Duke's scareground: Central Campus

This Halloween, step into a dimly lit, old room, hear the dripping of the water pipes and walk obviously as black mold slowly spreads through your walls. Don’t mistakenly assume you have been dragged to yet another haunted house by your friends because you may have stepped into your own apartment on Central Campus. While not as reviled as it was years ago, Central leaves much to be desired for its residents. Satire and mockery aside, the apartments of Central have recently had several serious concerns brought to light giving housing equity questions more to work with after Edens saw its renovations this year.

There are currently 26 houses with about 1000 residents on Central with about 23 of those houses affiliated to Selective Living Groups. Central Campus’s popularity rose with the introduction of the quadrangle housing model in 2012 that moved many SLGs to its rooms. The creation of a predominantly affiliated community, however, has failed to resolve the structural issues that undermine the campus.

Maintenance problems have garnered apartments much attention. In 2014, students were evacuated after an entire colony of bats was discovered in an apartment, presenting a severe health risk to those students and the community. In October of this year, a leaky pipe in one apartment built up enough water to collapse a ceiling and destroy several electronics and possessions of residents. Most frequently, reports of mold, particularly black mold, have been largely brushed off by Housing, Dining and Residence Life as not of concern given their tests, the norm of mold in the humid South and the lack of danger if the mold remains undisturbed. Mold, however, has led to problems in the past with students evacuated from Edens and the potential for students with breathing issues and sensitivities.

If students are to be required to live on campus for three years, it seems only reasonable that the apartments on Central be competitive with the quality of housing available in Durham that draws students away through the lottery every year. Moreover, Central lacks the conveniences that normally motivate students stay on a campus. The on-site options are undeniably limited, and the in-apartment kitchens meant to offset that need are difficult or expensive at best to stock from on-campus grocery options. Of course, security concerns are always very real for Central residents, brought to the fore by the crimes committed earlier this year.

These complaints are not without answer, however. We ask where the grand plans for Central went now that the economic recession is a little further behind us. In 2000, a redevelopment plan for Central was laid out to revolutionize the campus. The three prongs of its vision were to focus on open green spaces; house arts, humanities and international programs; and create living learning communities. Over a 20- to 50-year period, Duke would have taken the 200 acres of Central and created “New Campus.” Our departments and programs in language, culture, Visual Studies, Film and Video, Dance, Theater, and others would have had unique spaces and buildings outfitted with the latest technology. An academic village would have been made out of the living spaces with living arrangements provided for undergraduates, graduate students and faculty, complemented by new dining, recreation and academic support spaces. All of this under sustainable building guidelines and an attention to Central’s park-like atmosphere would have redefined Central campus as a veritable link between East and West.

In bringing the occasionally grim and dank realities of today together with the bright and shiny possible plans for tomorrow, we hope to see Central Campus improve for the student experience and to hear what might be in store for its development as time goes on.