After the studying is done, what kind of games do hard-working Angier B. Duke Scholars like to play?
Two words: Bull Seal.
It's a game of "water polo minus all the rules," and one of the more violent that the scholars enjoy, said Jackie Ou, an A.B. Duke sophomore who is currently on leave.
Now a tradition at their annual retreat in Oxford, North Carolina, Bull Seal joins a growing list of activities that A.B. Dukes--who receive four years' full tuition from the University--are involved in. A new committee of A.B. Dukes has even begun to offer even more group events, such as book discussions. Indeed, because of the eclectic nature of the group, they do not always follow similar paths.
"A.B. Dukes have a more specific idea of what they want to do, coming into Duke," said senior Melissa Walker. "They do things that aren't normally expected. There's a lot of variety, and interests usually don't overlap."
The most prestigious activity, however, remains the six-week study-abroad program at the University of Oxford's New College in England, which offers courses like the works of Shakespeare and the making of modern Britain. "We get to study under the Oxford tutorial system," senior Naveen Rao said. "We have a class of about 10 people, and in addition to that, we meet with the teacher in groups of two to discuss the paper we wrote for that week."
During the Oxford program, scholars can also attend weekly guest lectures on various academic topics, such as British politics, often followed by discussion dinners with the speakers.
Scholars also visit sites like London and Stratford-upon-Avon to learn about the artistic budding of Vincent van Gogh or the birthplace of Shakespeare.
Some students, however, forgo the Oxford program and propose alternative projects for the summer, with grants available of about $2,500. For example, Walker forfeited the Oxford trip to work on a Native American reservation in South Dakota with troubled Native American youth.
However, when A.B. Dukes returned to Durham, groupwide activities had been rare, except for those with an academic focus and membership on an advisory committee to organize events and interviews for prospective A.B. Dukes.
Rao and junior Taren Stinebrickner-Kauffman presented the idea of building an action committee to Melissa Malouf, director of Duke's Office of Undergraduate Scholars and Fellows. In spring 2001, the proposal was approved and the newly appointed co-chairs received a $2,000 grant to fund community-building activities.
"We realized another outlet for involvement was needed, and that there might be enough interest and cohesiveness within the community for more structured social interactions and more direction within the program," Stinebrickner-Kauffman wrote in an e-mail from Australia.
The key purpose of the committee is to provide A.B. Dukes with a stronger sense of intellectual and social community, Malouf wrote in an e-mail.
"The question is how they might want to be able to participate in the Duke public sphere," said Ian Baucom, director of the A.B. Duke program.
The committee has sponsored dinners with professors at Cafe Parizade and implemented a book discussion group that meets every three weeks. Past books have included The Virgin's Knot and Earth Odyssey.
The group is also organizing a symposium on ethics, possibly in conjunction with the Kenan Institute for Ethics. "Basically, the idea for this program is [deliberating] the ethics of various professions of academic disciplines--what they are and how they affect the people in the field," Rao said.
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