It seems that our darling UNC needs some good ol’ tender

loving care in light of recent events. With the athletic scandal and heartbreaking report raging in the media this week, it seems that the road ahead might be long and painful. But we, here, know why Carolina stands strong as one of the best schools in the nation, not only in academics, but also in its southern charm, old, historic wonder and unexplainable magical qualities -- all of which drew us here to this southern slice of heaven.     

The sky has been so brilliantly Carolina blue all week long. Every time I look up and notice, I feel a rush of awe and I thank God. It reminds me how lucky I am to be here at the school of my dreams. And it reminds me why I fell head over heels for Carolina in the first place.     

When I was five years old, I remember being in the car with my dad, driving to Fleet Feet on Franklin Street. Although we lived in Raleigh, Chapel Hill wasn’t somewhere we frequently found ourselves as a family. Before long, I noticed an unusual amount of blue flooding up and down Franklin. Some people even had their faces painted blue. Why would anyone paint his or her face blue? Being rather curious, I asked my dad, “Daddy, where are those people going like that?” to which he replied, “That’s UNC Chapel Hill, and those people are going to a football game.”    

I couldn’t help but feel jealous and heartbroken that I was not a part of this UNC-football-game-thing. As we drove by the campus, I felt I was missing out dreadfully on something, but I didn’t know why. I never forgot that moment.    

I remember my daddy taking me to Morehead Planetarium all throughout my childhood. We would explore the different floors of the planetarium, tinker with things in the gift shop, and watch the shows in the curious massive room with the endless sky. It was one of my very favorite things to do. It would be years before I even figured out that the planetarium was part of the University, yet I still had such an unexplainable emotional attachment to the place.     

One bus ride in sixth grade, however, made up my mind forever. On the way to a field trip in Chapel Hill, we naturally passed through the University. Pressing my cheek softly against the window as we rumbled by the bell tower, I looked out onto a foreign world of college and daydreamed. I wondered what life must be like in such a thrilling place. In that moment, all I wanted was to be in their shoes, to be able to wear that Carolina blue proudly, knowing that was my school. From that point on, I knew the Tar Heel life was for me.     

I finally took my first tour, here, as a junior in high school and I fell even deeper in love. Our guide led us into Lenoir, explaining that we would come out on the other side at the Pit. I wasn’t sure what that was, but it sounded interesting. Have you ever actually pictured a place a certain way and it turns out to be everything you dreamed it would be? Me neither -- until that instant. We walked out of the double doors into the Pit and my mouth dropped. In all of the college-based movies I had ever watched there had always been scenes like this -- of students bustling everywhere, organizations shouting out for everyone to join, and clubs selling baked goods and such. Was this real life? It had to be real. And I knew I had to experience this world for myself.     

Since I have been here, I have fallen more in love than I ever knew I could. I have met some of the most genuine people, joined an amazing sorority, and have had to work harder than I ever have before. Because that’s what Carolina takes. And I would not trade it for the entire world.

I think that our wonderful chancellor, Carol Folt, said it best: "Remember that our University’s 221-year history has never been defined by a single moment. Rather, our legacy is built from the impressive accomplishments and discoveries made every day on this campus by our students, faculty and staff... I feel today, more than ever, that it is the privilege of my career to be chancellor of one of the greatest universities in America. I am so proud of what our campus community is accomplishing -- and where we are headed."