"Beer Trucks" Cancelled

Citing an apparent lack of funds, the popular annual Commencement Eve tent party in the Blue Zone (a.k.a. "beer trucks") has been "terminated by the DAA in consultation with all University departments involved with Commencement."

http://dukechronicle.com/article/bee...raduation-week

I have attended the event in the past and am very sad to see it go. It provides a great send-off to graduating seniors and their families, and it allows students to spend one last night together with their friends before everyone parts ways forever the next day. Now, students will "be able to spend more time with their families" the night before Commencement.

Lame. Very lame. Especially after seeing the amount of money that the university as a whole pours into other endeavors, and the amount of money DAA must have spent on things like flowers and candle-chandeliers for Alumni weekend.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by El_Diablo

...It provides a great send-off to graduating seniors and their families, and it allows students to spend one last night together with their friends before everyone parts ways forever the next day...
Lame. Very lame. Especially after seeing the amount of money that the university as a whole pours into other endeavors, and the amount of money DAA must have spent on things like flowers and candle-chandeliers for Alumni weekend.

---

Couldn't agree more. It's pathetic and short-sighted on the part of the university. Wouldn't much of the cost been offset by the beer companies anyway through advertising?
It was also a great place to allow parents to embarrass their children by showing off their dancing skills!
All kidding aside, though, Duke looks cheap and sour-tempered.

As a graduating senior, I'm pissed. Most of my friends are pissed, too. I get that it costs a lot of money, but this is the event that almost every senior looks forward to, that even the parents who are there enjoy, and it's a little absurd to cancel it. A lot of seniors are withholding senior gifts and saying they won't donate for a long time with this being cancelled. A bit petty, perhaps, but we feel screwed over here.

When did this tradition start? I graduated in 94 and never heard of it, but maybe that's because I lived off campus at the end. Sounds like fun, though.

I thought this was an interesting last quote from the article:

Quote:

---

“Of all the big special events at Duke like Tailgate, LDOC, personal checks and Beer Trucks, the administration has already canceled two of them,” he said. “These are the events that define Duke and canceling them marks big changes in the social scene and the aspects that make Duke different from other universities.”

---

I haven't even been out 20 years yet, but these were not defining events when I was at Duke: Tailgate didn't exist; LDOC didn't exist (as an event -- obviously we had a last day of classes); tenting was completely different, so personal checks were not a social event, although camping out obviously was; and if Beer Trucks existed, I missed them. I know it's hard to reach very far back for perspective when you're an undergrad, but arguing that these 4 events define Duke seems a stretch.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Lid

I know it's hard to reach very far back for perspective when you're an undergrad, but arguing that these 4 events define Duke seems a stretch.

---

I'd say that most undergrads wouldn't define Duke as those 4 events. Maybe tenting is part of what defines Duke, but Tailgate certainly doesn't and LDOC is no different from similar events at other schools (in fact, it's a lot tamer because it's only going on for 1 day as opposed to being a week-long festivity). I can't say I know when Beer Trucks started, but it's been going on for all of my time here. In the world of a college students, a tradition is anything that's happened every year since your freshman year. It only takes 3 years to turn something into a tradition and 3 years to end it completely and get it out of the short memory.

That quote is sensationalism by the Chronicle... per usual. The guy who said it may feel that way, but in no way is it representative of the student body's opinion as a whole. Yes, Beer Trucks is an event seniors care about being able to have, but to the rest of the school, it doesn't matter if it happens this year or not.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Lid

I haven't even been out 20 years yet, but these were not defining events when I was at Duke: Tailgate didn't exist; LDOC didn't exist (as an event -- obviously we had a last day of classes); tenting was completely different, so personal checks were not a social event, although camping out obviously was; and if Beer Trucks existed, I missed them. I know it's hard to reach very far back for perspective when you're an undergrad, but arguing that these 4 events define Duke seems a stretch.

---

Yeah! And get off my lawn!

Also, how in the hell is it possible that this event costs 50k? Iirc, the beer they served was miller lite! That's cheaper than water!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Lid

When did this tradition start? I graduated in 94 and never heard of it, but maybe that's because I lived off campus at the end. Sounds like fun, though.

I thought this was an interesting last quote from the article:
I haven't even been out 20 years yet, but these were not defining events when I was at Duke: Tailgate didn't exist; LDOC didn't exist (as an event -- obviously we had a last day of classes); tenting was completely different, so personal checks were not a social event, although camping out obviously was; and if Beer Trucks existed, I missed them. I know it's hard to reach very far back for perspective when you're an undergrad, but arguing that these 4 events define Duke seems a stretch.

---

Ironically, outraged undergrads giving overcooked quotes to the Chronicle *is* one of the traditions that has defined Duke over the years.

On the other hand, with the Suns missing the playoffs this is the perfect time for a certain alum to come back to campus and bail out Duke once again.

I'll tell you one damn thing. We're gonna have two beer trucks.
---Coach Tom D'Armi (1935-2010)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Lid

When did this tradition start? I graduated in 94 and never heard of it, but maybe that's because I lived off campus at the end. Sounds like fun, though.

I thought this was an interesting last quote from the article:
I haven't even been out 20 years yet, but these were not defining events when I was at Duke: Tailgate didn't exist; LDOC didn't exist (as an event -- obviously we had a last day of classes); tenting was completely different, so personal checks were not a social event, although camping out obviously was; and if Beer Trucks existed, I missed them. I know it's hard to reach very far back for perspective when you're an undergrad, but arguing that these 4 events define Duke seems a stretch.

---

The Saturday night before graduation beer trucks were a nice event when I graduated in 1999. Wouldn't call it a "defining" social event but it was a good time.

The big tent party during grad weekend was instituted as part of several reforms that followed the infamously poor behavior of the class of '89 during their commencement. The intent was to provide a social outlet for the weekend and/or to get students quietly hung over for the next morning.
My guess is that the tent and toilets are the major expense for the event, along with staffing.

DSG recently passed a resolution to fund beer trucks:

http://dukechronicle.com/article/dsg...re-beer-trucks

The planned event will use only 30% of the budget that Kim Hanauer cited as being too cost-prohibitive for the Duke Alumni Association to handle.

I hope it doesn't rain.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by orrnot

I hope it doesn't rain.

---

Supposedly the rain site will be the Bryan Center or IM building (but I'm not sure if they've finalized that part yet). These options are appealing because they don't cost an extra $35,000 for one evening's use, like the tent supposedly did.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by El_Diablo

Supposedly the rain site will be the Bryan Center or IM building (but I'm not sure if they've finalized that part yet). These options are appealing because they don't cost an extra $35,000 for one evening's use, like the tent supposedly did.

---

Can anyone with experience with this sort of thing explain how a tent costs 35k? I have got to get into the tent business, damn.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by NovaScotian

Can anyone with experience with this sort of thing explain how a tent costs 35k? I have got to get into the tent business, damn.

---

You have to pay for the rental, pay for the staff to set it up, and pay for the fire marshal to come inspect it and clear it for use. Those costs add up very quickly.