The Cove

Note

• The following is incredibly opinionated.

Summary

The Cove was, and is, the coolest alcove at Duke West. Located by N104, this alcove was the location of music blaring, random food eating, make-outs, and lots of other random happenings. It was given the title of "The Cove" midway during Term 1 2011 by Michael LaPasha, who subsequently provided the regulars with The Cove t-shirts. Every morning, a little group would hang out and blast out music before breakfast, waking up and annoying the TIPster who was still asleep in room N104 (Sorry, Arjun!). The Cove saw two relationTIPs, a double date, and the weirdest group of TIPsters in history. This group was the target of hundreds of weird, and sometimes angry looks, from TIPsters, RCs, cleaning staff, and families. The music they played ranged from Yelle to Mumford and Sons, Nicki Minaj to Phoenix, and was played from an iPad, iPhone, or iPod. The Cove would be like the Great Hall, but with better food, during free time, with The Cove's group dining on chips, pretzel sticks, and Nutella, and maybe Chinese food every once in a while. The Cove was also the host of Jonathan Baker's RC group meetings nearly every night.

Description

The Cove's shape can be described as a "short, fat L". When you walked in, on the right, there was a board that had the interesting origins of many "common" (not at all) phrases. If you continued walking, you would eventually hit the bench, which is meant for 5 people, but 8 can fit uncomfortably. There are 2 windows, from which you can see Class Quad and the Chapel. If you look left when you walk in, there is a corner that is small, but still large enough to conceal two TIPsters who are making out.

Decorations

The Cove was usually just a regular alcove for the first week. During the second week, though, things got a bit crazy. One TIPster labeled the bench, lights, and corner, but only the labels for the lights evaded the cleaning staff. Sunday of Week 3, the same person who labeled everything prepared The Cove for a double date, making an Eiffel Tower on the wall out of tape, hanging string from the lights, and making a curtain out of a Whole Foods bag. He even took thick paper and covered the lights to dim the alcove, but this made it too overwhelming, and everything was taken down.

At the start of Week 2, a Jer-Bear walked into The Cove and taped a piece of paper to the wall. This paper was a print of the greatest story ever written, called The Stupidest Person in the Universe. He continued taping this story up to the rest of the alcoves in the building. When the last TIPster of the term left for the airport, the story was still taped to the wall. It was reportedly still there at the start of Term II, 2011.

RelationTIPs

• Elena Hill and Ben Felder
• Katharyn Loweth and Victor Redko

People who hung out at The Cove

2011

• Term 1
  • Regulars
    • Elena Hill
    • Benjamin Felder
    • Ryan Harradine
    • Victor Redko
    • Katharyn Loweth
    • Emily Graue (she eventually abandoned The Cove for her Abnormal Psych class)
    • Michael LaPasha
  • Sunday Regulars
    • Joseph Mitteldorf
  • Drifters
    • Will Kaplan (who was often known to stand and watch all the craziness in silent amusement, rarely said a word)