This was the song resounding throughout all of Chapel Hill on Saturday night, signifying Carolina's victory over Duke. It was, in fact, more than just a victory. It was a true execution of Coach K and his Blue Devils.
The day began with a Tarheel baseball game against the Stony Brook Seawolves. It was a beautiful day outside and I wanted to work on a paper before leaving for Spring break, so I took my schoolwork down to Boshamer Stadium, propped my feet up on the seat in front of me and enjoyed the smell of popcorn, the crunch of peanut shells under my shoes and the tink of a baseball against the aluminum bat, an immediate reminder of a new season's upcoming arrival.
UNC easily took a quick lead and the score only continued to climb as the game continued. I was sitting behind a group of guys who called themselves the "strikeout crew," a name that caught on with fellow Tarheels sitting around us,
and each time the pitcher struck out a Seawolf batter, they would affix a laminated sign with a "K" on it to the railing of the stadium with duct tape. As irritated as the Seawolf fans around us became, we enjoyed watching the strikeouts pile up. I had to leave at the top of the fifth inning, but as I walked out of the stadium, the Tarheels had 
The UNC basketball ticket lottery system is set up in a phase system, with students receiving either a Phase One, Two, Three, Four or Five ticket for the Duke game. Phase One is let in two and a half hours prior to the start of the game, Phase Two is let in two hours before, Phase Three an hour and a half before, Phase Four an hour before, and Phase Five a half an hour before. Therefore, to ensure the best seat possible, students tend to line up really early for their phase time. My friend, Katie, and I went during Phase Four and got there at about 5:30 as the following line started piling up behind us:
Students started chanting, one side of the line yelling an energetic "TAR!" and another responding with an enthusiastic "HEELS!" Others shouted "WHOSE HOUSE?" while the rest answered "HEEL'S HOUSE!" Some started the Carolina fight song and some began jumping up and down, filled with the inescapable anticipation the next three hours would surely bring. As soon as they moved the rope keeping those with a Phase Four ticket in holding until exactly 7:00, it was a free-for-all. Students shoved, ran, and pushed their way past others to find the closest seats possible. Katie and I got swept up in the madness and ran inside, bolting for section 207 and scanning the aisles for available student seats. We found seats in the first row of student seats with a great view of the stadium.
The stadium was the loudest I had ever heard it and the energy was contagious. Katie and I were nervous and could barely contain our excitement, though we didn't try very hard. Being in a stadium so fully packed with Carolina fans was an incredible feeling and it was an amazing example of the "Tarheel family" that so many students and alumni often describe. All around us were fans wanting the same thing--to watch the Tarheels beat our biggest rivals. It was impossible not to be excited as we got settled into our seats.
As the teams were warming up, the Carolina student section was making it nearly impossible for the Duke players to concentrate. Duke's team were running a warm-up drill in which they
ran sprints from the goal to the center court line and back again. When the players ran from the goal to center court, the student section would erupt in applause and loud cheers. When they ran from center court back to the goal (which was conveniently located right above the student section), the students would boo. This went back and forth for the entirety of Duke's warm up. Below are pictures from the game and students rushing the court after we won, followed by the team cutting the net and Roy William's thank-you speech after the game.
After the game was over, the seniors had been recognized, the alma mater had been sung and the court had finally cleared from the students who rushed the floor, it was time to sprint to Franklin Street where the celebration would inevitably continue. On the way to there, CBS Sports Network was filming an on-location post-game review with Jerry Stackhouse (a UNC basketball alum), so we stopped to watch the broadcast.
When looking through the pictures I had taken that night, I almost deleted this one that I had taken on the way to Franklin. On second thought though, it ended up being one of my favorite pictures of the night because it really depicts the craziness that ensued after winning the game.
The run through campus was enhanced by the melody of the alma mater continuously playing from the Bell Tower. Once on Franklin Street, people had already flooded the street and 
sporadic bonfires were sprouting up all along the road. It is tradition in Chapel Hill to jump over said bonfires after a big win (particularly in basketball season), so overly-enthusiastic fans were holding hands and leaping over bonfire after bonfire. There were people in every direction, crowded onto the streets chanting and cheering, sitting on each other's shoulders, taking pictures and finding friends. Bonfires were started from anything they could find--shirts, bookbags, papers, anything that would ignite.
sporadic bonfires were sprouting up all along the road. It is tradition in Chapel Hill to jump over said bonfires after a big win (particularly in basketball season), so overly-enthusiastic fans were holding hands and leaping over bonfire after bonfire. There were people in every direction, crowded onto the streets chanting and cheering, sitting on each other's shoulders, taking pictures and finding friends. Bonfires were started from anything they could find--shirts, bookbags, papers, anything that would ignite.
The Chapel Hill police and fire department were quickly on the scene, ushering wild students off the streets and onto the sidewalks. When their tactics were obviously not working, they brought a water truck to hose off the streets (and students that were lagging behind) to prevent any further fires.
Unfortunately, even this didn't work. We were back on the street as soon as they passed by.
Duke game madness is something that is almost impossible to put into words or even pictures. Pictures don't come close to describing the overwhelming level of energy, passion and enthusiasm. I'll never watch the the UNC vs. Duke game the same way again!Always a Tarheel,
Nicole
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