Beth Higgins is ready to rock your Last Day of Classes.
As newly appointed 2007 LDOC committee chair, Higgins, a senior, said she has a lot planned for the event that will be held at the end of the spring semester.
"I'm so excited about it," she said. "I hope it's going to be just as good as last year, if not better."
In addition to the annual concert, the LDOC committee-consisting of 15 students-aims to add programs in which students will be interested that do not necessarily involve alcohol, thanks to the increased emphasis on the Campus Culture Initiative this year, Higgins said.
"Hopefully we'll be able to bring an event that not only makes the students happy but also the administration and staff," she said. "It's not just the last day of classes for students, it's also for the teachers-they should have fun too."
The committee also hopes to strengthen the event with daytime programming for the students, Higgins said.
"We want to try and have a lot more out in central areas where people can come and hang out," Higgins said. "We're in college, we want to have fun, we don't want to grow up yet."
She noted that because of the rain during last year's LDOC, the daytime programs were cancelled. The committee is working on a better rain plan this year, Higgins said.
She added that the committee hopes to provide events that please a wide array of attendees.
"I really want it to be an event that everyone finds something good about-a lot of diversity of things for people to do," she said.
Higgins is conducting surveys to gain student input before deciding on activities.
"I would love to hear what students have to say," she said. "I don't want to plan this event and have no idea what people want."
Currently the committee has a total budget of $110,000-$90,000 from the increase in the student activities fee and $20,000 from Campus Council.
Additional funding from the Duke University Union is still pending.
"We have a strong relationship with the Union," Higgins said. "If we need the extra funding, I'm confident they'll be there to help us with it."
She added that in coming weeks, the LDOC committee will be presenting a proposed budget to the University Union Board to receive approval for the funds.
The UUB-consisting of administrators, staff and students-reviews and approves all of the Union's financial decisions along with the Union's executive board.
"Increased funding will allow us to have a much safer and more fun event, and not feel restricted in what we can do and who we can get [for the concert]," Higgins said.
She added that the committee is also looking to other sources for additional funding and hopes the final budget will be set by Winter Break.
"Right now, it's all just hopes and dreams about what we'd like to do," she said, adding that final decisions should be announced around February.
Higgins was selected for the position from five candidates by Campus Council and Union members.
Campus Council President Jay Ganatra, a senior, said Higgins was chosen due in part to her previous experience working on last year's LDOC committee and on a similar event at DePaul University before transferring to Duke.
"Beth was the most qualified candidate that we had," Ganatra said. "And she has good ideas on how to get extra funding."
Higgins said her previous experiences under different environments taught her to be flexible.
"I learned that there are hoops to jump through, so many things to take into account," she said. "I've become more well rounded as far as event planning goes."
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