Team Spirit, But Hold the Spirits

As adults increasingly seek healthier ways to connect, see how some office bonding activities at Duke are embracing active and inclusive approaches

a collage of photos shows people engaged in kayaking, ice skating, a baseball game, a picnic and a "rage room"
Duke teams in departments and units across the university and health system have found creative ways for team bonding that don't involve alcohol. Courtesy photos

From the moment Julia Diesel sampled her first sip of alcohol, she had one prevailing thought: She didn’t like the way it made her feel.

“This feels pretty incompatible with my body, with my homeostasis,” Diesel remembers thinking. “Physiologically, it does not make me feel better in any way.” Now 28 years old and a Registered Nurse in Melanoma Surgical Oncology in the Duke Cancer Center, Diesel rarely drinks, typically sipping alcohol just a few times a year.  Instead of happy hours or bar hopping, she’s always preferred other ways to spend time and connect with friends.

That’s part of why, when Diesel organizes department outings or spends time with co-workers, she opts for active or alcohol-free activities. She’s gone paddleboarding and rollerblading with co-workers, painted walls with them and listened to live jazz. And last year, she helped plan a family-friendly holiday picnic at Sarah P. Duke Gardens. On an unseasonably warm December weekend day, the team shared food, laughed, relaxed and ran through mud – kids and adults, alike.

A group of five women and a baby stand in Sarah P. Duke Gardens
Julia Diesel, center, and the Melanoma Surgical Oncology team at the Duke Cancer Center enjoyed a picnic at Sarah P. Duke Gardens last December for a team outing. Photo courtesy of Julia Diesel

“I think opportunities where you can get out and actually be present with one another are kind of a gift – and really authentic and really unique,” Diesel said. “It’s a lot easier to just show up and be authentic without needing alcohol as a mediator of the experience with one another.”

Diesel is not unique among her peer group, according to a Gallup poll that found that alcohol consumption among young adults ages 18-34 is increasingly viewed as unhealthy, with 65% in that age range saying alcohol consumption negatively affects health. A record-low 54% of U.S. adults in 2025 said they consumed alcohol.

An advisory issued early in 2025 by former U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy outlined a link between alcohol consumption and increased cancer risk. Alcohol consumption, Murthy wrote, is the third-leading preventable cause of cancer in the United States, with a direct link between at least seven different types of cancer.

Teri Leasure, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with Duke Personal Assistance Service (PAS) has seen a shift among younger clients, particularly those who move to the Durham area for their jobs and are trying to cultivate a new social network.

“Alcohol is a social lubricant and can help people loosen up and be able to talk more and develop more connections,” Leasure said. “But another side of that is, how real is that? I think that social events that don’t include alcohol would actually create deeper connections better.”

As part of the conversation, Working@Duke is spotlighting creative ways Duke teams have connected without alcohol, offering inspiration for your next department gathering.

Hit the Ice

A group of people stand at an ice skating rink
Team members from three departments in the Nicholas School went ice skating earlier this year for a team activity. Photo courtesy of Laura Lipps

At the Nicholas School of the Environment, team members regularly gather for gentle yoga classes offered by request by LIVE FOR LIFE, Duke’s employee wellness program. They’ve taken trips to the Duke Lemur Center and taken walks through Sarah P. Duke Gardens.

Earlier this year, Laura Lipps, Program Director for Non-Degree Education Programming, said they wanted something different – an event that was fun, inclusive and even more interactive than a traditional coffee gathering.

They settled on something very non-traditional (in North Carolina, at least): Ice skating. Team members from three departments in the Nicholas School went to an open skate session at Invisalign Arena in Morrisville.

Lipps and her team members took steps during the planning process to ensure everyone who wanted to attend could participate. And they were rewarded with invigorating conversation that was sparked by getting out of their comfort zones.

“There really is something about movement together – whether it’s ice skating or even taking a walk through Duke Gardens – that makes the conversation different and easier or more informal,” Lipps said. “Skating together made for a more casual, open environment. Conversations felt more natural while we were having fun and laughing together – it was easier to break the ice.”

Smash Some Stuff

As the Director for the Duke Center for Sexual and Gender Diversity, Angel Collie thinks about inclusion a lot. Not just when it comes to thoughtfully caring for all LGBTQIA+ members of the community but also understanding that everyone has different beliefs and habits.

Four people stand in a "rage room," wearing coveralls and holding sledgehammers
Team members for the Duke Center for Sexual and Gender Diversity went to Wreck It Range Room for a team activity. Photo courtesy of Angel Collie

“If you’re thinking about working with folks who are with our identity and cultural centers we represent, we’re representing folks who maybe are not engaging with alcohol for lots of different reasons,” Collie said. “And so I think being broadly inclusive, it’s best to just stay away from it in team gatherings.”

When CSGD wanted an outing to welcome new Assistant Director Ki Hickman, Collie offered an alcohol-free option: A visit to Durham’s Wreck It Rage Room.

The room offers a controlled environment for visitors to release pent-up energy or emotions by smashing objects such as glassware or electronics with baseball bats, hammers and mallets while wearing protective equipment.

“Our jobs can be really hard,” Collie said. “It’s super stress-relieving. And it’s silly and just fun.”

Team members from CSGD broke apart a washing machine and smashed some dishes, working on communication skills to ensure they could swing baseball bats safely in the room.

“We saw like people's personalities come out in different ways,” Collie said. “It was a hit, it really was. It really kind of broke the ice, if you will.”

Take in a Bulls Game

When Jillian Kuhn’s offices were at the American Tobacco Campus, she and some co-workers in Duke’s Office of Information Technology would regularly swing by nearby Durham Bulls games at the end of a day.

Two young girls peek over a fence at a Durham Bulls baseball game
Jillian Kuhn's daughters, Paige and Scarlett, take in a Durham Bulls game during an OIT team outing last year. Photo courtesy of Jillian Kuhn

But since moving to a fully remote role as a Senior Portfolio Manager where the downtown Durham Bulls Athletic Park is less convenient to her home and her busy family life, she sees fewer Triple-A baseball games.

Over the past few years, OIT has held an annual night at a Bulls game, where employees can purchase food and drinks, though the gatherings are more about enjoying the game and time together. Last year Kuhn brought her two young daughters – which was a treat for 9-year-old Scarlett’s birthday.

“I love working at Duke for many reasons, one of which is it does understand that we all have families, and they encourage us to do family things,” Kuhn said.

And when OIT colleague Ivan Wilson caught a foul ball, he presented it to Scarlett as a birthday gift – even though also happened to be Wilson’s birthday.

“She loves baseball, so she was thrilled,” Kuhn said.

It was all in the name of family-friendly fun.

Has your team had a unique team bonding activity? Share what you’ve done and photos from your group social through our story idea form or write working@duke.edu.

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