Some campus icons wear basketball jerseys. Others lead classrooms. But one, with a gleaming smile and familiar tail, never fails to bring joy.
For students rushing between classes, running into Gold, the beloved golden retriever of Keith Upchurch, Trinity ‘72, is a cherished treat. Gold and Upchurch visit campus nearly every day, usually sitting on the elevated platform right next to the Brodhead Center on the Bryan Center Plaza.
Upchurch hopes that interactions with Gold will cheer up passing students, even if it’s a brief respite. As a Duke alumnus, he understands the academic pressure students may encounter, which is clear from the tension on their faces.
“I’ll see [students] sometimes coming down the walkway and from a distance. Before they see us, they look stressed and kind of unhappy,” Upchurch said. “And when they see her … they usually start smiling.”
And smile they do. Gold’s welcoming and calm demeanor attracts around 100 fans each day, according to Upchurch. She eagerly accepts any form of pets and is continuously searching for her next visitor, and students naturally reciprocate.
When Gold was exactly eight weeks old, Upchurch picked her up and brought her to campus the very next day.
Upchurch and Gold have always had a strong bond — after Nugget’s passing in May 2022, students wondered if Upchurch would bring another companion to campus. He got the chance when a breeder offered him a puppy that had originally been claimed by another owner.
As Upchurch’s third golden retriever, Gold’s name naturally followed a pattern set by his previous two. His first golden was named Midas, the Greek king who turned everything he touched into gold. His second, Nugget, was inspired by a golden nugget. Upchurch wanted to name his third golden Oro, the Spanish word for gold, but ultimately settled on a one-syllable name that would not have to be explained.
Like the students, Upchurch worried about the welcoming nature of his new puppy.
“I really didn’t think I could find another dog that would be as strong a magnet as Nugget was,” he said. “I was wrong about that.”
Returning to campus with Gold was a simple decision for Upchurch, as students had grown close with Nugget and missed their visits. Gold not only filled the “void” left by Nugget but also allowed Upchurch to continue brightening students’ days.
Although her golden joy never seems to fade on campus, in reality, “[Gold’s personality] runs the whole spectrum,” Upchurch said. While seemingly full of energy, her intensity is quickly subdued back home after a long day on campus.
Gold, like the students at Duke, is full of hidden talents. Upchurch excitedly described Gold’s passion for skateboarding, which she taught herself to do. He recalled how a skateboarder passed by one day, and Gold immediately tried to follow suit.
“She got on the skateboard, and [put] two of her legs on it, and she used the other two to push herself off,” Upchurch said. “She flipped the skateboard over and started chewing on the wheel.”
Gold knows basic tricks, including how to shake, which only took her about 30 seconds to learn. She can sit and stand up on command, but she has not yet learned to roll over.
After Upchurch’s time at Duke, he began a 40+ year career at The Herald Sun, Durham’s local newspaper, where he covered essentially everything except sports.
Upchurch had a strong interest in journalism from a young age and wrote for The Chronicle for four years after arriving at Duke. He was also a writer and editor for his high school paper.
Upchurch experienced long and stressful reporting days, sometimes covering murder trials for eight hours followed by transcribing notes and writing up stories late into the night. He believes that having a dog definitely helped alleviate that stress.
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“When you go home and the dog is happy to see you, and they’re not placing any deadlines on you, that’s very helpful,” he said. “Being around a dog is the opposite of being stressed.”
Retired from journalism for eight years now, Upchurch believes that coming to visit Duke with Gold is the best use of his time — and that the best part of retirement is not having deadlines anymore.
Besides spending time with his pup on campus, Upchurch enjoys swimming and photography.
During the pandemic, requests came pouring in from students who were stuck at home asking for photos of Nugget. Taking daily pictures of Nugget and sharing them with students became a habit for Upchurch, representing a philosophy of generosity that continues with Gold to this day.
“I like to share her with people,” Upchurch said. “[It’s] therapeutic.”
Mia Taubenblat is a Trinity first-year and a staff reporter for the news department.
Ariella Maroni is a Trinity first-year and a staff reporter for the news department.