Remembering the student's president
By: Whitney Kisling, University Editor
Issue date: 3/7/08 Section: University
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When 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 bright-eyed 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.
