Saturday's inauguration of President Richard Brodhead culminated in an elegant ball complete with a packed dance floor, free alcohol and a Cinderella-style transformation of Cameron Indoor Stadium.
Saturday’s inauguration of President Richard Brodhead culminated in an elegant ball complete with a packed dance floor, free alcohol and a Cinderella-style transformation of Cameron Indoor Stadium. Basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski’s court was replaced with drapes and gilded columns, rich bouquets, chandeliers and tuxedoed waiters serving hors d’oeuvres to crowds of students and alumni.
“I think they must have kidnapped Krzyzewski when they did this,” senior Clayton Eiswirth said.
The dance floor was filled with swing-dancing, conga-ing and slow-dancing couples, but students were not the only ones partaking in the festivities. Alumni and delegates from other universities flocked to Duke for the inauguration ceremony and had as much fun at the “school dance” as students did. “I don’t remember anything like this while I was here,” said Michael Johnson, Trinity ’68. “It’s an interesting throwback to the late ’50s—it’s very wholesome and incredibly well-organized.”
The evening included performances by various Blue Devil dance and a capella groups, and the featured band, The Voltage Brothers, played covers of classic songs such as “My Girl” and “What a Wonderful World.”
“The band is awesome, and they play music from the era when music was good,” freshman David Wagner said.
Those attending the ball said the music created an irresistible atmosphere, and Brodhead himself danced the night away with his wife Cynthia, celebrating his first evening as the official president of Duke University.
As the night was winding down, the Duke University Improv emcees tweaked one of Brodhead’s Yale speeches and informally bequeathed the University to him in his own words. “This place, Duke, is yours now. Come get the good of it,” senior Rob Painter said.
They then presented Brodhead with a game of Chutes and Ladders. “During your presidency here there will be many chutes, but we are certain that there will always be a ladder nearby,” senior Jeremy Chapman said.
Brodhead accepted with a grin. “They have no idea how good I am at this game,” he said.
Most of the students who attended had not gone to the other inauguration events over the weekend and came to the ball just for the fun, for the dancing, or for the freely-flowing supply of alcohol. Wine and beer were free for students over 21, and the plastic cups and glasses were a permanent fixture in most people’s hands. However, the carding did not stop underclassmen from attending; they said they had a good time simply dancing and taking in the swank atmosphere. “There’s really good food and good decorations. It’s amazing,” sophomore Liz Williams said.
Duke has not organized a formal dance in decades, and this first one left a good impression on those who went. Students who attended said they thought the dance was something that could be implemented as a more frequent event on campus. “It’s a very nice change from the normal college atmosphere,” freshman Maggie Abernathy said.
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