Prior to coming to Duke, you may or may not have scoured through college review websites, YouTube videos, blogs and so on to get the most questionable information on your soon-to-be alma mater. After sifting through the Internet and listening to what all your friends had to say about the Gothic Wonderland, you were probably left with a skewed vision of this place. I’m here to un-skew it.
Myth 1: Duke is extremely Southern
Yes, sweet tea is served at almost every reception—but other than that, Duke might as well be in New England. Saying y’all will often result in stares; no one owns a shotgun; and everyone and their mother is from New York, Florida or California. Our notions of “the South” include Tribeca, Los Angeles and Miami.
Myth 2: Most Duke kids are athletes
Duke has a strong sports program. Many of us, however, don’t know how to throw a ball.
Myth 3: Fraternities and sororities own the social scene
Only if you want them to. Some kids will have attended hundreds of frat parties after four years here, but others will have never made it to one. With SLGs, 9th street bars and random parties your friends throw (make friends on Central), navigating the scene can easily be done—sans Greek letters. At the end of the night, we’ll always have Shooters, which leads me to my next myth.
Myth 4: Shooters is awesome
No. If by “awesome”, you mean getting harassed at the door by creepy men with missing teeth, awkwardly dancing with that girl from your lecture who always ignores you when she’s sober and absorbing your weight in sweat (not your sweat, that fat guy’s whose trying to freak to Nicki Minaj), then yes, it’s awesome.
Myth 5: Everyone is a prodigy
False. Just because Duke is selective doesn’t mean some airheads don’t slip in. So, there’s this thing called legacy—it happens. There’s this other thing called donations—it also happens. Don’t get me wrong, there are plenty of smart folk; they’re just not as prevalent as you would think.
Myth 6: Duke is super conservative
See: Duke is extremely Southern.
Myth 7: Duke is a party school
Tell that to the people camped out in the Carpenter Reading Room in Bostock. Dukies know how to have a good time, but when it comes to studying, there is little room for screwing around. We take our academics seriously and have the Red Bull—and eyes—to prove it.
Myth 8: Durham is scary and dangerous
Have you ever taken a walk down 9th Street? Notice anything interesting about the types of people you saw? I’m going to let you in on a little secret: there are three kinds of people who live in Durham (or at least the parts that surround campus): hipsters, Duke students and more hipsters. The scariest thing that can happen around these parts is a skinny jean shortage or the realization that Parliaments are essentially Marlboros in a blue box.
Myth 9: Everyone’s rich
A lot of Duke students come from money, but it wouldn’t be accurate to apply this to everyone. Many of Dukies are on financial aid, hold merit scholarships, have work-study jobs or take out loans to pay for their education. Money is one of the more taboo issues on campus, but not all of us are swimming in it by any means.
Myth 10: Sorrorities don’t have sectioned housing due to N.C. brothel laws
Lies. Ever been to UNC? Sorority row is right on Franklin Street.
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