Watch List: Climb towers

The spiraling and tedious climb to the top of the Duke Chapel certainly presents a rewarding, one-of-a-kind view of campus. However, Duke’s campus offers many other unique and spectacular views from the heights of its gargoyle-studded buildings. Though climbing these other buildings is forbidden by the Duke Community Standard, motivated Duke students have found ways to reach the top.

In addition to the University-sanctioned trip to the top of the Duke Chapel, Duke students have managed to view campus from the peaks of Perkins Library, Baldwin Auditorium and Few dormitory, among others.

A Duke junior* said he scaled Baldwin Auditorium on East Campus twice during his freshman year. Though he recommended going with a group and having the strength to support one’s own body weight, this student found the unofficial graduation requirement rewarding.

“I enjoyed it because it gives you a great view over East, and from a certain angle you can even see the Chapel in the distance,” he wrote in an email March 18. “I would compare it to climbing the Chapel and getting a high view of West Campus. It's a good unofficial graduation requirement because, if safe about it, it allows you to better appreciate the beauty of East Campus, which is so easily overlooked compared to West.”

Another building that offers probably one of the greatest views of the Duke Chapel is Few dormitory. One sophomore* said she has ascended this building’s heights five times and has even studied there. She takes pleasure in not only the view, but also the unrivaled solitude the building’s rooftop offers.

“I enjoy being on top of Few because it’s quiet and there’s usually no one up there. It’s hard to find a lot of places at Duke where you can be alone,” she wrote in an email March 18.

The Gothic architecture that adorns Duke’s buildings is certainly a sight to behold, yet the mysterious corridors and doors of these buildings just may lead to an even greater sight, one that provides a 360-degree glimpse of the entire campus. The view from such lofty heights can help students clear their heads, find some peace or fulfill their adventurous longings.

Regardless of the reason for the climb, what counts is that Duke students scope out ways to scale one of these majestic buildings and experience a whole new perspective while fulfilling this rather audacious component of the unofficial Duke bucket list.