Beer Trucks is back—with some changes.
The event, which offered graduating seniors and their families the chance to drink beer and socialize before commencement, was canceled in April by the Duke Alumni Association due to its cost. Following student outcry, Duke Student Government has secured funding for the event and has scheduled it to take place May 14 from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m., DSG President Mike Lefevre, a senior, said.
“I have been to each event since the first one about 20 years ago,” Dean of Students Sue Wasiolek said. “It is a festive family event where students mix, mingle and say goodbye. It has developed a sense of nostalgia and we all would have been sad to see it go.”
Lefevre said that in response to the Facebook page in support of Beer Trucks as well as the flood of emails from students lobbying their DSG senators to reinstate the event, the group voted to plan and seek funding for the event.
The event is projected to cost $22,500 and without a contribution from the DAA, DSG leaders initially had difficulties finding funds for the event, Lefevre said.
The Duke Balance Forward Account provided an additional $19,500, which was drawn from surplus money that had not been allocated or spent on programming during the year, he added.
For the remainder of the funds, DSG requested support from the Duke University Union. DUU has now pledged $3,000 in grants toward the event, the group’s president Rachel Sussman, a junior, wrote in an email.
“DUU recognizes the importance of Beer Trucks in providing a last, memorable event for the graduating class,” she said. “Normally we do not provide funding for events that cater toward a subset of the student body. However, DUU understands the unique circumstance this year due to the last-minute announcement by the DAA of Beer Trucks’ cancellation.”
Duke has regulations in place that prevent student activities from being planned after the last day of classes, which created some obstacles for DSG, Lefevre said. He noted that student leaders needed the assistance of the DAA and the Office of Student Activities and Facilities to sign contracts and plan the event.
Initially, the event was slated to be held on either the Bryan Center plaza or in the Duke Gardens, but both locations were booked. Of the remaining potential locations on campus, Duke University Police Department felt comfortable with the Blue Zone parking lot, Lefevre said.
Holding the event there would require lighting and portable toilets, adding to the projected cost, Sussman said.
To compensate for the smaller budget—in previous years, the event has cost as much as $75,000—there will be significant changes to the structure of the event, said Christopher Roby, director of the office of student life.
The biggest difference will be the lack of a tent, which was the largest single cost of the event in previous years.
“A big risk is rain but other than that, it will be the goodbye event people remember it to be,” Roby said. “There will be food, tables, chairs, a DJ, lighting and we expect anywhere from 3,000 to 5,000 people. As for the rest, the mood is what you make of it.”
The DAA will likely return to coordinating Beer Trucks in the future based on student support and enthusiastic help from the university.
“It will most likely not happen in its traditional form,” Lefevre said. “It was simply too expensive. But, I think there will always be a Saturday night event for seniors and there should be.”
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