Duke University Union plans to strengthen and expand its presence on and off campus as well as reach out to underclassmen, as discussed in its meeting Tuesday.
As a result of a senior-dominated executive board, DUU is renewing its commitment to recruiting new members and also taking various measures to increase its exposure on campus, said DUU President Yi Zhang, a senior, adding that the Freshman Intern Program is one of the main strategies in achieving this goal.
“Our Freshman Intern Program will match each freshman intern with an executive board member [or programming chair], which we’re hoping will help freshmen who want to eventually be on [executive board],” Zhang said. “Our elections for executive board are happening in February—which is right around the corner—so this is really important.”
DUU is still accepting applications for the program and will select the interns at its next meeting.
Zhang added that DUU is examining new venues for events in an effort to create diverse and unique programming. Possible locations for events include the K4 residence hall—upon its completion—and other outdoor locations. DUU is also meeting Thursday with the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s Carolina Union Activities Board to work on developing a network between the two groups, which will begin “as soon as possible,” Zhang said.
“We want [Carolina’s Union Activities Board] to advertise some of our events in exchange for us adverting theirs,” Zhang said. “[We want to] give Duke students better access to events going on in the Triangle and widen the options available to the campus.”
In addition, Visual Arts Committee Chair Bibi Tran, a senior, said her committee is working to increase a visual arts presence on campus. The committee is now painting a mural opposite the Gothic Reading Room of Perkins Library and is also discussing the possibility of holding a light show sometime next semester.
DUU is also working to build its alumni network, said senior Elliot Johnson, DUU’s vice president of internal affairs. Johnson and Zhang proposed creating an alumni newsletter.
“It’s one idea, but we’re not exactly sure what we want [an alumni newsletter] to form into,” Johnson said.
In other business:
DUU Major Attractions is presenting Matisyahu with Freddie Gibbs in Page Auditorium tonight at 8 p.m. As of last night’s meeting, there were 200 tickets available for purchase, said Major Attractions Chair Karen Chen, a senior.
Dezember, an event modeled after a German Christmas market tradition, will be held Dec. 3 from 4 p.m to 8 p.m. on the Main West Quadrangle, said Annual Events Chair Alison Lane, a senior. It will feature various food and craft vendors, noted Marketing Chair Michelle Zhang, a junior.
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