A tale of two schools

Although UNC-Chapel Hill and Duke University are enemies on the basketball court, in the classroom the two schools collaborate and even share students. For those students who have worn both shades of blue, the two days a year when the men’s basketball teams from their alma maters play their current schools is a test of athletic loyalty.

Meet seven students and alumni who have attended both schools and learn what they’ve loved the most about Chapel Hill and Duke.

Larissa Burke ’20, bachelor’s degree in anthropology at Carolina and law student at Duke

Larisa Burke

Burke says she’s experienced the best of both worlds after attending Carolina as an undergraduate and currently pursuing her law degree at Duke.

“My favorite thing about Carolina is the atmosphere. Everything feels so alive in such an exciting way,” Burke says. “My favorite thing about Duke is the campus; the gothic architecture is beautiful and only rivaled by the Duke Gardens.”

But, when it comes to sports, Burke says there’s only one answer for whom she cheers.

“There’s this saying you might be familiar with … born, bred, dead,” Burke says.

Matthew Clayton, bachelor’s degree in history from Duke, master’s degree in psychology from Carolina and clinical psychology Ph.D. candidate at Carolina

As a Robertson Scholar, Clayton divided his undergraduate years at both Duke and Carolina. After graduation, he began working for Teach for America and noticed a lack of mental health resources for his students. He decided to take action and returned to Carolina to pursue his master’s degree and Ph.D. in psychology.

“My experiences at Carolina and Duke occurred at distinct and very different phases of my life,” Clayton says. “For that reason, I look back fondly on both times in my life and deeply appreciate the value that both institutions and the rivalry add to the surrounding area.”

Matthew Clayton (Jon Gardiner/UNC-Chapel Hill)

When comparing the two schools, Clayton says the faculty, staff and students make both great.

“While I love Chapel Hill’s and Duke’s campuses, nothing quite beats the natural beauty of Carolina for me,” Clayton says. “For both Carolina and Duke, though, my favorite thing was the people and the relationships I formed. While the rivalry runs deep, both institutions attract amazing people into their fold so maybe there are more similarities than differences.”

Miriam Chisholm ‘20, bachelor’s degree in public health from Carolina and medical student at Duke

Miriam Chisholm

Chisholm says her experiences at Carolina and Duke are vastly different, but she has found things to love about both campuses. As an undergraduate at Carolina, she worked as a resident advisor and was deeply enmeshed in the campus culture. As a medical student at Duke, she spends most of her time in the classroom or hospital.

“At Carolina, I had a fuller college experience since I was on campus at all times,” Chisholm says. “At Duke, it feels like I am going to work since I only come to campus for class or extracurricular activities.”

Chisholm says even though she doesn’t spend as much time on campus, she can feel a shift the week of a Caroline-Duke matchup.

“There is a heightened sense of community in the days leading up to the game on campus,” Chisholm says. “There is a collective effort from fans to rally behind the team. I am a Tar Heel born, bred and dead so my loyalty will always lie with Carolina.”

Robert Bender, bachelor’s degree in public policy analysis at Duke and law student at Carolina

For Bender, attending Duke is a family tradition.

“I played lacrosse at Duke, so I had a unique experience as a student-athlete,” Bender says. “My dad both played and coached basketball at Duke, so I have grown up a Duke fan from the very beginning.”

Robert “Trey” Bender III (Jon Gardiner/UNC-Chapel Hill)

When Bender thinks about the rivalry between his alma mater and current school, he’s struck by the spirit of competition between the two.

“This is the greatest rivalry in sports. Having been a part of athletic contests, I can say that there is a palpable energy going into that game, but also a respect for your opponent,” Bender says. “I believe this to be true for the rivalry in each respective sport, and I think that is a testament to how great the rivalry is as well as the athletic dominance both schools have across the board. Obviously, basketball is where it comes to a head, and no matter how each team’s season is going, the game always lives up to the hype.”

Molly Kolstad ’20, bachelor’s degree in human development and family studies at Carolina and occupational therapy doctoral candidate at Duke

Molly Kolstad

A family legacy led Kolstad to Carolina as an undergrad and brings her back to Franklin Street on weekend gamedays, but now she spends her days on Duke’s campus studying to be an occupational therapist. Kolstad, whose mother and sister attended Carolina, says she feels lucky to have attended both schools, although Carolina will always have a special place in her heart.

“I feel honored that I have had the opportunity to attend two high-caliber schools and have two unique experiences at each school,” Kolstad says.

Whenever she gears up for gameday, Kolstad says her Carolina jersey reminds her of making lifelong friends and rushing Franklin Street, but her Duke hat is a reminder of her father’s pride in her.

“In this picture, I’m wearing my Carolina jersey and holding my dad’s ‘Duke Dad’ hat,” Kolstad says. “He passed away during my first year at Duke, and I often wear his hat to remind myself of how proud he was of me for attending both Carolina and Duke.”

Kristen Larson, bachelor’s degree in biology and global health from Duke and medical student at Carolina

As a North Carolina native who has attended both Duke and Carolina, Larson says she feels like she’s experienced the best of education in the state.

“In some ways, I feel like I have had my feet in both worlds throughout my education. I’m from eastern North Carolina, and I also attended the North Carolina School of Science and Math,” Larson says.

Kristen Larson (Jon Gardiner/UNC-Chapel Hill)

Larson says her favorite aspect of Duke was the gardens and performances in the music department, while the best part of her time at Carolina has been how all her fellow students take care of each other through the challenges of medical school. But Larson says she will be pulling for her alma mater in the upcoming basketball game for a practical reason.

“I love my new home at the UNC School of Medicine. However, I live close to Franklin Street and want things to be quiet when I come home at night,” Larson says. “Therefore, I’ll be cheering for my alma mater.”

Luca Menozzi ’21, bachelor’s degree in biomedical engineering and mathematics at Carolina and biomedical engineering Ph.D. candidate at Duke

Luca Menozzi

Menozzi studied biomedical engineering at Carolina and Duke, and he’s learned how to be a leader in his field at both schools. After graduating from the UNC-NC State joint department of biomedical engineering, Menozzi wanted to delve even deeper into research and began working in a photoacoustic tomography lab at Duke while pursuing his Ph.D.

“Being an undergraduate student and a Ph.D. student are very different experiences, independent of where you go to school,” Menozzi says. “At Carolina, I took more classes and was able to explore more topics. At Duke, I’m more concentrated on a singles area, but I’m involved in the behind-the-scenes research going on at the university.”

Menozzi says that although he’s valued his time at both schools, when it comes to gameday there’s only one shade of blue that you’ll see him wearing.

“Last year, as a Duke student, I actually was in Chapel Hill and rushed Franklin Street when we beat Duke in the Final Four. The best game of all time.”