By Nicki Jhabvala

Best way to act like a fool -- with or without a reward: If you want tickets to the Duke basketball game at the Dean Dome, standing in line won't get you there. You can't camp out like in Krzyzewskiville and the alumni have way too much monetary power over the students.

Some of the lucky winners of the "What would you do for Dook tickets?" enjoy college basketball's best rivalry. Bob Donnan/US Presswire

No, if you want to go to the game, you gotta work for it. Every year, the week leading up to the game brings out the Tar Heel in UNC students, even more than homecoming does. Those who are willing to vie for the prized tickets must show their guts in an event called "What Would You Do For Dook Tickets?" that is held in the Pit. One year, three students wearing shirts that read "The Masticator," "The Condiment," and "I Swallow," performed for the hundreds who were watching. Their act? The Masticator took a bite of a cheeseburger, chewed it up and spit it into the mouth of The Condiment, who seasoned his treat with ketchup and mustard and then spit it in the mouth of I Swallow. The cheeseburger was just Part I of the performance. Chicken nuggets and a banana split followed. Yummy. They got tickets. Other performers weren't so lucky.

Best restaurant: Depends what you're in the mood for. Does a juicy burger with an in-house brewed beer sound good? Then head to the Carolina Brewery. Pizza? A slice at Pepper's should satisfy your craving. Trying to impress a date? Try 411 West. The Italian cafe has pasta to die for in a cozy, candlelit setting that will make up for your romantic ineptitude. Going organic? Take a stroll through Weaver Street Market. It's like a Trader Joe's or Whole Foods Market taken to the extreme. Chapel Hill has something for every craving.

Best place to indulge: Ye Olde Waffle Shoppe. Chocolate chip-covered, whipped cream-smothered, cherry-topped and pecan-crusted -- any waffle, any way. Oh, and the omelets are killer. If you're worried about the Freshman 15, don't. You're sure to exceed it here.

Best place to watch a lunatic: Everybody walks through the Pit. The brick courtyard is surrounded by Lenoir dining hall, the student union, the student stores and the undergraduate library. It's the hub of the campus. From mingling with friends to soliciting club memberships, the Pit is where it all goes down. It's also the place where the infamous Pit Preacher elicits controversy and tries to brainwash every passerby with his extremist views. Reverend Gary Eugene Birdsong is his name, and he accuses those who disagree with him of being homosexuals and sinners doomed to Hell. The Rev is a real confidence-booster.

Best way to burn a few calories: Before the start of the semester, I was pumped. I was gonna get my butt my shape -- a first for me. Yeah, that spurt of motivation lasted for about a week. I enrolled in Yogalates. (Sounds like a dessert. See, I told you my exercise motivation didn't last long!) Anyway, it was Yogalates on Fridays, Absolution on Mondays, and Butts, Guts and Thighs on Wednesdays. Group exercise is huge here and the fitness buffs take these sessions seriously. Everyone seems to enjoy it, but if you're extremely uncoordinated and have trouble doing a basic sit-up, the classes do pose a slight problem.

Best class(es): I'm not an accounting major nor have I taken an accounting class, but even I know this one. Meet C.J. Skender. Clad in a suit and neck tie (or a bow tie on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays), Skender teaches multiple accounting courses in UNC's Kenan-Flager Business School. Everybody knows him. Why? To start, he stops to get a bag of candy bars for class every morning. Then, as students filter in to his 8 a.m. lecture, music echoes from his classroom as he brings back "D.J. Cheekily" from his college days. After playing a round of songs, his students are quizzed on the music -- everything  from Keith Urban to 50 Cent -- and the musically-astute ones get the candy.

From cueing movie clips, to coming up with new play lists or organizing his famous sock drawer, Skender's eccentric personality is not only one-of-a-kind, but one of the most valued on campus. And not to mention that he knows his stuff like no one else. Can you imagine having to sign your name each time as C.J. Skender, Adjunct Professor of Accounting, CPA, CMA, CCA, CIA, ChFC, CLU, CFP, AIAF, CFE, CFM, CBM? But don't let the bow tie and 11 professional titles fool you. Skender attended Lehigh University on a basketball scholarship and goes to almost every UNC athletic event. He's probably the only person who can be forgiven for teaching at Duke.