The typical UNC student waits for certain key days and events throughout the semester. We wait for FDOC (kind of -- mainly the time before the first day of class), because we're excited to get back to Chapel Hill after a summer or a long break and see all of our friends and spend time in our favorite and familiar places. We look forward to LDOC because quickly after FDOC we remember that college is hard and the last day of class is so much better than the first. We long for the last day for the last day of finals because it means we are free (for a little while, at least) from the chains of schoolwork and studying. Finally, and in my opinion definitely most importantly, we wait for the Duke games. In football, sure, it's cool to beat Duke -- in any sport it's actually phenomenal to beat Duke, they are our biggest rival after all -- but nothing compares to when we beat Duke in basketball, and here are a few reasons why
1. We come together as one to rush the place that has become so beloved and familiar. There is one place and one time when gender, race, religion, or any other classification truly does not matter, and that is the night when we beat Duke and come together as one student body to rush Franklin Street. Yes, this magical utopia does exist! Even if for only one night, it seems more like eternity in the middle of it all.
2. It becomes socially acceptable to light fires in the middle of the street and then proceed to jump over them in a celebratory manner. Well, really, it becomes acceptable to block off the entire street for the thousands and thousands of students to celebrate in any and every way.
3. One of these ways -- climbing light poles and sitting on top of your friends' shoulders to get a better view of everything.
4. You get to eat lots of bacon cheese fries and cheese tots because Sup Dogs is always a good idea after rushing Franklin.
5. You're able to forget about the fact that you have four tests next week, a lab report, and a Spanish composition due, and just be a Carolina fan for one night. Nothing else matters after beating Duke other than harking the sound with your fellow Tar Heels on Franklin Street and anywhere and everywhere else in Chapel Hill for hours upon hours.
6. You don't even have to be "doing something." You're there, taking everything in, you're overcome with inexplicable and uncontainable joy for your school and for your team that you love so much, and that's really all that matters.
7. You finally don't mind being caught up in a huge crowd, being squished and stepped on, because you're so excited that you just defeated your biggest rival, and you get to celebrate winning the most anticipated game of the ACC basketball season.
8. Even if you don't go to UNC, you have already graduated, or you just aren't able to make it to Chapel Hill period for the traditional celebration after the games, you get to carry around the title of victorious as a Carolina fan no matter where you are, resting easy with the knowledge that you are part of something as wonderful and huge as UNC.
