Mo(u)rning

So today, the sun rose. The clouds burst, revealing bright blue sky behind them. And the temperatures, frigidly remaining in the lower twenties, gave life to a beautiful millimeter worth of snow and ice.

Ah yes, welcome to NC, wherein we cancel schools, churches, and all normal activities, on the mere threat of winter weather. Everything except for Walmart is on standby (but that's another monologue in the making). Yet perhaps it is fitting that Chapel Hill finds itself shutdown, delayed, and rather slow this morning, since today is a day of mourning on the Hill.

Yesterday, the unthinkable happened. The Tarheels, perfect by all official records until yesterday, suffered a heart-wrenching loss to the Maryland Terrapins. Our once spotless 18-0 record has now been tarnished by the devilish turtles, who squeaked out a hard-fought 82-80 victory in the final seconds of the game, over the brave men in blue.

As the Carolina students left the stadium, there were tears streaming down their faces. Tarheels painted on their cheeks turned in blue smears, as students mourned, wept, wailed, to varying degrees.

Seventy years ago, in 1938, a man named Robert McManeus (class of 1938) left the stadium after a similarly heartbreaking defeat... that time, not on a snowy day, but on a rainy day. And that time, not after a defeat by Maryland, but rather after a defeat by Duke. He came home, and he wrote a song... He wrote it in a moment of defeat, but he wrote it out of hope and anticipation that future Carolina victory was certain. That song, which we are now familiar with as the Carolina Victory song, was written in anticipation and hope...

So, today, in the face of defeat, but turned once again resolutely towards victory, we join you in singing:

There'll be a Carolina victory
When cross the field our foe has fled
Cheer our team to Victory
Glory, glory U-N-C
Our hearts will live with thee
Rah, Rah, Rah!
Fight! Fight! Fight!
For the blue and white
Are rolling to victory!