As a recent transfer, I have only gotten to experience life at Duke for about a month, but there are a few trends here that aren’t hard to detect. Here are some of my observations on what Dukies love:
Shooters: Duke people love Shooters, and why shouldn’t they? There’s nothing more romantic. Ladies, this “Live Entertainment Saloon” is the perfect place to meet your future spouse. Just step on the ‘Shooters Bus’ and you’ll be whisked away to a magical land as you listen to the ear-throbbing bass of “Give Me Everything Tonight” by Pitbull. Just 2 minutes in the 21+ line with your Hawaiian McLovin-esque ID, and you’re in, despite the high-security Durham cops who may or may not be blind. Inside boasts the World’s Most-Likely-To-Be-Diseased Mechanical Bull, a stripper cage, and a huge white horse statue I have definitely fallen off in public. Spend over 20 seconds on the dance floor and be rewarded with an abrupt grab at your hips followed by three minutes of bumping and grinding with a person who’s face you’ve never even seen. You can only tell yourself he’s not a freshman until he spots your blue wristband and nonchalantly begs you to buy him a shot of Aristocrat.
Not Walking Off Campus: I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been reminded not to walk off campus; specifically East campus towards the North Gate Mall. The statistic I have been assured is completely accurate, is that 100% of students who have touched a toe off East campus “in the wrong direction” has never lived to tell the tale. If that’s true, how are there so many of them constantly telling the tale? So, I decided to challenge this theory. One night I walked off East campus alone. Immediately upon my foot touching the sidewalk after climbing over the wall, a beam of green light shown down on me and I started to float up into the sky. As the object above me moved forward through the trees I climb higher and higher until it flies away. No, but actually, the area is shady. Don’t walk off East campus alone.
Tailgate (R.I.P.): Word on the street is that Duke people loved tailgate. Let me re-phrase that: Word on the street is that Duke people feel that nothing on this Earth will ever fill the void of what tailgate brought them. Apparently nothing beats wearing a pinnie and a tutu while Keystone rains from the sky. As a new student, I thought maybe I could relate by comparing it to the tailgates at my old school. Wrong. I learned quickly that Dukies are very protective of their tailgate status. Here are a couple of hints for all you freshmen at avoiding opposition with an upperclassmen Dukie. Don’t use the words ‘tail’ or ‘gate’, even separately. Any slight hint at it could send the Duke person spiraling into depression remembering tailgate. If this happens, stand back, and nod your head abjectly. At any moment the Dukie could attack. Whatever you do, do not say this one phrase: “It can’t be that bad, right?” This is called a ‘trigger phrase’, Immediately after the Dukie will pounce. RUN.
And I’m sure Her Campus won’t take long to catch on either!
Shooters:
http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/A_pfkpotGhJVfe1V9La9yA?select=H3nMwu-8TH_ePrZaEi4yDg
Tailgate: Chase Olivieri of the Duke Chronicle
And the walking off East picture is mine.