For the past three years, I have been trying to escape the campus bus system. Freshmen and sophomore year I lived on East, junior year I was on Central, and now as a senior I finally made it to West where every class, campus event and desired food option is a short walk away. And so I arrived on campus this year brimming with enthusiasm at the prospect of never having to wait for a bus again. That lasted about four days until I realized I missed the jogging trail that loops around East and did not want to run anywhere else. So there I was on the second day of O-Week boarding a C-1 with all the freshmen looking to make their way home.
O-Week and the accompanying freshmen experience is an interesting phenomenon I’ve written about before, and there’s always something to pass judgment on. But now that I’m senior and feeling very old, I realize there’s also a lot I never took the chance to appreciate.
Living on one campus.
While I love living on West, most students choose to live off campus their senior year. So essentially all my friends have left me. They’ve moved on to bigger, better apartments with amenities that I can only dream of — private bathrooms, queen sized beds, an obvious lack of cockroaches. And it is strange to walk around campus and not recognize the vast majority of students I walk by. On East, everyone is a freshman and, after a few weeks, faces quickly start to look familiar. It truly is one community, and that sort of cohesion in a class never happens again.
The Ambiance of Brodie
Some of you may have already ventured to Wilson gym and determined it’s far superior to Brodie. And sure, it’s larger and with more equipment, and Quenchers is amazing. But Brodie gym offers a pleasant atmosphere mixed with something very undervalued — a low-density group of co-exercisers. Racquetball courts will be open, equipment will be available and never again will you have to be paranoid that people are silently making fun of your form.
The Value of Marketplace
Yes, that incredibly undervalued magical place where all of you can go for unlimited food whenever you want. I don’t mean the literal value but the more sentimental, less based-on-food-quality value. Odds are the majority of you hate the cafeteria already —let’s face it: despising Marketplace is trendy and easy. I admit I had the occasional complaint. But now with a few years of experience living without it, let me advise you not to give into the bandwagon. Let’s be honest — the food is consistently solid, the atmosphere is sublime and the workers are some of the nicest people you will ever meet. Stop hating MP especially since I hear it looks beautiful now.
The Lack of Construction
In case you haven’t noticed, construction is everywhere. At this point, it is probably everyone’s favorite topic to complain about. East is the one place where renovations seem to randomly happen over every summer with no disruption to students during the school year (enjoy that ramped-up Marketplace). The BC, Perkins, the Chapel and whatever is being built next to the Pavilion might be undergoing construction, but rest peacefully knowing that you can still walk from any point A to any point B on East without wanting to take out your frustration on an inanimate object.
Proximity to the Best of Durham
And I’m not just referring to Shooters — though I do miss being able to walk home after a night out as opposed to paying for an Uber. Duke students rarely take advantage of Durham as much as they should, but Ninth Street and Downtown Durham really have so much to offer. Spend your nights seeing a show at the DPAC, your mornings lounging at Mad Hatters and your productive days grocery shopping at Harris Teeter. You’ll never be closer than you already are living on East.
I have been trying to get away from East for years, but there is always something bringing me back. This year, it’s the running trail and my 10:05 on Tuesday and Thursday. I’m sure at some point, we’re all ready to leave East, but don’t be distraught if it ends up pulling you back in too. It’s actually pretty great.
Michelle Menchaca is a Trinity senior. Her column runs on alternate Tuesdays.
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