. 19, 1985 - March 5, 2008
”
dth/Anthony harris
T
he campus heard. And the campus came. The University community — students, faculty, staff, administrators, town residents, those who knew her best, those who never met her — turned out by the thousands to remember Student Body President Eve Carson. Those same people are still reeling, trying to make sense
inside
of the senseless violence that took one of their own even as police try to uncover the details of what exactly happened since Eve’s roommates left her studying at home Tuesday night. Whatever those answers ultimately are, one thing is certain: Eve Carson loved this University and its students. And they loved her.
extended coverage
online
The life of Eve Carson, pg. 3
Campus safety alerts, pg. 7
Memorial wall
Videos and slideshows
The ongoing investigation, pg. 3
UNC-system reacts, pg. 7
Her SBP legacy, pg. 4
In their words, community speaks, pg. 8
Share your favorite memories and pictures of Eve and see what others have submitted at dailytarheel.com/rememberingeve.
The community mourns Eve Carson. Those that knew her share their memories and even those who didn’t celebrate her impact on UNC.
2
News and announcements
friday, march 7, 2008
The Daily Tar Heel
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Established 1893 115 years of editorial freedom erin zureick EDITOR-in-chief 962-4086 zureick@email. unc.edu OFFICE HOURS: mon., wed., fri. 1 p.m. to 2 p.m.
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Rachel Ullrich
deputy managing editor 962-0750 rullrich@email. unc.edu
whitney kisling
university EDITOR 962-0372 udesk@unc.edu
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➤ The Daily Tar Heel reports any
inaccurate information published as soon as the error is discovered. ➤ Corrections for front-page errors
will be printed on the front page. Any other incorrect information will be corrected on page 3. Errors committed on the Opinion Page have corrections printed on that page. Corrections also are noted in the online versions of our stories. ➤ Contact Managing Editor Allison
Nichols at nallison@email.unc.edu with issues about this policy. P.O. Box 3257, Chapel Hill, NC 27515 Erin Zureick, Editor-in-Chief, 962-4086 Advertising & Business, 962-1163 News, Features, Sports, 962-0245 One copy per person; additional copies may be purchased at The Daily Tar Heel for $.25 each. © 2008 DTH Publishing Corp. All rights reserved
HAVE A GOOD BREAK The Daily Tar Heel offices will close at 5 p.m. today and reopen Monday, March 17. Print editions will return March 17, but visit dailytarheel.com daily for updates on news and sports.
Rare plant class: A plant class titled “Conservation of Rare Plants: An Introduction” will begin today and continue until April 4. The class will discuss criteria scientists use to classify a species as rare and rare plant conservation efforts. The fee is $125. For more information, call 962-0522. Time: 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. March 7, March 14, March 28 and April 4. Location: N.C. Botanical Garden, Totten Center Vigil: Peace vigils are held every Friday at the corner of Elliott Road and East Franklin Street. For more information call 942-2535 Time: 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. Location: The corner of Elliott Road and East Franklin Street
Saturday Paintings on display: Saturday is the last day to see Stephanie Campbell Smith’s paintings at Market Street Books. Time: 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Location: Market Street Books, 610 Market Street Author event: Stephanie Grant will read from “Map of Ireland,” her latest book, at Borders Books in Chapel Hill. For more information call 929-8332. Time: 1 p.m. Location: Borders Books in Chapel Hill Sky-watching session: The Morehead Planetarium and Science Center will sponsor a night of skywatching with telescopic views of planets, nebulae, star clusters and the moon. An MPSC educator will lead an informal tour of the constellations. Time: 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Location: Jordan Lake, Ebenezer Church Recreation Area Square dance: N.C. Squares is hosting square dancing with live oldtime music by the Hushpuppies and caller Todd Woerner. No partner and no experience required. Tickets are $7 for general public and $5 for students. For more information, call 732-8259. Time: 7:30 p.m. to 11 p.m. Location: Pleasant Green
Community Center, Durham
SUNDAY Middle East movie: The Community Church of Chapel Hill will screen a video titled “Israel: Myths and Propaganda.” The movie discusses the 1948 ArabIsraeli War. For more information call 967-5181. Time: 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Location: Community Church of Chapel Hill, Jones Building Book discussion: Joe Miller will discuss and sign his book “100 Classic Hikes in North Carolina.” The book features full color topographical maps, elevation profiles and hike information for all levels of fitness. Time: 3 p.m. Location: Market Street Books
monday Lindy hop lessons: Beginner lessons with Stomp House will be held. The class is suitable for people who have had no dance experience or some exposure to East Coast Swing or Jitterbug. The class is 10 weeks long and costs $80 in advance. Time: 7:45 p.m. to 9:45 p.m. Location: Triangle Dance Studio, 2603 S. Miami Blvd., Durham. Photo workshop: A class will provides answers to digital camera questions, including everything from what to consider when making a purchase, to understanding all the parts in the box, downloading and finding pictures on your computer. There are two, threehour sessions. The cost is $50 for non-members and $40 for members of the center. Time: 9 a.m. to noon Location: N.C. Botanical To make a calendar submission, visit www.dailytarheel.com/calendar, or e-mail Deputy Managing Editor Rachel Ullrich at dthcalendar@gmail. com. Events will be published in the newspaper on the day and the day before they take place and will be posted online when received. Submissions must be sent in by noon the preceding publication date.
Contributors to today’s Daily Tar Heel: Reporters: Elisabeth Arriero, Brian Austin, Colin Campbell, Meghan Cooke, Becca Denison, Elizabeth DeOrnellas, Katy Doll, Andrew Dunn, Sarah Frier, Kelly Giedraitis, David Gilmore, Sara Gregory, Megan Hannay, Katie Hoffmann, Eric Johnson, Whitney Kisling, Danielle Kucera, Laura Marcinek, Kellen Moore, Allison Nichols, Rebecca Putterman, Max Rose, Alex Shealy, Ted Strong, Kate Sullivan, Sergio Tovar, Rachel Ullrich, Christian Wisseh and Erin Zureick. Photographers, designers and multimedia/online: John W. Adkisson, Stacey Axelrod, Mary Katherine Ayers, Cassie Butler, Lauren Cowart, Erin Debnam, David Enarson, Megan Finger, Adam Graetz, Nicholas Gullett, Ankit Gupta, Nick Hamden, Anthony Harris, Molly Jamison, Abby Jeffers, Kara Jenkins, Grace Koerber, Allie Mullin, Mindy Nichamin, Nicole Norfleet, Lisa Pepin, Bliss Pierce, Timothy Reese, Rachel Rodemann, Hannah Sharpe, Julie Turkewitz, J B Young, Allie Wassum and Melissa Withorn. Special thanks to the Yackety Yack for loaning equipment and to C08productions.com for contributing footage.
campus briefs
Morehead-Cain Scholarship announcement postponed The Morehead Foundation has postponed the announcement of this year’s Morehead-Cain Scholarship recipients because of Eve Carson’s death. The announcement was originally set for March 6, and the University will notify students when a new date has been decided. Last year 70 students were offered Morehead-Cain Scholarships. The scholarship is worth about $80,000 for in-state residents and $140,000 for out-of-state residents. That includes student fees, housing, meals, books, travel, laptop computers and funding to pursue a gap year before starting college.
Application deadline for student government delayed Student government applications originally due March 6 are now due at a later date. Student government will notify students as soon as they have decided upon the new date.
PlayMakers cancels event and will not reschedule Because of the death of Eve Carson PlayMakers Repertory Company canceled its season announcement event that was set to take place Thursday in the Paul Green Theatre. PlayMakers officials will not reschedule the event. A statement about the 200809 season will be available on the company’s Web site next week.
state briefs
Ethics committee suggests expulsion for Rep. Wright It was officially recommended Thursday that N.C. Rep. Thomas Wright, D -New Hanover, be expelled from the N.C. General Assembly for unethical conduct. The N.C. House of Representatives ethics committee, which made the recommendation, was investigating Wright on eight counts of fraud relating to failures to report campaign funds and the misuse of corporate donations. The committee members found clear and convincing evidence to support six of the eight counts. Wright will face similar felony charges in a Wake County criminal trial scheduled for March 31. The counts included an alleged failure to report $180,000 of campaign contributions between 2000 and 2006. Wright didn’t fully disclose campaign donations for any reporting period in that six-year stretch. Three of the counts say Wright acted unethically when he made personal use of donations written to the foundation of which he was president, claiming the funds were reimbursement for “sweat equity.” Visit dailytarheel.com for the full story. — From staff and wire reports
The Daily Tar Heel
All-ACC Heels set to start ACCs from staff and wire reports
Representatives of the North Carolina women’s basketball team captured seemingly every end-ofseason conference award. The Tar Heels, who went a perfect 14-0 in the ACC, claimed the conference’s Coach of the Year (Sylvia Hatchell), Defensive Player of the Year (LaToya Pringle) and Sixth Player of the Year (Jessica Breland). In addition online to those indiFor an ACC vidual marks, bracket and a several North prediction, see Carolina hoopsters earned dailytarheel. All-ACC honcom. ors. Pringle and Erlana Larkins were each First Team All-ACC members, junior Rashanda McCants earned a spot on Second Team All-ACC and point guard Cetera DeGraffenreid was a unanimous selection for the AllFreshman Team. This marks the third time Hatchell, who is in her 22nd season at UNC, has been awarded conference Coach of the Year, the last having been awarded in 2006. For the year, Larkins led North Carolina with 9.2 rebounds per game — fourth best in the ACC — while also posting 13.3 points per game. McCants finished in the top 15 in scoring (8th), assists (13th), steals (9th), assist-to-turnover ratio (11th) and offensive rebounds (14th). Rounding out the All-Conference trio was Pringle. The senior forward
dth file/Sam ward
The North Carolina women’s basketball team will attempt to earn its fourth consecutive ACC Tournament crown beginning today at 3 p.m. against Clemson. led the ACC in blocks with 2.79 per game, while finishing 15th in scoring and 13th in rebounding. The Tar Heels begin ACC Tournament play today at 3 p.m. against ninth-seeded Clemson. The Tigers advanced to the quarterfinal round with a 65-60 overtime win against N.C. State on Thursday in Greensboro. Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.
UNC to play Duke from staff reports
Plenty will be on the line Saturday night when the No. 1 North Carolina men’s basketball team takes on No. 6 Duke at Cameron Indoor Stadium. And that’s without even getting into the traditional bragging rights associated with online one of college For Duke basketball’s most coverage and a storied rivalries. With the prediction, see squads deaddailytarheel. locked at 13-2 com. in the ACC, Saturday’s match will decide who will win the 2008 regular season conference championship and the No. 1 seed in next week’s ACC Tournament in Charlotte that comes along with it. If the Feb. 6 Duke-North Carolina battle was any indication of how Saturday’s game will be played, then the prime-time matchup will once again display two teams playing two very different styles. Duke lives and dies out on the
perimeter, hoisting 3-point shots with reckless abandon. The last time around, the Blue Devils hit seven of their first 10 attempts from downtown. Duke went on to make 13 3-point baskets — six of which were made by point guard Greg Paulus. The Tar Heels, on the other hand, did their best to keep up with Duke’s outside game by firing the ball down low to junior forward Tyler Hansbrough. He finished the game with 28 points and 18 rebounds. The biggest difference in Saturday’s game will be the presence of UNC’s Ty Lawson on the court. With Lawson, the Tar Heels boast the kind of athletic backcourt that has proven to give Duke fits — most notably in Duke’s two ACC losses to Wake Forest and Miami. If UNC wins, it will next play Friday at noon. If the Tar Heels lose, they will play Friday at 7 p.m. Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.
The Daily Tar Heel
friday, march 7, 2008
3
Remembering the student’s president
W
by whitney kisling university editor
hen Eve Carson got to talking about what makes UNC special, her eyes would light up. A smile would spread across her face, and she’d nearly stumble over her words in an anxious, overexcited way. The Carolina Way, she would say, is what makes the University more than just a place — it’s what makes it a home and an identity. She often described that spirit as a commitment to UNC’s prestigious reputation, support for students, academic freedom, service to the public. And from now on, Eve herself will be a part of that definition. Because it’s her spirit and her energy that the campus community has been thinking about and talking about in the wake of her death. In an address Thursday afternoon, Chancellor James Moeser gave voice to the effervescence that made Eve the prime example of the Carolina Way. “Eve Carson personified the Carolina spirit. She did perhaps more profoundly than anyone I’ve known in my whole time here,” Moeser told more than 5,000 people sitting, standing and holding each other on Polk Place. “She felt the very pulse and the heartbeat of this University.” But it doesn’t take a podium or a title or even a strong tie to Eve to know and understand that she was the epitome of the Carolina student. Born in Athens, Ga., the brighteyed 22-year-old set foot on UNC’s campus in fall 2004, wasting little time in diving headfirst into her new world. She was involved in every group from student government — eventually becoming the student body president — to Nourish International to UNITAS diversity-themed housing. That extensive dedication to service and student groups is something Eve carried over from Clarke Central High School. She was student body president there, too. “Eve is the kind of girl you want your daughter to grow up to be,” said Maxine Easom, principal at Clarke Central. “She is one of the most perfect children I’ve ever worked with. More than that, she was one of the most compassionate young women. She loved people. She was beautiful inside and out.” Her philosophy seemed to be to live life fully. She studied, she worked, she traveled, she socialized, she explored. Most apparent, though, was her ability to reach out to her friends and even complete strangers. A quote from Martin Luther King Jr. is cited as one of her favor-
ites on Facebook: “We must all live together as brothers, or we will all perish together as fools.” Maybe it was all the sports teams she played on, or maybe it was her ability to get comfortable in any situation. Either way, Eve had the ability to motivate and inspire those around her. “She was always the most lively person to meet in the Pit. She goes to all of our shows and sits with the founder of the group because she’s become pretty good friends with him,” said David Mikush, a Clef Hanger and friend of Eve’s. “I really think one could say she was the most popular student on campus.” Eve maintained her high level of academic achievement even after high school, coming to UNC as a Morehead-Cain scholar — one of the most prestigious honors at the University. She became a member of Phi Beta Kappa honor fraternity. “I went to high school with Eve. She was just as impressive in high school as she was here,” sophomore Alexander Stephens said. And like Eve, Stephens is a Morehead-Cain scholar. He said she was largely responsible for helping him secure the award. “She advised me through the
whole process. She was e-mailing me; she was just so encouraging and so enthusiastic and really cares.” It takes a lot of stamina to maintain the level of dedication to others that Eve had, but so many describe her as an unstoppable force. An abundance of energy that just doesn’t run out. “She loved Carolina, and her enthusiasm was so infectious. When she walked into a room she filled it up. Her persona was magnetic,” said General Alumni Association President Doug Dibbert, who met with Eve shortly after she took office. Eve used her energy and passion in her role as student body president during her senior year and in campaigning for the position the year before. Junior Josephine Butler remembers her first impression of Eve outside in the rain soliciting student votes during the election last year. “Eve Carson is standing out there in front of Rams Head just really excited and so thankful to be there and having the option to run in the elections and was just saying, ‘Vote for me,’ to all the students,”
See carson, Page 7
dth file photo
Police still looking for answers Car is recovered on North Street By Sara Gregory City Editor
dth/rachel rodemann
The University community mourned the loss of Student Body President Eve Carson during a candlelight vigil in the Pit on Thursday night.
Candlelight vigil held in Carson’s memory Thousands of students fill Pit by katie hoffmann senior writer
Upon learning of Student Body President Eve Carson’s death, many students had problems putting words to her spirit. At a candlelight vigil Thursday night in the Pit, the University community let pictures do the talking. A slideshow showed Carson in Egypt in front of a pyramid. On an intramural team. Helping children. At a football game. With friends. With students. Carson with her student body president campaign team. Jumping down a sand dune. Meditating on a sand dune. Carson singing karaoke. Dancing. Painting. At the Old Well. In the Pit. It showed the epitome, many students said, of “the Carolina way.” “She always made us smile,” said Christian Mibelli, director of the student body outreach committee, who helped organize the event. “This is the least we can do.” The vigil, which featured a few short speeches and three a capella groups, lasted less than 30 minutes, but students stayed for more than an hour. The mood was one of solidarity — sometimes crying, sometimes laughing at memories of Carson. Patrick Smith, a friend of Carson’s, joked about “Eve Standard Time” and her tendency to be late as he addressed the crowd. “The only thing Eve was really
never late for were the late-night dance parties at her house because it never started until she got there,” he said. “Eve, we miss you very much.” It is uncertain how many people attended the vigil, but organizers passed out 2,000 to 3,000 candles, Mibelli said. More than 5,000 people attended an address from Chancellor James Moeser about her death earlier in the day. “I can’t think of one single person who could create such a strong reaction across the entire campus,” former Senior Class President Meg Petersen said at the vigil. Students could fill index cards with their memories of Carson, which Mibelli said would be compiled and shared with the community. “Eve was completely devoted to Carolina,” said Winston Crisp, assistant vice chancellor for student affairs. “It was important for the students to grieve together, to remember Eve together, before everyone disperses for Spring Break.” Several students at the event said they did not know Carson personally but were touched by her work for the campus community and the tragedy of her death. “The fact that this could happen to a UNC student — and a great one at that — it’s just such a loss,” said junior Tiffany Whiting. Mibelli said the vigil turnout was a testament to Carson’s presence on campus. “She was an amazing individual. This whole day showed that.” Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.
The identification of the woman shot Wednesday as Student Body President Eve Carson only answers one of the many questions police and the community face in the coming days. Police recovered the 22-yearold’s blue 2005 Toyota Highlander Thursday afternoon but have no leads or suspects. The investigation continues as the campus mourns. “It’s times like this that test us,” Chancellor James Moeser told the more than 5,000 who gathered Thursday afternoon on Polk Place. Carson was identified more than a day after police received a 911 call reporting gunshots in the area off of East Franklin Street. Her body was found moments later lying in the intersection of Hillcrest Road and Hillcrest Circle, with at least one gunshot to the right temple. Carson didn’t have an ID when her body was discovered, and police spent most of Wednesday trying to identify her. Friends reported her missing early Thursday morning and later identified the body. News that the woman could be Carson spread early Thursday and was confirmed by Chapel Hill Police Chief Brian Curran at a 12:30 p.m. press conference. Chancellor James Moeser notified students in an e-mail at 12:40 p.m. and asked students to gather on Polk Place. At 3 p.m. thousands came and stood shoulder-to-shoulder in rapt silence, filling the quad in an enormous outpouring of support for the slain student leader. “The expression I heard her use more than any other was Eve loved to talk about the Carolina way,” Moeser said. “You all have heard her say that, and she knew what it meant and she, in the way she lived her life, embodied the Carolina way — a commitment to others.” Moeser said coping with Carson’s death will require the University to come together and urged students to seek counseling. The office of the dean of students and Counseling and Wellness Services were available until 11 p.m. Thursday and will continue to be available throughout Spring Break. Duke University will send some counselors to UNC to talk with students also. “I want to encourage you to reach back to the University and let us help you,” Moeser said. “It’s OK to
cry. It’s OK to be filled with grief.” Moeser finished addressing students as the Bell Tower tolled a somber “Hark the Sound” and those in attendance wrapped arms around one another. Students sitting near South Building placed flowers on a makeshift memorial behind the Campus Y. “I’ve never seen this many students in one place be so quiet,” Curran said. State flags on campus will fly at half-staff in memory of Carson, Gov. Mike Easley said Thursday night. He pledged full support to the University as it deals with her murder. Most of the past two days have been spent trying to understand how violence could hit so close to home. Curran said Thursday afternoon that the murder appears to have been a random act of violent crime. “But as I said earlier, I don’t know that for sure,” he said. The police department’s records dating back to 2001 don’t show any violent crimes in the area where Carson was found, Curran said.
HOW TO GET COUNSELING Time: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Location: Counseling and Wellness Services, Campus Health Services. Info: campushealth.unc.edu
Only six carjackings with force were reported in Chapel Hill between 2004 and October 2007. She was found in a wealthy neighborhood where few students live, residents said. It is a popular place for jogging and walking dogs. “If something like this can happen on Hillcrest Drive, it can happen anywhere,” said Tom Jensen, a Chapel Hill resident and 2005 student body president hopeful who worked with Carson last summer. Her visible presence as student body president has some wondering whether she was targeted. “Did this happen because she’s a president?” asked East Carolina University Student Body President Keri Brockett.
See response, Page 7
Rare violence
Jan. 26, 1995
Wendell Williamson, a 26-year-old UNC third-year law student, killed two people and wounded two others when he went on a shooting spree on Henderson Street, killing sophomore lacrosse player Kevin Reichardt and Chapel Hill resident Ralph Walker Jr.
July 31, 1965
Suellen Evans was stabbed as she walked through Coker Arboretum in broad daylight. The 21-year-old UNC-Greensboro student was taking summer classes at UNC. The case remains unsolved.
April 7, 1950
George Lemuel Bennett Jr., a 22year-old junior from Wadesboro, was shot to death in his home on Henderson Street. The case was ruled a murder-suicide when the body of his housemate, Len Smithey, a 30-year-old ex-graduate student, was discovered the following day near Forest Theatre.
4
The Daily Tar Heel
friday, march 7, 2008
Relationships define time as SBP Carson knew how to put people first By Brian Austin and kate Sullivan Staff Writers
She came in as an unknown candidate. With almost no student government experience, Eve Carson led her administration with a cheerful demeanor and a passion for students. “Eve was a person who liked to motivate others, and she was a person who liked to brainstorm a lot,” Student Body Secretary Mac Mollison said. “She was always excited about the projects she was working on, and that excitement spread to the people she was working with.” The challenges she faced coming into the position influenced her decision to surround herself with a diverse Cabinet and what became something she described as an “incredibly close-knit group.” Even with a capable staff working with her, she kept a close eye on what was going on in her administration, making sure plans embodied her vision. “She still had her hand in many of her projec ts,” said Lauren Anderson, Graduate and Professional Student Federation president. “She wanted to know what’s going on and if she could help.” Her infectious personality and trademark smile became the characteristics that made her a familiar face to students all across campus — even to those who didn’t know her. “Eve wanted to make sure that you were taken care of as a person before she addressed how your position was,” Student Body Treasurer Jordan Myers said. Carson had three big goals for her administration as student body president, but the largest was to be a voice for the students, bettering the UNC community for her peers. Her administration has less than a month left in office to finish the goals she outlined more than a year ago, many of which are already in the works. But she recently said she had to re-evaluate her plan so that she could prioritize what she wanted to accomplish before passing the torch. The team took a firm stance on the issue of priority registration, opposing it on the grounds that it wasn’t equal for all students.
“It was sure obvious she had run an aggressive, effective and concerned administration for the students,” Chairman of the Board of Trustees Roger Perry said. She also got involved in town affairs by championing the cause to keep one-stop voting close to campus to make it easier for students to vote in municipal elections in November. One issue — installing blue lights off campus — had been on the student government agenda for years and finally came to fruition under Carson’s guidance. The team also has made strides on all three of Carson’s big campaign goals. The junior-year scholarship Carson wanted to establish will become a reality next year, and Carson’s spring music festival was merged with SpringFest to help bring Boyz II Men to campus in April. The speaker for the inaugural big-name lecture series Carson outlined in her platform has not yet been announced, though it was chosen several weeks ago. The series will receive financial backing from the Dean of Students’ Office, with the goal of creating an endowment to support it. Throughout her term, Carson has made the president position her own, imbuing student government with a fresh outlook. “She wasn’t constrained by the conventional ways that we typically attack problems in student government,” senior adviser Christie Cunningham said, a sentiment echoed by many in Carson’s Cabinet. That became an asset to Carson because she had to think outside the box. And the way she chose to pursue policy was to seek student input. From creating online forums to new advisory committees to several student surveys, Carson never stopped asking for participation. When students disagreed with some faculty about the Achievement Index, Carson’s administration coordinated a petition in protest to the proposal. And after employees and faculty had all but signed off on the smoking policy, Carson still held several forums for students to voice their thoughts on the matter. Myers said the administration will continue to complete the goals
There is only one Eve Carson margaret jablonski
vice chancellor for student affairs
dth file/traci white
Eve Carson, pictured during her inauguration as student body president in April 2007, wanted to be the voice for UNC students. Carson’s administration now has less than a month left in office to work on her plans.
Carson’s committees As student body president, Eve Carson served as the students’ voice on many boards and committees, and in the coming weeks some will have to make important decisions without her. According to the Student Code, “in the event of the incapacity of the president of the student body to carry out the duties of her office, the student body vice president shall become acting student body president until such time as a special election can be held.” With less than a month until the inauguration of incoming Student Body President J.J. Raynor, there is not enough time for a special election. Although no committee has a set plan for how to proceed, here are a few ideas some of the committees have come up with: dth file/Allie mullin
Carson, pictured at the class of 2010 Convocation in August, was a member of the chancellor search committee and Board of Trustees. and projects the administration has worked toward in the coming month, while also commemorating her contribution to the University community. “If the next administration really picks up the issues that Eve picked up, I think that would continue Eve’s legacy,” Myers said. Despite not completing all of the projects she intended to, she accomplished her biggest goal of connecting students with student
leaders. “She really reached out to people, and she touched people. She filled them with a sense that they can accomplish wonderful things,” Mollison said. “She was there to help you do that. I think that Eve was not just a leader, but she was a friend to everyone she worked with.” Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.
Chancellor search committee
Position: One of 21 members who will nominate three candidates for UNC’s next chancellor. What will happen?: Committee Chairman Nelson Schwab said that the committee will move forward with its discussions and that it is considering inviting Raynor to serve in Carson’s place. “It leaves a hole in the committee that can’t be replaced,” Schwab said. “We have to continue our work. … We will move forward, but we will certainly remember her as we do.”
Cabinet selection committee
Position: One of three permanent members who nominate students for the incoming student body president’s Cabinet. What will happen?: The powers given to the student body vice president to serve as acting president include filling the position on the selection committee.
I
t is with a very sad heart that I write this column at the end of a tragic day in Chapel Hill. Over the course of 27 years of working in student affairs, I have had the privilege to get to know and (try to) advise and mentor many student leaders. There was only one Eve Carson, however, and she touched me deeply. Eve was not just an outstanding student leader at Carolina, involved in too many organizations to begin to list here. She was a passionate advocate of a holistic education, in and out of the classroom. She learned from engagement with life — through public service projects; travel abroad; creating new programs and initiatives on campus; and by meeting many of you, our students, faculty and staff in her four years at Carolina. When Eve saw a need on campus, in the local community or somewhere in the world, she brought her intellect, energy and compassion to bear upon the situation. She believed passionately in making a difference each and every day. She wanted to change the world, and I was convinced that she would. She collaborated with others on campus to form coalitions to get things done. She had such a radiant light within herself that was projected out and around her into everything that she touched. I have never met anyone quite like Eve, who could be so positive and determined in the face of difficult odds. She was a bright and talented student who had the whole world at her feet. We had recently talked about all her options for her future, and I must admit, I wanted to be 22 again and share her dreams and adventures with her. Her life and death have touched many thousands, yet so many of us also are touched personally because she took the time to get to know each of us. I am blessed to have known Eve as a friend, as well as the student body president I worked with each and every week. In the course of our careers we meet many students. There are a few that leave an indelible print upon our souls. Eve is one of those few. Blessings Eve, until we meet again.
The Daily Tar Heel
friday, march 7, 2008
5
remembering the
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fter the announcement Thursday of Student Body President Eve Carson’s death, the Chapel Hill community came together to remember a leader, student, friend and inspiration. As news trickled across campus, the University mobilized. More than 5,000 people attended an address by Chancellor James Moeser in Polk Place that afternoon. A few hours later, they reassembled for a candlelight vigil in the Pit. Some events that already were planned incorporated the emotions across campus. “This University needs an enormous group hug. It’s OK to cry,” Moeser told the crowd at his address. Throughout the day, people turned to each other in grief and disbelief,
embracing each other as they tried to comprehend the loss. Hundreds of flowers adorned a makeshift memorial behind the Campus Y, and hundreds of messages of Eve scattered large boards nearby. The outpouring brought the community together in a way that Eve strived to achieve throughout her time at Carolina. Campus administrators, town leaders and students spoke of Eve’s ability to truly be a voice for the entire student body and the perfect example of what the University is to future students. “I think more than any other student I’ve ever known, Eve Carson embodied the Carolina Way,” Moeser said. “Not only did she like to talk about it, she really lived it.”
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“This is a particularly tough moment. … It touches so many of us,” Chancellor James Moeser tells a crowd of about 5,000 people.
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Mourners pack the Pit for a candlelight vigil to commemorate Eve Carson at 7 p.m. Thursday. The vigil included performances by the Achordants, the Clef Hangers and Tar Heel Voices and statements from Campus Y Director Virginia Carson and friends Christian Mibelli and Patrick Smith.
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The cubes in Polk Place are repainted in bright colors for people to write their memories, condolences and feelings about Carson.
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Students watch the Student Union television as Chapel Hill Mayor Kevin Foy and Department of Public Safety Police Chief Jeff McCracken give statements.
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The University community unites in Polk Place to hear Moeser at 3 p.m. “Eve Carson personified the Carolina spirit,” Moeser says. “She felt the very pulse and heartbeat of this University.”
Friends of Eve Carson, including Carolina Athletic Association President-elect Andrew Coonin, place flowers on the memorial following Moeser’s speech.
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Students, faculty and community members receive flowers to place on a temporary memorial in honor of Carson following Moeser’s speech in Polk Place.
Joshua Bell dedicates “Après un rêve” to Carson on Thursday in Memorial Hall. “Words are useless in a time like this,” he said. “Luckily, we have music.”
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Thousands of candles are lit in remembrance of Carson at the vigil in the Pit. Mibelli challenged the crowd to “live the Carolina Way.”
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Opinion
friday, march 7, 2008
The Daily Tar Heel
Andrew coonin
BEN Lundin
CAA PRESIDENT-ELECT
RHODES SCHOLAR
Coonin is a junior public policy major from Wilmington, Del.
Lundin is a class of 2007 alumnus studying at Oxford.
E-mail: coonin@email.Unc.Edu
I am who I am because of Eve
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efore Freshman Camp 2006, as the counselors prepared for the newest class of students, Eve Carson came up to me and said, “Hi Andrew, we haven’t met, I’m Eve.” The rest is history. My freshman year was difficult to say the least. I had trouble getting involved with groups and felt as if I could never get a break. I resigned myself to the idea that the school was just too big for one student to make a difference. Then I met Eve. After three days of Freshman Camp, we traded numbers and started a remarkable guest friendship. COLUMNIST That fall I received an e-mail from Eve asking me to join her campaign for student body president. In the e-mail she continually stressed the importance of every student’s voice, including my own. As the campaign went on we got closer, and I learned so much from her. She instilled in me a firm belief in the fact that as students at this university we have the opportunity to do great things, and we must work hard for these things to happen. She taught me that all it takes is an idea and the willingness to voice that idea. Great things are in our hands; we just need to take that step. Eve did all of this with the biggest smile on her face. She truly loved every minute of the campaign. She loved meeting every single student. She not only loved meeting them, but loved hearing their stories and thoughts and sharing them with all the members of her campaign. She would hear an idea and immediately wanted to find a place for it in our platform. Eve taught me how to lead and have fun. Every moment with Eve was a party in itself. While preparing for the election, Eve would talk about the most ridiculous plans for our time in the Pit. Ideas such as break dancing, bagpipes and basketball players were thrown out there. We all laughed at the thought. Then the next thing we knew a bagpiper was walking through campus to the Pit. She made things happen; she wouldn’t sleep or give up until she found a way for things to work. Things like having a spring music festival, starting a junior scholarship and being the student body president. So, after the election ended I decided to take the first step and voice my ideas to try to make this University the best it could be. I applied for Homecoming vice chairman in the Carolina Athletic Association. I ended up not getting that position. Instead I was asked to be CAA vice president. I went to Eve with a lot of fear and trepidation. What was Colby Almond thinking? Eve told me to make the most of it. Do things that haven’t been done — start with an idea and go from there. I came into my own under the tutelage of Colby Almond and the rest of the CAA Cabinet, but without everything I learned from Eve, I doubt I would have even applied. In December I went down to Eve’s office, a somewhat common occurrence, and told her I was going to run for CAA president. She was elated. She was so excited for me and acted as if it was one of the biggest things she had ever heard. She always had a way of making you feel like everything you were doing was truly special. I won the CAA election uncontested, and the first person to write on my Facebook wall was Eve. I don’t know if she knew how important she was to me and my development here at Carolina. I now and always will work to better the student body because, as Eve taught me: If I don’t, who will?
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E-mail: bjlundin@gmail.com
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Violence cannot take what Eve gave
Words are not enough I A dth/Stacey Axelrod
dark cloud settled over Chapel Hill on Wednesday morning before any of us knew it. Student Body President Eve Carson, ever a radiant, glowing presence on campus, was tragically taken from us. Without a doubt, UNC will miss her dearly. Eve was the kind of person who, just by nature, was a ray of sunshine everywhere she went. That might have been what stood out most about Eve. The first things she always brought to the table were her cheerful demeanor, her smile and her enthusiasm.
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No matter the issue, Eve was excited. It’s astounding that one person could care about so many other issues, whether it was sustainability or diversity or tuition, and still have the time to invest in other people like she did. The quotes on this page are an attempt to illustrate her impact on campus. While no amount of words or pictures can ever encompass what she meant to so many at UNC, we hope to provide a small window into that. Eve the student body president will be remembered, and the next administration will pick up where she left off.
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But Eve the friend, Eve the person, is irreplaceable. Her most lasting legacy will be in the people who are better off just for having known her. Trying to understand what happened is a futile effort. The senseless, violent death of someone so young can never have an adequate explanation. And yet, for the rest of us, this precious gift that we call life will go on. All we can do is make the best of life while we have it, and that means making the world a better place for everyone around us. That’s what Eve did every day.
I never knew a more absolutely brilliant person in all senses of the word.
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J.J. Raynor, Student Body President-elect
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If you took everything away from her, all her academic accolades, she would still be such an amazing person.
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Kelli Clifton, went to high school with Carson
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She loved Carolina and her enthusiasm was so infectious. When she walked into a room she filled it up. Her persona was magnetic.
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Doug Dibbert, director, General Alumni Association
She was what you hope your child will become. … She did so many things so well.
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Joe Templeton, chairman of the faculty
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Let us be the University that Eve Carson envisioned. Let us show the Carolina Way that she lived.
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Chancellor James Moeser
This is going to leave a terrible void in the community. This is going to affect everybody who loved Chapel Hill and the University as much as Eve did.
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Chapel Hill Mayor Kevin Foy
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My wife and I were on the absolute periphery of the people who knew her and were touched by her; I’m sure that’s a huge number at UNC.
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Matt Czajkowski, Chapel Hill Town Council member
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She just always went the extra mile to be nice to people and show her appreciation. I just couldn’t help but think what tremendous things she was going to do in the world.
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Tom Jensen, Chapel Hill resident who worked with Eve
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She was just full of life. When she was in a room or part of a discussion it took on a different dimension. She was full of ideas and wanted to explore opportunities. Nelson Schwab, board of trustees member, chairman of chancellor search committee
You knew you were in the presence of someone who cared about you, who was compassionate and who was passionate about her beliefs.
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Roger Perry, board of trustees chairman
Eve is the kind of girl you want your daughter to grow up to be. … She is one of the most perfect children I’ve ever worked with. … She was beautiful inside and out.
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Maxine Easom, Principal at Clarke Central High School, Athens, Ga.
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There was nothing Eve Carson couldn’t do.
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Margie Shedd, The mother of Jarrett Shedd, a high-school friend of Carson
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She had a rare ability to connect with people that touched many at Carolina.
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James Allred, 2006-07 Student Body President
She was a genuinely good person. I don’t think she’s ever done anything bad to anybody. Ashley Harrington, vice chairwoman of town relations committee
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She became student body president and never lost interest in the little things. David Mikush, friend of four years
She had everything going for her. Everything. Beautiful, smart, talented. It’s just a tragedy. She was a really good person. Cara Gewolb, friend of four years
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My friend and I were just talking, and if you could pick one person who was just a beautiful person inside and out, it would be her. Kathryn Blackmar, classmate of Eve
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I know when I’m up there tolling the bell it will be hard because I know who I’m playing for. David Steele, master bell ringer
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can’t make sense of this; the world made a wrong turn. This is nonsense. I’m dizzy, and worse, my dizziness seems empty. They want 650 words in memory of Eve Carson? I don’t think I can make it that far. I’ve lost structure. Speech is so fragile — so vulnerable to violence. Violence is so large. I owe Eve an apology on the front end: At this moment, I have so little to offer. And Eve offered so much. I’ve never known someone so immune to the cold; so confident against the fleeting. Eve had an anchor — a hold on something sincere; someguest thing bigger COLUMNIST than rhetoric. Eve had found her passion in student government. Even in her playful e-mails, you can identify a sincere introspection, a passion that drove her: “Last thoughts — Ben, if you were a statesman: how much would you be willing to compromise? I have been wanting to talk with you about this so much!!! I saw an amazing speaker the other day … and then I’ve been reading a lot and meeting so many incredible alumni. … More and more, I am LOVING this year, and I am EXTREMELY enjoying the student government work and everything I’m learning.” Can you hear it? Such enthusiasm seems misplaced at a time like this. Then again, it always did. She had so much energy. Most of us aren’t capable of Eve’s sincerity in real life, much less in our informal writings. Eve’s closing to that note was even more striking: “But I think that my ultimate goal is to be able to have all my friends in a room and to hear where our conversation takes us. … Yes: that’s truly all I really want. I just want to have sincere and interesting friends and to get to learn from everyone, all the time.” It’s so innocent — so playful and so sincere. You always knew Eve meant it when you heard it; you knew that politics wasn’t everything to Eve, or anything really. Eve was interested in people. When I graduated, Eve wrote to me, “I hope we will be able to keep learning about these ideas, and I can’t wait to discuss these themes with you when we are in our middle ages (as you can see, I am now going to count on us remaining great friends).” The violence tried to make a liar of Eve. But it can’t do that. Violence can’t move everything; it can’t displace the faith in others that allows for a sincere, loving relationship. I still have faith. Today, Eve finally has all of us in a room together. It’s a big room; it’s all of Chapel Hill, Athens and for me, it’s England. I’d like Eve to have the first words in that conversation she was hoping to start. It’s something she wrote off-the-cuff — a feeling she had one day: “World, inspire me! Share with me just hints of your glory and atrocity!” Eve believed that on balance, it was worth the struggle. There was always more glory than atrocity in the world. That’s how she inspired. We need that, and we have to restore it, but that is a task for another day. For now, this atrocity is deafening. So I reserve the last of my 650 words for silence. This silence must have its moment.