Very rarely is a university given the chance to cure so many ills with a single project. But if the Central Campus overhaul represents anything, it's that one golden opportunity to pause, furrow our collective brow and ponder the Duke that could be. With that in mind, here are some personal suggestions:
Fountain(s): Each of our current campuses has a distinctive beauty, but neither campus has running water to soothe passersby. Make the new Central distinctive by adding a series of fountains that can serve as meeting places and wishing wells.
Renovated Pool: An Oasis, an 18-hole golf course, a Starbucks and no popular outdoor pool? What a shame. In all seriousness, redoing the Central Campus pool would open up another student hot spot on campus and offer refreshment on those simmering August days. Recall, too, the PR nightmare that came as a result of overcrowding at the Belmont pool-Duke can play it cool and keep cool in one move.
Outdoor theater screen/stage: Imagine Duke's own Shakespeare in the Park. The perfect complement to the University's renewed focus on the arts would be an outdoor stage; not only does it offer an alternative to the always-booked Griffith, Reynolds and Page spaces, but it challenges us to more fully incorporate the performing arts in our push to make the University arts-savvy. An added bonus: It's the ideal space for the intrepid professor who wants to hold a lecture or two outside.
[Insert wealthy donor name] Auditorium: Given the talk about new eateries and student residential spaces, we'd be remiss if we didn't add an auditorium to enliven Central Campus. If it's to truly become a new student community, it must offer its denizens more than simply food and shelter. The increasing flow of speakers and performers has left students scouring for space on campus, and I can think of no more necessary requirement for a new campus than a gathering place for all.
Music facilities/recording studio: It's time we help our many musicians, especially those on West Campus who'd just as soon not trek to the far reaches of East to go to the Biddle Building. Central's relative remoteness makes it the perfect place for just such an expansion. Think, too, of the added notch on the arts belt that a new recording studio would represent.
Lighting, lighting, lighting: It would be utterly senseless to renovate Central without tackling this issue. The dim pockets and dark corners leave residents of the current space and visitors alike constantly looking over their shoulders. A relatively easy fix for a nagging problem.
Smart Dorm: Launched in 2003, the Smart House broke ground last April, so we'll have to hold off on this particular dream project for some time. But imagine the possibilities: voice-activated light and music, cleaner, more efficient cooling and filters; a security system with face recognition. Pending the results of the pilot project, it might be valuable to pursue the next evolution: an entire dorm built on student initiative and cross-disciplinary engineering research.
Kenan Institute for Ethics building: The ever-popular Humanitarian Challenges FOCUS, the growth of the Research-Service Learning program and the emergence of a new certificate in ethics have conspired to make the Kenan Institute one of Duke's new academic hot spots. It's high time that they're given a larger space to expand. Moral questions are intrinsic to so many fields that are unrepresented in the Institute's core faculty, and it's ultimately a failed opportunity for collaboration. With the necessary funding and support, Kenan could become the CIEMAS of the humanities.
Child-care facility: The dream of any first-rate university is to have a faculty with unmatchable intellectual firepower. Duke continues to improve in this regard, but it still lags behind its competitors. Sweeten the recruitment deal by adding an expanded day-care facility on Central. More than a few faculty members and graduate students will be grateful.
Pie in the sky? Perhaps. Expensive? Undoubtedly. Impossible? No way. A university is blessed with the time to take projects to fruition in a manner that is consonant with core goals and emerging realities. Money is the eternal trump card, but we've already shown our prowess at raising millions for projects of import. Yes, the Central Campus revitalization is the chance to correct the mistakes of our architectural past, but more importantly, it is a challenge to build the Duke of the future.
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