Kocher, Duke Chaplain, Reflects On Time In Tar Heel Booth

"When I first came here, I was just not wise."

Craig Kocher, associate dean of the Chapel and director of Religious Life, said these words when looking back on his time as a graduate student at Duke, studying for his Master of Divinity.

A life-long Carolina fan and former radio broadcaster for the Tar Heels' women's basketball team, he was, of course, talking about the practice of trash-talking.

"Carolina would win, and I'd give people a hard time. I'd talk too much," Kocher said. "I now know a lot more. For example, Duke loses to Clemson, and I don't say a word, because I know in five days it could be the opposite. And a month later, Duke might beat Carolina by 30. I wait till the end of the season and do it all in retrospect."

He says he misses his time in the booth—not because he made the wrong decision joining the church, but simply because of the great fun he had doing it. These days, he is content with examining some of the bigger problems our world as a whole is facing, specifically concerning religion.

"Religious life is a vibrant and active part of the university culture. But I think it's also misunderstood in a lot of ways," Kocher said. "We're a part of a university that's an institution trying to train students to be not just citizens but leaders in a larger world. And we have a world that is aflame both with religious tension and possibility."

In May, Kocher, along with the heads of the Jewish and Muslim campus ministries, will take a pilgrimage with 16 students from 5 different religious backgrounds to Turkey, a place rich with sacred history, he said.

But tonight, he will be cheering for his North Carolina women's basketball team when it plays host to Duke at 7:30 p.m. in the Dean E. Smith Center. It's the only time these days that he cheers against the Blue Devils, but that's only because of the love and respect he's gained while working and studying at Duke eight out of the last 10 years.