Swarms of freshman gathered with faculty, staff and administrators in front of the East Campus Union on Sunday afternoon for the debut of the All East Campus Festival.
"The point was to bring the entire East Campus community together," said Norman Keul, assistant dean of Trinity College and director of the Pre-major Advising Center. "We chose to involve not only the freshman, but also all the faculty and staff. We wanted everyone to be able to get to know each other in a relaxed and comfortable environment," he said.
While the threat of rain prevented several musical and dramatic groups from performing, a cookout on the front porch of the East Union drew large crowds, including the families of many faculty and staff.
"The Festival would have been more elaborate, but all the events were not feasible due to the rain this morning," Keul said.
The rain, however, did not prevent several academic departments from setting up tables on East Campus to inform freshmen of special programs. "We wanted to commemorate the new East Campus and our primary intention is to let the students know what is available to them and give the various departments a chance to showcase their resources," said Seymour Mauskopf, professor of history.
Several students said that the All East Campus Festival was a success. "The Festival is really cool because it gives us all a chance to meet new people and find out more about what is happening on campus," said Trinity freshman Kristen Dotson.
Trinity freshman Chrysten Root agreed. "I really like the events they have on East Campus because there is such a great atmosphere," Root said.
The Festival began at 4:30 p.m. with a Fun Run around East Campus, in which approximately 200 students and faculty took part. President Nan Keohane and her husband also joined in the jog.
The Festival lasted until 8 p.m. and included a piano performance by Ben Ward, associate dean for residential life. Freshman also took part in a contest to design the best banners for their dorms.
The event, which was sponsored by several different groups, including Trinity College and the Office of the President, also earned rave reviews from campus leaders.
"I think it is a great start in trying to build a distinct East Campus community. The point was to get people together and give everyone a chance to get involved," said Trinity senior Peggy Cross, Duke Student Government president.
Larry Maskel, director of international programs at the Career Development Center, said that the Festival was an important step toward bringing students and faculty together outside the classroom. "I think it's a great way to encourage faculty and student interaction," he said.
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