This year’s LDOC was, without a doubt, different from previous ones. Anyone walking through Campus Center or the Chapel Quad saw students having fun and not stressing about their classes (for once). The BC Plaza featured a photo booth and Silent Disco while massages were offered in front of the Chapel. Everyone’s wrist was sporting a bright orange band that would let them be on the Residential Quad after 4pm. Many classes were either cancelled or shortened. In short, it was a great time. However, many upperclassmen (and even some first-years) noticed a few key differences in this year’s LDOC. The most notable differences were in the food, the concert, and safety.
LDOC had a variety of food options, some that were quite familiar to students. While barbecue was served in Penn Pavilion, some students found themselves paying for the same West Union food they had been purchasing all semester. The key difference? It was being sold outside of West Union. If you didn’t want to brave the lines for an overpriced slice of cheese pizza or wanted something else (like I did), you probably found yourself inside of West Union for lunch and handed over your DukeCard with a small sense of disappointment. As a first-year, I expected plenty of free food options because what Duke event doesn’t have plenty of free food? Some of my upperclassmen friends were also surprised by the diminished amount of free food and many students were confused about how the food trucks were operating that day as rumors flew that they would only accept cash. Perhaps the LDOC planning committee could work on making things clear and let the student body know next year whether they should budget food points for LDOC or start carrying cash.
The highlight of LDOC was, no doubt, the concert. The performers were overall amazing, but the standout for me was Daya. She was very spirited and even started up a couple of Duke chants. She marked the first time a Grammy Award-winning artist performed at LDOC and here’s hoping she’s not the last. The headliner, Tory Lanez, put on quite the show and even crowd surfed a few times! Students filled up the quad and you could see people watching the concert from the windows of the surrounding buildings.
For students, this last difference may not be too exciting, but administration sure is happy about it; there was a significant increase in safety this year. The Wellness Center reported that only two students had health-related issues that required them to be transported from the festivities, the lowest in LDOC history, per the LDOC planning committee. This could be due to the increased availability of water, increased security presence, or the partnerships formed with the Women’s Center and the Wellness Center, possibly even a combination of the three.
All in all, LDOC went off without much of a hitch. Some aspects weren’t so great, but others were spectacular. Here’s to more great LDOCs!