The importance of flexibility
From the very start, waves of construction have plagued my existence at Duke, following me around like an infectious disease that becomes dormant for small spurts, only to rear its ugly head back with such an intensity that it becomes normalized in my daily life. The heartwarming, encouraging message from the administration has been quite simple: get used to it. As an undergraduate member of the Committee on Facilities and the Environment, I very much understand the importance of looking to the future to make sure that our university maintains a certain standard of excellence, comfort, and longevity that we have all become accustomed to and that prospective students, faculty, and visitors expect. Frankly though, it is hard for most of us current students, particularly those of us who have not had a West Union or a bridge to the plaza for much of our time, to avoid the thought that we got just a little bit unlucky to be attending Duke during a time of such enormous physical transition.