Nobody could light up a room like Chris Sanders-he was pure energy. He was a rare kind of leader, one whose infectious smile and contagious enthusiasm alone were enough to win him the affection and respect of his peers. In many ways, the First-Year Advisory Council Program runs on the mastery of group dynamics, attracting members who can function both as team players and team builders. Chris was the ideal head FAC, because he could literally-and effortlessly-get people excited about anything. He relished competition, but all in the spirit of having fun; he was an invigorating source of inspiration for everyone around him, and for the FAC Program as a whole. He was engaging, perpetually ready for action and insanely fun to be around. In a program full of such people, Chris stood out as a natural.
Most members of the FAC Board consider applying to be a head FAC as one of their best decisions at Duke-not only because we believe strongly in the mission of our program, but also because it has brought us into contact with people who have since become our best friends, the closest thing many of us have to a family on campus. When we've come together over the course of the past week to support and spend time with each other, we've spontaneously started sharing stories about Chris. and we always end up laughing. All of our memories of him are of times when he brought us the kind of giddy, life-embracing, bubbling-over joy that so often makes being a part of the FAC Board such an incredible pleasure.
Our grief is immense, but Chris-just by virtue of being who he was-gave us the gift of being able to laugh our way through our sadness. And while we may no longer have the pleasure of working alongside him and enjoying his friendship, he lives on in our shared experience of having known him. together.
Geoff Bass and Bronwyn Lewis, Trinity '08,
on behalf of the First-Year Advisory Council Board
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