The fake release of this year’s LDOC lineup caused a commotion on campus, and students have openly expressed their disappointment.
Following a countdown by LDOC committee co-chairs, sophomores Anton Saleh and David Soled, a video posted by Duke Student Broadcasting Tuesday night announced that the Last Day of Classes line-up would actually be released Thursday at 10 p.m. The goal of the teaser video was to build the hype around the event and get people talking, Saleh said—but he did not account for the amount of public backlash that has ensued. Derogatory posts on Yik Yak and other platforms have dominated the world of social media since the video’s release.
“You have to take it with a grain of salt,” Saleh said. “I wouldn’t say [the backlash] was completely unexpected, but I didn’t expect it to be as crazy as it was.”
Saleh added that it was not his and Soled’s intention to upset the students to this extent. But despite these intentions, many members of the student body voiced that they were frustrated by the video’s deception.
Sophomore Alec Mazzuckelli joked that he was greatly saddened by the teaser.
“I was very disappointed to see that I was lied to and I hope it doesn’t happen again,” he said, laughing.
Duke University Improv recently released a parody of the LDOC committee’s video, mimicking the actions of both co-chairs.
“I think they may be the two most hated people on Duke’s campus,” sophomore Risa Brudney said jokingly.
Saleh, however, said that he does not regret their decision to release the teaser video, noting his belief in their intention to simply build momentum for the event.
“We legitimately thought it would be a good way to get the students hyped and excited about LDOC,” Saleh said. “I 100 percent stand by what we decided to do.”
Some students, such as sophomore Emma Randall, noted that the video was misleading.
“It definitely means that everyone’s expectations will be higher on the fifth,” she said.
But others viewed the video with less distaste.
“I thought it was funny,” said sophomore Vrushin Dani. “I thought the fact people were outraged was funny as well. People need a sense of humor.”
Saleh noted that, despite the harsh feedback, they accomplished their goal of getting students to talk about the event.
The line-up will officially be announced Thursday at 10 p.m. on the LDOC Facebook page.
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