Commentary: 'I'm glad I came to Duke'

The other day I spoke with my dear mother (as I am want to do from time to time), and she posited a question at which I was taken aback. "Kevin," she said, "Are you glad you chose Duke? If you had to do it all over again, would you have chosen the same school, was it the right place?"

I, being the benevolent caring son that I am, didn't have the heart to tell her "no;" for she had spent too many hours at the loom creating the loveliest knock-off Southwest-American designed hand towels which she sold at church craft fairs so that we could afford Duke.

So instead of telling the truth, I said nothing.

Flash way back to what seemed like December 1927! My wish of escaping a family legacy working in the Chicago meatpacking plants will only be answered through a college education. I am filling out an application to gain admission to Washington University. Midway through the first page, the post arrives and I, in my knickers with Spud the dog in tow, race to the front door in hopes of good news. There, upon the front stoop rested a parcel bearing my name and postmarked from Durham. It was a letter from the Office of Undergraduate Admissions at the new school in the South informing me that I had been waitlisted, waitlisted! Huzzah, huzzah, I would soon be, with any luck, a southern gentleman.

Flash-forward to 1999! I'm putting the finishing touches on the application to Washington University, when another letter arrives from Duke awaiting my retrieval upon the front porch. And so, with Spud the dog in tow once more, I bounded down the stairs to find that I had finally been admitted to Duke University.

When recalling the years at Duke, I am reminded of an Irish proverb: "It is in the company of each other that the people live." We get too caught up with campus policies, programming and organizations that we often forget the art of hanging out and have to schedule even those times. It's the people that matter. No matter how much students can learn, drink or laze around, the facet that sets Duke apart from other schools is the composition of the students. Sure there are a lot of jerks around, but for the most part people here are good. If I hadn't liked the people at Duke, I would have left, but as it is I have met some extraordinary friends--professors included. Few memories recount hours in Perkins or in class. Moments with friends make up most everything I recall about the last four years. From fire-code violating parties in GA, to adventures on event tents, to K-Ville, road runs with friends, tea and scrumpets and passionate late night debates about topics which we knew nothing about.

My only regret about coming to Duke is that I met some of these people too late and that I did not have enough time to get to know them all as much as I would have liked. There's never enough time to really get to know all the interesting, quality people you encounter. With limited days left, I guess the best thing to do is to rank your friends in order from best to worst, spending time with each accordingly.

This brief reflection upon my journey to Duke and the good times spent in the company of friends finally gives me an answer to my mom's question. Next time I see her I'll give hug her and say, "Yes, I'm glad I came to Duke. Your hours at the loom were worth it, thanks heaps."

Kevin Ogorzalek is a Trinity senior. His column appears every third Thursday.