Administrators and student programmers are working to establish dining halls as a keystone of Duke's community-building efforts.
Community at Duke springs up in dorm rooms, across seminar tables and on the playing fields. Although social ties form in these settings naturally, administrators and student programmers are working to establish dining halls as a keystone of Duke’s community-building efforts.
Senior Kevin Parker, president of Duke University Union, said plans are in the works to hold programs at both the Marketplace and the Great Hall this semester.
“We’re not confirming anything right now,” Parker said. “Everything has been in conversation and [the Union] is waiting to finalize details.”
Jim Wulforst, director of Dining Services, said he understands the need for places like the Marketplace and the Great Hall to foster interaction among students.
“It’s a good initiative to have community,” he said. “We need a place where students can have a safe haven and get good food.”
Wulforst also noted that the community administrators have conceived for the Marketplace and the Great Hall has yet to develop. The current freshman board plan, which the University implemented in 1995, was created for the express purpose of promoting a sense community.
Despite the fact that freshmen have only been here for a little more than two weeks, some already see the value in building a community at the Marketplace, even though it may at times seem overwhelming to the new students.
“The Marketplace is pretty good,” freshman Taylor Colson said. “Just about every freshman goes there for dinner. I meet a lot of new people there, but I usually don’t remember them.”
Although the East Campus eatery serves between 600 and 800 students each night, it is still far from becoming an ideal community focal point. Some freshmen claim that upperclassmen who make disparaging remarks about the food quality are to blame for the Marketplace’s lack of appeal to freshmen.
“[The Marketplace] already has such a bad [reputation], you don’t really stay to hang out,” freshman Omar Cameron said.
Colson maintained, however, that holding certain events at the Marketplace would be a welcome change.
“Dinner and a movie would be great, or [hosting] a debate,” he said. “I don’t really go to the Marketplace to meet people, though—just to eat,” he quickly noted.
Wulforst said he would love for that sentiment to change.
“I think a lot more needs to be done as far as programming,” he said.
Parker noted that plans for programming will combine the efforts of DUU, Dining Services and Residential Life and Housing Services.
Senior Linh Le, chair of the Union’s all-campus entertainment committee, said that although plans for programming at both eating venues are not yet final, they have great potential.
“For the Marketplace, we’re thinking about bringing in a big screen and having movie nights like we have had in the past,” Le said. “We’re also thinking about having jam sessions outside the Marketplace.... We [also] hope to have programs during Sunday brunch at the Great Hall.”
Although Le is hopeful that eateries will become community centers on both East and West Campuses, students seem to remain skeptical about the idea of building a community in the Great Hall and can only reminisce of their days as freshmen.
“The Marketplace definitely built unity amongst freshmen and serves that purpose well,” senior Chi Chi Eto said. “The Great Hall doesn’t do that—most people don’t eat at the Great Hall at the same time. That’s why sophomore year isn’t as memorable. The Great Hall doesn’t serve the purpose of community building as well [as the Marketplace.]”
Sophomore Avery Resor said West Campus does not need a dining location like the Marketplace to help build its community.
“I don’t know if community building at the Great Hall is a necessity,” Resor said. “I don’t see the Great Hall as needing to have ‘community.’”
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