Duke University - Chanticleer Yearbook (Durham, NC)

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Lew Marvin and his cure for the perennial disease of apathy which seems to rage through Duke Stadium every Saturday afternoon during the tall. ihe Blue Devil mascots as they perform in their inimitable style. A long i)lack. hearse pulls to a stop before the cheerleaders and Lew Marvin, complete with Indian dress, leads his braves into their war dance. The teams are in the dressing rooms now. Over the public address system the Marching Band is announced. From the tunnel entrance light drum- mers march liriskly to their positions under the blue and white goal posts. They beat a double time cadence as the band joins them on the field. After the fanfare, they march the length of the field playing The Blue and White. The visiting team returns to the field and takes its position on the bench. Duke fans are silent. As the Big Blue moves from the dressing room, shouts are heard from its supporters. The roar falls into the chant Rip em up, tear em up. . . . The band is now in position to l)lay the National Anthem. At the first note every one turns to ills left to watch the flag being raised to the top of the stadium. A feeling of intense pride creeps over the student and a chill runs down his back. The band hurries from the field as the stands cheer with a vigor shown only at a big game. The public ad- dress system blares Will the owner of a black 1951 Dodge, license number. But the crowd is not listening. All eyes watch Jerry l?arger walk to the center of the field to meet the opposing cap- tain. The two contrasting jerseys and the referee ' s black and white striped shirt dot the field. The referee flips a coin. It falls, turning. . . . The game is iniderway. Suddenly a lamiliar hum is heard overhead. A sound of recognition issues from the ciowd, and ior a moment tlie tension of the game is lightened by comic rclicl. 19

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I ' lic time is 1 o ' clock. We watch a couple move lliroLigh the crowd toward the stadium, often step- ])ing on feet that aren ' t their own. She wears a cliarcoal lirown suit, stockings and high heels, lie is in his hest ivv league sport (- at with hroad stripes and charcoal hrown slacks. He carries a wool blanket over his left arm. They are early, liut it seems that every one is hurrying to get to this game. He is silent as they move toward the student gate. She remarks aliout the crowd, and waves to her sorority sister. They are herded into the wire shoot that leads to the ticket taker. Hurriedly he pushes her through as she shows her ticket, shows his own, and guides her toward the stands. They pass the refreshment booth and turn into the student section. Again she fishes into her purse to find her student hook which will ad- mit her to the section. She spots two seats near ihc 10 and they hurry to beat another couple to them. He places the blanket carefully on the seat, waits for her to sit down, then joins her and jok- ingly remarks, No splinters for us today. Across the stadium people |)our into the seats. The sun shines brightly. This is unlike the pre- vious week-end when the rains washed them away. The field is green and freshly marked. A man with a crate of 7-lJps passes. She looks at her watch and wonders how Lew Marvin will arrive ill is time. Four rows down a Confederate (lag is wa ( ' d wildly, while st ' ores of students c |M ' css their ap])i 0 al or disa|)pr() al in no uncertain terms. The flag is lowered. The head cheerleader lakes the stand and instructs the cheering section how It) greet the team when it pours on the field. The visiting Icani ino cs (intii the Held Iroin the linmcl. The cheerleaders are crowded about the niuuth oi the entrance; the iel()r liell is I ' cadied. As the log Itliie streams onto the Held, ihc stands become ali e with clwcring. The ictory Ik ' II rings wildlv as the cheerleaders pull it along. The team goes into its waiin-iip e erci -es and the sludents ' attention is . witched lo the anlics of It hasn ' t roincd tor a home gome in my career at Duke! Coach Murray had to swallow his words at the damp South Carolina contest.

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Remoins ot an uproarious and highly successful evening. A late leaver exits after our first nationally broadcast Homecoming Show. A sm;ill |)laii( ' ciirles the .stadium, trailing a sign with red ieltcis. ' I ' hey spell Jones Sausage. The plane flies lower and lower. After a final swoop, it sails into the horizon. . . . The sunlight lades into the dinniess of a solitary overhead liglit. It is 11 p.m. The play is over and the stage nnist he cleared for tomorrow night ' s perfoiinance. A ttnv men and women in old dunga- rees remoxc props, icarrange scenery and sweep piles ol dill into the wings. From the dressing rooms can be heard animated appraisals of the audience ' s reai ' tion. riie auditorium is deserted. The rows of seats which held smiling faces are empl . The remenihraticc ot thunderous applause lingers like a ghost. (]iuiii|»led piograms litter the lloor iiiidcrncalh the seals. As the nicmhcrs ol the stage ciew talk, their voices make a hollow echo. A gii.st of wind irls in ihiough a side exit which has heen lell o])eii. peiicliating the lircd and lieav atmosphere. A ui-ll worn cop ol llie script lies on a chair. A stage hand pick it up ,iiid lllp■ lliiuiigh il. She lurii- lo the ihild act. he re;uU llic lino, she |iiclincs the action, i ' rinled on i page, llic word arc lrangel) lilcless. In the iikhiiIis ol lonights actor.- lhe were e.xpressive — alive. She imagines Joe sitting at the cafe tahle. examining his toys. SuddeuK Joe emerges Inmi the (lre sing room. He is vigorousK ruhhing at his lace with a Kleenex. The cidlar ot his white shirt is stained with a pink rim of make-u|). He waves a cheery good-l) and hnllons on his overcoat. The magic which transformed him into the warm-hearted cripple on the stage is gone and he is again the university student whom she sees each dav in class. Wearily, she begins to push the broom. It makes a clean path on the dusty stage. . . . It is 7 p.m. A boy, clad in khakis and a white shirt, drops a nickel in the metal box and helps himself to a newspaper. He sits down on the red Bands might play, teams might fight furiously, but no football gome this foil was complete without the appearance of Jones Sausage. — Weariness avertakcs a stagchond as she surveys the work still to be finished after another successful Duke Players ' performance. 20