CWS bummer
The Heels lost to Fresno State in the big windup to the College World Series finals. It was close, but in the end, their bats were silenced. Fresno went on to win the whole shebang, so that’s a good. And even better for my friend, Kimberly, who’s a proud alumna.
Go, Heels!
A big sigh of relief today to read that our starting lineup for Carolina’s heralded basketball team is returning for the 2008-09 season. I’m sure the Boys in Blue want another crack at the championship title, after a nasty loss to Kansas this year. You can read the story here.
Tar Heel born and bred
For those who may not know, I’m a Carolina grad. To the alumni of “Carolina” that means one school and one school only: the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
We are nutty about all-things “Carolina” blue, ACC sports, James Taylor, Michael Jordan, James Worthy, Psycho T, and the Old Well.
My father is a 1968 graduate, and so it followed that I, his oldest child, would take a stab at applying, attending and all that. I was lucky to have his alumni connection and a passable SAT score. The day my acceptance letter arrived in the mail he was ear-to-ear grinning. He’d read the opening line of the letter through the envelope as he carried it into the house. We’d been on envelope watch for 10 days or so and nerves were drawn tight.
It was an amazing four years for me. I arrived in August 1986, the last month teenagers could drink in much of the U.S. The night before the law changed, students on campus protested by setting parts of Chapel Hill’s main drag – Franklin Street – on fire, torching trees, couches and anything else that wasn’t tied down (students excluded). It was quite a way to usher in my freshman year.
At graduation Dad gave me a bottle of champagne. It took the edge off and the last hour of the ceremony was pleasantly hazy. I remember passing the bottle around and seeing other variations go hand to hand around me.
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- Former roommates united: Kim, Jennifer and myself
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- My roommate and friend, Jennifer, walked with me at graduation. She’s a PhD now.
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- My paternal grandparents and North Carolina residents (at the time), the late Sue and George
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- The family portrait: Dad, Grandmother, Christine, me (drunk!), Grandfather, and Mom
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- Skinny Dad and Grandpa at The Well in Chapel Hill
Carolina Athletics
Somehow I wound up in a co-ed dorm (the same one in which James Taylor lived so long ago), which made for amazing adventures and incredible friendships. My best pals were baseball players, and they watched over me like big brothers. In turn I became a huge fan and still follow the team, mostly during playoff season, in pursuit of the College World Series.
Basketball makes us crazy, crazy people. I recommend you stay away during March Madness. It’s best to not speak of the team unless you KNOW of what you speak. Seriously. Our loss last year in the Final Four to Kansas was gut wrenching. Losing sucked but losing to Roy Williams’ former Jayhawks was a real knife-twister. I look forward to watching Psycho T’s return for the grudge match.
Go, Heels!!
