<p>I heard Duke University doesn't have the best relationship with Durham. Is that true ?</p>
<p>Well, that depends on what you mean. If you mean that everyone loves Duke students and bakes them cookies during finals week, then the answer is no – Davidson would be a much better choice, where they actually do that. </p>
<p>If you mean that they get along reasonably well, then yes, Duke and Durham have a fairly good relationship. Duke is by far the largest employer in the county, and about 1 in 5 residents works for Duke. One semester I had to walk off campus to a retired professor’s house several times a week for an independent study, and people working in their yards or relaxing on their porches would always wave and say hello; one woman even made me a glass of lemonade once it got warm. (This is why I love the South.)</p>
<p>Duke students are tremendously active in the community, and many students tutor local students, volunteer at the local animal shelter, help clean up the Eno River on weekends, etc.</p>
<p>THAT SAID – There is still a gross disparity between the overall affluence of the Duke community and the city of Durham. The Durham police force in particular has long been considered corrupt, and there is some tension with Duke. You’ll also see this in other schools with similar gaps (Yale, Rhodes, etc.). Duke students are common targets for robberies, as they’re often carrying valuable things like phones/ipods/laptops and don’t always exhibit street smarts.</p>
<p>[Views:</a> Town-Gown Relations on Trial - Inside Higher Ed](<a href=“http://www.insidehighered.com/views/2006/06/08/moyen]Views:”>http://www.insidehighered.com/views/2006/06/08/moyen)</p>
<p>Duke is an affluent, mostly-white (although diversity has improved markedly) private school located in a city that is predominately black and has had its struggled economically. Of course there will be challenges. I’ve spent tons of time in Durham and have discovered that certain sections of the city located close to Duke’s campus tend to have good relations with Duke (and the money that Duke’s students spend at their local restaurants and watering holes), but once you get outside these areas the people tend to become more apathetic. Not hostile or unfriendly, just apathetic. Durham doesn’t really embrace the “college town” role in the way that other, smaller communities do.</p>
<p>My brother’s at Duke. He says Durham is crap, there’s nothing to do. Only closeby club is Shooters and Metro or something. lol</p>
<p>He also says that Duke’s 49% white. So…minority’s a majority?</p>
<p>Durham is not a college town. The city has transformed from a place known for crime and gangs with not much to do to a diverse arts center known for great food. There is always a festival to go to. The farmers market downtown is a real attraction with more than farm goods sold. The restaurants are amazing the the food trucks unique. Race relations that were once difficult, are now less than nearby cities such as Raleigh. </p>
<p>But, Duke is not integrated much into the new city life. Historically it’s been a separate entity from the city. This is probably because of race differences. It is not literally walled off (there are walls, but not tall), but isolated from the city despite the fact that Duke depends on it’s workforce. Lately, with the revival of downtown Durham, I see more students at volunteer projects and often the professors require some sort of volunteer effort for the classes. But, the historical wealth and race differences between the campus and the city are difficult to overcome.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Duke = 47% white
Durham = 46% white</p>
<p>[Quick</a> Facts about Duke](<a href=“http://www.dukenews.duke.edu/resources/quickfacts.html]Quick”>http://www.dukenews.duke.edu/resources/quickfacts.html)</p>
<p>Although admittedly, Duke has 7% unreported so that could be white, and the non-white population at Duke is largely Asian, while the non-white population in Durham in largely African American (44% of Durham is African American).</p>
<p>By the way, the most recent class at UNC, located just 8 mile away, is reported by the university to be 75% white:</p>
<p>[Discover</a> academic opportunities that distinguish Carolina](<a href=“http://admissions.unc.edu/Academics/Class_Profile_and_Rankings/default.html]Discover”>Our Newest Class - Undergraduate Admissions)</p>
<p>There seems to be a misconception that Duke is an overwhelmingly white university when in reality it’s a very racially diverse institution and has more diversity than public universities that somehow escape the “white” label. The school itself may be affluent, but many students receive basically full rides from financial aid. </p>
<p>How much does the supposed “town-gown strain” affect Duke students’ daily lives? Not at all. It’s really nothing to worry about. It’s not like when you go off campus you are vilified by anybody; you don’t notice any difference except for the fact that it’s a lot more southern than on campus. At every university, the VAST majority of your time is spent with other students/faculty/people your age/etc. How often do students hang out with 40-year old local residents at the local pub? I mean, you see them there, but don’t typically befriend them. It’s not any different at Columbia, then it is at Dartmouth, then it is at Duke. A ton of Duke students volunteer in the community and by and large have positive experiences. I tutored high school students in the community as well as middle school students for two years and the vast majority of them loved Duke. Some were UNC fans, I admit, but still thought highly of Duke students and the university. </p>
<p>There are aspects of a city that are worth considering like crime, entertainment, and things to do, etc. Town/gown relations are generally overhyped in proportion to how much they actually affect a student’s experience. They may need to be dealt with from an administrative standpoint, but don’t really have any bearing on the quality of the life of the students. Durham is not a quintessential college town, but there’s more to do than you’d think and there’s actually a decent number of really great restaurants nearby. It’s a city of 200,000, there’s bound to be something to do. And if not, you spend the vast majority of time on a beautiful campus where there is plenty to do anyways…</p>
<p>If you want more responses, I’d suggest posting in the Duke-specific forum.</p>