The concentration of elated students who crowded the street spawned bonfires, debauchery and vandalism as students were engulfed by the collective energy -- and, as some say, acted beyond the bounds of reason.
"We were all catalysts for each other's excitement," said Chris Dalton, a freshman from Asheville who rushed Franklin Street immediately after the game. "We just had to fan it outward."
With two years passed since UNC's last basketball victory over Duke, many students said they didn't know what to expect from the celebration and were surprised by the number of people present.
Many of those people chose to revel in the victory by lighting one of two bonfires, using materials such as police barricades, traffic cones and hard lemonade as fuel.
Other partygoers channeled their energy into the vandalism of a parked car, smashing the windows and overturning the vehicle. Some students who observed the vandalism said they were not particularly disturbed by the incident.
"It's not cool that the woman's car got trashed," said freshman Erik Severinghaus. "But anybody who parks their car on Franklin Street before the Duke game is just stupid."
But for junior Sarah Coffey, the destructive behavior of students celebrating the win crossed over onto campus. The English major left her room in Old West to join in the celebration, but instead saw her car windshield being smashed in the Hanes parking lot. "I was as excited as anyone," she said. "But I never made it to Franklin Street. I had to deal with the police all night. It's so frustrating. It's not like I'm a Duke student."
Cory Graham, a sophomore drama and communication studies major, said the destructive acts could have been prevented by student government taking an active role promoting responsible behavior and in organizing more controlled post-game events, echoing the sentiments of some law enforcement officials. "Student government can get involved by creating some preplanned events that are more coordinated but still have outlets for celebration," he said.
The UNC campus did not escape the celebration unscathed, with reports of bonfires in front of Connor Residence Hall and the fourth-floor water fountain of Morrison Residence Hall being tossed from the balcony.
