Wasiolek sees Cutcliffe's influence

About a week before the Blue Devils kick off their season against Richmond, Dean of Students Sue Wasiolek, Trinity '76, sat down with The Chronicle's Taylor Doherty to discuss her status as one of Duke Football's longest-serving fans.

At what point did you start following Duke Football and really enjoying it?

My first semester at Duke. I just thought that going to college and particularly going to [an FBS] school in the ACC meant that you attended football games in the fall, that's what you did in college. I sort of had this view of the leaves turning and putting on a sweater and going to a fall football game.

My freshmen year we were 2-8-1, if I recall. It was still what I thought was the thing to do and a lot of students attended. I thought it had a fairly festive feel. The student section back then was located where it now is, and I always thought that it was a better location than moving it on the other side of the field. I always liked being able to see my classmates. I felt like I was supporting them and backing them up by being on that side of the field.

What do you remember most about Duke Football as a student?

Football was the first sport that I was really exposed to as a new Duke student because basketball didn't start until later in the fall.. Even though I didn't know many of the players, or any of the players, I did know that several of them were classmates, that some of them were freshmen. There was just something about going to the games and knowing that they were students just like me. They were students and then they were out there playing hard and representing the school. For whatever reason, I felt a part of that because I felt like they were a part of my experience, even though being a varsity athlete was and still is a very different experience.

As a Duke fan for that long of a time, there certainly had to have been high points and low points. What was the program's darkest moment as a fan that you can remember since you've been here?

I think the sentiments ran the gamut of emotions. I think there were people that were angry, I think there was frustration, there was disappointment, people were embarrassed, there was this level of humiliation. The people that had been really die-hard Duke Football fans found themselves asking that question. Why are we here, why are we doing this?

We've spoken before about your excitement for head coach David Cutcliffe. What is it that he does that gives you so much confidence in him, what draws people in him?

He is an incredibly charismatic individual, and I say that in the most positive way. He is a born motivator and he knows the game of football, but he also knows people and he knows young people. And I believe he knows what it takes to put an entire program together. He knows how to recruit a young person and their family, he knows how to teach them and mentor them once they get here, he knows how to manage and oversee a staff of assistant coaches. He knows how to market a program, and his heart and soul are in it.

So it's to the point where you can just tell that he means what he says?

He exudes total genuineness and authenticity, that's who he is. He lives it and he breathes it, but he does it in such a way that you want to live it and breathe it with him.

What are your first memories of meeting Cutcliffe? What was your first impression?

I got [the feeling of confidence in him] at his press conference. I remember being home, it was a rainy Saturday evening and I knew that they were going to have a press conference announcing the new football coach. I questioned whether I should go. Is that something I should attend, do I belong there, why am I doing this? And I thought, You really want to go, you want to see what this is all about. So I hopped in my car-I only live a short distance from campus-and the Yoh [Football Center] where they held it was packed with people, all kinds of people, the athletic department and the Duke administration, but there were also people from the community and from the faculty. I walked in and my immediate reaction was, I'm really glad I'm here because I want to see this from the get-go. And he walked in and, I don't know. He was with his family and the minute he started to describe his visit to the campus and what he hoped to do here, I had this incredible, overwhelming sense of optimism. And I thought, "This could be the real deal."

What are you expectations about how far the team can go this year? Cutcliffe has thrown out the possibility of making a bowl game. Is this a realistic expectation from this team in your mind?

You know, I always start out as the eternal optimist, I always think that we can win every game, but I'm also a realist. I'd love to see us go to a bowl game, but I won't be disappointed if we don't go to a bowl game. I will be fine. We won four games last year, so being the step-wise, improvement-type person that I am, I would love to see us win five. I would consider that a good year. If we win seven, that would be a very good year. That would be exceeding my own expectations. I'm not choosing five because I don't believe in this team. I try to do a little bit of self-protection having been through many years of Duke Football now with very high expectations. I'm trying to readjust now to this new way of thinking.

Any more thoughts on the upcoming season?

I just hope there's someone out there, whether it's a student or an administrator or a professor or a community member, who is really studying David Cutcliffe right now, last year, this year, and the next year. [Someone needs] to watch how change takes place. There are all these books written about it and all these people who talk about leadership and how difficult change is and how to make it happen. I think he is living it and showing us on a day-to-day basis how to make it happen, but we need to pay attention.