Duke football game behavior unacceptable

As a Duke alum, I feel obligated to voice my concern to the Duke community about some behavior from a current Duke student at the football game this past Saturday. I am a teacher in Durham where many of my students are UNC fans. We love to joke around with each other about which team is the best. I try to teach my students how to have a healthy and fun rivalry. However, this weekend things went too far for my liking. A student fan at the Duke-Miami football game this weekend crossed the line.

One of my students, a UNC fan, attended the Duke-Miami football game. He decided to wear his UNC shirt to that game (his prerogative) and was met with some negative comments from a few Duke students. He said that they seemed to be drunk when they said these things to him (not that that is an excuse). What upset me most, however, is that my student, who is only 13 years old, was cussed at and spit on by one of those Duke fans. In my opinion, to be spit on is one of the worst forms of disrespect-and to a child-utterly inexcusable. Perhaps if students were aware of this situation, together, we could take a stand against inexcusable, rude and embarrassing behavior.

Toni Graves Williamson

Trinity '08

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