<p>While I do think it’s great that the administration is placing more focus on education and interdisciplinary studies - we do, after all, come to college to learn - I don’t think that means we should have to restrict the activities we have now. I do believe that it is “foolish” to come to Duke solely because of basketball, but I do know that I personally picked Duke over the Ivy League because of its spirit and fun social scene. I felt so much more at home and at ease here because of the “work hard, play hard” mentality that’s been getting bashed. I wanted a school that was going to offer me a fantastic education, but also a school that had true school spirit, like you see at a big state school. Duke struck the perfect balance between both. There were obviously a lot of other factors that influenced my decision, like programs such as DukeEngage and FOCUS, but the social vibe of Duke is definitely something that attracted me. Someone above said that the “work hard, play hard” thing was something that turned them off to Duke; I feel completely the opposite. I think that mentality is what makes Duke such a distinctive school. And saying that Duke is not a place where you will be challenged academically because it’s a “party school” is just plain wrong. I know there’s not a lot of weight to be held by college rankings, but there’s obviously something highly respectable going on here if we tie with the University of Pennsylvania and rank above three other Ivy League schools. That’s why I love Duke - because we’re up there with the Ivy League but still know how to have fun. Athletics and the social scene set Duke apart from every other top 10 school, and I won’t lie, that was definitely a big reason of why I chose to come here.</p>