From Ed Sheeran’s Friday night performance in Wallace Wade Stadium where he called for a Duke football victory, to a nail-biting final minute win against North Carolina Saturday, the University community had a lot to celebrate this past weekend.
Whether it was braving the rain during the concert, rushing the field after Duke’s historic comeback or attending the Chapel service, the Duke community rejoiced in a celebration of the University — past, present and future — during the Founders’ Day and Homecoming Weekend events. Take a look at some of the scenes from the festivities.
Founders’ Day concert
Thousands of students and alumni streamed into a packed Wallace Wade Stadium at 6 p.m. ahead of Sheeran’s highly-anticipated performance. Long lines of eager students formed as animated chatter arose from the stadium.
First-year Bomin Kim was surprised to see Sheeran at Duke. With midterms approaching, he felt the concert was a much-needed “stress-reliever.”
“It shows that [the University] really care[s] about the students, and that they're willing to put so much for the students here,” he said of the concert.
The event was hosted by stand-up comedian and actress Retta, Trinity ’92, and was opened with a performance by 9th Wonder, hip-hop producer and lecturing fellow in the department of African & African American studies, and producer Give Em Soul. The DJ set was accompanied by a video slideshow highlighting pivotal moments and figures from Duke’s past 100 years.
Retta then introduced President Vincent Price, who defined the Centennial as celebrating the “small moments, iconic moments, the Duke moments.” A short video followed, similarly revisiting the University’s most iconic moments, from its founding to Nobel Prize achievements and NCAA victories.
“That is what this Centennial celebration is all about. We look back to honor the successes from the past. We identify ways to grow. We unite around a sense of deeply held purpose, and we act in service to each other, to our campus, to our city and to the entire world,” Price said. “What a journey the last 100 years have been, and what a story the next 100 years will be.”
The night sky was then illuminated by a drone show displaying “Let’s Go Duke,” “Forever Duke” as well as images of the Blue Devil and the Duke Chapel in shining lights.
‘A Once-in-a-Century Musical Performance’
Branded as “A Once-in-a-Century Musical Performance,” the much-anticipated event peaked with a high-energy performance by Sheeran.
However, not everyone got to see the singer up close. Many students and employees with teal tickets were seated behind the stage, only able to watch the night’s performance through the stadium’s video board. The stage was built on the sidelines to preserve the field ahead of the following day’s homecoming football matchup.
Sophomores Jennifer Wang and Vickie Kim were turned away at the gate to the student section in front of the stage because their tickets were teal instead of pink or purple. They described themselves as “spectators to the spectators,” only able to view the performance on the stadium’s video board from the remote side of the stage.
“It's very FOMO-y to see everyone having such a fun time with the lights flashing, and then all you see is the side of the stage,” Kim said.
Sheeran performed as a one-man band, sampling sounds and syncing beats using loop stations on the spot. Wallace Wade stadium lit up with thousands of cell phone lights during the chorus of “Perfect.” The 90-minute set closed with an encore performance of “Bad Habits,” which was met with applause from all corners of the stadium.
Despite brief showers of rain, the charged atmosphere showed no signs of waning. According to first-year Bernard Liang, the weather only made the live experience better.
“The rain came during a sad song with perfect timing and the rain just made it so much more fun,” he said.
For junior Angelli Garibaldi, the experience was a dream come true, which she said was “like [her] whole childhood coming to life.”
For others, it was the sense of nostalgia and the company of friends that defined the night. Despite not securing the best seats, junior Catherine Pyne believed that being closer to the stage would not have made the experience the same if it meant sitting without her friends.
“I've met some of my greatest friends here. I know I'm going to keep in touch with them for the rest of my life,” she said.
A tailgate to remember
Ahead of kickoff against North Carolina, the Blue Devil community rallied for a tailgate in K-Ville, featuring a big screen monitor, a DJ, free food from Quad Councils and tents with games.
“It's pretty hype. It looks like everyone's having a great time, and it's just getting started,” said first-year Raahim Hashmi. Although it wasn’t his first football game and tailgate, he expected “a whole different level of energy.”
Eric Savage, Trinity ’92 and Pratt ’27, flew from India to attend the concert, meet old friends and cheer on the Blue Devils.
“As a student, you're there with all your friends and you’re pre-gaming, and it's very social,” Savage said. “As an alumni, it's just a bit different, but still great.”
Duke parents also joined the festivities alongside their children. For Dan Savitt, a Pennsylvania State University alumnus, he was excited to see football head coach Manny Diaz in his new position at Duke.
Sweet victory
Students rushed the field and fireworks erupted at Wallace Wade after the Blue Devils snatched a 21-20 victory in a suspenseful second half comeback. While UNC fans left Wallace Wade dejected, Duke fans left in shouts of victory.
“First it was nauseating,” said senior Eliza Moore of the beginning of the game. “I was a little scared at the half, I won't lie, but our team really pulled it together.”
Her friend, senior Kennedy Rouser, agreed, saying she “knew we would make a comeback.”
They recounted how they stormed the field, speedwalking with other students from Devils Deck to the field at the 2-minute mark. They expressed gratitude that what may have been their last time storming the field was memorable and energetic.
“I've never felt more connected to the rest of Duke than storming that field,” Rouser said.
Chapel services
The University hosted a service of worship at the Duke Chapel on Sunday morning, featuring speeches by Price and sermons from religious leaders on campus.
The event started at 11 a.m. and included prayers delivered in Hindi, Spanish, Mandarin and Korean, as well as a selection of hymns.
“I love that they talked about how in the Pentecostal day, they heard God in many different languages,” Karla Pena Guerra, Ph.D ’27 said of the service. She said that hearing part of the service in Spanish made her feel “more connected.”
For alumni, the event brought back poignant memories from decades past.
“I saw Terry Sanford, right there in front of the James B. Duke statue, talk and negotiate with student strikers who had closed the library in [19]69,” James Johnson, Ph.D ’74 said, pointing with his walking stick to the statue. “He walked out there by himself with a bullhorn, nobody else, no security, no anything. Spent two hours talking with them.”
Johnson said the service brought back old memories, including of friends being married in the Chapel, seeing former UNC basketball head coach Dean Smith attend services, watching theater troupes deliver performances and listening to various preachers over the years.
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Samanyu Gangappa is a Trinity sophomore and local/national news editor for the news department.
Lucas Lin is a Trinity sophomore and a university news editor of The Chronicle's 120th volume.