As a freshman last year, I grew to enjoy going to the Marketplace. I still go back occasionally. Is this because it’s the best place in Durham to eat dinner? Of course not, but I like the people who work there.
Not allowing Marketplace employees to eat on the East Union steps is simply not fair. Aren’t they part of the Duke community as well, or are they somehow less important because they serve rather than study here?
What if I worked there—would I be allowed to eat on the front steps since I’m a student? During the course of my first year, I formed friendships with several of the employees, and I grew to look forward to interacting with them. I loved it when they sang along to the music while they served us.
It was great to watch them have a good time. And it was nice to pass them and say “hello” as I entered the building. I think I speak for all the students when I say that those steps are as much theirs—if not more—as they are ours.
Katherine Wingate
Trinity ’07
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