Chapter 33

Chapter 33

Seek Guidance:

“Connections that Count”

September 2014

He’s 6 feet tall, white headed, mid-60’s, and he began working in the business field before the students in his audience were even thought about. His energy is contagious as he runs around the classroom demanding input from the 15 students. He has more “spunk” than any of the other students in the class, despite only being an adjunct professor (paid much less than a regular professor). The class, consulting for the entrepreneurial firm, is held once a week from 5-7:30 PM.  As you might notice the class is held right in the middle of dinner time, which for college students is a big deal. However, the professor’s love for business is very filling, allowing students to postpone their dinner plans. 

In past chapters I have spoken about the impact of professors, but never had I been a classroom setting like mentioned above. I am a student in the class, and I absolutely love it. Before the class began I was already excited, and immediately following the first class I felt even more excitement. 

It wasn’t until the second class that I really made the most of this classroom setting. The professor continued to amaze me with his passion for the topic. So, after the lecture I stayed to speak with him. We spoke for almost 30 minutes after class, and he even offered to give me a ride back to my dorm! It was in that moment that I realized how special the faculty and staff are at the Kenan-Flagler Business School. He took time out of his night to speak with me about something we were both passionate about, business. When you get where you going in college, work, and life, seek guidance from people who have been there before. These people are most likely willing to answer any question you may have. Just know, when you find yourself in a situation where you can learn from someone else, embrace it.

After reaching out to my professor, it was much easier to reach out to my other business professors. And as you might guess, it has been beneficial in a number of ways. For instance, if you remember back to Chapter 16, I mentioned starting a business called “Buddy’s.” One of my professors is acting as a mentor as I begin to start that company (more details to come). During this semester I have also learned something that is rarely taught. How to “listen.” 

As my parents and my friends can attest, listening (patience) has never been a strong suit of mine. However, I know that in order to be a great business person, or person in general, I must become a great listener. In order to become a better listener, I made this list

1. Listen attentively, look the speaker in the eye
2. Become an active listener, listening and then answering with questions to better understand 
3.  Attack arguments, not the person
4.  Just put your phone down, Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook can wait.

The beginning of a new school year means a lot of things for many, football games, meeting up with friends, and just being back on campus. For me, the beginning of the year means all of those things, and one more. It’s time to give more campus tours, which is one of the most enjoyable things I am a part of on campus. 

My first tour of my junior year was by far the most rewarding tour that I have ever given.

My tours usually follow the same route; I begin with housing, move quickly to history (where I share my Halloween stories), I then follow with the academic section, zoom through the dining hall, and then end in the “pit” (center of campus) or the Student Union. At the end of the tour I share my experiences as a college student, sharing most of what I have told in this book. Finally, before I release the tour, I “pitch” my book by passing out my business cards. I encourage the students to read my blog and to contact me with any questions. Most of the time, that’s how it ends. I walk away, and they never see me again. However, this time it was different. 

After passing my cards around the group, one of the parents approached me. He said, “Here, I’ll give you my card, I think I know someone who can help you out.” To be honest, I didn’t know how to handle the situation, so I shook his hand, stuck the card in my pocket, and darted to class.

On my way to class, I remembered the parent giving me his business card, so I pulled it out of my pocket. 

I began to read, “NBCUniversial, hmm, Syfy. Oh my goodness.” I had just met one of the top executives of Syfy and Chiller. To keep a long story short, I was beaming when I got to class. The fact that an executive from NBCU give me his card was incredible, but mind-blowing that he said he could “help me.” I was on cloud 9. 

As soon as I finished with class for the day, I sent my new connection an email. 

Quick tip: If you make a connection, make sure to follow-up, it’s crucial!  

A week after I sent the email, we had scheduled a phone interview. The phone interview was awesome. I learned a tremendous amount in the 30 minutes I spoke with him. Here are some of the things he told me: “Whatever you do don’t lose your drive and enthusiasm” and “Continue to be appreciative.” 

For now, I’ll leave you with that. If something BIG happens, you’ll know, trust me. (Internship…perhaps?)

Quick tip: First impressions, might be the last impression. 

In college, you’ll learn quickly that some people are great at networking (speaking with professionals), and others aren’t. However, we all must learn how to network effectively because it is a crucial tool to the path to success. 

During the fall semester, universities/colleges host internship and job fairs. This allows for all students, no matter the major, to learn about opportunities for the upcoming summer. An internship fair is a great time to use your networking skills. The fairs usually have employers from all around, from all different fields. I really enjoyed the time at the internship fair because it opened my eyes to opportunities that I hadn’t even thought about. If you’re not great at networking with employers, use this platform to practice. The more you speak to employers, the better you will become. 

Every person I have met during my life has benefited me in some way. Maybe they passed me the “rock,” helped me on homework, or maybe career advice, no matter how crucial they were, they have left an impact. While in college, or in life, make connections that count.   

 My man Toby and I during an Internship Fair (Business Symposium)

Chapter 32

Chapter 32

Chapel Hill Round 3:

Click.Click.Click “Hang on”

August 18, 2014

Have you ever been on a roller coaster? A really big roller coaster? I’m not talking about a community fair roller coaster, but a coaster that takes you hundreds of feet in the air just to drop you at speeds of 80-100 MPHs.

In a lot of ways the college journey is a lot like a roller coaster. It seems like you’re in line forever, as you await the ride, when you finally get on the coaster you have mixed emotions (scared, excited, etc.). The trip of the hill is a lot like the first two years. It is quite stressful for some, for others it’s a time to relax, and some like me, enjoy screaming like a man before I scream like a girl on the way down.

Currently in my journey I am atop the hill. I have reflected on my past experiences, but nothing can change that. That coaster (my life) will continue, and I believe the best is yet to come.

Back to the roller coaster analogy:

The last two years is the rest of the ride. Before you know it you have zoomed down the hill, screamed your head off, and have arrived back at the station. You unlatch the harnesses (cap and gown) and you walk away. Some walk away with tears, laughter, and most had a life changing experience.

As FDOC (First Day of Class) approaches it is still hard to comprehend that I am a junior. With that “upperclassman” title comes different feelings than that of an underclassman.

Since I chose to live in a dorm again I live around underclassman. Most of which I don’t recognize, although I actually enjoy that. More people I don’t know, means more people I get to meet.

Packing was also a different story. Each year (dorm life) I have brought less and less. The time it takes to pack also takes about a day, which in comparison took an entire summer when I was an upcoming freshman.

Finally it has been difficult slowing down and getting into a routine. If you do and I hope you will have exciting summers like I have had, coming back to school is actually slower paced. It didn’t take me long to realize that college is much easier than the real world.

One of my close friends at UNC, known as @THERoyWood on twitter taught me a valuable lesson this summer. The simple premise of “staying relevant.” The story behind the “stay relevant” movement is actually quite funny, yet it has a lot of truth to it. He asked me how I thought the Kardashians stayed so popular in everyday society. I looked at him as blankly as I possibly could, and said I don’t know, they just do. “Exactly.” His simple response. He said that they stay relevant, although their relevance is often frowned upon, they are always “making moves.” With all of that being said, Stay Relevant during your college journey. Continue to try new things because nobody will remember someone who had an unbelievable first two years, and then just disappeared in the following two years. As Roy says it, just Stay Relevant.

I used to be deathly scared of roller coasters. Every time I would consider hopping on a coaster my dad would tell me the exact same thing. “It only lasts a minute or two and I know you will like it.” College is a lot like a roller coaster ride, and I think I bought a pretty good ticket. I’m about to make the most of these next two years.

Just a side note:

For those of you who don’t recall, I post the chapters via blog posts to share my journey with family, friends, and students. With these posts I have received numerous emails and messages regarding questions and concerns about college. Whenever or wherever you are reading this, never hesitate to reach out.

Austin Helms

Email: austinhelms32@gmail.com

Twitter: @HelmoftheHill

 Selfie with Dad because he actually got scared on this coaster. 

X2 Six Flags- Magic Mountain

Chapter 31

Summer 2014 (July)
"Start Living"

FYI: Summers as a college student are much different than they were in high school.

In high school, most students' summers start at the end of May or beginning of June, which usually sends them to the beach for a little while, some might work a summer job, and off season practices for sports.

Now in my second summer as a college student I've learned they're much different. The school year ends at the beginning of May, giving students almost three months off. These three months are in my opinion the most critical. During the school year students are in a routine going to class, hanging out, etc.. But when the summer comes you have to find your own way. There is no structure during these three months. You can be lazy, by living at the expense of your parents and dread the real world that will soon hit, or you can start living your life. What I mean by "living your life" is these summer months can be used as a test run for your future. For example, get an internship, or shadow someone in the field you would like to enter. Internships are more long term and require more time, but most are paid. Shadowing is volunteer work but you can learn a tremendous amount.

My favorite part of summer is traveling, which is different than vacation. Vacation in my opinion is going somewhere to relax, catch some rays, buying some cool things, etc. Traveling is much more. Traveling means having a goal. Going places you have never been, asking yourself if you could live there, and really trying to get immersed into the culture. Don't get me wrong, you can relax when you travel, but it's not vacation. I'll take vacations when I'm older, unless it's the family beach trip 😊

From the previous chapter you learned that I worked for a bank in London on a shadowing/internship experience, and I also got to travel. Post-graduation I would like to be an entrepreneur with a flexible schedule, so I'm practicing that now. It's much easier and cheaper to try things out now than later.

Today, July 12, 2014, I'm writing this chapter in California. The first chapter that hasn't been written in North Carolina. I'm sitting in the San Francisco Airport at gate 23 waiting on my red eye flight to Charlotte, and I couldn't think of a better way to conclude one of the best traveling experiences I've ever had.

For the longest time I have dreamed of moving to California. No reason why, I just have always wanted too. I had never been there before this trip, and thought if I was ever going to go, it had to be while I was I'm college. My dad was my partner for the trip and I couldn't think of a better travel partner.

I'm a planner as you have probably figured out, but this trip I didn't want to plan as much. I just wanted to go with the flow. We had a few goals on the trip; we wanted to visit Los Angeles, Six Flags Magic Mountain, Santa Barbara, the Pacific Coast Highway, and
San Francisco. Since we were going to be in California for a week, we knew it would leave some extra time for spontaneous stops along the way.

Our adventure began at LAX where we picked up the rental car and entered the land of $4 gas. We spent the first 2 days in LA visiting almost all tourist areas and Six Flags Magic Mtn. Day 3 was spent at Santa Barbara, which was my favorite part of the trip. It had a small town feel to it, but was much larger than my small town. Day 4 was spent driving the Pacific coast highway, which in my opinion is the prettiest road in the world. We probably stopped every 30-45 min to take pictures because the views were so breathtaking. The trip from Santa Barbara to San Fran was supposed to take close to 6 hrs, it took us 12. The stops were well worth it! We saw elephant seals, the 18th hole at Pebble Beach (site for the US Open), and drove on the side of a cliff for hours!

Just outside of San Francisco is the city of Palo Alto, which is where Stanford University is located. I've always bled Carolina blue, but I've had a dream of being a Cardinal under my sleeve for quite some time. Stanford is known for its prestigious academics, and amazing architecture of its campus. I’m intrigued by both, especially it's graduate business school. After walking around the campus, I convinced my dad to let me go by the business school for just a few minutes.
I approached the business school  in complete awe and felt a pull or a feeling of I was in the right place. Like I'd be coming back. It was different, it was special. Maybe it was God speaking to me or maybe not. But I do know God can make a dream a reality if you let him.

We left Palo Alto and spent our last days in San Francisco. One of our church friends had actually moved to San Francisco and invited us to stay with him and his family. This was beyond awesome for my dad and I. It gave us time to fellowship with someone from back home, it gave us advice on where and where not to go, and it just so happens that he works at Twitter! And yes, we got to tour and eat in the Twitter building.

When you plan, you know where you're going, when you go with the flow and let go, God places people into your life that are truly special. My dad and I will forever be grateful for that family and my dad assured them they can stay at our house anytime at his "Bed and Breakfast, where you make both"

San Francisco was beautiful like the rest of California, and we learned that July is much different than July back home. It was 62 degrees one day with wind gusts that made it feel like 50, definitely not the North Carolina July I'm so fond of.

My dad and I both have favorite parts of the trip, but I do have to say there wasn't one part I didn't like. Spending moments with someone you love, and seeing sights you've never seen are things you'll never forget. If you plan on traveling in the future here are some tips:
1. Travel with someone you love, you'll make memories that'll last a lifetime
2. Take too many pictures
3. Take back roads in strange places, even if you get lost
4. Try and eat at non-chain restaurants, if you're from the east coast you have to go to In N Out!
5. Scream, yell, and open your eyes on scary roller coasters

I came to a realization right before I dove into my first wave in the Pacific Ocean. My goals are great, but I have to stop planning for tomorrow and start living for today because that's where I'll find the most satisfaction.

                                                                    

Chapter 30

Chapter 30

Summer Break 2014

Pictures don’t do it justice

For the longest time I have listened to other people tell me about their travels around the world. Listening to their stories and looking at their pictures made me want to travel myself. During my sophomore year when I was making my “I will” list I decided I was tired of hearing, “Oh it is so beautiful, or that place isn’t what I thought it was going to be.” I wanted to travel. I wanted to see for myself this world that I was missing.

In preparation for my goals of traveling I had to get my passport, which I advise you to get as soon as possible. The first place that was on my travel bucket list was Europe, and it just so happened that my roommate from my sophomore year lived just outside London. Throughout our entire sophomore year I told him that I would be visiting him, but I don’t think he actually believed me until I hopped on the plane.

The entire experience was new to me. I had never ridden on a plane by myself, experienced jet lag, I had never traveled east of North Carolina, and this was my first trip out of the US. However, that all changed on May 12 when I boarded the US Air flight to Heathrow Airport in England. 

I had planned out the trip months before so I could make my 2 week stay as beneficial as possible. During the first week I toured most of Southwest England, including Weybridge, Windsor, Wimbledon, Bath, Stonehenge and towards the end of the week we did an entire walking tour of London. The second week involved my roommate and I doing a shadowing at a bank his father worked at. The shadowing involved us commuting into work by train and the tube, which took about an hour. It involved us working with different departments, shadowing meetings, and also they gave me a mock interview. Even though I don’t think I want to enter the field of banking, I loved the entire experience and the international internship experience will definitely be something I can talk about in future interviews.

When I returned home I kept getting asked the same question, “What was your favorite part?” To this day I still don’t know the answer because I enjoyed the entire trip. I loved every trip we took, even the smallest ones to Tesco (grocery store, similar to Wal-Mart). Each place we went I was amazed by the beauty. Then the thought came, “I have to keep traveling, I am missing so much.” Don’t get me wrong, the sunset in Chapel Hill is beautiful, but the sunset in London is spectacular.

By the end of my stay I began to understand the British accents better and I was even using some of the lingo (Tube for subway, Toilet for bathroom). I found that the food wasn’t much different than America other than the fact that they don’t use any high fructose corn syrup, which explained the skinner people. The reason the trip was such a success was due to getting to stay with my roommate’s family. Without them I would’ve been lost, hungry, and probably broke. On one of the last days I told them that I couldn’t have imagined my first trip abroad being any better than it actually turned out.

I have been back in the states for about two weeks and my summer is just getting started. Soon I will head back to Chapel Hill to work my second summer at Roy Williams Basketball camp. Then I have a few trips planned to the beach, and a trip to California, where I have always wanted to visit.

My advice to you, wherever you are in life, college, married, or a senior citizen, don’t ever stop traveling and seeing the world. Pictures don’t do it justice. Pictures can’t do it justice. For years I looked and heard about traveling, but not until this past year did I truly experience the first person view. And yes, it’s much better.

Chapter 29: It just keeps getting better- "Brotherhood"

Chapter 29:

It just keeps getting better:

Brotherhood

May 2014

 

Each year during the last Admissions Ambassador’s meeting some of the senior ambassadors stand up and give a “senior moment.” The moment gives them time to reflect on their four years as an ambassador and a student. They use this time to share advice and funny stories to the other ambassadors in the room. By far, this is my favorite time of the year because for each “senior moment” I feel like I learn something new. The “senior moment” that really stood out to me came from a girl that asked a simple question. If you could give each semester a word or a phrase what would it be?

She told us that someone had asked her the question just a few days before the meeting, and she found enjoyment when reflecting back on each semester. Even though I haven’t been in college for eight semesters, I figured I could give it a try for the four semesters I have been here.

Semester 1 (freshman) – Tried everything

Semester 2 (freshman) – Banana Man

Semester 3 (sophomore) – B-School

Semester 4 (sophomore) – Brotherhood

The first three semesters probably made since to most of you, but the last one, “brotherhood” is something that I haven’t had much time to talk about.

This past year I was lucky enough to live with five of the best guys I have ever met. However, one of the guys didn’t live with us second semester because of an internship program through his major. Anyways, since I had met the guys during my freshman year I knew that this year would be one I would never forget.

Our suite was definitely a diverse group, but that didn’t have any effect on our relationships. Each of us had a different major, each did different things outside of the suite, but when we were all together we made some awesome memories. Just to give you a taste of the intellect I was surrounded by, my roommate is a biomedical engineer major, and half of his coursework looked like a foreign language to me. Another one of my suitemates is a chemistry major, and one day when I was feeling extra inquisitive I asked about his lab research. Before telling me all about his research he asked me, “Do you really want to know? (with a slight chuckle)” At the time I truly wanted to know,  but as he began speaking of proteins, and something about enzymes, I understood his questioning. After his ten minute explanation I told him that it sounded very interesting, but I didn’t understand anything he had just told me.

The main difference I found between the living arrangements as a freshman in a hall style dorm and sophomore year in a suite was how well you get to know the other people you live with. Since we all enjoyed doing different things, I found myself doing different things with each of them. For example, with one of the guys I had a running record of our 1v1 basketball games, and I finished the year with 7 wins and 8 losses (disappointing I know). With another one of the guys I went out to eat for breakfast on a few Friday mornings throughout the year. I could go on and on about the experiences that I had with my suitemates, but in short, in the two semesters I lived with them I feel like I gained a new family.

On one of the last nights that we were in the suite we all sat around and talked about the stories/memories of the past year. The more we talked, the more we laughed. It was in that moment of storytelling that I felt like I was truly in a brotherhood.  If you ever live in a suite full of your friends, make sure you set aside a night to reminisce on the past year. Looking back at all of the memorable nights we had together that was by far the best one.

It’s kind of crazy to think that my college career is halfway over. The hard part is over they say, but I think their wrong. When I was leaving the dorm the other day I felt something that I didn’t feel the year before. I felt like I was leaving something behind. I would no longer be a suitemate with these guys that I created all of these memories with and I would no longer be nagging them to clean the bathroom, which they are probably grateful for.

I believe academically that the “hard part” is over, but I believe that the next two years will be bittersweet. Each year in college you make relationships; you will form brotherhoods, and that’s something that will be hard to walk away from. The friendships I have made in college are much different than they were in high school. In high school most of your friendships are on the surface level, in college you have the opportunity to make lifelong friends. I am not saying that high school friends aren’t special or real, but in college, living with people creates a bond that high school can’t even touch.

Sophomore year ended with a high five to my Italian professor as I completed my last Italian course ever (well for now). As I walked out of my Italian final, I did what I did last year. I called my number one fan. “Mom, your son is a junior” the simple response my mom heard as she answered the phone. When you finish each year of your college journey, don’t be afraid to celebrate with someone. The simple phone call to my mom is my way of crossing the finish line, and in two more years the phone call will be a little more emotional.

After calling my mom after my last exam, I packed my bags and waited on my Granny Kat to pick me up for the 2^nd annual beach trip. The ride to the beach was long awaited, and filled with advice from Granny, “Plant your garden in the ground and wear socks when it's cold,” and laughs.  Over the years I have found that Granny’s jokes just keep getting better, and I know for a fact these next two years in college won’t disappoint.

 

Chapter 28:

Quick Updates:

Where am I now?

It has been some time since I have given you an actual update on where I am in my college journey. For starters, college continues to fly by; I am currently one month away from being halfway through with this journey.

Even if I am on semester number four, classes are still classes. This semester I am taking my last round of general education requirements, which means after this semester I will strictly be taking business courses for my major. When I came to UNC, I never thought that the non-business courses would actually be beneficial for my future. For example, when I began taking Italian for my language credit I thought that the class would be the death of me. The first class was extremely difficult, the second just as hard, but for some reason in the third and final class the material is finally clicking. By having to take classes outside of my major, the academics of college have pushed me to new limits.

I have not only pushed myself academically while in college, but also physically. I believe that in order to have a successful college career you must maintain balance. By maintaining balance in my college career I am able to have less stress. One way to relieve this stress is to keep active. The great thing about college is that there are a multitude of resources that help students keep an active lifestyle. During one of my runs through campus, something inspiring popped into my head. The thought was that each step I took was taking me one step closer to where I wanted to be. Sometimes I don’t know where I am going with my college journey, but I do know that I am taking a step in the right direction. So, challenging your body not only helps you maintain body weight, but also gives you some new outlooks on life.

It might be also noteworthy that I have still not found the “wifey.” I am learning that I mustn’t be impatient because that really isn’t going to solve anything. I do believe that in God’s timing, Mrs. Helms will come walking my way.

Since I have been in college for almost two years, I feel as if I have a favorite part. Friendships, it’s that simple. The friendships that I have made in college are something that I will forever cherish. These friendships are built through living with the same people for an entire year, laughing at each other, and taking “suite” dinners for special occasions. This past Friday, March 28^th, I experienced an unforgettable night with my suitemates. The night involved going out to eat at a local Mexican restaurant. At the restaurant we had a fake birthday celebration (they surprised me, my birthday isn’t until June), two of my suitemates sharing a Churro (they shared it Lady and Tramp style), and being tricked into entering an adult sex shop (the name was Cherry Pie, we believed that they sold dessert). In thirty years from now I will reminisce about college and the name La Hacienda will most definitely put a smile to my face. I will remember it because these friendships will last a lifetime.

As the halfway mark nears, I can only imagine the excitement of the next two years. Opportunities, hard classes/exams, new friends, and new memories all await me. I will keep running this race called college because I know that each step is a step toward my future.

 

My fake birthday celebration

 

Chapter 27- Live for the Moment

Chapter 27

Live for the Moment:

“There Snow Excuse This Time”

February 2014

I have become quite fond of this time of the year; spring is just around the corner, the IM basketball season has begun, and “The Game.” Since 1920, the UNC-Duke Game has been one of the most anticipated match-ups of the season. The rivalry only separated by only eight miles, has created some of the most memorable basketball games in the history of the game. When I came to Carolina I was well aware of the rivalry and had grown up watching the Heels beat the Devils on many occasions. However, all of the victories I had experienced were through television or radio.

            Since arriving on campus, we (Carolina) hadn’t beaten Duke in football or basketball. I was beginning to think that I had brought some sort of bad luck to the program. My UNC-Duke record as a student before February 20 was (0-4); we had two losses in football and two in basketball. However, for some reason this year felt different.

            The original game was scheduled to be played on February 12. However, at noon on game day, snow began to fall across the entire state of North Carolina. Chapel Hill, in the matter of hours became a winter wonderland. All classes after 1PM were canceled and the energy on the campus was electric. News came around 4PM that the game was still going to be played and the Dookies would be arriving shortly, or so we thought. The Dean Dome was preparing for what could have been the most hype game in college basketball ever. Since snow continued to fall, the season ticket holders were not going to be able to make the game. So, the University sent another email out shortly after the 4PM email, which explained that students would be allowed to enter the game to fill the empty seats. The energy of the campus continued to increase. The thought of a student filled Dean Dome was unfathomable. We all thought it would be a reality, until the news came at 5:30PM.

The Dookies, yes the Dookies, said that their bus couldn’t make it to the game.

The energy that the day had created evaporated in just a few seconds. It seemed as if all Carolina fans (students or not) let the world know what they thought about the Dookies. Every social media site totally blew up with posts, tweets, and pictures. If you were a Duke fan when the decision came out you probably stayed off of Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook because it was downright brutal.

The postponement was a disappointment to us all, but it also gave our Heels time to increase their win streak to 7 games. The game was rescheduled for February 20^th, exactly eight days from the original date, keep that number in mind. Duke was also able to gain some more momentum, ranking #5 in the nation, while we stood unranked.

When the day finally came there was no snow, no rain, but sunshine. This year I would be entering the Duke game as a manager, all suited up, for what would become a night I will never forget.  Although the Dean Dome was not completely filled with students, it was filled and it was filled with electricity. In the Pit (center-part of campus), hung a sign that said “There snow excuse this time.”

Without further a due, the ball was in the air, and the game had begun. The game had lived up to all of my expectations. The crowd was live the entire game, and by live I mean that the only time that the 21,750 fans sat down was during timeouts and halftime. Later, my parents told me that when they were watching the game on TV, it felt as if the screen was shaking.

We (Carolina) were losing almost the entire game, but every time Duke made a run, we had a run of our own. The entire game reminded me of a tennis match; Coach Williams would make a decision and then a counter-move by Coach K. Even though I missed a few minutes of the second half due to my manager duties, I caught the last few crucial minutes. These crucial minutes were fueled by a raging comeback, which eventually gave us the lead.

It would make since for me to give you the play-by-play of the last two minutes, but I think you know how the game turned out. Instead of recapping the last minutes, I want to emphasize the meaning of “living in the moment.”

As the clock hit zero and my Heels secured the victory, something special happened. In the matter of seconds the Dean Dome floor was filled with fans from all ages. Screaming, jumping, fist-pumping were all being played out before my eyes, and then I joined them. I took off my “manager tag” and happily put on my “student tag,” for this moment was special. We had won the game 74-66, which ironically was an eight point advantage.

Rushing the court after a win against your arch rival is a surreal experience. I was chest bumping with people I had never met, screaming until I couldn’t scream anymore, and felt as if I was in a dream. For a few brief minutes, I gave life on that court, everything I had; I was living in the moment.

I have found in my 19 years of existence that it’s not often that we as humans get to experience situations like the one I experienced. Our (and my) lives are too predictable. We go to grade school for 12 years, some of us go to college, and most of us will have families, get a job… and so on. This cycle has become a part of our culture. However, what if we lived for “the moment” every day? What if, people (including myself) woke up every morning with an upbeat and positive attitude to storm the court called life? The answer is simple. We would become better and we would experience life in a different, much more enjoyable way.

If I wake up in the morning (Feb 26), I will remember “the moment” of rushing the floor at the Duke game. The picture on my phone will most likely send chills up my arm because I can still feel the Dean Dome shaking. But, tomorrow won’t be February 20^th, it’s a new day, it’s time is ticking away, and it’s time to live for a new moment.

 

Ian, Me, Kellan (Post Court-Rush)