DSG Senate approves K-Ville tenting policies, hears updates from Mary Pat McMahon on QuadEx, campus space

<p>Duke Student Government at their Sept. 21 Senate meeting.</p>

Duke Student Government at their Sept. 21 Senate meeting.

Duke Student Government senators heard from Mary Pat McMahon, vice provost and vice president of student affairs, about QuadEx, programs and spaces designed to build community on campus at their Wednesday meeting. They also approved updates to Krzyzewskiville tenting policies.

McMahon said that “94% members of the Class of 2026” who participated in a survey conducted by Student Affairs during the first week of class said that they “felt like they belonged” under the new QuadEx residential system. 

She also acknowledged “variability” between quads in the levels of social activity and connection with their associated East Campus dorms, saying that there is a need for continual and “iterative” improvement.

When asked about the move away from allowing selective living groups to have housing sections on campus, McMahon shared plans to “create physical opportunities for groups of 30, 40, 60 or 80 students to be in a space on West.” The recently-renovated space, which will be called Dollard House, in Kilgo Quad is one example.

McMahon reflected on the need to design physical space to encourage encounters with people of different views and emphasized the need to support multicultural centers, especially in light of the flooding of the Mary Lou Williams Center for Black Culture. Recent space changes have helped, she explained.

“[The Center for Multicultural Affairs] has more than twice the square footage space now than it did before [recent space changes],” she said in response to a question about creating spaces for students of color on campus. 

She noted that identity and cultural centers are a “huge resource” for inclusive programming.

Concerning recent changes to Duke’s alcohol policy, McMahon shared that these changes aim to make social life “safer by proximity.” Several student-sponsored events this year have served as a “proof of concept” on the possibility of social events involving alcohol on campus, she said. 

McMahon also previewed plans that would allow students to designate a chosen name on their Duke ID starting January 2023 and international students to declare a major during their first year.

Updated tenting rules 

Senators approved updated tenting rules for Duke men’s basketball’s game against North Carolina on Feb. 4. Tenting registration will take place starting Jan. 2 at noon, with the tenting trivia test scheduled for Jan. 12.

Head Line Monitors Emma Smith and Didac Garcia-Grau, both seniors, explained the structure for tenting this year. Black Tenting, which will return this season, starts the first day of tenting on Jan. 14. The first 70 tents to register will be black tents, followed by ten blue tents. Blue Tenting will start Jan. 20.

“Normally, Blue Tenting doesn’t exist if all the Black Tenting spots are filled, but we realized that with this season being so short, we didn’t want to put ourselves or K-Ville in the predicament of there only being the option to start on day one or start all the way at the end,” Smith explained to the senators.

The order for black tents will depend on the basketball trivia test, history test and “attendance events,” in which tents can earn “spirit points” for supporting other Duke sports. 

White and Flex Tenting will begin Jan. 27. Tenting groups will check in at six hidden spots around campus in the traditional Race to the Secret Spot. There will be 25 white tents and 25 flex tents. Flex tents are not guaranteed spots in Cameron Indoor Stadium, though they are usually let in.

During the tenting season, nights are defined as 1 a.m. to 7 a.m. on weekdays and 2:30 a.m. to 7 a.m. on weekends. Grace will occur after every tent check, before and after home and away games when the Weather Channel reports a temperature below 25 degrees, or at the discretion of the Head Line Monitors, Garcia-Grau and Smith explained.

“This is one of the shortest tenting seasons that will ever exist in the history of Duke basketball, so we anticipate students wanting to take advantage of that,” Smith said.

In other business

DSG vice presidents expanded on committee project updates shared during their Nov. 17 meeting. Projects ranged from centralizing Duke resources and a Committee on Safe Social Life to funding Durham outings and providing transportation to off-campus wellness services. DSG Cabinet Chair Amber Miranda, a junior, shared several cabinet initiatives.

DSG senators allocated $8,130 for Kappa Alpha Psi’s Last Day of Classes social show on Dec. 9. The senators also recognized Duke Business of Entertainment, Arts and Media, Hellenic Society of Duke, Indian Students Association, KAjok and the Poetea club.

The senators chartered the Khaya Afro Collective, a magazine promoting African culture, and EyeServe, a service-based organization focused on supporting those affected by low vision or blindness.


Senou Kounouho profile
Senou Kounouho | University News Editor

Senou Kounouho is a Pratt sophomore and a university news editor of The Chronicle's 119th volume.

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