Although the First Day of Classes may not be met with the style of celebration that marks its counterpart, the Last Day of Classes, students on campus Monday were eager to begin the 2011-2012 academic year. And despite Hurricane Irene’s wind and rain this weekend, Duke welcomed back its students in perfect weather. The Chronicle’s Nguyen Tran spoke with students, faculty and staff about their expectations for the upcoming year.
“I’m very excited about all the sporting events at Duke, especially volleyball.... It’s one of the reasons why I chose Duke in the first place,”—freshman Aïssa Huysmans of Swaziland.
“The people here are very connected and the campus is gorgeous. [New York University] doesn’t have a campus, and people don’t really know each other,”–junior Zhen Gou, a transfer student from NYU, on what he sees as the most distinct difference between the two schools.
“It’s going to be a very busy year with my research and my trip to Madagascar. But it’s also going to be a lot of fun since I’m now in Arts Theme House with all my friends,” —junior Anne Johnson, a biology major.
“I’m excited about everything actually, but if I were to pick one, I would say it would be the renovation that Duke has just finished—the Sarah P. Duke Gardens, and especially the K-4. The new 24-hour dining center there will pull everyone back to West Campus and create a much more centralized campus, which I look forward to,”—junior Anthony Lin, a neuroscience and computer science double major.
“Getting to know the Class of 2015 better.... From what I’ve seen so far, they seem to be more serious and focused than previous classes,”—Yoko Hisano, a program coordinator for the International House.
“This year I will do my rotation in a hospital, so I will be seeing people a lot less. I also cannot get too involved in other activities, so that’s a bit of a downer. But becoming a doctor is what I want to do, and I’m also very excited to be getting closer to my goal,”—Asishana Osho, a third-year medical student.
Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
Signup for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.