On Saturday, I witnessed the greatest men's basketball comeback of my Duke career thus far. Although I rank the 77-75 1998 home victory over the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill as the most special Duke victory of my time, this victory was more impressive. Few teams could score 10 unanswered points in under a minute. Few teams have players like Jason Williams who can play inspired basketball despite being in a slump for the first 39 minutes of a contest. Few teams can spark an emotional explosion on their home campus even while hundreds of miles away. It is that last quality that led us into trouble Saturday night.
The illegal bonfire of this past weekend placed our bench-burning tradition in jeopardy.
The Durham fire marshal nearly suspended our permit for the Carolina game. On some level, I do not blame him. As a public officer concerned with safety, I am sure, he never wants a large fire so close to dormitories. This latest display challenged his authority and he responded to that challenge. He may not realize it, but this was almost extraordinarily bad.
In 1998, the University did not have a bonfire permit. Instead, as students (myself included) left Cameron, we were greeted by a "foam party" which turned out to be a lot of soapy mud. Later that night was one of the most surreal and scary times of my Duke experience. With all West Campus under bright lights, students roamed the quads, avoiding Darth Vader-like riot police and waiting for the start of a bonfire. A crowd would form around a bench and some flames would shoot up. In an instant, the closest students were pinned down and led away while the flames were extinguished. We would then wait for the next uprising. Police made 23 arrests that night. We were lucky there weren't more injuries.
As a result of that uprising, 14 benches were ordered to be removed from campus. Four days later, students executed a plan that drew police away from Clocktower Quadrangle, allowing them to start a fire. By the end of the night, most of the benches on West went up in flames while students cursed the administration in Cameron-like chants. Student-administration relations were, to say the least, less than ideal.
In the years since, we have rebuilt that relationship. Through fire permits and a less imposing police presence, the administration has allowed students to have bonfires. The University lessens its legal liability for having sanctioned burnings while students get to celebrate in the traditional Duke way. All the fires have been relatively safe and orderly. No one has been seriously injured; all have had fun. On Saturday, we broke that deal. Thankfully, we reached a compromise in time for tomorrow's game.
No one wanted a return to 1998-not students, not the administration, not the police. The simple fact is this: Provided we beat the Tar Heels on Thursday, something will burn, whether it is benches, couches or the student-administration relationship. Let us celebrate within the guidelines of the bonfire permit and undo any harm done to this valuable relationship.
The fire marshal rightly restored our permit. To thank him for a second chance, we can show our enthusiasm for the basketball team without breaking any local ordinances or clashing with law enforcement officers. In the future, we do not want riot-geared police officers enforcing the no-bonfire rule game after game. The situation could easily degenerate into a replay of 1998 or worse.
Of course, all this talk could be for nothing if the basketball team loses tomorrow, which is a real possibility considering the quality of both teams. In the event that we do win, I hope we can celebrate in our customary way, without breaking the law. I hope all students will have the common sense not to challenge or provoke law enforcement officers. I have faith in our student body to act responsibly and to show their opposing viewpoints through words and not through violence. At the end of the day, this is about supporting our team and taking joy in its success.
Please remember that.
Dave Nigro is a Trinity senior.
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