A new shade of paint and fresh carpeting could add some character to the cramped, poorly lit offices of the Center for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Life. But center officials hope for much more than a new interior design in upcoming renovations to the Student Village and are pushing for larger, improved facilities.
"Surely, the gay center should be well-decorated," said Director of the LGBT center Karen Krahulik, laughing.
Krahulik said the offices can barely fit comfortably more than six people, the number of part- and full-time staffers at the center, and that it is not nearly enough space to accommodate the center's scheduled programs.
Weekly events on Fridays up in their current location, 201 Flowers, have been going on for years, often attracting 20 to 50 people and forcing spillage into the hall.
"Some people think 201 Flowers belongs to LGBT," Krahulik said, but the space actually belongs to the Division of Student Affairs, of which the LGBT center is a small part, forcing the center to schedule events all over campus far in advance.
"We use a lot of space from other cultural spaces," said Kerry Poynter, program coordinator of the LGBT center. He said they frequently arrange events in the Mary Lou Williams Center for Black Culture and the Women's Center, since renting spaces in the Bryan Center costs money and classrooms are not always available.
She pointed to events at the center that serve food without aid of a kitchen, a library where over 2,000 books are stacked on top of the bookshelves and a receptionist who sits with her back to the door because there is no room for another desk. Krahulik said that while technology is not necessarily a problem, there are only two full-time computers shared among five people, not including students who drop by to socialize or to check their e-mail.
Poynter said it is very difficult to function when everyone is trying to work in the cramped space.
"It's like 500 hundred bees in a beehive. There is a lot of noise, a lot of people and it is very difficult to concentrate," he said. He added that groups across the hall can be loud, and that students who walk in and out can be disruptive.
Also, the furniture is pretty worn, he said. "It looks as if the furniture we have came from someone's dorm room," Krahulik said.
Poynter added that the carpet is a few decades old and that there is not any central air, only window-box air conditioners that often cause fuses to blow out during some scorching summer days.
"[Vice President for Student Affairs Larry Moneta] and others would like us to have a bigger renovated space," Krahulik said. One of the problems that the center has in relocating is that the new space must meet basic requirements, specifically being in a central location yet sufficiently concealed to allow for anonymity, so students are not "outed" against their wishes, she said.
"We don't want a center built into a quad," Poynter explained.
Krahulik noted the two necessities have added to the difficulty of the search. "Larry has been attentive and we're working on it. We just don't know at this point," she said.
When she visits alumni across the country, Krahulik said they are thrilled to see that Duke even has a place for gay students on campus. Still, needed space should be provided, she said.
Poynter reiterated that surface improvements are not enough. "A fresh coat of paint would be nice but won't do it," he said. "We have a space to put computers and do some work, but definitely not enough space to put work into practice. Every wall is covered and every wall space is utilized. I feel like I've been thrown into a little corner."
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