News takes wide angle at UNC

To say that the March 5 death of Student Body President Eve Carson has captured the attention of UNC students, employees and supporters is an understatement.

Carson’s story has attracted notice from local and national sources, including the media, religious groups and other universities.

News coverage has been pronounced since the initial press conference announcing the identification of her body March 6.

“In Eve’s case, the reason that we gave a lot of coverage to her was pretty simple: She’s a prominent person,” said Linda Williams, a senior editor at the (Raleigh) News & Observer. She added that the newspaper covered the story as though Carson had been the mayor of a small town.

Carson’s death has drawn much more attention than other local student slayings such as N.C. Central University student Denita Smith in Jan. 2007 and Duke University student Abhijit Mahato in Jan. 2008.

But Carson’s killing also has attracted protest. The Topeka, Kansas-based Westboro Baptist Church has announced plans to picket Carson’s memorial service, scheduled for 4 p.m. today at the Dean Smith Center.

The group has a history of staging protests following high-profile tragedies, including the shootings at Virginia Tech and other colleges.

WBC member and daughter of the church’s founder, Rebekah Phelps-Davis, said the group believes God punished Carson for not using her position to denounce homosexuality.

WBC affiliates requested permission and police protection March 12 for a protest outside the Smith Center to coincide with the memorial, Lisa Katz, director of UNC news services, wrote in an e-mail.

Officials denied them access to the Smith Center, citing traffic and safety concerns. They proposed a McCorkle Place site instead, which the group declined. Katz said she thinks WBC will no longer protest.

Several Facebook groups have formed with hundreds of students pledging to participate in a counterprotest in which they would silently surround WBC protesters to block them from view.

The memorial has drawn shows of support from other UNC-system schools. At least three – N.C. State University, East Carolina University and UNC-Wilmington – have started campaigns urging their students to wear Carolina blue today in honor of Carson.

“Obviously not everyone is going to want to wear Carolina blue, but I think most students will understand that this cause is bigger than our rivalry,” N.C. State Senior Class President Zach Adams said.

ECU Student Government Association President Keri Brockett said she received phone calls from students wanting to make sure they would be able to obtain one of the Carolina blue ribbons ECU student organizations will distribute. She said a delegation of ECU student leaders also will attend the memorial service.

“She’s really touched a lot of lives – not just at Chapel Hill,” Brockett said of Carson.

Assistant University Editor Danielle Kucera

contributed reporting.

Contact the University Editor
at udesk@unc.edu.