In defense (?) of Duke poon

The folks at SEC Poon have struck a low, low blow at our conference, pointing out the, well, less than stellar qualities of Duke cheerleaders. Turns out, Duke has had a long-standing ban on cheerleading stunts, going all the way back to the 80s. Plus, no scholarships. Now, if you're a top-notch cheerleader and you're used to being flipped over, lifted, and thrown around, not to mention whatever you do while actually cheering (ha!), Duke may not be the place for you.

By comparison, consider UNC cheerleaders: They do stunts, they have scholarships, they get quality:



















But I digress. Let the ladies of Duke speak for themselves!
















Or not.

Let them defend themselves in writing! From SI.com:

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"It is pretty tough to keep up with your highlights and manicures when you have an Orgo lab, Econ problem sets and a 30-plus page research paper due on a Wednesday. But we manage. There are plenty of women here who truly have it all: the looks, the brains, and the personality. Just consider yourself lucky when you meet one of us... and try not to be too intimidated."

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Or not. Perhaps others can speak for them! Rolling Stone:

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"As a result, the Nasher is popular with Duke's young women of taste, and on the day I have lunch there with Naomi and Anna, the patio is buzzing with pretty girls in silky skirts or skinny jeans, flitting back and forth between tables as if it were their cafeteria.

Most of these women are members of one of Duke's elite sororities -- known as the ''Core Four,'' home of the university's most popular and best-looking women, Naomi and Anna say proudly.

Anna, a dramatic-looking girl, grew up in Europe, where she and her friends were part of the ''crazy'' club-hopping set. An art-history major, she is cultured, has traveled widely and speaks multiple languages. She also has great clothes -- today, she's wearing a beige Donna Karan wrap sweater and a clingy chocolate-brown shirtdress, with a colorful silk scarf tied in her wavy brown hair.

A pretty brunette, Naomi grew up in Northern California and was both athletic and a straight-A student in high school. Still on the fence about her major (though she's leaning towards pre-law, she says), she's a highly social and inquisitive girl, albeit a bit more casual than Anna -- rather than designer chic, she prefers simple cotton sundresses."

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Only Rolling Stone could manage to ruin a completely good title like "Sex and Scandal at Duke" and turn it into a fashion article.

I give up. Here are some Duke co-eds dressed like schoolgirls.

















ACC Poon will be heading up to Big Ten country over the weekend. Send in those photos to accpoon@gmail.com. Make the ACC Poon proud!