Duke’s 100th Class Arrives
First-Year Move-In highlights community and collaboration
The scene repeated over and over: a car delivering a new Duke student pulled up and a swarm of very vocal upperclassmen surrounded it, chanting the three-word soundtrack of move-in day:
“Pop that trunk!”
And away they went. This annual rite of passage came again Saturday morning, as the roughly 1,730 new first-year Duke students – the university’s 100th incoming class – let the assembled helping hands move their stuff into their new homes.
It was a frenetic day of welcomes and goodbyes that leave parents wistful.
“There was a mom who immediately burst into tears,” said career center director Greg Victory, one of many Duke staff members helping carry luggage. “I said, ‘Do you need a hug?’”
She did. For many parents, it was that kind of day. For students, it was exciting.
“Move-in day at Duke is a great example of this university,” said Duke President Vincent Price, who spent the morning hauling dorm fridges up stairs. “The community, the sense of enthusiasm, welcoming the newest members of the university, the fantastic class of 2028. The vibe is fantastic.”
In a hallway outside her son’s Trinity Residence Hall room, Banou Balakrishnan offered a wry smile as she prepared to watch her only child, Surya Krishnamurthy, spread his wings.
“It hasn’t sunk in yet,” she said. “When I get back home, I’ll feel it.”
Fortunately for the family, home is only 20 minutes away in Chapel Hill.
“Duke is close to home, which makes my mom happy,” said Krishnamurthy.
Down the hall, David Kim looked around his new room and talked about the close-knit community he felt during recent visits to campus. Duke’s ability to draw students from everywhere was a key driver in Kim’s decision to attend.
Move-in Olympics
If move-in day was an Olympic sport for Duke administrators, President Vincent Price and Gary Bennett, the dean of Trinity College Arts and Sciences, were early medal contenders.
“The people I see here come from vastly different backgrounds, and I feel I have something to learn from all of them,” said Kim, a Cary native who plans to study neuroscience.
“I feel most top schools don’t have a community like this.”
First-year Student Kyle D’Souza
Around the corner, new roommates Kyle D’Souza and Neel Singh unpacked and got acquainted. D’Souza also spoke of the sense of community he already felt.
“I feel most top schools don’t have a community like this,” said D’Souza, who is from New Jersey. “A lot of places, people don’t want to help each other out, but here, everyone is helpful.”
Before moving in, first-year student, Ryan Merrill, posed for a family photo with her parents Laura and Jon Merrill and her siblings, Riley, 10, and Renly, a 10-weeks-old newborn who spent move-in day cooing and gurgling in a stroller.
Ryan, who plans to major in mechanical engineering, is a second-generation Duke student. Her father, Jon, is a Duke alum who manned the offensive line for the football team and graduated in 1996. The Merrill family rode nearly four hours to Duke from their home in Brevard, North Carolina.
“I’m so excited for her,” said Jon Merrill. “And it gives me a reason to come back for football games!”
These students will be busy. They’ll quickly begin a week of Experiential Orientation, created three years ago as part of Duke’s new QuadEx living and learning model that focuses on building stronger campus communities.
Divided into 22 groups, students will spend the next week tackling a themed project emphasizing teamwork and collaboration. Students in Project Edge – focused on innovation – will meet with local entrepreneurs. In Project Habitat, students will help build houses with Habitat for Humanity. And the newest group – Project Herd – will build connections between other first-year students and upperclassmen through visits to Duke Lemur Center and Duke Campus Farm, plus downtown and the Eno River.
Come late afternoon, families gathered along Abele Quad for dinner before saying their goodbyes. For Omar Ozalp, picnicking near the Brodhead Center with his parents, his Duke arrival was his first time in the United States since he was five years old – the family arrived from Egypt just a few days before move-in. Omar said he chose Duke for the sports, academics and social life. “You don’t get that (balance) at a lot of places,” he said.
“I can’t wait to see what he does,” added his mother, Heba.
Samuel Katz took pictures at a Blue Devil photo booth with his parents Alex and Sarrie. He said he will miss the beach by his house in Jupiter, Fla., and made sure to bring pictures of his family and friends for his dorm room. A piece of his mother’s advice? “Keep an open mind.”
Students say goodbye to family as they enter the Family Farewell event in Cameron Indoor Stadium.
Once they hugged and said emotional farewells, students and families separated and made their way into Cameron: students organized by dorm on the bleachers, their families in the seats above. A line of speakers starting with Duke President Vincent Price drew attention to Duke’s collaborative spirit.
“You come here not to blend in but to stand out. That’s why we brought you here.”
Kara Lawson, Duke women’s basketball coach
“You come here not to blend in but to stand out. That’s why we brought you here,” said Duke women’s basketball coach Kara Lawson. “Remember, you’re going to go through some ups and downs. But you’re surrounded by a lot of love.”
During this week, students are introduced to Durham and encouraged to find their way around the Bull City, including a Durham Night Market highlighting a dozen local businesses.
It’s vital new Duke students understand the city they now live in, said Stelfanie Williams, Duke’s Vice President for Durham and Community Affairs.
“A key part of a student’s development is to be an engaged member of your community,” Williams said. “And here, the community is both Duke and Durham.”
“We’re big fans of Duke, so having our son go to the greatest university in the world in the greatest city in the world is a dream come true.”
Leonardo Williams, Mayor of Durham
Two Duke parents who know this particular relationship well are Leonardo and Zweli Williams. Leonardo is Durham’s mayor and Zweli runs a prominent local restaurant. Their son, Izaiah, is a member of this new Duke first-year class.
“We’re big fans of Duke, so having our son go to the greatest university in the world in the greatest city in the world is a dream come true,” Leonardo Williams said.
Izaiah is a graduate of the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics and plans to study mechanical engineering and earth and climate science. He too believes it’s important for students to spend time in Durham and get to know it well.
“We’re going to school in this city,” he said, “and we should try to be a part of it and get involved.”
