Armed with cameras and curiosity, prospective students and their families line up in front of Cameron Indoor Stadium and marvel at the nomadic settlements spanning the lawn.
To outsiders, it may look like a segment of fraternity hazing, or worse, a far-flung attempt to get on reality TV. But to the most dedicated Cameron Crazies, tenting for the men's home basketball game against the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill March 8 is a lifestyle that often takes precedence over health.
"You know you are going to get sick no matter how much vitamin C you take," junior Kim Marston said. "You don't get as much sleep normally with late tent checks, but it's not too bad."
Jean Hanson, administrative director of the Student Health Center, said students in Krzyzewskiville face a number of potential health concerns-such as sickness and sanitation-which are promoted by lack of hygiene and living in close proximity with others inside tents.
She noted that consuming alcohol is one of the most dangerous practices students can partake in if they are tenting because alcohol dilates blood vessels and increases the amount of blood flow to the surface of the skin, which ultimately results in heat loss.
"Heavy drinking will often make you sleepy or pass out altogether," Hanson said. "If you pass out and fall asleep while you are exposed to the cold, then it is just going to make it worse. You can end up with hypothermia."
Last year, sophomore Jessica Learish caught hypothermia when she woke up in a puddle after a rainy first night in her tent. Nonetheless, being a dedicated Crazie, she resumed her post in the tent 48 hours later.
Hypothermia or not, many of the tenters said one of the biggest problem they face in K-ville is falling asleep surrounded by loud conversation or drunken banter.
"I went back [to my room] at seven this morning, set my alarm at eight to get up for class and woke up at noon because I couldn't get to sleep until five last night because of sounds from across the walkway," freshman Matt Jacobson said.
In addition to drunken noises, having to be alert for late tent checks does not allow students to get a healthy amount of uninterrupted sleep, Hanson said.
Desperate for rest, some students said they have resorted to extreme measures.
"You either get drunk and pass out or use your iPod," freshman Javi Micheo said.
'Tenting should be fun'
But for others the drunken chatters add amusement to their experiences at K-ville.
"It's [funny] when [the drunk students] think that the big smiley face chair in front of our tent is the most fascinating thing in the world and want to sit in it and take pictures in it," sophomore Ben McCormick said.
Compared to unwanted chattering, the cold temperature has drawn more negative sentiment from bitter tenters wanting the feeling to return to their fingers.
"Most of the nights you can't even have your hands outside of your pockets," freshman Matt Graham said. "How are you going to play beer pong and put your hands in water?"
Although the tenters have had a lot to complain about, Head Line Monitor Roberto Bazzani, a senior, said he has been lenient in giving grace, thereby relieving students of tent duty.
"There's always grace after a tent check when it gets to a certain temperature," he said. "When it's raining or snowing it's not healthy to be out there. There is no point for you to be out there to get sick and have you not go to the game because you are miserable. Tenting should be fun."
As of Wednesday night, when registration for blue tenting ended, 39 tents were registered in K-ville, Roberto said, adding that nine tents had dropped out but some have rejoined.
With the advent of the semester, new classes and greek and selective living rush, some tenters said they were sick of balancing their schedules with tenting.
"I got there the first week of rush, and it was hectic," freshman Pete Zseleczky said. "I didn't feel like being in a sleeping bag every time I wanted to do my homework. I knew that half the tent didn't want to be there so I voiced my opinion first and then the tent fell apart."
Freshman Stewart Day, who was in Zsleczky's tent, said others in his tent dropped because of the cold or because they felt their workload was too demanding. But he is still looking to find another group and continue tenting.
Looking at the lawn in front of K-ville covered in tents, it is obvious that the Crazies remain adamant about their love for Duke basketball, despite the lack of sleep, cold weather and likelihood of contracting illness.
"I understand that it takes a lot of sacrifice," freshman Qasim Khan said. "But when March 8 rolls around and we beat UNC, it'll be totally worth it."
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