Photo Illustration: Les Todd

or one of his opinion columns in The Chronicle, Christopher Scoville, a Duke sophomore, was given a headline that might have constituted fightin' words: "Carolina Blue." The February column centered on the start of his semester. It's a semester that has brought him to the campus of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill as a full-time student--even while he works toward his Duke degree.

Scoville is part of an educational experiment. "Unique" is an overworked word, but as an experiment, this appears to fit the definition: one of a kind. In January, Scoville and twenty-seven other sophomore Robertson Scholars--divided almost equally between Duke and UNC-Chapel Hill--switched campuses. Robertson Scholars officials say they are looking to become "a national model for inter-institutional collaboration in higher education."

Scoville said in his Chronicle column that he felt a little like the proverbial stranger in a strange land. He began by reflecting on his exposure to Carolina classes: "I managed the first week, albeit with help from every passing, though incredibly hospitable, stranger who thought I was some French tourist." He added an appreciation of Carolina's vibrant campus life, noting that "students congregate midday at the Pit, smack dab in the middle of two libraries, a dining hall, a coffee house, the Union, and student stores." And he celebrated a spirit of social activism. "Students are meaningfully engaged, and their energy is pervasive," he observed, pointing to "protests, petitions, sit-ins, teach-ins, campaigns, and hunger lunches."

As they steep themselves in the switch, many Robertson Scholars echo Lisa Stratton's description: "starting all over again as a 'freshman' during my second semester of sophomore year." Stratton, a Robertson Scholar from UNC now at Duke, comes from Greenbelt, Maryland, where she attended magnet schools in creative and performing arts and in science and technology. As a high-school student, she took four years of American Sign Language classes, and she's involved with Carolina's Sign Language club. "I haven't had any negative interactions with Duke students," she says. "That has made a huge difference in my adjustment. Being here has dispelled many of the stereotypes about Duke that I had coming into the switch."

A Summer of Service As part of their summer experience, Robertson Scholars kept journals and wrote reflective essays. Excerpts are below.
	Maital Guttman Cafè Reconcile New Orleans, Louisiana
	Tyler McCormick Rural Medical Services Migrant Health Program Parrottsville, Tennessee
	Crystal Sanders Sunflower County Freedom Project Sunflower, Mississippi
	Pauline Hoi-Ying Wong Appalshop Whitesburg, Kentucky

While she discerns "less social activism on the Duke campus as a whole," Stratton says, "The students I have encountered here seem genuinely passionate about becoming involved in certain social issues. I think that Duke students are also very self-aware. They know that there are problems with the social activities on campus, and I see a lot of people doing things to try to create a more tolerant, inclusive, united student body." With some of her peers, she is working to put aspects of her Duke public policy class, "Enterprising Leadership," into practice. She is helping to organize student volunteers to donate leftover food from Duke Dining Services to local community shelters, and is investigating how "to make the Duke community more aware of how they can contribute to [addressing] hunger issues in the Durham area."

Robertson Scholar Sarah Pickle, a Carolina sophomore from Temple, Texas, says she's grateful to her Duke professors for not calling attention to her Robertson distinction. "The students have treated me as if I were a Duke student, though I think my desire for this might be representative of something not so positive that lingers--perhaps a fear of being 'outed' as a public-school or Carolina student." She has run across "negative attitudes directed toward public schools in general" on Duke's campus, not just reflecting the Duke-Carolina rivalry, "which is to be expected." But she's had a series of encouraging encounters with Duke students. "One or two people will reach out, trying to break down all of this Carolina-Duke negativity," she says, adding, "I had harbored the impression that Duke's campus was cold, not as welcoming. I sincerely feel like I've been proven wrong. Those who have reached out have been incredibly warm."

At Carolina, Pickle has been involved in the Campaign to End the Death Penalty and the UNC Campaign Finance Reform Alliance. Here, she says she's been "quite a bit overwhelmed with the switch" and preoccupied with "getting my bearings." Eventually she wants to link up with the labor-advocacy groups at Duke. And having worked as a deejay at Carolina's radio station, she hopes to check out Duke's WXDU.

The campus switch is a defining feature of the Robertson Scholars program. Launched in 2001 with $24 million from Julian Robertson and his wife, Josie, it finances the students' education and summer-enrichment programs in the United States and abroad. Julian Robertson grew up in Salisbury, North Carolina. He graduated from UNC in 1955 with a degree in business administration, and is the founder and chairman of Tiger Management LLC, the world's largest hedge-fund group. Josie Robertson is a member of Carolina's board of visitors. One of their two sons, Julian Spencer Robertson, is a 1998 Duke graduate.

Eric Mlyn, director of the Robertson Scholars program, says "the logistics were very challenging" for the campus switch. "This is the first time anyone had done this." There were "little irritants," involving room assignments, meal plans, course credits, health insurance, and access to student health services. For a time, Duke students at Carolina were faced with having their course registrations denied because of confusion over immunization records. But he says that officials at both universities have been "incredibly supportive," and that the successful switch contributes to the hope that "when the Robertson Scholars graduate, they'll have a warm feeling for both campuses."

All applicants to Duke and UNC-Chapel Hill are considered for the program. Semi-finalists are identified by the two admissions offices. Finalists are selected by a committee set up by the two universities and invited to both campuses for a finalists' weekend. The four-year scholarships cover tuition at Duke and tuition, room, and living stipends at UNC. They also support summer enrichment experiences.

An unofficial symbol of the program--and a major means of promoting ties between traditional campus rivals--is an intercampus bus service. The bus departs hourly on weekdays and is free for anyone holding a Duke or UNC-Chapel Hill I.D. One Robertson Scholar who has achieved avid bus-rider status is sophomore Randall Drain, based this semester at Carolina. He plays on Duke's varsity lacrosse team. "I have lacrosse practice five times a week and games on the weekend, which clearly necessitates good time management and frequent use of the bus," he says.