Students walking down the West Campus Plaza these days can't help but notice the new glowing statue, but they might have missed a smaller addition-the Plaza webcam.
Last month, the Office of Student Activities and Facilities installed a camera in the front facade of the Bryan Center in order to capture action on the Plaza. Real-time footage captured by the camera airs on the OSAF website home page.
"It's just a whimsical way to glance at life passing by," said Larry Moneta, vice president for student affairs.
The idea originated with Duke alumni who visited during the grand opening of the Plaza last summer, OSAF Director Chris Roby said.
"The alums told us that they thought it would be cool to sit up in their offices in New York and take a peek at what was going on at Duke," he said.
The camera, which Roby said cost less than $5,000 to install, is not related to the statue "Tattoo," although both appeared on the Plaza at approximately the same time.
"Indirectly it helps with the security of the statue-but that was incidental," Moneta said.
Roby said there are currently no plans to install additional cameras in other areas of the campus, but OSAF would be open to the idea if there were significant student demand. "People talk about it around the OSAF office," he said. "But we've been trying to see if there is any positive or negative student feedback."
The lack of response received by OSAF to date may be due to the fact that many students remain unaware that the camera even exists. "I didn't know it was there, but I think it's a good idea," freshman Vanessa Vincent said. "It gives people an idea of what the campus is like."
Junior Chris Lester said he was not opposed to the idea of a campus webcam but questioned whether the area in front of the Bryan Center was a prime location for its installation. "It's just people walking in and out," he said. "I guess if they had concerts out here people would be able to see it."
Moneta said the webcam was not meant to be a "Big Brother" device of the University, but rather a publicly accessible tool.
Some students, however, said they view the camera as an invasion of privacy.
"It seems sort of stalkerish," freshman Jorden Jones said.
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