Originally Posted by
uh_no
The bigger issue for duke will be handling the bubble of students coming back from a gap year.
There is history in universities doing this, although memories are likely faded since the surge of students following the end of WW II. About five years ago I spoke with a student in the Class of 1950 at Harvard. He was a local student -- miraculously admitted, but a different story. There was really no room on campus for anyone, even areas for the "townies" to congregate. So Harvard rented a townhouse as a sort of social hall. I can't remember if it provided meals or not, but it was a regular gathering place.
Duke would need to pin down off-campus housing for students as well as meet the needs of such students when actually on campus.
But back to the prior story. What was memorable to me was that, my friend said, there were ongoing bull sessions in the townhouse. By far the two most active participants were Henry Kissinger and future Secy. of Defense James Schlesinger, both Class of 1950.
Sage Grouse
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'When I got on the bus for my first road game at Duke, I saw that every player was carrying textbooks or laptops. I coached in the SEC for 25 years, and I had never seen that before, not even once.' - David Cutcliffe to Duke alumni in Washington, DC, June 2013