At a Tuesday night dinner sponsored by Spectrum Organization, student leaders, faculty and administrators challenged freshmen to take an active role in the University community and to take full advantage of their opportunities to shape the future of the University.
Trinity senior Kim Young, president of the University's Big Brother & Sister Program, emphasized students' accountability and the importance of community service. "You are responsible for your community. You are accountable to answer your calling while you have the privilege of time," Young said. "Your choice is to answer your calling and accept your gift. You can choose to make a difference or become indifferent."
Trinity junior Ari Redbord, editor of The Duke Review, stressed the importance of unity. He also encouraged students to stand up for their beliefs and values. "Ideas, good and bad, are what influence our decisions and drive our debates and discussions," Redbord said. "Our ideas are the lifeblood of this University; they are its future."
Maurice Corders, a Medical Center employee, disagreed with various aspects of Redbord's speech and encouraged students to look for the similarities between themselves and the people whom they consider to be different from themselves. He emphasized the need for students to learn from all people they come into contact with-not just University faculty, but also employees.
"Speak to the person who serves you food or cleans your dorm. They can tell you about a lot of things you don't see everyday." Corders also challenged students to fulfill their ideals. "A lot of the high ideals we are taught here as students do not trickle down to the employees," he said. "With privilege comes a great deal of responsibility and what you do now will set the course for the rest of your life."
Trinity senior Shavar Jeffries, who was elected young trustee earlier in the evening by Duke Student Government, spoke on the necessity of student initiative in campus affairs. "Only through active leadership can we ensure that student concerns are not tangential in terms of University priorities," Jeffries said.
In his address, Dean of Trinity College Richard White emphasized the importance of community. He underscored the value of preventing exploitation and promoting an atmosphere of free discussion and nurturing an overall sense of community.
"It seems to me that if we are really concerned about the world, we should be using the University and it's environment to support leadership and service," White said. "We should really concern ourselves with the diversity and heterogeneity of our community and try to use the positives to make the community more interactive."
Freshmen, upperclassmen and faculty supported the speakers' messages and Spectrum's effort to encourage interaction. "I think it's a valuable way to get the freshmen involved and give them a chance to meet upperclassmen leaders," said Trinity sophomore Sarah Flaherty, president of Clocktower Quad.
Trinity freshman Colin Mutchler said he thought the dinner was valuable because it helped to increase communication between disparate groups of people. "It's tough to bring together people of different ideas and backgrounds. What needs to happen is for people to be able to discuss their differences."
Trinity sophomore Adithya Cattamanchi helped organize the event. "The dinner is about leadership and exchanging ideas. We want freshmen to stand up for whatever they believe in," Cattamanchi said.
Trinity sophomore Randy Kenna, a DSG legislator, said he attended the dinner to meet other students interested in leadership. "I wanted to meet freshmen who are interested in the future of Duke and want to make a commitment to leading and serving the community," he said.
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