President Richard Brodhead did the Cha Cha and the crowd answered baseball trivia to pass the time, but at NCCU-Duke NITE at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park Wednesday, a violent thunderstorm meant there was no ball game.
A smattering of Duke and North Carolina Central University students and faculty were among the 5,063 fans in attendance. Most of the crowd left before the contest was cancelled after 90 minutes of rain delay.
When he was not dancing, Brodhead sat with NCCU Chancellor James Ammons, waiting in vain for the game to begin.
"I hate rainouts!" said Brodhead. "But we all had a lot more chance to talk than if it had been a good game."
Neither Ammons nor Brodhead could recall which official came up with the idea of hosting a baseball game in an effort to bring the schools together.
The universities have had strained relations since an NCCU student said she was raped by three members of the 2005-2006 men's lacrosse team.
"Whoever came up with it, we both thought it was a good idea," Ammons said. Brodhead noted that once the event was announced, tickets were snapped up by students and staff at both schools.
The stadium was filled with NCCU paraphernalia and the plan was for Ammons to throw out the first pitch of the game. When NCCU's marching band performed, the announcer told the crowd "You're all honorary Eagles tonight."
Duke and NCCU officials said in spite of the rain, they thought people affiliated with their schools achieved some bonding, albeit soggy.
"Even if it's raining out, it's sunshining under the shelter with the NCCU and Duke students meeting and coming together," said Rosalind Fuse-Hall, executive assistant to the chancellor.
Jim Belvin, Duke's director of financial aid, planned to watch the game from a friend's luxury box. He said he hoped the event would bring the schools closer, adding, "we obviously need to do some work in that regard."
Several students in attendance said they were optimistic about the potential for bonding.
Davis Dixon, an NCCU junior and drummer for the school's marching band, said the perception of Duke in the eyes of NCCU students has changed since the rape allegations were initially made public.
"At first it was a feeling of outrage because nobody knew the facts," Davis said. "I guess right now its pretty calm because everyone's waiting for the facts to come out."
Duke sophomore Kevin Troy said the event was a good idea, and ventured it would have been more successful if the weather had been less stormy.
"In order for there to be genuine and significant connections between Duke and NCCU students it has to happen more spontaneously and on an individual level," Troy said. "But such spontaneous interactions can be catalyzed by programmed events."
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