duARTS endorses Amy Kramer for Young Trustee

After meeting with all the Young Trustee candidates, duARTS is excited to announce our decision to endorse Amy Kramer for Young Trustee.

All four candidates are more than qualified for the position. Bryce Cracknell’s commitment to expanding diversity efforts, interdisciplinary education, and past experience serving on boards was striking. He spoke authentically and candidly about the value of arts and storytelling and their interconnectedness to memorializing history, illuminating culture, and creating community. Chinmay’s emphasis on listening to communities, experience as a student representative on the Board of Trustees, and dedication to multiculturalism and access to education was impressive. Liz Brown’s knowledge on and passion for Duke and Durham was evident. Her thoughts on using arts and humanities to understand science resonated with us. 

Ultimately, we believe Amy Kramer’s breadth of involvement across disciplines—from arts and music, to ROTC, to disability advocacy—positions her to best represent the landscape of the student body and demonstrated her ability to think broadly about the university. We were impressed by Kramer’s understanding of issues at Duke, including financial aid access, Duke-Durham engagement, curriculum changes, and her ability to speak with depth and candor on those issues. She stood out as the authority on the ways Duke might better itself by looking to peer institutions, and we are confident that her ability to deliver in organizations resistant to progressive change is critical to the position of Young Trustee. As we build off the current momentum in the arts Duke, we believe the time is right to elect a Young Trustee who can articulate a vision for the arts in the realm of higher education. Kramer’s relationship with the arts runs deep, evidenced by her involvement with the Music Department, Duke Symphony Orchestra and Arts Theme House. We support her message that art’s ability to convey humanity can be leveraged in Duke’s interest to create not just smart people, but better citizens. We fully endorse her for the position.

Signed,

Kelsey Graywill, duARTS President