It's a common sight around Duke's campus after a stormy day or two: Students leaping, sidestepping or just sloshing through the massive puddles that form on sidewalks, on driveways, in the middle of quads--in short, just about everywhere. From the Blackwell Dormitory arch to the head of the Bryan Center walkway, the more gigantic of these lakes are enough to stop a student in his tracks, followed by a daring and precarious lunge to continue on his way. And since this water has nowhere to go, it either remains there until a sunny day comes to dry it up or soaks into the surrounding ground, effectively turning quads into mud holes. Duke's rain drainage is, quite simply, the worst I have ever seen. Clothes get muddy, shoes get soggy, but most of all, it's just plain inconvenient. At an institution like Duke where the quality of just about everything else is consistently high, we should have a drainage system that doesn't leave students and staff wading across campus.
Andrew Furlow
Trinity '05
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