OUR OPINION: There comes a time when we should push hatred for our rivals aside and realize life is bigger than school, sports and mascots.
We hate the Tar Heels; it’s no secret; it won’t change; and on a certain level, it shouldn’t.
However, with the passing of UNC-Chapel Hill’s Jason Ray, who was in his final semester and played the role of Rameses, UNC’s mascot during sporting events, the rivalry-driven hate between our school and his shouldn’t deter our sincere condolences to his family and friends.
Ray was almost finished with his degree in business administration and was only 21 years old — a peer to most of us. He also had a job lined up and was on the fast track to success.
This is the perfect opportunity for us to sit back and realize that none of us are untouchable, and life shouldn’t be taken for granted.
We encourage as many N.C. State entities as possible to reach out to Ray’s family, especially the Department of Athletics. After all, the ACC, the NCAA and the country have lost a student athlete.
Student Government elections are in full swing right now. Candidates and SG members should get together and reach out to our neighbors in some way — we are all thinking it, now go represent us.
Our students have received a lot of bad press lately, particularly on The Wolf Web with the Ty Lawson comments; but in this situation, when something matters more than words, students are posting, for the most part, compassionate comments about the situation, which is uplifting.
There are even Facebook groups with members from countless universities acknowledging Ray’s death.
We realize that many college students die every year, and they deserve the same respect, but the Ray family situation is a great opportunity to step across enemy lines and show our neighbors, enemies — whoever — that we are capable of sheathing our swords and acting human, especially when sports are involved.
In the end, sports are just sports, and school is just school — neither are life and death.
Ray was and is one of our own — a student, and just because he wore baby blue instead of red, and a ram’s mask instead of a wolf’s, it doesn’t make him any different.
A life was lost, and in this case, Chapel Hill’s loss is our loss.