As students returned to campus for the fall semester, many noticed an updated look at facilities across campus.
The changes spanned Duke’s student, dining and athletic facilities. While some of the upgrades were part of routine upkeep, others reflected an effort to enhance experiences for the Duke community.
“Campus updates made over the summer are part of the University's work plan to proactively maintain Duke's buildings … to enhance student space on campus,” wrote Evan Heisman, communications and support services manager of the facilities management department, in a Monday email to The Chronicle.
On April 29, Duke announced that Cameron Indoor Stadium would feature a new three-display video board for the 2024-25 season. The new 900-square-foot interactive scoreboard nearly doubles the screen space of the previous scoreboard.
Adjacent to Cameron Indoor Stadium, the basketball courts in Wilson Recreation Center were refinished as a part of “normal cyclical maintenance,” according to Heisman. Additional athletics facility upgrades occurred on Curtin Plaza outside of the Sheffield Tennis Center.
The Brodhead Center, commonly referred to as WU, features new stands for mobile order pickup. In the lower level near Crown Commons, the glass panel walls and LED lighting were replaced.
In the Bryan Center, which houses many student life groups, worn carpets were replaced in public areas.
To better facilitate foot traffic, flashing lights and signage are being installed on pedestrian crosswalks near the Karsh Alumni and Visitors Center and on N.C. Highway 751 near the Duke soccer practice fields.
Duke Chapel and the Kenan Institute for Ethics launched a “storytelling initiative,” Say The Thing, during the 2023-24 school year. The initiative has expanded and opened physical booths in multiple locations throughout campus.
Booths are now located around campus, including the Bryan Center and Perkins Library. They enable students to capture their stories and “wrestle with hard questions.” Responses are recorded and can be sent directly to students’ emails.
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Ava Littman is a Trinity sophomore and an associate news editor for the news department.