DukePlays reminisces in library

This Friday, Old Duke means more than free kegs on the quad. It means more than long lines of students, aggressively brandishing their IDs. And it means more than sitting out on the grass, downing those free beers as fast as you can, so you can get another.

The Old Duke that DukePlays founders Rachel Weeks and Haley Hoffman, both seniors, envision is something much more spectacular. And it involves partying in the library with the von der Heydens and the Bostocks.

DukePlays: The Party-a semi-formal affair with 34 sponsors and some of the buildings' namesakes on the guest list-will take place in von der Heyden Pavilion and Perkins and Bostock libraries from 9 p.m. to midnight Friday.

Weeks described DukePlays as a way for students to reclaim ownership of campus culture. The party is a way to bring back University history creatively and inspire people, she said.

"There are Duke traditions and history that we don't have a sense of every day, as opposed to Ivy League schools that are more aware of it," she said. "We want to bring out that history."

The party features a four-part exhibit celebrating activism, arts, romance and athletics. Each section has a shadow box of Duke memorabilia and its own cash bar, and drink vouchers will be replicas of old tickets-like those from long-ago on-campus performances and the 1942 Rose Bowl.

"The caterers are doing really creative stuff organized around these themes," Weeks said. "It's almost like four different parties."

The event is open to the entire Duke community, including undergraduates, graduates, alumni, faculty and staff. It features a free champagne toast for seniors in the "senior lounge" in Bostock, where the Pulsar Triyo will be playing. Gourmet desserts, a coffee and tea bar and a performance by Katharine Whalen from the Squirrel Nut Zippers will be offered. Guests will also take home vintage Duke souvenirs such as 1940s tailgate replica pins.