FAC Board co-chairs sound off on O-week, give advice for first-years

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Few first-years will ever forget the first faces they see as they arrive on move-in day.Few first-years will ever forget the first faces they see as they arrive on move-in day. Teams of first-year advisory counselors help Duke’s newest residents move in, then provide guidance and support throughout the year. Seniors Leah Mackay and Sherry Zhang, FAC Board co-chairs, were tasked with overseeing the group of 240 counselors. Before orientation week, The Chronicle’s Amrith Ramkumar talked with Mackay and Zhang about their experience as FAC Board co-chairs and advice they would give to the Class of 2019.

The Chronicle: Most of us remember feeling overwhelmed when we first got to campus. What have you tried to do to make this O-week more comfortable for new students?

Leah Mackay: Not making them feel like deer in headlights. They’re all so excited, you can see from the Facebook page. We both remember how excited we were to get to campus, so [we want to] kind of keep up that excitement as they go in as opposed to destroy it as O-week goes on.

Sherry Zhang: O-week is really fun, and there are always going to be so many events. If you look at the schedule, there are still so many events, and there will still be a feeling of being overwhelmed for certain students, but the fact that there are inserted times for reflection will hopefully be like little pockets of peace throughout O-week.

READ: Office of New Student Programs hoping for more well-rounded O-week

TC: One of the challenges for FACs seems to be connecting to all of the students in their groups, particularly the more introverted ones. Is that something you will address this year during FAC training?

LM: Yeah, that’s what you push for from the FACs because the FACs are one of the first people that interact with these first-years. It’s always easy to make an effort to talk to those people that are outgoing, so catering activities, catering discussion to pull your introverts into the conversations without making it obvious that you’re doing that is really what we want to try to work with the FACs [on].

SZ: Tangible ways we’re doing that [are] we’re including more FAC chats, so more one-on-one times. There are also [more] meetings with your RA, so more small group discussions as opposed to these large events will definitely help with people getting comfortable with each other in different settings.

TC: Will having air-conditioning in every dorm on East campus make things much easier for FACs?

LM: Definitely on move-in day. The FACs will really appreciate that, and all the first-years as well. I can’t see anyone complaining. The FACs are amazing. They start from 7 a.m., and a lot of them will have an hour to an hour-and-a-half lunch break, and other than that, they’re moving fridges. We always joke about the U-Hauls, when eight U-Hauls show up, like ‘What are you putting in your dorm rooms?’

TC: Are you jealous that all of the first-years will have air conditioning this year?

SZ: I actually think no AC is better for first-years because we bonded in the common room. This is prejudiced against certain dorms, but I feel like dorms that have AC are too comfortable. When you don’t have AC, it’s a bonding experience.

TC: What are your thoughts on ‘Fun Home’ and all of the conversation it has generated?

SZ: I was on the committee for picking it for the summer reading selection. One of the comments that was brought up during our discussion was that Duke University is a school that won’t shy away from these conversations. Yes, we know it’s a controversial book potentially because other schools have used it and they have gotten backlash for it. But even the comments on Facebook, [those are] the conversations we want to encourage at Duke, and we’re not going to pretend they don’t exist, and we won’t shy away from that.

LM: That’s also the point of the summer reading book, is this common ground that they all have to speak about as they come onto campus. We want to start these conversations and for them to have something to talk about. We were kind of pleased—yes, it was controversial, but the discussion on Facebook was a really good, [respectful] conversation. That’s what we want. We were really excited about it being a graphic novel—that has never been done before.

SZ: I don’t enjoy reading, and I read that book in two hours. It’s a really fast read. It will make people who don’t read their summer reading book read their summer reading book.

TC: What advice would you give first-years for navigating Duke’s complicated academic scene?

LM: Take a breath. You’re going to speak to people who [are interested in] two majors and a minor and a certificate, and you come and you’re like ‘I don’t even know what these majors mean.’ It’s just taking a breath, taking classes you think are interesting as opposed to what you think you should take. And from that, you’ll figure out what you’re interested in, what path you want to take and what classes are going to work for you.

SZ: For Trinity students, don’t take your language, don’t take Spanish because you’ve taken Spanish for all four years. Don’t take your core yet. People will see this or hear me and they still won’t listen, but I really believe that you shouldn’t take your core classes right away because you can just take them whenever. For Pratt students, it’s possible to take classes outside your regimented classes. I wouldn’t take classes to be safe. Don’t make decisions out of fear. I would really recommend students trying to figure out what they really enjoy.

LM: And then talk to the FACs, or an upperclassman. I know that sounds cheesy, but they’ve been in your shoes, they’ve had to make all of those decisions. They can definitely help guide you or make it look a little less daunting.

TC: What are your favorite places to eat, on-campus and off, that you think people should try when they first get to campus?

SZ: It used to be the Law School Refectory, but now it doesn’t exist. I still like Divinity School—grilled cheese and tomato soup. Breakfast—Another Broken Egg—I’m always happy when I go there. Dame’s is a classic, just got to put that out there.

LM: I’m Div School as well. I love their toasted oatmeal. Off campus, I really like Nanataco. Their queso is great. I tried Daisy Cakes, which is linked to the Farmer’s Market, over the summer, and that was really, really nice.

TC: Another wrinkle in this O-week is the special hip-hop concert in the gardens only for first-years through Duke Performances. A lot of people want to sneak in, but will FACs be allowed to go?

LM: I don’t know if FACs can. It’s special for first-years, there will be some [FAC] boarders there just to help out. We’ll be there, but it’s supposed to be first-years getting to know their class, getting to know Duke and having some fun.

SZ: The fact that people want to sneak into these events is probably a good sign. That’s a good problem to have.

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