TheSandbox

As the newest class of Duke freshmen runs headfirst into the Gothic Wonderland, RECESS would like to reflect back on the year they made their first appearance on the world's stage. In 1986, Aerosmith was rocking out with Run DMC and the Bangles were telling us all to walk like an Egyptian. Television was an instrument of growth and education when MacGyver taught us to build a plane out of duct tape and four toothpicks, Trudy showed us the Facts of Life and Sophia proved that Golden Girls get sexier with time. On the big screen, Ferris Bueller took his fabled day off, Tom Cruise and Val Kilmer raced to be the Top Gun and Crocodile Dundee tamed the outback. Back here on campus, the '80s were in full effect - here is what was happening at Duke when the Class of 2008 was born:

*Barron's magazine elevates Duke to the "top tier" of universities for the first time

*2,000 people riot on Franklin Street in Chapel Hill when North Carolina changes the legal drinking age from 18 to 21.

*Leonard Nimoy is beamed up to Page Auditorium to the delight of Trekkies all over the South

*Former Duke President Terry Sanford is elected to the U.S. Senate *Duke tries to convince students that it's safe to study abroad despite a world torn by conflict

*The Chronicle runs an in-depth expose on students who are male strippers, the "Chippendukes," who worked local bachelorette parties and sorority functions We can't return to 1986, but we can still curl up with our Teddy Ruxpins and My Buddys and time Cosby Show reruns by the hands on our Swatch Watches. Children of the '80s, welcome to Duke. We're glad you've decided to Walk This Way.

-Yoav Lurie and Kim Roller