Originally Posted by
Native
As a former HLM, I'd like to push back a little bit on the implications of the term autocracy. I know the Line Monitors don't have the best reputation, and that many have deserved it, but also I know for a fact that there are also folks on the Line Monitoring committee who work insanely hard and spend more time in and around Krzyzewskiville than most tenters. And the Line Monitors this year are working their tails off to try and keep things going strong.
Anyway, the specific institutions surrounding Line Monitoring and Krzyzewskiville at Duke are, in my opinion, due to a Type A subculture among the students that doesn't get talked about enough around this sort of thing. For any game, there is almost always another student who is willing to line up an hour or two before you for it because they want to be first in line. It snowballs until you have something like Krzyzewskiville — and that is exactly how the first Krzyzewskiville was started. Then you have rules and regulations put in place to make sure the People Who Get There First remain so, and once scuffles start to break out as they did in the late 80s, that's how you get the Line Monitors.
It takes a lot of focus off of the game, and off of the home atmosphere, and puts it on winning the K-Ville rat race. If Duke students were willing to all collectively take a chill pill and agree to all show up right before tip, you'd have a lot less of this lining up rigamarole. But it's my belief that that will never, ever, ever happen due to the competitiveness inherent to each and every Duke student. (And the students have grown to be more like this as admissions have become more competitive.)
Very helpful explanation. Thanks! And, I know you're not *that* old.
[redacted] them and the horses they rode in on.