Come and fill this place

I’m not a very religious person. To be quite honest, I’m not good at religion. Yet I’ve always had a Christian faith. I believe in God and Jesus and the New Testament. I have doubts, of course, and even hesitate to call myself a Christian sometimes because I just don’t think I deserve to. But that’s not what this is about.

In my four years at UNC I was a member of the Baptist Student Union. I was not then, nor am I now, Baptist, but neither were many of the other members. We had a campus minister, but it was really a student-led group of Christians with a passion for the faith and everything that went with it. Some had been in the church since they were born, some were new to the faith, some were exploring; all were welcome.

Seniors at Spring Banquet 2006

We had people passionate about missions or evangelism or leading small groups. We had people passionate about Mario Kart or intramural sports or Carolina basketball. I’m not sure I’ll ever find such a passionate community of peers with such dedication to God and the community.

The heart of the organization was the Battle House, a historic home on the edge of UNC’s North Campus, nestled in the trees. Some members practically lived there, stopping by before, between, after, (and sometimes during) classes to study or, more likely, goof off. I didn’t spend a ton of time here outside meetings, but I have nothing but good memories of it.

The Battle House

For four years I knew where I was going to be on 5:45 on a Thursday. (The weekly worship meeting followed by dinner.) For four years I attended weekly Bible studies and got exposure to the Bible like I never had before. For four years I knew that every fall I’d be at the welcome picnic and that every spring I’d be holed up in a room working on the annual scrapbook. My senior year I was happy to serve as Communications Chair on the Leadership Council, an experience that just reiterated the passion and tolerance of my Christian peers.

Bible Study Fall 2003

There are very few college memories that are not linked to BSU in some way. Watching the 2005 National Championship game in the living room. Watching the final season of “Friends” with a small group in the TV room. Meeting my three best friends, who all came together thanks to BSU. I can’t imagine my life without them. I can’t imagine my college life without BSU.

This only grazes the surface of my time at BSU. So many memories are flooding back right now that it's nearly overwhelming.

Semi-Formal 2006

This was very hard to write because I’ve had difficulty thinking about BSU. Within about a year after we graduated, the organization changed irrevocably. Now it has a new name and is completely unrecognizable from the organization that permanently changed me, my faith, and the lives and faiths of so many others. It’s because of this change that I felt my time there had become tainted. This is wrong. It’s not tainted. It happened. It was good.

Senior ladies acting pensive

The North Carolina Baptist State Convention has announced a restructuring of their organization and an elimination of campus ministry in North Carolina as we know it. It breaks my heart to know that the students who have walked across that rocking chair filled porch, through those front doors, and into the squeaky floored foyer, have not had the same experience and will not have the same experience.

Dancing at Kranc 2004

There are so many things I want to write about this. So many things I could write about what happened to BSU after I left, and things that started before I left. I won’t, though, out of respect for friends that were involved. Not, however, out of respect for those (leaders) who call themselves Christians, proclaim a desire to be Christ-like, and then show anything but Christ-like love and compassion.

Relay for Life 2005

Each spring at BSU we would have a spring banquet. The highlights of the event were the skits the undergraduates would perform for the graduating seniors, and the skits the seniors would perform for undergraduates. Then the seniors would each get a turn to speak about their time at BSU, give advice for those left behind, etc. I don’t remember what I said, only that it was said through happy tears.

Elizabeth as me at Spring Banquet 2006

Finally, each senior is presented with a sketch of the Battle House. We all knew it was coming, had seen the three classes of seniors come before us get the same thing, but it still meant so much. My sketch got a little water damaged during one of the skits, but it’s still suitable for framing.

Door was always open

Except, before I got around to framing it, all the changes happened and looking at it left a sour taste in my mouth. Now I want to frame it and be reminded of four of the greatest years of my life. To be reminded of what a Christian community can and should look like.

My Happy Place

*Last week was a mess but I WILL finish holiday posts this week.

The weekend after Christmas I spent the day in Chapel Hill! For the first time in a year. I still can't believe I made it that long. It definitely made being there all the more sweeter, but, I don't think it's necessary to be gone so long to make it sweet.

Mom and I started out with brunch at Top of the Hill. I spent so many nights there my senior year drinking with my friends, that it's still kind of weird to be there, during the day, eating food, with my mom. From there we went into a few of the stores on Franklin and all I bought were socks. Seriously. I have everything else apparently.

From there Mom went to do a little shopping at the mall while I took my time wandering around campus. I just love it so much.

I don't always have a lot of time to see everything I want to, but this time I did. I got to visit some places I haven't seen in awhile, like the Arboretum and War Memorial.

 

I took some time to just look up at the buildings, as "500 Days of Summer" taught me, and bask in the loveliness that is UNC.

 

I also made it to the Bell Tower, where there are plaques for the senior classes and their senior campaigns for raising money. (Starting with the class of 2007, boo.) It was very cold but I couldn't resist trying on the Tar Heel.

I met mom back on Franklin and we got cupcakes and hot drinks from Sugarland before heading to A Southern Season. I miss it already but I'll be back.

Saturday night's alright for fighting

Except this past Saturday wasn't so much of a fight. (Unless fight=lay down and die.) In case you missed it, this happened:

Thank you, Did Duke Win?.com. (Though, to be more accurate, maybe we should have a separate domain for Did Duke Get Annihilated?.com Or, even better, Did Duke Get Annihilated On Their Home Turf And Did A Bunch Of Crazies Cry?.com.)

After last month's devastating loss -- still heartbroken, still don't want to talk about it -- we had high hopes for Saturday's rematch. The roommate/bff/fellow Tar Heel, Karey, and I set out for our other bff/fellow Tar Heel Brandie's place on Saturday night to watch the game.

Both decked out in our Carolina gear, we got on the metro and sat in two seats facing each other, beside two boys. We each immediately noticed that vomit-inducing shade of royal blue peaking out of their jackets. But we didn't say anything. I saw the one beside Karey notice my Carolina socks, but still, he didn't say anything. We continued like this for six metro stops before they got off, I shot them a nasty look, and then Karey and I burst out laughing. Sometimes, D.C. is just too small.

We didn't think to take a picture, but I've created this artistic interpretation to fully set the scene.

Thankfully that was the closest we got to Dookies that night, which was closer than Duke ever got to Carolina in points. Which was closer than Duke was ever able to get to the basket. Which was closer than Duke ever got to hitting a majority of their three pointers, field goals, or free thows.

I took this picture during halftime. It's hard to read, but the little stat box is titled "Duke's First Half Woes." That's right, not stats, but WOES. As I'm a classy Tar Heel I will say nothing more.

This was also taken during halftime. We wanted photographic evidence of what Carolina Girls look like when their team has twice as many points as Duke.

We got a little tense when they got within 15, but good prevailed over evil and Roy's Boys did what they came to do.

Other things that happened:

• We had Bojangles for dinner.
• And wine.
• We also took a sip of wine every time a Duke player flopped. I know you know what I mean.
• As a result we were really happy all night. However, was that the wine? Was it the beating Duke part? Was it the Bojangles, the chips and dip, the girl scout cookies, and the peeps? Was it three best friends hanging out? I'll have to answer all of the above.
• We re-created the game with a good old fashioned Peeps Duel

1. Karey marks the UNC peep.
2. Peep Duel: Dook v. UNC
3. Brandie pauses the duel to re-align the swords. The refs look the other way.
4. Another UNC victory! While the UNC one expanded to twice its size -- much like our halftime lead -- the Dook peep, curiously, barely expanded at all. It clearly had a pact with the (blue) devil, too.

And just for fun, our first Peeps Duel, circa  spring 2006, when we were undergrads:



It was a good night all around. (Unless you were a Dookie or a Dook Peep.)

In closing, as part of the pre-game, I wore this shirt to work on Friday. Because nothing says professional like an angry ram on your chest. (And I may or may not plan on wearing the same shirt this Friday for the ACC tourney.)

Holiday Rewind Part 2c: Carolina Girls at the Carolina Inn

Yes, yes, another Chapel Hill post. But seeing as how I had not been there in nearly a year, did you expect any less? This is just to highlight our hotel, The Carolina Inn.

From their website:
"University Alumnus and former trustee, John Sprunt Hill, built The Carolina Inn in 1924 and was gifted to the University in 1935 to be ' … A Cheerful Inn for Visitors, A Town Hall for the State, and a Home for Returning Sons and Daughters of Alma Mater…'"

As four "Returning Daughters of Alma Mater," we'd each always wanted to stay here. And as we've done practically everything else you're supposed to do in CH, we're glad to have now crossed this off our list. It's the only hotel on campus and if you know anything about Chapel Hill you know its reputation. You never know if something is going to live up to your expectations, but I should have known that when it comes to Chapel Hill, they're usually exceeded. It just felt like an extension of our beloved University, and like we belonged there. A few tidbits:

• Our room door was Carolina blue.
• University and town history pervaded everything from the photos on the wall to the suite names.
• Due to the combination of booking early, my alumni association discount, and splitting one room four ways, we each paid less than $40 for the night.
• We got fresh cookies when we checked in and were (accidentally?) not charged for parking. (And if you know Chapel Hill, you know what a big deal this is.)
• They replaced our broken coffee pot, brought us (many) extra fresh towels, and found us a DVD player when we wanted to watch a movie.
• No one bothered us when we model walked in one of their hallways.

All in all it was a great experience and I hope to repeat it many times in the future.

Sign out front

Our room

Gingerbread Old Well

Each year they illustrate the 12 days of Christmas throughout the lobby.

These are 12 lords-a-leaping in basektball player form.

Holiday Rewind Part 2b: Carolina Girls By Night

In many ways, our friendship as a foursome was solidified during Chapel Hill nights. Around a table in Top of the Hill. At a booth in Carolina Coffee Shop. In the line at Qdoba at 2 a.m. On the living room floor in the house Brandie and I lived in our senior year. 

As the years have gone by, the scene has shifted to nights in Durham, Ocean Isle, and Washington, D.C., but the sharing has never stopped. We can talk about anything at anytime, from movies and tv to clothes and hair, but when we're together, our most serious discussions tend to happen at night, gathered around, drinks in hands. Broken hearts, fights with family, disagreements, health concerns, career decisions, life worries--they all come out. As a result, there are probably a good number of people in any place we've all been together that can tell you entirely too much about the four ladies at the table beside them. But that's ok, because it's about our friendship. 

It's about laughing until our faces go numb. It's about leaping topics, jumping sentences, forgetting words, and still understanding. It's about having our own language.  It's about our roots. It's about our shared passion and drive. It's about unwavering compassion and unvarnished truth. It's about feeling like nothing is right and then feeling like everything will be alright.

Posing in the Carolina Inn lobby before heading out

Campus

Dinner at Bandido's

Our favorite/the old standby: Top of the Hill

Three days before Christmas in Chapel Hill=deserted. 

So we took silly pictures in the street.

And then we took our patented "one person hold camera and all gather 'round" shot.

Empty hallway+4 tipsy ladies in heels=model walking

Yes, another group shot. But it never gets old. At least not for us.

Holiday Rewind Part 2a: Carolina Girls By Day

Three days before Christmas, four ladies, coming from four cities, gathered in the town where it all started, at a place where they'd always wanted to stay, for 24 hours of talking, laughing, eating, walking, drinking, and gifting. And this is what they did on a dreary, but unseasonably warm, December day.

After Jan and I checked into the hotel, we waited for B and K to arrive. Once they did, and after a little catching up, we set out for Franklin Street, a mere 3 blocks away, and had Sakura for lunch.

After lunch it was a walk through campus, stopping to make sure Davie Poplar was still standing, take a group photo with the Old Well, make note of all the still-loose bricks, and pretend, just a little, that we were students again.

A stop at Student Stores was in order, of course, in case there was any Carolina paraphernalia we didn't already own. For instance, this amazingly chic ram's head toboggan. (I didn't buy it though. Have to draw the line somewhere.)

After debating waiting for a bus or risking the likelihood of a downpour if we walked, we started hoofing it to South Campus to visit the basketball museum. First we had to walk by the recently remodeled/rebuilt football stadium. It's big. Really big. Especially for a never-going-to-be-a-football-it's-always-going-to-be-a-basketball school.

We got to the museum shortly after the skies opened up, and only 15 minutes before it was to close. (A fact NOT advertised on the website, by the way.) This was extremely disappointing as Brandie had never been, the four of us had never been all together, and we couldn't watch the awesome video introduction. However, we made the most of our 15 minutes and sped through.

There was even some time for some fun photos. We each posed "hugging" some of our favorite players. (Karey and Hansbrough, Brandie and Felton, Jan and Jamison, and me and Montross.)

When we finished the museum we headed out in the pouring rain and caught the RU back to our hotel to rest and then ready for the night's activities.

Gone to Carolina

Today I'm going here:

To see them:

And stay here:

To do this:

I haven't been to Chapel Hill since January. January, people. That's two weeks shy of a year. That's double my previous record of six months. To say I need Chapel Hill isn't strong enough. I crave it. And I need my best friends. In one time zone, one place, one room. This year has been awful and amazing, stressful and wonderful, debilitating and exhilarating. But this year hasn't had Chapel Hill and hasn't had the four of us. Yet. And it's going to be amazing, wonderful, and exhilarating.

Photos: mine, mine, here, mine, mine, here.