Eve Carson, Carolina's Student Body President



On a gloomy, rainy North Carolina day, at the beginning of my spring break and the end of several weeks of midterm exams and projects, all I can think about is the tragedy that has taken the life of someone who I understand to have been extraordinary.

By now, you have all probably heard about the tragic death of Eve Carson, UNC-Chapel Hill's Student Body President. If you haven't, you can turn to any of our nation's major media outlets for the gruesome details. The Daily Tar Heel, Carolina's student newspaper, has provided great coverage of this loss.

From these pictures, you can see that Eve Carson was a strikingly beautiful girl. But what gets at me is the selfless way in which she conducted herself throughout her short life. Although I did not know Eve, I feel connected to her in a weird sort of way. I think this connection is a product of my faith and my human nature. I think that maybe we all grieve a little when such an accomplished life is taken so soon.



I went to the memorial service for Eve yesterday and joined with the estimated 5,000 students, faculty, staff, friends, and family gathered on Polk Place to celebrate her life. The Chancellor's message about Eve was one of hope. He talked about what Eve had done to personify the "Carolina Way." While I don't know exactly what that means, what I have since read about her life has given me a better understanding.

She was a Morehead-Cain scholar and member of Phi Beta Kappa. A pre-med student, she had studied abroad in Cuba and volunteered to provide medical care to the citizens of Ghana and Egypt, among others. She worked with local charities and fought against tuition increases for the students who had elected her. She mentored students and led by example. In a word, her life was exemplary.



This tragedy brings up the age-old question, "Why do bad things happen to good people?" I find myself asking the same thing. Police are calling this a random act of violence. I question that. She was shot to death a few hundred yards north of my house. In fact, the person who heard the gunshots at 5 a.m. and called the police lives on my street. I live in a safe neighborhood in one of the safest cities in America. How could this be random?

All of these questions are yet to be answered. So in the meantime, I sit in the comfort of my house, on a gloomy, rainy North Carolina day, reflecting on the life of a complete stranger. May she rest in peace.



"I want any excuse to work with my classmates (and help them do what they want to do...because that's what I wanted to do.)" -Eve Carson (1985 - 2008)

Comments

Anonymous said…
Prayers go out to Eve and her family.
1:23 AM
Robin said…
Thomas you always do such a great job in your writing! This time is no different! Thank you for sharing!
~RW
8:56 AM
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