After seven years at Duke, Drew Dropkin has seen the University from many perspectives: as an undergraduate, as a law student, as an area coordinator and, of course, as a Duke basketball fan. After graduating this spring, he hopes to use the insights he has gained in a final capacity as the graduate and professional student young trustee.
Dropkin said his outlook on residential life is one of his primary strengths. As part of the first class to live on an all-freshman East Campus, then as a quad council and living group president, and as an area coordinator and adviser to two freshmen dorms, Dropkin said he has a thorough understanding of the issue.
Although he would fill the graduate and professional student spot if elected, Dropkin said he sees the role of young trustee as more universal and that he considers campus living to be one of the main issues facing the Board of Trustees.
"I think I have a well-rounded view of the problems facing residential life," said Dropkin, also a member of Duke Student Publishing Company, Inc.'s board of directors. "One problem is that while trying to alleviate some of the effects of the 1995 living change [which moved all freshmen to East Campus], upperclassmen are also affected and not always beneficially. An all-freshman East Campus has its advantages, but West and Trent need some tinkering to preserve the environment we want on campus."
Dropkin has already taken steps to improve residential life on campus for area coordinators. Last year, he wrote a letter to administrators with a set of requests for changes in conditions, including providing air conditioning in AC apartments, allowing ACs to stay in their residences over the summer, designating a parking area, allowing pets and making meal plans more affordable so that ACs on East Campus could eat in the Marketplace with their residents more often.
"Drew is always trying to make things better--holding on to what he likes and changing and improving things he thinks could be done better," said fellow AC and friend Eric Sapp.
Dropkin is not involved in the Graduate and Professional Student Council, but he was involved in Duke Student Government as an undergraduate.
Although GPSC President Elayne Heisler declined to comment specifically on the finalists, she said in an interview last semester that she thought students who did both their undergraduate and graduate work at Duke might be at a disadvantage.
"One of the unique things about the position is that [graduate or professional students] bring a different perspective than the undergraduate young trustees because they have a different undergraduate experience and can see things differently [having been at another institution]," Heisler said.
Sapp, a graduate student, said he thinks this could be a problem, but that Dropkin could overcome it.
Dalene Stangl, a professor of the practice of statistics and decision sciences who taught Dropkin as an undergraduate, agreed.
"Drew has so many friends and connections in so many places and is such a thorough researcher, I think he would actually have a better perspective than someone who went to another institution."
In addition to DSPC, Dropkin has worked with other campus publications, currently serving as articles editor of the Duke Law Review. He said his interest in these publications is based on interest in community rather than in journalism.
Dropkin said that after graduating, he plans to pursue education law following several clerkships.
He will work as an associate this summer in an Atlanta law firm and will clerk for an Alabama-based judge next year.
GPSC will select the young trustee at its meeting Jan. 28.
Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
Signup for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.