Members of the Board of Trustees met with both graduate and undergraduate students over lunch Friday to discuss the University's need for more social space.
The luncheon, held in the Thomas Center in the Fuqua School of Business, gave student leaders a chance to speak to trustees on the issue of creating more space for programming, social activities and other campus life uses.
The participants-15 undergraduates, 15 graduate students, and about a dozen trustees-discussed the issue in small groups over lunch. After the meal, a representative from each group summarized the results of the discussion.
One of the primary concerns was the lack of space available to graduate students. Cybelle McFadden, president of the Graduate and Professional Student Council, told trustees her constituents wanted space that would always be available.
"The key thing for me is consistent space," said McFadden, a graduate student in French.
Senior Jordan Bazinsky, Duke Student Government president, said graduate students at his table hoped for facilities designated specifically for graduate student use.
"They're feeling like it's an undergraduate campus, and they're just sort of an adjunct to it...," he said. "It sounds like they're looking for some space that's independent of undergraduate space."
Discussion also focused on the difficulties minority and cultural organizations face when holding events, since they lack the amount of commons areas that many predominantly white greek organizations have available.
"Minority students usually do not have a variety of social spaces they can choose from...," said junior Bianca Williams, a member of the Black Student Alliance. "We need some type of social space for minorities on campus."
Several speakers pressed for the construction of a cultural center that would serve minority groups.
Senior Kate Heath, president of Panhellenic Council, said sororities would also need more on-campus social space after implementing a policy of avoiding mixers with alcohol in fraternity sections.
Many participants said they also wanted informal social space, pointing to Trinity Cafe and the Perk as examples.
"We really need a lot of informal space, drop-in space, space that you always know is going to be available," said former GPSC president Tomalei Vess, a graduate student in biology.
Vess added that the lack of space for social activities contributed to the large amount of drinking at the University.
"There aren't options right now," Vess said. "People drink, in my personal opinion, because it's difficult to go off-campus [and there are few on-campus alternatives]."
Young Trustee Justin Fairfax, Trinity '00, also noted the need for more social alternatives.
"We need to be the ones... to take those barriers [that we might not think of]-renting space, sort of having to jump through hoops to get things rolling-out of the way," Fairfax said.
Senior Rob Leonard, vice president of Campus Council, said obtaining social space was difficult because the process entails contacting several branches of the decentralized administration.
Other students also commented on the amount of bureaucracy surrounding renting facilities, like the red tape and $500 rental fee at the Devil's Den.
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