The race begins!
The inaugural Quad Cup, a QuadEx-affiliated initiative officially launched Jan. 10, is a campus-wide competition that aims to foster Quad communities through residential-based events.
Starting in spring 2024, students will have the opportunity to rack up points by attending events and winning challenges, with the highest ranking Quad Connection declared as the overall winner.
“We wanted to figure out a way to expedite the Quad identity creation process and also find a way that was fun and highly collaborative for both West Quads and East [Campus] neighborhoods to get together,” said sophomore Tara Singh, director of residential experience and policy for Duke Student Government’s President's Cabinet.
Singh hopes that the ambition and competitive nature of Duke students will manifest in “positive forces, such as Quad identities.”
“What brings Duke students together more than competition?” asked Jenny Wood Crowley, assistant vice provost for undergraduate education, intellectual community, in an email to The Chronicle. “We thought implementing a competition that helps encourage students to participate in fun, community-building, Quad-based experiences would be a good way to help build a sense of belonging and identity in the Quads.”
The Quad Cup was a collaboration between multiple University and student groups. Crowley credited Quad Councils, Quad Identity Teams, Duke Student Government, Housing & Residence Life and Sophomore Spark as key players.
While the events mentioned above are mostly from HRL, Singh encourages Quad Councils to host gatherings like dorm dances to turn attendance into extra points while bolstering community social engagement.
Crowley also mentioned pulling inspiration from the House Cup system in the Harry Potter series.
Senior Robert Sprung, vice president for the Class of 2024 and former co-president of Crowell Quad, emphasized the simplicity of the process, assuring students that this is a low-stakes race with no heavy commitment necessary from participants. Most of the events will be centered around core elements of the Duke social scene including tenting, academic events and walk-up lines.
There will be two or three Quad Cup events per month, according to Singh.
Students can participate in Trivia Night on Jan. 25 and Feb. 22, where select students from each Quad will show off their practical knowledge of pop culture, geography, history, science and other fields of study. The next four upcoming men’s basketball games will be preceded by Quad Krzyzewskiville parties, which are opportunities for students to earn special seats via a separate walk-up line while earning points.
“In crafting this, we want something that is no cost to students that is just a net benefit to them. It’s not redefining the wheel in any way — there’s no grand experimental idea,” Sprung said.
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Andrew Bae is a Trinity junior and an editor-at-large of The Chronicle's 120th volume.