Following the recent announcement that it would change policies governing Krzyzewskiville this year, Duke Student Government and Head Line Monitor Lauren Troyer, a senior, called an open forum Tuesday night to discuss possible improvements to tenting.
Although no concrete decisions were made, Troyer was pleased with the feedback she received and said she believes the meeting will provide an important backdrop for shaping the new policy.
“I think the most important thing to get out of this meeting is a unified student opinion on what K-ville should be,” said DSG President Jesse Longoria, a senior. Longoria and Troyer will speak with members of the administration Wednesday to discuss opinions expressed at the meeting. The revised tenting policy will be finalized October 26, Troyer said.
Twenty-six students were present at the discussion, which lasted one and a half hours and covered a wide range of issues including the length of the tenting season, the grace policy and cheer sheets. “The people here tonight represented a lot of different groups and opinions,” Troyer said. “It’s hard to sum up what the major opinion is.”
One of the major issues discussed was shortening the tenting season in response to continued complaints on the part of the administration. In previous years, students have often missed class or gotten sick while queuing for games.
Troyer herself believes tenting season should not be mandatorily shortened. She is unsure whether or not “black tenting”—a strict policy introduced last year intended to dissuade overzealous fans from pitching tents too early—will continue this year. As a result of black tenting, however, K-ville saw an increased number of early arrivals last year.
“I love seeing people out there Dec. 26,” Troyer said. “But there are some things which probably need to be conceded this year.”
Troyer also presented an idea whereby line monitors would regulate early arrivals to K-ville from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. each day before spring semester classes started. Outside of this two-hour period, the students in tent No. 1 would take over as the officiating body of K-ville.
Also on the agenda was the revision of the grace policy. Periods of grace have traditionally been granted during women’s basketball games and on days when the temperature drops below 20 degrees or when the head line monitor deems conditions unsafe.
The new policy, Troyer suggested, may grant grace if the temperature drops below 28 degrees and extend to rainy days. In addition, periods of grace may be instituted in the 24-hour period before tenting games.
Those present at the meeting also asked for “social grace” from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. Friday and Saturday nights. Troyer is still undecided as to whether such a policy will be put into effect.
Other improvements suggested included e-mailing cheer sheets to fans prior to games and selling tenting equipment on FLEX at campus stores.
In order to carry out the new policy, line monitors will have a greater presence in Krzyzewskiville and at all basketball games this year, Troyer said. Line order, she assured those at the meeting, will be strictly enforced at all games.
In general, students were happy with the outcome of the meeting.
“It was very productive,” said Junior Kyle White, a two-time tenter and participant in the meeting. “We didn’t have the full constituency, but the important issues were brought to the table.”
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