"If you wait to do everything until you're sure it's right, you'll probably never do much of anything."
_ Win Borden

My first experience at Cameron Indoor Stadium, where Duke plays their home games, was quite an experience. I knew going into this game that Cameron is known for its small and intense atmosphere. The Carolina-Duke tradition is always intense and you can expect a great game almost every time. Here is how my crazy Monday went.

I have classes at 10 a.m. and noon on Monday’s. I am lucky to have later classes, being a freshman. The upperclassmen always give us a hard time as to how easy we have it. We usually get this statement, "When I was a freshman, I had to stay in a hot dorm and I had eight o’clock classes." I acknowledge them with a smile and say, "I’m sorry," in a laughing voice.

Anyway, on Monday morning, I left my apartment and I headed to my first class. I arrived at Murphy Hall, walked up the stairs and found my seat. There might be four of us in the class and it was already five after, which clearly means, we missed the memo. Note to self: Check email before you leave in the mornings. Professors might cancel class in the mornings and you might be wasting time walking up to an empty classroom. So, I call Mason, my boyfriend who is visiting, and tell him to come pick me up. One more class to go and just a few more hours until the Duke game.

I called my dad and told him what had happened and he told me to go back because our neighbor has diabetes. My dad said they act like they are normal when they have problems when they are really not. I pulled back into the parking lot to see Sandy, my neighbor, with his head on the trunk of his car. I jumped out and said, "Are you sure you are ok?" Again, I got a quick reply but this time I went deeper into the conversation. I asked, "Sir, what is your name?" He could not even answer that question or stand up on his own. I told Mason to grab him and walk him to his apartment door while I grabbed the keys.

When we got into his apartment, he started to fall out of his chair and it looked as though he was having short seizures. I acted calm and collected, considering I had never talked to this man in my life and the fact that we were in this situation made it even harder. I asked him where his cell phone was and he didn’t know. After finally finding it, he remembered his wife’s name as his body seizures became worse. After finding her number I called her and she did not answer. I dialed 911 for the first time in my life and explained the situation.

I waited for the paramedics while Mason sat inside making sure Sandy was at least staying conscious and not getting hurt by thrashing around the living room floor. I told Mason not to get close because he couldn’t control his body and he might inadvertently get kicked. The paramedics showed up and his wife, Terri, showed up soon after. They finally stabilized Sandy and he quickly came back to his senses. I was very glad to see that he was alright and I’m glad the good lord put me in the right place at the right time.

Now that I had saved a life, it was time to put Duke back into focus. Cameron Indoor was just as small as it seemed on television. The fans are very close to the court, keeping it exciting and it was a very good game. One of my favorite moments was right before the second half when Rashanda McCants was about to throw the ball in and the Cameron Crazies were right behind her with their hands shaking. We were waiting for ESPN to get off a commercial and it was taking a little longer than we thought. While Rashanda was being crowded, Latoya Pringle decided she would help. She put her head on Rashanda’s and stuck her hand right back at the Crazies. I stood up and applauded as the rest of our crowd erupted. It was too funny.

We were composed the whole game and came out with a victory. The final score was 93-76. We came out of Cameron Indoor with the win, which few people can say.

As life throws different things at you, always remember to stay calm. I had no idea that I would be saving a life on Monday afternoon. You are not given a warning when those situations appear. Emergencies pop up and the only thing you can do is stay calm and handle the situation to the best of your ability. I am glad I was blessed while I dealt with Sandy. You never know when your last day on earth will be. While you are here, make the best of it and look out for yourself and those around you.

"Dream as if you'll live forever, live as if you'll die today."
_ James Dean

Until next time, stay cool and keep ballin’ ya’ll!

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