Share This

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

It was 10:30 a.m. on a Friday when my friends, Christine, Mollie, Aly, Amber, Leigh and I got in line for an event that didn’t start until later that evening…I repeat, 10:30 a.m.! Cameron Crazies take Countdown to Craziness (and all Duke basketball) very seriously. Some crazies were already in line when we got there, and had been for hours! Rumors were the first in line started around 5am. Our arrival was early enough, though, because we checked in with the line monitors to find we were group #30 that morning. That’s right… line monitors… for a blue vs. white game!

We set up our blankets, pulled out our homework and a football to toss around, and settled in to enjoy the beautiful day and our first Cameron Crazie experience. That afternoon, I actually opted for what is arguably the best nap of my life lying right in the middle of Krzyzewskiville.

Hours went by and shifts were changed as each of us rushed off to our Friday classes, to change, or grab a quick bite to eat (we had to have at least half of the group in line at all times). We watched as the line got longer and longer and, soon enough, it was completely wrapped around K-ville. Right before the line started moving for us to enter into Cameron Indoor, everyone got the chance to relax and take a break from our coveted positions to enjoy the community gathering. There was a DJ who played music and lots of dancing, relaxing, and preparing for Countdown.

Finally the line began moving and we headed into Cameron Indoor Stadium. Getting in line early ended up paying off big time – my friends and I got front row seats, right on the court! The energy was contagious as the clock ticked down until the start of the blue vs. white game. It was fun getting to pull for both teams, but blue ended up coming out ahead of white by a small margin. Afterwards, we had the chance to watch a dunk contest, with special guest judges JJ Reddick and Gerald Henderson. Miles Plumlee was victorious after dunking over his not-so-little brother, Marshall. Check out his winning dunk: httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PCq4ZgcFk6o

I have to say, Countdown was probably one of the most memorable nights I’ve had at Duke so far. As a freshman, it was one of the first times I felt that incredible unity and school spirit Duke is so famous for. Definitely something to look forward to next year!