Duke, hide your co-eds.
The Duke University Union voted Tuesday night to bring Tucker Max, a blogger and New York Times bestselling author, to speak in Page Auditorium either March 3 or 4.
Members also approved funding for a party thrown by Small Town Records and discussed a film series centered around lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights at the general body meeting Tuesday night.
The Major Speakers committee presented the proposal for Max's appearance and was granted $7,000 to cover his appearance fee. Members of the committee noted that Max, who appeals primarily to the 18-to-24 age group, would be an ideal personality to bring to campus after last semester's DUU-sponsored speakers filmmaker John Waters and retired NBA basketball player John Amaechi.
"We believe having a Tucker Max engagement would be a perfect compliment to the speakers we have had in the past this year, whom appealed to an older demographic, and took on a more serious tone," the memo said.
Major Speakers committee members said Max will promote his current and upcoming books at the event, adding that Max is "personally excited" to return to his alma mater.
Max's first book, "I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell," chronicles his debaucherous antics and has appeared on the New York Times Bestseller List.
"Tucker Max is a popular 'fratire' writer, known for chronicling his nighttime crazy encounters, and a graduate of Duke law [school], which he attended on an academic scholarship, although he neglected to buy any textbooks for his final two years and spent part of one semester, while enrolled, in Cancun," the memo reads.
The Union also approved $2,000 for a party hosted by Small Town Records, which was presented by the organization's Director Colin Tierney, a junior.
"[The event] will help fulfill our mission of providing entertainment and being the center of music at Duke University," he said.
The party is slated to take place at Alivia's Durham Bistro March 27, and all Duke students will be encouraged to attend.
Small Town Records will distribute copies of a compilation album of the label's bands for free at the event and release a digital version of the record five days earlier.
Although the Major Speakers and Small Town Records proposals were both granted the full budget requested, the film series centered around lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights was only allocated about half of the $1,050 it needed from the Union. The limited funding will likely force the event to drop one of its five films from the series.
"This LGBT film series aims to explore LGBT perspectives on all forms of love--parental, filial, casual, romantic and marital, among others," the memo detailing the film series read.
The series has been granted funding from multiple campus groups, but needed additional money from DUU to show both the documentary "Small Town Gay Bar" and the avant-garde film "Blueprint."
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