We should support our troops, now more than ever. I have been away from Duke for almost a year now. I do not miss President Richard Brodhead, Larry Moneta or John Burness. I do not even miss Duke’s outstanding faculty. What makes me miss studying at an elite American private university is the out-of-this-world support staff it can afford.
The thousands of staff-specialists, librarians, coordinators and other warriors in the war for comfort in students’ lives are the true heroes of our University. And rarely, if ever, do they get the credit they deserve.
At the University of Cape Town, if you have a problem, you can line up in front of an office that closes for lunch just when it is your turn, only to be notified after lunch break is over that the stamp you really need must be obtained at another bureaucratic entity. The same applies to universities in my home country of the Netherlands. Rigid processes involving lots of forms-in-threefold ensure that all students get an equal, albeit frustratingly bureaucratic treatment.
Not so at Duke.
From personal experience I can tell you that even if, as a student, you completely mess up anything from registration to a visa application, three staff-specialists and a supervisor will dart to the rescue.
Take OIT.
Student A has been downloading DVD-quality porn movies for months, without using any sort of virus scanner, and A has moreover tried to re-configure his computer to double as a coffee-maker. Blue screens and weird Trojan horses have taken over the laptop, and all term papers on which A was working have been deleted or altered to contain profanity.
Without ever complaining, the anonymous whiz kids at the Office of Information Technology will gladly fix the machine in 48 hours, for free, no questions asked.
Some of my most frustrating moments at Duke involved administrators. Interaction with troops on the ground has largely been a positive experience. What makes me sad is that our troops, at decent but hardly stellar wages, are the oil that makes the University run smoothly, yet their bosses get the credit.
I have a confession to make. My mum used to be a librarian. From her stories I know how much a little note of thanks can mean to someone slaving away to make other people’s lives easier.
That is why I want to start a competition. In my next column I will give mad props to three of the best support staff at Duke. And I want you to nominate them.
Unfortunately, no prizes are to be won other than eternal respect from the Duke community. Maybe in future years some campus organization can formalize this competition and provide something more tangible for the winner. For now, let’s get this road on the show.
To nominate someone, e-mail me their name, function and department. Include a statement on why this member of the Duke community in particular deserves mad kudos. All support staff—librarian, housekeeper or accountant—are eligible. Faculty and administrators are excluded.
To give you a sense of what I am hoping for, let me share my own nominations:
Cathy Penny at the Office of Study Abroad. She tirelessly deals with students abroad wishing to obtain credit for certain courses. She replies to e-mails quicker than a lot of people type an Instant Message. She has always remained friendly with me, even though I know I must have tested the limits of her patience.
Charidy Morris in the student loans office. At a time when I was ready to slit my wrists over a rejected student loan and communication problems with the lending company, she appeared out of nowhere in my inbox and fixed the problem which had been dominating my thoughts for weeks with two simple phone calls.
Got nominations? Bring ‘em on!
Even if you are too jaded to participate in a Chronicle-based feel-good competition, please take one word of advice from me. If you are ever pleasantly surprised by the service level anywhere at Duke, make sure you let the warrior in question know.
Buy a muffin for a librarian. Send OIT a thank-you card. Buy flowers for the lady who cleaned your bathroom after that party. Support Duke’s troops.
Joost Bosland is a Trinity junior.
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