Moving down from Boston to Durham meant that I was leaving behind the Harvard Crimson and Red Sox nation for Blue Devil country. Fortunately, one of the perks of being part of an NCAA Division 1 school is having a sports team that actually mattered. Thanks to a very generous attending who had to attend a conference in Chicago this weekend, I was granted a free pair of tickets to the Friday night home opener for the Duke Men’s Basketball team against Georgia state. This was my first time attending a live basketball game, and I learned that all the time-outs that are typically filled with TV ads actually featured a variety of marching band and cheerleader performances. Cameron Stadium is small but cozy, and the crowds’ repertoire of taunts and cheers were amusing to watch. The other perk of moving South was finally having my vote matter in the Presidential election. Although traditionally a red state, North Carolina turned out to be a swing state this year. Waking up at the break of dawn to cast my vote, I felt invigorated by the democratic process. Election night was made even more sweet by my new flat-panel HDTV, which let me watch Obama’s victory unfold slowly across the networks in 1080p high-definition glory. The Best Buy bargain necessitated a late drive through the rain to pick up in person, and I nearly broke my back lugging the oversized box up the stairs. But it was all worth it to see our country in safe hands for another 4 years.