UNC-Duke rivalry strong

If history has taught UNC and Duke students anything since the conception of the duo’s infamous rivalry, it might be to hate thy neighboring university.

But some have proven that love can exist even in a general atmosphere of hatred. Many inter-school friends, couples and siblings work through the bitter rivalry to salvage some sort of relationship.

Best friends forever

UNC junior Mike Santangelo and Duke junior Alex Klein’s friendship extends back to growing up together in Chicago. However, Santangelo has always loved UNC. Klein has always loved Duke.

Though the two friends are used to getting along despite their schools’ mutual dislike for each other, some wonder how their relationship exists in spite of the tension.

“It’s a great social lubricant to say, ‘This is my best friend who goes to UNC,’ when we’re hanging out at Duke,” Klein said. “People ask us if it’s been hard for our friendship, but it hasn’t except when UNC beats us in basketball.”

When the rivalry surfaces, it usually ends in a joke.

“If I ever send him an e-mail on a Friday night, he’ll respond saying something like, ‘that’s so Duke,’” Klein said.

Both believe their friendship can last through all the insults.

“Outside the rivalry, I think it’s helped to maintain our friendship because we don’t have many other friends who go to school in the South,” Santangelo said.

Klein said that even with Duke’s reputation of a lacking social scene, his best friend did enjoy a Duke football tailgate he attended last year.

“He was awestruck that something like that could happen at a prestigious university, and he had his mouth open all day like he was on another planet,” Klein said.

In love with a Dukie

Couples have also managed to survive the two schools’ loathing. UNC junior Marlana Radcliffe and Duke junior Zach Tracer met last year when Tracer attended UNC as a Robertson Scholar. Both claim the rivalry stays out of their relationship, but they still represent their separate universities, especially in sports.

“The fact that he went to Duke didn’t really change my perception of him in any fundamental way and was mostly just a fun way to tease him,” Radcliffe said.

Tracer said he believes their relationship can survive the distance and the rivalry.

“Over the summer, I was in Russia, and Marlana was in Colorado, which is obviously a lot farther away than the two schools,” he said.

UNC sophomore Nina Gandhi also dates a Duke student and said she could easily leave the rivalry out of their relationship.

“I don’t think twice about him being a ‘Dukie’. After all, I attend the University of National Champions,” she said.

Sibling strife

Duke sophomore Brad Stinson said the fact that he chose to attend Duke, and his sister, alumna Jasmine Stinson, chose to attend UNC reflects the way their relationship has always worked — love and hate.

“When we were kids, we were really competitive with each other and rivals anyway, so the school rivalry is just the next step for us,” Brad Stinson said.

The Stinson family is full of Dukies, leaving his sister and mother, the only Tar Heels, vulnerable to insults.

“One of us will make a comment saying that UNC is a joke, and Duke can whoop them in any sport there is. And everyone jumps in,” Brad Stinson, said. “It starts off as a joke, but in the end, someone’s feelings always get hurt.”

Contact the Features Editor at features@unc.edu.