The University is considering the addition of more seating to the perimeters of Main West Quadrangle and Clocktower Quadrangle - a move that administrators said could engender a more welcoming atmosphere around students' residences.
Eddie Hull, dean of residence life and executive director of housing services, said the idea is merely in the developmental stages and would have to go through several levels of approval before it could materialize.
"This is a residential corridor, yet there is very little about the Main Quad that invites residents, or others, to enjoy the space - unless you are just passing through," Hull said. "The notion of a 'front porch,' where you can sit and talk with a friend, read a book, eat lunch, or just relax and watch the world go by is missing from these students' homes."
Hull said that while the Main Quad is a showpiece for West Campus, it is also home to a number of Duke students and serves as a crossroads for the community. Ideally, he said, the residential quads would be maintained as places people can admire, but would also come to provide a friendly atmosphere for the University.
Vice President for Student Affairs Larry Moneta added that the idea behind extra seating, which will accompany the student-built benches already in place, is that the Main Quad will become more personal and interactive if people have more spaces to socialize.
"This would stimulate community interaction," Moneta said. "The more opportunities there are to interact, the more it will happen."
In years past, these quads have benefited from the presence of selective living groups, which each semester would build personalized benches. With the creation of the independent corridor last year, these benches were all but removed.
Hull has had experience in utilizing university grounds in similar ways. He said that while he was director of residence life and student housing at Southern Methodist University - a post he left when he came to Duke in 2002 - he witnessed positive reactions on the changes he made there. Judging from his previous experience with such projects, he said, this could also be advantageous for the Duke community.
Anthony Vitarelli, president of Campus Council, wrote in an e-mail that he supports the addition of seating to the quad. "I want Campus Council to bring life back to the quads," he wrote. "We want to make the quads a destination again."
There is no telling how long the approval process could take, but a decision could be made during the 2003 fall semester, Hull said. If the idea is approved and appropriate funding is readily available, the project will be immediately started, he added. Furthermore, if the community is satisfied with the result, additional seating on the academic quad may eventually be considered as well.
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