PHOTOS B Y SARAH MCCART Y ARNESON ’ 96
ing care of the line of Dorset rams from
which each Rameses has been selected for
85 years, said that this particular ram, now
age 5, was in the prime of his life. Sheep
breeders are breeding horns out of rams
these days, so Hogan hopes one of his Dorset
ewes will conceive this season. Another lamb
would need to be born soon to be ready for
the title when this ram retires in the next
three to five years. Hogan kept a close eye on
Rameses as children and adults crowded
around to pet him or have their picture
taken.
“People think he’s a big, furry pet,”
Rameses had a busy day, riding in the parade, posing for photos
at the Bell Tower as fans celebrated the 85th birthday of the
ram mascot at Carolina, and of course, doing game duty.
Hogan said. “But he’s a powerful animal,
and he knows what to do with his horns.”
Rameses stayed calm, even as tailgaters
filled the grassy enclave. A dee-jay plugged
in and out-blasted the noonday hymns
from the Bell Tower and the stereos blaring
from open dorm windows farther down
Stadium Drive. The line to climb the tower
wound down the steps and along the brick
walkway. Above it all, the sky was a brilliant
Carolina blue.
Celebrating Another Carolina Victory
On the front patio of The Carolina Inn,
the Homecoming/RAMpage post-game
party to celebrate the Tar Heels’ 19-6 victory over Duke was in full swing by 7: 30
p.m. GAA President Doug Dibbert ’ 70 and
Chair Eleanor Morris ’ 55 greeted and mingled with those arriving, who gathered in
small groups, stood on the patio or sat at
tables. They shared an exciting game experience and some renewed friendships while
stringband music by GrassStreet Bluegrass
Band drowned out the sounds of traffic
from over the hedges.
“Homecoming is a chance to see friends
you haven’t seen in years,” said Luke
Rasnake ’ 84, vice chair of the New York
Carolina Club. “I got to talk with old
friends and make some new ones.”
Rasnake, of Wyckoff, N.J., had run into former classmate Lynwood Robinson ’ 85, a
member of the UNC basketball team that
won the NCAA title in 1982, early
Saturday at the George Watts Hill Alumni
Center, where he also met Anoop Desai ’08
of American Idol fame. Desai was on campus
to perform Sunday night in Memorial Hall.
The football game’s thrilling finish put
Rasnake in mind of the Duke-UNC foot-ball game of 1979. Rasnake was a senior at
Chapel Hill High School and thrilled to be
watching the game from the Kenan
Stadium stands when UNC pulled away
from Duke late, thanks in large part to a
draw play from 10 yards out that involved
the great Tar Heel running back Amos
Lawrence ’ 80. Carolina won 37-16, and
Rasnake entered UNC the next year.
On The Carolina Inn lawn, Steve Griffin
’ 84, a dentist from Charlotte, took a
moment to survey the gathering approvingly. “This is the equivalent of the Old
Court parties of my college days,” he said
and smiled. “I hope this is available after
every Homecoming. It’s a great way to celebrate the game and friendships.” ;
— Nancy E. Oates and Don Evans ’ 80
ONLINE: To see photos and video from
these events, visit
alumni.unc.edu/reunions.
The chief activity at
Homecoming/RAMpage
is catching up with classmates and old friends
and reminiscing. Before
the game on Saturday,
alumni and friends gathered around the Bell
Tower for picnics, clockwise from bottom left,
and after the game celebrated the victory over
Duke at the tailgate at
The Carolina Inn, bottom
right.
