Welcome!

[Ed Note: Oli is the incomparable president of Blue Devils United this year, and with the rest of the executive board has put together a very awesome, very packed schedule for the Fall. Community, let's do this.]

Can you believe it? Summer is finally over. You can feel the energy that everyone has arriving on campus - either for the very first time, or returning back to the Gothic Wonderland. It’s a whole new year, a fresh start, full of possibility.

To the Class of 2014 - welcome to Duke. Whether you're a regular reader of this blog or here for the very first time, we're so glad you stumbled upon it. We really can’t overstate how excited we are to have you all here. It is the coolest thing to see all the new faces on campus, to see how eager you all are to get involved in the multitude of things that make this campus such a fantastic place to be. We can’t wait to meet all of you!

Starting college is a big transition for anyone and can be especially difficult for those who are questioning or grappling with their identity. The great thing is though that you’re not alone – there are a huge number of people who have had similar experiences and who are more than willing to share their perspectives and advice. We have a really strong LGBTQ community here at Duke. It’s made up of amazing people, from all different backgrounds and walks of life. It’s a community that looks out for one another and in which some incredibly strong friendships have been forged. No matter who you are, how you identify, or where you’re from, we welcome you with open arms. And we love straight allies - you are all an incredibly important part of this community as well. You needn’t have ever been involved in LGBTQ activism or anything related to the LGBTQ community before either. Many of the people now involved with Blue Devils United (BDU) weren’t out in high school. But I can safely say, that for many of those people, including myself, getting involved the LGBTQ community and BDU was one of the best things they’ve ever done at Duke. We really hope it will be for you too.

I would also strongly recommend just stopping by the LGBT Center sometime to say hi. If you haven’t met the Director of the Center, Dr. Janie Long yet, then you should - she is one of the most amazing people on this campus. As well as being a fantastic, kind person with a wicked sense of humor, Dr. Long is an incredible resource and mentor. She is always happy to help students with whatever issues they may be having, to give advice, or just to lend an open ear. Her email is janie.long@duke.edu.

For those who are new, BDU is Duke’s undergraduate LGBTQ organization. We descend from a long line of groups, going all the way back to 1972 when the first gay advocacy group was formed on campus. Our mission is to promote a Duke that is more accepting and open - a Duke where people feel secure in expressing their true identities. To this end, we are an activist voice advocating for LGBTQ issues both within Duke and beyond. We also host a wide range of social events to facilitate and strengthen a sense of community on campus.

This year is going to be absolutely fantastic. There's so much do and to get involved with over the next few weeks, but I know that we're up for the challenge and ready to take Duke by storm! Our first BDU meeting of the year will be held on Wednesday, September 1st at 6:30PM in the Duke Center for LGBT Life. This is right after the LGBT Welcome Reception, also hosted in the Center from 4-6 PM that same day. The Center is in 02 West Union, located directly below The Loop restaurant. It can be reached either through the lower level corridor of the West Union, or via the stairs from the Bryan Center Plaza. We have SO much exciting stuff to discuss and info on opportunities to get involved, including:

• Our Repeal Don't Ask, Don't Tell soldier campaign
• Outreach to local area GSAs and high schools
• Homecoming in conjunction with the Duke LGBT Network
• The North Carolina Pride Parade (NC Pride is, like past years, being held right here at Duke and in Durham, on Saturday September 25th. Duke has always had one of the most colorful (and fabulous) floats and it's going to be a lot of fun again this year.)
• Coming Out Day
• The Triangle Collaboration Initiative LGBT Retreat, being held on the weekend of November 5th to 7th at Camp Don Lee in Arapahoe, NC. This leadership retreat brings together students from several of the Triangle-area colleges, including Duke, UNC-Chapel Hill and NC State.
• The Fall Charity Drag Show
• And much more!

PLUS!

On Friday, September 10th, BDU will be hosting the first Fall LGBT Dance Party to welcome the new Class of 2014! It's gonna be an awesome night of music, food, dancing and great company! Stay tuned for more details, and if you'd like to help with preparations, email me at oww@duke.edu

AND!

This year, the theatre studies department is doing The Laramie Project, an award-winning play about the reaction to the murder of gay Wyoming teen Matthew Shepard in 1998. Auditions will be held on September 1st and 2nd, from 5 to 8PM in Sheafer Theatre,, with callbacks on September 3rd. Those interested should prepare a 1 to 2 minute monologue from a contemporary piece. There will be sign ups for auditions next Wednesday at the LGBT Center's Welcome Reception from 4 to 6PM. For more information contact Miriam Sauls at mmsauls@duke.edu.

Additionally, BDU will be tabling at the Fall 2010 Student Activities Fair next Friday, September 3rd, from 4 to 6PM out on the East Campus Quad. The Student Activities Fair showcases all of the student-run groups, organizations and club sports on campus and is the perfect place to sign up and get involved. Look out for us there and come up and say hi! We’ll definitely have one of the more colorful tables :) For any sophomores, juniors or seniors who want to help table for the Fair, please email me at oww@duke.edu.

So get pumped, tell your friends, roommates, acquaintances and pets - we can't wait to see you all there at 6:30PM on Wednesday :) I almost forgot the most important thing - there’ll be free food! (And a surprise!)