The Chronicle

Issue date: 2/7/08 Section: News
Last update: 2/7/08 at 6:34 AM EST

Media Credit: Zachary Tracer Benches from Few and Craven quadrangles burn on Main West Quad Wednesday as students cheer.

Media Credit: Chase Olivieri Following an 89-78 Duke win over North Carolina, students celebrated on Main West Quadrangle by burning benches and other kindling, including copies of The Chronicle.

Call it Ash Wednesday.

Following the Blue Devils' victory over the Tar Heels Wednesday night, students poured onto Main West Quadrangle and absolved themselves and their team of two years of frustration in a fiery celebration of flames, embers and ash.

"This just goes to show that Duke students can win an awesome game, have good fun, good fire, good fights and no one needs to get hurt," mud-covered sophomore Frank Jemison said.

But because the Durham Fire Marshal had not given the University a permit for the bonfire-which included the burning of two benches-plans for future bonfires may go up in smoke.

Campus Council President Ryan Todd, a senior, said Assistant Dean for Residence Life Deb LoBiondo told him shortly after the fire began that there would likely be no more permits for bonfires.

No permit had been requested because, traditionally, there is no bonfire after a road win at UNC-a custom many students dropped by the wayside Wednesday. Bonfires typically follow NCAA Championships or home victories over the Tar Heels.

The celebration began immediately after Duke's 89-78 victory at the Dean Smith Center in Chapel Hill and culminated with the fire.

"It's wild," second-year Divinity School student Nick Liao said. "I've never seen anything like this, [but] it looks kind of dangerous."

By midnight, Duke University Police Department officials had arrived on the scene. Although many uniformed officers were present, they made no attempt to regulate the fire, remaining on the fringes.

In addition to the two benches, students fueled the fire with stacks of newspapers. Some bystanders began to leave the scene when embers began to hit students and nearby trees.

"It was a really intense game," senior Sabrina Smith said. "All of our spirit is exemplified in the bonfire with the wind blowing and embers everywhere."

Durham Fire Department personnel arrived at 12:10 a.m. Firefighters quickly doused the blaze, despite students' protests that their actions were a waste of precious water in the midst of a serious drought.

Once the fire was extinguished, students gathered to watch impromptu wrestling matches. Just as the crowd began to disperse, students rallied once more to welcome the team returning from the game.

The players, oblivious to the mayhem that had preceded their arrival, attempted to get things rolling again.

"Pour some gasoline on it! Gasoline, baby!" freshman forward Kyle Singler shouted.

In a horde more than one hundred strong, students followed the players through the quad to the strains of familiar Cameron Crazie chants.

"It's a great feeling," said senior guard DeMarcus Nelson, who scored 13 points in the victory. "We competed hard, we competed well. We've got a million students behind us-the best fans in the world."

DUPD Maj. Phyllis Cooper would not comment on the department's preparation for a fire Wednesday, but said the best officers could do was hope for students to "behave." A fire marshal also said there would be no comment from DFD until today.

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