Annia Rochester

Domestic Exchange Student Reflections

Duke University

Attending Duke University through the Spelman Domestic Exchange Program has been an adventure. The large campus with its diverse student body was intimidating at first, but I eventually found my place amongst the many students.

I have a great location on West campus, minutes from Perkins Library, Kville (a phenomenon that occurs before major men's basketball games at Duke, where students begin to put up and live in tents outside Cameron Indoor Stadium), Duke Chapel, and West Union. It was a strange experience having to take a bus between campuses for class, versus being able to cross Spelman’s campus within minutes.

In order to feel more at home at Duke, I visited the Mary Lou Williams Center for Black Culture and attended the Black Student Alliance’s meetings, leading me to feel more comfortable at Duke. Men’s basketball games are a major part of Duke’s culture and I had the opportunity to participate. Camping out in Kville for hours was not what I anticipated before arriving at Duke. However, the hours in a tent were worth it to experience the excitement of a winning home game and bonding with other students.