Graduating With Degree In North Carolina Sports

When working on the story, many things impressed me. The fencer who said his teammates got treated much like the other varsity athletes. Seeing how Nike valued Anson Dorrance. The Educational Foundation's accomplishments in the last decade.

For me, the Department of Athletics has been probably the most important University department in my four years at UNC. While the School of Journalism and Mass Communication and the history department will be gracing my diploma (god willing), I've spent much more time in the study of the athletic department.

I've learned many things about the University, which I'm going to share with you.

* There is more to UNC sports than the men's basketball team and football program. I'm not talking about Nikki Teasley or women's soccer either. My personal favorite sport, which I knew nothing about before I started covering it, is field hockey. Check it out in the fall.

There's a lot of cool things to see. If you embrace any reason to procrastinate, a lot of teams play during the week, or better yet on a Sunday. It's really hard to worry about that English paper when you're sitting at Boshamer Stadium in the sun with a leisurely baseball game going on.

* The statewide media is not out to get North Carolina sports/players. I'm pretty convinced that the UNC press corps actually has a crush on Ronald Curry. Everyone's hoping to be the lucky reporter he spills his guts to, but there's also a respect there. He just seems like a genuinely nice guy, and he's not the jerk other less talented athletes are.

The media also doesn't tell you half the things they know about the football and men's basketball teams. Trust me.

* The most interesting person in the athletic department is Dave Lohse of Sports Information. If you meet someone funnier, let me know, because I'd like to shake his/her hand. The man knows more about women's soccer than anyone other than Dorrance should.

Lohse's colleague Dana Gelin is one of the most helpful and thoughtful people I've run across here. She's given me good career advice and even better story ideas.

* Matt Doherty will continue to be a fascinating, compelling story. I'm not sure if his team will be better next year, and I'm positive Adam Boone will be missed more than fans think, but Doherty has had an awesome task put to him. Seeing where this young coach goes from here will be a great character test for him, and a greater character test for North Carolina faithful.

* There's no easy way to wrap up four years at a place you've loved; the first step walking away is the hardest.

Rachel Carter can be reached at racarter@email.unc.edu.