While students finish cramming for their Fall finals, the LDOC Committee of the Duke University Union is busy organizing this year’s Last Day Of Classes event.
Set for April 23, the festivities will provide students with a more diverse range of musical performances than in the past, said sophomore Evan Reilly, co-chair of the LDOC Committee. The committee is in the process of making offers to performers and performer options have been finalized, but nothing has been set.
“I’m really excited about this year’s music options,” said junior Kenny Johnson, LDOC Committee’s co-chair. “There is a variety of different genres for a diverse range of students.”
The committee recently released a survey on their Twitter account to collect students’ preferences for musical performances. Reilly said the responses helped to influence many of the committee’s decisions.
Johnson noted that the responses revealed no overwhelming support for any single genre. This year’s event will feature three to four performers as opposed to last year’s six. He added that scheduling so many acts on a single stage last year proved difficult, and having fewer acts will enable students to take better advantage of the daytime opportunities.
“A lot of people also overlook what goes on during the day,” Johnson said. “There is a breakfast, the K-ville barbeque and many other daytime events to look forward to besides the musical performances.”
Despite the challenges of construction and the closing of West Union, Reilly said the LDOC committee is adjusting its plans to ensure students can move freely between classes and LDOC festivities.
The event will not differ dramatically from previous years, Reilly said. Students can expect the same additional dining options such as food trucks and possibly other caterers. In comparison to previous years, however, this year’s committee plans to emphasize a philanthropy aspect of the event.
“We are currently exploring our philanthropic options,” Reilly said. “By partnering with charities and raising money from things such as selling t-shirts, we are planning on expanding the visibility of our philanthropic efforts.”
The committee is also working to revamp its marketing campaign and social media presence as the event gets closer. Reilly said the line-up is not set to be announced until February or March, but the hype is already building as rumors circulate.
“I can’t disclose anything specific, but I can tell you it won’t be Nickelback,” Johnson said.
In response to a recent LDOC Twitter post about a potential Miley Cyrus performance, Johnson said not to take the rumors too seriously.
“Our media manager likes to stir things up,” he said.
DUU President Lynn Vandendriessche said that the LDOC committee has prioritized making this year’s event one that all Duke students can enjoy together. She added that the committee is taking action to make sure that the line-up represents many musical genres and appeals to the interests of the student body as a whole.
“I am really looking forward to LDOC,” Vandendriessche wrote in an email Sunday. “The committee is on track to make this year both fun and safer for students.”
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