The University has worked hard to build a strong student community at the school. It has supported events before football games, worked to improve residential life through the introduction of the housing model and created a strong community for freshmen so that they feel welcome at Duke.
Facilities such as the Smith Warehouse, the Arts Annex and the renovated Gross Hall are not only pleasant places to work, study and learn, but they are also spaces in which students can pursue a variety of non-academic interests. Duke’s vast resources allow student organizations like Duke University Union to host events. Indeed, all events funded by the student organization finance committee are free and open for all undergraduate students, which helps to give students options to meet peers without the financial pressures of off-campus meet-ups.
We are also grateful for Duke’s students and staff. Professors at Duke not only teach their subject matter, but also offer life lessons. Many go above and beyond to guide, challenge and offer advice to students. Mentor figures can change the trajectory of college or even a life path. Duke’s employees, from the bus drivers to the late-night cleaning staff, work tirelessly to ensure that our community is clean and safe. Many employees work behind the scenes, in offices that Duke students almost never see, to make sure that everything continues running smoothly.
On the student side, resident assistants do a good job of not only taking responsibility for their residents, but also genuinely caring about them, despite often being placed in uncomfortable situations in which they are obligated to shut down parties or write students up. Students have made Duke into a place where community members are not afraid to voice their thoughts on controversial topics, from last year’s protest against the Asia Prime party to this year’s heated debates about Charles Murray. Although certain attitudes or behaviors might be more prevalent at Duke, no topic is barred from discussion. Our peers challenge us intellectually, but we appreciate them the most as friends: people who are there when we are stressed about a midterm or frustrated about a breakup or just having a rough day.
Duke is by no means a perfect place. There are many aspects of Duke with which students have serious and legitimate complaints, and students’ criticisms are healthy and help make the institution a better place. As Duke students return to campus from the annual holiday of giving thanks, though, we should remember that it is good to be thankful every once in a while for both the big and little things in life.
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