This is the last installment of a three-part series profiling the undergraduate young Trustee finalists. On Feb. 10, Duke Student Government and the InterCommunity Council will elect one person to a three-year term on the Board of Trustees.
Young Trustee finalist Bianca Motley has many abilities and accomplishments, but eating lunch inconspicuously is not one of them.
When she enters the Great Hall, her voice booms, students wave and virtually every employee gives a cheery hello. Those greetings illustrate the Trinity senior's assertion that she can relate to just about anybody.
"Being Young Trustee is an incredible opportunity to do more of what I love: making Duke an even better place to be," Motley said. "I love being able to connect with people..., recognizing their problems and producing concrete change."
Dean of Student Development Barbara Baker, who has worked with Motley on several projects such as last year's upperclass residential planning group, praised her insight.
"She can see an issue from a variety of perspectives, she's thoughtful and deliberate in her analysis, willing to speak her mind and follow through on commitments," Baker said. "I've felt like she's been a very positive influence."
Motley was a Duke Student Government legislator her freshman and sophomore years.
As DSG vice president for student affairs her junior year, she co-wrote the keg policy and chaired the subcommittee on the financial-aid car policy.
The car policy stands as a source of pride to Motley. Replacing a much-criticized 17-year-old policy, it allows some financial aid students to park cars on campus without decreasing their aid packages.
"We worked for years on trying to find a solution to that problem, and last year we were able to achieve a compromise with the administration," she said. "It was an example of how hard work can really pay off."
She also served as a representative to the Board of Trustees' student affairs committee, which she said gives her an edge over the other candidates.
"I feel that it has given me the chance to have a short learning curve," she said. "The connections and networks I've established would allow me to become an active member as soon as my tenure began."
Motley had a difficult second semester last year after her bid for DSG president proved unsuccessful. She advanced to a runoff with current president and Trinity senior Jeri Powell, but lost by 6.3 percent.
Motley had been working on the upperclass residential planning group which released its controversial report shortly before the DSG election. The report was criticized by some students as being anti-fraternity, and some said at the time that her support of the proposal may have affected her chances.
Motley said she remains pleased with her campaign. "If given the opportunity, I wouldn't change the way I ran my campaign last year. I tell people that all the time," she said. "I'm proud of the work we did, and I'm thankful for the people that supported me."
Losing the election gave her time to explore other aspects of the University. "It was a difficult time for me, but from that experience I was able to reevaluate my priorities here at the University," she said.
She is president of Kilgo Quadrangle and also served last semester as an associate editorial page editor for The Chronicle.
"Life without DSG has been life with a lot of other things. I'm president of my quad, I've had the opportunity to become more involved in [Maxwell House] and I've had time to connect with my friends," she said.
In addition, Motley has worked as an intern with Duke University Stores and Dining Services and co-chaired the Duke University Student Dining Advisory Committee, giving her insight into employee relations.
"Employees aren't always treated with the respect that they deserve, and in a lot of cases they're taken for granted," she said. "When we consider large-scale changes to the University, we don't always factor in the changes on all facets of the community."
If elected to the Board, one priority for Motley would be the development of an upperclass support structure.
"Sophomores move from an environment where a lot of people are taking a stake in their experience to a place where it's possible that no one is taking that stake," she said.
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